Aged ; Axilla ; Axillary Vein ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Breast Neoplasms ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Jugular Veins ; surgery ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis ; etiology ; surgery ; Vascular Grafting ; methods

This paper describes the implementation background for the rural doctors’ contracted services in Jiangsu province, focusing on the main approaches and promoting measures. The main objective was to analyze the effects of the transform from the perspectives of implementing the basic public health services welfare, promoting the rural doctors’ incentives and incomes, establishing a balance between the supply and demand, establishing a hierar-chical clinic system in the rural areas, understanding the impacts of New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, and so forth. Based on the analysis, three conclusions were drawn:(1) Rebuild the trust in the relationship between doctors and patients and improve the working environment for the rural doctors with contracted services as a starting point. (2) Organize the medical services supplies focusing on the patient requirements, thereby ensuring that the primary health care providers take the first diagnosis responsibility. This helps in establishing a reasonable medical order as well as improved capital efficiency. (3) Return to the origin of primary health care by mainly focusing on health man-agement, and improve the health condition for the country dwellers.

Objective To explore the residual undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in embryoid bodies. Methods Mouse R1 and Oct-4-GFP transgenic ESCs were firstly cultured in suspension to form embryoid bodies (EBs). Twenty days later, EBs were digested into single cells and then re-plated in standard ESC culture condition. The morphology of residual undifferentiated cells in EBs was observed, and surface makers and in vitro redifferentiation potency of residual cells were examined by flow cytometry and immunofluoreseent staining. The residual cells were expanded and subcutaneously injected into nude mice, and the specimens were harvested from the injection site for histological analysis 6 weeks after injection. Results There were residual undifferentiated ESCs in EBs differentiated for 20 days, which displayed clonal morphology and expressed undifferentiated cell markers of ESCs, including SSEA1, CD31, CD9 and Oct-4. The cells could be differentiated to form EBs again, and could be re-expanded from secondary EBs. The residual cells were able to form teratoma at the injection site, and mature endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm tissues could be found in teratoma tissues. Conclusion There are residual undifferentiated ESCs after differentiation of ESCs into EBs. The residual ESCs can differentiate again in vitro and in vivo, and can residue again in the in vitro differentiation.

OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for screening active ingredients of Chinese herbs by determining different bio-thermodynamic effects of 3 genosides on splenic lymphocyte of mice.

METHODSUsing a thermal bioactivity monitoring system, the maximum heat output (mHO), average metabolic heat (MH) and constant of decrease rate (DR) of lymphocyte were determined based on the growth metabolic power-time curve, and the outcomes were verified by MIT.

RESULTSThe mHO and MH increased and the DR decreased after lymphocytes being exposed to the 3 genosides in different concentrations, arranged upon their potency as genoside Rg3 > genoside Rg2 > genoside Rg1 (merely insignificant effect). MTT showed the same results.

CONCLUSIONHeat activity monitoring system could precisely display the different bio-thermal dynamic effects of 3 genosides on splenic lymphocyte.

Animals ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Spleen ; cytology ; Thermodynamics

Abstract: Objective　To collect and organize malaria case data in Hubei Province from 2017 to 2021, compare and analyze the malaria epidemic characteristics on the before and after malaria elimination, and provide scientific support for Hubei Province to further optimize the comprehensive strategies to prevent re-transmission after the elimination of malaria. Methods The study was conducted by collecting the data of reported malaria cases of Hubei during 2017-2021 from the Infectious Disease Surveillance Reporting and Management System, and conducting the epidemiological characteristics of malaria on pre-elimination (2017-2019) and post-elimination (2020-2021). Results A total of 429 cases of imported malaria were reported in Hubei Province from 2017 to 2021, and the malaria epidemic showed an obvious trend of rising first and then falling. On the pre-malaria elimination, 374 malaria cases were reported, including 262 cases of P.falciparum (70.05%); on the post-malaria elimination, 55 malaria cases were reported, including 25 cases of P.falciparum (45.45%). There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of infections caused by the four types of malaria parasites before and after the elimination of malaria (χ2=14.248, P<0.05). On the pre-malaria elimination, the peak of disease onset mainly occurred in January, July, and November; on the post-malaria elimination, the peak of disease onset mainly occurred in January to February, and December. Both before and after malaria elimination, the reported cases were mainly concentrated in Wuhan, Yichang, Huangshi, Xiangyang, Shiyan and Huanggang, but the range of cases showed a clear trend of narrowing. Before and after malaria elimination, malaria cases in Hubei Province were mainly among young and middle-aged males aged 30-49. The proportions of workers and migrant workers increased from 37.70% and 9.09% before the elimination to 50.91% and 18.18% after the elimination, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (χ2=17.839, P<0.05). The percentage of interval from onset of illness to initial diagnosis ≥ 5d decreased from 21.66% before the elimination to 10.91% after the elimination (χ2=6.448, P<0.05). The percentage of definitive diagnosis of malaria at initial diagnosis in town clinic increased from 18.18% before the elimination to 50.00% after the elimination. The proportion of malaria cases diagnosed by county-level medical institutions increased from 22.73% before the elimination to 34.55% after elimination. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of malaria cases diagnosed by medical institutions at all levels before and after the elimination of malaria (χ2=5.630, P>0.05). The proportion of cases with the interval between initial diagnosis and diagnosis within 24h increased from 43.85% before the elimination to 70.91% after the elimination. There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of cases with the interval between initial diagnosis and diagnosis before and after the elimination of malaria (χ2=14.006, P<0.05). Before and after malaria elimination, all reported cases were mainly imported from African countries. Conclusions There are imported malaria cases reported every year in Hubei Province before and after the elimination of malaria, which poses a great challenge to the prevention of re-transmission. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the surveillance system, detect and standardize the treatment of imported malaria cases in a timely manner, conduct targeted retransmission risk surveys and assessments, and consolidate the achievements of malaria elimination.

OBJECTIVETo establish the method of gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of the cotinine (COT) in human urine.

METHODSThe conjugated trans-3'-hydroxycotinine (THOC) and COT were hydrolyzed in human urine with beta-glucuronidase. The composition of COT was extracted with the mixture of dichloromethane and n-butyl acetate (2:1) and was separated with HP-5MS fused-silica capillary column. The GC-MS was used for determining its content.

RESULTSThe monitoring limit of this method was 0.02 microg/L. Its recovery rate was higher than 90%, Its accuracy rate was 4.30%. It was used for the determination of the cotinine in human urine in Guangzhou Biological Bank the Elderly Cohort.

CONCLUSIONThe GC-MS method is a good microanalysis for monitoring the cotinine in human urine rapidly and accurately with little background disturbance. It has been applied in our Guangzhou Cohort Study for determining cotinine in human urine.

Cotinine ; urine ; Female ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoking ; urine

Abstract: Our previous work revealed berberine can significantly enhance the susceptibility of fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans, which suggested that berberine has synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. Preliminary SAR of berberine needs to be studied for the possibility of investigating its target and SAR, improving its drug-likeness, and exploring new scaffold. In this work, 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives and N-benzyl isoquinoline analogues were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and MS. Their synergetic activity with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans was evaluated in vitro. The 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives 1a-1e exhibited comparable activity to berberine, which suggested that the introduction of functional groups to C-13 can maintain its activity. The N-benzyl isoquinolines, which were designed as analogues of berberine with its D ring opened, exhibited lower activity than berberine. However, compound 2b, 2c, and 4b showed moderate activity, which indicated that berberine may be deconstructed to new scaffold with synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. The results of our research may be helpful to the SAR studies on its other biological activities.
Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Fungal ; Drug Synergism ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of normalization window of tumor vasculature (NWTV) in patients with unresectable gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODSFrom October 2010 to March 2011, 93 patients with unresectable advanced or locally advanced gastric carcinoma were prospectively collected and randomly divided to Group A(n=30), Group B(n=29), and Group C(n=34). Group A received FOLFOX4 as conventional neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Group B received FOLFOX4 plus bevacizumab. The treatment was adjusted in Group C according to the hypothesis of NWTV with neoadjuvant chemotherapy delivered 5 days after bevacizumab treatment. The efficacy, drug toxicity and clinical outcome were assessed and compared between the three groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences among the 3 groups in demographics(P>0.05). All the patients completed the neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Efficacy and toxicity between the three groups were comparable(P>0.05). The rates of tumor downstaging in the three groups were 56.7%(17/30), 72.4%(21/29), 85.3%(29/34), respectively, with a significantly lower downstaging rate in Group C as compared to Group A(P<0.05). R0 resection rates were 23.3%(7/30), 27.6%(8/29), 52.9% (18/34), respectively, with significantly higher R0 resection rate in Group C as compared to Group A and Group B(All P<0.05). There was no perioperative death in this cohort. Postoperative complications were comparable among the 3 groups(P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAnti-angiogenesis agent can improve the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in unresectable gastric cancer. Furthermore, administration according to NWTV may achieve better outcomes.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bevacizumab ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Leucovorin ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; drug therapy ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of T-2 toxin on expressions of Fas, p53, Bcl-xL, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 on human chondrocytes.

METHODSHuman chondrocytes were treated with T-2 toxin (1-20 ng/ml) for 5 d. Fas, p53 and other apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis and their mRNA expressions were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSIncreases in Fas, p53 and the pro-apoptotic factor Bax protein and mRNA expressions and a decrease of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-xL were observed in a dose-dependent manner after exposures to 1-20 ng/ml T-2 toxin, while the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 was unchanged. Meanwhile, T-2 toxin could also up-regulate the expressions of both pro-caspase-3 and caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONThese data suggest a possible underlying molecular mechanism for T-2 toxin to induce the apoptosis signaling pathway in human chondrocytes by regulation of apoptosis-related proteins.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; T-2 Toxin ; toxicity ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; bcl-X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; fas Receptor ; genetics ; metabolism

Methylation, a methyl group-consuming reaction, plays a key role in the degradation (i.e., inactivation) of monoamine neurotransmitters, including catecholamines, serotonin and histamine. Without labile methyl groups, the methylation-mediated degradation cannot take place. Although high niacin (nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) intake, which is very common nowadays, is known to deplete the body's methyl-group pool, its effect on monoamine-neurotransmitter degradation is not well understood. The aim of this article was to investigate the effect of excess nicotinamide on the levels of plasma serotonin and histamine in healthy subjects. Urine and venous blood samples were collected from nine healthy male volunteers before and after oral loading with 100 mg nicotinamide. Plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide, urinary N(1)-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide (2-Py), and plasma betaine levels were measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Plasma concentrations of choline, serotonin and histamine were measured using commercial kits. The results showed that the plasma N(1)-methylnicotinamide level and the urinary excretion of 2-Py significantly increased after oral loading with 100 mg nicotinamide, which was accompanied with a decrease in the methyl-group donor betaine. Compared with those before nicotinamide load, five-hour postload plasma serotonin and histamine levels significantly increased. These results suggest that excess nicotinamide can disturb monoamine-neurotransmitter metabolism. These findings may be of significance in understanding the etiology of monoamine-related mental diseases, such as schizophrenia and autism (a neurodevelopmental disorder).
Betaine ; blood ; Choline ; blood ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Histamine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Niacinamide ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Pyridones ; urine ; Serotonin ; blood