Brain Neoplasms ; pathology ; Glioma ; pathology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male

Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Twins, Monozygotic ; Wilms Tumor

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of resveratrol on the proliferation, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential and cell morphology of human liver cancer cell line HepG2.

METHODSThe changes in HepG2 cell growth and proliferation in response to resveratrol treatment were evaluated by MTT assay, and resveratrol-induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells was investigated by flow cytometry. Inverted microscope and electron microscope were employed for observing morphological changes of the treated cells. The whole-cell mitochondrial membrane potential was measured in separate experiments using two fluorimetric probes, rhodamine123 and TMRE, respectively. HepG2 cells treated with rhodamine123 were analyzed by flow cytometry and cells treated with TMRE by confocal microscope.

RESULTSMTT assay showed that low concentrations of resveratrol produced no significant effect on the growth of HepG2 cells, whereas at high concentrations, resveratrol could obviously inhibit the cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol also induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells, and after a 24-hour treatment, resveratrol caused sharp increment of the mitochondria membrane potential.

CONCLUSIONResveratrol is capable of inhibiting the proliferation of HepG2 cells and inducing cell apoptosis by depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects ; Mitochondrial Membranes ; drug effects ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of the eye-acupuncture for treatment of acute cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

METHODSThirty-two healthy SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group and an eye-acupuncture group, 8 rats in each group. The rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was established with thread occlusion method in the model group and the eye-acupuncture group. The eye-acupuncture group was treated by eye-acupuncture at "liver region", "upper energizer area", "lower energizer area" and "kidney region" for 20 min immediately after reperfusion and at 30 min before sampling. No treatment was done in the normal group and the sham operation group, and no thread occlusion was performed in the sham operation group. The Neurologic impairment was scored and the methods of immunohistochemistry staining, western-blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitation polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) were taken to detect the expression of the aquaporin protein 4 (AQP4) and its mRNA in cerebral cortex after reperfusion for 3 hours.

RESULTSThe neurologic impairment score of 1.50 +/- 0.54 in the eye-acupuncture group was significant lower than 2.63 +/- 0.92 in the model group (P < 0.01). The expression of the AQP4 protein by immunohistochemistry and western-blot respectively were 116.33 +/- 10.24 and 0.53 +/- 0.04 in the normal group, 118.97 +/- 12.72 and 0.55 +/- 0.07 in the sham operation group, and 129.30 +/- 18.36 and 0.67 +/- 0.08 in the eye-acupuncture group, with statistical significance compared to 150.88 +/- 15.82 and 0.94 +/- 0.04 in the model group (all P < 0.01), and there were significant differences between the eye-acupuncture group and the normal group (both P < 0.01). The tendency in the expression of AQP4 protein and its mRNA in all the group were almost the same.

CONCLUSIONThe eye-acupuncture therapy can relieve the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and the protective mechanism is related to the downregulation of the cerebral AQP4 expression.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Aquaporin 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; genetics ; metabolism ; surgery ; Disease Models, Animal ; Eye ; anatomy & histology ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; etiology ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy

Nine triterpenes compounds were isolated from the male flowers of Eucommia ulmoides by recrystallization and chromatographic techniques over silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and RP-18 gel. Their chemical structures were identified on the basis of spectral analysis and as 3-oxo-12-en-ursane-28-O-α-L-arabinofuranosyl (1 --> 6) -β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 2α, 3β-dihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid(28 --> 1) -β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (2), ursolic acid (3), α-amyrin (4), uvaol (5), ursolic acid acetate (6), 3-O-acetate oleanoic acid (7), betulinic acid (8), and betulinol (9). Compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 2, 4-7 were isolated from the Eucommiu genus for the first time. Cytotoxic activity was tested for all the compounds against K562 and HepG2 cells. The results showed that only compound 3, exhibited cytotoxic activity.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Eucommiaceae ; chemistry ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Triterpenes ; analysis ; pharmacology

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Pneumonia ; drug therapy ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of magnetic resonance dynamic contrast-enhanced (MR-DCE) and magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) in the differentiation of benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

METHODSSixty-three patients with pathologically confirmed musculoskeletal tumors were examined with MR-DCE and MR-DWI. Using single shot spin echo planar imaging sequence and different b values of 400, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm(2), we obtained the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the lesions. ADC values were measured before and after MR-DCE, with a b value of 600 s/mm(2). The 3D fast acquired multiple phase enhanced fast spoiled gradient recalled echo sequence was obtained for multi-slice of the entire lesion. The time-signal intensity curve (TIC), dynamic contrast-enhanced parameters, maximum slope of increase (MSI), positive enhancement integral, signal enhancement ratio, and time to peak (T(peak)) were also recorded.

RESULTSADC showed no significant difference between benign and malignant tumors when the b value was 400, 600, 800, or 1000 s/mm(2), and it was not significantly different between benign and malignant tumors in both pre-MR-DCE and post-MR-DCE with b value of 600 s/mm(2). TIC were classified into four types type1 showed rapid progression and gradual drainage; type2 showed rapid progression but had no or slight progression; type 3 showed gradual progression; and type 4 had no or slight progression. Most lesions of type1 or type2 were malignant, whereas most lesions of type 3 or type 4 were benign. When using type1 and type 2 as the standards of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 87.23% and 50.00%, respectively. The types of TIC showed significant difference between benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors(χ(2)=17.009,P=0.001). When using MSI 366.62 ± 174.84 as the standard of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 86.78% and 78.67%, respectively. When using T(peak)≤70s as the standard of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 82.89%and 85.78%, respectively. Positive enhancement integral and signal enhancement ratio showed no significant difference between benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

CONCLUSIONSTIC, MSI and T(peak) of MR-DCE are valuable in differentiating benign from malignant musculoskeletal tumors. T(peak) has the highest diagnostic specificity, and TIC has the highest diagnostic sensitivity. The mean ADC value are no significant difference between benign and malignant tumors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDIt remains controversial what better defines abnormal lung function at the extremes of age. This study aimed to establish new spirometric reference equations for residents in Jinan and compare the most accepted two spirometric definitions of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-a fixed post-bronchodilator ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) below 70% vs. FEV1/FVC < lower limit of normal (LLN)-in an elderly population (age ≥60 years).

METHODSAmong 10 002 cases, only never-smokers who had no respiratory symptoms or diagnoses of cardiopulmonary diseases and whose lung function measurements strictly followed the American Thoracic Society guidelines, were included in the statistical analysis. For each gender, prediction equations of FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC and corresponding LLN values were developed using multiple regression models.

RESULTSIn this cross-sectional study, spirometric reference values were statistically derived from a sample of 1328 healthy never-smokers (672 males, 656 females), age 56-84 years. As expected, age and height were the main predictors for all lung function parameters. Using the two spirometric definitions, the number of pulmonary function test results interpreted as obstructed varied markedly in the elderly population for both genders (males: χ(2) = 19.59, P < 0.01; females: χ(2) = 5.67, P = 0.017).

CONCLUSIONSThe Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criterion probably leads to overdiagnosis in asymptomatic elderly never-smokers. Our study suggests that the predicted LLN values will reduce the misclassification risk instead. However, cohort studies are urgently needed for clinical validation.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; physiopathology ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry ; methods

Atrial Fibrillation ; etiology ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; complications