The plasma levels of homocysteine (Hcy),vitamin B12 and folic acid were measured in a total of 101 patients with herpes zoster (observation group) before treatment and 100 healthy controls (control group).And the plasma level of Hcy was also measured in observation group after treatment.There was a significant increase of Hcy level in observation group versus control group (P ＜0.01).And the levels of VitB12 and folic acid did not fluctuate (P ＞ 0.05).The occurrence rate of hyperhomocysteinemia and the level of Hcy differed in age group,onset site and pain severity (P ＜ 0.05).No significant differences existed between gender or onset site (P ＞ 0.05).The level of Hcy significantly decreased after treatment versus before treatment (P ＜0.01).Plasma Hcy significantly increased in patients with herpes zoster.And it was correlated with age,lesion extent and pain severity.However,there was no correlation with gender,onset site or levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of PTEN, PIP3 and cyclin D1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma and precancerous lesions and analyze their correlation.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry SP method was used to detect the expression of PTEN, PIP3 and cyclin D1 in 63 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma, 29 cases of simple hyperplasia, 33 cases of dysplasia, and 25 cases of normal oral mucosa.

RESULTSThe negative or low expression of PTEN in oral squamous cell carcinoma was 25%, which was remarkably lower than that in other groups. The positive expression of PIP3 in simple hyperplasia, dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma was 66%, 64%, and 76% respectively, which were much higher than those in normal oral mucosa. The positive expression of cyclin D1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma was 49%, which was significantly higher than that in other groups. The negative correlation between PTEN with PIP3, cyclin D1 and the positive correlation between PIP3 and cyclin D1 were observed.

CONCLUSIONSPTEN may play a role in the oncogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma, and PTEN may down-regulate the expression of PIP3, and then down-regulate the expression of cyclin D1, which leads to the suppression of cell growth.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Mouth Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; Precancerous Conditions ; metabolism ; pathology

To study the effect of Tibetan medicine Zuotai on the activity, protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A2 and NAT2, three different doses (1.2, 3.8 and 12 mg x kg(-1)) of Zuotai were administrated orally to rats once a day or once daily for twelve days, separately. Rats were administrated orally caffeine (CF) on the second day after Zuotai administration, and the urine concentration of CF metabolite 5-acetylamino-6-formylamino-3-methyl-uracil (AFMU), 1-methyluric acid (1U), 1-methylxanthine (1X), 1, 7-dimethylxanthine (17U) at 5 h after study drug administration was determined by RP-HPLC. The activity of CYP1A2 and NAT2 was evaluated by the ratio of metabolites (AFMU+1X+1U)/17U and the ratio of AFMU/(AFMU+1X+1U), respectively. The protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A2 and NAT2 were determined by ELISA and RT-PCR method, respectively. After single administration of Zuotai 3.8 mg x kg(-1) and repeated administration of Zuotai 3.8 and 12 mg x kg(-1), the activity of CYP1A2 and NAT2 decreased significantly compared with control group and there was no significant difference between other dose group and control group. The protein expression of CYP1A2 was significant lower than that in control group after repeated administration of Zuotai 12 mg x kg(-1), and the mRNA expression of CYP1A2 decreased significantly compared with that of control group after single administration of Zuotai 3.8 mg x kg(-1) and repeated admistration of Zuotai 12 mg x kg(-1), separately. The protein expression of NAT2 decreased significantly compared with that of control group after single and repeated administration of Zuotai 3.8 mg x kg(-1), respectively, and the mRNA expression of CYP1A2 decreased significantly compared with control group after single administration of Zuotai 3.8 mg x kg(-1). This study found that Tibetan medicine Zuotai had significant effect on the activity, protein and mRNA expression of CYP1A2 and NAT2.

Objective To assess the feasibility of using PET molecular imaging to evaluate the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine FuZhiSan (FZS) on the model of aging Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. Methods Twenty aged AD rats (Sparague-Dawley rats,male) were randomly divided into FZS treated group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Another 10 healthy adult rats were as blank controls. Morris water maze record system was used for cognitive function assessment. Before and after FZS treatment 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11 C-2- [4'-(methylamino) phenyl] benzothiazol-6-ol ( PIB )PET imaging was undertaken. After post-treatment imaging procedures the brain tissues of all animals were taken for histochemical study,such as staining with HE,congo red,amyloid β (Aβ) immunofluorescence,5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence and NeuN immunofluorescence. Paired t-test was performed with SPSS 13.0 software for the data analysis. Results The cognitive dysfunction of aging AD rats was improved after FZS treatment. The escape latency in FZS treated group was significantly shorter than that of control group ((32.5 ±10.8) s vs (102.6±8.8) s,t =15.7987,P=0. 0001). Diffuse neuronal loss and Aβ deposition were detected in the hippocampus and cortex in the aged AD rats. The imaging data showed that brain glucose metabolism was amended in FZS treated group while the abatement of amyloid deposition was not significant. Immunofluorescence results indicated that the neuronal proliferation was more remarkable in FZS treated group. Conclusions It may be feasible to use PET imaging as a method to evaluate the therapeutic effect in AD rats. FZS may ameliorate memory dysfunction of aged AD rats. Its mechanism may be partly contributed to the enhancement of the neuronal proliferation and survival.

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) is an important metabolism regulator, however, whether FGF-21 has effects on cardiovascular remains unclear. In this study, H2O2-induced injury in H9c2 cells was used as a cell model, the anti-apoptosis potential and mechanism of FGF-21 against oxidative injury were evaluated by MTT assay, flow cytometry assay and real-time PCR. The results showed that FGF-21 could increase the cell survival of H2O2-induced injury in H9c2 cells and prevent H9c2 cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, FGF-21 can elevate SOD activity and regulate Bcl-2/Bax expression in H9c2 cells. The results suggest that FGF-21 have protective effect against the H2O2-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

Research on polymer impurities has always been important in the quality control of cephalosporins. Research on polymers in cephalosporins that lack active amino groups on the C-7 side chain has not been reported. Therefore, our study used cefazolin sodium, which is widely used in the clinic, as an example. The polymer in cefazolin sodium and its product "cefazolin sodium pentahydrate for injection" was analyzed by column switching liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. Two polymer impurity peaks were detected and the possible structures of these polymers were suggested. Through two-dimensional liquid chromatography, the chromatographic peaks following Sephadex gel chromatography and high-performance gel chromatography were compared to those obtained by reverse high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for cefazolin sodium as reported in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The HPLC method proves more suitable for polymer detection than Sephadex gel chromatography and high-performance gel chromatography. The method of polymer detection for cefazolin sodium was established using the method of related substances HPLC as described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Background Macular hole retinal detachment(MHRD) causes severe decrease of vision.Pars plana vitrectomy has been applied for MHRD.Silicone oil and C3F8 have been used as intraocular tamponade materials,while there are still controversity on their efficacy.Objective This trial was to evaluate the efficacy of vitreous surgery combined with silicone oil or C3F8 tamponade for patients with MHRD in highly myopic eyes.Methods A retrospective case-controlled study was designed.Fifty-one patients who underwent vitrectomy with intraocular tamponade were retrospectively analyzed.The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA) before and after surgery were examined and campared between two groups.The rate of recurrent RD and macular hole closed were analyzed.Results There was no significant difference in BCVA between silicone oil group and C3F8 tamponade group before and after surgery(U=266.000,P =0.286 ; U =205.000,P =0.029).The BCVA after surgery was elevated in both groups (Z=-2.729,P =0.006 ; Z =-3.273,P =0.001).The rates of recurrent RD and macular hole closed were no difference between two groups(P=0.894,1.000).There were no other complications but cataract.Conclusions C3F8 tamponade of MHRD in high myopic eyes show the same efficacy as silicone oil tamponade.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze postmortem chemical changes in Landrace costal cartilages and ribs using attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and to provide a novel technique for estimation of postmortem interval (PMI). METHODS: The swines were sacrificed by hemorrhage and their costal cartilages and ribs were kept in 20 degrees C. The chemical analysis of the costal cartilages and ribs were performed using ATR-FTIR every 72 h. The correlation between the certain spectral parameters and PMI was also analyzed. The time-dependent changes of costal cartilages were more significant than ribs. RESULTS: There were no obvious changes for the main absorbance bands position, and some absorbance band ratios showed time-dependent changes and significant correlations with the PMI. CONCLUSION ATR-FTIR has the ability to analyze postmortem chemical changes of the swine costal cartilages and ribs, and it can be a new method to estimate PMI based on spectroscopy.
Animals ; Autopsy ; Costal Cartilage ; Forensic Pathology/methods* ; Hemorrhage ; Models, Animal ; Postmortem Changes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regression Analysis ; Ribs ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Swine ; Time Factors

AIMTo explore the relationship between the effects of curcumin on cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury and immediately genic expressions of Fos, Jun and NF-kappaB in hippocampal CA1 area.

METHODSGerbils were randomly divided into sham group (SH), ischemia/reperfusion group (I/R), curcumin group (CU) and solvent control group (SC). Forebrain ischemia was induced by occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries. Observations were carried out in each group 15 min, 1 h, 2 h, 6 h, 1 d, 3 d, 5 d and 7 d after ischemia: open field test was used to examine the behavioral change, the apoptosis neurons in hippocampal CA1 region was counted, the expression of Fos, Jun and NF-kappaB in hippocampal CA1 was detected by SABC immunocytochemical technique.

RESULTSThe behavioral mark and the number of apoptosis neurons in hippocampal (CA1 region was much less in CU group than in I/R group (P < 0.01) The expression of Fos was more and the expression of Jun and NF-kappaB was less in CA1 area in CU group than in I/R group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCurcumin can significantly protect neurons against cerebral ischemia, increasing the expression Fos and decreasing the expression of Jun and NF-kappaB may be the protective mechanisms.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Gerbillinae ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; metabolism ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology

To elucidate the possible mechanism of differentiation and/or apoptosis in NB4, K562 cells induced by tributyrin (TB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), the level of acetylated histone H3 was detected by Western blot, p21(WAF1) expression was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The results showed that histone H3 hyperacetylation was detected in NB4 (or K562) cells after treatment with TB 0.1 mmol/L (or TB 0.5 mmol/L) for 16 hours in a dose-dependent manner. p21(WAF1) dose-dependently increased at RNA level in these two cell lines treated by TB 0.1 mmol/L. The level of p21(WAF1) mRNA increased at 2 hours after TB treatment, reaching peak at 16 hours, and maintaining for 48 hours. In conclusion, the mechanism of differentiation and apoptosis in NB4, K562 cells induced by tributyrin may associate with its up-regulation of acetylated histone and p21(WAF1) mRNA level.
Acetylation ; drug effects ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; genetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors ; Histone Deacetylases ; metabolism ; Histones ; metabolism ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Triglycerides ; pharmacology