Projects which supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in discipline of pharmacology of Chinese medicine between 2010 to 2013 financial years were reviewed. Based on these research items, new features and problems were summarized in this field.
China ; Foundations ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; Natural Science Disciplines ; economics ; Research ; economics

OBJECTIVETo establish a long-term in vitro culture of the fibroblasts obtained from burn wounds.

METHODSSkin samples were harvested from normal volunteers and the deep partial thickness burn wound in burn patients on the 5th, 10th, 21st, 28th and 35th postburn days (PBDs). The non-dermal tissue was removed from the samples and primed by chlorhexidine solution in concentration of 2.5 g/L. The skin sample was then digested by trypsin-EDTA in concentration of 1.25 g/L and was centrifuged before the cells were harvested and cultured. When the cells grew nearly to form sheet, multiple passage culture, freezing storage and revivification were carried out with routine methods. The cell morphology was continuously observed during the culture. And the cell doubling time was calculated.

RESULTSThe wound-origin fibroblasts exhibited higher purity and better activity. The cellular growth features and gross morphology kept stable during primary and secondary culture, and during freezing storage and after revivification. The cells kept their activity above 80% of their original after many times of revivification.

CONCLUSIONThe establishment of the in vitro culture of fibroblasts from burn wounds might be useful in the exploration of the pathogenesis and therapeutic measures of scars.

Burns ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Division ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Cryopreservation ; Factor VIII ; analysis ; Fibroblasts ; chemistry ; cytology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Time Factors

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating ; administration & dosage ; Child ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Melphalan ; administration & dosage ; Neoplasm Seeding ; Retinal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Retinoblastoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vitreous Body ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODSThe clinical data of 529 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical resection from January 2007 to March 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Among the patients, 218 cases underwent laparoscopic D2 gastrectomy (LAG group) and 311 cases received open gastrectomy (OG group). The patients' operation, number of retrieved lymph nodes, recovery, postoperative morbidity and mortality were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe operative time in LAG group was (237 +/- 42) min, and was significantly longer than that in OG group [(229 +/- 42) min, P < 0.05]. However, the mean blood loss [(81 +/- 100) ml vs. (171 +/- 211) ml], number of patients needed blood transfusion (7 vs. 44 cases), first flatus time [(4.1 +/- 2.3) d vs. (5.0 +/- 1.4) d], time to resume soft diet [(4.5 +/- 2.2) d vs. (5.5 +/- 1.4) d] and postoperative hospital stay [(12 +/- 4) d vs. (14 +/- 4) d] in the two groups were all different statistically (P < 0.05), and all were better in LAG group. In LAG group, the operative time of patients with total gastrectomy was (250 +/- 46) min, and was significantly longer than that with distal gastrectomy (228 +/- 37) min (P < 0.05), but there was no significant differences in other aspects of patients' recovery between the two operation types. The postoperative morbidity of LAG group and OG group were 11.9% and 19.0%, respectively (P < 0.05). For all patients, the mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was (29 +/- 10) and the median number was 28. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was not significantly different between the two groups [(28 +/- 10) in LAG group vs. (29 +/- 9) in OG group, P > 0.05]. Thirteen patients (6.0%) converted to open surgery in LAG group.

CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy is a safe and feasible procedure with quick recovery, and it is comparable with open gastrectomy in lymph node dissection.

Aged ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the long-term correlation between the number of resected lymph nodes (LNs) and the prognosis of patients with node-negative gastric cancer.

METHODSFrom January 1995 to December 2004, 221 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical resection and were proved with no nodal involvement. The clinical records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. The relationships of the dissected LNs number to 5-year survival rate and post-operative complication rate were analyzed respectively.

RESULTSThe overall 5-year survival rate of this group was 83.5%. The total number of dissected LNs was one independent prognostic factors in this group. Among patients with the same depth of tumor invasion, the more the number of dissected LNs, the better the survival would be (P < 0.05). The patients had better long-term survival outcomes with dissected LNs counts of more than 15 for cases with pT1-2 tumor, and more than 20 for cases with pT3 tumor. The post-operative complication rate was 10.8% and it was not significantly correlated with the number of dissected lymph nodes (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe number of dissected LNs is an independent prognostic predicting factor for lymph node-negative gastric cancer. Sufficient dissection of LNs is recommended to improve the patients' long-term survival. Suitable increment of dissected LNs count would not increase the post-operative complication rate.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore an ideal skin substitute with its appearance and texture similar to normal skin, to repair wounds with full-thickness skin defect.

METHODSComposite skin (CS) in question was composed of allo/xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and razor thin autoskin. One step skin grafting was employed in the experimental study and clinical trial. Razor thin autoskin alone was used as the control in the study. Changes in the antigenicity of ADM and the reformation of basement membrane (BM) structure at epidermis-dermis junction (EDJ) of ADMs were studied at designated time points after the grafting with biochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Fifty-three patients with full thickness skin defects due to various causes, including scar excision were grafted with CS, and survival rate and long-term result were observed.

RESULTSThe grafted CS survived satisfactory. The reformation of the basement membrane structure was clearly observed at the 28th post-graft week. The basement membrane cells grew with polarization in an undulating arrangement. There was reformation of dermal papillae and ridges. The antigenicity of allo-ADM was obviously lower than that of xeno-ADM. Sixty-five out of 70 pieces of CS grafting (92.9%) survived totally, two of them survived partially, and three failed due to infection. The longest follow-up period was 8 and a half years. The grafted CS appeared similar to the normal skin in regard to the texture and color, especially allo-ADM, and no evident rejection reaction was seen.

CONCLUSIONADM possessed very low antigenicity, thus serving a lasting framework after grafting. In addition, it could serve as a "dermal template" for the induction of tissue regeneration.

Animals ; Burns ; surgery ; Dermis ; transplantation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Male ; Rabbits ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Swine ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVETo explore the pattern of solitary lymph node(LN) metastasis in gastric cancer and its prognosis.

METHODSThe clinical records of 83 patients with gastric cancer presenting solitary LN metastasis who underwent D2 radical resection from January 1995 to December 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. The precise stations of the metastasis of LN and their correlation with the location of primary tumor were studied. The 5-year survival rates were compared between patients with and without skipping LN metastasis. The prognostic factors were evaluated by using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTSAmong the 83 patients with pathologically proven solitary LN metastasis, 64 cases (77%) presented with the perigastric nodes metastasis (N1 area), and 19 cases (23%) in N2 area without N1 involvement (skipping LN metastasis). For tumors in the upper and middle third stomach, the No. 3 station was the most common first metastasized LN station (40% and 42%, respectively). While for tumors in the lower third stomach, the No.6 station was the mostly affected LN (33%). Of the patients, 77 cases were followed up for 5-14 years, the median survival time was 77.0 months, and the overall 5-year survival rate was 63%. The 5-year survival rates of the patients with and without skipping LN metastasis was 52% and 67% respectively, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The serosal invasion and pathological types were influencing factors of the 5-year survival rate on univariate analysis. But with multivariate analysis, only the serosal invasion was an independent factor affecting the survival.

CONCLUSIONSPerigastric nodes are the most common first sites of tumor metastasis, making them the main targets of operative sentinel lymphatic mapping procedures. The patients with serosal invasion have poorer prognosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo establish a rat model of scalding with controllable depth and area by high pressure steam.

METHODSHigh pressure steam apparatus consisting of an autoclave and a self-made scalding frame was employed in the study. The rats were inflicted with scalding with 0.12 Mpa (1 Mpa = 7500 mmHg) high pressure steam on the back through a hole of 2.6 cm in diameter for 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 seconds, with five wounds at each time point. The tissue samples were harvested at 24 post injury hour (PIH) for pathomorphological examination. The depth of scald was measured, and injury to the sweat gland and hair follicles injury, the hair growth in scalded area, and the wound healing condition were observed with Photoshop software.

RESULTSThere was positive correlation between the scalding depth and scalding time. The injury time for superficial and deep partial thickness burn and full thickness burn were 3, 5 and 7 seconds respectively. The wound healing time was similar even the scalding became more and more serious when injury time increased from 7 to 10 seconds.

CONCLUSIONThe scalding depth and area in this model could be controlled, and the degree of scald injury could be graded accurately with easy manipulation. The result showed that it was an ideal model of skin burn wound.

Animals ; Burns ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Pressure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Steam

OBJECTIVETo investigate the change in neuropeptide substance P (SP) in the burn wound skin in scalded rats.

METHODSThe SP distribution density in the rat skin samples from the burn wound, peri-wound area and remote area of scalded rats were determined by immunohistochemistry technique. The mRNA expression of SP was observed by in situ hybridization.

RESULTSThe distribution density of SP in the skin samples from the above three areas decreased obviously since 15 mins postburn, dropped to the lowest level during 6 - 12 postburn hou (PBH), and then recovered thereafter. Comparatively, the recovery in peri-wound area occurred earlier. In addition, there was emigration of macrophage-like large cells with positive SP immunoreactivity from local blood vessels in the dermal layer of the burn wound and peri-wound areas. The large cells were closely related to the local SP-containing nerve fibres at 12 PBHs. Intensified staining of the cells was identified at 24 PBHs with the disintegration of the cells into pieces with release of large amounts of positive SP immunoreactive granules, followed by disappearance of the cells at 48 PBHs. It was indicated by in situ hybridization that the preprotachykinin A (PPTA) mRNA encoding and synthesizing SP was expressed in various cells at 6 PBHs.

CONCLUSIONSP might be synthesized and released from cutaneous nerve ending or from local inflammatory cells after skin burn injury.

Animals ; Burns ; metabolism ; pathology ; In Situ Hybridization ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; metabolism ; Substance P ; metabolism ; Wound Healing ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of hyperlipidemia- and imflammation-induced functional impairment of the endothelium.

METHODSThe experiment was conducted using 3 groups of rats fed for 20 weeks with standard chow (control group), high-fat diet and high-fat diet with daily fenofibrate treatment (10 mg/kg, starting since the fifth week), respectively. After 4 and 20 weeks of feeding, respectively, serum lipid level and NO concentration were measured in the rats, and the epithelial vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression and cell adhesiveness to the aortic endothelium were observed.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the rats with hyperlipidemia induced by long-term high-fat diet feeding showed lower NO concentration and increased leukocyte accumulation on the endothelial surface, exhibiting also stronger and more extensive endothelial expression of VCAM-1. In contrast, the hyperlipidemic rats with fenofibrate treatment shoed significantly decreased VCAM-1 expression and leukocyte adhesion with recovery of the NO level.

CONCLUSIONNO deficiency and activation of inflammation are involved in vascular impairment in rats with high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia, and fenofibrate can effectively prevent atherosclerosis by restoring NO concentration and down-regulating VCAM-1 expression in these rats.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; prevention & control ; Cell Adhesion ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Fenofibrate ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; cytology ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism