Curcumin is a principal polyphenolic curcuminoid extracted from turmeric rhizome, which has been used for treating inflammation of joints, ulcers, jaundice and other disorders in Asian traditional medicine. In recent years, many studies have indicated that curcumin plays important roles in treatment of liver diseases. Curcumin attenuates liver injury and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by lowering the release of inflammation cytokines, minimizing oxidative stress, enhancing the sensitivity of insulin and altering lipid metabolism. Curcumin shows potent anti-fibrosis activity, contributing to inhibit the activation of hepatic stellate cells and reduce the deposition of extracellular matrix by its regulation of PPAR-γ, NF-ΚB and TGF-β signaling pathways. Moreover, curcumin exhibits anti-cancer effect by inducing G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in several hepatoma cell lines. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin limit its clinical applications. To overcome its limited systemic bioavailability, many new approaches have been explored to deliver curcumin effectively. This article focuses on advances in the effects of curcumin and its derivatives for treatment of liver injury, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma.
Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; Liver Diseases ; drug therapy ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; PPAR gamma ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism

Objective:To examine whether the thyroxine treatment can affect the serum lipid levels in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism by Meta analysis.Methods:Pubmed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)were searched for randomized controlled trials reporting the effectiveness of thyroxine treatment on serum lipid levels in subclinical hypothyroidism patients from January 1980 to September 2006;hand-search was also performed.The included trails were analyzed by RevMan4.2 software.Results:Six studies were finally included and five of them found thyroxine to be significantly more effective than placebo in improving the serum lipid disorders;one of them found thyroxine had no obvious effect.The pooled effect sizes(95%CI)of total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),apoprotein A(ApoA),apoprotein B(ApoB)and lipoprotein a(Lp(a))were -0.39(-0.71, -0.07),-0.02(-0.07,0.04),-0.02(-0.06,0.03),-0.22(-0.31,-0.12),-0.08(-0.11,-0.06),-0.05(-0.08, -0.02),and -0.38(-2.41,1.64),respectively.The analysis results showed that thyroxine treatment was significantly effective on serum levels of TC,LDL-C,ApoA,and ApoB,but not on TG,HDL-C,or Lp(a).Conclusion:This Meta-analysis demonstrates that thyroxine treatment can improve thyroid function and lipid metabolism in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism,reducing the prevalence of artherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

Objective To summarize treatment experiences of microsurgical clipping for anterior communicating artery aneurysm via pterional approach.Methods Clinical data of 82 cases undergoing microsurgical clipping for anterior communicating artery aneurysm via pterional approach in the first affiliated hospital of Kunming Medical University from October 2008 to December 2014 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into different groups by Hunt-Hess illness grading scale,with 11 cases for level 0,7 cases for level Ⅰ,30 cases for level Ⅱ,25 cases for level Ⅲ,8 cases for level Ⅳ,and 1 cases for level Ⅴ.Twenty-one patients underwent operation at early stage of SAH (＜3d),15 at late stage of SAH (4d～2W),and 35 at prolonged stage of SAH (＞2W).The prognosis of patients was evaluated according to GOS classification criteria at discharge.Results A total of 85 ACoAA were found in 82 patients and all of them were clipped and,at the same time,3 aneurysms were resected and 11 thrombuses were punctured,cut and removed.In the operation,15 (17.6％) aneurysms ruptured again and temporary blocking happened for 73 times,with the shortest blocking time of 2 rmin,the longest of 40 rmin,and the average of 9.26min.According to GOS score,good recovery rate was 79.3％ (65/82),moderate disability rate was 12.2％ (10/82),severe disability rate was 3.7％ (3/82),vegetative state rate was 0％,and death rate was 4.9％ (4/82).Good recovery rates for the operations at early,late and prolonged stage of SAH were 85.7％,73.3％ and 82.3％ respectively and for level 0 to level Ⅴ were 90.9％,85.6％,86.7％ and 84.0％,25.0％ and 0.0％ respectively.Results of DSA or CTA re-examination upon 55 patients followed-up at discharge or three months after discharge showed that tumor pedicle were clipped and aneurysm disappeared.Fifty cases were followed up from four months to seven years after the operation,with one case of aneurysm recurrence.Another thirty-two cases were lost to follow-up.ConclusiornS Microsurgical techniques and microdissection are keys to successful operation.Pterional approach can guarantee successful clipping of aneurysms with different directions,locations and sizes.It is also an easy,effective and reliable approach with less postoperative complications.Operation for anterior communicating artery aneurysm should be performed as early as possible.

[Objective]To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in managing vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis(OVCF).[Method]Thirty-one OVCFs patients (46 vertebrae) undergoing PKP were retrospectively analyzed.In these patients,there were 9 males and 22 females who were from 61 to 78 years old with averaged 68 years,and the injured vertebrae were from T7 to L3.All the patients had plain X-rays and CT scan as well as MR images preoperatively.With all of the patients,local infiltration anesthesia were performed,20 were injected bilaterally while 11 unilaterally.Before and after operarion,the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was estimated and sagittal index(SI) as well as Cobb′s angle of the vertebrae were measured.The data were statistically analyzed with the method of paired t-test.[Result]The duration of follow up after operetion were 6 to 30 months with a mean of 18 months.The VAS score reduced from 8.7 before operation to 2.5 after operation (P

Objective To investigate the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis factor relevant to Janus kinase 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 of human gastric carcinoma xenografts in nude mice with different expressions of growth hormone receptor (GHR).Methods Immunocytochemical method was used to pick out one GHR-positive and one GHR-negative cell line. The cells were subcutaneously injected into 26 nude mice separately, then the patterns of xenografts in nude mice with different expressions of GHR were established. The nude mice bearing two different kinds of human gastric caicinoma were equally randomized into control group, low-dose rhGH group, and high-dose rhGH group,and were treated with drugs for 14 days. Changes of tumor volumes and body weight of nude mice were record. The protein and mRN A expressions of tumor angiogenesis factor in tumor tissue were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Results GHR was highly expressed in SGC-7901 celk but negative in MKN-45 cells. For nude mice bearing GHR+ SGC-7901 xenografts, the tumor volumes were significantly larger in low-dose rhGH group [(1. 141 ±0. 234) cm3] and high-dose rhGH group [(2. 106 ±0. 260) cm3] than in control group [(0.612±0. 156) cm3] (P = 0. 034, P = 0. 001), and the high-dose rhGH group revealed greater effect (P =0. 043 ). Body weight was not significantly different among three groups. Compared with the control group, the mRNA expressions of tumor angiogenesis factor were significantly increased in low-does rhGH group, and the P values of GHR, Janus kinase 2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), fibroblast growth factor, and matrix metalloproteinases-2 (MMP-2) was 0.001, 0.011, 0.042, 0.045, 0.040, 0.002, and 0.003, respectively; however, the high-does rhGH group did not show the greater effects. The protein expressions were significantly increased in low-does rhGH group, and the P value of phosphorylation-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP-2 was 0. 015, 0.003, 0.010, 0.008,and 0. 005, respectively; furthermore, the high-does group revealed the further greater effects, and the P value of VEGF, HIF-1α, and MMP-2 was 0.012, 0.025, and 0.046, respectively. On the contrary, for nude mice bearing GHR- MKN-45 xenografts, the body weights of low-dose rhGH group [(24.94 ±0. 517) g] and high-dose rhGH group [(26.97 ±0.686) g] were significantly higher than that of control group [(22.78 ±0.418) g] (P =0. 040, P = 0.012 ) , while tumor growth as well as the expressions of mRNA and protein of tumor angiogenesis factor in tumor tissue were not significantly different Conclusions rhGH can promote tumor growth and up-regulate the expression of tumor angiogenesis factor in the GHR-highly-expressed SGC-7901 xenograft tumor model; However,such effects do not exist in GHR-negatively-expressed MKN-45 xenograft tumor model. The existence of GHR may be a key target by which rhGH influences the tumor growth and the expressions of tumor angiogenesis factor, which is probably achieved through Janus kinase 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 activation.

Humans ; Tinnitus ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the feasibility of thoracoscopic minimal access anterior surgery for thoracic spine. Methods Minimal access anterior thoracic surgery was conducted under thoracoscope in 14 patients in this hospital from October 2001 to October 2002.Six patients with thoracic vertebral metastasis underwent vertebral body excision, reconstruction by cement and steel plate, and anterior internal fixation with screw-rod system;4 patients with thoracic vertebral tuberculosis received focus resection,bone graft and anterior internal fixation with screw-rod system; 2 patients with of thoracic disc herniation received discectomy and fusion;2 patients with thoracic vertebral facture and dislocation received reduction, decompression, bone graft and anterior screw-rod internal fixation. Results Postoperative imageological analysis revealed that the focus had been cleaned completely and the internal fixation was excellent. Follow-up for 4～12 months in 14 patients showed that the pain on chest and back disappeared in all the patients. Of the 13 patients with spinal compression, muscle strength recovered from grade A～D preoperatively to grade C～E postoperatively. Conclusions Thoracoscopic minimal access anterior thoracic surgery is feasible. It offers satisfactory short-term effects.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of the self-expandable metal stent for treatment of gastric outlet and duodenal obstruction.MethodsData of 24 patients with symptomatic gastric outlet and duodenal obstruction diagnosed from January 2005 to February 2011 were retrospectively studied.All patients were measured by gastric outlet obstruction scoring system ( GOOSS ) before and one week after the placement of self-expandable metal stent.ResultsStent placement was succeeded in all patients with a mean operation time of 25.90 ± 11.03 min.Twenty patients (83.3％) were able to intake liquid food after the procedure.The GOOSS (P50 =0) before and after stent placement were 0.14 (P50 =0) and 1.42( P50 =2),respectively,with significant difference (P ＜0.01 ).Minor digestive bleeding occurred in 3 patients,but no severe complications including perforation or aspiration were observed.ConclusionPlacement of a self-expandable metal stent in patients with gastric outlet or duodenal obstruction is safe and effective for resolving obstructive symptoms.

Objective To evaluate the influence of anus-preserved procedures on life quality of patients with low rectal carcinoma.Methods One hundred and forth cases with low rectal carcinoma who underwent double stapling technique(DST) (n =64) or support binding procedure(SBP) (n =50) were selected as our subjects.Patients in both group were undergone total mesorectal excision (TME) to sever mesorectum.Anal Function was assessed by Xu Zhongfa Anal-Function's criterion after operation.All patients were performed a 5 years follow-up.Results The 5-years survival rate and local recurrence rate were 65.63％ (37/64),20.03％ (13/64) respectively in DST group,and 76.0％ (38/50),6.0％ (3/50) in SBP group.The differences were significant (P =0.049,0.032).The postoperative general occurrence rate of dysuria,dysporia and sexual disorder in the DST group were 31.25％ (20/64),17.19％ (11/64) and 45.31％ (29/64) respectively,higher than those of SBP group(14.00％ (7/50),4.00％ (2/50) and 26.00％ (13/50) ;P =0.037,0.045,0.034).Conclusion Both DST and SBP therapy are proved to be effective in terms of anus-preserved treatment for low rectal cacinoma.5-year survival rate is similar in the two groups,while the survival quality is better in SBP group than in DST group.

Objective To study the relationship between serum amyloid A(SAA)and the common carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)in type 2 diabetic(T_2DM)patients.Methods Sixty-nine patients with type 2 diabetes,and 20 healthy subjects regarded as the normal controls(NC)were enrolled in the study from January to July of 2005.SAA levels were measured using ELISA.The carotid IMT were examined by hypersensitive color Doppler ultrasonography.Results SAA level was significantly elevated in type 2 diabetes group compared with that in the control3.08(2.1~5.06)mg/L vs 1.37(1.07~1.86)mg/L,P