Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Eczema ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo evaluate efficacies of three commonly used oral drugs including Berbamine Hydrochloride Tablet (B), Qijiao Shengbai Capsule (Q), and Leucogen Tablet (L) (by single drug, two drugs or three drugs) combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for treat ment of chemotherapy related leukocytopenia in mice.

METHODSTotally 156 Kunming male mice were divided into the normal control group (A, n=24), the model group (B, n=24), the G-CSF group (C, n =24), the G-CSF+Q group (D, n=12), G-CSF+ B (E, n=12), the G-CSF+L group (F, n=12), the G-CSF + Q + B group (G, n=12), the G-CSF + Q + L group (H, n=12), the G-CSF + L + B group (I, n=12), and the G-CSF + L + Q + B (J, n=12). Mouse models of chemotherapy related leukocytopenia were established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX). A G-CSF group was set up as a positive control. Mice were treated by a single oral drug, a single oral drug combined with G-CSF, and two or three drugs combined with G-CSF respectively, and the death rate calculated. Hemocytes [such as white blood cells (WBC) and its classification, red blood cells (RBC), platelet (PLT), hemoglobin (Hb)] were calculated by hematology analyzer. Mice were anatomized and important organs weighed. Organ indices were calculated.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the mortality rate among all groups (P > 0.05). Compared with Group B, WBC was elevated in all other groups (P < 0.01). WBC and PLT were elevated most in Group J, Hb and RBC were also increased at the same time (P < 0.05, P < 0. 01). Compared with Group B, RBC increased in Group E, F, G, I, and J (P < 0.01); Hb obviously increased in Group C, E, F, H, I, and J (P<0.01). Compared with Group B and D, the promotion of erythroid hematopoiesis by G-CSF could be elevated in any group contained drug B and L (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The spleen index of model mice could be significantly improved in Group C, D, and G (P < 0.01). The thymus index of model mice could be significantly improved in Group H (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe best scheme to treat mice with chemotherapy related leukopenia or decreased three blood series was to administrate three commonly oral drugs combined with G-CSF. Authors speculated that G-CSF and Q might have a certain effect on CTX induced immune inhibition.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Blood Platelets ; Cyclophosphamide ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Erythrocyte Count ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; metabolism ; Hematopoiesis ; Hemoglobins ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukocytes ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Pharmaceutical Preparations

OBJECTIVETo investigate the progression of visual field loss and to explore the prognosis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients with chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) after their intraocular pressures were well controlled under 21 mmHg.

METHODSForty-seven eyes of 29 patients in the Department of Ophthalmology in PUMC Hospital were included. All the patients had at least two separate tests of visual fields using the 24-2 program of the Humphery Visual Field Analyzer after their intraocular pressure were well controlled under 21 mmHg after sugery. The visual fields of patients were followed routinely for at least 1 year. In addition, all patients were divided into 2 groups according to follow-up period: 1-2 years group and over 2 years group. Visual field scores were calculated with the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) method. The visual fields were divided 5 sections and the sensitivity and defect depth of each section were calculated.

RESULTNo statistically significant differences were found in terms of AGIS scores, localized sensitivities and localized defects within the time interval of the observation.

CONCLUSIONGlaucomatous optic neuropathy is not likely to progressively deteriorate in CACG cases once their intraocular pressure are well controlled under 21 mmHg.

Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Disk ; physiopathology ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Fields

Based on the improved design of the existing thoracic cavity closed drainage system, a new multi-functional device is developed and is described here in detail. The device is more convenient and more efficient than the existing system. Besides, it has a function of autotransfusion. Animal experimental results show that it has attained the goal of the improved design.
Drainage ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Humans ; Thoracic Cavity ; Thoracic Surgical Procedures ; instrumentation

Heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) from Escherichia coli is a bacterial protein toxin with an AB5 hexamer structure. LT is a powerful mucosal adjuvant when co-administered with soluble antigens. However, its use in mucosal immunity is inconvenient because of its low yield and depolymerization during long-term storage under normal condition. In this study, we report an efficient expression system and optimized purification and storage strategy of LT. A gene encoding LT was cloned into the vector pET11c and transformed in E. coli BL21(DE3). By growing this strain on modified M9-CAA medium, LT was expressed efficiently. About 46mg/L LT could be purified from the supernatant of bacteria lysate. Using D(+)-Immobilized galactose column, LT could be purified at a wide pH range with various elution buffers. The optimized elution buffers are TEAN (pH 7.3) containing 0.3mol/L galactose and carbonate buffer (pH 10.4) containing 0.3mol/L galactose. After dried by freeze and placed in 4 degrees C, LT dissolved in TEAN (pH 7.3) and carbonate buffer (pH 10.4) were assayed by HPLC. The results indicated that the integrity of AB5 hexamer was kept well. LT could undergo long-term storage under this condition. This was proved to be an optimized strategy of LT storage. The results of GM1 binding assay and toxicity assay showed that the purified recombinant LT has normal biological character.
Animals ; Bacterial Toxins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; CHO Cells ; Cell Shape ; drug effects ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enterotoxins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Toxicity Tests

In eukaryotes protein phosphorytion is a key event. By reversible protein phosphorylation eukaryotes control many cellular processes including signal transduction, gene expression, the cell cycle etc. Phosphoproteomics involves identification of phosphoproteins and phosphopeptides, localization of the exact residues that are phosphorylated and quantitation of phosphorylation. Because protein phosphorylation is a dynamic process, and it is present at low abundance within cells, and the phosphorylated sites on proteins might vary, and mass spectrometry (MS) signals from phosphopeptides are usually suppressed etc., so phosphoprotein analysis have more difficulties than nonphosphoprotein. In this article, we outline several analysis techniques for separation, identification and quantitation of phosphorylated proteins and peptides, and discuss the progress in these techniques. At present, MS is still an essential core identification technology for phosphoproteomic studies, To search better enrichment strategies are the main challenges in this rapidly evolving field. A major goal of quantitative proteomics is precise quantification and identification of proteins in complex mixtures. A common method for quantitative proteome analysis is the stable isotope labeling method. Today there is no single method that supersedes all others techniques for Phosphoproteomic studies. With continued development of sample preparation techniques and instrumentation, it should be possible to perform a global analysis of protein phosphorylation.
Animals ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Phosphoproteins ; analysis ; Phosphorylation ; Proteomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo establish a new method for the preparation of porcine acellular dermal matrix.

METHODSThe antigenicity of the porcine dermis was weakened by removing epidermal and dermal cells from the porcine skin through the digestion with low-concentration trypsin and repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Split thickness porcine skin was treated with 0.05% trypsin to remove the cells from the epidermis and dermis. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles were employed to further weed out the residual cells within the dermis. The prepared acellular dermis was then examined grossly, as well as histologically, and also by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSNo cell could be identified in the prepared porcine acellular dermal matrix. The integral basement membrane was preserved on the surface of dermal matrix with compact dermal matrix collagen structure.

CONCLUSIONLow concentration trypsinization and repeated freeze-thaw cycles seemed to be a simple and effective method for the preparation of xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix.

Animals ; Dermis ; cytology ; transplantation ; Extracellular Matrix ; transplantation ; ultrastructure ; Freezing ; Skin Transplantation ; Swine ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Trypsin ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical response, pathological complete response (pCR), tumor resection rate and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel and epirubicin (ET) for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC).

METHODSFrom March to December 2001, 40 women with LABC, aged from 28-67 (medium 48) years were alloted. Twenty patients had clinical stage IIIa disease, 15 had stage IIIb disease and 5 stage IV patients who had ipsilateral sura-clavicular metastasis. The dose was: epirubicin (E) 60 mg/m2, docetaxel (T) 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, with G-CSF given preventively. After 2 cycles of ET, a pilot clinical response evaluation was performed by investigators for each patient to decide if she should receive another 1-2 cycles of ET before surgery or radiation therapy.

RESULTSThirty-eight patients received 2-3 cycles of ET regimen. The pCR, clinical complete response (cCR) and clinical partial response (cPR) rates were 15.0%, 20.0% and 52.5%, respectively. Tumor resection rate in this group was 92.5%. Incidence of III/IV Grade neutropenia was 8.4%/14.0% of cycles, and 3 patients suffered from neutropenia with fever. Non-hematological adverse events were alopecia, nausea, vomiting, fluid retention, myalgia, arthralgia and nail disorders, which were mild to moderate.

CONCLUSIONNeo-adjuvant chemotherapy with a combination of docetaxel and epirubicin is effective and well tolerated by women with locally advanced breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Epirubicin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Remission Induction

OBJECTIVETo analyze human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphism and search for new alleles in Chinese Han population bone marrow registry donors.

METHODSDNA-based HLA genotyping methods were used including PCR-SSP, BST and molecular cloning.

RESULTSA total of 6965 unrelated donors, 4707 from South China origin and 2258 from north, were typed for HLA-A, B, and DRB1 loci. Seventy-two specificities of HLA alleles were identified. The HLA-A25, A34, A74, B41, B42, B53, B73 and B81 that were rarely reported in previously Chinese population studies were identified in this study. Estimation of gene frequency indicated that the blank gene frequency was less than 0.2% for HLA-A, 0.25% for HLA-B and 0.70% for HLA-DRB1 loci. Three novel alleles were identified and officially assigned by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nomenclature Committee as A*0253N, A*1114 and B*5610.

CONCLUSIONLarge-scale DNA-based HLA genotyping used in bone marrow registry donors is highly accurate and reliable for estimating gene frequency and searching for new alleles. The discrepancy of HLA gene distribution between South and North China Han population showed the necessity of setting the more regions in South and North China to screen the bone marrow registry donors for bone marrow transplant.

Bone Marrow Transplantation ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; HLA-A Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DR Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-DRB1 Chains ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Registries ; Tissue Donors

Objective To evaluate the pathophysiological change of diabetes and its significance in the treatment of newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients.Methods A total of 322 newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were included in this study and were divided into 2 groups with normal or impaired islet first-phase insulin secretion according to arginine stimulation test.The former group was assigned to repaglinide (Novo Norm), rosiglitazone (Avandia) and mefformin subgroups and the latter one to repaglinide,rosiglitazone and glipizide subgroups randomly.Results (1)Compared with baseline,fasting plasma glucose,2 h postprandial plasma glucose and HbA_(1C) were significantly decreased in all subgroups after 3 and 6 months of treatment (all P