Objective To establish the method of fingerprint analysis for volatile oil from Cinnamomum cassia Presl and to determine the main characteristic components.Methods The main components of the volatile oil of Cinnamomum cassia Presl from different habitats of Guangdong and Guangxi provinces and from GAP base were compared by GC fingerprinting,and 11 common components were determined.The chromatogram conditions were as follows: the GC system consisted of Flame Ionization Detector(FID) and HP6890 gas chromatograph with a HP-5 column(Crosslinked Mehyl siloxame,30 m? 0.321 mm? 0.25 ? m),the temperatures of sample vent and FID were 240 ℃ and 300 ℃ respectively and the column programmed temperature was elevated from 100 ℃ to 140 ℃ at the rate of 20 ℃ ? min-1 and then from 140 ℃ to 200 ℃ at the rate of 2 ℃ ? min-1,the carrier gas was N2 and its flow rate was 0.4 mL? min-1,and the split ratio was 50 ∶ 1.Results With 11 components as indexes,the RSD of precision,reproducibility and stability of GC fingerprinting method is in the range of 5 %.Conclusion A good fingerprint of Cinnamomum cassia Presl has been established.The method is reliable,accurate and can be applied for the quality control of Cinnamomum cassia Presl.

The effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination within different concentration on SPL proliferate were observed by MTT method. The ratio of CD80/86, CD3CD25 and CD3CD69 was used to evaluate cell activation effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination by FCM. Guizhi Fuling capsule with concentration of 400 mg · L(-1)can promote spleen lymphocyte proliferation, as well as the active ingredient combination, which showed the obvious dose-effect relationship. Compared with control group, the difference has statistical significance (P≤0.01). The result of FCM showed that Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination can promote CD80 and CD86 expression on spleen lymphocyte, and also can increase CD25 and CD69 ratio between spleen CD3+ cells. Compared with control group, the difference has statistical significance (P≤0.01). Thus, Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination may have immune-modulate effects, and the mechanism may have a close relationship with the lymphocyte activation.
Animals ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; immunology

This study was aimed to establish a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method coupled with Evaporative Light-scattering Detector (ELSD) in order to develop the determination of fingerprint of terpene lactones in Ginkgo biloba tablets. An Agilent Extend-C18 (4.6 mm í 250 mm, 5 μm) was employed as the analysis column and the normal propyl alcohol-tetrahydrofuran-water (1:15:84) as mobile phase. The column temperature was 30℃. And the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1. HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS) was used to identify the common peaks. The fingerprint was further evaluated by chemometrics methods including principal component analysis (PCA), similarity analysis (SA) and hierarchical clus-tering analysis (HCA). The results showed that the precision, stability and repeatability of this method were favorable. Five common peaks were identified by LC/Q-TOF MS as ginkgolide J ( M ) , C , A , B and bilobalide , respectively . Fourteen batches of Ginkgo biloba tablets were determined. With the aid of PCA, SA and HCA, the common pattern of the fingerprint of terpene lactones was established. Samples were divided into 4 clusters by their quality differ-ence. It was concluded that the method established in this paper can be used for quality evaluation of terpene lac-tones in G ink go b ilob a tablets.

Opioids are the main treatment drugs for the patients with moderate and severe cancer pain,and methadone is one of opioid drugs. Compared with the other opioids, methadone has the advantages of low cost, high oral bioavailability and better effect on neuropathic pain. However, methadone also shows such disadvantages as prolonged QT interval and large individual variance in pharmacokinetics. Although the safety of methadone has no difference from the other opioids in the treatment of cancer pain,the lack of knowledge and experience still limits its clinical application. This article aimed to summarize the clinical application of methadone in cancer patients,so as to help clinicians understand and apply methadone better.

OBJECTIVEAdenovirus vector-mediated herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene (ADV-TK) transfer in combination with ganiciclovir (GCV) is one of the major gene therapy strategies to eradicate tumor cells. This study was aimed at determining the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of ADV-TK in combination with ganiciclovir (GCV).

METHODSA murine xenotransplant model of human small-cell lung cancer was established. ADV-TK was administrated by intra-tumoral injection followed by intraperitoneal administration of GCV. The anti-tumor efficacy was evaluated using index of tumor volume, relative tumor volume, tumor weight, relative tumor proliferative rate, and tumor growth curve.

RESULTSIn the presence of GCV, ADV-TK effectively inhibited growth of human small-cell lung cancer in a dose-dependent fashion. An inhibition plateau was not observed within the current dosage range. ADV-TK at a dose of 6.0 x 10(9) viral particles/kg in the presence of GCV lead to 64.6% and 81.7% inhibition of tumor growth respectively in two independent experiments. ADV-TK or GCV alone caused slight inhibition of tumor growth, which was not statistically significant as compared to the negative control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONADV-TK followed by GCV is highly efficacious to inhibit the growth of human small-cell lung cancer in a murine xenotransplant model. The results presented here are encouraging to warrant a further clinical evaluation of the potential therapeutic benefits of this strategy.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; therapy ; Female ; Ganciclovir ; therapeutic use ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Simplexvirus ; enzymology ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; Transplantation, Heterologous

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of standard antiviral therapy applied after interferon (IFN) treatment failure in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

METHODSCHC patients who completed a 48-week course of IFN therapy (pegylated (Peg)-IFNa-2a at 180 mug, qw, ih with or without ribavirin (RBV) at 15 mg/kg/w) in our hospital between January 2009 and June 2012 but who showed no response (at week 48) or who relapsed (at week 72) were enrolled in the study. Prior to initiating the 48-week course of retreatment therapy (Peg-IFNa-2a plus RBV as above), the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype was detected and the viral load measured (baseline) by PCR of HCV RNA. Each patient's response to therapy was classified as follows: baseline vs. week 4 (rapid virological response, RVR), vs. weeks 12 and 24 (early virological response, EVR), vs. week 48 (end of treatment virological response, ETVR) and vs. week 72 (sustained virological response, SVR).

RESULTSOf the total 235 cases administered retreatment therapy, 60.0% (n = 140) achieved RVR, 77.4% (n = 182) achieved EVR, 83.8% (n = 197) achieved ETVR, 68.0% (n = 68%) achieved SVR, and 15.7% (n = 37) relapsed. Stratification analysis of recurrence (n = 158) and non-responsive (n = 77) sub-groups showed that the recurrence group experienced significantly higher rates of RVR, EVR, ETVR and SVR, but a significantly lower rate of relapse. Stratification analysis of genotype 1b carrier (n = 206) and non-1b carrier (n = 29) sub-groups showed that the 1b carriers had significantly lower rates of RVR, EVR, ETVR and SVR, but a significantly higher rate of relapse. Finally, the patients who achieved RVR (vs. non RVR, n = 95) and EVR (vs. non-EVR, n = 53) showed higher rates of SVR and ETVR.

CONCLUSIONCHC patients who fail to respond to the initial course of standard IFN-based therapy may achieve SVR upon retreatment, especially those infected with the HCV genotype 1b.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Interferons ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Retreatment ; Ribavirin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Failure

The aim of the present study was to gain an insight into the thiopurine methytransferase (TPMT) genotyping assay, which was based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), allele-specific PCR, restriction digestion of PCR products, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and SNaPshot sequencing and in combination with direct DNA sequencing. Among the f our methods to test TPMT genetic SNPs based on PCR, allele specific PCR was not able to differentiate wild type from varied type. BsiYI, MwoI and AccI to digest PCR products were used so that SNP in TPMT exon 5, 7 and 10 tested. It showed that there were no differences between the results of digestion of PCR products and those of DNA sequence analysis. Therefore, this method was reliable. But some other methods were still needed to look for a compensation, because no restriction map changing resulted from the 2 SNPs in TPMT promotor was found. As to the results of DHPLC, those for the screening of TPMT exon-5 and -10 for SNPs were the same as restriction analysis of PCR products and direct DNA sequencing. But the variation of the heterozygotes in exon-7 was high, which was different from the results of direct DNA sequencing. After changing the Tm of DNA step by step, It was found that all the samples showed single peak when the temperature was 54 degrees C. But this result was unbelievable because a heterozygote in exon 7 as positive control could not be found. Therefore, it was necessary to test the sensitivity and accuracy of DHPLC, though DHPLC could be used as an effective method of SNPs screening. The results of the SNaPshot sequencing were also same as those of restriction analysis of PCR products and direct DNA sequencing. And the results showed that the bases of TPMT promoter -91 and -168 were G, instead of A and T. The results of the four methods to detect TPMT genetic SNPs based on PCR showed that SNPs analysis technique should be a combination of the techniques above-mentioned. One technique alone could not satisfy the need in clinics and research. The compensation of each other was very important.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Exons ; Humans ; Methyltransferases ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo investigate the renal protective activity of Hsian-tsao Mesona procumbens Hemsl. water extracts in diabetic rats.

METHODSThirty Sprague-dawley female rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10 each), "control group" with intraperitoneal saline injection, "diabetic group" with 60 mg of intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection per kg of body weight and "Hsian-tsao group" with intragastric administration of Hsian-tsao extraction everyday for 4 weeks after intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection. The body weight and blood sugar were measured before and after model induction in the three groups. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) expressions in the kidney were monitored by immunohistochemistry. Kidney ultrastructural changes were also analyzed by using transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTSBefore diabetic model induction, there were no significant differences among the three groups in body weight and blood sugar. Four weeks after the induction of diabetes, the differences became statistically significant. Electron microscopy also revealed disruption of the foot processes of the podocytes and other damages in diabetic group. These damages were significantly less severe in Hsian-tsao group when compared with the diabetic group. TSP-1 expressions in the kidney were significantly increased in both the diabetic group and Hsian-tsao group, but it was relatively lower in Hsian-tsao group than in diabetic group.

CONCLUSIONOur results showed that Hsian-tsao treatment in the diabetic rats effectively prevented the pathological alterations in the kidney and decreased the TSP-1 expression. It was suggested that Hsian-tsao had protective effect on the kidneys of the diabetic rats.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thrombospondin 1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate if an adenovirus vector carrying antisense multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1) could reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) of HepG2/ adriamycin (ADM) cells in tumors transplanted in athymic mice.

METHODSAn adenovirus vector carrying AFP promoter and antisense MDR1 was constructed. HepG2 MDR cells (HepG2/ADM) were induced by graded resistance to ADM and were subcutaneously inoculated into athymic mice to construct the transplanted tumor. After adeno-asmdr1 was injected, the volume of the transplanted tumor and the apoptotic body in the xenograft tumor cells were observed and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was employed to investigate the expression of the mdr1-mRNA from the mouse transplanted tumor cells.

RESULTSFollowing injection with adeno-asmdr1, the tumor volumes in this mice group did not increase. However the tumor volume in the PBS plus ADM group did increase significantly (P less than 0.05). In the tumor xenograft cells, mdr1 mRNA in the xenografts was assessed by RT-PCR and found to be reduced at week 1, and at week 4 in the ADM+asmdr1 group, but it was stable in the ADM group. It was only 20% in the ADM+asmdr1 group compared to the ADM group at the 4th week. Evidence of apoptosis was observed in the tumor xenograft cells treated with adeno-asmdr1, but there was rarely any apoptosis in the group treated with ADM and PBS.

CONCLUSIONAdenovirus carrying antisense mdr1 RNA can partially reverse the MDR of HepG2/ADM cells and inhibit tumor growth by down-regulating mdr1 mRNA resulting in tumor cell apoptosis.

ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; genetics ; Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; RNA, Antisense ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo discuss the best surgical approach to the skull base neoplasms.

METHODSRetrospective analysis the 79 skull base neoplasms cases treated with surgical resection in Qilu hospital of Shandong university from 1992 to 2002. Eleven surgical approaches including midfacial degloving, frontal coronal discission, nasal eversion, maxillary swing, partial maxillary resection, total resection of orbit, mandibular swing, combination of front, temple, preauricular, post aureum, neck, and transoral approaches were used to resect the tumor which involved fossae pterygopalatine, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, antero, meso and posterobasilar region, lobi frontalis and lobi temporalis of cerebrum.

RESULTSSeventy-nine skull base neoplasms were totally removed and no one died from the operation. Although 5 cases complicated with cerebrospinal fluid leak and all recovered within 1 week, no serious cranium-cerebrum complication occurred. In 29 patients with benign tumor including 11 cases of meningioma, 3 cases of chondroma, 1 case of hemangio-meningioma, 1 case of cavernous hemangioma, 2 cases of osteodysplasia fibromas, 9 cases of neurofibroma, 1 case of glomus jugular tumor, 1 case of neurilemmoma, 19 have survived over 5 years and the longest one has survived over 8 years. For 50 patients with malignant tumor including 3 cases of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, 17 cases of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, 11 cases of poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, 1 case of undifferentiated carcinoma, 2 cases of chondrosarcoma, 5 cases of canceration of papilloma, 2 cases of adenocarcinoma, 1 case of esthesioneuroblastoma, 2 cases of malignant fibrohistiocytoma, 1 case of fibrosarcoma, 2 cases of malignant mixed tumour, 3 cases of sarcoma survival rates of 3 and 5 years were 59.2% (29/49), 38.5% (10/26) respectively.

CONCLUSIONIn order to resect the tumor completely and reduce the complication and malformation as far as possible, different surgical approaches must be designed according to the pathological changes characters and involved area,and the surgeon should select the shortest approach, avoid to damage the important neurovascular structure, and resect the tumor through the natural anatomy space by the shelter incision.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Skull Base Neoplasms ; surgery