Transforming growth factor-β is an important cytokine with various bioactivities, including embryonic development, wound healing, chemotaxis and cell cycle regulation. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the main pathway of tumor cell to obtain the ability of invasion and metastasis. The TGF-β is the key factor known to induce EMT in cancer cells and plays an important role in the process. In recent years, some progress has been obtained. Some TGF-β inhibitors have approved in the market or in clinical trials. TGF-β inhibitors can play an important role on the treatment of tumors, glaucoma, liver and kidney fibrosis disease and scar repair. Novel TGF-β inhibitors reported in recent years were reviewed in this article.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Wound Healing

Objective To develop a reliable scale for evaluating medication compliance among patients with chronic diseases in China.Methods An initial item pool was generated by literature review,based on the definition of compliance generally accepted in China.The items were then subjected to item selections by using item answer distribution and other four methods,which resulted in a primary scale with 16 items.The reliability and validity of this scale was examined.Results Common factors extracted by factor analysis were well explained,there being a close correspondence between the scale construction and the theoretical construction. Convergent validity with the patients' self-ratings on medication compliance ranged from 0.55 to 0.59,and the correlation coefficient with the score of Morisky questionnaire was 0.58.The Cronbach ?,0 and ? coefficients were 0.717,0.751,0.893 respectively,and test-retest reliability was 0.95.Conclusion The newly developed scale appears reliable and may be a useful tool for measuring drug compliance among patients with chronic diseases,but there are still areas where further improvements may be needed.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and application scope of the looping technique by using a gooseneck snare and a loach guide wire in retrieving tubular foreign bodies within the vascular or ureteral duct. Methods During the period from July 2009 to Dec. 2013, six patients with ruptured catheter were admitted to authors’ hospital. All six patients were females. Three patients had internal ruptured peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC), one patient had ruptured implantable venous access port catheter and two patients had replacement of double “J” ureteral catheter stent. By using looping technique, i.e. a loach guide wire and a gooseneck snare were separately placed at the two ends of the tubular foreign body, then the gooseneck snare entangled the soft leading end of the loach guide wire to form a annular structure to seize the ruptured tubular catheter and then to pull it out of the body. Results With the help of the looping technique, the internal ruptured catheter or the double “J” ureteral catheter was successfully removed in all the six patients. Conclusion For the retrieval of the tubular foreign bodies within the vascular or ureteral duct, the looping technique by using a gooseneck snare and a loach guide wire is an effective and fast treatment. Therefore, this technique should be recommended in the clinical practice.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide clinical researchers with a good means to assess patient-based outcomes. Yet there are still some problems to pay attention to while using PROs as an effectiveness assessment index, including the selection of an appropriate scale of PRO, quality control in PRO data collection, and the interpretations and application ranges of the PRO results.
Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; methods ; Patient Satisfaction ; Psychometrics ; Quality Control

Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Publishing ; standards ; Quality Control ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; standards

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical significance of nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP 22) in the detection of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC) and compare with voided urine cytology(VUC). Methods: A total of 69 cases with voided urine samples for NMP 22 and VUC test were included in this study. Thirty of them were BTCC patients(BTCC group) and twenty nine suffered from other urological diseases (nonbladder cancer group, NBC group). Ten were healthy volunteers (control group). Results: The NMP 22 values for BTCC group (67.3 U/ml) were significantly higher than that of NBC group(7.4 U/ml) and control group (4.3 U/ml)( P 0.05). NMP 22 was more sensitive than VUC in low grade BTCC(Ⅰ,Ⅱ)(62.50% vs 12.50%,P 0.05). Conclusions:Urinary NMP 22 is a useful marker for the early diagnosis of BTCC. It is more sensitive than VUC in low stage and grade BTCC.

AIMBy genechip cDNA microarray, the genes expressions of Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase (Scd-2) and brain fatty acid-binding protein (B-FABP) were studied in the central nervous system (CNS) of the mice to discuss the mechanism of exercise-induced fatigue.

METHODSBuilding the model of fatigued animal and using the genechip cDNA microarray, the genes expressions were analyzed between the control group and fatigue group mice.

RESULTSThe genes expression of Scd-2 and B-FABP were obvious different in the brain of fatigued group mice than of control group.

CONCLUSIONExercise-induced nerve center fatigue is correlated with genes expressions of lipid metabolism.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Brain ; metabolism ; Fatigue ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase ; genetics ; metabolism

The technique conditions of decolonization of fermentation broth were successively optimized using single factor assay and orthogonal layout method in Cordyceps jiangxiensis. The optimal condition of decolorization was investigated to be 3g/100mL active carbon, 5 min absorption time, pH5 of fermented broth and 25℃absorption temperature. Under the optimal condition, the maximum decolorization rate of fermented broth reached 89. 6% , simultaneously 10. 7% consuming rate of exopolysaccahride was minimum. Subsequently, the extract condition of exopolysaccharide of C. jiangxiensis was further optimized by orthogonal layout design. The maximum exopolysaccharide production was 0. 38 g/L under the optimal condition, i. e. firstly fermented filtrate decolorized and deproteined was concentrated to 1/7 of its total volume, secondly concentration broth was mixed with four times its volume of absolute ethanol and stirred vigorously, lastly precipitation of exopolysaccharide proceeded at 4℃for 16 hrs and the exopolysaccharide collected by centrifugal ion and dryness.

OBJECTIVETo assess the changes of neurobehavioral function in a neonatal mouse model of excitotoxic brain damage.

METHODSFifty-five 5-day-old ICR neonatal mice were randomly assigned to three groups: blank (no intravenous) control (n=20), saline control (n=20) and excitotoxic brain damage model (ibotenic acid treatment, n=15). Behavioral function was evaluated by the surface righting reflex test (postnatal days 6-10), the swimming test (postnatal days 8-12) and the Y-maze discrimination learning test (postnatal days 33-34).

RESULTSRighting time in the surface righting reflex test in the ibotenic acid treatment group on postnatal days 6-10 was more prolonged than that in the two control groups (p<0.05). Swimming test scores in the ibotenic acid treatment group were significantly lower than those in the two control groups (p<0.05). In the Y-maze discrimination learning test, the mice from the ibotenic acid treatment group performed significantly worse than two control groups, presenting with increased learning times (19.79+/-2.42 vs 16.29+/-2.48 or 16.30+/-2.37; p<0.05) and achieving a lower correct percentage (86.7% vs 96.5% or 95.0%) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe developmental reflexes and learning and memory functions were impaired in neonatal mice following excitotoxic brain damage. Behavioral testing is useful in the evaluation of early developmental reflexes and long-term neurobehavioral outcome in neonatal mice with excitotoxic brain damage.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; drug effects ; Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists ; toxicity ; Female ; Ibotenic Acid ; toxicity ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Swimming

Objective To evaluate the imaging methods,characteristics,diagnostic value of multi- slice CT urography(MSCTU)in congenital abnormities of urinary system.Methods To collect 33 urinary congenital abnormities cases in three years and to analyses these MSCTU images.All examinations were performed with a multi-slice spiral CT scanner.The patients were intravenously injected with 90 ml of Iohexol 300 with a power injector at the rate of 3 ml/s.Nephrographic-phase images were obtained at 75 s after initiation of the injection of contrast material,the appropriate delay time is according to Kidney's enhancement extent and nephrohydrosis degree.Excretory-phase images were obtained through the abdomen and pelvis from 10 min.to 23 h after initiation of the injection of contrast material without abdominal compression.Excretory-phase images were transferred to the workstation and performed maximun intensity projection(MIP),multiplanar reconstruction(MPR),volume rendering(VR),and virtual cystoscopy (VC).Results The urinary congenital abnormities diagnosed by MSCTU in 33 cases,including 1 ectopic kidney,1 horseshoe kidney,1 renal malrotaion,2 supernumerary kidneys,2 ureteral valves,2 retrocaval ureters,4 congenital megaureters,6 ureteropelvic junction stenosis,9 pelviureteric duplication malformations and 5 bladder diverticula.The displaying rate of ureter was 91%(61/66).The scanning time of excretory-phase was less than 20 seconds in All cases.The average CT value of contrast media in displayed ureter lumens was 520 HU.The postprocessing images had clear,dimensional feature and It was satisfy the diagnosis.Conclusion MSCTU has clear,dimensional feature and has strong ability of displaying total anatomy shape and tiny pathology change of congenital abnormities in the urinary system.It is a very useful method for detecting the congenital abnormities in the urinary system.