Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymph Nodes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism

A series of aralkyl-ketone-4-piperidol derivatives were synthesized and tested for their analgesic activities. All of the novel 30 compounds were prepared from 4-piperidone and alpha-halo-aralkyl-ketone through five steps, including Boc protection, nucleophilic addition in presence of CeCl3/NaI catalyst, deprotection, condensation and salification. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR and HRMS. Preliminary in vivo pharmacological trials showed that most of the synthesized compounds revealed analgesic effects. Among the tested compounds, 8, 13 and 22 exhibited potent analgesic activities in both mice writhing and mice hot plate model. The three compounds have low affinity for mu, delta, kappa receptors, which is a chance to find a better precursor of non-opioid analgesic for further optimization.
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Pain Measurement ; Pain Threshold ; drug effects ; Piperidones ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Receptors, Opioid, delta ; metabolism ; Receptors, Opioid, kappa ; metabolism ; Receptors, Opioid, mu ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Atrial Flutter ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Digoxin ; therapeutic use ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hydrops Fetalis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of TopI gene in small cell lung cancer cell line H446, and explore the influence of TopI on the chemosensitivity of the cell line to topotecan (TPT).

METHODSWestern blot was performed to detect the TopI expression in H446 cells. Lipofectamine 2000 was used for the transient transfection of H446 cells by siRNA, and the transfection efficacy was detected. TopI mRNA was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR and TopI protein was detected by Western blot to selected effective siRNA. The drug-sensitivity to topotecan (TPT) was evaluated by MTT assay.

RESULTSTopI gene was expressed in H446 cells. Lipofectamine 2000 mediated the siRNA effectively (88.67%). Compared with its parental cells, RT-PCR results showed that TopI mRNAs in transfected cells were reduced by (95.7 +/- 1.6)%, (90.8 +/- 1.6)%, (96.1 +/- 2.7)% and (96.3 +/- 1.8)%, respectively, and decreased significantly at protein level. By MTT assay, the inhibition rate of TPT to H446 cells transfected by siRNA was lower than that of control group at same concentrations (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONsiRNAs can silence the expression of TopI and decrease the drug-sensitivity of H446 cells to TPT.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Topotecan ; pharmacology ; Transfection

【Objective】 To explore the clinical value of urinary aldosterone concentration(UAC) in primary aldosteronism(PA) screening and to evaluate the consistency of the two methods, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) and chemiluminescence immunosorbent assay(CLIA), for determining UAC. 【Methods】 Among the 133 patients with suspected PA enrolled from October 2018 to August 2019, 55 were diagnosed with PA(30 with aldosteroneproducing adenoma and 25 with bilateral idiopathic hyperplasia) and 78 with essential hypertension(EH). Parallel determination of UAC was done with LC-MS/MS and CLIA assays on all subjects, then we compared the two methods and evaluated their correlation and consistency. Reciever operating characteristic(ROC) analysis was applied to assess the diagnostic accuracies, area under the curve(AUC) and cutoff values of UAC, plasma aldosterone concentration(PAC), random aldosterone to renin ratio(ARR) and urine aldosterone to renin ratio(UARR). Furthermore, ROC analysis of high urine sodium subgroup(urine sodium≥130 mmol/24h) was performed to evaluate the impact of sodium intake on PA screening. 【Results】 ①UACCLIA and UACLC-MS/MS were positively correlated(r=0.69, P < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis showed poor consistency between CLIA and LC-MS/MS. ②The diagnostic efficiency of UAC and PAC in PA screening was equivalent (P > 0.05), while ARR was more efficient than UAC and PAC(P < 0.0001). AUC of UACCLIA, UACLC-MS/MS, PAC and ARR was 0.739, 0.659, 0.723, 0.943, respectively. The cutoff values for them were 5.1 μg/24 h, 11.6 μg/24 h, 27.6 ng/dL and 23.2 ng·dL^-1(/ μg·L^-1·h^-1), respectively. ③Both UARRCLIA and UARRLC-MS/MS performed as well as ARR in PA screening. AUC of UARRCLIA was 0.924 at the cutoff value of 1.75 μg·24h^-1(/ μg·L^-1·h^-1). While AUC of UARRLC-MS/MS was 0.906 at the cutoff value of 4.63 μg·24h^-1(/ μg·L^-1·h^-1). AUC of UACLC-MS/MS in high urine sodium subgroup was 0.708 at the cutoff of 14.9 μg/ 24 h. ④The diagnostic efficiency of UAC made no difference after sodium intake increased to 130 mmol/24 h or higher. 【Conclusion】 UAC alone is of little clinical value compared to ARR in PA screening and can serve as a supplementary indicator currently. But UARR, a combintion of UAC and plasma renin activity(PRA), is as valuable as ARR for screening PA. The optimal cutoff values of UACLC-MS/MS and UACCLIA are 11.6 μg/24 h, 5.1 μg/24 h, respectively. The optimal cutoff values of UARRLC-MS/MS and UARRCLIA are 4.63 μg·24 h^-1/(μg·L^-1·h^-1) and 1.75 μg·24 h^-1/(μg·L^-1·h^-1), respectively. Besides, significant bias of UAC observed in CLIA and LC-MS/MS results indicates that appropriate definition of cutoff value and reference range for each method are mandatory.

ObjectiveTo explore the value of plasma free metanephrines， including metanephrine（MN） and normetanephrine（NMN）， collectively referred to as MNs in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma （PPGL）. MethodsThe study included 1 631 patients suspected of PPGL from December 2014 to December 2020 in SunYat-sen Memorial Hospital. In these subjects， Plasma free MNs were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry（LC-MS/MS） before surgery. Receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curves were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of plasma NMN and MN in the diagnosis of PPGL. ResultsOf the screened patients， 108 patients had pathologically confirmed PPGL and 1 523 patients had definitive diagnoses other than PPGL as a control group. The median value of plasma MN ［0.54（0.17~4.48） nmol/L vs. 0.15（0.11~0.21） nmol/L， P<0.001］ and NMN ［7.48（2.12~15.01） nmol/L vs. 0.32（0.22~0.46） nmol/L， P<0.001］ were significant higher in the PPGL group than in the control group. Using an upper cut-off of 0.395 nmol/L for MN， the sensitivity was 60.2% and the specificity was 97.8%； when using a cut-off of 1.105 nmol/L for NMN， the diagnostic sensitivity was 87.0%， and the specificity was 98.7%. The area under the ROC curve and 95% confidence interval of plasma MN and NMN combined were 0.800（0.743， 0.858）， 0.959（0.932， 0.98） and 0.970（0.944， 0.996）， respectively. Analyzing the false-positive results， it was found that in the control group， 3% of the false-positive cases appeared. The estimated glomerular filtration rate（eGFR） were significantly lower in the false-positive group than in the true-negative group ［74.42（51.04~96.96） mL/min vs. 88.51（72.80~101.83） mL/min， P=0.001］. In 212 patients with eGFR lower than 60 mL/min， the false positive rate was increased to 8%. If the upper limit of the reference interval was increased by 25%， the specificity was increased to 96.7%； when the upper limit of the reference interval was increased by 50%， the specificity was 98.6 %. ConclusionsPlasma free MNs has a great reliability in the diagnosis of PPGL. The negative predictive value is extremely high and close to 100%. Combination analysis of plasma MN and NMN can further improve diagnostic performance. However， a few false positive cases may appear and might be influenced by impaired renal function. In patients with eGFR lower than 60 mL/min， the false positive rate is significantly increasing， which need a 25%-50% increase in the expected upper limit of a reference range to guarantee high specificity.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effectiveness, safety and possible mechanism of recombinate human interleukin 11 (rhIL-11) in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia.

METHODSThirty-four patients (totally 76 cycles) with chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia received subcutaneous injection of rhIL-11 at the dose of 25 microg.kg(-1).d(-1) for 4 to 16 days. Serum IL-11 level was measured by ELISA, and IL-11 R alpha expression was detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe mean baseline platelet count before chemotherapy was (135.0 +/- 54.3) x 10(9)/L for the 1st cycle and (259.4 +/- 64.5) x 10(9)/L for the 2nd cycle. The time to administer rhIL-11 was 7 to 16 days (median 12 days) in the 1st cycle and 4 to 10 days (median 6 days) in the 2nd, respectively (P < 0.05). The duration of post-chemotherapy platelet count below 50 x 10(9)/L was 7 to 13 days (median 10 days) for the 1st cycle and 3 to 8 days (median 5 days) for the 2nd, respectively (P < 0.05). Platelet count reached 300 x 10(9)/L or above in 30 chemotherapy cycles. The maximum platelet count was found to appear at D10 to D 17 (median D14), and negatively correlated with the pre-chemotherapy serum IL-11 level after administration of rhIL-11. Major adverse reactions included edema, headache, muscle and joint pain.

CONCLUSIONrhIL-11 is effective and safe for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia, with a relatively slow but sustained effect on the recovery of platelet count. Pre-chemotherpy serum IL-11 level might predict the efficacy of rhIL-11.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Interleukin-11 ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; blood ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Count ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Thrombocytopenia ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDAlthough biomedical ontologies have standardized the representation of gene products across species and databases, a method for determining the functional similarities of gene products has not yet been developed.

METHODSWe proposed a new semantic similarity measure based on Gene Ontology that considers the semantic influences from all of the ancestor terms in a graph. Our measure was compared with Resnik's measure in two applications, which were based on the association of the measure used with the gene co-expression and the protein-protein interactions.

RESULTSThe results showed a considerable association between the semantic similarity and the expression correlation and between the semantic similarity and the protein-protein interactions, and our measure performed the best overall.

CONCLUSIONThese results revealed the potential value of our newly proposed semantic similarity measure in studying the functional relevance of gene products.

Gene Ontology ; Protein Binding

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the expressions of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD, and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

METHODSThe expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD were analyzed in 53 NSCLC and 12 control specimens by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSThe expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 was significantly higher in NSCLC (58.5%) than that in normal lung tissue (16.7%), and also positively related with pathological characteristics (P = 0.021), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006), and clinical stage (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in NSCLC group was significantly lower than that in control group (22.3% vs 40.6% , P = 0.041). The positive expression of E-CD in NSCLC and control group was 32.1% and 91.7%, respectively, and negatively correlated with pathological characteristics (P = 0.010) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in control group was 19.9%, lower than that in NSCLC group (41.2%, P > 0.05), but the difference is not significant.

CONCLUSIONThe overexpression of integrin alpha5 beta1 may contribute to lymph node metastasis and play an inverse role, while E-CD may be a beneficial prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC.

Adult ; Aged ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Integrin alpha5beta1 ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Smoking ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of echocardiography diagnosis of fetal cardiac structural abnormalities.

METHODSThe echocardiography findings of 9 352 fetus were studied.

RESULTSA total of 472 cases showed cardiac structural abnormalities, including 7 cases of ventricular septal defect, 53 cases of atrioventricular septal defect, 49 cases of atrial septal defect, 26 cases of tetralogy of Fallot, 21 cases of persistent truncus arteriosus, 20 cases of Ebstein's anomaly and 206 cases of other cardiac abnormalities. There were 17 cases with cardiac arrhythmia, 9 with heart failure, and 5 with hydrops.

CONCLUSIONSFetal echocardiography is a promising diagnostic tool for prenatal evaluation of cardiac structural abnormalities. The echocardiography diagnosis and evaluation for fetal congenital cardiovascular malformations is the foundation of the guidance and monitoring in intrauterine fetal cardiac intervention.

Adult ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; etiology ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; Humans ; Hydrops Fetalis ; etiology ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal