Flavonoids baicalin is the main bioactive component extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Baicalin has high medicinal value and shows extensive pharmacological effects including antitumor, antibiosis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, neuro-protection, and significant potential in tumor treatment. Recent studies have shown that baicalin suppresses the growth of many kinds of human cancer. The underlying mechanisms include induction of apoptosis, induction of cell cycle arrest, inhibition of tumor metastasis, suppression of angiogenesis, and so on. This article reviewed the research progress of baicalin on its antitumor pharmacology and possible mechanisms at home and abroad, and provided the basis for its further research.

Objective: To construct a competency evaluation model for health managers based on the grounded theory, so as to provide insights into the training and evaluation of health managers. Methods: From December 2022 to March 2023, health managers with three years and more of working from health management center of a tertiary hospital, a health management enterprise and a university with a top-tier ranking for the major of "Health Services and Management" were invited, and a semi-structured interview on competency was conducted based on grounded theory. Coding techniques were applied to analyze the interview data, including open coding, axial coding, selective coding and theoretical saturation testing using NVivo12 software. Based on the coding results and drawing inspiration from McClelland's "Iceberg Competency Model Structure", a competency evaluation model for health managers was formulated. Results: Twenty-one health managers participated in the study, including 8 participants from the hospital, 7 participants from the enterprise and 6 participants from the university, 14 females, 17 participants with 3-10 years of working, and 6 participants with the rank of associate senior professional title or above. The interview yielded 5 main categories, from which the competency evaluation model for health managers was developed with five dimensions: professional development, health management capability, communication and coordination, humanistic care, and personal traits. professional development and health management capability constituted the overt competencies of health managers, while communication and coordination, humanistic care, and personal traits formed their implicit competencies. Conclusions The competency evaluation model for health managers constructed in this study includes explicit competency and implicit competency, which is expected to serve as a reference for the effective selection and cultivation of health managers.

Objective To study the related influencing factors involving in vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) and changing characteristics of hemodynamics of VBD. Methods Outpatients and inpatients with posterior circulation ischemia (PCI) underwent brain MRA from June 2008 to September 2009 were chosen; 116 patients met the standard of VBD were selected as VBD group and other 130 patients without VBD were as control group. The univariate analysis and multiple factor analysis were applied to study the correlation of hypertension,smoking,diabetes,low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and intracranial vascular variation with VBD.Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were applied to observe the hemodynamic changes and arteriosclerosis of these patients.Results Univariate analysis indicated that statistical significance on intracranial vascular variation,hypertension and smoking was noted between the VBD group and the control group (x2=13.530,P=0.000; x2=8.539,P=0.003; x2=3.959,P=0.047),while no statistical significance in diabetes and LDL was obtained between the 2 groups (x2=0.451,P=0.519; x2=0.220,P=0.881).Multiple factors analysis showed that VBD could be obviously related to intracranial vascular variation (OR=21.732, 95％CI:3.02-5.94),hypertension (OR=5.173,95％CI:1.23-3.05) and smoking (OR=3.145,95％CI:1.86-4.85).According to TCD,peak velocity (Vp),mean velocity (Vm) in the VBD group were significantly lower than those in the control group,but pulsatility index (PI) and resistant index (RI) in the VBD group were statistically higher (P＜0.05).DSA showed that the blood flow length of the VBD group was obviously shorter than that of the control group in the same time with statistical significance (P＜0.05). Conclusion Vascular variation,smoking and hypertension are related to VBD; and VBD leads to slow blood flow and aggravated arteriosclerosis,which may result in high incidence of stroke.

OBJECTIVETo study the antitumor effect of the stings of Gleditsia sinensis on mice bearing uterine cervical carcinoma (U14) and the expression of PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and p53.

METHODThe effect of the ethanolic extract of G. sinensis stings on the inhibition rate of solid tumor and the life span of ascites tumor were calculated by the animal tumor model experiment in vivo. The positive cell numbers of PCNA and mutant p53 protein were measured by immunohistochemical SP method.

RESULTAs compared with the control group, the ethanolic extract of G. sinensis stings (250, 500 and 1 000 mg x kg(-1) body weight, p.o.) and CTX (25 mg kg(-1) body weight, i.p.) administration significantly reduced the tumor weight of solid tumor and increased the life span of ascites tumor harboring mice (P < 0.01). The inhibition rate of solid tumor and the rate in life span were up to 47.44%, 59.49%, 63.92%, 73.42% and 52.21%, 67.26%, 78.76%, 95.58% respectively. Meanwhile,the expression of PCNA and mutant p53 protein also suppressed by ethanolic extract (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe stings of G. sinensis showed antitumor activity and its possible mechanism might be related with the expression inhibition of PCNA and mutant p53 protein.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gleditsia ; chemistry ; Mice ; Mutation ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic efficacy of a combined treatment modality using transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated with main branch intraportal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT).

METHODSClinical data was collected retrospectively for patients diagnosed with and treated for HCC plus main branch PVTT at our hospital between January 2007 and January 2010. The total study population (n = 51) consisted of 38 males and 13 females, with an average of 50.1 years (range: 24-73). Among these patients, 26 had been treated with TACE + PEI (group A) and 25 had been treated with TACE alone (group B). Short-term changes in PVTT (i.e. disappearance, shrinkage, and/or stability) and tumor (i.e. complete response, partial response, and/or stable disease) were assessed by using the t-test (continuous variables) or the Chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests (categorical variables). Between-group differences in survival time were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test.

RESULTSThe follow-up time ranged from 3-24 months after treatment, and no serious treatment-related complications were recorded for any of the patients (0/51). The time of TACE treatment was significantly longer for the patients receiving the combination therapy (group A: 3.21.4 vs. group B: 2.40.9, t = 2.22, P = 0.032). The patients in group A received between 2-8 PEI treatments. The TACE + PEI combined treatment showed significantly better therapeutic efficacy for PVTT (group A: 19/26 vs. group B: 10/25, X2 = 5.685, P = 0.019). The tumor response was significantly better in patients treated with TACE + PEI at post-treatment month 3 (group A: 20/26 vs. group B: 18/25, X2 = 0.163, P = 0.705) and month 6 (group A: 17/20 vs. 10/19, X2 = 2.58, P = 0.027). Finally, the average survival time was significantly better in patients treated with TACE + PEI (group A: 12.856.02 months (range: 5-23) vs. group B: 8.653.39 months (range: 4-16), t = 3.051, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONTACE + PEI combination therapy for main branch PVTT in HCC patients is more efficacious than TACE alone, and is associated with a longer survival time.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Ethanol ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Liver Neoplasms ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Portal Vein ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombosis ; complications

OBJECTIVETo establish a reliable model for drug screening and therapy by culturing rat femoral head and inducing cartilage degeneration quickly in vitro.

METHODSThe femoral heads from the same SD rats of two-month old were divided into control group and experimental group respectively. They were cultured with DMEM medium plus 10% fetal bovine serum or DMEM medium plus 10% fetal bovine serum plus 50 ng/ml IL-1β for three days. Femoral heads were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, decalcified, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin and cut into slices. Specimens were stained with Toluidine blue and Safranine O-Fast Green FCF. The protein expression levels of type II collagen, MMP13, Sox9 and ADAMTS5 were analyzed by immunofluorescence.

RESULTSBoth the Toluidine blue and Safranine O staining were pale in the margin of femoral heads which were stimulated with IL-1β for three days compared to that in control group. The Fast Green FCF staining was positive at the edge of the femoral head in experimental group, which indicated that cartilage became degenerated. The expression levels of both type H collagen and Sox9 were decreased significantly while the expression levels of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 were increased in experimental group.

CONCLUSIONThe model of cartilage degeneration is established by culturing and inducing the degeneration of the femoral heads quickly in vitro.

Animals ; Cartilage Diseases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Collagen Type II ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Femur Head ; metabolism ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Interleukin-1beta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo isolate, identify and culture human spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) and then obtain purified and enriched human SSCs for research and application.

METHODSWe detected the expression of CD90 in the human testis using the immunofluorescence technique and isolated human testicular spermatogenic cells by two-step enzymatic digestion, followed by differential plating and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) with CD90 as an SSC marker. Then we identified the isolated CD90-positive spermatogenic cells by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry, and meanwhile cocultured them with Sertoli cells in SG medium in vitro.

RESULTSThe isolated CD90-positive cells showed a relatively homogeneous characteristic in size and morphology and expressed the genes specific for human SSCs, with high expressions (90.5%) of GFRA1, GPR125, and UCHL1. After coculture with Sertoli cells in the SG medium for 2 weeks, the isolated CD90-positive cells maintained a good activity.

CONCLUSIONCD90 can be regarded as a speci- fic marker for human SSCs and used to obtain highly enriched human SSCs by differential plating and MACS. Furthermore, the isolated human SSCs can be cultured in SG medium in vitro.

Adult Stem Cells ; cytology ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Cell Shape ; Cell Size ; Coculture Techniques ; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; metabolism ; Sertoli Cells ; Spermatogonia ; cytology ; Testis ; metabolism ; Thy-1 Antigens ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct a full-genome hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon that will allow for direct initiation of replication and generation of infectious viral particles in an in vitro and in vivo cell system.

METHODSSelf-cleaving ribozyme sequences were added to each side of the HCV cDNA clone JFH1 and the replication-deficient clone JFH1/GND, then inserted into the pcDNA3.1 vector downstream of the CMV promoter. The resultant recombinant plasmids, pcDNA3.1-RZ-JFH1 and pcDNA3.1-RZ-JFH1/GND, were tested for activity in vitro and in vivo by transiently transfecting into Huh7.5 cells (5 mug/100 mm culture dish) and injecting by high-pressure tail vein injection into Kunming mice (10 - 30 mug/mouse). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and serological testing were performed to determine the replication ability and assess the properties of the recombinant plasmids in the two systems.

RESULTSHCV RNA (1 - 3 * 10(6) copies/ml) was detected in the supernatant of transfected Huh7.5 cells up to 16 weeks after transfection. In addition, the viral particles from the supernatant were able to infect nave Huh7.5 cells. However, only transient viremia was achieved upon tail vein injection of the plasmid, and no HCV antigen-positive cells were detected by immunohistochemistry nor HCV-specific antibodies by serological testing.

CONCLUSIONThe constructed HCV replicon was capable of stable expression in cultured cells and of efficiently generating infectious viral particles in the in vitro system over a long period. However, the HCV replicon did not show infective characteristics in an in vivo mouse system. The full-length HCV replicon may represent a useful tool for in vitro study of HCV pathological mechanisms, possibly including anti-HCV drug screening.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cell Line ; Genetic Vectors ; Genome, Viral ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; RNA, Catalytic ; genetics ; Recombination, Genetic ; Replicon ; Virus Replication ; genetics

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment scheme of periprosthetic joint infection(PJI)caused by Cutibacterium avidum(C.avidum).Methods The diagnosis and treatment process of a patient with PJI caused by C.avidum was summarized,and relevant literatures in the database were retrieved for review.Results A 65-year-old female patient with body mass index(BMI)of 31.1 kg/m2 underwent left humeral head prosthesis replacement surgery following a left proximal humerus fracture.Ten months after the surgery,the pa-tient exhibited poor wound healing and oozing,along with limited movement of the left shoulder joint,and was diag-nosed infection following shoulder arthroplasty.Patient underwent debridement of the infected lesion and removal of the prosthesis.The tissue,bone cement and prosthesis were cultured for C.avidum.Four literatures were re-trieved and screened,a total of 30 patients with PJI(28 cases hip joint infection and 2 cases shoulder joint infection)caused by C.avidum were reported through literature retrieval,and 78.6％(n=22)total hip arthroplasty(THA)surgeries were performed using direct anterior approach(DAA).The positive rate of preoperative joint fluid culture was 71.4％,29 cases underwent surgical combined with sensitive antimicrobials treatment.Except for one patient who had repeated infection and underwent three surgeries,other patients had a good prognosis.Conclusion PJI caused by C.avidum is mostly seen in THA patients who are obese and undergo DAA,with a few cases reported after shoulder arthroplasty.The high sensitivity of preoperative joint fluid culture provides an important basis for the development of surgical strategies and anti-infection protocols.

OBJECTIVETo prevent and manage frequent complications after endovascular repair of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

METHODSThe data of 71 cases of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) treated by endovascular repair were analysed retrospectively. The reasons, managements, results and prognosis of frequent complications were investigated.

RESULTSSeventy-one cases of infrarenal AAA were treated by endovascular repair with 100% success rate. There was no surgical conversion to open aneurysm repair. There were 8 cases of primary endoleak, 1 case of nervous complication and acute thrombosis. An average follow-up period was 26 +/- 5 months. Three persistent endoleaks and 4 secondary endoleaks were found during the follow-up period. The endoleak rate was 9.8% (7/71) within 1 month postoperatively and mortality rate was 1.3% (1/71). Total mortality rate was 4.2% (3/71). Two patients died from acute myocardial infarction and one from acute heart failure.

CONCLUSIONSEndovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm is technically feasible and can effectively exclude aortic aneurysms from the circulation. Endoleak is a chief complication after endovascular repair of infrarenal AAA.Additional procedures and follow up are very important. Endoleak with enlarged aneurysm should be treated actively.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; surgery ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Fistula ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy