To analysis the differences between Tripterygium wilfordii and T. hypoglaucum, specimens of their leaves were collected from five production regions and analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The data were analyzed by multivariate statistical method, such as hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal signal correction partial least square discrimination (OPLS-DA). Potential markers with VIP values above 5.0 and corresponding r values above 0.85, were selected and further tested by combining mann-Whitney nonparametric. Those with P < 0.001 and AUC = 1 were confirmed as metabolite markers to discriminate them from each other. Results revealed that the two species were obviously different in their leaf metabolites. Based on their mass spectra, 23 potential metabolite markers were identified to distinguish T. wilfordii from T. hypoglaucum.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; classification ; metabolism

An evidence-based practice method according to literature retrieval through PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) questions and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) topics, which can obtain helpful evidence for guiding clinical practice, was introduced with a practical example in this paper. The knowledge of diseases and Western medicine treatment can be acquired by literature retrieval through PICO question, while searching by CAM topics may provide evidence for Chinese medicine (CM). Thus the author held that literature retrieval through both PICO question and CAM topics was an ideal evidence-based practice method for integrative Chinese and Western medicine (ICWM). However, since the standard in CM evidence hierarchy is still under study, the value of the CAM thematic retrieval method remains very limited. In the future, studies on the definition and hierarchy of CM evidences and the herb-drug interaction between Western and Chinese medicine during a combination therapy should be strengthened to improve the status of ICWM evidence-based practice.
Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; methods ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Herb-Drug Interactions ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Internet ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEIn order to provide scientific basis for introduction breeding and production regionalization of Panax notoginseng, the environment of producing area, agronomic traits and medicinal material output were investigated.

METHODUsing field survey sampling at harvest time, agronomic traits indicators of leaf segment, stem segment and roots segment etc. of commodity P. notoginseng, longitude and latitude, elevation, soil type, landform of producing area were measured and observed.

RESULTThe P. notogiseng cultivation was expanding from traditional area like Wenshang to new areas as Honghe, Kunming, Qujing at large scale. Comparing with traditional cultivated fields, the elevation of new fields, which are red soil of moderate or low mountain slopes and gentle hills between 1 800-2 130 m, increases markedly. The agronomic traits of new cultivated fields such as plant height, stem diameter, the ground and underground biomass were better than those of traditional cultivated fields in varying degree. Furthermore, the root weight, taproot weight, taproot length and other agronomic index augmented more than 20%. Comparison among different cultivated fields showed P. notoginseng of Honghe Shiping Niujie, Kunming Shilin Guishan, Honghe Jiangshui Guanting etc. had better agronomic traits, the plant were thick and tall, the taproot and the top of reed were large, the number of root was more. Inversely, P. notoginseng of Kunming Guandu Xiaoshao, Guangxi Jingxi Lutong, Wenshang Yanshan Jiangna were thin and small. Cluster analysis showed that cultivated fields of P. notoginseng which was across clustered by traditional and new cultivated fields can be divided into three groups, including a high-yielding region insist of three new cultivated fields Honghe Shiping Niujie, Kunming Shilin Guishan, Honghe Jiangshui Guanting and one traditional cultivated field Wenshan Yanshan Jiangna. Correlation analysis indicated that the size and weight of taproot and top of reed were significantly positive correlated with plant height, stem diameter, leaf size, leaf weight and stem weight. Regression analysis pointed out that stem diameter, leaf width, leaf length/width, leaf weight were the main factors affecting the dry weight of taproot, and the main factors influencing the dry weight of top of reed were plant height, petiole, leaf length, leaf width and other agronomic traits.

CONCLUSIONFrom agronomic traits, P. notoginseng in new cultivated fields were more robust than that in traditional fields, but besides the length of taproot, the difference of rest agronomic traits didn't reach the significant level. It is suggested that, in the west and the north of traditional area, the red soil land of moderate or low mountain slopes and gentle hills where the elevation is between 1 800-2 130 m is suitable for cultivating P. notoginseng. Honghe Shiping Niujie, Honghe Jianshui Guanting, Kuming Shilin Gongshan can be used as vital development area for commodity P. notoginseng.

Agriculture ; methods ; Breeding ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Soil ; chemistry

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and side effects of adjuvant chemotherapy plus in-tensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) after breast-conserving surgery for stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ breast cancer.Methods After breast-conserving surgery, 108 patients received six cycles of chemotherapy followed by IM-RT. The irradiation dose of the whole breast was 50 Gy given by 25 fractions, followed by 10 Gy boost to the tumor bed given by 5 fractions with electron beams. Patients with positive estrone receptor or progesterone re-ceptor were given endocrine treatment, mostly with tamoxifen. Results The follow-up rate was 100% by December 2007. The number of patients followed-up at 1-, 2- and 3-year was 108,88 and 58. The 1-, 2- and 3-year over survival rates were 100% ,100% and 98%. Three patients had local recurrence. Different degree of dermatitis occurred with good long-term cosmetic results. No severe side effects occurred such as radiation-induced pneumonitis, pulmonary fibrosis and heart injury. Conclusions Breast cancer patients treated by adjuvant chemotherapy plus IMRT after breast-conserving surgery have high survival rate and low side-effect rate. The survival quality and local control can be improved.

Objective To observe the effect of iodine excess(HI),polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid[Poly(I:C),Poly]and thyroglobulin(TG)on the thyroid of mice by the expression of Toll-like receptor 3(TLR3)to reveal the functional role of TLR3 in autoimmune thyroiditis.Methods Forty-two non-obese diabetic mice,body weight (20±3)g,were divided into six groups:control group,HI group,Poly group,TG group,HI+TG group,HI+Poly group. Fed with deionized water and injected intraperitoneally with physiological saline 0.1 ml each day for a week, the mice in control group were injected with physiological saline every other day at the same dose for 1 week before they were sacrificed; HI group drank 0.05% NaI water and were injected intraperitoneally with physiological saline same as control group; Poly group drank deionized water and were injected intraperitoneally with poly 0.1 ml (1 g/L)each day of the week, then the mice were injected with Poly every other day at the same dose for 1 week before they were sacrificed; TG group drank deionized water and were injected intraperitoneally with physiological saline same as control group, immunized with 0.1 mg TG by subcutaneously injecting and the immunization was enhanced after they were fed half dose for 4 and 8 weeks separately. In HI + Poly group, the treatment was the same as HI group and Poly group; HI + TG group: the treatment was the same as HI group and TG group. Eight weeks later, mice were sacrificed and thyroids were taken to make frozen sections, Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was employed to observe the morphological change of the thyroids. The expression of TLR3 of thyroids was observed under fluorescence microscope after Immumofluorescence using TLR3 antibody and TR3-positive cells were analyzed in the thyroid density. Results HE staining showed thyroids of Poly group had no inflammation under microscope.There were different degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration in HI group and TG group. The inflammatory cell infiltration and the damage of follicular thyroid of HI + TG group and HI + Poly group were serious, and the degrees of inflammation were higher over "++". Thyroid follicular epithelial cell with TLR3 expression could be seen in Poly group and HI group, meanwhile, there were TLR3 strong positive inflammatory cells in HI group under fluorescent microscope. Using stereological analysis of TLR3-positive cell density in the thyroid, the difference between groups was statistically significant(F=7.870, P<0.01 ). TLR3-positive cell density in the thyroid of HI + Poly group was higher[ (9.287 ± 0.522)mm2] than control group[ (0.062 ± 0.025)mm2, P < 0.01] significantly, meanwhile, the density in HI + Poly group was higher than HI group [ (2.574 ± 0.257 )mm2] and Poly group[ (1.361 ± 0.148 )mm2, all P < 0.01]. The density in HI + TG group[ (4.843±0.405)mm2] was higher than HI group and TG group[(1.601 ±0.268)mm2, all P < 0.01 )]. Conclusions Excessive iodine and thyroglobulin can induce thyroiditis, and stimulate the expression of TLR3 in the thyroid follicular epithelial, Poly aggravated thyroiditis induced by iodine excess in NOD mice; TLR3 positive inflammatory cells also appeared in inflammatory region, suggesting that TLR3 is involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the exons 2 to 4 of the MICA gene and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODSBy PCR-SSOP, DNA samples from 56 AS patients and 112 random healthy individuals, as normal control were genotyped to analyse the polymorphism in exons 2, 3, 4 of the MICA alleles.

RESULTSMICA*008 was dominant in MICA allele,accounted for 32.14% and 30.36% in AS patients and normal controls respectively. The frequency of MICA*007 was significantly increased in AS patients, when compared with normal controls (chi-square=10.18, P<0.05, RR=2.50). No difference was found in the other MICA alleles. The haplotype analysis revealed that there were the strong linkage disequilibrium between MICA and HLA-B of AS patients, and normal controls. There was a difference in MICA*007-B27 between two groups (chi-square=18.46, P<0.05, RR=7.47). Both HLA-B27 and MICA*007 were strongly associated with AS. Stratified analysis showed that HLA-B27 was significantly relative to AS,while it was not found between MICA*007 and AS.

CONCLUSIONThe increased frequency of MICA alleles may be due to its strong linkage disequilibrium with HLA-B27.

Alleles ; Exons ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; HLA-B Antigens ; genetics ; HLA-B27 Antigen ; genetics ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; genetics ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; genetics

Aeroto-Niu-O16, an oxygen-tolerant bovine rumen bacterium, is capable of aerobically reducing isoflavones daidzein and genistein to dihydrodaidzein and dihydrogenistein through catalytic hydrogenation. In this study, it was found that bacterium strain Aeroto-Niu-O16 was able to cleavage the C-ring of liquiritigenin (LG), which is one of the main biologically active components of licorice roots, in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. LG was prepared by acid hydrolysis of the crude extract of licorice roots. The metabolite of LG obtained in strain Aeroto-Niu-O16 was identified as davidigenin (DG) based on the data of UV, MS, 1H and 13C NMR. The maximal concentration of LG that the strain Aeroto-Niu-O16 was able to transform effectively was 0.8 mmol x L(-1) and the average productivity of the metabolite DG was 71.7%. Furthermore, when 0.1% (m/v) of L-cysteine or sodium thiosulfate was added in the cultural medium, the average bioconversion rate of LG was increased from 71.7% to 78.3% and 77.2%, respectively. The in vitro antioxidant investigation showed that 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity of DG was significantly or extremely significantly higher than that of LG at the concentrations from 0.2 mmol x L(-1) to 1.6 mmol x L(-1). We discoverd for the first time that LG can be converted to DG, which has stronger and wider biological activities, through microbial biotransformation method.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Bacteria, Anaerobic ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Biphenyl Compounds ; metabolism ; Cattle ; Chalcone ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Cysteine ; pharmacology ; Flavanones ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Picrates ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rumen ; microbiology ; Thiosulfates ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDDocetaxel (DOC) therapy is well tolerated and shows high response rates in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC). There are many reports on the effect of rapamycin (RPM) on the treatment of carcinogenesis. The goal of this study was to test whether RPM could enhance the susceptibility of both androgen-dependent and -independent prostate carcinoma cells to DOC.

METHODSProstate cancer (PC) cell lines (LNCap, PC3 and AILNCap) were cultured and treated with RPM and DOC alone or in combination. The effects of therapeutic agents on cells were determined by the WST-1 assay. Apoptosis induction was confirmed by flow cytometric analysis. The apopcyto caspase colorimetric assay kit was applied to measure the activities of caspases 3 and 9. The antitumor effects of RPM and DOC against PC cells were also assessed in nude mice using four randomized groups: control, RPM, DOC and combination drug therapy by measuring tumor size. All the animals tolerated both RPM and DOC without significant weight loss.

RESULTSRPM and DOC caused dosage-dependent growth suppression of PC cells. RPM could increase the susceptibility of PC cells to DOC significantly, and combined treatment with RPM and DOC caused synergistic growth suppression in all examined PC cell lines by isobolographic analysis. Both RPM and DOC significantly induced apoptosis in a dosage-dependent manner. RPM (10 nmol/L), DOC (1 nmol/L), and combined treatment induced apoptosis rate were 8%, 17% and 38%, respectively (the control was 2%). RPM could promote the apoptosis induced by DOC in PC cell lines. Both RPM and DOC significantly increased the caspase activity in a dosage-dependent manner. The relative activities of caspase 9 in control, RPM, DOC and RPM + DOC groups were 0.22 +/- 0.02, 0.36 +/- 0.06, 0.47 +/- 0.05 and 0.84 +/- 0.08, respectively. The relative activities of caspase 3 were 0.21 +/- 0.02, 0.24 +/- 0.05, 0.42 +/- 0.06 and 0.81 +/- 0.09, respectively. Either RPM or DOC alone significantly inhibited the growth of PC cells in nude mice compared to the control. The combination of RPM and DOC produced a significant reduction in tumor volume when compared to RPM or DOC alone. After 5-week treatment, the tumor sizes of LNCap in control, RPM, DOC and RPM + DOC groups were (570 +/- 56) mm(3), (412 +/- 41) mm(3), (425 +/- 46) mm(3) and (221 +/- 26) mm(3), respectively.

CONCLUSIONSRPM could significantly increase the susceptibility of both androgen-dependent and -independent PC cells to DOC; the synergy of RPM and DOC was demonstrated. RPM enhanced the DOC-induced upregulation of caspase activity, resulting in an increasing number of cells in sub-G1 phases. The synergy of the combined treatment might be observed in both androgen-dependent and -independent PC cell lines.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Synergism ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Sirolimus ; therapeutic use ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Six heavy metals, including As, Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in Panax notoginseng were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) combined with wet digestion method. The samples of P. notoginseng were collected in 12 different regions, including Yunnan and Guangxi Province. Green Standards of Foreign Trading Medicinal Plants & Preparations was used as the standard to evaluate the pollution status of As, Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in P. notoginseng. The results showed that content of As and Cd exceeded the limit of the standard and the percentage was 32.4% and 29.7%, respectively, while Cu, Hg and Pb were all bellow the limit. The SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyze the data. The occurrence of contained heavy metals has been discussed.
China ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; metabolism ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Soil Pollutants ; analysis ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the diagnostic values of immunohistochemistry and SYT-SSX fusion gene detection for synovial sarcoma.

METHODSBased on clinical features, histological and immunohistochemical profiles, 195 cases of tumors were divided into three diagnostic categories: definitive synovial sarcoma, probable synovial sarcoma and possible synovial sarcoma. RT-PCR Detection of the SYT-SSX fusion gene was performed using paraffin embedded tissue samples. Comparison between RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry results was carried out and their diagnostic value was evaluated.

RESULTSThere were 62 (31.8%) definite synovial sarcomas, 49 (25.1%) probable synovial sarcomas and 84 cases (43.1%) possible synovial sarcomas. SYT-SSX fusion gene was detected in 140 (78.2%) cases overall, including 94.7% (54/57) definite synovial sarcomas, 86.0% (37/43) probable synovial sarcomas and 62.0% (49/79) possible synovial sarcomas. In tumors in the certain and probable synovial sarcoma categories, the positive rates of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were significantly higher in the SYT-SSX positive cases than SYT-SSX-negative cases (P = 0.022, P = 0.010, respectively). EMA was positively correlated with the presence of SYT-SSX (r(s) = 0.431, P = 0.001, r(s) = 0.463, P = 0.002, respectively). However, such a correlation was not seen in cytokeratin (CK), vimentin or S-100 protein immunostains (P > 0.05). In tumors of possible synovial sarcoma category, there were no significant differences of CK, EMA, vimentin or S-100 protein between SYT-SSX-positive and SYT-SSX-negative tumors.

CONCLUSIONSSYT-SSX fusion gene detection is not needed when the conventional approaches are diagnostic. EMA positivity has a similar diagnostic value to that of SYT-SSX by RT-PCR for tumors in the probable synovial sarcoma category. However, detection of SYT-SSX is very important for diagnosis of the tumors in the category of possible synovial sarcoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin-1 ; metabolism ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Sarcoma, Synovial ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; Young Adult