Annexin A3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lactoylglutathione Lyase ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Trichloroethylene ; toxicity ; rho-Specific Guanine Nucleotide Dissociation Inhibitors

To review the background and advance of a strategy of bioethnopharmaceutical analytical pharmacology(BAP).BAP is an idea for elucidating absorbed bioactive compound(ABC)in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formula or herbal remedy.It is also a mode of active comparison between absorbed compounds and the parent formula including determination of ABC in blood,the ABC dosage identical to its content in formula,and the active comparison of ABC and the parent formula.The ABC of Guan-Xin-Er-Hao formula elucidated by BAP strategy has been reviewed and the significance of BAP strategy will be further discussed.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of catecholamine hormone on the blood and brain of heroin addicts.

METHODSRats were divided into three groups and treated with the glucose (control group), the heroin (im) (heroin group), and the combination of the intramuscular injection of reserpine and heroin (reserpine group). Changes in the levels of the dopamine (DA), cAMP, and cGMP were detected by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in the blood and brain tissue.

RESULTSNo significant withdrawal symptoms were observed in the reserpine group. Compared with the control and heroin groups, the blood cAMP levels were increased by 35.36% and 15.53% in the reserpine group, respectively; the cAMP levels in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (Hipp) were increased by 24.08% & 8.53%, 15.66% & 8.13%, and 21.95% & 8.40%, respectively. While compared to the control and heroin groups, the DA levels of the PFC, Hipp, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly reduced in the reserpine group, decreasing by 74.09% & 82.86%, 81.06% & 82.23%, 91.62% & 86.55% and 84.35% & 90.63%, respectively. The concentrations of cGMP of the brain tissues in the reserpine group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the neural electrophysiological testing showed that the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and muscle spindle discharge diagram of rats in both the reserpine and heroin groups were apparently changed.

CONCLUSIONCatecholamine hormone plays an important role in heroin addiction.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; blood ; metabolism ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the characteristic morphology of heel spur, and to investigate the relationship of heel spur and plantar heel pain.

METHODSFrom June 2005 to April 2009, 210 cases (254 feet) with heel spur (according to Denis Pain Scale) were divided into cases group 1 (P2, n = 46), 2 (P3, n = 44), 3 (P4, n = 42), 4 (P5, n = 36) and controls group (P1, n = 42). Three-dimensional reconstruction of heel spur was performed in all groups using volume rendering based on multi-slice CT data by Super Image orthopedics edition 1.0. The characteristic morphology of heel spur was observed and the data were measured and analyzed, involving the width of basilar part, the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur.

RESULTSParts of cases groups displayed coarse arcuate edge and undersurface with one or more little heel spurs adhere to heel spur, of which the numbers were greater than controls group, especially in cases group 4. No significant difference of the width of basilar part of heel spur was found among 5 groups (F = 2.32, P > 0.05). However, obvious difference was found in the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur (F = 8.23, 6.82, 5.87, P < 0.05). Compared with the controls group, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis of cases groups had higher degrees, but the difference of the other data presented irregular.

CONCLUSIONSThe characteristic morphology of heel spur varies in patients associated with plantar heel pain. No correlation is found between the severity and the morphological data, including the width of basilar part, the length, the angle between heel spur and planta pedis, and the angle between the longitudinal axis of calcaneus and heel spur.

Aged ; Calcaneus ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Heel Spur ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVEGap junctions, the clusters of intercellular channels, play an important role in synchronizing electrical activity. This study investigated the effect of gap junction blocker carbenoxolone (CBX) on epileptic activity in pentylenetetrazo (PTZ)-kindled rats.

METHODSThirty adult male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, PTZ-kindled and CBX-treated groups (n=10 each). The rats from the PTZ-kindled and the CBX-treated groups were intraperitoneally injected with PTZ (35 mg/kg x d) to induce epilepsy. After epilepsy kindling, they were intraperitoneally injected for 3 days with CBX (10 mg/kg) (CBX-treated group) or with normal saline (PTZ-kindled group). The control group received intraperitoneal injections of normal saline. Anti-GFAP, anti-Fos, and anti-NMDARZ immunohistochemical ABC methods were used to detect the expression of GFAP-Li, Fos-Li and NMDAR2-Li in the hippocampus respectively.

RESULTSSpontaneous seizures occurred in PTZ-kindled epileptic rats. CBX administration reduced spontaneous seizures. The NMDAR2-Li and Fos-Li neurons as well as GFAP-Li astrocytes in hippocampi increased in PTZ-kindled epileptic rats compared with controls. The numbers of Fos-Li (93.75 +/-7.94 vs 165.25 +/-15.87, P < 0.05) and NMDAR2-Li neurons (61.47 +/-3.62 vs 148.72 +/-14.53, P < 0.01) in the CBX-treated group were significantly less than in the PTZ-kindled group. There were no significant differences in the GFAP-Li expression between the CBX-treated and the PTZ-kindled groups.

CONCLUSIONSCBX may inhibit spontaneous seizures and decrease the numbers of Fos-Li and NMDARZ-Li neurons, thus providing anti-epileptic effects.

Animals ; Carbenoxolone ; pharmacology ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Gap Junctions ; drug effects ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; analysis ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Pentylenetetrazole ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; analysis

Mice pathological model of acute cerebral ischemia was established. In order to observe the effect of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on brain energy metabolism and hydrocephalus in the brain of mice at different ischemic times, the energy charge (EC), content of phosphocreatine (PCr), level of lactic acid (Lac), activity of Na+ -K+ -ATPase, brain index and water content of brain were measured at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 min, separately after ligating bilateral common carotid arteries in mice. NIH mice were randomly divided into sham-operated group (sham), cerebral ischemia group (ischemia), Sal B-treated group (Sal B) and nimodipine-collated group (Nim). At 6 min after cerebral ischemia, EC, content of PCr and activity of Na +-K -ATPase began to decrease, while level of Lac, brain index and water content of brain increased gradually. However, Sal B (22.5 mg x kg(-1) improved pathophysiological changes at different ischemic times. Especially at 30 min after cerebral ischemia in Sal B group, EC (P < 0.01), content of PCr (P < 0.01 and activity of Na+ -K+ -ATPase ( < 0.05) increased significantly. Meanwhile, level of Lac (P < 0.01, brain index (P < 0.01) and water content of brain (P < 0.05) were lower obviously than those of cerebral ischemia group. Sal B could alleviate hydrocephalus by the improvement of energy metabolism in mice with acute cerebral ischemia, that provides scientific evidence that Sal B can be used for the clinical application of ischemic diseases.
Animals ; Benzofurans ; pharmacology ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Hydrocephalus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lactic Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Phosphocreatine ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism ; Time Factors ; Water ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect and side-effect of peg-interferon alfa-2a (PEG-IFN alfa-2a) and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

METHODSTwenty-two patients with HCV/HIV co-infection received highly active antiretroviral therapy initially; after their CD4 lymphocyte counts rose to over 0.20x10(9)/L, they were separated into two groups: one group with CD4 lymphocytes over 0.35x10(9)/L (high group) and one group with CD4 lymphocytes below 0.35x10(9)/L (low group). Both groups were given 180 microg of PEG-IFN alfa-2a every week intramuscularly. HCV RNA and HIV RNA loads, blood cell and CD4 lymphocyte counts, and liver functions were routinely examined.

RESULTSAfter 12, 24 and 48 weeks of PEG-IFN alfa-2a therapy, mean HCV RNA loads reduced 2.0650 log10 copies/ml (t=3.8733), 2.9146 log10 copies/ml (t=7.6741) and 2.4315 log10 copies/ml (t=5.8202) from the baseline at week 0 in the 13 patients in the high group, and reduced 1.1522 log10 copies/ml (t = 2.8937), 1.4189 log10 copies/ml (t=2.4422) and 1.1167 log10 (t=1.1261) in the 8 patients of the low group. However, there was no significant difference between the early viral response rate (EVR) and the end of treatment viral response rate (ETVR) of the two groups. In the high group, the white blood cell count was lower at 24 weeks than the base line (t=2.4700), and the blood platelet count was lower both at 24 and 48 weeks than the base line (t=2.3273 and t=3.6149).

CONCLUSIONSPEG-IFN alfa-2a can effectively reduce HCV RNA loads in patients with HCV-/HIV co-infection, and the inhibition rate in patients with higher CD4 lymphocyte counts is better. The EVR and ETVR of the two groups of patients show similar results after the treatment. PEG-IFN alfa-2a can reduce the white blood cell counts and the blood platelet counts in the peripheral blood.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; drug therapy ; virology ; Adult ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; HIV-1 ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Viral ; Recombinant Proteins ; Superinfection ; drug therapy ; virology ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo optimize the condition for inducing the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes and study the expression of PTEN tumor suppression gene in this process, aiming to understand the regulatory role of PTEN in normal adipocyte differentiation and collect laboratory evidence for developing drugs targeting PTEN.

METHODSThe differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes cultured in high-glucose DMEM were induced according to 2 protocols with different combinations of dexamethasone, isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) and insulin, and the resultant adipocytes were identified by oil red O staining. The total proteins of 3T3-L1 were extracted and analyzed by Western blotting, and PTEN homology between mice and human was analyzed by bioinformatic method.

RESULTSFor optimized 3T3-L1 differentiation, 3T3-L1 cells were initially induced with the combination of 1 micromol/L dexamethasone, 0.5 mmol/L IBMX and 5 microg/ml insulin for 48 h, followed by treatment with 5 microg/ml insulin in 4.5 g/L glucose DMEM for 48 h, which resulted in high differentiation rate of 3T3-L1 cells (up to 90% on the 10th day) with unified morphology and size. PTEN expression varied quantitatively in the process of differentiation, especially low on the 12th day as compared with those measured on days 4, 6 and 9. The mice PTEN mRNA shared 96% homology and PTEN amino acid 100% homology with their human counterparts.

CONCLUSIONEndogenous PTEN expression is down-regulated during 3T3-L1 differentiation, suggesting that PTEN may enhance insulin sensitivity and promote adipogenesis under physiological conditions.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; physiology ; Glucose ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mice ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficiency of three different estrogen receptor (ER) immunostaining scoring systems by analyzing the correlation between ER status and clinicopathologic features for prediction of prognosis of patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC).

METHODSER immunostaining (EnVision method) was performed in 160 type I EC and 39 type II EC paraffin samples and was scored by ASCO/CAP criterion, H-Score and Allred scoring system. Correlation between ER status and clinicopathologic features was statistically analyzed.

RESULTSASCO/CAP criterion, H-Score and Allred (cutoff point: 4-8) scoring system showed high concordance in the following aspects. In EC patients, ER status was significantly associated with presurgical CA125 levels (P = 0.015, P = 0.007, P = 0.023), histologic grades (all P < 0.01) and PR status (all P < 0.01). In type I EC cohort, ER status was significantly correlated with PR status (P = 0.008, P < 0.01, P < 0.01) and p53 status (P = 0.042, P = 0.001, P < 0.01). As of the predictive value of ER status for type I EC patient age, ASCO/CAP (P = 0.027) and H-Score criteria (P = 0.035) were both superior to Allred score system (P = 0.064). Among well-known predictive clinicopathologic parameters, including FIGO stage, lympho-vascular involvement, lymph node metastasis, depth of myometrial invasion and omental involvement, ASCO/CAP scoring offered a better correlation (P = 0.005, P = 0.002, P = 0.021, P = 0.067, and P = 0.067, respectively) than H-Score (P > 0.05) and Allred scoring system (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with H-Score and Allred scoring system, ASCO/CAP criterion is more closely correlated with predictive clinicopathologic parameters. Therefore it may be used as a simple, highly efficient prognostic indicator for EC patients in routine practice.

CA-125 Antigen ; metabolism ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

In order to investigate expression of novel genes HC56, HC70 and HC90 mapped on chromosome 17p13.3 in human leukemic cells, HC56, HC71 and HC90 genes expression was examined in cells from 35 patients with acute leukemias and 4 leukemic cell lines by using semi-quantitative RT-PCR with incorporation of alpha(32)P dATP, betaM2 gene as endogenous control. The results showed that HC90 gene expression level was lower in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia and T lymphocytic leukemic cell line Jurkat than that in normal control. Low-level HC71 gene expression was detected in acute myeloid leukemia. There was no expression difference in HC56 between leukemic cells and normal blood cells. It was concluded that both HC70 and HC90 genes were aberrantly expressed in human leukemic cells.
Acute Disease ; Chromosome Mapping ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction