Cochlear Implantation ; Humans ; Vestibule, Labyrinth ; physiology

Objective To investigate the numbers and the expression of MHC-Ⅰpositive cells in hu- man ovarian epithelial carcinoma tissues and provide the experimental data in the futher biological therapy of ovarian carcinoma.Methods Thirty one samples of ovarian epithelial carcinoma were analysed with flow cy- tometry for MHC classⅠexpression.Results The number of MHC classⅠcells(25.22?21.23,4.37?3.63)was fewer in ovarian epithelial carcinoma than that in normal ovarian tissues(43.56?18.47,7.43?5.87),and was related with pathologic grades(P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-leukemia effect of oridonin on Ph(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line SUP-B15.

METHODSHuman Ph(+) ALL cell line was cultured in vitro. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC(50)) of oridonin against SUP-B15 cell line was examined using modified MTT assay. The cellular morphologic changes were observed using a light microscope. The percent of apoptosis of SUP-B15 cell line after drug treatment was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis. The active levels of ABL kinase and its downstream Akt/mTOR, Raf/MEK/ERK, STAT5 signaling pathways and the expression levels of Bcl-2 and BAX were examined by Western blot.

RESULTSOridonin inhibited the growth of SUP-B15 cell line in both time- and dose-dependent manner with the IC(50) of oridonin as (7.08 ± 1.21) µmol/L after 72 h treatment. The cellular membrane of SUP-B15 cell line treated with oridonin became unsharp, some of them disintegrated. Oridonin induced apoptosis in SUP-B15 cell line with the apoptosis rates following 0, 5, 10 µmol/L oridonin treatment for 24 h were (6.67 ± 0.83)%, (18.30 ± 1.79)% and (37.63 ± 7.12)%, respectively. Oridonin inhibited activation of ABL kinase and its downstream Akt/mTOR, Raf/MEK/ERK and STAT5 signaling pathways, which were constitutively activated in SUP-B15 cell line, down-regulated the level of anti- apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax.

CONCLUSIONOridonin exerted anti-leukemia effect in Ph(+)ALL cell line SUP-B15 by inhibiting the activation of ABL kinase and its downstream Akt/mTOR, Raf/MEK/ERK and STAT5 signaling pathways, down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expression of BAX.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Diterpenes, Kaurane ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo investigate the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ).

METHODSThere were six subdomains: basic sound perception, advanced sound perception, speech production, self-esteem, activities and social Interactions. The cross-cultural adaptation measures were used to translate the NCIQ into its Chinese version. Ninety-four cochlear implant users no younger than 18 years old were included. Test-retest analysis was administered randomly to 30 users without significant changes in health and social status during a two weeks' interval between test and retest.

RESULTS(1) Reliability: test-retest reliability of the NCIQ was proved to be satisfactory. All domains had coefficients that exceeded 0.70 (P < 0.01). Except for the subdomain, speech production, whose Cronbach's α score was 0.560, other Cronbach's α scores were greater than 0.700. (2) VALIDITY: The correlation coefficients between overall NCIQ scores and the six subdomains were 0.620 - 0.810 (P < 0.01). There were weak or no correlations among the six subdomains. The evaluation of content validity by expert review showed the questionnaire had good content validity. NCIQ total scores in postlingually deafened users were significantly higher than those in prelingually deafened users (Z = 4.350, P = 0.000). This was also true for scores of the following subdomains:advanced sound perception (Z = 4.774, P = 0.000), speech production (Z = 4.416, P = 0.000), self-esteem (Z = 3.718, P = 0.000), activities (Z = 3.228, P = 0.001) and social interactions (Z = 3.001, P = 0.003). There was no significant difference between scores obtained from the two groups in the subdomain of basic sound perception (Z = 1.943, P = 0.052).

CONCLUSIONSThe Chinese version of the NCIQ meets many psychometric criteria of a robust instrument. It possesses appropriate validity and good reliability, and can be used to measure the outcome of cochlear implant adults in China.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cochlear Implantation ; rehabilitation ; Cochlear Implants ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

AIMTo investigate the chemical constituents of the Tibetan herbal medicine Halenia elliptica by guidance of in vivo absorption and distribution of the constituents.

METHODSHPLC with a diode array detector (DAD) and HPLC-MS were used for detecting the constituents of extracts of Halenia elliptica and animal samples. Several kinds of column chromatography were used for the isolation and purification of the main in vivo absorbed and distributed compounds from the extract of Halenia elliptica.

RESULTSSix main components detected in the extracts of the animal samples were isolated from the ethanolic extract of Halenia elliptica.

CONCLUSIONAfter rats were treated with different extracts of Halenia elliplica, low polar components xanthone aglycon of Halenia elliptica were clearly observed in the extracts of liver, lipid, blood, hidney, heart and brain tissue of rats, while the polar components xanthone glycosides were detected in very small amounts in the animal samples. The xanthone glycosides can be decomposed into xanthone aglycons during the digestion, absorption and metabolism procedure. Therefore, the in vivo activity of the xanthone glycosides might be exhibited by their decomposed products. It is an accessibly valuable method to investigate chemical components of herbal medicines under the guidance by detecting in vivo absorption and distribution of chemical components of the herbal medicine extract.

Absorption ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Gentianaceae ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tissue Distribution ; Xanthones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of inhibitor-1 of DNA binding/differentiation-1 (Id-1) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) genes in mucoepidermoid carcinoma of different malignant degree and analyze the relationship between them.

METHODSUsing immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining technique, TSP-1 and Id-1 proteins in the mucoepidermoid carcinoma of different malignant degree, including well-differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and normal salivary gland tissues were detected.

RESULTSThe positive rate of Id-1 and TSP-1 in normal salivary glands were apparently lower than that in malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma(P = 0.000, P = 0.013). The positive rate of Id-1 in moderately and poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma was higher than that of the well-differentiated (P = 0.001, P = 0.002). However, the positive expression of Id-1 showed no relationship between the moderately and poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma(P > 0.05). The positive rate of TSP-1 in poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma was less than that of the well-differentiated(P = 0.014). The positive expression of TSP-1 showed no relationship between the moderately and poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma(P > 0.05), and the positive expression of it also showed no relationship between the moderately and well differentiated mucoepidermoid carcinoma (P > 0.05). The expression of Id-1 and TSP-1 showed negative correlation(r = -0.394, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of TSP-1 may inhibit the development of the mucoepidermoid carcinoma, contrarily, the expression of Id-1 may prompt the development of the mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The expression of Id-1 and TSP-1 has negative correlation.

Aged ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; Cell Differentiation ; DNA ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; Thrombospondin 1

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in pulmonary tissue of rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension.

METHODSTwenty two male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and 4-week hypoxia-hypercapnia group (n=11). The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and the mean carotid arterial pressure (mCAP) were monitored, and the weight ratio of right ventricle (RV) to left ventricle plus septum (LV + S) were measured. The rattish pathological model were assessed by mPAP, mCAP, RV/(LV+ S), vessel wall area/total area (WA/TA), vessel cavity area/total area (CA/TA) and media thickness of pulmonary arteriole (PAMT). The pulmonary apoptotic cells were detected by Hoechst staining. RT-PCR was used to study the genetic expression of caspasel2, glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and GRP94 in pulmonary tissue. The expression of GRP94 and GRP78 proteins in pulmonary tissue were determined by using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS(1) (The mPAP, RV/(LV + S), WA/TA and PAMT were respectively higher by 50.5%, 37.3%, 72.5% and 137% in hypoxic group than those in control group, while CA/TA was lower by 41.9% (all P < 0.01). There was not significant difference of mCAP between the two groups. (2) Hoechst staining showed that the pulmonary apoptotic cells in hypoxic group outnumbered markedly than those in control group, and the apoptotic cells were mainly in pulmonary tissue, while they were rare in pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell. (3) Compared with control group, the expression of pulmonary caspasel2, GRP78 and GRP94 mRNA in hypoxic group were higher by 144%, 137% and 80.7% (all P < 0.05), respectively. (4) The expression of pulmonary GRP78 and GRP94 proteins were up-regulated in hypoxic group, and these proteins mainly localized in pulmonary vascular endothelial cell.

CONCLUSIONThe endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis may be one of the mechanism of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular wall remodeling.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Caspase 12 ; metabolism ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; physiology ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Hypercapnia ; physiopathology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; complications ; physiopathology ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of Helicobactor pylori (Hp) infection with the expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF in human gastric carcinoma.

METHODSThe expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF was detected by immunohistochemistry in samples of 61 gastric cancers and 20 cancer-adjacent tissues. Western blotting was performed in samples of 10 gastric cancers and corresponding cancer-adjacent tissues. Hp infection was detected in 47 patients by fast urea enzyme test and (13)C breath test.

RESULTSThe results of immunohistochemistry showed that the positive expressions of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF in gastric carcinoma were 59.02%, 36.07% and 60.66%, respectively, significantly higher than that in the normal mucosa (25.00%, 0 and 30.00%, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF and gastric carcinoma. The expression of COX-2 and EGFR was 75.76% and 45.45% in the gastric carcinomas with Hp infection, significantly higher than that in those without (28.57% and 14.29%). The protein expression of COX-2, EGFR and VEGF detected by Western blot in gastric carcinomas was also significantly higher than that in normal mucosa.

CONCLUSIONCOX-2, EGFR and VEGF are overexpressed in gastric carcinoma, and there is a positive correlation among them. Hp infection may upregulate the expression of COX-2 and EGFR in gastric cancer tissues.

Aged ; Blotting, Western ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Helicobacter Infections ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Up-Regulation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo improve the understanding of progressive transformation of lymph node germinal centers (PTGC) and to explore its clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical features and the differential diagnosis between the related disease of germinal center hyperplasia.

METHODSThe clinical manifestation, laboratory bindings, treatment and outcome of a patient with PTGC were presented.

RESULTSThe main manifestation of the patient was painless peripheral lymphadenopathy. Histopathologic examination of an axillary lymph node showed reactive follicular hyperplasia and the progressive transformation changes germinal centers. The borderline between the germinal center and the mantle layer was obscured. The cells in the progressive transforming germinal centers were positive for CD20(+), CD5(+), CDw75(+).

CONCLUSIONPTGC is a rare lymphoid disorder. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry are important basis of the diagnosis.

Diagnosis, Differential ; Germinal Center ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases

The United States Patent and Trademark Office(USPTO) issued Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility on December 16， 2014， bringing certain effects to the review rules on patent application of Chinese medicine compositions. Based on the Interim Guidance， cases analysis was used in this paper to analyze the patent subject matter issues of traditional Chinese medicine compositions in the United States. The researches have shown that the application documents should be properly written in the United States when the patent for Chinese medicine compositions is applied， which can improve the probability of authorization.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Patents as Topic ; Research ; United States