Seventeen minor triterpenoid acids (1-17) were isolated from an aqueous decoction of Uncaria rhynchophylla by a combinatory application of column chromatography using multiple stationary phases, including macroporous adsorbent resin, MCI resin, Sephadex LH-20, Toyopearl HW-40C, silica gel, and C18 reversed phase silica gel, combined with separation techniques of flash chromatography (FC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were determined by analysis of HR-ESI-MS, UV, CD, and IR as well as 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, of which eight new compounds (1-8) are named successively uncarinic acids Q-X, while the structures of 2 and 7 were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the in vitro assays, 27-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (17) inhibited TGF-β-induced HSC-T6 cell activation at the concentration of 5 μmol·L^-1.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety of human umbilical cord derived-mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation therapy in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

METHODSUC-MSCs were transplanted intravenously into patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. Serum levels of glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), white blood cells (WBC), and prothrombin activity (PA) were detected at different time points after UC-MSCs transplantation.

RESULTSMost UC-MSC transplanted patients experienced an improvement in quality of life, to varying degrees. With the exception of low-grade fever in a few patients, side effects and oncogenic events were rare (treatment group: 1/38 vs. control group: 1/16; P more than 0.05). The UC-MSCs transplantation showed no effect on GLU, TC, BUN, AFP, WBC, or PA.

CONCLUSIONUC-MSCs transplantation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis is safe and may improve the patient's quality of life.

Adult ; Aged ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; surgery ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVESTo study the quantitative relationship between the levels of serum liver fibrosis markers and fibrosis stages of liver tissues in patients with chronic hepatic diseases.

METHODSIn 118 patients with chronic hepatitis, fatty liver or cirrhosis, their Serum levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV were investigated by EIA and their liver histological changes were studied. The relationship between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the degrees of liver tissue fibrosis was analyzed quantitatively by using the SPSS11.0.

RESULTSA correlation between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the histologically assessed grades of inflammatory activity was found (r = 0.394, 0.449, 0.443, 0.351, respectively, P <0.01). The correlation between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the histological assessed stages of liver fibrosis was strong (r = 0.456, 0.564, 0.476, 0.421 respectively, P <0.01). The levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV of the patients with a stage 2 liver fibrosis were 110 ng/ml, 110 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml and 70 ng/ml respectively, with sensibilities of diagnosing stage 2 liver fibrosis at 70%, 79%, 79% and 74% respectively. Their specificities in diagnosing stage 2 liver fibrosis were 68%, 72%, 64% and 73% respectively. The levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV in serum of these patients diagnosing cut-off value in stage 4 liver fibrosis (early cirrhosis) were 130 ng/ml, 140 ng/ml, 120 ng/ml and 70 ng/ml respectively. Their sensibility of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 79%, 93%, 79% and 86% respectively. Their specificity of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 66%, 82%, 72% and 61% respectively. As shown by the ROC curves in these patients, differentiating patients with cirrhosis or without cirrhosis, serum HA level was more valuable than LN, PCIII, CIV (the areas under the curves = 0.938 vs 0.775, 0.787, 0.791 ) When serum HA was higher than 190 ng/ml, the veracity of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 93%.

CONCLUSIONSThere is a certain quantitative relationship between the levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV in serum and the degrees of liver tissue fibrosis. The level of HA in serum is an important reference datum for early diagnosing liver cirrhosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; blood ; complications ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; blood ; Laminin ; blood ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; etiology ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Procollagen ; blood

Objective To compare the short-term therapeutic effects of the caudal-to-crainal and medial-to-lateral approaches for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Method The clinical data of 124 patients underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy in the department of gastrointestinal surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical Universitiy from,June 2014 to June 2016,were analyzed retrospectively. According the surgical operation, the patients were divided into two groups,caudal-to-crainal group with 48 patients,and medial-to-lateral group with 76 patients. The characteristics, opertation time, volum of blood loss during operation, the number of lymph node dissection, the rate of conversion to laparotomy,postoperative eating time, postoperative ventilation time, postoperative hospital stay time, postoperative complications of the two groups were analyzed to compare the short-term therapeutic effects. Result No significant differences were found in the sexual distinction, age, BMI,the volume blood loss during the operation, the number of lymph node dissection, the rate of conversion to laparotomy, postoperative eating time, postoperative ventilation time, postoperative hospital stay time, postoperative complications between the two groups (P＞0.05).Significant differences were found in the operation time [caudal-to-crainal group vs medial-to-lateral group (123.49 ±14.19 min VS 140.57 ±25.40 min) ] and the blood loss of the operation [caudal-to-crainal group vs medial-to-lateral group (60.63±24.00 ml vs 77.24 ±36.90 ml) ]. Conclusion The caudal-to-crainal approach for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy is more simple, practicable, with less blood loss during the operation and safer, which worth being recommended in right-hemicolectom-surgery.

Tooth development relies on sequential and reciprocal interactions between the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues, and it is continuously regulated by a variety of conserved and specific temporal-spatial signalling pathways. It is well known that suspensions of tooth germ cells can form tooth-like structures after losing the positional information provided by the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. However, the particular stage in which the tooth germ cells start to form tooth-like structures after losing their positional information remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the reassociation of tooth germ cells suspension from different morphological stages during tooth development and the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in this process. Four tooth morphological stages were designed in this study. The results showed that tooth germ cells formed odontogenic tissue at embryonic day (E) 14.5, which is referred to as the cap stage, and they formed tooth-like structures at E16.5, which is referred to as the early bell stage, and E18.5, which is referred to as the late bell stage. Moreover, the transforming growth factor-β signalling pathway might play a role in this process.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the levels of cytokines related to T-helper (Th) 17 cells in serum and signal transducers in the psoriatic lesions of patients with psoriasis vulgaris of blood-heat syndrome (BHS) and blood-stasis syndrome (BSS).

METHODSSixty patients with psoriasis vulgaris were divided into the BHS and BSS groups according to the syndrome differentiation of Chinese medicine (CM). Ten healthy subjects were considered as the control group. Cytokine levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-23 and IL-6 in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and STAT6 in the psoriatic lesions were determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

RESULTSProduction of IL-17, IL-23 and IL-6 in the BHS group and BSS group were significantly increased compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). Levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in the BHS group were higher than those in the BSS group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, IHC positive expressions and protein expressions of STAT3 and p38-MAPK, and the STAT3 mRNA expressions in the BHS and BSS groups were significantly higher (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The protein expression of STAT3 in the BHS group was significantly higher than that in the BSS group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCytokines in serum and signal transducers in the psoriatic lesions alter with various CM syndromes of psoriasis. The results provide scientific basis for the treatment based on syndrome differentiation of CM in treating psoriasis vulgaris.

Adult ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; Interleukin-23 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Psoriasis ; blood ; enzymology ; genetics ; immunology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; STAT6 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Syndrome ; Th17 Cells ; immunology ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism

Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Fistula ; congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Heart Ventricles ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the clinical and antenatal sonographic characteristics of placenta previa accreta after cesarean section. Methods The data of 21 inpatients diagnosed as placenta previa accreta after cesarean section in PUMC Hospital from 2006 to 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical and ultrasound features were recorded and compared among three placental accreta groups,including placenta accrete group(n=5),increta group(n=12),and percreta group(n=4). The relationship between the placental thickness at the uterine anterior lower segment level and the blood loss of the following cesarean section was tested. Results Of 21 patients,placenta previa was diagnosed by ultrasound in 20 cases(95.2%) and placenta previa accreta was diagnosed in 9 cases(42.9%). Antenatal ultrasound findings included following signs:loss of "clear zone"(15/18,83.3%),myometrial thinning(12/18,66.7%),abnormal placental lacunae(12/19,63.2%),bladder wall interruption(2/18,11.1%),and uterovesical hypervascularity(4/9,44.4%). Myometrial thinning(J-T=64.000,P=0.036),abnormal placental lacunae(J-T=74.500,P=0.032) and the placental thickness at the uterine anterior lower segment level(U=83.000,P=0.010) showed significant difference among different placenta accreta groups. Placental thickness at the uterine anterior lower segment level showed linear correlation with the blood loss of the following cesarean section(r=0.669,P=0.002). The blood loss of the following cesarean section showed significant difference among different placenta accreta groups(U=118.500,P=0.000). Conclusions The clinical and sonographic manifestations of placenta previa accreta after cesarean section show a spectrum of demographic characteristics. The measurement of thickness of placenta at the anterior lower segment may help the evaluation of the clinical prognosis of this special pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between serum uric acid (SUA) and kidney function decline. METHODS: Data was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study on the Chinese middle-aged and older population for analysis. The kidney function decline was defined as an annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decrease by > 3 mL/min per 1.73 m ². Multivariable logistic regression was applied to determine the association between SUA and kidney function decline. The shape of the association was investigated by restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: A total of 7,346 participants were included, of which 1,004 individuals (13.67%) developed kidney function decline during the follow-up of 4 years. A significant dose-response relation was recorded between SUA and the kidney function decline ( OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.27), as the risk of kidney function decline increased by 14% per 1 mg/dL increase in SUA. In the subgroup analyses, such a relation was only recorded among women ( OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.03-1.45), those aged < 60 years ( OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.05-1.42), and those without hypertension and without diabetes ( OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.06-1.41). Although the dose-response relation was not observed in men, the high level of SUA was related to kidney function decline ( OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.05-3.17). The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that SUA > 5 mg/dL was associated with a significantly higher risk of kidney function decline. CONCLUSION The SUA level was associated with kidney function decline. An elevation of SUA should therefore be addressed to prevent possible kidney impairment and dysfunction.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; East Asian People ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Longitudinal Studies ; Risk Factors ; Uric Acid/blood*

Histone methylation is one of the most widely studied post-transcriptional modifications. It is thought to be an important epigenetic event that is closely associated with cell fate determination and differentiation. To explore the spatiotemporal expression of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) epigenetic marks and methylation or demethylation transferases in tooth organ development, we measured the expression of SET7, EZH2, KDM5B and JMJD3 via immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis in the first molar of BALB/c mice embryos at E13.5, E15.5, E17.5, P0 and P3, respectively. We also measured the expression of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 with immunofluorescence staining. During murine tooth germ development, methylation or demethylation transferases were expressed in a spatial-temporal manner. The bivalent modification characterized by H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 can be found during the tooth germ development, as shown by immunofluorescence. The expression of SET7, EZH2 as methylation transferases and KDM5B and JMJD3 as demethylation transferases indicated accordingly with the expression of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 respectively to some extent. The bivalent histone may play a critical role in tooth organ development via the regulation of cell differentiation.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; analysis ; Dental Papilla ; embryology ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Enamel Organ ; embryology ; Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase ; analysis ; Histones ; metabolism ; Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases ; analysis ; Lysine ; metabolism ; Methylation ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Odontogenesis ; physiology ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 ; analysis ; Protein Processing, Post-Translational ; physiology ; Tooth Germ ; embryology