Gene Targeting ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; pharmacology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; physiopathology

To explore the effect of quercetin on the proliferation and apoptosis of HeLa cells, HeLa cells were incubated with quercetin at different concentrations. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, cell apoptosis was detected by Annexin-V/PI double labeled cytometry and DNA ladder assay. Cell cycle was flow cytometrically determined and the morphological changes of the cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope after Hoechst 33258 staining and the apoptosis-related proteins in the HeLa cells were assessed by Western blotting. The results showed that quercetin significantly inhibited the growth of HeLa cells and induced obvious apoptosis in vitro in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, quercetin induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in cell cycle-dependent manner because quercetin could induce arrest of HeLa cells at G0/G1 phase. Quercetin treatment down-regulated the expression of the PI3K and p-Akt. In addition, quercetin could down-regulate expression of bcl-2, up-regulate Bax, but exerted no effect on the overall expression of Akt. We are led to conclude that quercetin induces apoptosis via PI3k/Akt pathways, and quercetin has potential to be used as an anti-tumor agent against human cervix cancer.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the pathogenic causes of community acquired pneumonia(CAP) in the elderly and to guide experience antibiotic therapy.METHODS An etiological study was performed on 204 elder patients with CAP in the Cadres Medical Department of Beijing Shijitan Hospital from May 2005 to Apr 2008.The count scores were by CURB-65 scoring system.RESULTS Pathogens were identified in 204 patients: there were Mycoplasma pneumoniae(42,20.6%),Streptococcus pneumoniae(30,14.7%),Haemophilus influenzae(24,11.8%),Chlamydia pneumoniae(17,8.3%),Klebsiella pneumoniae(14,6.9%),Escherichia coli(7,3.4%),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(5,2.5%),Staphylococcus aureus(4,2.0%),Legionella pneumophila(2,1.0%),and Acinetobacter baumannii(1,0.5%).The score,by CURB-65 scoring system,of mixed infected patients was higher than single infections.CONCLUSIONS Atypical pathogens have important role in elderly CAP,the most common pathogenare Gram-negative bacilli,S.aureusand fungi.Mixed infection couldn′t be ignored.

Objective: By observing the differences in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores in moxibustion treatment for moderate-to-severe primary knee osteoarthritis (KOA) with moxa of different storage years (3-year moxa and 1-year moxa from Qichun, Huanggang City, Hubei Province, China) through a randomized clinical trial, to objectively evaluate the differences in therapeutic efficacy of moxibustion with moxa of different storage years. Methods: A total of 63 patients with moderate-to-severe KOA who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into moxibustion group 1 and moxibustion group 2 by central randomization method, with 32 cases in moxibustion group 1 and 31 cases in moxibustion group 2. Moxibustion group 1 was treated with moxa stored for 3 years, and moxibustion group 2 was treated with moxa stored for 1 year. Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4) and Heding (EX-LE 2) were selected in both groups, and the treatment lasted 20 min per time, 3 times a week. The immediate efficacy was compared after 6 times of treatment, and long-term efficacy was compared at follow-up 4 weeks after the end of treatment. Results: During the treatment, there were 2 dropouts in moxibustion group 1, and 1 dropout in moxibustion group 2. The total effective rate in the two groups was 83.3％ and 60.0％, respectively. Followed up at 4 weeks after the end of treatment, the total effective rate in the two groups was 80.0％ and 66.7％, respectively. There were no statistical differences between the two groups (both P>0.05). After treatment and 4 weeks after the end of treatment, the WOMAC and VAS scores in both groups decreased significantly compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01); the scores of stiffness item of WOMAC in moxibustion group 1 were lower than those in moxibustion group 2 (both P<0.05); there were no statistical differences in the scores of pain item and dysfunction item of WOMAC, and VAS scores between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion with moxa of different storage years (stored for 3 years and 1 year) both can improve the pain, stiffness and motor function in patients with moderate-to-severe KOA. While moxa stored for 3 years has a better therapeutic efficacy in improving stiffness of the knee joint than that stored for 1 year.

Objective To determine if fetal stem cells can enter the maternal circulation during pregnancy and re-pair the injuries of maternal heart.Methods C57 female mice at the age of 6-8 weeks were randomly assigned to three groups:sham control, surgery without pregnancy, and surgery with pregnancy ( n=8,eath group) .The control sham group was developed by opening and closing of the chest.The other two groups underwent heart surgery.The myocardial infarc-tion ( MI) model was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery.Half of the surgical mice mated with e-GFP transgenic male mice, and another half group was not.Electrocardiogram ( ECG) and echocardiographic images were recorded at pre-operation, post-operation and postpartum.The collected data were used to evaluate the heart function. The GFP expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and q-PCR.Results When compared with the sham group, both the ischemia surgery groups with and without pregnancy, the ECG ST segment was significantly increased.This meas-urement indicated that the myocardial ischemia surgery was successful, and no significant difference in the ST segments be-tween two ischemia surgery groups was found.However, when ECG was measured in the surgical mice after postpartum, their myocardial ischemia was dramatically improved when compared with that of the ischemia surgery only mice.Echocar-diographic images also indicated that both the surgery groups had myocardial ischemia, however, no significant difference was observed in the pregnant mice before and after postpartum.The order of the cardiac function indexes from high to low was the sham group, surgery with pregnancy group, and surgery with no pregnancy group;in particular, the cardiac func-tion of pregnancy group was significantly enhanced compared with that of the surgery with no pregnancy group (P<0.05). More importantly, both immunofluorescence and q-PCR results showed that the embryonic stem cell translocation through circulation system with GFP expression in the heart of pregnancy group, while negative in other two groups.Conclusions Embryonic stem cells can be transferred into the maternal circulation of pregnant mice, and play a role in the repairing of their cardiac injuries.

Objective To observe the effect and safety of low dose milrinone used in patients suffering from refractory heart failure and renal dysfunction. Methods Forty-two patients with refractory heart failure and renal dysfunction were divided into treatment group(21 cases ) and control group(21 cases )by random digits table. All the patients accepted a therapy of cardiac booster, diuretics and vasodilators, and treatment group also accepted the therapy of milrinone [0.375 μ g/( kg· min), 10 mg/d, for 7 days]. And then the symptom, signs, blood pressure, heart rate, heart function and renal function before and after the treatment were observed. Results The total effective rate in treatment group was 85.7%( 18/21 ) ,significantly higher than that in control group [57.1% (12/21)] (P ＜0.05＝. After treatment,the heart rate,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,stroke volume,cardiac output and left ventricular ejection fraction in treatment group and control group improved significantly than those before treatment, and these index improved better in treatment group [(79.3 ± 12.4) beats/min vs. (85.4 ± 10.2) beats/min, ( 107.6 ± 15.4)mm Hg ( 1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) vs.( 119.1 ± 13.5 ) mm Hg, (60.8 ± 9.4) mm Hg vs. (65.8 ± 8.5 ) mm Hg,(66.3 ± 10.2 ) ml vs. (61.2 ± 9.3 ) ml, (5.3 ± 0.6 ) L/min vs. (4.8 ± 0.9) L/min, (56.6 ± 8.4 )% vs. (48.9 ±7.3)% ,P ＜ 0.05＝. In two groups,there were no statistical difference in renal function. Conclusions Low dose of milrinone can improve the heart function of the patients with refractory heart failure and renal dysfunction and has good renal safety.

Chemical investigation of the whole plants of Valeriana hardwickii has led to the isolation of 11 flavones and 2 monoterpe- noids by using various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, preparative TLC, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis as syzalterin (1), 6-methylapigenin (2), 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone (3), genkwanin (4), acacetin (5), apigenin (6), quercetin (7), tricin (8), (-)-farrerol (9), sosakuranetin (10), 5,3',4'-trihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (11), (-)-bornyl ferulate ( 12) , and (-)-bornyl caffeate ( 13). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, while compounds 1, 9-13 were obtained from this genus for the first time.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Valerian ; chemistry

ObjectiveTo study the clinical features of stercoral bowel obstruction and perforation of colon in elderly patients MethodsThe data of 22 cases of stercoral bowel obstruction and 6 cases of stercoral perforation of colon in elderly patients in our hosital from January 1994 to December 2003 were analyzed retrospectively ResultsIn the 22 cases with stercoral bowel obstruction, 6 cases were recovered after operation, 6 cases suffered from stercoral perforation in which all cases were misdiagnosed before operation,and 2 cases were dead.ConclusionsThe prevalence of stercoral bowel obstruction and perforation of colon in elderly patients are increasing with population being aged. The cases without perforation are often recovered by non-operative therapy. The perforation case of stercoral bowel obstruction is relatively rare, easy to be misdiagnosed, and in high mortality. The Hartmanns ostomy should be the choice for the perforation.

Objective: To investigate the effect of aqueous extract of Radix et Rhizome Rhodiolae on expressions of HIF-1?, HIF-1? and VEGF in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) exposed to hypoxia. Methods: The effect of different treatment time and concentrations of aqueous extract of Radix et Rhizome Rhodiolae on cellular proliferation were determined with XTT colorimetric assay. The mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1?, HIF-1? and VEGF were analyzed respectively by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction with SYBR Green I and Western blot. Three groups were studied: normoxia control group, hypoxia control group, Radix et Rhizome Rhodiolae treatment group. Results: The optimal condition of Radix et Rhizome Rhodiolae treatment were 24h and 10?g/mL. The protein levels of HIF-1?, HIF-1? and VEGF were elevated by hypoxia (P

Objective To summarize and discuss the diagnostic and treating experiences of chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head. Methods Eight patients of chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head who were misdiagnosised as carcinoma of head of pancreas were analyzed retrospectively in the past 10 years. Results All the patients exhibited abdominal pain,5 of whom were with jaundice and 3 with anorexia. All the patients were misdiagnosised as carcinoma of head of pancreas before the operation,but the pathology after operation indicated chronic pancreatitis. The pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 5 patients,the choledochojejunostomy in 2 patients,while the exploratory laparotomy in 1 patient. After the operations,the abdominal pain was relieved in 7 patients, while 2 patients who accepted pancreatoduodenectomy suffered from pancreatic fistula,1 of whom died in the end. Conclusion It’s hard to differentiate the chronic pancreatitis with mass in the head from the carcinoma of head of pancreas before operation. If the carcinoma of head of pancreas can’t be excluded during the operation,the pancreatoduodenectomy should be performed,while the duodenum-preserving total resection of the head of the pancreas or any intra-drainage operations should be done if chronic inflammation is found in the whole pancreas with a negative result of the biopsy of the pancreas through the needle aspiration.