The continuous cultivation of Rehmannia glutinosa causes the accumulation of phenolic acids in soil. It is supposed to be the reason of the so called "continuously cropping obstacle". In this study, phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, eugenol, vanillin and ferulic acid) were degraded by the extracta of all the tested spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and the maximal degradation rate was 75.3%, contributed by extraction of SMS of Pleurotus eryngii. Pot experiment indicated that hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillin in soil were also degraded effectively by SMS of P. eryngii. The employment of SMS enhanced ecophysiology index to near the normal levels, such as crown width, leaves number, leaf length, leaf width and height. At the same time, the fresh and dry weight and total catalpol concentration of tuberous root weight of R. glutinosa was increased to 2.70, 3.66, 2.25 times by employment of SMS, respectively. The increase of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes numbers in rhizosphere soil were observed after the employment of SMS by microbial counts. The employment of SMS also enhanced the enzyme activity in soils, such as sucrase, cellulase, phosphalase, urease and catelase. These results indicated that the employment of SMS alleviated the continuously cropping obstacle of R. glutinosa in some extent.
Agaricales ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Agriculture ; methods ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Hydroxybenzoates ; analysis ; metabolism ; Rehmannia ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the protective effects of affiliating portasystemic shunt on small-for-size graft in liver transplantation.

METHODSFifteen Chinese Bama miniature pigs were divided into three groups: group A (small-for-size liver transplantation), group B (distal splenorenal shunt + small-for-size liver transplantation), and group C (mesocaval H-shape shunt + small-for-size liver transplantation). Animals were followed up for 7 days with survival, dynamical liver function biochemical parameters, liver biopsies, portal venous pressure (PVP) and portal blood flow (PBF).

RESULTSAnimal survivals were as follows: group A, 1/5, group B, 3/5 and group C, 5/5.Group A resulted in abnormal liver function parameters that were significantly ameliorated in group B and C. The histological examination of graft in group A displayed severe pathologic changes including hepatocyte vacuolar change or necrosis, sinusoidal congestion, parenchymal hemorrhage. Affiliating portasystemic shunt significantly alleviated graft injuries in group B and C. PVP rose and peaked up to 28.6 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), PBF fluctuated after reperfusion in group A, but group B and C with affiliating portasystemic shunt showed significantly lower PVP and maintained rather stable PBF after reperfusion. There were also statistical differences in PVP or PBF between group B and C.

CONCLUSIONSAffiliating portasystemic shunt effectively might protect small-for-size graft from injuries after reperfusion.

Animals ; Female ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Portal Pressure ; Portal Vein ; physiology ; Portasystemic Shunt, Surgical ; methods ; Random Allocation ; Regional Blood Flow ; Survival Rate ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature

Animals ; Cryopreservation ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature ; Time Factors ; Warm Ischemia

Adult ; Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Prognosis

In this study, to investigate the effect on expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes from bone marrow and peripheral blood of normal donors after they were mobilized by G-CSF in allo-BMT, 7 normal donors bone marrow and peripheral blood were harvested before and after G-CSF administration. The separated lymphocytes were measured by FCM after they were stained intracellularly by anti-IL-2, and their expressions of IL-2 were compared. The degree of aGVHD in patients after bone marrow transplantation was evaluated clinically, and it was compared with the status of aGVHD of 15 patients whose donors didn't receive G-CSF administration in our department, and 2 groups of patients are comparable in age, types of diseases and status of donors. The results showed that the expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes in 7 G-CSF mobilized donors decreased significantly after G-CSF administration and more severe aGVHD than grade II didn't develop in these recipient patients, and comparing with 15 patients received the bone marrow from donors who didn't receive G-CSF, the incidence of aGVHD decreased. It is suggested that the expression of IL-2 in lymphocytes was influenced by donors' G-CSF administration, and it is likely that thereby reduces the incidence of aGVHD in patients after BMT.
Adult ; Blood Donors ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Graft vs Host Disease ; etiology ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki67) with sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal adenocarcinoma.

METHODSSamples of pretreatment biopsies and the resected specimens after neoadjuvant therapy in 32 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma were collected, and the expression of Ki67 and VEGF were detected by immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies. The correlation of Ki67 and VEGF expression with clinicopathological factors were analyzed.

RESULTSThe level of VEGF expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.033), depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.007) and TNM stage (P = 0.016), but not with histological type, tumor size, age and gender of the patients (P > 0.05). However, VEGF expression was found to be negatively and significantly correlated with the sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemoradiation (P = 0.016), and a transient increase of VEGF expression was detected in the resected specimens after neoadjuvant therapy (P = 0.035). Ki67 labeling index (Ki67-LI) was found to be significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.028), but not with tumor size, age and gender of the patients (P > 0.05). It was also found that tumors with lower Ki67-LI expression were more sensitive to neoadjuvant therapy than that with higher expression of Ki67-LI (P = 0.032). In contrast with VEGF, the Ki67 expression level decreased after neoadjuvant therapy, but no statistical significance was found between pretreatment and posttreatment specimens (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe preliminary results of this study demonstrate that the expression of VEGF and Ki67 in pretreatment biopsy of rectal adenocarcinoma may be used as a biomarker to predict tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; Rectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Young Adult

Objective　To investigate the expression of HGF and TGF-α and their receptor, Met (HGF receptor) and EGFR (TGF-αreceptor) mRNA, in the regenerative liver/hepatocytes after 70% partial hepatectomy (70% PH) in noncirrhotic biliary obstruction rats. Methods　Wistar rats were divided randomly into N-PH group, BDO-RBF-PH group and BDO-RBF group. The expression of HGF/Met mRNA and TGF-α/EGFR mRNA was measured by RT-PCR in the liver/hepatocytes at the time point of 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after 70% PH or RBF. Results　In N-PH group, the expression of HGF/Met mRNA increased sharply and peaked at 6 h, and maintained at a high level until 24 h after 70% PH. In BDO-RBF-PH group however, the expression of HGF/Met mRNA increased slowly and peaked at 12 h after 70% PH. The peak level was lower in BDO-RBF-PH group than in N-PH one. The expression of TGF-α/EGFR mRNA increased sharply and peaked at 24 h after 70% PH in N-PH group. However, the expression of TGF-α/EGFR mRNA elevated slowly and peaked at 48 h after 70% PH in BDO-RBF-PH group with a lower peak level than that in N-PH group. Conclusion　The expression of HGF/Met mRNA and TGF-α/EGFR mRNA in the regenerative liver/hepatocytes after 70% PH decreases significantly in noncirrhotic biliary duct obstruction rats. There is a tendency that the expression of HGF mRNA and TGF-α mRNA is less than Met mRNA and EGFR mRNA.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a subset of myeloid malignancies defined by clonality of immature hematopoietic stem cells that leads to faulty blood cell development. These syndromes can lead to an increased risk of infection and may transform into acute myeloid leukemia, making it critical to determine effective treatments for the condition. While hypomethylating agents such as azacitidine and decitabine, as well as stem cell transplants, have been delineated as favored treatments for MDS, not all patients are physiologically receptive to these treatments. However, black raspberries (BRBs) have been shown to exert hypomethylating effects in various malignancies, with minimal adverse effects and thus a broader range of potential candidacies. This study aimed to investigate the potential of BRBs to exert such effects on MDS using Addition of Sex Combs Like/Tet Methylcytosine Dioxygenase 2 (Asxl1/Tet2) double knockout mice (Vav-cre Asxl1fl/fl Tet2fl/fl ), which typically manifest symptoms around 25 weeks of age, mirroring genetic mutations found in humans with MDS. Following a 12-week dietary supplementation of Vav-cre Asxl1fl/fl Tet2fl/fl mice with 5% BRBs, we observed both hyper- and hypomethylation at multiple transcription start sites and intragenic locations linked to critical pathways, including hematopoiesis. This methylation profile may have implications for delaying the onset of MDS, prompting a need for in-depth investigation. Our results emphasize the importance of exploring whether an extended BRB intervention can effectively alter MDS risk and elucidate the relationship between BRB-induced methylation changes, thus further unlocking the potential benefits of BRBs for MDS patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the surgical treatment for hilar cholangiocarcinoma(HCCA) of Bismuth-Corlette type IV.

METHODSThe clinical data of 73 HCCA patients admitted in Southwest Hospital, the Third Military Medical University from January 2002 to December 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 41 males and 32 females, aged from 30 to 84 years old (averaged, 56.8 years old). All patients were diagnosed as hilar mass with hilar biliary obstruction by B-ultrasound, CT, magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, and confirmed by pathological examination in intra-operation and post-operation. Diagnosis of all patients were according to Bismuth-Corlette type IV.

RESULTSFifteen cases underwent percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage, stents were implanted in 8 patients. Simple internal drainage was performed on 25 of the 73 patients and 4 with palliative resection. Radical resection was performed on 19 patients. The radical resection rate of HCCA were 26.0%. The 1, 3 years of survival rates were 36.8%, 10.5% respectively. The 1 year survival rate was 6.3% in drainage group.

CONCLUSIONRadical resection is the potentially curative treatment for HCCA, a sufficient, reasonable use of internal and external drainage would improve the patient's quality of life.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Drainage ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) biopsy for diagnosis of PET-CT positive mediastinal lymph nodes.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-six patients with lung cancer undergoing both PET-CT scanning and EBUS-TBNA biopsy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guanzhou Medical College from July 2008 to August 2010 were included in this study. There were 89 male and 37 female patients with a mean age of 56.3 years (range 34 to 81 years). (18)FDG-PET was considered positive in mediastinal nodes if the PET-CT reported hypermetabolic activity consistent with malignant disease (standardized uptake value > 2.5). All of the patients were clinically followed up.

RESULTSAmong the 126 patients, 185 stations of lymph nodes were punctured. The mean diameter of the nodes was 13.6 mm and the range was 6 - 23 mm. There were no procedural complications. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of EBUS-TBNA were 95.7%, 95.7%, and 100%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSEBUS-TBNA is a minimally invasive, highly effective and accurate, practical and safe procedure for diagnosis of PET-CT positive mediastinal lymph nodes.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Needle ; methods ; Bronchoscopy ; Endosonography ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Mediastinum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed