Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Prognosis

Evolution, Molecular ; Methicillin Resistance ; Staphylococcus aureus ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical effect of integrated Chinese medical (CM) treatment (as maintenance therapy) on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after first-line chemotherapy.

METHODSThe study was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Totally 69 non-progressive advanced NSCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy were randomly assigned to the test group (34 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with one Western drug chemotherapy (Gemcitabine or Alimta or docetaxel). Those in the test group were treated with integrated CM treatment (CM decoction, CM Intravenous preparation, and point application). Each cycle consisted of 21 days. Treatment lasted till the disease progressed, or intolerable toxic/adverse reactions occurred, or patients refused to continue the treatment. Patients' life spans were regularly followed-up.

RESULTS(1) The median cycle of maintenance therapy was 2 cycles for two groups with no statistical difference (P =0.274). The median PFS was 12.43 weeks in the test group and 10.00 weeks in the control group, showing statistical difference (P =0.025). The middle survival time (MST) was 18.8 months in the test group and 16.73 months in the control group, showing no statistical difference (P =0.437).

CONCLUSIONCM treatment (as maintenance therapy) showed quail effect to one Western drug chemotherapy in prolonging patients' life span.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pemetrexed ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between serum high-sensitivity C-reaction protein (hs-CRP) and heart fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP) on cardiac accidents in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP).

METHODSerum levels of hs-CRP, h-FABP, cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) and creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) were measured and cardiac accidents within 2 weeks after the test were observed in 74 patients (male 45) with stable AP (SAP) and 56 patients (male 29) with UAP.

RESULTSThe incidence of cardiac accidents was significantly higher in UAP group (26.8%) than that in SAP group (10.53%, P < 0.001). Serum hs-CRP [(7.64 +/- 2.18) mg/L vs. (1.78 +/- 0.62) mg/L, P < 0.001], h-FABP [(16.46 +/- 5.28) microg/L vs. (3.15 +/- 2.61) microg/L, P < 0.001] and cTn-I [(1.28 +/- 0.43) microg/L vs. (0.67 +/- 0.09) microg/L, P < 0.001] levels were also significantly higher in UAP group than those in SAP group. The serum hs-CRP and h-FABP levels for patients with cardiac accidents in the SAP group were (6.32 +/- 2.06) microg/L and (8.76 +/- 3.83) microg/L respectively, which were higher than those for the patients having no cardiac accidents in the control (P < 0.01). The serum hs-CRP, h-FABP, cTn-I and CK-MB levels in patients with cardiac accidents were significantly higher than those in patients without cardiac accidents in both SAP and UAP groups.

CONCLUSIONMeasuring traditional parameters for myocardial damage (cTn-I and CK-MB) in combination with hs-CRP and h-FABP is valuable for predicting the risk of recent cardiac accidents for AP patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angina, Unstable ; blood ; diagnostic imaging ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Angiography ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the spontaneous brain activity alterations in liver transplantation (LT) recipients using resting-state functional MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty cirrhotic patients as transplant candidates and 25 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All patients repeated the MRI study one month after LT. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values were compared between cirrhotic patients (both pre- and post-LT) and HCs as well as between the pre- and post-LT groups. The relationship between ALFF changes and venous blood ammonia levels and neuropsychological tests were investigated using Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: In the cirrhotic patients, decreased ALFF in the vision-related regions (left lingual gyrus and calcarine), sensorimotor-related regions (left postcentral gyrus and middle cingulate cortex), and the default-mode network (bilateral precuneus and left inferior parietal lobule) were restored, and the increased ALFF in the temporal and frontal lobe improved in the early period after LT. The ALFF decreases persisted in the right supplementary motor area, inferior parietal lobule, and calcarine. The ALFF changes in the right precuneus were negatively correlated with changes in number connection test-A scores (r = 0.507, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LT improved spontaneous brain activity and the results for associated cognition tests. However, decreased ALFF in some areas persisted, and new-onset abnormal ALFF were possible, indicating that complete cognitive function recovery may need more time.
Ammonia ; Brain* ; Cognition ; Fibrosis ; Frontal Lobe ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation* ; Liver* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Motor Cortex ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Occipital Lobe ; Parietal Lobe ; Rabeprazole ; Somatosensory Cortex

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of combined beta(1) adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonist with beta(2)AR agonist therapy on cardiac function and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in heart failure rats.

METHODSHeart failure was induced by isoproterenol and rats were randomly divided into metoprolol group (50 mg/kg twice daily/gavage, n = 11), combined treatment group (fenoterol 125 microg/kg and metoprolol 50 mg/kg twice daily/gavage, n = 11) and placebo group (saline, n = 10), another normal 9 male Wistar rats served as control group. After 8 weeks' treatment, cardiac function, apoptosis index (AI), Caspase-3 activity, expression levels of bcl-2 and bax protein, organ weight/body weight and collagen volume fraction (CVF) were evaluated.

RESULTS(1) Left ventricular end diastolic dimension, left ventricular end systolic dimension and E/A ratio were significantly increased and fractional shortening, ejection fraction significantly reduced post isoproterenol (all P < 0.05 vs. control) and these changes were significantly attenuated by metoprolol alone (all P < 0.05 vs. placebo) and further attenuated by the metoprolol and fenoterol combination therapy (all P < 0.05 vs. placebo and metoprolol). (2) Left ventricular weight to body weight ratio, lung weight to body weight ratio and CVF were also significantly reduced in metoprolol and combined treatment group than those in placebo group (all P < 0.01). (3) Compared with placebo group, AI and Caspase-3 activity were significantly lower in metoprolol group (all P < 0.01 vs. placebo) and further reduced in combined treatment group (all P < 0.01 vs. metoprolol). (4) The expression level of bax protein was significantly lower in metoprolol group while bcl-2/bax significantly higher than those in placebo group. These changes were more significant in combined treatment group (all P < 0.01 vs. metoprolol).

CONCLUSIONSbeta(1)AR antagonist in combination with beta(2)AR agonist further improved the cardiac function and prevented cardiac remodeling compared with using beta(1)AR antagonist alone in heart failure rats. Downregulated bax and upregulated bcl-2/bax expressions might contribute to the observed beneficial therapy effects by reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis in these animals.

Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists ; Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists ; Adrenergic beta-Agonists ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Ventricular Remodeling

Preparative HPLC was used to prepare ferulic acid, senkyunolide I and senkyunolide H from Ligusticum chuanxiong. The separation was conducted on a Shim-Pack Prep-ODS (20.0 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column with the mobile phase of methanol-0.2% glacial acetic acid (50:50)at the flow rate of 5 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was 278 nm, and the purity of each compound was detected by HPLC analysis. Spectral data analyses including UV, ESI-MS and NMR were used to identify their structures. This method is simple, fast, which is suitable for preparation of standard reference of ferulic acid, senkyunolide I and senkyunolide H from L. chuanxiong and can meet the requirement of new drug research and development.
Benzofurans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Coumaric Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ligusticum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of Baisong tablets (BST) on synapse protein synatotagmin (SYT) and synaptophysin (SYN) of hippocampus in chronic stress depression in rats. METHODS: Twenty eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to 4 groups: a normal control group,a model group,a fluoxetine (FXT) group and a BST group. The normal control rats were fed in a natural environment. Rats of the model, FXT and BST groups were singly housed and given an chronic unpredicted sequence of mild stressors. The distribution and expression differences of SYT and SYN in the hippocampus of rats in different groups were investigated with in situ hybridization and immunoblotting. RESULTS: Expressions of SYT and SYN in the hippocampus of model rats were significantly reduced, compared with that of the normal control (P<0.05); and the expressions of SYT and SYN were significantly increased in the hippocampus of the FXT and BST groups, compared with that of the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The expressions of SYT and SYN protein and their mRNA decrease in the hippocampus of stress-model rats. BST can up-regulate their expression.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Depression ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological ; Synaptotagmin I ; biosynthesis ; genetics

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship of hypoxia-inducible factor-2 (HIF-2α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with radiographic severity in primary osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Expression of these two factors in cartilage samples from OA knee joints was examined at mRNA and protein levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Knee joints were examined using plain radiographs, and OA severity was assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grading system. Specimens were collected from 29 patients (31 knees) who underwent total knee replacement because of severe medial OA of the knee (KL grades 3 and 4), 16 patients who underwent knee arthroscopy (KL grade 2), and 5 patients with traumatic knees (KL grade 0). HIF-2α and VEGF expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. RESULTS: Cartilage degeneration correlated with the radiographic severity grade. OA severity, determined using the Mankin scale, correlated positively with the KL grade (r=0.8790, p<0.01), and HIF-2α and VEGF levels with the radiographic severity of knee OA (r=0.7001, p<0.05; r=0.6647, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In OA cartilage, HIF-2α and VEGF mRNA and protein levels were significantly and positively correlated. The expression of both factors correlated positively with the KL grade. HIF-2α and VEGF, therefore, may serve as biochemical markers as well as potential therapeutic targets in knee OA.
Adult ; Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Arthroscopy ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/*metabolism ; Biomarkers/*blood ; Cartilage/*metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint/*diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/*blood/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology ; RNA, Messenger ; Radiography ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Severity of Illness Index ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*metabolism

Objective To explore the association of genotypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) with cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and carcinoma in situ of cervix. Methods A total of 464 patients with cervical biology admitted to Hefei women and child health care hospital from October, 2014 to October, 2015 were selected. Among them, there were 242 cases of cervicitis, 222 cases of CIN (76 of group Ⅰ, 71 of group Ⅱ, and 66 of group Ⅲ), and 9 cases of cervical cancer. Hybrid chip technology was used to detect cervical secretions of patients, and 21 kinds of HPV DNA were typed according to histopathological biopsy. Results The HPV infection was found in 464 patients with cervical lesions. Among them, 354 cases (76.3%) had HPV infection with 232 cases (65.5%) of single HPV infection and 122 cases (34.5%) of multiple infections included. The rate of HPV infection was 64.9% in the group of cervicitis, while the rate was 86.8% in group I of CIN and in group II of CIN, the rate of HPV infection was 87.3%. Surprisingly, the HPV infection rate in group III of CIN was as high as 90.9%. The infection rate of HPV in the patients with CIN was significantly higher than those with cervicitis (P<0.001). All patients with cervical cancer were infected with HPV. Conclusions Persistent infection of high-risk HPV subtypes increases the hazard of cervical tumor and CIN. Therefore, genotyping of HPV DNA is helpful for screening and prediction of cervical cancer.