Acupuncture Therapy ; Endophthalmitis ; etiology ; therapy ; Facial Paralysis ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-tumor effects of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and mechanisms of its action.

METHODSHuman esophageal carcinoma cell line EC9706 cells were treated with ATRA at different concentration. The proliferation inhibition was examined by MTT assay. Morphological examination, TUNEL method and flow cytometry were used to detect the apoptosis and changes of cell cycle. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related genes caspase-3 and bcl-2. The semi-quantification of protein expression was analyzed by pathological image analysis.

RESULTSATRA inhibited the proliferation of EC9706 cells moderately. Apoptosis in EC9706 cells was induced by ATRA treatment. The morphology of EC9706 cells showed changes such as nuclear chromatin condensation and fragmentation. Sub-G1 peak was found by flow cytometry. The maximal apoptosis rate was 32.6%. The expression of caspase-3 gene was enhanced. The expression of bcl-2 gene was decreased. All these effects were presented in a dose-dependent and time-depend manner.

CONCLUSIONApoptosis is one of the key mechanisms of ATRA action on EC9706 cells.

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Tretinoin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

Some of the recombinant protein therapeutics with short half-life requires high frequent dose or injection, which results in poor patient compliance. This challenge has prompted the development of long-acting recombinant proteins in recent years. Four strategies and methods, including chemical modification, protein engineering, fusion proteins and protein glycosylation are used to modify protein molecule and finally obtain improved pharmacokinetics (PK) properties. This article reviews the four strategies of half-life extension and presents a detailed list of long-acting therapeutics on US, EU and China markets.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEAt present, although appropriate radiotherapy and combined treatments are widely used for the patients with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), local or regional recurrence rates are still high. According to clinical performance, pathology, and diagnostic imaging of the patients with the first recurrence of NPC, this study analyzed the clinical features of recurrent NPC to provide a reference for tracking the rules of recurrence after the treatment of patients with NPC.

METHODSClinical data of 337 patients diagnosed with recurrent NPC for the first time were collected. The diagnoses were based on pathology and/or imaging and the patients were treated at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between January 1999 and December 2004. Data used for statistical analysis included clinical performance during the patient visit, the extension of the invasion as shown on imaging, pathologic features, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology, restaging, etc.

RESULTSPatients were staged according to the system developed by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) in 2002. Patients with diseases at stages I/II accounted for 25.2%, while those with stage III/IV accounted for 74.8%. The median interval of relapse was 25 months. Patients had local recurrence (69.4%), regional recurrence (4.5%), or both (26.1%). Epistaxis and headache were the most common symptoms. Abduct dysfunction and facial numbness induced by cranial nerve damage were the most common signs. The probability of invasion of structures adjacent to the nasopharynx, such as the oropharynx, the prestyloid space, and the carotid sheath area, was low in patients with recurrent NPC. By contrast, the probability of invasion of structures far from the nasopharynx, such as the base of the skull, the paranasal sinuses, cranial nerves, the cavernous sinus, the brain, the pterygopalatine fossa, the infratemporal fossa, the orbital apex, and the soft palate, was higher in recurrent NPC.

CONCLUSIONSThe most common interval of relapse is about 2 years. The relapsed disease is usually more widespread and located deeper. Most recurrent NPC is advanced disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, Viral ; blood ; Bone Neoplasms ; secondary ; Capsid Proteins ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; pathology ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

The newly discovered endogenous vasodilating and diuretic peptide adrenomedullin (AM) was considered to be of attractive value in clinical treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. In order to explore the treatment of cardiovascular diseases by expressing AM in vivo, AM cDNA was inserted into mammalian expressing vector pcDNA3.1, and in vitro expression of AM was carried out in cultured K(562) cell line. AM mRNA was amplified by RT-PCR from the total RNA isolated from the adrenal glands of rats and was inserted into pcDNA3.1 vector to form pcDNA3.1AM, the recombinant pcDNA3.1AM was then transferred into cultured K(562) cell line by liposome. The expression of AM in pcDNA3.1AM transferred cell was identified by RT-PCR and dot immunoblot assay. The results demonstrated that there were AM mRNA in the pcDNA3.1AM-transferred K(562) cell line and AM peptides in the culturing medium, indicating that the recombinant pcDNA3.1AM vector can express AM in mammalian cell line.
Adrenomedullin ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Animals ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo study the identification method of Pterocephalus hookeri.

METHODThe microscopical, Physicochemical and TLC methods were used.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe convenient and effective identification methods for P. hookeri were established, which provide basis for its quality standard and development.

Chromatography, Thin Layer ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Magnoliopsida ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Pharmacognosy ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Quality Control

High concentration of corticosterone leads to morphological and functional impairments in hippocampus, ranging from a reversible atrophy of pyramidal CA3 apical dendrites to the impairment of long-term potentiation (LTP) and hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. Glutamate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor play an important role in this effect. Because of the importance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the functions of the hippocampal neurons, alteration of the expression of BDNF is thought to be involved in the corticosterone effect on the hippocampus. To determine whether change in BDNF in the hippocampus is involved in the corticosterone effect, we injected corticosterone (2 mg/kg, s.c.) to Sprague-Dawley rats and measured the mRNA, proBDNF and mature BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus. We also measured the phosphorylation level of the transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Furthermore, we intraperitoneally injected NMDA receptor antagonist MK801 (0.1 mg/kg) 30 min before corticosterone administration to investigate whether and how MK801 affected the regulation of BDNF gene expression by corticosterone. Our results showed that 3 h after single s.c. injection of corticsterone, the expression of BDNF mRNA, proBDNF and mature BDNF protein decreased significantly (P<0.01). MK801 promoted the downregulation of BDNF gene expression in the rat hippocampus by corticosterone. We also found that either applying corticosterone or co-applying corticosterone with MK801 downregulated the phosphoration level of CREB, the latter (corticosterone plus MK801) being more effective (P<0.05). Taken together, our results indicate that corticosterone downregulates BDNF gene expression in the rat hippocampus through CREB pathway and that blockade of NMDA receptor enhances this effect of corticosterone in reducing BDNF expression.
Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; pharmacology ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; metabolism ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; pharmacology ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate serum level and gene polymorphisms of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and platelet glycoprotein VI (GPVI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODSIn a prospective study of 179 patients with documented ACS and 164 controls, we measured baseline serum MMP-9 levels using ELISA and determined the MMP-9/C-1562T and MMP-9/G5564A genotypes using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Fib serum level was measured by Clauss assay. We also analyzed the Fib/Bbeta-148C/T and GPVI/T13254C polymorphisms.

RESULTSSerum levels of MMP-9 and Fib in ACS patients were significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.001), and serum level of Fib in the acute myocardial infarction group was higher than in patients with unstable angina (P < 0.05). No significant difference between ACS patients and controls was found in frequencies of MMP-9/C-1562T, MMP-9/G5564A, Fib/Bbeta-148C/T, and GPVI/T13254C genotypes and alleles (P > 0.05). The T allele of the Fib/Bbeta-148T polymorphism was associated with increased plasma Fib level (P < 0.05). There was a strong positive correlation between serum level of MMP-9 and Fib (r = 0.289, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSerum levels of MMP-9 and Fib were independent risk factors of ACS. There was an obvious relationship between the Bbeta-148C/T mutation and high Fib level. No significant difference between controls and ACS patients was found in the frequencies of MMP-9 C-1562T and G5564A, Fib Bbeta-148C/T and GPVI T13254C genotypes and alleles (P > 0.05).

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; genetics ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; blood ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

BACKGROUNDThe potential application of retinoic acid receptor activators, such as all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), for treating various cancers have been studied both pre-clinically and clinically. Whether ATRA has an anticancer effect on human esophageal squamous cancer cell (ESCC) is still unknown. We have explored the anticancer effect of ATRA in ESCC, and in this study, the effects of ATRA on levels and patterns of expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signal transduction pathway in transplantable tumor growth of the human ESCC cell line, EC9706, in nude mice.

METHODSThe animal model of the ESCC xenograft was made by subcutaneous implantation of tumor cells into nude mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemical assays were used to detect the expression of the VEGF signal transduction pathway in ESCC xenograft tissues.

RESULTSCompared to the control group, the tumor inhibition rates in the low dose ATRA, high dose ATRA, and 5-FU groups were 83.21%, 88.32%, 91.02%, respectively. The protein and mRNA levels of VEGF were down-regulated after being treated with ATRA and 5-FU compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The study also revealed that ATRA specifically down-regulated VEGF and the component of the VEGF signal transduction pathway of CD31, CD34, and CD105 (component of the TGF-β receptor) in ESCC xenograft tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSATRA can significantly inhibit tumor growth and has anticancer effects on transplantable tumor growth of human ESCC cell line EC9706 in nude mice. These findings indicate that ATRA specifically down regulated VEGF and the components of VEGF signal transduction, which may be an important mechanism responsible for the neoangiogenesis inhibition of ESCC cells.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tretinoin ; therapeutic use ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility, toxicity and tumor control of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

METHODSFourty-nine patients (Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >or= 80) with local-regional recurrence in the nasopharynx were treated with full course IMRT. Three patients with cervical lymph node metastasis (N1 2 and N3 1) were further supplemented with 5 to 6 courses of chemotherapy (Cisplatin + 5-Fu) after IMRT.

RESULTSThe results of treatment plan showed that the mean dose of covering gross tumor volume (GTV) (D(95)) in the nasopharynx was 68.09 Gy and the mean volume of GTV (V(95)) receiving the 95% dose was 98.46%. The mean dose of GTV, clinical target volume CTV1 and CTV2 in the targets were 71.40 Gy, 63.63 Gy and 59.81 Gy. The median follow-up time was 9 months (range 3 to 16 months). The local-regional progression-free survival was 100% with local-regional residual disease in 3 (6.1%) cases but was complicated with nasopharyngeal mucosa necrosis in 14 (28.6%) cases after IMRT.

CONCLUSIONIntensity modulated radiation therapy, as a re-treatment option for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, is able to improve the tumor target coverage and spare the adjacent critical structures. As high dose IMRT can result in radio-necrosis of nasopharyngeal mucosa, the prescription dose of GTV should be suitably decreased to 60 - 65 Gy.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods