0. 05). Conclusion Chronic fluorosis has no obvious effect on myocardial collagen metabolism of rats and myocardial collagen is not likely the main target of fluoride.

Objective To investigate the impact of intermittent porta hepatis occlusion on postoperative intra-hepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of 335 patients who underwent partial hepatectomy.The patients were classified into 2 groups:(1) the study group (n=97):porta hepatis was occluded with intermittent Pringle maneuver with 2-3 cycles of clamp/unclamp time of 15 min/5 min,repeated 2-3cycles; (2) the control group (n=238):including using Pringle maneuver,preconditioning occlusion of porta hepatis and selective occlusion of portal blood inflow.Patients were followed-up in the Outpatient Department once every 2-3 weeks in the 1st year,and once every 3-6 weeks in the 2nd year with US/CT/MRI and serum AFP test.The mean duration of follow-up was 26.5 months.Results The perioperative mortality was 1.8％ (6/335).Tumour recurrence in the study group was 31.6％ and 48.4％ in the 1st and 2nd year,respectively.The recurrence rates were significantly higher,than the 21.4％ and 38.0％ in the control group (P＜0.05).To exclude the miscellaneous factors which were involved in intra-hepatic recurrence of HCC,we set up 3 criteria to include patients for subgroup analysis:tumor ≥5 cm; serum AFP decreased to normal level within 4 weeks; negative intra-operative US scan.The number of patients included were 79 and 155 in the study and the control groups,respectively.There were significant differences in recurrence rate between the study and the control groups in the 1st and 2nd year (29.1％ vs 18.7％,46.8％ vs 35.5％,P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in overall survival rate between the two groups.Conclusions Intermittent porta hepatis occlusion is a risk factor of postoperative intra hepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on neurogenesis and learning & memory of manganese poisoning mice.

METHODSHealthy adult Kunming mice were divided into 5 groups, the control group (A), the manganese poisoning (by manganese chloride peritoneal injection) group (B), the manganese poisoning and treated with gastric perfusion of high, medium, low dosage LBP groups (C, D and E). The spatial learning & memory capacity of mouse was determined by Morris water maze training test. The neurogenetic cells were labelled with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe average escape latency was significantly higher and the times of passing through platform lower in group B than those in group A (P<0.05). BrdU positive cells in groups C, D and E were significantly more than those in group B (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLBP could enhance the learning & memory capability of the manganese poisoning mice by promoting neurogenesis in hippocampus.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Manganese Poisoning ; Memory ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Neurogenesis ; drug effects

Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; diagnosis ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques ; methods ; Papillomaviridae ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; United States ; United States Food and Drug Administration ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; virology

This study is to determine six chlorogenic acids (chlorogenic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,4-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid) by quantitative analysis of multi-components with a single marker (QAMS). Chlorogeinc acid was used as internal reference to calculate the relative correction factors (RCF) of five compounds. Then the ruggedness of relative correction factors was tested on different instruments and columns. Meanwhile, a total of 4 batches of Lonicerae Flos and 20 batches of Lonicerae Flos extract with five different processing procedures were analyzed by external standard method (ESM) and QAMS, respectively. The ruggedness of relative correction factors was good. And the analytical results calculated by ESM and QAMS showed no difference. The quantitative method established was suitable for the quality evaluation of Lonicerae Flos extract.
Biomarkers ; analysis ; Chlorogenic Acid ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid deposits and neurofibrillary degeneration, is the most common type of dementia and has no incurable therapies at the moment. Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy has been widely used in clinical treatment of AD, and has attained approving effects. This article reviews the development of researches on the mechanisms of EA underlying improving AD by diminishing β amyloid protein （Aβ） neurotoxicity, from 1) up-regulating hippocampal cellular autophagy, 2) improving cerebral energy metabolism by activating oxidation stress-related factors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 alpha and sirtuin 1 in the hippocampus and frontal cerebral cortex, 3) relieving inflammatory reaction by lowering expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and high-mobility group box 1 and increasing expression of Interleukin 10, and 4) promoting degradation of Aβ1-42 by down-regulating expression of insulin degeneration enzyme, lipoprotein, transthyretin, apolipoprotein and α2 mcroglobulin. Meanwhile, a comprehensive clinical therapy of AD is proposed.

Purpose To investigate the clinical application of iodine concentration using dual-energy contrast enhanced CT in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules. Materials and Methods Patients with a total of 90 pathology proven thyroid nodules (60 malignant, 30 benign) underwent dual-energy contrast enhanced CT scanning. The iodine concentration and CT value were measured in arterial phase and venous phase, then the normalized iodine concentration (NICnod) and the normalized CT value were calculated. All results were compared in each groups, while morphology and capsule of these nodules on iodine image were analyzed. Results The morphology and capsule of nodules on iodine image were significantly different between benign and malignant nodules (Z=- 4.55, P<0.05). On iodine image, the sensitivity of partial capsule diagnosing malignant nodules was 78.33% with specificity of 66.67%. The NICnod and normalized CT value for normal group, benign group and malignant group showed significant differences in arterial phase and venous phase (F=36.87-69.89, P<0.05); the NICnod and normalized CT value between benign group and malignant group showed statistic difference in arterial phase (Z=- 3.48- -2.33, P<0.05), and those among normal group, benign group and malignant group also showed statistic differences (Z= -7.01- - 4.87, P<0.05). NICnod had significant correlation with normalized CT value in each phases (r=0.89, 0.74 and 0.75, P<0.05). When using NICnod and normalized CT value of 0.76 and 0.79 to differentiate malignant thyroid nodules, the area under ROC curve values were 0.91 and 0.92. NIC and normalized CT value showed a good consistency with iodine map in venous phase (Kappa=0.762 and 0.768), Combining morphology and capsule of nodules on iodine image, the sensitivity was 90.01% and the specificity was 93.60%. Conclusion Iodine concentration with dual-energy contrast enhanced CT scanning can differentiate malignant from benign thyroid nodules; combining morphology and capsule of nodules improves the accuracy of diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the types of dysphagia after stroke (DAS) calling for neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and to explore the probable mechanisms of the treatment. Methods Sixty patients with DAS diagnosed by videofluoroscopie swallowing study (VFSS) were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30). VFSS, misaspiration, laryngeal elevation, food residues and food intake scores of the two groups were evaluated and compared before and after 10 days of treat-ment. After that, both groups were divided into mild, moderate and severe sub-groups separately according to their VFSS scores. The VFSS scores of the six subgroups were then compared. Results There was no significant differ-ence between the two groups with regard to VFSS scores and misaspiration, laryngeal elevation, food residues, food intake scores before treatment. After 10 days of treatment, VFSS scores in the treatment group were significantly high-er than in the control group, and miaspiration and laryngeal elevation scores were significantly lower. There were no significant difference between the two groups in terms of food residues and food intake scores. The VFSS scores of pa-tients with moderate DAS in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group, but there was no significant difference between patients with mild and moderate DAS in the two groups. Conclusions NMES could be an effective treatment for DAS. NMES treatment is most effective for moderate DAS, but has no advantage in treating the mild cases. NMES may improve laryngeal elevation and decrease misaspiration.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of beta-Elemene on expression of ANG II and RhoA/ROCK signaling in Hepatic Stellate Cells.

METHODIn vitro, HSC-T6 cell line was cultured for 24 hours and treated with several concentration of beta-elemene (5.0, 5.0, 2.5 mg x L(-1)) and Y-27632 (30 micromol x L(-1)) for 4, 12 and 24 h. Secretion of ANG II in the supernatant was detected by Radioimmunoassay. The mRNA expression of AGT, RhoA, ROCK-1 and ROCK-2 for 4 h, 12 h, 24 h was detected by RT-PCR respectively.

RESULTOn the time point of 4h, the secretion of ANG II in supernatant by 10 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene was 50.970 +/- 8.081 pmol x L(-1), vs the control group (74.500 +/- 10.999) pmol x L(-1), P < 0.05; 5.0 mg x L(-1) and 2.5 mg x L(-) beta-elemene had no inhibitory effect on the secretion of ANG II, P > 0.05. On the time point of 12h, the secretion of ANG II in supernatant by 10 mg x L(-1), 5 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene was 83.727 +/- 6.850 pmol x L(-1), 91.090 +/- 3.226 pmol x L(-1), respectively, lower than the control (104.367 +/- 5.030 pmol x L(-1)), P < 0.01, P < 0.05. On the time point of 24h, compared with the control (116.620 +/- 7.110) pmol x L(-1)), the secretion ofANGII in supernatant by 2.5 mg x L(-1) and 5 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene was (104.133 +/- 3.296) pmol x L(-1), (100.957 +/- 2.581) pmol x L(-1), respectively, P < 0.05, P < 0.01; but the effect of 10 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene was not obviouse, P > 0.05. Compared with control group, the mRNA expression of AGT by different concentration of beta-elemene were significantly inhibited on different time point (4, 12, 24 h), F value was 30.33, 28.04, 107.19, respectively, P = 0.000. On the time point of 4h, 12 h and 24 h, the RhoAmRNA expression could be inhibited by 2.5, 5.0, 10 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene, (P = 0.000), and there existed no dose dependence. On the time point of 4 h and 24 h, ROCK-1 and ROCK-2mRNA could be inhibited by 2.5, 5.0 and 10 mg x L(-1) beta-elemene, P < 0.01, but on the time point of 12 h, there was no inhibitory effect.

CONCLUSIONBeta-elemene can inhibit the expression of AGTmRNA in HSC and the secretion of ANGII in supernatant. In addition, beta-elemene can inhibit the mRNA expression of RhoA, ROCK-1, ROCK-2mRNA to further regulate the biological effect of ANG II and delay the progress of hepatic fibrosis.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sesquiterpenes ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; rho-Associated Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

A series of cycloberberine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activities in vitro. Among these analogs, compounds 6c, 6e and 6g showed strong inhibition on human HepG2 cells. They afforded a potent effect against DOX-resistant MCF-7 breast cells as well. The primary mechanism showed that cell cycle was blocked at G2/M phase of HepG2 cells treated with 6g using flow cytometry assay. It significantly inhibited the activity of DNA Top I at the concentration of 0.1 mg mL-1. Our results provided a basis for the development of this kind of compounds as novel anti-cancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I ; metabolism ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Molecular Structure ; Structure-Activity Relationship