Seventy-two endophytic fungi isolated from Cephalotaxus hainanensis Li were screened for antitumor and antimicrobial activities. The results showed that 9 strains presented cytotoxic activities to at least one of the tested tumor cells, five strains exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, one strain had inhibitory effect on Phytophthora parasitica. It was evidently that the endophytic fungi of C. hainanensis are potential resources to find valuable bioactive components.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Xinshuai Mistura (XM) on plasma angiotensin II (Ang II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and N terminal pro- brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODSFifty-nine patients with HF (NYHA class II-IV) were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group treated with XM and the control group with Wuling Pulvis (WP), both on the base of captopril treatment. The treatment course was two weeks. Plasma levels of Ang II , ANP and Nt-proBNP were observed.

RESULTSThe plasma levels of Ang I, ANP and Nt-proBNP showed an ascending tendency along with the increasing in severity of HF(P < 0.01), and significantly decreased after treatment in the treated group (P < 0.01), but with no remarkable difference as compared with those in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONXM had definite therapeutic effects on excessive neuroendocrine activation in HF patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Angiotensin II ; blood ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; blood ; Captopril ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Single-Blind Method ; Treatment Outcome

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anthracosis ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; metabolism ; Cross Infection ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; blood ; Serum ; chemistry

The objective of the study was to prepare and evaluate the quality of curcumin-piperinedual drug loaded self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(Cur-PIP-SMEDDS). Simplex lattice design was constructed using optimal oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant concentration as independent variables, and the curcumin and piperine were used as model drugs to optimize Cur-PIP-SMEDDS formulation. In the present study, the drug loadings of curcumin and piperine, mean particle size of Cur-PIP-SMEDDS were made as indicators, and the experiment design, model building and response surface analysis were established using Design Expert 8. 06 software to optimize and verify the composition of SMEDDS formulation. The quality of Cur-PIP-SMEDDS was evaluated by observing the appearance status, transmission electron microscope micrographs and determining particle diameter, electric potential, drug entrapment efficiency and drug loading of it. As a result, the optimal formulation of SMEDDS was CapryoL 90-Cremophor RH40-TranscutoL HP (10:60:30). The appearance of Cur-PIP-SMEDDS remained clarified and transparent, and the microemulsion droplets appeared spherical without aggregation with uniform particle size distribution. The mean size of microemulsion droplet formed from Cur-PIP-SMEDDS was 15.33 nm, the drug loading of SMEDDS for Cur and PIP were 40.90 mg · g(-1) and 0.97 mg · g(-1), respectively, the drug entrapment efficiency were 94.98% and 90.96%, respectively. The results show that Cur-PIP-SMEDDS can increase the solubility and stability of curcumin significantly, in the expectation of enhancing the bioavailability of it. Taken together, these findings can provide the reference to a preferable choice of the Cur formulation and contribute to therapeutic application in clinical research.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Benzodioxoles ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Curcumin ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Emulsions ; chemistry ; Methylmethacrylates ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Piperidines ; chemistry ; Polystyrenes ; chemistry ; Polyunsaturated Alkamides ; chemistry

BACKGROUND: The maximal problem of patient with serious hepatitis and surgical doctor is whether they can get donator and rational therapy timely. Looking for the suitable preoperative therapy method to enhance the success rate of operation and improve patient's prognosis is the focus of this domain.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of artificial liver support system (ALSS) combining with allotransplantation of the liver on patients with serious hepatitis.DESIGN: Retrospective case analysis. SETTING: Organ Transplantation Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Five male patients with serious hepatitis who underwent allograft liver transplantation were selected from Organ Transplantation Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University form June 2004 to May 2005. Their age ranged from 25 to 48 years. Inclusion criteria: The diagnosis was in accordance with phase standard established at the National Infectious Disease and Parasitology Academic Meeting in September 2000; all patients had signs of routine liver transplantation; their patients fiercely requested the operation.METHODS: Plasma exchange (PE) combined with continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) technique was used in this study. Donor who supplied lives was from 20-38-year patients. All of them and their family agreed to donate their organ and signed the donate file before operation. All of 5 patients were used classical no-by-pass orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: They were follow-up visited for 21-32 months for rechecking liver and kidney function,RESULTS: All of 5 patients' operation was succeeded. One continued coma postoperative and his serum creatinine and urea nitrogen raised up progressively and complicated by pulmonary infection 1 week after operation and died 2 weeks after operation although given medical treatment hemodialysis positively. The rest recovered well. All of them discharged one month after operation smoothly.CONCLUSION: Allotransplantation of the liver is an utilizable method to treat serious hepatitis. ALSS can be used as an effective method of supportive treatment preoperatively.

Objective To study the regulation of microRNA 199a (miR-199a) on adhesion,migration and invasion ability of human eutopic endometrial stromal cells (ESC) from patients with endometriosis.Methods ESC were transfected with miR-199a mimics or negative control (NC) RNA by lipofectamine 2000.The adhesion,migration and invasion ability of ESC were detected by cell adhesion assay,scratch assay,cell migration assay and matrigel invasion assay,respectively.Luciferase reporter assay was used to evaluate whether IKKβ was the target gene of miR-199a.The expression of ikappa B kinase beta (IKKβ),inhibitory kappa B alpha (IκB-α),phospho-IκB-α (p-IκB-α) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF κB) protein were measured by western blot.Results ( 1 ) Adhesion potential:the adhesion inhibitory rates were ( 14 ± 4 )％ in miR-199a group and 0 in control group,which showed significant difference (P＜0.01 ).(2) Migration and invasion:in the scratch assay,ESC transfected with miR-199a exhibited a lower scratch closure rate than that of controls.In migration and invasion assays,the migration and invasion ability of miR-199a group were significantly decreased compared with those of NC group [ 130 ± 31 vs.247±36 (P＜0.01); 63 ± 15 vs.133 ± 17 (P＜0.01),respectively].(3) The luciferase activity of miR-199a group was significantly lowered than that of control group [ 0.160 ± 0.006 vs.0.383 ± 0.083 ( P ＜0.01 ) ].The protein levels of IKKβ,p-IκB-α,IκB-α and NF-κB of 0.350 ±0.195,0.443 ±0.076,1.970 ±0.486 and 0.454 ± 0.147 in miR-199a group were significantly different compared with the NC group in which the protein levels were set at 1.000 ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions miR-199a can inhibit the adhesion,migration and invasion of the ESC.IKKβ is the target gene of miR-199a in ESC.One of the mechanisms of the inhibition effect is probably that miR-199a inhibits the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway by targeting IKKβ gene.

Ten compounds were isolated from the artificially induced dragon's blood of Dracaena cambodiana by various column chromatographies on silica and sephadex LH-20 gel. Based on spectral analysis of NMR and MS, their structures were identified as 3, 4-dihydroxyallylbenzene (1), 3', 4', 5'-trimethoxycinnamylalcohol (2), pinoresinol (3), (2R)-7, 4'-dihydroxy-8-methylflavane (4), (2R)-7,4'-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-methylflavane(5),(2S)-7,3'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-8-methylflavane(6) ,(2S)-4',7-dihydroxy-6, 8-dimethylflavane(7), 4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone(8), 4,4'-dihydroxy-2-methoxydihydrochalcon(9) and Cambodianin E (10). Antibacterial activity assay showed that compounds 1, 4 and 10 have inhibitory effect on Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cuben, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and Ralstonia solanacearum.
Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dracaena ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Fusarium ; drug effects ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; complications ; Retinol-Binding Proteins ; urine

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Coal Mining ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; microbiology ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; microbiology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification

AlM: To study the clinical effect of the application of microscopic pterygium resection combined with different concentration of mitomycin C ( MMC) .
METHODS:A total of 110 cases of pterygium patients (120 eyes) were randomly divided into control group (58 eyes) and observation group (62 eyes) according to the odd and even number method. The control group adopted the pterygium resection combined 0. 3mg/mL MMC, and the observation group was given pterygium resection combined 0. 2mg/mL MMC. The cure rate and the recurrence rate, eyesight before and after the treatment, two groups of cornea and sclera wound healing situation, the incidence of postoperative complications were compared.
RESULTS: The cure rate and recurrence rate of the control group was 84. 5% and 15. 5% respectively, and the observation group was 93. 6% and 6. 5% respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05). There were statistical differences of vision of the two groups before and after treatment (P<0. 05), and there were no statistical differences of the two groups between the two groups after treatment (P>0. 05). The cornea, sclera, wound healing time of the observation group were less than the control group, and there were statistical differences between the two groups ( P < 0. 05 ). The incidence of complications was 13. 8% in the control group and 3. 2% in observation group, with statistically significant difference (P<0. 05).
CONCLUSlON: The application effect of microscopic pterygium resection combined with MMC is remarkable, and the joint of 0. 2mg/mL concentration of MMC is more safe and effective, and is worth popularizing in clinical application.