OBJECTIVETo observe analgesic effect and safety of acupuncture compound anesthesia in transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval.

METHODSThree hundred and sixteen cases undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were randomly allocated to an acupuncture compound anesthesia group (n = 146) and a simple Pethidine group (n = 170). They received respectively electroacupuncture combined with intramuscular injection of Pethidine and simple intramuscular injection of Pethidine 30 min before oocyte retrieval.

RESULTSThe acupuncture compound anesthesia group was significantly better than the simple Pethidine group in the pain rating and pain score (P < 0.01); the incidence rate of abdominal pain at 1 h and 2-5 h after oocyte retrieval in the acupuncture compound anesthesia group was lower than that in the simple Pethidine group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONIn transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval, acupuncture compound anesthesia has the advances of safety, high effectiveness, rapid recovery after oocyte retrieval, and few side effects.

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Adult ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Oocyte Retrieval ; methods ; Ultrasonography ; Vagina ; diagnostic imaging

Adult ; Aged ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Autoimmunity ; Female ; Hepatitis C ; immunology ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE Liver cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths worldwide, specially, in China. Hinesol, extracted from Atractylodeslance a(Thunb.) DC. has been proved that has anti-cancer effect in leukemia in vitro and in vivo.However,it has been not well under-stood in liver cancer cells.METHODS Cell proliferation,apoptosis,cell cycle and invasion were performed to investigate the anti-liver cancer effect of hinesol in SMMC-7721 and LM3 by MTT assay,flow cytometry and scratch assay.Western blot was used to research the potential mechanism.RESULTS We revealed that hinesol suppresses cell proliferation and invasion,prompts population of G1 phase,induces apop-tosis in dose-dependent manner in SMMC-7721 and LM3 cells.Western blot data showed that hinesol could inhibits the expression of cyclin-D1, Bcl-2 and Bax, and inhibited phosphorylation of MEK and ERK, down-regulated the expressions of NF-κB p65 and phosphor-p65 in nucleus. The results indicated that hinesol reduces cell proliferation via arresting cell cycle at G1 phase and induces apoptosis.Further-more,western blot showed that hinesol inhibited phosphorylation of MEK and ERK,down-regulated the expressions of NF-κB p65 and phosphor-p65 in nucleus.CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that hinesolreduces cell proliferation via arresting cell cycle at G1 phase and induces apoptosis, it has potent anti-cancer effect against liver cancer cells via down-regulation of MEK/ERK and NF-κB pathway,and indicate that hinesol is a potential liver cancer drug for further research.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of andrographolide (AG) on quroum sensing (QS) and relevant virulence genes of Candida albicans.

METHODGas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to detect the changes in the content of farnesol and tyrosol in C. albicans intervened by AG. The real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was adopted to inspect the expressions of relevant virulence genes such as CHK1, PBS2 and HOG1 regulated by QS.

RESULTAt 2 h after the growth of C. albican, the farnesol and tyrosol secretions reduced, without notable change after intervention with AG. The secretions were highest at 12 h and decreased at 24 h. After the intervention with different concentrations of AG, the farnesol content reduces, whereas tyrosol increased, indicating a dose-dependence, particularly with 1 000 mg x L(-1) AG. qRT-PCR revealed that 1 000 mg x L(-1) AG could down-regulate CHK1 by 2.375, 3.330 and 4.043 times and PBS2 by 2.010, 4.210 and 4.760 times, with no significant change in HOG1.

CONCLUSIONAG could inhibit the farnesol secretion, promote the tyrosol secretion and down-regulate QS-related virulence genes CHK1 and PBS2 expressions.

Candida albicans ; drug effects ; genetics ; physiology ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Farnesol ; analysis ; metabolism ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Genes, Fungal ; Phenylethyl Alcohol ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; metabolism ; Quorum Sensing ; drug effects ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Virulence ; genetics

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Ziziphus jujuba Mill var. Spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex. H. F. Chou.

METHODSTo separate the constituents by using various kinds of chromatography and identify their structures on the basis of spectral analysis.

RESULTSFive compounds were isolated and their structures were established as jujuboside D (1), jujuboside A (2), 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavonol-3-O-beta-D-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), 6'''-coumaroylspinosin (4) and phenylalanine (5).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 is a new compound named jujuboside D, 4 is reported as rotamer for the first time, 3 and 5 isolated from this plant for the first time.

Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Phenylalanine ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Ziziphus ; chemistry

Adult ; Fatty Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Perfusion Imaging ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the potential genetic mode of aggressive periodontitis (AgP) in Chinese Han nationality.

METHODSA total of 233 subjects from 73 nuclear families were recruited. All probands were diagnosed according to the criteria of AgP in 1999 classification of periodontal diseases. Ninety parents, 35 siblings and three grandparents and two offspring were examined based on full-mouth periodontal chartings (including parameter of probing depths, attachment loss, bleeding on probing at six sites per tooth) and full-mouth periapical radiographs. The genetic ratio was calculated and analyzed by the methods of Edwards and simple segregation.

RESULTSThe prevalence of AgP in probands' siblings was close to the square root of the prevalence of general population. The segregation ratio was 0.2419, which was close to the theoretical ratio for autosomal recessive inheritance. However, autosomal dominant inheritance could not be rejected in families whose parent(s) suffered from severe chronic periodontitis.

CONCLUSIONSThe genetic heterogeneity of AgP existed in Chinese Han nationality. The genetic mode was autosomal recessive inheritance in general, and autosomal dominant inheritance could not be excluded in families whose parent(s) suffered from severe chronical periodontitis. The results imply the genetic heterogeneity of AgP, and further demonstrate that AgP was a multifactorial disease with major genetic component in the disease etiology.

Aggressive Periodontitis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Chronic Periodontitis ; epidemiology ; genetics ; Female ; Genes, Dominant ; Genes, Recessive ; Genetic Heterogeneity ; Humans ; Male ; Pedigree ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of LY294002 on the adriamycin- induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells.

METHODSHuman breast carcinoma cells MCF-7 was cultured in vitro and then exposed to adriamycin with or without LY294002. The protein expression levels of Akt, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Snail, and E-cadherin was detected by Western blot analysis. The mRNA expressions of Snail and E-cadherin were determined by RT-PCR.

RESULTSAdriamycin significantly increased the protein expression of Snail and depressed the protein expression of E-cadherin (P<0.05). The pre-treatment with LY294002 significantly reversed the changes of activities and levels of the above proteins (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLY294002 could reverse the adriamycin-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human breast carcinoma cells by regulating the expressions of Snail and E-cadherin through suppressing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; drug effects ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Snail Family Transcription Factors ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo induce primary chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells into dendritic cells (DCs).

METHODSBone marrow mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated from 13 CML patients and peripheral blood MNCs from 5 healthy donors. The isolated MNCs were co-cultured with rhGM-CSF 1,000 U/ml, rhIL- 4,500 U/ml and TNF-alpha 50 U/ml for 10 days. The morphological features were observed by Wright's staining,inverted microscope and electron microscope. CD(80), CD(86), CD(83), CD(1a) and HLA-DR expression were assayed by flow cytometry, cytogenetic analysis was performed by fluorescence in-situ hybridization(FISH). The concentration of IL-12 was measured by ELISA and the function of antigen presenting was tested by mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR).

RESULTAfter being cultured with cytokines, the typical dendritic appearance with delicate membrane projections was observed. The CD(80), CD(86), CD(83), CD(1a) and HLA-DR markers and capacity of stimulating allogeneic T cells were upregulated significantly. FISH confirmed that the DCs were generated from leukemic origin and CML DCs could secrete higher level of IL-12 than CML MNCs. There were no differences in morphology and immunophenotype expression between DCs derived from CML and those from normal individuals. However, DCs from CML patients displayed weaker activity than that of normal individuals when tested in MLR.

CONCLUSIONCML cells could be induced into leukemia-DCs by co-culture with cytokines.

Bone Marrow Cells ; immunology ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; immunology ; pathology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

BACKGROUNDHelical tomotherapy (HT) is a new image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique. It is reported that HT plan for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can give better dose uniformity, dose gradients, and protection for the lung than IMRT plan. We compared the dosimetric characteristics of HT for NSCLC with those of conventional IMRT to observe the superiority of HT.

METHODSThere was a comparative case series comprising 10 patients with NSCLC. Computed tomographic (CT) images of delineated targets were transferred to the PrecisePlan planning system (IMRT) and Tomo planning system (HT). The prescription doses were 70 Gy/33F for the gross tumor volume (GTV) and the visible lymph nodes (GTVnd), and 60 Gy/33F for the clinical target volume (CTV) and the clinical target volume of the visible lymph nodes (CTVnd). The dose restrictions for organs at risk were as follows: the maximum dose to spinal cord ≤ 45 Gy, V20 to the total lungs < 30%, V50 to the heart < 50%, and V55 to the esophagus < 50%. Both plans were evaluated by means of the dose coverage of the targets, dose-volume histograms (DVHs), and other dosimetric indices.

RESULTSThe dose coverage, conformity, and homogeneity of the targets' volumes were found to be satisfactory in both plans, but the homogeneity of the HT plan was better than that of IMRT. The high-dose radiation volume (V20-V30) to the lung and the mean lung dose (MLD) decreased (P < 0.05), but the low-dose radiation volume (V5-V10) increased slightly in the HT plan (P > 0.05). The maximum doses to the spinal cord, heart, esophagus and trachea in the HT plan were lower than those in the IMRT plan, but the differences were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSThe HT plan provids better dose uniformity, dose gradients, and protection for the organs at risk. It can reduce the high-dose radiation volume for lung and the MLD, but may deliver a larger lung volume of low-dose radiation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; methods ; Treatment Outcome