In recent years, preoperative therapy has become the standard procedure to improve radical resection rate and local control for advanced rectal cancer. Tumor responses to chemoradiotherapy, however, vary considerably, thus increasing the demand for both functional and morphologic radiologic evaluation of response to chemoradiotherapy to distinguish responders from nonresponders. MR imaging is considered the most accurate tool for the primary staging of tumor extent, and can be used to evaluate the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy. Functional imaging modalities including DW-MRI and PET-CT have shown promising prospect in the early evaluation of the response of rectal cancer to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. However, wide clinical application will take some time.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; radiotherapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

This paper aimed to investigate the botanical origins of Isatidis Radix and Isatidis Folium, and clarify the confusion of its classification. The second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) of ribosomal DNA, the chloroplast matK gene of 22 samples from some major production areas were amplified and sequenced. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed using the CodonCode Aligner. Phylogenetic study was performed using MEGA 4.0 software in accordance with the Kimura 2-Parameter (K2P) model, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining methods. The results showed that the length of ITS2 sequence of the botanical origins of Isatidis Radix and Isatidis Folium was 191 bp. The sequence showed that some samples had several SNP sites, and some samples had heterozygosis sites. In the NJ tree, based on ITS2 sequence, the studied samples were separated into two groups, and one of them was gathered with Isatis tinctoria L. The studied samples also were divided into two groups obviously based on the chloroplast matK gene. In conclusion, our results support that the botanical origins of Isatidis Radix and Isatidis Folium are Isatis indigotica Fortune, and Isatis indigotica and Isatis tinctoria are two distinct species. This study doesn't support the opinion about the combination of these two species in Flora of China.
Chloroplasts ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Genes, Plant ; genetics ; Isatis ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Species Specificity

AIM: To investigate the angiogenesis effect and protective mechanism of cordycepin on rhesus macaque choroid- retinal endothelial ( RF/ 6A) cell line cultured in high glucose condition.
METHODS: Cultured RF/ 6A cells were divided into normal control group, high glucose group and high glucose (HG) + different concentration cordycepin groups (HG+ 10μ g/ mL group, HG+ 50μ g/ mL group, HG+ 100μ g/mL group). The cell proliferation was assessed using cholecystokinin octapeptide dye after treated for 48h. The cell migration was investigated by a Transwell assay. The tube formation was measured on Matrigel. Furthermore, the impact of cordycepin on high glucose - induced activation of VEGF and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) was tested by Western blot analysis.
RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, cell viability markedly increased in high glucose group ( P <0. 05). Cordycepin inhibited RF/ 6A cell proliferation in a dose- dependent fashion: 10. 2 ± 0. 9%, 23. 4 ± 1. 5% and 31. 1±1. 2% inhibition as the concentrations of cordycepin were 10, 50 and 100μ g/ mL, respectively. The difference had statistically significant (P<0. 05) compared with high glucose group. The number of cell migration were 55. 6±2. 70, 87. 4 ± 2. 40, 65. 4 ± 2. 7, 57. 8 ± 2. 38, 62. 4 ± 2. 77 in normal control group, high glucose group and HG+10μ g/mL group, HG + 50μ g/ mL group, HG + 100μ g/ mL group respectively. Migration of RF/ 6A conspicuously increased in high glucose group ( P < 0. 05) compared with normal control group; while showing a gradually reducing trend with the increase of cordycepin dose and a statistically significant difference compared with high glucose group (P<0. 05). The number of tube formation were 18. 7±2. 08, 25. 7 ± 1. 52, 19. 9 ± 1. 57, 16. 3 ± 2. 51, 5. 67 ± 1. 72 in the abovementioned group. Similarly showing a gradually reducing trend with the increase of cordycepin dose and a statistically significant difference with high glucose group (P< 0. 05). In addition, the number of tube formation of RF/ 6A in high glucose group significant increased compared with normal control group ( P < 0. 05 ). The expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2 dramaticlly increased in high glucose group vs normal control group, oppositely gradually decreased with the increase of cordycepin concentrations, and had a statistically significant difference vs high glucose group (P<0. 05).
CONCLUSION: Cordycepin can suppress the proliferation, migration and tubu formation of RF/ 6A in high glucose condition, might via inhibiting expression of VEGF and VEGFR-2.

Aged ; China ; Confusion ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature

Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neoplasm Staging ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pramipexole in treating restless legs syndrome (RLS).Methods A search for randomized,double-blind,and placebo-controlled clinical trials of pramipexole in treating moderate to severe RLS using CNKI,PubMed,Embase and Cochrane Library database was carried out. A meta-analysis of included clinical trials was performed with RevMan 5.0 software.The 2 outcomes that the weighted mean difference(WMD) of change from baseline in International RLS Study Group rating scale(IRLS) score and the relative risk (RR) of response based on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale score were calculated for efficacy.Safety was assessed with RR of the adverse event (AE).Results A total of 5 clinical trials were included in this meta-analysis,of which 1776 patients were randomly assigned (945 on pramipexole,831 on placebo).The records of patients were pooled.Overall WMD were - 6.34 ( Z =12.76,P ＜ 0.01 ) for the change from baseline in IRLS score,and RR of response based on CGI-I were 1.65 (Z =10.39,P ＜0.01).The overall RR of pramipexole versus placebo were 1.14 ( Z =1.87,P =0.06 ) for AE.Conclusion To treat RLS,pramipexole is an effective and safe drug.

Objective To explore the effect of high-fat diet(HFD) on redox states of duodenum and calcium absorption in mice,and to analyze the relation between them.Method Fifty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned to five groups.The control group consumed an ordinary diet(0.6% Ca,w/w),and other four groups were fed with HFD(19.64%lard,0.6% Ca),HFD plus 0.1% lipoid acid(LA),HFD with calcium supplement(1.6%Ca) and HFD with 1.6% Ca and 0.1% LA supplement.Calcium apparent absorption was measured by mineral balance study after feeding for 8 w.Plasma and duodenum levels of ROS,SOD,CAT,MDA,GSH/GSSG,and T-AOC were measured to evaluate the antioxidant status.Results HFD induced oxidative stress of duodenum and decrease of intestinal calcium absorption in mice.There were positive correlations between calcium apparent absorption with GSH/GSSG(r=0.801,P

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and mutations of guanosine triphosphate eyclohydrolase (GCH) Ⅰ gene in patients with dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD). Methods Five families with 18 affected family members and 17 patients with sporadic DRD were examined. Patients were allocated into 3 groups according to onset time, either in childhood, or in adolescence or adult. Interview, physical examination, psychologic testings and CT/MR scan were performed. Mutation screening was performed on 26 patients and 1 normal family nember. Thirty-five healthy control subjects were matched for age and sex. Statistical analysis were conducted with the use of SPSS 13.0 computer software. Results(1)Most of patients started with dystonia. The main clinical manifestation was dystonia too. There was no difference among 3 groups.(2) There were significant differences in diurnal fluctuation among 3 groups(15/15,6/6,7/14, χ2=13.125,P=0.001). Diurnal fluctuation negatively correlated with age (r=-0.720, P<0.01).(3)The differences in postural tremor were also found among 3 groups (7/15,5/6,1/14, χ2=8.073, P=0.018). Postural tremor positively correlated with age (r=0.399, P=0.018).(4)There were differences in exaggeration of tendon among three groups(11/15,1/6,4/14, χ2=8.309, P=0.016). Exaggeration of tendon reflexes negatively correlated with age (r=-0.429, P=0.010).(5)The scores of Hamilton Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale in patients were higher than those in controls.(6)DNA sequencing revealed a heterozygous A224G missense mutation(Tyr75Cys)located within exon 1 in one autosomal dominant inheritance family. Conclusions The manifestations of DRD varies. The clinical course is closely correlated with age. A missense mutation(A224G)in coding region of the GCH 1 gene probablyleads to the occurrence of DRD.

The objective of this study was to assess the clinical evidence for or against mood stabilizers as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We searched 5 databases from their inception to January 2010. Five randomized clinical trials of mood stabilizers to treat human patients suffering from AD were included. These trials assessed the effectiveness of mood stabilizers as an adjunct treatment to conventional anti-dementia drugs on behavioral and psychological symptoms, especially on agitation. Methodological quality was assessed using the Jadad score. The results suggested a significant effect in favor of placebo on the Mini-Mental Status Examination [n=270, weight mean difference (WMD), -0.89; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) -1.69 to -0.09, P=0.03] and on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory total (NPI total) (n=51, WMD, 3.71; 95% CIs 0.15 to 7.26, P=0.04). There were no significant differences in change scores on total Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS total), NPI/BPRS agitation, Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory total and Physical Self Maintenance Scale between mood stabilizers and placebo. Only one of these studies was free of methodological limitations (Jadad score=5). In conclusion, based on the existing evidence, mood stabilizers are ineffective or even harmful as a treatment for AD.

The quarantine inspection and acceptance of laboratory animals is an important work, which can protect animals from pollution, occurrence and spread of diseases in the surounding area, and it is the key point to realize the quality standardization of laboratory animals.Beagle dogs are acknowledged widely as specialized laboratory dogs which is widely employed in experiments of drug safety evaluation because of the good genetic stability, environmental adaptability, disease resistance and consistency testing in the experiments.Establishment of standard operating procedures of beagle dog quarantine acceptance check for drug GLP organization tests, refining technical points, strengthen the technical training of quarantine officers, and efforts to improve the level of quarantine are needed to finally ensure the quality of laboratory animals.