Objective To investigate the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the expression of MMP-2 in hippocampus of neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and the mechanism of its neuroprotective effect. Methods Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats of 7 days old were randomly divided into three groups (n?=?48 in each group): sham-operated group, HIBD group and EPO treated group, then each group was further divided into four subgroups (n?=?12) based on different time points following the injection of medication ( 6 h, 24 h, 3 d, 7 d). The expression of MMP-2 in hippocampus was determined by immunohistochemistry and real-time lfuorescent quantitative PCR method. Results Immunohistochemistry: MMP-2 has a small amount of expression in the hippocampus of the sham-operated group, and at each time point, there is no statistically signiifcant difference (P?>?0.05);The expression of MMP-2 in HIBD group and EPO group all show a trend of increase, and peaked at 7 d, the differences between each time point in two groups are statistically signiifcant (P??0.05). Gene expression in HIBD group at 24 h and 7 d points showed twin peaks, and the peak is higher at the 7 d point, but without difference (P?>?0.05). MMP-2 expression of EPO group presents a trend of increase, and differences are signiifcant between each time point (P?

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted wide attention due to its unique advantages such as minimal invasiveness, high efficiency and high selectivity, and its ability to induce anti-tumor immune response. However, the treatment process is heavily dependent on the oxygen content of the treatment site, and the widespread oxygen deficiency in malignant tumors severely limits its efficacy. In addition, PDT-mediated oxygen depletion exacerbates tumor hypoxia, which further reduces its therapeutic effect. In recent years, many researches have been devoted to overcoming this problem. This paper summarized various strategies based on tumor hypoxic PDT in recent years, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of these strategies, and analyzing the main challenges and future directions of PDT in the treatment of tumors, so as to provide references for the in-depth study of photodynamic therapy of tumors.

Objective To assess the feasibility for the automated treatment planning verification system Mobius3D (M3D) to perform an independent 3D dose calculation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for cervical cancer.Methods Twenty patients with cervical cancer were randomly selected.With treatment planning systems (Pinnacle,Version 9.2;Eclipse,Version 13.5),all IMRT plans were divided into 7 fields to meet the dosimetric goals.The optimized plans were exported to the M3D server.The percentage differences in the volume of region of interest (ROI) and the dose calculation of target volume and organ at risk (OAR) were evaluated for the two treatment planning systems,and theγ passing rate was used to assess the accuracy of M3D calculation.Results The difference in the volume of ROI for Pinnacle 9.2 to M3D was less than that for Eclipse 13.5 to M3D,with maximum differences of 0.22％±0.69％ and 3.5％±1.89％ for Pinnacle 9.2 and Eclipse 13.5,respectively.The differences in the dose calculation of target volume and OAR for the two treatment planning systems to M3D were within ± 1％.After recalculating by M3D,the dose difference between Pinnacle 9.2 and M3D was smaller than that between Eclipse 13.5 and M3D,but the mean differences were all within ±3％.The γ passing rates for target volume and OAR were more than 95％ on average.Conclusions The method of utilizing the automated treatment planning verification system to validate the accuracy of plans is convenient.It can be used as a secondary check tool to improve accuracy in IMRT dose calculation.

″Herb-Pairs″, also known as pair drugs, refers to a prescription consisted of two relatively fixed traditional Chinese medicine, is the most basic, most simple and most common form of medication prescription in traditional Chinese medicine compound compatibility. It is not a random combination of two herbs, nor is the simple accumulation of efficacy, but the simple and delicate experience of ancient Chinese medicine practitioners. As a bridge between single drug and prescriptions, it is the embodiment of the regular and dialectical connotation. Therefore, research on Herb-Pairs has always been the most basic and most important entry point for compound compatibility studies. However, the interaction between herbs and herbs is an effect with a downside as well as benefits. The beneficial herb-herb interaction in Herb-Pairs include mutual promotion, mutual enhancement, mutual restraint between two drugs and counteract toxicity of another drug. And the harmful herb- herb interaction in Herb- Pairs includes mutual inhibition and antagonism. All of these interactions areby means of affecting the metabolism of components to play a therapeutic effect. Using the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) binding model, the combination of drug metabolism and pharmacodynamics can further elucidate the influence on effect caused by drug concentration and metabolism, which can help elucidate the mechanism of drug action. Consequently, in this review, the herb-herb interactions in terms of pharmacokinetic were summarized to elucidate rule of TCM compatibility.

Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Pituitary Gland ; pathology ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; pathology

Humans ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; utilization

OBJECTIVETo study the regulatory effect of Yishou Tiaozhi Tablet (YSTZT) on blood lipids in patients with primary hyperlipidemia.

METHODSOne hundred and sixty-eight patients with primary hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into two groups. The treated group was treated with YSTZT 4 tablets 3 times a day, and the control group was treated with Zocor by oral taking 1 tablet before sleep every evening. The therapeutic course for both groups was 60 days. The effect in regulating blood lipids in patients was observed.

RESULTSThe levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), arteriosclerosis index (AI), apo-lipoprotein B (apoB), TC/HDL-C lowered and apoA/apoB ratio increased obviously in the treated group. As compared the effects between the two groups, the lowering of TC, AI and apoB in the two groups were similar (P > 0.05), effect of YSTZT in lowering TG was superior but in lowering of LDL-C was inferior to those of Zocor respectively (all P < 0.01). The effect of both remedies in elevating HDL-C was not satisfactory. The total effective rate of YSTZT was 91.9%, its individual effects were similar to those of SJZ respectively except in lowering TG and raising HDL-C. The adverse reaction occurred in YSTZT treatment course was mild without any influence on the medication.

CONCLUSIONYSTZT had definite regulatory effect on the blood lipids and lipoproteins in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Adult ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Tablets ; Triglycerides ; blood

Objective To investigate the immunogenicity and cross protective effects of two novel HCV DNA vaccines in a mice model.Methods Two self-replicating alphavirus vector-based HCV DNA vaccines, pSCK CE1E2Y and pSCK H155, were constructed based on the genes encoding the structural pro-teins (Core, E1 and E2) and structural and NS3 fusion proteins (Core, E1 , E2 and NS3) of a HCV strain isolated from a Chinese patient (genotype 1b, Hebei strain), respectively.Western blot analysis was per-formed to detect the expression of fusion antigens.The BALB/c mice were intradermally immunized with the recombinant DNA vaccines by using electroporation.The immune responses induced in mice and the cross protective effects of the recombinant DNA vaccines were evaluated.Results The DNA vaccines effectively expressed the target antigens in vitro.The antigen-specific antibody responses and specific T cell immune re-sponses were induced in mice by the immunization of replicative DNA vaccines.However, no effective cross protection was provided by either of the DNA vaccines in the surrogate challenge model based on a recombi-nant heterologous HCV (JFH1, 2a) vaccinia virus strain.Conclusion Although no effective cross protec-tion was observed, both of the two replicative DNA vaccines could induce strong humoral and cellular im-mune responses against multi-target antigens of HCV strains.This study has paved the way for further inves-tigation on the development of novel HCV vaccines.

Background Ostrich acellular corneal stroma possesses a similar constitution to human corneal stroma,so it is expected to become one of ideal biological corneal carriers.Objective This study was to investigate the immunogenicity of acellular stroma carrier of ostrich cornea and offer the information for the development of industrialization and clinical use of acellular stroma carrier of ostrich cornea.Methods Twenty fresh ostrich eyeballs and 20 porcine eyeballs were collected.Acellular corneal stroma carriers of ostriches and pigs were prepared using low temperature freezing joint enzyme digestion method and desiccant dehydration method and sterilized by cobalt-60 irradiation.The corneal stroma carriers were preserved using drying and dehydration method.Forty-five male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the sham operation group,ostrich acellular corneal stroma group and porcine acellular corneal stroma group.Acellular corneal stroma carriers of ostriches and pigs(wet weight after rewatering was 10 mg/piece) were subcutaneously implanted to the back of BALB/c mice,respectively.Wound healing and inflammatory response on the operative site were observed,and phenotype and activating rate of CD4+,CD8+ and CD25+in peripheral blood of mice were dynamically detected 7,14 and 28 days after ectopically implantation of heterogeneous corneal stroma by immunofluorescence labeling and flow cytometry analysis.Results No swelling and exudation were seen in the skin of operative site of the mice with a good healing of wound after surgery.There were no significant differences in the activating rates of CD4+,CD8+ and CD25+ cells in the peripheral blood of mice among the sham operation group,the porcine acellular corneal stroma group and ostrich acellular corneal stroma group in the three time points after surgery(CD4+:F=0.74,P=0.50;F=0.39,P=0.05;F=3.46,P=0.58.CD8+:F=1.75,P=0.21 ;F=1.14,P=0.35;F=0.78,P=0.48.CD25+:F=0.52,P=0.61 ;F=3.53,P=0.62;F=2.42,P=0.13).Conclusions The ostrich acellular heterogeneous corneal stroma carrier possesses low immunogenicity.It is inferred that ostrich acellular corneal stroma carrier can be used in heterogeneous corneal transplantation.

Obesity is an established risk factor for endometrial cancer. Leptin, a secreted protein of the ob gene by white adipose tissue, plays an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy consumption in the brain and acts as a potential growth stimulator in normal and neoplastic cancer cells. However, a direct role for leptin in endometrial cancer has not been demonstrated. In the present study, the effect of leptin on the proliferation of Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells was investigated as well as the possible mechanism(s) underlying this action in endometrial cancers which express both short and long isoforms of leptin receptors. The expression of leptin receptor (ObRb) in Ishikawa cells was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The cells after serum starvation, were treated by leptin with various concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 150 ng/mL) for different durations (6, 12, 24 h). The effect of leptin treatment on cell proliferation was examined by MTT assay. Meanwhile, inhibitory effect of Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor AG490 or extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) inhibitor PD98059 on the proliferation of Ishikawa cells induced by leptin was also studied. Ishikawa cells were treated with 100 ng/mL leptin for various periods (0, 20, 40, 60 min), and the levels of STAT3 phosphorylation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were examined by Western blotting. The results showed that leptin induced the phosphorylation of STAT3 and the activation of ERK1/2 in a time- and dose-dependent manner in the Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells. Blocking STAT3 phosphorylation with the inhibitor AG490, or blocking ERK1/2 activation by the specific ERK1/2 kinase inhibitor, PD98059, abolished leptin-induced proliferation of Ishikawa cells. In addition, leptin was found to potently induce the invasion of endometrial cancer cells in a Matrigel invasion assay. Leptin-stimulated invasion was effectively blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of STAT3 (AG490) and ERK1/2 kinase (PD98059). These results suggested that leptin promotes endometrial cancer growth and invasiveness by activating STAT3 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways and therefore blocking its action at the receptor level can be a rational therapeutic strategy.