Objective To evaluae possible association between interleukin-1 beta (IL-1?) gene exon 5 polymorphism and childhood asthma.Methods The study was conducted in two different groups: asthmatic children(n=55) and healthy children(n=35). The IL-1? gene exon 5 polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP). Results Frequencies of CC,CT and TT genotypes were 92.7%,7.3%,0, and frequencies of C,T allele were 96.4%,3.6% in asthmatic group. However, frequencies of CC,CA and AA genotypes were 85.7%,14.3%,0, and frequencies of C,T allele were 92.9% ,7.1% in healthy group. There were no significant difference in distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies between two groups.Conclusion IL-1? gene exon 5 polymorphism may not be associated with childhood asthma.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of Green Tangerine induced hypertension and mild hypothermia on focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion and local cerebral glucose utilization(LCGU)in the in- farction rim in rats.Methods A total of 64 rats were used and randomly divided into a control group,a Green Tan- gerine induced hypertension group,a mild hypothermia group and a combination therapy group.The neurologic defi- cits,infarct size and LCGU were observed in the rats with focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.Results Com- pared with the control group,the neurologic deficits(P

The stable and controllable quality of decoction pieces is an important factor to ensure the efficacy of clinical medicine. Considering the dilemma that the existing standardization of processing mode cannot effectively eliminate the variability of quality raw ingredients, and ensure the stability between different batches, we first propose a new strategy for Chinese medicine processing technologies that coupled with individuation processed and cybernetics. In order to explain this thinking, an individual study case about different grades aconite is provided. We hope this strategy could better serve for clinical medicine, and promote the inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine processing skills and theories.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; standards ; Cybernetics ; standards ; Drug Therapy ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; toxicity ; Humans ; Quality Control

Background More and more attentions are paid to the effect of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the process of wound healing after excimer laser.Objective The present study was to investigate the effects of GM6001,a matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor,on haze formation after excimer laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASIK).Methods LASEK of -10.00 diopter was bilaterally performed on 27 New Zealand white rabbits and then divided randomly into the GM6001 group,Fluorometholone (FML) group and normal control group.Corneal haze was graded under dim light at 2 weeks,4 weeks and 8 weeks after operation,and the number of eyes in different grades of haze were compared among the three groups.Six corneal samples were harvested in each group for confocal microscope examination at 2,4,8 weeks.The corneal histopathological examination was carried out with the optical microscope,and the ultrastructure of the cornea was examined under the transmission electron microscope.Results The numbers of eyes of different corneal grades of haze at 2,4 or 8 weeks after surgery were significantly different among the three groups (P＜0.05).Compared with the normal control group,the corneal haze grades in the GM6001 group and FML group were apparently lower (P＜0.01),but there was no significant difference in the numbers of eyes of different corneal grades of haze between the GM6001 group and FML group (P＞0.01).The numbers of keratocytes in the GM6001 group were apparently lower than those in the normal control group and FML group in 2,4 or 8 weeks after operation (P＜0.05).No significant difference in the keratocytes was seen between the normal control group and FML group at various time points (P＞0.05).Corneal epithelial cell morphology,disordered arrangement of collagen fibers in GM6001 group and in FML group were less pronounced than in the negative control group.Conclusion GM6001 has an inhibitory effect on the formation of corneal haze after LASEK which suppresses proliferation and production of keratocytye with the similar efficacy as FML.

In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics parameters of SPIO-shRNA dual functional molecular probe and observed the main organ distribution by MRI in vivo. Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups and injected intravenously with different doses of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe, respectively. The blood samples were collected to analyze the pharmacokinetic parameters by measuring the iron content at 30 minutes before and after the injection. Twenty-four Kun Ming (KM) mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group was injected intravenously with physiological saline 200 µL per mouse via the tail vein, the other 3 groups were injected intravenously with different doses of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe. MRI observation was performed in 24 hours, and the liver, spleen, kidney, brain and muscle were collected for iron quantification with Prussian blue staining to determine distribution of the SPIO-shRNA molecular probe in the main organ in vivo. Our results suggest that the molecular probe blood half-life is more than 3 hours. The data of MRI suggest the probe was distributed in liver and spleen, and the MRI signal was reduced with the increase in probe's doses (P < 0.05). The results of Prussian blue staining confirmed the results of MRI. Most of the probe could escape the phagocytosis of mononuclear phagocyte system. Our data provide the pharmacokinetic and distribution of SPIO-shRNA molecular probe in organs. Meanwhile, it suggests the choice of the time and dose of probe for MR imaging of tumor in vivo.
Animals ; Half-Life ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetite Nanoparticles ; Mice ; Molecular Probes ; pharmacokinetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; chemistry ; Rabbits

Objective To explore the effect of complement activation on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)and evaluate the effect after transfection of complement regulatory proteins.Methods Bone marrow aspirate was harvested from 10 cases of patients suffered from fractures.Mesenchymal stem ceils were isolated,indentified cultured and then experimented in vitro.The complement cytotoxicity on the mesenchymal stem cells in autologous serum was measured by Europium cytotoxicity assay.The samples were divided into BMSCs group,BMSCs+ autologous human serum (AHS) group and BMSCs+ inactivated autologous human serum (iAHS) group.The complement membrane attack complex (MAC) deposited on the membranes was detected by flow cytometry.Finally,the cytotoxicity on BMSCs was measured after transfected with membrane complement regulatory proteins (mCRPs).All samples were divided into BMSCs with mCRPs untransfected group and BMSCs with mCRPs transfected group.Results More than 95％ of cells derived from bone marrow were identified to be mesenchymal stem cells through detection of cell surface markers by flow cytometry.The cytotoxicity of untreated cells was 0.41％± 1.48％.BMSCs harvested from the 10 patients all had cytotoxicity after incubated with autologous serum,and the cytotoxicity was 32.59％±2.73％,while cytotoxicity after incubated with complement inactivated autologous serum was 2.59％±3.08％,which was similar to control group.Complement attack complex (MAC) could be detected on the BMSCs incubated with autologous serum,which implied the complement activation.After transfection of mCRPs,the cytotoxicity of autologous serum on transfected cells was decreased.The cytotoxicity of untransfected cells (41.70％±4.47％) had significant difference compared to the cells transfected with CD55 (21.87％±2.19％),the cells transfected with CD59 (18.67％± 1.42％),and the cells transfected with CD46+CD55+CD59 (28.43％±2.14％).CD55,CD59 and CD46+CD55 +CD59 transfected groups could impair effectively the cytotoxicity from complement.However,the cytotoxicity impairment was less effective in CD46 transfected cells (39.30％±3.96％),which had no significant difference compared to untransfected cells.Conclusion Membrane complement regulatory proteins could effectively protect bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from attacks by complement.

OBJECTIVE Zn-doped CuO nanocomposites (nZn-CuO NPs) are novel nanoparticles synthesized by sonochemical method.This study aimed to further investigate the antitumor effects and mechanism of nZn-CuO NPs, as well as the exact mechanism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on nZn-CuO NPs-induced death using N-acetylcysteine (NAC). METHODS The antitumor effects of nZn-CuO NPs were evaluated by MTS assay and orthotopic transplantation tumor model in nude mice. The effects of nZn-CuO NPs with or without NAC on ROS production, DNA damage, apoptosis, mitochondrial damage, autophagy, lysosome impairment, and ER and Golgi stress were determined. Also,western blot was used to detect apoptosis and autophagy related proteins,as well as NF-κB pathway related proteins. RESULTS nZn-CuO NPs significantly inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. nZn-CuO NPs were able to cause cytotoxicity, ROS production, DAN damage mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and autophagy, and NAC can attenuate them. Further studies showed that nZn-CuO NPs induced changes of apoptosis, autophagy and NF-κB pathway related proteins, and NAC can restore them. CONCLUSION Overall, our data demonstrated that nZn-CuO NPs could inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo by ROS-dependent regulation of apoptosis and autophagy, which might be cross-linked by NF-κB pathways.

To investigate the mechanism of inhibitory effect of a novel bFGF antagonist peptide isolated from the phage display random heptapeptide library on cell proliferation induced by basic fibroblast growth factor. The effect of P7 on cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope. Flow cytometry was applied to analyze the effect of P7 on cell cycle progress of bFGF-stimulated cells. The effect of P7 on bFGF-induced activation of MEK and Erk1/2 in MAPK pathway was detected by Western blotting. The results showed that no significant cell morphology change was observed in the range of detected concentrations of P7. Cell cycle analysis showed that P7 decreased S-phase cell population and arrested cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase of bFGF-stimulated cells. The results of MAP kinase activation assay indicated that P7 decreased bFGF-induced MEK and Erk1/2 phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. P7 inhibited proliferation of bFGF-stimulated Balb/c 3T3 cells possibly via cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and down-regulation of signal molecular activation in MAPK pathway.
Animals ; BALB 3T3 Cells ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Binding

AIM: To investigate and analyze the changes of corneal biomechanics of normal eyes,forme frusta keratoconus eyes,subclinical keratoconus eyes and clinical keratoconus eyes by Corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (Corvis ST),and provide clinical basis for early diagnosis of keratoconus.METHODS: Case-control study.We randomly selected 40 normal eyes as normal group,15 forme frusta keratoconus eyes as forme frusta keratoconus group,23 subclinical keratoconus eyes as subclinical keratoconus group,and 40 clinical keratoconus eyes as keratoconus group.The biomechanical parameters of each group were measured by Corvis ST.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves was plotted to distinguish keratoconus from the normal cornea.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the parameters of biomechanics between normal group and forme frusta keratoconus group (P>0.05).Compared to normal group and subclinical keratoconus group,the parameters second applanation length(AL2),first velocity of applanation (AV1),central curvature radius at highest concavity (HC-radius),deformation amplitude (DA) were revealed statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The biomechanical parameters of the keratoconic group were significantly different from those of normal group except for the second velocity of applanation (AV2),time from the start until the highest concavity(HC-time),peak distance (PD).ROC curve showed that the DA(area under the curve:0.891±0.028) was the best predictive parameter to distinguish keratoconus from the normal eyes.CONCLUSION: The corneal biomechanical parameters of forme frusta keratoconus group are not changed compared with normal group.The changes between normal group and subclinical keratoconus group should combine with other technology to further improve subclinical keratoconic screening.Compared with normal corneas,keratoconus has a great change in biomechanics,which DA diagnosis of the highest efficiency.

OBJECTIVE Cloves(Syzygium aromaticum L.)have been used as both a spice and a traditional Chinese medicinal herb for thousands of years. However, relatively little is known about its potential anticancer activity and mechanisms.In this study,we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of water extract of cloves(WEC)against colorectal cancer. METHODS MTS assay and Colony-formation assay were used to detect the anti-tumor activity of WEC on HT-29 cells.The in vivo anti-tumor effect of WEC was detected in a subcutaneous transplantation tumor model of human HT-29 cells.Autophagy was detected by flow cytometry and the expressions of autophagy related proteins(Beclin-1 and LC-3a/b)were determined by western blot. RESULTS MTS result showed that WEC significantly inhibited the viability of HT-29 cells,with the IC50values of 150 μg·mL-1.The colony-formation assay showed that the WEC significantly suppressed colon cancer cells proliferation.WEC also exhibited significant antitumor activity in tumor bearing nude mice. Flow cytometry result showed that WEC significantly induced autophagy, and the averaged relative values of fluorescence intensity were 206,251,341 and 356 in cells treated with 0,100,150 and 200 μg·mL-1WEC for 48 h.Western blot result showed that WEC treatment significantly increased Beclin-1 expression and ratios of LC3-II/LC3-I. CONCLUSION These result showed that WEC inhibited the growth of colon tumor both in vitro and in vivo, which might be related with autophagy induction, and WEC has potential to be developed as a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of colon cancer.