Aortic Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; diagnosis ; Carotid Body Tumor ; diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

italic>γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a crucial inhibitory neurotransmitter found in various cells in the human body. While the GABAergic system is typically associated with the nervous system, recent research has revealed that immune cells and tumor cells also express components of this system. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), GABA is secreted to act extracellularly on other cells. GABA is metabolized via the GABA shunt and is involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle by generating succinate, which can provide energy for tumor cells. Activation of GABA receptors (GABARs) is a major pathway through which GABA participates in the regulation of antitumor immune responses. The activation of GABA type A receptors (GABA_ARs) can inhibit the activation and proliferation of T cells, elicit anti-inflammatory macrophages, and promote tumor cell growth and migration, while activation of GABA type B receptors (GABA_BRs) is generally considered to inhibit cancer cell migration and induce cancer cell apoptosis. In general, receptor activation inhibits immune cells, but the effect on tumor cells varies. Additionally, the downregulation of the expression levels of GABA transporters (GATs) is involved in tumor progression. Although antagonists of GABA metabolism and drugs that act on GABA receptors are considered therapeutic drugs for tumors, there have been few clinical studies conducted on them.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Chinese herbal therapy on T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

METHODSTotally 36 inpatients and outpatients at Department of Nephropathy, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, from June 2011 to June 2013 were recruited in the treatment group, while 20 volunteers were recruited as the healthy control group. Patients in the IgAN group only took Chinese herbal decoctions by syndrome typing for 3 months (except those accompanied with hypertension additionally took antihypertensive agents such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and/or dihydropyridines calcium antagonist). No intervention was performed in the healthy control group. The values of Th1, Th2, and CD4+ CD25+ Treg, and red blood cell number in urine were detected using flow cytometry before and after treatment. 24 h urine protein was detected using inmmunoturbidimetry.

RESULTSCompared with the healthy control group, the CD4+ CD25+ Treg level obviously decreased in the IgAN group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). In the IgAN group, Th1, 24 h urine protein, and urine red blood cell counts were obviously lower after treatment, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal therapy could reduce urine erythrocyte number and 24 h urine protein of IgAN patients, and down-regulating Th1 expression might be its mechanism.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; Young Adult

Near-infrared (NIR) was used as rapid analysis method to identify the sulfur fumigated Puerariae Lobatae Radix. NIR spectra of the cross-sectional and longitudinal selection of samples were acquired. Principal component analysis was conducted. The samples were randomly selected. The different pretreatment methods were compared. Discriminant models were established for every type of spectra to calculate the recognition rate. The orthogonal test and nonparametric test were used to test data normality. The result showed that absorbance values of different sections were different due to the different structure, and the raw spectra were analyzed by PCA method. The result founded that the cumulative contribution rate was arrived at 99.2% while the PC numbers were arrived at 3. The pretreatment method based on the MSC + 1D + Savitzky-Golay was the best to establish the model. For the 50 models constructed with cross-section and longitudinal spectra and total spectra, the recognition rate were (94.4 ± 0.66)%, (94.4 ± 0.66)%, (95.3 ± 0.65)%, respectively, and no difference was observed. The NIR method could be used to identify the sulfur fumigated Puerariae Lobatae Radix.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Discriminant Analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fumigation ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; Sulfur ; chemistry

Adolescent ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Sturge-Weber Syndrome ; pathology

Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was used to analyze the impact of multi-class particle size of Chinese material medica (CMM) based on the spectral characteristics in overtone and combination region. Several types of CMM (60, 80, 100,120 mesh) were subjected to NIR spectra analysis. Spectral reproducibility was examined after sample repackage. The result showed that the effects of particle size on the NIR spectra were different according to different bands, in the combination region and first combination-overtone region. Spectroscopy intensity was proportional to the particle size and influence of particle size was greater as the wavelength increased. While in the second combination-overtone region, it was inversely proportional to particle size. To the sampling loading error, the result indicated that when the mesh number was larger than 60 mesh, the error was small. The appropriate particle size was clarified to guarantee the accuracy and reliability of NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in CMM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Materia Medica ; analysis ; Particle Size ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

OBJECTIVE To enhance the rational usage of antibiotics by comprehensive interventional measures in clinics.METHODS Several interventional measures have been adopted in our hospital since January 2001: to(establish) expert team on antibiotics usage and administration consultation;constitute antibiotics use criteria(suitable) for each clinical specialty;train and examine the usage of antibiotics;censor the distribution of pathogen and drug-resistance variance.Then 10% of the discharged medical records in 2000,2002 and 2004 were drawn out respectively to analyze the usage of antibiotics and the isolation of pathogen from nosocomial infection cases.(RESULTS) The proportion of the patients with prophylactic and remedial indications was increased remarkably((P

Objective To identify the effects of the subthalamic nuclei(STN)high frequency stimulation(HFS)on striatal and nigral dopaminergic metabolism in rats.Methods The effects of subthalamie nuclei high frequency stimulation(STN-HFS)on striatal dopaminergie metabolism was investigated in free moving rats.Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and Western blot of striatal and nigral tyrosine hydroxyiase(TH)were performed.Results Our data suggest that STN- HFS elevated TH protein(0.99?0.14 vs 0.33?0.08,P

AIMTo study whether the immunosuppressant tripchlorolide (T4) exerts neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons.

METHODSA rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) was set up by transection of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) with a wire knife. The rotational behavior, HPLC-ECD, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunocytochemistry, ELISA methods were used to evaluate the influence on the dopaminergic neurons following T4 treatment.

RESULTST4 treatment was shown to effectively attenuate the rotational behavior challenged by amphetamine (2.5 mg.kg-1, i.p.) in the PD rats. T4 markedly prevented the decrease of dopamine content in the striatum and the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. T4 was found to suppress the abnormal increase of TNF-alpha and IL-2 level in brain tissues of PD rats after MFB transection.

CONCLUSIONThe evidence that the immunosuppressive Chinese herb extract T4 possesses neuroprotective activities on the dopaminergic neurons in PD rats was presented. The underlying mechanism of T4 may be relevant to its immunosuppressive activity.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; metabolism ; Corpus Striatum ; metabolism ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-2 ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Parkinson Disease ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

The abnormality of ubiquitin proteasome pathway is an important factor leading to the imbalance of protein homeostasis. In this process, the deubiquitinase responsible for removing the ubiquitin chain of protein substrate is very important. Its abnormal activity or expression can cause the functional changes of key oncogenic/tumor suppressor proteins, which directly or indirectly lead to the occurrence, development and malignant evolution of tumors. Based on this, the discovery and research of small molecule inhibitors targeting deubiquitinases have become a hot field of anti-tumor candidate drugs. This review will focus on the regulatory effect and mechanism of ubiquitin proteasome pathway, especially deubiquitinase on tumor, introduce the application of deubiquitinase small molecule inhibitors in tumor treatment, and discuss the research status and latest progress of small molecule inhibitors, so as to provide ideas for the research of new anti-tumor strategies based on deubiquitinase.