Metformin is the most commonly prescibed drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus as it is inexpensive, safe, and efficient in ameliorating hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that diabetic population is not only at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, but also at substantially higher risk of many forms of malignancies. Meanwhile, epidemiological and clinical observation studies have shown that metformin use reduces risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and improves prognosis and survival rate of the cancer patients. Furthermore, metformin has been used for cancer therapy in clinical trials. Thus, metformin is emerging as a new cancer therapy or adjuvant anticancer drugs. This review summarizes recent progress in studies of metformin use and its molecular mechanism.
Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Metformin ; therapeutic use ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Saw palmetto fruit extract (SPE), as a herbal product, is widely used for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Recent studies show that SPE also has some therapeutic effects on chronic prostatitis, prostate cancer, sexual dysfunction, and so on. This article presents an overview on the application of SPE in the treatment of BPH, prostate cancer, and chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, with a discussion on its action mechanisms.
Chronic Disease ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Pelvic Pain ; drug therapy ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Prostatic Diseases ; drug therapy ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; Syndrome

AlM: To investigate the clinical efficacy of treatment of dacryocystitis combined with canalicular obstruction by endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with canalicular intubation.
METHODS: A total of 27 cases of dacryocystitis combined with canalicular obstruction were treated by endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with canalicular intubation. Canalicular obstruction was treated by laser under dacryoendoscopy and antegrade intubation.
RESULTS: For 27 cases, operations were successful, with no complications. All patients were followed up for 6mo, 25 were cured, 2 were effective with no failed. The cure rate was 93%.
CONCLUSlON:Treatment of dacryocystitis combined with canalicular obstruction by endonasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with canalicular intubation has clear field, minimal invasion, quick recovery, exact effect and less recurrence, so it is worthy of promotion.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy on spastic pelvic floor syndrome (SPFS) treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34).

METHODSThirty-six cases of SPFS were treated with EA at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34), intermittent wave, 60 times/min in frequency, retained for 20 min. In general, the acupoints on one side were stimulated in each treatment. The bilateral acupoints stimulation was applied in serious cases. The treatment was given once every two days, five treatments made one session and totally three sessions were required. Before and after treatment, the clinical symptoms, anal kinetic indices defecation radiographic changes were observed. The follow-up observation was done in three months after the end of treatment.

RESULTSIn three-months follow-up after treatment, 14 cases were cured, 18 cases improved and 4 cases failed. The total effective rate was 88. 9%. After treatment, the cases of incomplete defecation, difficult defecation, anal pain and anal obstruction were reduced apparently as compared with those before treatment, indicating the statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). After treatment, rectal anal reflex threshold (ARA) was increased, anal maximal contraction pressure (AMCP) was reduced to (16.62±1.54) kPa and anal rest pressure (ARP) was significantly reduced to (7.22±0.36) kPa, indicating the statistical differences as compared with those before treatment (all P<0.01). After treatment, anorectal angle (ARA) in forceful defecation was increased to (116.55±9.42)°, the distance between the anorectal junction and the pubococcygeal line was decreased, and the impression of puborectal muscle was alleviated apparently as compared with that before treatment (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONEA at Shangliao (BL 31), Ciliao (BL 32), Zhongliao (BL 33) and Xialiao (BL 34) achieves definite efficacy on SPFS and this therapeutic method obviously relieves the symptoms and deserves to be promoted in clinic.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Anus Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Constipation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Defecation ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Spasticity ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pelvic Floor ; pathology

AIM: (1) To investigate the effect of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) on rabbit conjunctival surface reconstruction with severe alkali burns. (2) To evaluate the possibility of AMT treatment for ocular alkali burns during recovering stage.METHODS: Animal models were established on 30 eyes of rabbits by creating severe alkali burns on the conjunctiva from the upper corneal limbus to the upper conjunctival fornix.Preserved human amniotic membrane transplantations and reconstruction of conjunctival fornix were performed at one week after injury (recovering stage). Epithelium growth of burned area after transplantation was observed using light microscope at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 weeks. Conjunctival tissue in transplantation area was collected at 1, 4 and 8 weeks. The ultrastructure of the collected tissue was studied by electron microscope. The results were compared with control group,which received only vitamin C subconjunctival injection and antibiotic eye drops as treatment for alkali burn. Exterior eye pictures were also taken at the end of the observation, the width from upper corneal limbus to the edge of upper fornix was measured. Data was analyzed statistically.RESULTS: 1) Tn the transplant group, conjunctival epithelium growth was observed in the area of AMT under both light and electron microscope 1 week after surgery. At 4weeks, conjunctival epithelium with goblet cells that resembled normal conjunctival tissues was observed in the whole amniotic membrane area. At 12 weeks, the conjunctival epithelium on the amniotic membrane was well formed, and the connective tissue under the epithelium was loose at the fornix. No fibrosis was identified. In contrast, conjunctival epithelium necrosis was observed in the control group at 2weeks after alkali burns. Re-epithelization did not occur through the 12-week observation. Severe fibrosis with inflammatory cells infiltration was observed between 4 to 8weeks. At 12 weeks, fibrosis of the connective tissue at the fornix developed and there were no conjunctival epithelium covering the burned area. 2) In the transplant group, the conjunctiva in transplanted area had no scarring and appeared smooth at 12 weeks. Upper fornix was reconstructed. The depth of fornix was 7.9±0.3mm (7.6-8.2mm), which was approximate to the normal depth 8.2±0.2mm (8.0-8.4 mm,P＞.05). While in the control group, the burned area appeared rough with granuloma formation and severe scarring. Upper fornix became shallow. The depth of fornix was 3.1±1.7mm(1.0 to 4.5mm.), and significant difference was found between control and transplant group (P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: Human amniotic membrane preserved in glycerin can promote cell adhering, migrating and differentiating of normal conjunctival epithelium.Reconstruction of conjunctival surface in early stage of alkali burn can be achieved by AMT. AMT can effectively prevent symblepharon formation.

The viral RNA was extracted from purified cymbidium mosa ic virus (CyMV) isolated from Dendrobium orchid cultivated in Hainan island. The gene of the movement protein (MP) was amplified by means of reverse transcripti on-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and cloned into pGEM-T easy vector. Se quence analysis showed that the gene fragment contained 3 open reading frames (O RFs) which may be encoding 14 kD、12 kD and 10 kD peptides. The nucleotide seque nce of the cloned gene fragment shared 97.8% homology with the MP genes of CyMV isolated from orchids cultivated in Hawaii and Singapore.

AlM: To study the clinical effect of the application of microscopic pterygium resection combined with different concentration of mitomycin C ( MMC) .
METHODS:A total of 110 cases of pterygium patients (120 eyes) were randomly divided into control group (58 eyes) and observation group (62 eyes) according to the odd and even number method. The control group adopted the pterygium resection combined 0. 3mg/mL MMC, and the observation group was given pterygium resection combined 0. 2mg/mL MMC. The cure rate and the recurrence rate, eyesight before and after the treatment, two groups of cornea and sclera wound healing situation, the incidence of postoperative complications were compared.
RESULTS: The cure rate and recurrence rate of the control group was 84. 5% and 15. 5% respectively, and the observation group was 93. 6% and 6. 5% respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0. 05). There were statistical differences of vision of the two groups before and after treatment (P<0. 05), and there were no statistical differences of the two groups between the two groups after treatment (P>0. 05). The cornea, sclera, wound healing time of the observation group were less than the control group, and there were statistical differences between the two groups ( P < 0. 05 ). The incidence of complications was 13. 8% in the control group and 3. 2% in observation group, with statistically significant difference (P<0. 05).
CONCLUSlON: The application effect of microscopic pterygium resection combined with MMC is remarkable, and the joint of 0. 2mg/mL concentration of MMC is more safe and effective, and is worth popularizing in clinical application.

Objective To evaluate the performance of energy discriminating dosimeter and compare the impact of the assessment results. Methods CTLD-J4000 energy discriminating dosimeter was irradiated with different energy photons, and the differences covered by the dosimeters were used. Density filtering materials have different filtering effects on photons, and the ratio curve of the readings to the photon energy was fitted to identify the photon energy. Results The coincidence between the non-filter/light filter of the CTLD-J4000 energy discrimination dosimeter and the manufacturer's reference value was better than that of the non-filter/re-filter. The latter had higher deviation values at 48 keV(12.8%)and 83 keV(15.5%), respectively. Using the average scale factor, the maximum energy response deviation was 23.5%. Conclusion Using a discriminating dosimeter can better identify the ray energy, thereby reducing the energy response error caused by using the average scale factor.

Permeabilized cells containing trehalose synthase from Meiothermus sp.CBS-01 was immobilized by the integration of entrapment in alginate beads with cross-linking and electrostatic self-assembly coating technique.Coating on alginate beads with diazo-resin and poly(styrene sulfonate) can protect the beads from degradation in phosphate buffer,whereas cross-linking with carbodiimide improves the thermostability of trehalose synthase entrapped in alginate beads.By co-immobilization of permeabilized cells using entrapment-cross-linking- coating method,the enzyme recovery was 32%,and the optimum temperature of the enzyme was still 60℃,but the optimum pH was shifted from 6.5 to 7.In batch manner,a maximum conversion yield of 60% trehalose from maltose could be reached by the immobilized cells.Within 4 times repeated use of the immobilized cells,and each time was operated at 50℃ for 24h,more than 50% conversion yield of trehalose could be maintained with less than 20% loss of the enzyme activity.

There were significant increase in urine protein excretion,raised malondialdehyde(MDA) level and expressions of NF-?B,p22phox and p47phox in renal tissue,and significant decrease in reduced glutathione,superoxide dismutase,vitamin C and E levels in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakisaki rats after 12 weeks. There was obvious histomorphologic change in the kidneys.All the above indices were improved by intraperitoneal injection of?-lipoic acid(35 mg/kg q.o.d).Besides,significant positive correlations were found of MDA level to p22phox,p47phox and NF-?B in the renal tissue,?-lipoic acid seems to protect the diabetic kidney in this diabetic rat model via antioxidative effects.