OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulation of Cha Gan Beng Ga on the activity of biomarker PGC-1α in vivo and in vitro, and lay the foundation for studying the efficacy result of Cha Gan Beng Ga on xenograft tumor model and extracting active constituents.

METHOD(1) The coarse powder of Cha Gan Beng Ga was extracted with 70% ethanol solution through heating and refluxing, and finally was used to freeze dry powder. (2) 50 mg x kg(-1) of freeze-dried power was orally administrated to KM and C57BL/6J mice once daily, lasting for 5 consecutive days; different concentrations of extracted materials was given to non-small cell lung cells A549. (3) The expression level of PGC-1α mRNA was quantitatively determined in lung tissue of mice and non-small cell lung cells A549.

RESULTThe expression levels of PGC-1α in lung tissue of different mice strains had an increasing tendency. Furthermore, the expression levels of PGC-1α in non-small cell lung cells A549 also had an increasing tendency, showing dose and time-dependent relationships.

CONCLUSIONMongolian Medicine Cha Gan Beng Ga could induce the over-expression of PGC-1α mRNA in lung tissue of mice and in non-small cell lung cells A549. The present results will lay foundation for studying the efficacy result of antitumor and active constitutes in future.

Aconitum ; chemistry ; Animals ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; genetics ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of C21 steroidal glycoside (CSG) from the root of Cynanchum auriculatum from Jiangsu on D-galactose (D-gal) induced aging model mice.

METHODD-gal aging mouse model was established by cervicodorsal region subcutaneous injection with D-gal once a day for eight successive weeks. The mice in the normal control group (NCG, non-modeled) and the model control group (MCG, modeled but untreated) were treated with 1% CMC-Na. The model mice in the low, middle and high-dose CSG and Vitamin E treated groups were treated with a dose of (10, 20, 40, 100 mg x kg(-1) per day, respectively. The SOD activity, MDA content and telomerase activity in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues of mice were measured.

RESULTCSG could obviously increase the SOD activity and decrease the MDA level in serum, heart, liver and brain tissues in D-gal aging mice (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between three CSG treated groups and Vitamin E treated groups. In comparison of telomerase activity between MCG and the treated groups, it was shown that there was a significant increase in serum in middle and high dose group, and in heart tissues in CSG and Vit E treated groups, but was not in liver and brain tissue.

CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates that CSG can antagonize free radical injury, increase the SOD activity and decrease the MDA content of serum, heart, liver and brain in D-gal aging mice, and increase the telomerase activity in serum and heart tissues but not in liver and brain tissue.

Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Galactose ; toxicity ; Glycosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Steroids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; metabolism ; Telomerase ; metabolism

Both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are major health burdens.In conclusion,cumulating evidence associates COPD with an increased risk of SCD.First,it is found that asystole and pulseless electric activity(PEA)are more common than ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation(VT/VF)in deaths associated with COPD in studying interrelationship between COPD and ventricul ararrhythmias and cardiac arrest. The underlying mechanism explaining this association requires further investigation.Second,it is found that COPD is associated with a prolonged and shortened QT interval in studying the role of ECG markers between SCD and COPD.Finally,studies of the potential impact of respiratory treatment on the occurrence of SCD showed conflicting results.Accurate prediction of SCD in the general population is still a challenge. The risk assessment of SCD might be guided by studying the link between COPD and SCD.

Female gender is an independent risk factor for the development of torsade de pointes (TdP) arrhythmias not only in congenital long QT syndromes(LQTs)but also in acquired long QT syndromes. Clinical evidences imply that sex steroid hormones appear to play important roles in gender differences by affecting the cardiac repolarization process of action potential. This review summarizes the effects of sex hormones on cardiac ion channel currents and the effects of gender differences on drug-induced long QT syndromes, and reveals the mechanism of sex hormone induced arrhythmia by computer simulation

OBJECTIVE To study the relationship between TCM syndrome types and clinical biochemical indexes in type 2 diabetes mellitus,and to an objective basis for TCM syndrome differentiation of type 2 diabetes mellitus.METHODS 120 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients corresponding to the study criteria were collected.Syndrome differentiation was made for these pa-tients according to yin deficiency and heat excess,spleen deficiency,phlegm accumulation,deficiency of both Qi and Yin and qi deficiency and blood stasis.At the same time,40 healthy subjects were matched as controls.The relationships between differ-ent types and age,body mass index(BMI),glucose metabolism,lipid metabolism,hypersensitivity C reactive protein(hs-CRP),insulin resistance indexes(HOMA-IR)and serum insulin(FINS)were analyzed.RESULTS ①Compared with the normal control group,BMI in the yin deficiency and heat excess group decreased significantly(P<0.01),BMI in the spleen deficiency and phlegm accumulation group increased significantly(P<0.01).②Compared with the normal control group,all indexes of TC,TG and LDL in the diabetes mellitus group increased(P<0.05),HDL index decreased(P<0.05).③All FPG,HOMA-IR,HbA1c and hs-CRP levels in the diabetes mellitus group increased compared with the normal control group(P<0.05～0.01).Apart for the yin deficiency and heat excess group,FINS indexes in the rest three group had significant differences compared with the normal control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION There are correlations between various TCM syndromes of type 2 diabetes mellitus and lipid metabolism,glucose metabolism,body mass index and insulin resistance index.The study of the relationship between them will contribute to the objectification of TCM syndrome differentiation in diabetes mellitus.

Objective:To explore whether peripheral blood CD8 +T lymphocyte dysfunction is correlated with the programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) expression in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods:Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from patients with HBV-ACLF and healthy controls. CD8 +T lymphocytes number and PD-1 expression condition in CD8 +T lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry. CD8 +T lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood of HBV-ACLF patients were further cultured in vitro. One group was added with PD-L1-IgG fusion protein (ACLF+PD-1 group), and the other group was added with IgG fusion protein (ACLF group). Proliferation ability (ki67), cell viability (CD69), and secretion ability of effector cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α) were analyzed. Results:30 cases with HBV-ACLF and healthy controls were enrolled. CD8 +T lymphocytes absolute number was significantly lower in the peripheral blood of patients with ACLF group (333.88 ± 147.74)/μl than healthy controls (872.50 ± 206.64)/μl ( P < 0.001). PD-1 expression in peripheral blood CD8 +T lymphocytes were significantly increased in ACLF group (13.33% ± 2.52%), ( P = 0.027) than healthy controls (7.02% ± 2.12%). In in vitro culture, compared with healthy controls, the peripheral blood CD8 +T lymphocytes cell viability (CD69), proliferation ability (ki67) (all P ??< 0.001), and the level of cytokine production (IL-2, IFN-γ, TNF-α) (all P < 0.05) were equally weakened in patients with ACLF group. Compared with ACLF group, CD8 +T cell viability (CD69), proliferation ability (KI67) (all P < 0.05), and the level of cytokine production were weakened in ACLF+PD-1 group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion:HBV-ACLF patients have CD8 +T lymphocyte dysfunction. Therefore, PD-1 may have correlation in the regulation of CD8 +T lymphocyte dysfunction in ACLF patients.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous laser ablation (LA) in the treatment for portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSThe PVTT of HCC patients were treated through percutaneous transhepatic laser ablation (PTLA). The survival rate, thrombus size, blood flow of embolized portal vein by thrombus, liver function, ascites and clinical presentation were observed.

RESULTSThe 6-month, 1-year and 2-year survival rate of these 93 patients were 82.8%, 53.0% and 34.1%, respectively. In 11 patients with partially occluded portal vein by PVTT, the cut-surface of the PVTT diminished significantly 6 months after LA. The color blood stream signal was seen again one day after LA in all of the other 82 patients with totally occluded portal vein by thrombus, and it could still be seen in 67 of those one month later, 57 (of 71) 3 months later, 40 (of 57) 6 months later, 27 (of 32) 1 year and 4 (of 6) 2 years later after LA. In the 38 patients who survived over 1 year, PVTT was gradually atrophied and disappeared eventually in 14, PVTT was atrophied and the portal vein changed into honeycomb-like appearance in 14. In the remaining 10 patients, PVTT continued to grow and made the portal vein enlarged. It was also observed that liver function, clinical symptom and ascites were improved in various degree after LA.

CONCLUSIONPercutaneous laser ablation might be an effective and safe treatment method for controlling portal vein tumor thrombus of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; methods ; Liver Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; pathology ; Portal Vein ; pathology ; surgery ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo introduce a newly developed procedure in the control of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and evaluate the efficacy and indicate of this method.

METHODSThe PVTT of HCC patients were treated by percutaneous transhepatic laser ablation (LA). The blood flow of PVTT embolized portal vein, live function, ascites and clinical presentation was observed.

RESULTSTwenty-four HCC patients, with a total of 30 PVTT portal vein and its main branch were treated with LA. There were no any blood flow signal in Doppler color Ultrasonography in these PVTT embolized portal vein before treatment. After treatment, blood flow was reappearance in all cases within one week. The continued patency blood flow was observed in 16 portal vein and continued but not patency blood flow in other 12 portal vein within 30 days. The continued patency blood flow was observed in 18 portal vein within 90 days. The improvement of liver function and clinical symptom. The reduction of ascites was observed in varying degrees.

CONCLUSIONLA treatment might be a effective and safe procedure in the control of portal vein tumor thrombus of HCC.

Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; pathology ; Portal Vein ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

Bamboo salt, a Korean folk medicine, is prepared with solar salt (sea salt) and baked several times at high temperatures in a bamboo case. In this study, we compared the preventive effects of bamboo salt and purified and solar salts on hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride in Sprague-Dawley rats. Compared with purified and solar salts, bamboo salts prevented hepatic damage in rats, as evidenced by significantly reduced serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05). Bamboo salt (baked 9x) triggered the greatest reduction in these enzyme levels. In addition, it also reduced the levels of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Histopathological sections of liver tissue demonstrated the protective effect of bamboo salt, whereas sections from animals treated with the other salt groups showed a greater degree of necrosis. We also performed reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses of the inflammation-related genes iNOS, COX-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta in rat liver tissues. Bamboo salt induced a significant decrease (~80%) in mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-alpha, and IL-1beta, compared with the other salts. Thus, we found that baked bamboo salt preparations could prevent CCl4-induced hepatic damage in vivo.
Alanine Transaminase ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Blotting, Western ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Cytokines ; Inflammation ; Interferons ; Interleukins ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Liver ; Medicine, Traditional ; Necrosis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA, Messenger ; Salts ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUNDIntake of melamine can cause renal and ureteral lithiasis in infants and children. The present study aimed to understand the value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of renal and ureteral lithiasis in infants and young children caused by melamine, and the characteristics of ultrasonograms of melamine-associated calculi.

METHODSUltrasonographic examination on the urinary system was performed for 28 332 children who ingested milk powder that was possibly tainted with melamine; 395 of the children were diagnosed by ultrasonography as having urinary calculus, and 231 cases had lump-like calculi and 164 cases had sand gravel-like calculi. The features of the calculi, the sites of obstruction and the status of hydronephrosis and hydroureterosis were analyzed. Ultrasonographic reexamination was performed for 116 patients and the findings were compared with those of the first ultrasonography, and the short-term expulsion of the calculi was evaluated.

RESULTSMost of the 395 patients with urinary lithiasis, except for those who developed renal failure, had no symptoms. The whole profile of the calculi could be seen in most of the cases, because the echogenicity of the calculi with no sharp or absent acoustical shadowing, was weaker as compared with those from calcium-containing calculi. Comet tail sign could be seen behind the echogenicity of single gravel calculus. The rate of diagnostic consistency of ureteral lithiasis between the ultrasound and the results of clinical observation (including stones expelled spontaneously or after cystoscopic intervention) in 51 cases for 76 ureters was 100%. Percutaneous renal biopsy was performed for one case, and histopathological examination showed flocculent, fine strip-like, ellipse and circular deeply stained sand gravel-like material in the renal tubules, and the circular calculi were found to be attached to the walls of the tubules. Chemical analysis of the calculi expelled from 12 cases showed that the main contents of the calculi were uric acid and melamine. Short-term ultrasound reexamination in 116 patients showed that gravel-like calculi disappeared in 80.4% of the cases; in 26 non-hospitalized cases who had lump-like calculi without hydronephrosis or hydroureterosis, none of the lump-like calculi were expelled.

CONCLUSIONSThe ultrasonographic findings of urinary calculi in children caused by ingestion of melamine-tainted milk powder have a certain features as compared to the calculi containing calcium. Careful ultrasound examination can avoid missed diagnoses of ureteral calculi. Most of the gravel-like calculi can be expelled within a short period of term, while lump-like calculi can hardly be expelled. Ultrasonography is an accurate and reliable method of diagnosis of urinary calculus caused by melamine intake in children and it can be used as diagnostic method of choice although abdominal X-ray plain film can also visualize some of larger calculi.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Triazines ; poisoning ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Calculi ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; pathology