Objective To investigate the effect of Akt on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by hydrogen peroxide(H2O2).Methods The neonatal rat cardiomyocytes cultured in primary generation were treated with low concentrations of H2O2.The cardiomyocyte hypertrophy was evaluated by the determination of average cell volume and protein content.The effects of Akt inhibitor on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by H2O2 was recorded.Western blot was performed to examine the phosphorylation of Akt induced by H2O2.ResultsH2O2 at 10 or 50 ?mol/L stimulated cardiomyocyte enlargement as measured by cell volume and the protein content per cell.The inhibitor of Akt inhibited the hypertrophic response of cardiomyoctes stimulated by H2O2.H2O2 increased the level of Akt phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes,while that is suppressed by the inhibitors of PI3K(phosphoinositide 3-kinase). Conclusion Akt signaling is involved in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by H2O2.

Animals ; Cyanides ; toxicity ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Toxicity Tests, Chronic

BCG Vaccine ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes ; complications ; Panniculitis ; etiology ; T-Lymphocytes ; Tuberculosis ; etiology

Objective To explore the roles and possible mechanism of calcium-sensing receptor(CaSR) in cell cardiac hypertrophy model using angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ ).Methods The cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were treated with Ang Ⅱ as cell cardiac hypertrophy model.Hypertrophic neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were treated with GdCl3(a specific agonist of CaSR) and/or with Ro318220(a specific inhibitor of PKC pathway).To evaluate the status of cardiac hypertrophy,cell diameter was observed by HE dyeing,and protein content was determined through coomassie brilliant blue protein kit.The intracellular calcium concentration( [ Ca2+]i) was determined by laser scanning confocal microscope.The protein expression of CaSR and PKC pathway were analyzed using Western blotting.Results ①Compared to the control group(0.1263 ± 0.0443),the protein expression of CaSR was increased in Ang Ⅱ group and in GdCl3 group(0.1963 ± 0.0375,0.2778 ± 0.0564,all P＜ 0.05).Moreover,compared with Ang Ⅱ alone,the increase was significant in GdCl3 group(P ＜ 0.05).②Compared to control group(222.70 ± 22.09),AngⅡ group(392.16 ± 36.85) remarkably increased [Ca2+]i(P＜ 0.05),and this increase of [Ca2+]i was further enhanced in GdCl3 group (502.60 ± 44.21) versus Ang Ⅱ group (P ＜ 0.05).③Compared to control group,Ang Ⅱ could induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy,and GdCl3 enhanced the effect.Moreover,this enhancement was attenuated by Ro318220.④Compared to control group(0.27 ± 0.07,0.69 ± 0.06,0.87 ± 0.04),the protein expression of PKCα,PKCε and PKCδ was increased in Ang Ⅱ group(0.60 ± 0.16,1.02 ± 0.13,1.20 ± 0.18,all P＜ 0.05) and the protein expression of PKCα,PKCε was increased in GdCl3 group(0.82 ± 0.16,1.34 ± 0.12,all P ＜ 0.05).Moreover,compared with Ang Ⅱ group,the protein expression of PKCα,PKCε was obviously increased in GdCl3 group (all P ＜ 0.05);compared with GdCl3 group,the protein expression of PKCα,PKCε(0.41 ± 0.10,0.85 ± 0.14) was obviously decreased in Ro318220 group(all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions CaSR is involved in cardiac hypertrophy induced by Ang Ⅱ through PKC pathway in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

Objective To evaluate the short-term therapeutic effect and radiation reaction of stereotactic radiotherapy for early stage non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly patients. Methods Thirty-one patients with stage Ⅰ - Ⅱ non-small cell lung cancer were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy. Patients aged 70-88 years, median age 76; 21 were stage I patients, and 10 stage Ⅱ ; 14 patients had tumor

Cassiae Semen is a common traditional Chinese medicine, and contents of anthraquinones of Cassiae Semen different significantly from area to area. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), only contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol were used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen, another data could be added later. Ten batches of Cassiae Semen from different areas were determined, and total anthraquinones, total free anthraquinones and total combined anthraquinones contents were assessed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer, contents of aurantio obtusin, rhein, aloe emodin, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion were determined by HPLC. After that, principal components analysis was used to evaluate these data determined previous by dimension reduction analysis. At last, the result suggests that three main components were found out, it shows that content of aloe emodin could be used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen as well as contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol. And Cassiae Semen from Hebei province posseses higher quality than Cassiae Semen from other different areas. All these results can provide a good reference for quality evaluating of Cassiae Semen medicinal materials at a certain extent.
Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Principal Component Analysis

Objective To compare the planning systems of the simplified manual intensity modulated (SMIM) irradiation and standard tangential (ST) irradiation,in order to explore the application of SMIM technique in clinic.Methods In 64 cases of breast cancers after breast conserving surgery,each underwent both SMIM and ST planning systems.SMIM planning was designed by copying additional fields for shielding the high dose areas from internal or lateral tangential field.The high dose areas were reduced by adjusting the size of the additional field and open tangential field.To optimize the SMIM planning,3 high dose areas (＞ 103% ,＞ 105% and ＞ 107%) were shielded and 3 protocols carried out.The wedges were also optimized in ST plan.The target coverage and dose homogeneity and dose of organ at risk were compared between SMIM and ST planning systems.Results When the dose was normalized to cover the volume of 95% CTV,85% of the shielded areas in optimal SMIM planning were that of ＞ 103% high dose area,and 94% of target area was covered.The study on the volume of breast CTV showed that,in the large breast group,SMIM could not only significantly reduce the high dose areas,and the maximum dose as well as the dose of organ at risk,but also enhance the dose homogeneity index.However,no such effect was not significant in the small breast group.Conclusions The simplified manual intensity modulated technique can improve target dose homogeneity in the large breast cases instead of the standard tangential technique.

Objective To investigate the correction of manual monitor unit calculation for asymmetric fields using the Varian enhanced dynamic wedge.Methods Monitor unit (MU) was calculated when the field sizes ranged from 6 cm × 6 cm to 20 cm × 20 cm at a depth of 5 cm using Varian Eclipse and both 6 MV and 10 MV X-rays data from Varian Clinac 23EX for all seven available EDW angles,including 10°15°,20°,25°,30°,45°and 60° The field size was kept fixed,and the distance between geometry center of field and isocenter was increased in increments of 1 cm,ranging from -9 cm to 4 cm.When the field size was the same,the correction factor was defined as the ratio of MU calculated for asymmetric field to monitor unit calculated for symmetric field.To ensure the correction factors obtained above could be used in routine manual calculation for EDW fields,measurements were made at a depth of 5 cm for 30°and 45°EDW with field size of 10 cm × 10 cm using 6 MV X-rays.Results The correction factor was independent of field dimensions,so the average value was adopted to make practical calculation.Without correction,the maximum error was 18% for 30°,and 30% for 45.After the results of monitor unit calculation were corrected,the largest error was - 1.8% and - 1.7% for 30° and 45°EDW,respectively.The magnitude of errors was within the clinical tolerance limits.Conclusions For asymmetric EDW fields,there is very large difference between the prescribed dose by manual calculation using EDW factors measured for symmetric fields and that delivered during treatment in order to obtain correct dose to reference point.The errors are decreased to be acceptable after correction.The method of correction is simple and independent of machine specific beam parameters.

AIM: To better reveal the changing process of macula area after photodynamic therapy (PDT), the changes of tomographic imaging on macular fovea optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) scan at different follow- up time points after treating age-related macular degeneration ( AMD) by PDT were investigated.
METHODS: This cohort study included 30 eyes of 26 patients diagnosed as AMD. The dosage of verteporfin was calculated according to manufacturer's instruction. All participants got FFA, ICG, OCT scan and best corrected visual acuity before and followed up for 2wk, 1, 2, 3mo after PDT. The standard five lines combined with 6 lines OCT scan covered key parts of lesion and the scan locations before and after were kept the same. The bilaminar foveal thickness (BFT), outer high reflectivity band thickness ( OHRBT ) , and the total area of intraretinal fluid ( IRF ) and subretinal fluid ( SRF ) were measured at different time points. The relationship between the changes and follow up time was analyzed. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS for windows version 13. 0.
RESULTS: There months after treatment, an improvement of 2 lines or better on the Snellen chart was achieved on 22 eyes, visual acuity of 3 eyes without significant change, 3 eyes got decreased, 2 cases lost follow up. The average macular thickness of improved 22 eyes before treatment was 722. 5±55. 6μm, 2wk after treatment, 708. 3±45. 3μm, 1mo, 584. 4±49. 3μm, 2mo, 430. 7±50. 2μm and 180. 6 ±36. 3μm at 3mo. The OHRBT before and after treatment respectively were 302. 3 ±50-2μm, 277. 5±42. 3μm, 202. 7±40. 1μm, 180. 6±35. 7μm, 100. 8±22. 9μm. The total area of both IRF and SRF was estimated as 0. 34±0. 12mm2 , 0. 25±0. 07mm2 , 0. 10±0-05mm2 , 0. 08±0. 04mm2 , 0. 05±0. 01mm2 .
CONCLUSION:SRF and retinal edema of patients with AMD were absorbed 1mo after PDT, and the BFT, OHRBT were significantly tend to be thin.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced middle-low rectal cancer.Methods From June 2007 to June 2013,51 untreated patients with histopathologically proven rectal cancer (T3/T4 or N (+))were included in this study.Three-dimensional radiotherapy was delivered to the whole pelvic cavity at 45.0-50.4 Gy/25-28 fractions.Two cycles of chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 or XELOX were given concurrently at weeks 1 and 4 of radiotherapy.Surgery was performed at 4-8 weeks after chemoradiotherapy.Adjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX4 or XELOX was given within one month after surgery.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates,and the log-rank test was used for univariate analysis;the Cox regression model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis.Results Fortynine patients completed the preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgery.The median follow-up was 2.9 years.The overall sphincter preservation rate was 65％;the overall downstaging rate was 59％.Ten (20.4％) of all patients achieved a pathologic complete response (pCR).Grade ≥3 toxicities occurred in 25％ of all patients,and the overall postoperative complication rate was 31％.The 3-and 5-year sample sizes were 24,12,respectively.The 3-and 5-year overall survival rates were 81％ and 69％,respectively;the 3-and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 76％ and 60％,respectively;the 3-and 5-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates were 78％ and 70％,respectively;the distant metastasis-free survival rates were 82％ and 74％,respectively.The multivariate analysis showed that tumor downstaging was an independent prognostic factor for 5-year DFS and LRFS.Conclusions For locally advanced middle-low rectal cancer,preoperative radiotherapy with concurrent FOLFOX4/XELOX chemotherapy can increase pathologic downstaging rate,pCR rate,and sphincter preservation rate.Patients with tumor downstaging may have a better survival advantage.