The status of marine bioresources and the marine eco-environment issues were summarized and discussed, and the strategies for the development of Chinese marine bioresources in the future were proposed. The degradation of marine eco-environment and unreasonable exploitation of the resources resulted in acute decline of Chinese marine bioresources. The feasible stratagies for the sustainable use of marine bioresources should be to intensify the basic research on marine bioresources science, to strengthen the protection of the marine environment and conservation of marine living resources, and to exploit and utilize marine bioresources scientifically and reasonably by using high-technology including marine biotechnology.

The DNA structures could be altered or even damaged by exogeous or endogenous factors during cell proliferation. Failure of effective and timely repair will lead to cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. By taking the advantage of the quick proliferation of cancer cells, DNA damage induction, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis promotion have become important strategies for ant-cancer chemotherapy. Previous reports showed that an array of natural compounds inhibit cancer cell proliferation by inducing DNA damage, which have therapeutic potentials for anti-cancer drug research and development.
Animals ; Biological Products ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; DNA Damage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVEAnti-asthma herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI(TM)), a combination of three traditional Chinese medicinal herbs developed in our laboratory, has demonstrated efficacy in both mouse models of allergic asthma, and a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with asthma. This study was designed to determine if the anti-inflammatory effects of individual herbal constituents of ASHMI(TM) exhibited synergy.

METHODSEffects of ASHMI and its components aqueous extracts of Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum), Kushen (Sophora flavescens) and Gancao (Glycyrrhiza uralensis), on Th2 cytokine secretion by murine memory Th2 cells (D10.G4.1) and eotaxin-1 secretion by human lung fibroblast (HLF-1) cells were determined by measuring levels in culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Potential synergistic effects were determined by computing interaction indices from concentration-effect curve parameters.

RESULTSIndividual Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao extracts and ASHMI (the combination of individual extracts) inhibited production of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 by murine memory Th2 cells and eotaxin-1 production by HLF-1 cells. The mean 25%-inhibitory-concentration (IC25) values (mg/mL) for ASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 30.9, 79.4, 123, and 64.6, respectively; for IL-5 production were 30.2, 263, 123.2 and 100, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 13.2, 16.2, 30.2, and 25.1, respectively. The IC50 values (mg/mL) for ASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 158.5, 239.9, 446.7, and 281.8, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 38.1, 33.1, 100, and 158.5, respectively. The interaction indices of ASHMI constituents at IC25 were 0.35 for IL-4, 0.21 for IL-5 and 0.59 for eotaxin-1. The interaction indices at IC50 values were 0.50 for IL-4 and 0.62 for eotaxin-1 inhibition. Inhibition of IL-5 did not reach IC50 values. All interaction indices were below 1 which indicated synergy.

CONCLUSIONBy comparing the interaction index values, we find that constituents in ASHMI(TM) synergistically inhibited eotaxin-1 production as well as Th2 cytokine production.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Chemokine CCL11 ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-5 ; genetics ; immunology ; Mice ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Th2 Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism

Aged ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Video-Assisted Surgery ; methods ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; surgery

To study the dynamic change law of bioactive constituents from Polygonum multiflorum, and to explore the optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum. Determination of stilhene glucoside, anthraquinones and catechin from P. multiflorum in different harvest times by MEKC-DAD, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensive evaluation for bioactive constituents. There are obvious differences among the contents of active ingredients in various collecting periods samples, the content of stilbene glucoside was the highest in November, the total content of combined anthraquinone was the highest in November and December, the content of catechin was the highest in September. The comprehensive evaluation index obtained with principal component analysis showed that the sample collected in November is significantly higher than those with other samples. The optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum is November.
Electrophoresis ; Fallopia multiflora ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Time Factors

The progress in the research of the active ingredients of licorice flavonoid and the pharmacological activities was reviewed. Licorice flavonoid constituents mainly included flavones, flavonals, isoflavones, chalcones, bihydroflavones and bihydrochalcones. Pharmacological investigation concluded that they had antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumer and inhibiting HIV activities. It is important to study further the flavonoid constituents and pharmacological activities.
Animals ; Anti-HIV Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Humans ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

This study was purposed to analyse the immunophenotypic characteristics of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5b) by using multiparameter flow cytometry, and to explore its significance in diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The immunophenotypic characteristics of bone marrow samples from 14 CMML patients, 48 MDS patients, 46 AML-M5b patients and 18 normal persons were analyzed and compared by multiparametric flow cytometry. The results showed that the ratio of monocytes in CMML patients was obviously higher than that in MDS, AML-M5b patients and normal persons (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between bone marrow samples of MDS and AML-M5b patients as well as normal persons. The ratio of blast cells in MDS patients was obviously higher than that in normal persons (P < 0.05), but did not show significant difference as compared with CMML patients. The ratio of mature granulocytes in AML-M5b patients was obviously lower than that in CMML and MDS patients as well as normal person bone marrow (P < 0.05). Certain differences of CD45/SSC characteristics in MDS, AML-M5b and CMML patients were found in comparison with normal persons. The abnormal expression of CD2, CD56, and CD14 tailing phenomenon were observed in CMML patients in comparison with bone marrow samples of MDS, AML-M5b and normal persons (P < 0.05). Lack and decrease of CD15 expression in MDS and CMML patients was significant different from AML-M5b and normal persons marrow, abnormal expression rate of CD15 in CMML patients was higher than that in MDS patients (P < 0.05), the CD13/CD11b/CD16 abnormal expression of granulocytes was seen in both CMML and MDS patients, but there was no statistically significant difference between them. Other antigens showed abnormality of varying degrees, but did not have any statistical significance. It is concluded that MDS, CMML and AML-M5b displayed a certain degree of similarity, and also possess their own immunophenotype characteristics. Comprehensive analysis of immunophenotype by multiparameter flow cytometry may be important for differential diagnosis among CMML, MDS and AML-M5b. High percentage of monocytes, abnormal coexpression of CD2, CD56 and CD14 tailing phenomenon, lack or decrease of CD15 as well as abnormal expression of CD13/CD11b/CD16 in granulocytes may play important roles in diagnosis of CMML.
Case-Control Studies ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; methods ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; diagnosis ; immunology

BACKGROUNDThe emergence of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics, such as macrolides, is complicating the management of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Telithromycin, a ketolide antimicrobial structurally related to macrolides, is approved for the treatment of community-acquired RTIs, and shows lower pathogen resistance rates. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of telithromycin with clarithromycin, a macrolide routinely used as therapy for RTIs.

METHODSWe performed a meta-analysis of relevant randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) identified in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI and VIP databases. The primary efficacy outcome was clinical treatment success assessed at the test-of-cure time in the per-protocol population, and the primary safety outcome was drug related adverse effects.

RESULTSSeven RCTs, involving 2845 patients with RTIs, were included in the meta-analysis. Oral telithromycin and clarithromycin showed a similar clinical treatment success in modified intention to treat and per-protocol population (cure and improvement) (odds ratios (ORs): 0.84, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.64 - 1.11 and OR: 1.14, 95%CI: 0.71 - 1.85, respectively). Similar findings were obtained for secondary efficacy outcomes: clinical treatment success at a late post-therapy visit (OR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.57 - 1.48) and microbiological treatment success at the test-of-cure time (OR: 1.14; 95%CI: 0.71 - 1.85). The safety outcome analysis indicated telithromycin had a similar risk of drug-related adverse effect and serious adverse effect with clarithromycin.

CONCLUSIONSOur findings indicate that oral telithromycin and clarithromycin have similar treatment efficacy and adverse effect. The advantages of lower antimicrobial resistance rates, once-daily short-duration dosing and reported lower health-care costs make oral telithromycin a useful option for the empiric management of mild-to-moderate RTIs.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Clarithromycin ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Community-Acquired Infections ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Ketolides ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; drug therapy

Objective To investigate the feasibility of complicate myomectomy.Methods Six- seven patients with complicated uterine myomas undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy were retrospectively analyzed.The myomectomy was done using ureteral infravision imaging system or/and with self-made myoma segregate-stick.Among the total,there are 29 cases of multiple myomas(the number of myomas≥5)and 23 cases of single myoma(the diameter of myoma≥7cm,including 19 cases of intramural myoma,4 cases of subserous myoma),6 cases of myoma of broad ligament of uterus and 9 cases of cervical myoma.Results All cases were performed successfully laparoscopically.No intra-operative laparotomy or complications occurred.The average operating time and blood loss were(114?32)min and(114?78)ml respectively. The average time of hospital stay was 5.1 d.The average operating time and blood loss in the group (including multiple myoma group,intramural myoma group and cervical myoma)were significantly exceeded the other groups(including myoma of broad ligament of uterus group and subserous myoma group). Conclusions Laparoscopic complicate myomectomy can be performed and the operation indication is enlarged using Ureteral Infravision Imaging System.Advancement in surgical instruments and expert operating skills are the key to operation success.

Flavonol synthase (FLS) is one of the key enzymes in flavonoids metabolic pathways. In this study, middle sequence was obtained from Carthamus tinctorius transcriptome sequencing results. Full-length cDNAs of FLS was cloned from petals of C. tinctorius to FLS by using RT-PCR and RACE technology. Its full-length cDNA was 1,201 bp, with an open reading frame of 1,101 bp and 336 encoded amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis showed that, FLS gene encoded amino acids in C. tinctorius were highly homologous with amino acids in congeneric Compositae species, especially Rudbeckia laciniata. The pBASTA-FLS plant expression vector was successfully built by the molecular biology method, which lays a foundation for further studying biology functions of the gene and biosynthesis mechanism of flavonoids.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Carthamus tinctorius ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism