Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Recombinant Proteins ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Research has been reported that serum soluble CD146 (sCD146) expression was improved on the surface of endothelial cells and activated T cells by the stimulation of inflammatory factor. Therefore, it predicts that CD146 may participate in inflammatory reaction of tissue.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of serum sCD146 in peripheral blood from patients with ankylosing spondylitis.METHODS: A total of 62 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were selected from the Sixth People's Hospital AffiUated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. All patients were divided into two groups: active group (n=46) and inactive group (n=16); while, 20 healthy subjects were selected as the control group. Indicators including Bath Ankylosing SpondyUtis Disease ActivityIndex (BASDAI),Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), patient's global assessment (PGA), night pain, visual analogue scale (VAS),morning stiffness time, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in all patients. The serum concentration of sCD146 from 62 patients with ankylosing spondlitis and 20 healthy controls was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Westergren method was used to measure ESR and immunoturbidimetry for CRP. Clinical data of the patients were collected as well.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: sCD146 levels of patients with ankylosing spondlitis were significantly higher than normal control group (P ＜ 0.05). The sCD146 expression in the active group was significantly higher than inactive and normal control groups (P ＜0.05). Positive correlations were observed between sCD146 and BASDAI index of patients with ankylosing spondlitis (P ＜ 0.05).The sCD146 levels of ankylosing spondUtis patients with peripheral joint involvement were significantly higher than the patients with axial involvement alone or the normal controls (P ＜ 0.05).The expression level of sCD146 in peripheral blood was positively correlated with disease activities of patients with ankylosing spondlitis. It may play important roles in the pathogenesis in ankylosing spondlitis.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of core proteoglycan on the transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell induced by transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) in vitro.

METHODThe cultured HK-2 cells were divided into six groups: A. negative control group; B. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 group; C. 10 ng/ml core proteoglycan treated group; D. 100 ng/ml core proteoglycan treated group; E. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 + 10 ng/ml core proteoglycan group; F. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 + 100 ng/ml core proteoglycan group. The changes in configuration of HK-2 cells were inspected 48 hours after adding the stimulating factor. At the same time, changes in mRNA of keratin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, vimentin were analyzed.

RESULTSCompared with group A, group B showed great changes in the morphology of cells, most cells converted into spindle shape, like fibroblast; groups E and F, especially group F showed significantly reduced spindle shape cells. Compared with group A, groups C and D had no significant changes in morphology of cells Compared with 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 group and negative control, the mRNA expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin had significant increase, but that of keratin reduced (P < 0.05). However, after combined treatment with TGF-beta1 and core proteoglycan, alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin expression were reduced significantly, while expression of keratin was up-regulated. Single core proteoglycan treated group and negative control group had no dramatic differences (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTGF-beta1 can induce the transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell and core proteoglycan has some inhibitory effect on transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell induced by TGF-beta1 in vitro.

Actins ; physiology ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; metabolism ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Line ; Cell Shape ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Tubules ; pathology ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; pathology ; Proteoglycans ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Cardiac Catheterization ; Child ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; Heart Septal Defects ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Time Factors

Growth year is one of the important factors for the quality of Polygala tenufolia. In this study, primary metabolites and secondary metabolites were compared in 1, 2 and 3 years old P. tenufolia cultivated in Shaanxi Heyang. The samples were subjected to ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, and the obtained data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and other statistical analysis methods. In addition, content and correlation of different metabolites were also calculated. The results showed no significance between main component contents in 2 year-old and 3 year-old P. Tenufolia, but 1 year-old was statistically different. The contents of primary metabolites, such as fructose, sucrose, and choline increased as time goes on, while glycine and raffinose decreased. The contents of secondary metabolites, such as onjisaponin Fg, polygalasaponin XXVIII, polygalasaponin XXXII increased, while polygalaxanthone III and parts of oligosaccharide multi-ester including tenuifoliose A, tenuifoliose C, tenuifoliose C2 and tenuifoliose H decreased with the extension of the growth years. Growth years has important impact on the quality of P. tenuifolia and the existing growing years of commodity P. tenuifolia have its scientific evidence. This study supplied a new method for the quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal materials.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry ; Metabolomics ; Oligosaccharides ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polygala ; chemistry ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo detect the effect of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) on tumorigenicity induced by TC-1 cells and to clinically study anti-human papillomavirus effect of Nr-CWS in lower genital tract of women.

METHODSTumor model was established by injecting TC-1 cells subcutaneously in SCID mice, then divided them into 3 groups randomly and injected with isovolumetric physiological saline, 60 micrograms/ml Nr-CWS and 120 micrograms/ml Nr-CWS respectively, the growth of tumors was measured one week later. Nr-CWS was applied on 45 HPV positive women whose TCT test was normal and without cervical erosion 2-3 days after menstruation. HPV was detected again 3 months later to explore the effect of Nr-CWS on HPV infection in female lower genital tract.

RESULTSThe animal experiment showed the weight of transplanted tumors in treated group was less than that of control group (chi2=12.5, P= 0.002). The tumor inhibition rate was 59.1 percent and 84.2 percent in the groups treated with Nr-CWS 60 and 120 micrograms/ml Nr-CWS; the results of HPV detection in 23 out of the 45 cases (51.1 percent) became negative after the 3-month treatment; the viral load was reduced in 9, and there was no change in viral load in 13 cases. Significant difference was found between the rates of undetectable viral load and the natural viral disappearance rate (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNr-CWS has an inhibitory effect to TC-1 cell tumorigenesis and clinical application of Nr-CWS may eliminate the HPV infection in lower genital tract of a considerable proportion of women with HPV infection.

Adult ; Animals ; Cell Wall Skeleton ; therapeutic use ; Cervix Uteri ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; virology ; Viral Load

OBJECTIVETo assess the predictive value of Neuropad test on occurrence of diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) among type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODSWe divided 725 cases of type 2 diabetic patients into the high-risk and the non-high-risk groups of DFU based on the results of vibration perception thresholds(VPT) examination, which was widely used as a criteria for predicting DFU. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to compare the effectiveness of Neuropad with 10 g Semmes-Weinstein monofilament (10 g SWMF) testing in predicting the risk of DFU.

RESULTSAmong 725 patients of type 2 diabetes, 6.1% were at a high risk of DFU. Compared to non-high-risk group, patients in high-risk group had older age, longer diabetes duration, higher values of complete colour change time (CCC time) of Neuropad and higher abnormal rate of 10 g SWMF (P<0.01). CCC time of Neuropad was shown to be better in predicting the risk of DFU than 10 g SWMF, and the area under the ROC curve was about 0.8, and the best cut-off value was 22.25 min.

CONCLUSIONNeuropad is an effective means for predicting of the risk of DFU, and can be used to prevent diabetic foot ulceration.

Adult ; Aged ; Diabetic Foot ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Examination ; methods ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Risk Assessment

The identification of five marine-derived shell traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia were studied. Using near infrared technology (NIR) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) methods, Ostreae Concha, Haliotidis Concha, and Margaritifera Concha could be efficiently distinguished from Meretricis Concha together with Arcae Concha. In the first principal components, Ostreae Concha exhibited obvious differences with high loadings in 4 236, 5 263, 7 142 cm(-1) concerning to the contents of CaCO3 and H2O in the samples. Arcae Concha and Meretricis Concha displayed significant differences with others in the second principal components, which can be illustrated by high loadings in 5 000 -4 430 cm(-1) areas. It is indicated that the second principal components might be related to organics which contained NH and CH groups, for example proteins. Meanwhile, our data showed a correlation between the function of these shell TCM and their distribution in the PCA plot. These results suggested that organic components in marine-derived shell TCM could not be neglected for their quality control.
Animal Shells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Calcium Carbonate ; analysis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Mollusca ; chemistry ; classification ; Principal Component Analysis ; Seawater ; Species Specificity ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF), an extract of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, on several down-regulated signaling molecules involved in learning and memory in hippocampal neurons.

METHODSAfter cultured for 7 days, primary hippocampal neurons were divided into 5 groups: normal, corticosterone model, RU38486, 5-HMF, and donepezil group. Neuron survival rates were calculated 24 h later using SYTO13-PI double-fluorescence staining and an 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. β-galactosidase activity was also assayed. Protein expressed by the glucocorticoid receptor (GCR), brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B (NR2B), as well as phosphorylationcyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding protein (p-CREB), phosphorylation-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), and phosphorylation-synapsin (p-synapsin) were quantified with Western blot.

RESULTSHippocampal neuron survival rates and the above-mentioned proteins were dramatically decreased (P<0.05), β-galactosidase activity was significantly increased in the model group. but the effect was reversed by 5-HMF, RU38486, and to a lesser extent by donepezil (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION5-HMF extracts from the Chinese herb Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch could protect hippocampal neurons from glucocorticoid injury and from down-regulated signaling molecules in the GCR-BDNF-NR2B-p-ERK-p-CREB-p-synapsin signal transduction pathway.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Corticosterone ; pharmacology ; Furaldehyde ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; drug effects ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rehmannia ; chemistry ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects