BACKGROUND: Recent studies demonstrate that erythropoietin (EPO) can protect retina from light injury, and is the mechanism related to the expression of Caspase-3 in the light-injured retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of EPO at different dosages on the expression of Caspase-3 in light-injured human RPE cells. DESIGN: Control observation.SETTING: Qingdao University Medical College. MATERIALS: Adult ARPE-19 cells (American Cell Culture Collection Company); DMEM/F12 mixed medium, fetal bovine serum and trypase (GIBCO Biotechnique Company); recombinant human EPO (rhEPO, Sigma Biotechnique Company); human Caspase-3 quantitative kit (Shanghai Xitang Biotechnique Co.,Ltd); Caspase-3 monoclonal antibody (American Santa Cruz Company); PV6001 immunohistochemistry kit and DAB color reagent kit (Zhongshan Biotechnology Company, Beijing).METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Department of Pathophysiology at Qingdao University Medical College between May 2006 and January 2007. Human RPE-19 cell strain at passages 2-5 were harvested for light injury models, and the passage cells were divided into 7 groups randomly, with 4 apertures in each group:①normal control group: no light or EPO intervention;②light-injured model group: 12-hour illumination, no EPO intervention;③light-injury and EPO groups: 12-hour illumination with 10 000, 20 000 and 40 000 U/L EPO;④light-injury and 40 000 U/L EPO and AG490 group: 12-hour illumination with 40 000 U/L EPO and inhibitor of Jak2 enzyme 50 000 U/L;⑤light-injury and 40 000 U/L EPO and carbxyl-terminal modulator protein (CTMP) group: 12-hour illumination with 40 000 U/L EPO and specific inhibitor of protein kinase B enzyme 100 μmol/L.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the effects of rhEPO at the different doses on the expression of Caspase-3 in light-injured human RPE cells. RESULTS: Caspases-3 was not expressed in RPE cells of the normal control group and was positively expressed in the nucleus of RPE cells of the light-injured model group, showing a specific brown-yellow staining. Expression of Caspase-3 was gradually decreased in every rhEPO group with increase of EPO concentration, with the weakest expression in 40 000 U/L rhEPO group. The effects of EPO on Caspase-3 expression were strongly inhibited in light-injury+ 40 000 U/L EPO +AG490 group and the expression was positive in light-injury +40 000 U/L EPO+CTMP group, which was slightly weaker than light-injured model group. CONCLUSION: The rhEPO can reduce the expression of Caspase-3 in the light-injured human RPE cells, and one of the possible mechanisms is the inhibition of light-injured RPE cell apoptosis by the rhEPO.

Angelicae Sinensis Radix, dried roots of Angelicae sinensis, is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. Six compounds were isolated and purified by silica gel and preparative HPLC. According to physicochemical properties and spectral data, the compounds were identified as senkyunolide H-7-acetate (1), o-phthalic acid (2), diisobutyl phthalate (3), p-hydroxyphenylethanol ferulate (4), ferulic acid (5) and coniferylferulate (6). Compound 1 was a new one.
Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Benzofurans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Coumaric Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

10 mg/L)and normal CRP group (CRP≤10 mg/L).The associations between CRP and hemoglobin,albumin,prealbumin,serum ferritin in were analyzed respectively.Results HD patients'CRP indexes are higher than PD patients'(P

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process of normal cell physiological development, in which epithelial cells transform into mesenchyme cells through a specific program. EMT plays a key role in inflammatory reaction, cell development, tumor invasion, and metastasis and has an interrelation with prostate cancer stem cells. Recent researches show the involvement of EMT in the development and metastasis of prostate cancer. This article reviews the specific roles and action mechanisms of EMT in the progression of prostate cancer.
Biomedical Research ; Cell Differentiation ; Disease Progression ; Epithelial Cells ; physiology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; physiology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology

Objective:To figure out the characteristics of annual medical expenditure for rural residents and its distribution among different population.Methods:The individual annual medical service utilization information was summarized after dealing with the database of the 2014 new rural cooperative medical system by Excel.It prescribed the clustering of medical expenditure by Lorenz curve and Gini index.Descriptive statistics and x2 test were used to compare the characteristics and distribution of the annual medical expenditure among rural residents.The Chi-square test was conducted to compare the differences of the population distribution.Results:The costliest 5％ patients accounted for approximately 68％ of total health care expenditure.The annual total expenditure was 16628 yuan per capita among high-cost population,while low-cost population were 108 yuan.The Gini index of medical expenditure for rural residents was 0.81.Among female and population over 45 years old,the proportion of high-cost population was higher than 5％.People living near provincial road,in flatlands or areas where the ability of township hospital was limited were nore likely to expense higher medical costs,known as 6.40％,5.50％ and 5.80％ separately.Conclusion:Clustering of medical expenditure for rural residents was remarkable,while the expenditure among high-cost,medium-cost and low-cost population were quite different.The elderly,female and primary population living in areas where the ability of township hospitals were limited were more likely to generate high medical costs.

In this article, the plasma half life of IL-2 and its bio-distribution were studied using radio-nucleus Technetium-99M labeled IL-2. The results showed the plasma half life of IL-2 was merely 10 minutes mainly due to IL-2 distribute to its target organ such as liver, kidney etc,rather than clear out of the body. Our results indicated that IL-2 is a high organ-specific drug. It's plasma half life is short under high concentration in its target organ. So it might have advantages of high effectiveness and low whole body toxicity in treatment of tumor of liver and kidney.

Objective:To determine the distribution of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood and its relationship with disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with different molecular subtypes of invasive breast cancer (IBC). Methods:Data and plasma samples of 372 female patients with IBC treated at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Institute between January 2008 and August 2009 were obtained. CD4+/CD8+ratio and the amount of regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and natural killer cells (NK cells) were measured through flow cytometry. Results:A total of 133 (35.8%), 124 (33.3%), 48 (12.9%), and 67 cases (18.0%) presented luminal type A, luminal type B, HER-2 over-expression, and triple-negative type breast cancer (TNBC), respectively. In TNBC, a longer DFS was observed when the peripheral CD4+/CD8+ratio was high or when the level of Treg cells was low (CD4+/CD8+P<0.05 and Treg P<0.05). However, CD4+/CD8+and Treg are not independent prognostic factors for the DFS of TNBC cases. In other molecular subtypes of breast cancer, CD4+/CD8+ratio and the amount of Treg cells are not correlated with DFS (P>0.05). The level of NK cells is unrelated to the DFS of breast cancer with the four molecular subtypes (P>0.05). Conclusion:CD4+/CD8+ratio and the amount of Treg cells in peripheral blood may predict DFS of TNBC but are not considered as independent prognostic factors.

Objective: To study the constituents in Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS, a powder prescription with Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Poria, Alismatis Rhizome, and Chuanxiong Rhizome). Methods: To analyze the 70% ethanol-water extract from DDS by LC-Q-TOF-MS and LC-IT-MS. The analysis was performed on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 column and Rapid Resolution HT column (50 mm × 4.6 mm, 1.8 μm) with gradient elution of 0.05% formic acid (A)-acetonitrile (B) at the flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The constituents from DSS were identified according to the relative molecule weight by LC-Q-TOF-MS and multistage MS informatics by LC-IT-MS. All the peaks were assigned to the corresponding traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Results: Thirty compounds from DDS could be identified, and 14 of them were identified for the first time in DSS including six organic acids, such as chlorogenic acid (8) and galloylsucrose (5-7); two protostane trierpenoids, such as 16-oxoalisol A 23-acetate (22); four cyclopeptides, such as cyclo tetraleucyl (or isoleucyl) (14) and other types of compounds, such as N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl) pyroglutamic acid (1) and adenosine (3). Conclusion: This work investigates the compounds from DSS, and the results could provide the evidence for the research on active constituents and quality control of DSS.

Objective: To establish the distinguish method of Jianpixiaoshi capsule.Methods: The microscopic distinguish and TLC were used. Results: 12 herbs in Jianpixiaoshi capsule can be distinguished by Microsccopic distinguish, Atractylodes macrocephala, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Panax ginseng, Citrus reticulate, Ammomum villosum, Crataegus pinnatifida and Codonopsis pilosula can be distinguished respectively by TLC.Conclusion: The method is accurate and simple, and can be used for distinguishing Jianpixiaoshi Capsule.

Cyclin D is the most closely relationship with tumor ,and it is currently known one of the sub-types of cyclins.CyclinD1,as a positive regulatory factor ,has an important role in the process of cell cycle ,espe-cially in cell proliferation and division .CyclinD1 is unusually up-regulated in lots of human cancers .CyclinD1 is a recently discovered protein which is highly expressed in the urinary tumors ,and its expression in tumors is asso-ciated with a more aggressive phenotype ,prognosis and recurrence .Therefore,the research of the target point to CyclinD1 in the urinary tumors may provide a new method for the therapy to urinary tumors .