OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Zuogui pill, Yougui pill and the relative compositions on the differentiation towards germ cells of stem cells.

METHODThe rat drug sera for Zuogui pill, Yougui pill and the common composition of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill were prepared respectively as the experimental drugs; the mouse embryonic stem cell 1B10 (MESC-1B10) was used as the representative of stem cells; the above rat drug sera were used to intervene MESC-1B10 and the process was traced by microscopy imaging; after 72 h of the intervention, the RNAs were extracted from the different intervened MESC-1B10, cDNAs were synthesized immediately and finally the Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to measure the expression patterns of the 10 reproductive-differentiation-related genes for each intervention.

RESULTThe rat drug serum of Zuogui pill (ZGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4 and SCP3 and significantly down-regulated GDF-9 and Stra8; the rat drug serum of Yougui pill (ZGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4, GDF-9, Mvh and SCP3 and significantly down-regulated Stra8, Itga6 and Itgb1; the rat drug sera for the common composition of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill (ZGWYGW-RS) significantly up-regulated Oct-4, SCP3 and ZP3 and significantly down-regulated GDF-9, Stra8, Itga6 and Itgb1.

CONCLUSIONZGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, but can not start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10; YGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, and can also start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10 towards female germ cells; ZGWYGW-RS can initiate the change towards meiosis, and can lightly start the reproductive differentiation of MESC-1B10 towards female germ cells but the inductive effect is smaller than YGW-RS. The experimental results, on one hand, strengthen the knowledge about the influence of the relative compositions of Zuogui pill and Yougui pill on the reproductive differentiation of stem cells, on the other hand, help to explain the mechanism of the treatment of the infertility by Zuogui pill and Yougui pill.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Female ; Germ Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Infertility ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Killer Cells, Natural ; pathology ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; analysis ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic expressions of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA at different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development and their use in clinical diagnosis.

METHODSHepatoma models were developed with 2-FAA using male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Morphological changes of the rat liver histological preparations (H and E stained) were studied. The fragment of TGF-beta 1 gene obtained was amplified by nested RT-PCR. Dynamic change of TGF-beta 1 level was quantitatively analyzed by ELISA. The distribution of TGF-beta 1 in the cells and its gene expression were detected in human HCC tissues.

RESULTSThe progressive increases of hepatic TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA were observed in rat hepatocytes which progressed from granular degeneration, atypical hyperplasia and finally to HCC development induced by 2-FAA. The expression levels in HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in the normal and degenerative ones. TGF-beta 1 was shown in rat hepatocytes by immunohistochemistry. Plasma TGF-beta 1 was detected in 89.5% of all the patients with HCC, but it was detected in 93.3% of them who had an AFP less than 400 microg/L. TGF-beta 1 mRNA showed a stronger expression in HCC tissues. TGF-beta 1 mRNA was found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all HCC patients with extrahepatic metastasis.

CONCLUSIONTGF-beta 1 may participate in hepatocyte canceration. The overexpression of TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 1 mRNA could be useful markers for early diagnosis and predicting prognosis of HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; prevention & control ; Prognosis ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of muscular needling combined with scarring moxibustion on active stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSSixty cases of RA were randomly divided into a muscular needling group and a medication group, 30 cases in each group. The muscular needling group was treated by muscular needling on Quchi (LI 11), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. combined with scarring moxibustion on Dazhui (GV 14), Zusanli (ST 36) etc., while the medication group was treated by oral administration of Diclofenac sodium and intramuscular injection of Methotrexate. The therapeutic effects, main symptoms and signs, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and rheumatoid factor were observed in two groups before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of muscular needling group was 76.7%, and that of medication group was 73.3%, there was no significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). The clinical symptoms, signs, and E8R of two groups were improved obviously compared with those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), however there were no significant differences between the two groups after treatment (all P > 0.05). The adverse reactions of medication group were more eminent compared to the muscular needling group.

CONCLUSIONMuscular needling can obviously relieve the symptoms and signs of active stage rheumatoid arthritis and the effect is equivalent to oral administration of western medicine, the incidence of adverse reactions in the muscular needling group is obviously lower than that of western medication. Muscular needling is a safe and effective method for treatment of RA.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; metabolism ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Rheumatoid Factor ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of four kinds of traditional Chinese herbal compound, Sini powder, Banxiahoupu soup, Ganmaidazao soup and Guizhigancaolonggumuli soup, on the experimental acute stress behaviors and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axis.

METHODRats were divide into 7 groups: normal group, model 1 and 2 groups, Sini powder group, Banxiahoupu soup group, Ganmaidazao soup group, and Guizhigancaolonggumuli soup group. The behaviors of the rats and their CRH of the hypothalamus, ACTH of plasma and CORT of serum (by the means of radio-immunity) were detected.

RESULTSini powder could reduce the crossing times of open-field test( P < 0.01) and the contents of CRH and CORT (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); Banxiahoupu soup could extent the still time of tail-hanging test ( P < 0.05) and the content of CRH (P < 0.05); Ganmaidazao soup could prolong the still time (P < 0.05) and reduce the struggle times (P < 0.01) of tail-hanging test and reduce the contents of CRH, ACTH and CORT (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); Guizhigancaolonggumuli soup could reduce the crossing times of open-field test (P < 0.01) , extent the still time (P < 0.05) and reduce the struggle times ( P < 0.01) of tail-hanging test of tail-hanging test, also reduce the contents of CRH, ACTH and CORT (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe four kinds of traditional Chinese herbal compound can increase the ability of anti stress by affect the different taches of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland axle and change the stress behaviors, which are based on their respective functions of regulating Qi, dispersing phlegm, tonifying Qi and warming Yang.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Corticosterone ; blood ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Male ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Ostreidae ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Physiological ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the prognostic impact of bone marrow involvement (BMI) and therapy in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

METHODSThe clinical characteristics and prognosis of 83 DLBCL patients with or without BMI were retrospectively analyzed. The treatment outcome of standard CHOP regimen (CHOP group), intensive-dose regimen (intensive-dose group) and rituximab combined therapy (rituximab group) were compared.

RESULTSThe adverse prognostic factors including LDH elevation, ECOG score > or =2, higher IPI and aaIPI score, B symptom, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, hemoglobin <110 g/L, platelet <100 x 10(9)/L and serum albumin <35 g/L were more prevalent in DLBCL patients with BMI than in those without BMI. Multivariate analysis showed that BMI was an independent prognostic factor of DLBCL. The 3-year OS and PFS rates in rituximab group were 78.1% and 64.3%, respectively, being statistically higher than that in CHOP group (23.6% and 21.8% respectively, P = 0.000 for both) and in intensive-dose group (33.3% and 25.7% respectively, P = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). But no difference between the latter two groups (P = 0.411 and 0.694, respectively). For the patients with BMI, the 3-years OS and PFS in rituximab group (57.1% and 57.1%) were statistically higher than that in CHOP group (13.9% and 14.1%) and intensive-dose group (29.5% and 16.8%) (P = 0.029 and 0.012 respectively), respectively and also no difference in the latter two groups (P = 0.226 and 0.376 respectively). In the rituximab group, the 3-years OS and PFS were 86.7% and 67.3% respectively in patients without BMI, being higher than that in patients with BMI (57.1% and 57.1%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.645 and 0.965 respectively).

CONCLUSIONBMI is a negative independent prognostic factors of DLBCL patients. The rituximab combined chemotherapy can significantly improve the therapeutic effect of the DLBCL, and relieve the negative impact of BMI.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prednisone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab ; Treatment Outcome ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo analyse the clinical outcome and the prognostic factor of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODSDisease-free survival (DFS), event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and prognostic factors were evaluated by Cox regression with SPSS in 141 childhood AML in our hospital from August 1995 to July 2004. The patients were divided into 2 groups: acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) as group A and AML other than APL as group B.

RESULTSOf the 90 group B patients, 54.4% (49/90) achieved complete remission (CR) after one course chemotherapy , with a total CR rate of 76.7%. The cumulative 5 year DFS and OS rate for group B patients were (28.4 +/- 9.0)% and (35.5 +/- 6.3)%, the 51 group A patients were (94.3 +/- 4.0)% and (81.4 +/- 5.7)%, and for total 141 AML patients were (56.9 +/- 6.3)% and (53.3 +/- 4.8)% respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher bone marrow blast cell percentage at diagnosis, CR after more than one course of chemotherapy and less than six courses of consolidation chemotherapy were risk prognostic factors in childhood AML other than APL (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe prognosis of childhood APL is better, while of childhood t(8;21) AML is no better than other FAB subtypes.

Adolescent ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Prognosis ; Regression Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Survivin, a new member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family, expressed in the most human cancers but not in terminally differentiated adult tissues, so survivin may be a target for tumor therapy. In addition, some scholars found that survivin expression is associated with the resistance in chemotherapy. To explore the relationship between survivin and drug-resistance, the alteration of survivin mRNA and protein of HL-60 cells treated with daunomycin (DNR), mitoxantrone (MIT) and arsenic trioxide (As2O3) was investigated, the expressions of survivin mRNA and survivin protein were detected on the first and third day by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The results showed that survivin mRNA levels all decreased after the first day of treatment with drugs. It was decreased by 10% in DNR group, 40% (P < 0.01) in MIT group, and 25% (P < 0.01) in As2O3 group in comparison with control cells. In the third day, the survivin mRNA treated with DNR was up-regulated by 20% (P < 0.05), compared with the first day, and MIT was up-regulated by 65% (P < 0.01), but As2O3 was still down-regulated by 32% (P < 0.01). In Western blot, survivin protein level increased 14% after treated with DNR for three days, compared with the control cells, and 11% in MIT, but decreased by 82% in As2O3. It is concluded that after treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs, the survivin level descended at first day and then ascended obviously. This phenomenon may be associated with the resistance in chemotherapy for leukemia. On the other hand, As2O3 shows a different mechanism that may play a significant role to reverse resistance.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Daunorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mitoxantrone ; pharmacology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

To investigate the expression of survivin gene and its relationship with Epstin-Barr virus (EBV) infection in midline T-cell lymphoma (MTL), immunohistochemistry staining method was used to examine the expression of survivin and EBV-latent membrane protein (LMP-1) in the 41 cases. In situ hybridization (ISH) was used to detect EBV-encoded RNA (EBER1/2). The results showed that the expression of survivin was positive in 26 cases of midline T-cell lymphoma, but no positive was detected in 10 cases of reactive lymphoid tissues. The positive expression ratio of survivin was 12.5% in cases of MTL with low grade of malignancy, and was 75.76% in cases of MTL with middle and high grades of malignancy, the significant difference was found between these two groups (chi(2) = 8.55, P < 0.01). Positive expression ratios of EBER1/2 and LMP-1 were 70.73% and 41.46% respectively. Survivin expression was not significantly different between EBER1/2 positive and negative cases (P > 0.05). It is concluded that survivin expression is up-regulated in MTL, and survivin positive expression rate is associated with the degree of malignancy. Survivin may play a role in the pathogenesis of the MTL by influencing cell apoptosis. EBV infection is not significantly associated with survivin expression in the MTL.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Female ; Granuloma, Lethal Midline ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; LIM Domain Proteins ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Nose Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; virology ; RNA, Viral ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of vitamin D as an adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia through a systematic review. METHODS: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and Weipu Data were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D as the adjuvant therapy for childhood pneumonia published up to August 2019. Literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction were performed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Revman 5.3 was used to perform the Meta analysis of outcome indicators. RESULTS: A total of 7 RCTs with 1 527 children were included, with 762 children in the vitamin D adjuvant therapy group and 765 children in the control group. The results of the Meta analysis showed that vitamin D adjuvant therapy had no effect on recovery time (P=0.67), length of hospital stay (P=0.73), and time to relief of fever (P=0.43). Furthermore, it did not reduce the recurrence rate (P=0.14), rate of adverse events (P=0.20), and mortality rate (P=0.98) of childhood pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS Current evidence shows that vitamin D adjuvant therapy has no marked efficacy in the treatment of childhood pneumonia.