There is a high prevalence of gastric cancer in China,but most of the patients are diagnosed at advanced stages,when chemotherapy is regarded as an important component of the multimodal treatment.Chemotherapy has demonstrated advantages over best suppor-tive care in prolonging survival and improving quality of life.Over the past 40 years,the clinical responses of two or three-drug combination chemotherapy regimens have been accepted,and 5-fluorouracil,cisplatin and epirubicin have been most frequently used in gastric cancer.Recently,the therapeutic effects of advanced gastric cancer treated by new regimen consisted of docetaxel,irinotecan,oxaliplatin and capecitabine have been further enhanced.The molecular targeted agent,cetuximab and bevacizumab,combined with chemotherapy,would be more promising therapeutic regimens in the treatment of advanced gastric caner.

Isolation of high-quality genomic DNA from dried and processed crude drug is the key for the DNA identification of Dendrobii Caulis. The DNA extract of Dendrobii Caulis was firstly compared using different method to isolate genomic DNA from dried and processed crude drug, including commercial DNA extracted kit and CTAB method. Using modified CTAB method (extracted from large samples), the genomic DNA was successfully isolated from Dendrobii Caulis, including Huangcao and Fengdou. The ITS regions were amplified using the purified DNA as template, and then cloned and sequenced. These ITS sequences were compared with data from Genbank database and our lab, 14 Dendrobium species and five similar species were identified from "Huangcao" and "Huangcao" slice, while six species and three similar species from "Fengdou" according to their sequence similarity. The study demonstrated that the dried Dendrobii Caulis could be identified using DNA molecular method, which could overcome deficiencies and limitations of traditional identification method and has a certain application prospects.
DNA, Intergenic ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; classification ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Objective To observe the efficacy and toxicities of RF transparent heating (RTH) combined with transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of advanced primary hepatic carcinoma. Methods In a randomized manner, 69 patients with advanced primary hepatic carcinoma were divided into two groups: study group (TACE+RTH) 34 cases and control group (TACE alone) 35 cases, the control group were treated with DDP 80mg, FU 1000mg and E-ADM 60mg, E-ADM was used with iodized oil embolism 10ml. Results The total effective rate in the near future were 70.59% and 45.71%, the overall survival rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 years were 82.35%, 73.53%, 58.82%, 38.24% in study group and 74.29%, 75.14%, 45.71%, 22.86% in control group, respectively. Toxicities were similar comparing with the two groups. Conclusions RTH combined with TACE in the treatment of advanced primary hepatic carcinoma is better than TACE alone, at the same time TACE +RTH method is no increasing toxicity and is an effective safe combined one.

Objective To study the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs),and to explore any effect of EA in neurological rehabilitation and its mechanism.Methods Middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to establish a model of cerebral infarction in 120 Wistar rats.They were then randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,both of which were further subdivided into 1,3,7,14,21 and 28 day sub-groups with 10 in each sub-group.Bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu) was given at the 1st,2nd,6th,13th,20th and 27th day to detect any proliferation and differentiation of NSCs.After 7 days the motor function of the two groups was evaluated using a beam walking test.Rats were sacrificed at the different time points and Brdu labeled cells and nestin-positive cells were determined by immunohistochemistry.The level of basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) mRNA was determined by in-situ hybridization.The results were analyzed using a micro-image analysis system.Results The Brdu-labeled cell counts and nestin-positive cells were significantly different between the treatment and control groups at each time point.Motor function improved significantly in the treatment group with EA stimulation compared with the control group,but there was no significant difference between the 21 day and 28 day sub-groups in the treatment group.The expression levels of bFGF-2 mRNA were significantly different between the treatment and control groups at the early time points (up to the 14th day).Conclusions EA can promote proliferation of NSCs and increase the expression of FGF-2 mRNA,particularly early after cerebral infarction.It may be one of mechanisms of EA's effectiveness in treating ischemic stroke.

Objective To study the changes of Young's modulus value of the renal cortex,vertebral body and sinus when there was a different degree of acute renal artery stenosis.Methods 10 Japanese white rabbits were used for this study.The left renal artery was dissected.An ultrasound probe was placed on the left kidney,Young's modulus of the renal cortex,vertebral body and sinus were recorded using shear wave ultrasound elastic imaging technique during three stages:when the renal artery was intact (0％ stenosis),tied with a suture (＞ 50％ stenosis),and ligated (100％ stenosis).Renal tissue elasticity with different degrees of renal artery stenosis were compared.Pathological study was carried out in the kidneys,each with either 0％,＞ 50％ or 100％ renal artery stenosis.Results The mean values of Young's modulus from the renal cortex,vertebral body and sinus with different degrees of renal artery stenosis were as follows:0％ stenosis,(16.31 ±1.70) kPa,(13.38± 1.63) kPa,and (12.75±2.26) kPa;＞ 50％ stenosis,(14.16±2.34) kPa,(11.49±2.70) kPa,and (10.72±2.56) kPa;100％ stenosis,(11.35 ± 1.48) kPa,(8.39± 1.29) kPa,and (7.08 ± 1.52) kPa.The mean value of Young's modulus from the renal cortex was significantly higher than those from the renal vertebral body and sinus (P ＜ 0.05).The mean values of Young's modulus from different parts of the kidney decreased progressively with an increase in renal artery stenosis (P ＜ 0.05).The pathological study demonstrated that with the increase in the severity of renal artery stenosis,glomerular volume,renal interstitial capillary diameter and red blood cells decreased.When renal artery stenosis reached 100％,there was patch degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration within the renal interstitium,and mild degeneration of tubular epithelial cells with obscure cell borders.Conclusions The value of Young's modulus from the renal cortex was higher than those from the renal pyramid and sinus in rabbits.The values of Young's modulus from the renal cortex,pyramid and sinus decreased with an increase in the severity of renal artery stenosis,which suggest that,in the study of the elasticity of the kidney,the renal artery blood flow dynamic state can obviously affect the value of the elasticity of the kidney.

Objective To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on neurological function, and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factorκB (NF-κB) protein in ischemic penumbra after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) injury. Methods A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=12), model group (n=12) and EA group (n=12). The later two groups were occluded their right middle cerebral arteries for two hours and reperfused. The EA group was pretreated with EA at Baihui (GV20) for two weeks before modeling. They were assessed with modified Neurological Severity Scores (mNSS), the injury in ischemic brain was detected with HE staining, and the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB protein in ischemic penumbra were detected with Western blotting, 24 hours after reperfusion. Results The score of mNSS decreased (P<0.05), the injury of brain tissue ameliorated, and the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB decreased in ischemic penumbra (P<0.05) in EA group compared with those in the model group. Conclu-sion EA pretreatment can reduce the injury and improve the neurological function in rats after CIR by down-regulating the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB protein in ischemic penumbra.

Urinary excretions of transforming grow th factor-? 1 (TGF-? 1), laminin (LN) and type Ⅳ collagen were determined i n 182 type 2 diabetic patients. Urinary excretions of TGF-? 1, LN and type Ⅳ collagen were increased in type 2 diabetic patients, and these findings were fa irly well correlated with severity of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Urinary TGF-? 1 seems to be the early index of DN, urinary LN and type Ⅳ collagen appear to be the indices of DN severity.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated that exogenous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may ameliorate kidney damage and enhance repair of renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). This review will focus on the mechanism for accelerating repair of renal IRI by MSCs. Several chemokine receptors such as CXCR4 and CD44 are related to MSCs trafficking to post-ischemic kidney. MSCs differentiate into tubular epithelial cells, which is not the predominant mechanism for repair of the damaged kidney. Instead, MSCs exert their therapeutic effect mainly through paracrine action via a variety of cytokines and microvesicles, and the paracrine actions of infused MSCs work to activate intrinsic kidney cells, promote angiogenesis, inhibit oxidative stress and reduce apoptosis, inflammation and renal fibrosis.
Animals ; Humans ; Kidney ; blood supply ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Oxidative Stress ; Reperfusion Injury ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo make a study of the cytokine changes in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the elderly and the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine that can clear away the lung-heat and dissipate blood stasis (Qingfeihuayu soup).

METHODThe 82 cases with CAP in the elderly were divided at random into two treatment group and control group. Based on heteropathy, the treatment group was given Qingfeihuayu soup two times a day. The control group was given Rocephin 2 g once daily for 7 days. The clinical effect and the changes in TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10 were observed before and after the treatment. A healthy group was also set up.

RESULTBefore treatment, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in both groups were higher than the healthy group (P < 0.01) and IL-10 lower than the healthy group (P < 0.01). After treatment, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in both groups decreased (P < 0.01) while IL-10 in treatment group increased. There existed a great difference compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The total effective rate in the treatment group is 92.50% while the control group is 85.71%. thus have a great difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDuring the process of the development of CAP in the elderly, there existed the phenomenon of the excessive release of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and the too much inhibition of IL-10. The unbalance of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 can be a monitoring index reflecting the severity of the disease. The Chinese medicine Qingfeihuayu soup has obviously have regulating and clinical effect.

Aged ; Community-Acquired Infections ; blood ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Cytokines ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; blood ; drug therapy ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Yangjing Zhongyu Decoction (YZD) on mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR, and FSHR in ovarian granulose cells (GCs) cultured by excess androgen.

METHODSOvarian GCs from porcine follicles were isolated and cultured in vitro. Follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) or YZD was added in the GCs treated by excess testosterone propionate. Totally 48 h later mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR, and FSHR were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSExcess androgen inhibited mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR, and FSHR of GCs. FSH and YZD could antagonize inhibition of excess androgens, and promote mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR, and FSHR in GCs.

CONCLUSIONYZD could antagonize the inhibition of excess androgen on mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR and FSHR in GCs. Thus, we inferred that YZD could improve the follicle dysplasia by promoting mRNA and protein expression of PCNA, StAR and FSHR in GCs.

Androgens ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; pharmacology ; Granulosa Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ovarian Follicle ; cytology ; drug effects ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Receptors, FSH ; genetics ; metabolism ; Swine