The compatibility of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) formulae containing enormous information, is a complex component system. Applications of mathematical statistics methods on the compatibility researches of traditional Chinese medicines formulae have great significance for promoting the modernization of traditional Chinese medicines and improving clinical efficacies and optimizations of formulae. As a tool for quantitative analysis, data inference and exploring inherent rules of substances, the mathematical statistics method can be used to reveal the working mechanisms of the compatibility of traditional Chinese medicines formulae in qualitatively and quantitatively. By reviewing studies based on the applications of mathematical statistics methods, this paper were summarized from perspective of dosages optimization, efficacies and changes of chemical components as well as the rules of incompatibility and contraindication of formulae, will provide the references for further studying and revealing the working mechanisms and the connotations of traditional Chinese medicines.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; statistics & numerical data ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Drug Incompatibility ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Tumor immune checkpoint therapy is a clinical treatment strategy developed based on the new principle of the inhibition of negative immune regulation. In this article, the tumor immune checkpoint therapy and the drug delivery strategies were reviewed, mainly including immunity and tumor therapy, tumor immune checkpoint therapy and its mechanism of action, clinical application of tumor immune checkpoint therapy and therapeutic drugs, immune resistance of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) treatment and countermeasures, drug delivery strategies for tumor immune checkpoint therapeutic agents, etc. As a revolutionary new immunotherapy strategy, tumor immune checkpoint therapy has shown obvious superior therapeutic efficacy in a variety types of tumor. However, tumor immune checkpoint therapy is also faced with a big challenge, namely, immunotherapy resistance. With the discovery of new mechanism, the continuous development of new therapeutic drugs and delivery strategies, tumor immune checkpoint therapy is expected to further improve the clinical efficacy of tumor.

Objective To investigate the effect of silencing E6-associated protein(E6AP)on the level of p53 protein in human papilloma virus(HPV)negative cervical cancer cells(C33A cells).Methods The siRNA sequence silencing E6AP(siE6AP)and silencing control disordered siRNA sequence(siControl)were transfected into C33A cells with the mediation of LipofectamineTM2000 transfection reagent respectively.The silencing effect of siRNA on E6AP and the expression of p53and cleaved-caspase-3 proteins were detected by Western blot.Results The levels of E6AP protein in C33A cells of siE6AP group were significantly lower(t =-4.597,P<0.05),while the levels of p53 and cleaved-caspase-3 proteins were significantly higher than those of siControl group(t = 4.533 and 7.099 respectively,each P<0.05).Conclusion Silencing of E6AP significantly increased the expression of p53 protein in C33A cells,indicating that silencing of E6AP may restore the activity and function of p53 protein in C33A cells.

This study analyzed the current situation and problems of two-way referral between wound healing department of general hospitals and community health service centers through stipulated interview with physicians in general hospitals and community health service centers, and patients visiting these organizations from March 2011 to April. It was found that the current two-way referral process for wound repair were facing a series of problems, including hospitals-transfer difficulty, incomplete two-way referral policy and undefined practice protocol, information-sharing obstacle between general hospitals and community health service centers. The critical countermeasures for overcoming these obstacles in two-way referral of wound ailments shall include construction of further linkage mechanism among all levels of hospitals, establishment of the drug-obtaining mechanism, establishment of an explicit two-way referral process of wound repair, and establishment of a database of diagnosis and treatment information of patients that can be accessed by doctors of different levels of hospitals, etc.
Community Health Planning ; Community-Institutional Relations ; Hospitals, Special ; Humans ; Referral and Consultation ; Wound Healing

BACKGROUNDRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) has become one of the leading causes of visual loss in children. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is the principal stimulator of angiogenesis. VEGF was differentially spliced from exon 8 to exons 8a and 8b to form two families: the pro-angiogenic VEGFxxx family and the anti-angiogenic VEGFxxxb family. Previous research has shown variable effeteness of bevacizumab in inhibiting retinal neovascularization in ROP. This study aimed to investigate whether the effectiveness of this inhibition depends on the relative ratio of the two VEGF isoforms.

METHODSIntravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) was performed in the oxygen-induced-retinopathy (OIR) mice on postnatal day 12 (P12) (intravitreal phosphate buffered saline (PBS) injection as control). The Evans blue perfused retina were used to test the retinal neovascularization-leakage (NVL) area and non-perfusion (NP) area.

RESULTSThe retinal NVL and NP area in the IVB group were significantly smaller than the intravitreal PBS injection group (IVP group). On P17, the protein level of total VEGF isoforms was significantly inhibited compared to IVP group (P < 0.05) while VEGF(165)b isoform was slight reduced (P > 0.05). The switch from pro-angiogenic isoforms to anti-angiogenic isoforms after IVB could be found. The relative protein expression of VEGF(165)b isoform was significantly higher in IVB group than in IVP group (P < 0.05) on P17 which was correlated with the reduced ischemia-induced angiogenesis in OIR mice after IVB.

CONCLUSIONSThe anti-angiogenic effectiveness might depend on the relative high expression of VEGF(165)b after intravitreal bevacizumab injection. Anti-angiogenic therapy is a more effective therapy for ROP.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; administration & dosage ; Bevacizumab ; Disease Models, Animal ; Intravitreal Injections ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Protein Isoforms ; analysis ; Retinal Neovascularization ; prevention & control ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; drug therapy ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the multi-differentiated capability of human periodontal ligament cell population (hPDLP), and provide a theoretical basis for the periodontal regeneration by tissue engineering technique.

METHODShPDLP was cultured from periodontium of human tooth by the outgrowth method. STRO-1 and CD 146 expression were investigated by flow cytometry. hPDLP was induced to odontogenic/osteogenic-like and adipogenic-like cell. The multilineage differentiation capacities of hPDLP were evaluated by alizarin red stain, oil red O stain, anti-CD146 and STRO-1 immunocytochemistry, and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis.

RESULTShPDLP was isolated from human periodontium and most of the cells retained their fibroblastic spindle shape. hPDLP can be induced into osteoblast-like cells and adipocyte-like cells, and calcium deposition and lipid droplets were detected perspectively. And the eighth generation of hPDLP had weaker potential into adipocyte-like cells than the first passage, however, there was no difference to the aspect of calcification ability between the two passages.

CONCLUSIONhPDLP cultured in vitro can differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblasts, and the first to third passage cells may have the predominance of differentiation potential.

Adipocytes ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Odontogenesis ; Osteoblasts ; Periodontal Ligament ; Regeneration ; Tissue Engineering

OBJECTIVE: To examine the potential of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance imaging for detecting renal changes after iodinated contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) development in a diabetic rabbit model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-two rabbits were randomized into 2 groups: diabetic rabbits with the contrast agent (DCA) and healthy rabbits with the contrast agent (NCA). In each group, 6 rabbits underwent IVIM and BOLD imaging at 1 hour, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, and 4 days after an iohexol injection while 5 rabbits were selected to undergo blood and histological examinations at these specific time points. Iohexol was administrated at a dose of 2.5 g I/kg of body weight. Further, the apparent transverse relaxation rate (R2*), average pure molecular diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were calculated. RESULTS: The D and f values of the renal cortex (CO) and outer medulla (OM) were significantly decreased compared to baseline values in the 2 groups 1 day after the iohexol injection (p < 0.05). A marked reduction in the D* values for both the CO and OM was also observed after 1 hour in each group (p < 0.05). In the OM, a persistent elevation of the R2* was detected for 4 days in the DCA group (p < 0.05). Histopathological changes were prominent, and the pathological features of CI-AKI aggravated in the DCA group until day 4. The D, f, and R2* values significantly correlated with the histological damage scores, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1α expression scores, and serum creatinine levels. CONCLUSION: A combination of IVIM and BOLD imaging may serve as a noninvasive method for detecting and monitoring CI-AKI in the early stages in the diabetic kidney.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Body Weight ; Creatinine ; Diffusion ; Iohexol ; Kidney ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Methods ; Oxygen ; Perfusion ; Rabbits ; Relaxation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Objective · To study the effect of inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1) on ocular neovascularization. Methods · The oxygen-induced retinal neovascularization (OIR), laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and over-expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (Rho-VEGF) transgenic mice were established. The localization and mRNA level of ID1 in retina of OIR mice and Rho-VEGF transgenic mice were determined by immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR. Mice deficient in ID1 (ID1-/-) were used to induce retinal neovascularization in accordance with the above three models, and to compare the changes of ID1 on the number of retinal, subretinal and choroidal neovascularization areas. In order to explore the role ID1 in neovascularization, the numbers and areas of retinal, subretinal and choroidal neovascularization in the mice models with or without ID1 deficiency were compared. Its effect on the related factors, i.e. hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), VEGF and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1/2 (VEGFR1/2) were also observed. Results · Mice deficient in ID1 showed a significant reduction in the area of neovascularization in these three models (P＜0.05). Mice lacking ID1 showed reduced levels of HIF-1α, VEGF and VEGFR 1. Conclusion · ID1 promotes the expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and VEGFR1 in the retina and choroidal neovascularization during hypoxia and oxidative injury.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Flow Cytometry ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Oligopeptides ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, PAR-2 ; agonists ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Trypsin ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Up-Regulation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of mediastinoscopy in preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on survival analysis.

METHODS152 cases of potentially operable NSCLC were enrolled in this study. All cases underwent CT scan and mediastinoscopy for assessment of the mediastinal lymph node status before initial treatment. The definitive treatment was decided on the basis of mediastinoscopy and the survival rate was analyzed with a median follow-up of 30.5 months. Survival analysis was conducted by comparing the lymph node status which was determined by final pathology (groups pN0, pN1, pN2, pN3), CT scan (group cN0-1, cN2-3) and mediastinoscopy (group mN0-1, mN2, mN3).

RESULTSThe 5-year survival rates in group pN0, pN1, pN2 and pN3 were 61.7%, 75.0%, 32.4% and 16.1%, respectively. Both groups pN0 and pN1 had significantly higher survival rates than those in groups pN2 and pN3 (P < 0.05). There were not significant differences between survival rates in groups cN0-1 and cN2-3 (P = 0.670), while the survival rate in group mN0-1 was significantly higher than that in groups mN2 and mN3 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMediastinoscopy is of great value in preoperative staging of NSCLC. Not only does it detect lymph node metastasis more precisely but also better predict the prognosis than CT scan.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Mediastinoscopy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Pneumonectomy ; Preoperative Period ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult