As a kind of commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng has a high reputation at home and abroad. The research of ginseng has been expanded to medicine, pharmacy, biology, food science and other fields, with great achievements in recent years. Ginseng contains ginsenosides, volatile oil, carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, inorganic elements and othser chemical constituents. Each component has extensive physiological activity, and is the base of ginseng's effect. After processing, the complicated changes are taken place in the constituents of ginseng, and some new substances produced. This paper aims to review the studies on chemical constituents and their mechanisms during ginseng processing, and the ideas, methods and the direction of the development of traditional Chinese medicine processing in the future.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of ox-LDL on monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

METHODSDCs were derived from healthy donors and divided into four groups according to the method of stimulation. The cells of blank group, negative group, experimental group and positive group which were treated with PBS, LDL, ox-LDL, TNF-alpha, individually. ox-LDL was added during the late stage of monocyte differentiation. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell surface markers and the endocytoses of DCs. (3)H-TdR incorporation was used to measure the proliferation of syngeneic and allogeneic T cells. ELISA assay was used to measure IL-12, MCP-1and MIP1 in cultured medium. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the content of IkappaBalpha and NF-kappaB of DCs.

RESULTSAddition of ox-LDL during the late stage of monocytes differentiation can upregulate the cell surface markers including CD40 (22.3% vs. 45.6%) and CD86 (25.9% vs. 82.4%), increase the secretion of IL-12 (31.43 pg/ml vs. 126.73 pg/ml) and MCP-1 (59.6 ng/ml vs. 116.3 ng/ml), reduce DCs uptake capacity (46.8% vs. 10.7%), enhance allogeneic T cells proliferation (SI: 4.5 vs. 5.7), promote IkappaBalpha degradation and upregulate the expression of NF-kappaB in DCs.

CONCLUSIONox-LDL can promote the maturation of PBMCs-derived DCs by promoting IkappaBalpha degradation.

Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; I-kappa B Proteins ; metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; pharmacology ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism

Objective To establish a method of multicolor melting curve analysis for the prenatal diagnosis ofβthalassemia.Methods Methodology establishment.A total of 95 cases, including 9 fetal villi samples(10-13 weeks)and 86 amniotic fluid samples(18-24 weeks)were collected by Center for Prenatal Diagnosis of Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital between January 2014 and December 2014.A double-blind test was done to detect the mutations of beta globin gene by means of reverse dot ( RDB) blot and multicolor melting curve analysis ( MMCA).The consistency of the two methods is compared.Results The results of 93 cases detected by MMCA and RDB are completely consistent.The results of the 2 cases detected by MMCA after correction are the same as the results detected by RDB.Finally, the coincidence rate of the result was 100%.Conclusion MMCA can be applied to the prenatal diagnosis ofβthalassemia as an effective supplement to RDB.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of formaldehyde inhalation on the morphological damage, and Glu, GABA and NOS contents in olfactory bulb and hippocampus of rats.

METHODSTwenty SD rats were equally divided into two groups: rats in the control group inhaled fresh air, while the animals in experimental group were exposed to the air containing formaldehyde (12.5 mg/m(3), 4 h/d) for 7 days. Then rats were sacrificed and frozen sections of olfactory bulb and hippocampus were prepared. The morphological changes were examined and the Glu, GABA and NOS contents were detected using Nissl-staining, immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTCompared with the control group, there was a significant confusion and shrink of neuron morphology in experimental group, the number and staining intensity of Glu and NOS positive cells and protein contents were reduced. The protein expression of GABA was also decreased in the formaldehyde group.

CONCLUSIONFormaldehyde inhalation can cause a severe morphological damage of olfactory bulb and hippocampus in SD rats,which may further impair memory and learning ability through the reduction of Glu, GABA and NOS expression.

Animals ; Formaldehyde ; toxicity ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Inhalation Exposure ; Learning ; drug effects ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Olfactory Bulb ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the functional effects of MAPK pathway in the pathogenesis of human osteosarcoma.

METHODSGene microarray (Human Genome U133A, Affymetrix) was used to screen the differential expression of genes involved in MAPK pathway between osteosarcoma cell lines and 3 osteoblastic cell lines. KEGG metabolic pathway analysis was performed among significantly increased or decreased genes using the MATLAB software. Immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expressions of ERK1/2, JNK and p38 proteins among 48 osteosarcoma and benign 24 osteoblastic tumor samples.

RESULTSUsing an entrance limit of > or = 2.0, 18 differentially expressed MAPK pathway-related genes were selected (10 up-regulated, 8 down-regulated) to mapped to the MAPK pathway of KEGG which are all important node genes. The positive rates of ERK1/2, JNK and p38 proteins were 83.3% (40/48), 72.9% (35/48) and 85.4% (41/48) in osteosarcomas,and 12.5% (3/24), 8.3% (2/24) and 16.7% (4/24) in the control group, respectively. The positive rates and expression intensities were statistically different between the 2 groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONMAPK pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. ERK, JNK and p38 form an intercoordinating network and regulate the cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, invasion and migration in osteosarcoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Child ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Osteoblastoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Osteosarcoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction ; Young Adult ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of curcumin (Cur) on radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell CNE-2 and its mechanism.

METHODThe effect of curcumin on radiosensitivity was determined by the clone formation assay. The cell survival curve was fitted by Graph prism 6. 0. The changes in cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The differential expression of long non-coding RNA was detected by gene chip technology. Part of differentially expressed genes was verified by Real-time PCR.

RESULTAfter 10 micro mol L-1 Cur had worked for 24 h, its sensitization enhancement ratio was 1. 03, indicating that low concentration of curcumin could increase the radiosensitivity of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells; FCM displayed a significant increase of G2 phase cells and significant decrease of S phase cells in the Cur combined radiation group. In the Cur group, the GUCY2GP, H2BFXP, LINC00623 IncRNA were significantly up-regulated and ZRANB2-AS2 LOC100506835, FLJ36000 IncRNA were significantly down-regulated.

CONCLUSIONCur has radiosensitizing effect on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2 cells. Its mechanism may be related to the changes in the cell cycle distribution and the expression of long non-coding IncRNA.

Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; genetics ; Radiation Tolerance ; drug effects

Objective:To analyze clinical and imaging features of Sturge-Weber syndrome in children.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 27 children with Sturge-Weber syndrome in Xuzhou Children′s Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University from July 2013 to December 2019, and analyzed retrospectively.Results:Among the 27 children, 17 were males and 10 were females. Their age at the clinic visit ranged from 2 days to 10 years and 7 months, and averaged 2.54 years. All the 27 patients presented with facial port-wine stains of varied color from light red to purple red, which were all distributed across the facial midline, including 21 with predominantly unilateral port-wine stains and 6 with bilateral symmetrical port-wine stains. There were 17 patients with ocular choroidal vascular malformations, including 14 with congenital glaucoma, 5 with high intraocular pressure, and 1 with optic nerve atrophy accompanied by transient blindness. Neurological impairment occurred in 12 patients, and all manifested as epilepsy. All the 27 children underwent imaging examination, and abnormalities were found in 20. Among the 10 patients with abnormal computed tomography images, local calcification was observed in 8, and local thickening of the skull on the side affected by skin lesions in 8; 13 of 14 patients with abnormal magnetic resonance imaging scan results had signs of brain atrophy, 9 showed enhanced gyrus-like blood vessel formation by enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, and 5 showed decreased branches of the anterior and middle cerebral artery on the affected facial side by magnetic resonance angiography.Conclusions:Children with Sturge-Weber syndrome are clinically characterized by predominantly unilateral port wine stains on the face, some of whom are accompanied by epilepsy, glaucoma or mental retardation, and imaging examinations mainly show local calcification, brain atrophy, local thickening of the skull plate, enhanced gyrus-like blood vessel formation, etc. Early definite diagnosis and comprehensive systemic treatment are needed to reduce disability and mortality rates in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome, and long-term follow-up should be considered.

OBJECTIVESTo prove the protective effect of Edaravone to neurons and to study the particular mechanism.

METHODSNeurons were collected from 18-day fetal rat brains and a culture of almost pure neurons was obtained after 14-day culture, then the cells were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: control group, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-treated group, and Edaravone-treated group. In H₂O₂-treated group, 300 µmol/L H₂O₂ was added to the medium, followed by returning to the normal culture for the presupposition of time. In Edaravone-treated group, 500 µmol/L Edaravone was prophylactically added to the medium for 30 minutes before the insult. Morphology of mitochondria was visualized by transmission electron microscopy. The rate of apoptotic cells was detected by flow cytometry analysis. The relationships between the proteins and the key proteins expressions were observed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting.

RESULTSCompared to the Edaravone-treated group, mitochondria in H₂O₂-treated group displayed more vesicular matrix compartments at the same time. Percentage of apoptotic cells in H₂O₂-treated group after 0.5, 2, 6 and 12 h were 14.40% ± 1.23%, 45.50% ± 2.81%, 56.40% ± 3.53%, 62.50% ± 4.23%, which were higher than control group (F = 274.8, P < 0.01). Edaravone-treated group were 0.90% ± 0.07%, 1.10% ± 0.08%, 3.50% ± 1.90%, 12.60% ± 1.10%, which were lower than H₂O₂-treated group (F = 362.7, P < 0.01). After H₂O₂ stimulation for 0.5 h in H₂O₂-treated group, the levels of p-JNK (Thr183/Tyr185) and cytochrome c in cytosol and BAX in heavy membrane were increased significantly at 0.5 h, reaching a peak at 12 h after stimulation, In addition, the expressions of p-BAD, BAX, BAD and 14-3-3 of cytoplasm decreased, however, these changes were inhibited in the Edaravone-treated group.

CONCLUSIONSAs a free radical scavenger, the Edaravone could protect neurons by inhibiting the activity of JNK, the disassociation of BAD from 14-3-3 and the translocation of BAX from the cytosol to mitochondria.

14-3-3 Proteins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antipyrine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mitochondria ; drug effects ; Neurons ; drug effects ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Primary Cell Culture ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism ; bcl-Associated Death Protein ; metabolism

AIMTo evaluate the fertilization competence of spermatozoa from ejaculates and testicle when the oocytes were matured in vitro following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

METHODSFifty-six completed cycles in 46 women with polycystic ovarian syndrome were grouped according to the semen parameters of their male partners. Group 1 was 47 cycles that presented motile and normal morphology spermatozoa in ejaculates and Group 2 was the other nine cycles where male partners were diagnosed as obstructive azoospermia and spermatozoa could only be found in testicular tissue fragment. All female patients received minimal stimulation with gonadotropin. Immature oocytes were matured in vitro and inseminated by ICSI. The spermatozoa from testes were retrieved by testicular fine needle aspiration.

RESULTSA total of 449 and 78 immature oocytes were collected and cultured for 48 hours, 75.5 % (339/449) and 84.6 % (66/78) oocytes were matured in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The percentage of oocytes achieving normal fertilization was significantly higher in Group 1 than that in Group 2 (72.9 % vs. 54.5 %, P 0.05). There were no significant differences in the rates of oocytes cleavage and clinical pregnancies in these two groups [87.4 % (216/247) vs. 88.9 % (32/36); 21.3 % (10/47) vs. 44.4 % (4/9)]. A total of 15 babies in the two groups were healthy delivered at term.

CONCLUSIONIt appears that IVM combined with ICSI using testicular spermatozoa can produce healthy infants, while the normal fertilization rate of in vitro matured oocytes after ICSI using testicular spermatozoa was significantly lower than using the ejaculated spermatozoa.

Adult ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; methods ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; therapy ; Infertility, Male ; therapy ; Male ; Oocytes ; growth & development ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Semen ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Testis ; cytology

OBJECTIVE To assess the application value of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for the detection of gene deletion and prenatal diagnosis of α-thalassemia. METHODS MLPA was applied for 2 cases with α-thalassemia phenotype by whole blood cell counting and hemoglobin component detection but were ruled out by regular molecular diagnosis. Potential gene deletions and point mutations of α-thalassemia gene were detected with regular Gap-polymerase chain reaction (Gap-PCR) and reverse dot blotting (RDB) in 89 cases where one or both partners were carriers of α-thalassemia mutations. Meanwhile, MLPA was used for detecting α-globin gene deletion among the 89 samples. RESULTS For the 2 cases with α-thalassemia phenotype, no α globin gene deletion was detected by MLPA, but were subsequently confirmed as iron-deficiency anemia. The results of MLPA and Gap-PCR detection for the 88 cases were consistent, except for 1 fetal sample (chorionic villi) which could not be diagnosed by Gap-PCR and was confirmed to be - SEA/αα by MLPA. CONCLUSION MLPA can be applied to prenatal diagnosis of α-thalassemia as an effective supplement to Gap-PCR to reduce both misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis and improve the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods ; alpha-Thalassemia ; diagnosis ; genetics