OBJECTIVETo study the effect on anti-respiratory syncytial virus of an active compound (AP3) from a Chinese medicinal herb-Herba patriniae in vitro.

METHODSActive component of herba patriniae (AP3) was extracted and its anti-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) effect was tested. A water soluble substance (AP3) was isolated from a Chinese herb Herba patriniae, by hot water extraction, ethol precipitation and gel permeation column chromatography. The cytotoxicity of AP3 was tested by adding it to HeLa cells directly. Its effect against RSV was estimated by CPEI assay while ribavirin was used as positive control.

RESULTSChemical test showed that the nature of substance AP3 was polysaccharide. The median cytotoxic concentration (TC(50)) of AP3 was 11.45 mg/ml by morphological observation and the median effective concentration (50% effective concentration, EC(50)) of it against replication of the long strain of RSV in HeLa cells was 0.0986 mg/ml. The Therapeutic index (TI = TC(50)/EC(50)) of AP3 was 116.12, much higher than the TI of herba patriniae (AP1) (TI = 59.26) and ribavirin (TI = 53.45). Moreover, AP3 gave a dose-dependent response in inhibiting RSV. In the assay, the effect of AP3 against RSV growth was also tested. In addition, the effect of AP3 on virus growth, AP3 inhibited replication of RSV in HeLa cells, when added at 0 h, 2 h, 4 h after virus infection, were also tested.

CONCLUSIONThis study suggested that the AP3 exerted an obvious inhibitory effect to RSV in HeLa cell culture. This study furnished a reliable evidence for development of a new antiviral drug.

Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; drug effects ; Time Factors

AIM: To investigate the effects of baicalein(BAI)on the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer MGC-803 cells and the mechanisms.METHODS:After MGC-803 cells were treated with BAI at different concen-trations,the viability of the MGC-803 cells was tested by MTT assay.The cell colony formation ability were detected by plate colony formation assay.Wound-healing and Transwell cell migration assays were used to test the migration ability of the MGC-803 cells.The concentration of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid(12-HETE)was measured by ELISA.The pro-tein levels of platelet type 12-lipoxygenase(p12-LOX),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),p-ezrin and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)markers in MGC-803 cells were determined by Western blot.RESULTS:BAI significantly inhibited the proliferation,plate colony formation and migration abilities of the MGC-803 cells(P<0.05 or P<0.01), down-regulated the concentration of p12-LOX metabolite 12-HETE significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01), decreased the protein levels of p12-LOX,VEGF,p-ezrin,vimentin and Snail(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and increased the protein expres-sion of E-cadherin(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:BAI suppresses the proliferation and migration abilities of gastric cancer MGC-803 cells effectively.These effects of BAI may be related to regulating the protein levels of p12-LOX,VEGF,p-ezrin and EMT-related proteins.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of human hair keratin (HHK) in peripheral nerve repair and explore the mechanism of sciatic nerve regeneration.

METHODSRat models of sciatic nerve damage was established by creating a 10-mm gap in the sciatic nerve, which was bridged with a HHK implant. Histological examinations of the nerve tissues were performed at different time points after the surgery.

RESULTSDuring the period from 2 days to 2 weeks following HHK implantation, Schwann cells were found to undergo dedifferentiation and proliferate along the HHK implant. Three weeks after HHK implantation, numerous macrophages and megakaryocytes occurred around the HHK, and a large quantity of regenerated Schwann cells aligned in orderly fashion was seen between the fine filaments of partially degraded HHK, where axons and capillaries were also observed. Six weeks later, massive nerve fibers and capillaries developed around the HHK, and at 9 weeks, the HHK implant was substantially degraded and numerous regenerated nerve fibers occurred characterized by obvious epineurium and perineurium. Till 12 weeks after HHK implantation, HHK was almost completely degraded and replaced by the newly regenerated nerve fibers that had grown across the nerve defect.

CONCLUSIONSHHK is an ideal material for nerve injury repair. Apocytosis plays a key role in the differentiation process of highly differentiated Schwann cells into immature Schwann cells following nerve injury. As a protective mechanism, the axons undergo enclosure and dissociation following injuries, and the intact axons give rise to growth cones that extend fibers of growing buds to competitively bind the one or more Schwann cells, but only one such but finally develops into a complete axon. The nerve fiber barrier membrane is derived from the capillary menchymal stem cells and the outmost vascular barrier membrane. The regeneration of the Schwann cells, axons and the nerve membrane is the result of self-organization through a well synchronized and coordinated mechanism.

Animals ; Female ; Hair ; chemistry ; Humans ; Keratins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Nerve Regeneration ; drug effects ; physiology ; Prostheses and Implants ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; physiopathology

AIM:To explore the effects of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) double inhibitor AZD8055 on autophagy and apoptosis of human cholangiocarcinoma cell line HuCCT1. METHODS:The effect of AZD8055 on the viability of HuCCT1 cells was detected by MTT assay. Autophagosome was detected by acridine orange (AO) staining. Af-ter treated with AZD8055, the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 and auto-phagy marker proteins beclin 1, LC3 and p62 were determined by Western blot. Apoptotic rate was analyzed by flow cyto-metry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. RESULTS:AZD8055 significantly inhibited the viability of HuCCT1 cells (P<0.05). AO staining showed that AZD8055 significantly increased orange granules in the cytoplasm. After treated with AZD8055, compared with the control group, the protein level of beclin 1 and the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ were enhanced, while p62 was attenuated (P<0.05). The protein expression level of pro-apoptotic regulator Bax was down-regulated and anti-apoptotic regulator Bcl-2 was increased. The protein level of cleaved caspase-3 was reduced (P<0.05). The results of flow cytometry showed that AZD8055 inhibited cell apoptosis. CONCLUSION:AZD8055 inhibits the viability of cholangiocarcinoma cells, and the mechanism is closely related with autophagy induced by AZD8055.

Objective:To understand the sleep quality and mental health status of nurses in public health emergencies, and analyze the correlation between them.Methods:A total of 128 first-line nursing staff participating in public health emergencies on February 22-23, 2020 in Tianjin Beichen Hospital, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital were investigated by the general data questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90).Results:70.3%(90/128) of nursing staff had poor sleep quality, and the total score of PSQI was (9.71±4.01) points, which was statistically significant compared with the domestic norm ( t value was 16.479, P<0.01). The total score of SCL-90 was 1.59±0.52, which was statistically significant compared with the domestic norm ratio ( t value was 4.505, P<0.01). One-way ANOVA showed that the nursing staff's age had a significant impact on sleep quality, and the difference was statistically significant ( F value was 4.092, P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the Pittsburgh sleep quality scale index scores and symptom self-assessment scale and somatization, force, sensitive interpersonal relationship, depression, anxiety, hostile, terrorist, paranoia, and psychosis were positively correlated( r values were 0.292-0.444, P< 0.01). Conclusions:The sleep quality and mental health status of nurses in public health emergencies are poor, and the sleep quality is correlated with mental health status.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the clinical characteristics and potential mechanisms relevant to pathological proteins in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients who experience fatigue. METHODS: PD patients (n=102) were evaluated using a fatigue severity scale and scales for motor and nonmotor symptoms. The levels of three pathological proteins-α-synuclein oligomer, β-amyloid (Aβ)(1-42), and tau-were measured in 102 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from these PD patients. Linear regression analyses were performed between fatigue score and the CSF levels of the above-listed pathological proteins in PD patients. RESULTS: The frequency of fatigue in the PD patients was 62.75%. The fatigue group had worse motor symptoms and anxiety, depression, and autonomic dysfunction. The CSF level of α-synuclein oligomer was higher and that of Aβ1-42 was lower in the fatigue group than in the non-fatigue group. In multiple linear regression analyses, fatigue severity was significantly and positively correlated with the α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF of PD patients, after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: PD patients experience a high frequency of fatigue. PD patients with fatigue have worse motor and part nonmotor symptoms. Fatigue in PD patients is associated with an increased α-synuclein oligomer level in the CSF.
Anxiety ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Depression ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Parkinson Disease* ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVETo provide basic information for epidemiological research of gastrointestinal (GI) malignant tumors.

METHODSData of GI cancer diagnosed in 15 hospitals of Heilongjiang province between January 1998 and December 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. The data mainly involved the age of onset, initial symptoms, pathological types, clinical staging and types of surgical procedure.

RESULTSGastric cancer was the most common type (45.8%) among the 33,540 GI cancer cases, then were rectal cancer (27.3%) and colon cancer (26.8%). Right colon cancer cases were more common than the left ones (1.3:1.0), particularly in people over 80 (2.1:1.0). Only 1.3% of colorectal cancer could be found in age under 30 years old. In patients aged 50 to 70, advanced gastric cancer accounted for 70.6%, advanced colon cancer 73.4% and advanced rectal cancer 72.4%. Well-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in early gastric cancer was 49.7%, early colon cancer 77.3% and rectal cancer 83.2%. Patients undergone radical excision in early gastric cancer accounted for 69.1%, advanced gastric cancer 79.9%, left colon cancer 91.9%, right colon cancer 83.9% and in rectal cancer for 88.3%.

CONCLUSIONSPeople aged 50 to 70 tend to get GI cancer in Heilongjiang province. Gastric cancer is the most common GI cancer. Radical excision is the main choice of therapy.

Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Colonic Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rectal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Distribution ; Stomach Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology