This study aims to investigate the relationship between odor and contents of the chemical compounds in Lonicera japonica, including chlorogenic acid, galuteolin and polyphenols. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to determine the contents of chlorogenic acid and galuteolin in L. japonica. The ponptent of polyphenols was determined by UV-Vis Spectrophotometry. Electronic nose was used to extract and measure the odor of L. japonica. Then SPSS 17.0 software was employed for data processing. There is a significant positive correlation between the comprehensive index value of aroma and the contents of chlorogenic acid and polyphenols. The regression equations have been established. However, the relationship between the comprehensive index value and the content of galuteolin is not obvious. This is proof that the odor of L. japonica has close connection with the chemical compounds. Therefore, this research offered a new method for initially determine or predict the content of the chemical composition in L. japonica,
Chlorogenic Acid ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Electronic Nose ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; Odorants ; analysis ; Polyphenols ; chemistry ; Smell

Objective To investigate the diagnosis value of homocysteine (Hcy) combined with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen for esophageal cancer.Methods The serum levels of Hcy,CEA,CA199,CA724,CA50 and SCC antigen in 163 patients with esophageal cancer and 49 healthy people were measured.The diagnosis efficacy between the combination of Hcy,CEA and SCC antigen and the combination of CEA,CA199,CA724,CA50 and SCC antigen was compared.Results The levels of Hcy,CEA and SCC antigen were significantly raised in patients group as compared with the levels in control group (all P ＜ 0.05).The area under the ROC curve of Hcy was 0.722 (95 ％ CI 0.633-0.811),CEA was 0.619 (95 ％ CI 0.533-0.704) and SCC antigen was 0.685 (95 ％ CI 0.608-0.762),respectively.There were no significant differences among the three area under the ROC curve.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the combination of CEA,CA199,CA724,CA50,SCC antigen were 69.9 ％,59.2 ％ and 67.5 ％,respectively,but the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the combination of Hcy,CEA,SCC antigen were 96.3 ％,69.4 ％ and 90.1％,respectively.There was significant difference between the combination of Hcy,CEA,SCC antigen and the combination of CEA,CA199,CA724,CA50,SCC antigen (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The combination of Hcy,CEA,SCC antigen is helpful to determine the diagnosis and efficacy of esophageal cancer.

Viral hepatitis was the most common infectious disease in china. But the diagnosis and treatment were varied because the viral hepatitis patients were hospitalized in different kinds of hospital such as infectious disease hospital, general hospital and Chinese medical hospital. It was necessary to know clinical characters and information of viral hepatitis patients in different hospitals. The general information, subtype distribution, prognosis, complication, medication and relations of onset with solar term from 41 180 viral hepatitis patients based on HIS data were analyzed. It was found that the age of patients between 18 to 59 years old was most; most patients were males. The national basic medical insurance was the most type of payment. The outcome of viral hepatitis in the youth and female were better than that in the old and male. Acute hepatitis was easer to restore than chronic hepatitis. Liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were the two most complications. The peak of onset was during summer solstice, slight heat and great heat. The most common Chinese medicine was Diammonium glycyrrhizinate and the most common western medicine was reduced glutathione. The combination of D. glycyrrhizinate with reduced glutathione, polyene phosphatidylcholine and thymosin was the main pattern. But It was not knew if the combination of western and Chinese medicine was the most effective therapy to protect liver function. It was necessary to take deeply research of the relationship between the combination therapy and their effectiveness.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glutathione ; therapeutic use ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; drug therapy ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

The rhizome of Panax japonicus var. major have been used as the natural medicinal agent by Chinese traditional doctors for more than thousand years. Most of the therapeutic effects of P. japonicus var. major had been reported due to the presence of tetracyclic or pentacyclic triterpene saponins. In this study, Illumina pair-end RNA-sequencing and de novo splicing were done in order to understand the pathway of triterpenoid saponins in this species. The valid reads data of 15. 6 Gb were obtained. The 62 240 unigenes were finally obtained by de novo splicing. After annotation, we discovered 19 unigenes involved in ginsenoside backbone biosynthesis. Additionally, 69 unigenes and 18 unigenes were predicted to have potential function of cytochrome P450 and UDP-glycosyltransferase based on the annotation results, which may encode enzymes responsible for ginsenoside backbone modification. This study provides global expressed datas for P. japonicus var. major, which will contribute significantly to further genome-wide research and analysis for this species.
Gene Expression Profiling ; Panax ; genetics ; Saponins ; biosynthesis ; Sequence Analysis, RNA

AIMTo investigate the effects of Nrf2 (Nuclear-E2 related factor) on gamma-glutamylcysteine synthase (gamma-GCS) in lung of guinea pigs with bronchial asthma.

METHODS20 adult male guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10): control group (C group) and asthmatic group (A group), asthmatic model was established by ovalbumin intraperitoneal and ovalbumin inhalation. The reactive oxygen piece (ROS), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidant glutathione (GSSG) and total GSH in lung tissue were examined respectively. Inflammatory cell infiltration and index of remodeling of bronchiole were detected. In situ hybridization detected the gamma-GCS heavy subunit (gamma-GCS h) mRNA in lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry detected the expression of Nrf2 protein and gamma-GCS protein in lung tissue. RT-PCR measured the expression of Nrf2 mRNA in lung tissue. The activity of gamma-GCS was measured by coupled enzyme assay.

RESULTS(1) The number of eosinophils and lymphocytes in bronchiole of A group were significantly higher than that of C group (P < 0.05), the remodeling of bronchiole in A group was definite. (2) ROS (U/mg pro), GSSG (micromol/g pro) and total GSH in lung tissue of A group were significantly higher than that of C group (P < 0.01). The GSH/GSSG in lung tissue of A group was much lower than that of C group (P < 0.01), GSH in lung tissue showed no difference between A group and C group. (3) Immunohistochemistry indicated that Nrf2 protein and gamma-GCS protein were more positively expressed in A group than that in C group (P < 0.01). In situ hybridization discovered that the expression of gamma-GCS-h mRNA in lung tissue of A group was more positive than that of C group. (4) RT-PCR showed that the expression of Nrf2 mRNA was no difference between A group and C group (P > 0.05). (5) The activity of gamma-GCS of A group was (28 +/- 8)U which was significantly higher than that of C group (9 +/- 2)U (P < 0.01). (6) Linear correlation analysis indicated that in lung tissue of guinea pig with asthma there existed strongly positive relationship among ROS, GSSG and the expression of Nrf2, gamma-GCS mRNA, gamma-GCS protein, the activity of gamma-GCS, there existed strongly negative relationship among GSH/GSSG and the expression of Nrf2, gamma-GCS mRNA, gamma-GCS protein, the activity of gamma-GCS.

CONCLUSIONThere existed oxidative stress in lung of guinea pigs with bronchial asthma, which possibly positively regulated gamma-GCS via up regulating transcription factor Nrf2.

Animals ; Asthma ; metabolism ; Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase ; metabolism ; Guinea Pigs ; Lung ; metabolism ; Male ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the expression and significance of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 protein in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and their correlation with tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis.

METHODSExpressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 protein in 65 patients with ESCC were quantitatively detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTSThe expressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 in poorly-differentiated ESCC were higher than those in well-differentiated ESCC (P = 0.0275, 0.0001, 0.0174). The expression of p27 in poorly-differentiated ESCC was lower than that in well-differentiated ESCC (P = 0.0042). There was positive correlation between cyclin E and cyclin D1, cyclin D1 and CDK4, but negative correlation between cyclin D1 and p27. The expressions of all four proteins were not correlated with lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of cyclin E, cyclin D1, CDK4 and p27 are closely related to tumor differentiation of ESCC. An imbalance between positive and negative control of cell cycling might be critical in the carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; secondary ; Cell Differentiation ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Cyclin E ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; metabolism ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 ; metabolism ; Cyclins ; metabolism ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged

Enterotoxins ; analysis ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Staphylococcal Food Poisoning ; microbiology ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; analysis ; Staphylococcus aureus ; isolation & purification

Objective To analyze the prognostic factors of patients with adenocarcinoma of gastroesophageal junction (AGEJ) after radical resection. Methods In this retrospective study, 269 patients with AGEJ who underwent curative resection from March 2004 to June 2007 were enrolled.The survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method and the survival analysis was done by Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the prognostic factors of AGEJ were made by Cox model. Results The overall 5-year survival rate of 269 patients was 25.0 % with the median survival time of 22 months.The Siewert type and the number of positive lymph nodes could influence the survival rate (both P < 0.05). Among the 269 patients, 216 (80.3 %) were Siewert Ⅱ type, their median survival time was 30 and 12 months in the thoracic surgery group and the laparotomy group when the tumor diameter was 3-7 cm, the difference was statistically significant (χ2= 5.036, P= 0.025). Univariate analysis showed that tumor diameter, pT, pN, operation time, age and sex were significantly associated with survival rate (all P < 0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that patients with a more advanced tumor size suffered from a poorer prognosis (P< 0.05). The risk of postoperative death in patients with lymph node metastasis was 1.854 times that of patients without lymph node metastasis. Conclusions Patients with AGEJ are predominantly Siewert Ⅱ type, the transthoracic approach or thoracoabdominal approach are reasonable selections for these patients. Tumor diameter and pN are independent prognostic factors of AGEJ patients.

Objective To explore the establishment of a rat model of acute radiation-induced liver injury and sig-nificance of the dynamic changes of TGF-β1 expression.Methods Forty healthy 6-week old male SD rats were randomly divided into model group (n=30) and control group (n=10).The right liver of rats in the model group was given a single dose of 25 Gy 6 MV X-ray irradiation.Histopathological examination using HE staining and transmission electron microsco-py were conducted to observe the liver pathological changes in rats at 3, 5, and 10 days after irradiation, serum TGF-β1 was detected, and relevant indicators of liver function ( ALT, AST, ALP) were determined.Statistical analysis was per-formed using SPSS 17.0 software.Results At 3, 5 and 10 days after irradiation, early pathological changes in the liver cells were observed by electron microscopy, the expression of TGF-β1 was gradually increased with the time prolongation, and significant differences were found between the model group and the control group at different time points (P<0.05). The light microscopic observation of liver tissues did not show significant differences between the control group and model group.The liver ALT, AST, ALP at different time points did not show significant differences between the two groups ( P>0.05).Conclusion Electron microscopy can be used to evaluate the early changes of radiation-induced liver injury, pri-or to the alterations visible by routine light microscopy.TGF-β1 can be used to predict the degree of radiation-induced liver injury, and may be used as a sensitive serum cytokine in predicting the degree of radiation-induced acute liver injury.

BACKGROUND: Recently, it is thought that endothelial function is a new independent risk factor of atherosclerotic disease. However, the differences in endothelial function between Tibetan and Han nationality populations have not been fully investigated.OBJ ECTIVE: To investigate the differences in endothelial function between Tibetan and Han nationality population.DESIGN: Controlled analysis.SETTING: Department of Cardiology, General Hospital; Department of Cardiology, Tibet General Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 272 Tibetan male subjects, aged (43±9) years, were enrolled in this study to stand for Tibetan nationality populations. All of them were native residents in Lhasa city. And 580 Qinghai-Tibetan railway constructers with Han nationality, aged (42±11) years, were enrolled in this study to stand for Han nationality populations. All of them were male subjects from Sichuan province and lived in Lhasa city for at least 1 year. All the participants received regular physical examination between February and May 2006 in the General Hospital of Tibet Military Area Command of Chinese PLA. All the subjects lived in the same high-altitude area (the altitude of Lhasa is 3 658 m). Informed consents were obtained from all the participants.METHODS: ①Height, body mass, waist circumference, hip circumference, systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was measured as body mass/height2. ② Measurement of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD): All the participants, who were in the fasting state, were examined in supine position following 20-minute rest. The room temperature was about 20 ℃. In the right arm, a sphygmomanometer cuff was positioned 5 cm below the antecubital fossa. A 10-MHz transducer (Vivid 7, GE Corporation, USA) was used to image the right brachial artery. After obtaining the baseline imaging, the blood pressure cuff was inflated 50 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) above the participant's SBP to occlude the brachial artery for 4 minutes. The brachial artery was then imaged during cuff inflation and 2 minutes after cuff release. After the cuff was released and reactive hyperaemia occurred, that was, flow in the brachial artery increased to accommodate the dilated resistance vessels in the forearm. In order to ensure the reliability of the data, the cuff placement and image record were performed by two designated performers. Computer-assisted analysis software was used to calculate brachial artery diameters. The absolute and relative changes of brachial artery FMD were automatically calculated out with the attached software of Vivid 7 ultrasonic diagnosis instrument. ③Biochemical study: The biochemical parameters were obtained after an overnight fasting for 12 hours. Venous blood was sampled for the measurement of total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). ④ Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the measurement data. Chi-square statistic was used to compare enumeration data.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of change in BMI, waist-hip ratio, blood pressure, blood lipid, baseline brachial diameter and brachial diameter between 2 groups.RESULTS: Totally 272 Tibetan nationality populations and 583 Han nationality populations participated in the final analysis. ① Brachial artery FMD: The baseline brachial artery diameter of Tibetan nationality populations was significantly larger than that of Han nationality population [(4.28±0.06) mm vs. (4.03±0.04) mm, t =71.915 6, P ＜0.01]; The absolute and relative changes of brachial artery of Tibetan nationality populations were significantly smaller than those of Han nationality populations, respectively [(0.124±0.005) mm vs. (0.141±0.006) mm; (2.934±0.204)% vs.(3.587±0.152)%, t = 40.582 0,52.173 2, P ＜ 0.01]. ②Physical study results: BMI and waist-hip ratio of Tibetan nationality populations were significantly larger than those of Han nationality populations [(30.1±2.5) kg/m2 vs. (26.5±3.4) kg/m2, 0.92±0.07 vs. 0.88±0.05, t =15.595 1, 9.525 4, P ＜ 0.01]. ③TG and LDL-C levels of Tibetan nationality population were (2.31±1.31) mmol/L and (3.49±0.91) mmol/L, respectively, which were significantly higler than those of Han nationality population [(1.97±1.44) mmol/L and (3.07±0.86) mmol/L, t =3.420 0, 6.522 3, P ＜ 0.01].CONCLUSION: ① Brachial artery FMD of Tibetan nationality population is poorer than that of Han nationality population,I.e. Poor vascular reactivity. ② Tibetan nationality populations have severe abdominal obesity and higher level of blood lipid as compared with Han nationality populations.