A series of 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeO-E2) RGD peptide conjugates with coupling RGD peptides to 3- position or 17-position of 2-MeO-E2 through space linker were synthesized. Their antiangiogenic properties were preliminarily evaluated by cell migration scratch assays against HUVECs. Compound 26c binding RGDV peptide showed the best inhibitory effect. In addition, all 2-MeO-E2 RGD peptide conjugates exhibited obvious activity. These results demonstrate that conjugates with RGD peptides represent a promising means for targeting angiogenesis in cancer therapy.

Three new compounds, including a naphthoquinone, a reduced naphthoquinone derivative naphthalenone, and a tricarboxylic acid, along with five known naphthalenone derivatives were isolated from ethyl acetate extract of rice fermentation products of the fungus Pleosporales sp. by multiple column chromatographic methods, including Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase HPLC, and chiral chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by MS, NMR, and specific rotation spectroscopic analyses as well as ECD calculations. Three novel compounds were named as pleospathone A (1), pleospathone B (2), and pleosporalic acid A (3). Five known compounds were separately identified as (3S,4R)-3,4,8-trihydroxy-6-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one (4), (4R)-3,4-dihydro-4,6,8-trihydroxy-1(2H)-naphthalenone (5), (-)-scytalone (6), (3S,4S)-3,4-dihydro-3,4,6,8-tetrahydroxy-1(2H)-naphthalenone (7), and cis-4-hydroxyscytalone (8). Compounds 4-8 were isolated from the Pleosporales fungi for the first time. Compound 1 shows inhibitory activities against human cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa and murine leukemia cell line P388 with the IC₅₀ values of 78.93 and 98.80 μmol·L^-1, respectively.

OBJECTIVETo study HIV, HBV and HCV infections in intravenous drug users.

METHODS2025 blood samples from intravenous drug users were collected from Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi and Xinjiang regions, and tested for anti-HIV, anti-HCV, HBsAg using enzyme-linked immuno-sobent assays (ELISAs).

RESULTSThe positive rates of anti-HIV,anti-HCV and HBsAg were14.7%-30.4%, 60.7%-85.5% and 6.6%-22.4% in the intravenous drug users, respectively. The co-infection rates of HIV/HBV, HIV/HCV, HCV/HBV and HIV/HCV/HBV were 0%-0.4%, 11.6%-27.2%, 2.3%-14.3% and 1.6%-4.8% respectively in this population.

CONCLUSIONThe infection rates of HIV, HBV and HCV were higher in the intravenous drug users than that in general populations in the same regions, and HIV/HCV co-infection appeared most frequent in this population.

China ; epidemiology ; HIV Infections ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Prevalence ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous

OBJECTIVETo summarize the experience of surgical therapy in a series of 438 patients with intracranial aneurysms.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 438 patients, in terms of the perioperative management, timing of surgery, surgical skills, and The HUNT-HESS grade.

RESULTS438 patients with 476 aneurysms underwent microsurgery, in which 450 aneurysms were clipped, 14 were wrapped, 8 were isolated,4 were cut. 32 aneurysms were ruptured (6.72%) during the operation. The relation between Hunt-Hess scale and mortality is significant postpone operation (> or =7 d) has got a better curative effect than the early.

CONCLUSIONSMicrosurgical treatment is a confirmed effective method with intracranial aneurysms. The higher of HUNT-HESS grade will result to the worse clinical outcome.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; mortality ; surgery ; Male ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; methods ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical features and follow-up results of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) between boys and girls. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 79 children (18 boys and 61 girls), aged ≤14 years, who were diagnosed with SLE from 2008 to 2018. The boys and the girls were compared in terms of initial and major clinical symptoms, injury of organs/systems, related laboratory markers, and follow-up results. RESULTS: As for the initial and non-initial symptoms, fever had the highest incidence rate in the boys, while facial erythema had the highest incidence rate in the girls. The boys tended to develop renal injury and hematological damage (P<0.05), with a significantly higher incidence rate of proteinuria than the girls (P<0.05), while the girls tended to develop joint pain (P<0.05). There were high abnormal rates (>80%) of anti-nuclear antibody, dsDNA, complement C3, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in both boys and girls (P>0.05). The boys had a significantly higher disease activity than the girls at the first visit and in year 9 of follow-up (P<0.05). A one-month to ten-year follow-up showed that among the boys, 3 were lost to follow-up, 1 died, 7 were well controlled but required oral administration of large doses of hormones or immunosuppression, 2 progressed to chronic renal failure, and 1 developed lupus encephalopathy. Among the girls, 3 were lost to follow-up; 5 died; 34 were well controlled, among whom 5 were maintained on oral prednisone acetate with a dose of <10 mg, 1 was withdrawn from the drug for 1 year, and 2 were withdrawn from the drug for 2 years; 4 developed lupus encephalopathy; 1 developed depression and anxiety and had suicidal tendency in the 7th year after disease onset; 2 experienced impaired vision, blurred vision, and chloropsia; 1 developed a vascular necrosis of both femoral heads in the 3rd year of hormone administration. CONCLUSIONS There are differences in clinical features, several laboratory markers, and prognosis between boys and girls with SLE. Boys tend to have a high severity at disease onset, develop renal injury and hematological damage, and have poor long-term prognosis, while girls tend to have joint involvement.

BACKGROUNDChai Lai Prescription is a Chinese herbal compound which is used to sooth the liver, strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach for descending adverse Qi. We initiated the study to investigate its mechanism of treating in vitro rabbit reflux esophagitis models.

METHODSAdult male Japanese white rabbits, weighing 1.8-2.2 kg, were divided into five groups of three each, which were: normal control group (Krebs buffer, pH7.4), esophagitis model group (Krebs buffer, pH5.8), esophagitis model proup+low-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (0.6 mg × ml(-1)× kg(-1)), esophagitis model group+moderate-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (6 mg × ml(-1)× kg(-1)), esophagitis model group+high-dose Chinese herbal medicine protection group (60 mg × ml(-1)×kg(-1)). The RT-PCR method was used to test the influence of Chai Lai Prescription on IL-1 and IL-6 in in vitro rabbit models of esophagitis. We treated the in vitro models with different doses of Chinese herbal medicine.

RESULTSEsophageal mucosa were filled with various liquids. IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression was increased in rabbit esophageal mucosa stimulated with acid. Chinese herbal medicine significantly reduced the levels of IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression in the in vitro cultured rabbit esophageal mucosa. Using Chinese herbal medicine to treat in vitro models of RE, we found that the IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA expression levels went down, near to or lower than the normal control levels, compared with the group treated with acidified buffer solution.

CONCLUSIONSChai Lai Prescription lowered the IL-1β and IL-6 cytokine mRNA levels and protected the esophageal mucosa in the in vitro models of reflux esophagitis, suggesting that the traditional Chinese herbal compound may be able to treat reflux esophagitis by inhibiting the its inflammatory mediators.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; genetics ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; Male ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effects of Pizhen for the treatment of supraclavicular nerve-entrapment syndrome.

METHODSFrom March 2004 to April 2006, among the 200 patients of supraclavicular nerve-entrapment syndrome, 100 patients (75 patients were male and 25 patients were female, ranging in age from 25 to 65 years, with an average of 45 years)were treated with Pizhen, 100 patients (60 patients were male and 40 patients were female, ranging in age from 16 to 63 years, with an average of 35 years) were treated with Acupuncture. The therapeutic effects of the two groups were compared.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up and the duration ranged from 6 to 12 months, 9.6 months in average. Among the patients in Pizhen group, 79 patients got an excellent result, 12 good, 8 fair, and 1 poor, and the tension exponent of soft tissues decreased from preoperative 3.56 +/- 0.35 to postoperative 2.11 +/- 0.41. In the control group, 43 patients got an excellent result, 21 good, 17 fair, and 19 poor, the tension exponent of soft tissues decreased from preoperative 3.61 +/- 0.21 to postoperative 3.13 +/- 0.56. The therapeutic effects and tension exponent of soft tissue in the two groups had statistical differences (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe clinical effect of Pizhen is better than the the acupuncture for the treatment of supraclavicular nerve-entrapment syndrome. The therapy of Pizhen is safe, good and easily to practice.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Brachial Plexus ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nerve Compression Syndromes ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the capacity of commercial HIV enzyme immunoassay (EIA) diagnostic kits to detect antibodies against different genotypes of HIV.

METHODSHIV RNA was detected with RT-PCR from samples positive for HIV antibody. The purified PCR products were sequenced directly and the genotypes of HIV from samples were analyzed. The samples for each genotype of HIV were diluted and the diluted samples were detected with different HIV EIA diagnostic kits.

RESULTSAll 20 samples positive for HIV antibody were also positive for HIV RNA; 9 of 20 isolates were genotype B, 9 of them were genotype C or CRF BC, 2 of them were CRF AE. The sensitivity of different HIV EIA diagnostic kits to detect antibodies against different genotypes of HIV was not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONThe capacity of commercial HIV diagnostic kits to detect antibodies against different HIV genotypes may not be significantly different.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Genotype ; HIV ; genetics ; HIV Antibodies ; blood ; Humans ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

The effect of induction temperature on aggregation of consensus interferon-alpha expressed by Pichia pastoris was investigated. The cell growth and cIFN level were analyzed and compared when Pichia pastoris was grown at 30,25,20 degrees C during induction phase, using 5.0L fermentor. The result suggested that the cell growth was not affected much under the different induction temperature, but the protein level declined markedly with the decrease of the induction temperature. The total protein ammount induced at 20 degrees C was 67.8 percent of that at 30 degrees C. SDS-PAGE and native-PAGE as well as Western blotting analysis were further conducted. The electrophoresis results revealed that cIFN formed aggregates after secreted into media when protein was induced at 30 degrees C but this problem can be restored by decreasing the induction temperature to 20 degrees C. cIFN monomer in supernatant arrived at 570mg/L and bioactivity of fermentation broth reached 1.05 x 10(9) IU/mL at 20 degrees C of induction temperature. The amount of cIFN monomer and bioactivity in supernatant elevated 7.2 and 38.7 times, respectively, when the induction temperature was controlled at 20 degrees C instead of conventional 30 degrees C.
Fermentation ; Humans ; Interferon Type I ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Interferon-alpha ; Pichia ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Temperature

Objective To analyze the differences in the expression levels of the lncRNA MALAT1, NEAT, NEAT2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from tuberculosis patients and healthy controls. Methods We detected the lncRNA expression levels in PBMC from 79 tuberculosis patients and 82 healthy controls by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed the correlation between lncRNA expression levels and some clinical features and laboratory indicators in tuberculosis patients. Results The expression levels of MALAT1, NEAT1 in PBMC of tuberculosis patients were significantly higher than healthy controls (Z=-4.386, P<0.001; Z=-10.175, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the expression of NEAT2 between tuberculosis patients and healthy controls (Z=-0.203，P=0.839). The correlation results of lncRNA levels and some clinical features, laboratory indicators in tuberculosis patients suggested that the NEAT2 level in PBMC of newly treated tuberculosis patients was higher than recurrent tuberculosis patients, while the NEAT2 level in PBMC of sputum smear positive tuberculosis patients was lower than that of sputum smear negative tuberculosis patients (all P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between MALAT1 level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (rs=-0.256, P=0.034). Conclusion MALAT1 and NEAT1 are abnormally expressed in PBMC of tuberculosis patients, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary tuberculosis.