Objective With the emerging omnipresence of arthroscopy, the plica syndrome has achieved a clinical recogni-tion as a pathological entity .This study is to investigate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the medial plica syndrome of the knee . Methods We retrospectively analyzed 198 cases of medial plica syndrome, internal semilunar cartilage and chondromalacia patellae in the knee joints treated in our department from January 2008 to December 2011 .All the patients received physical and MRI examina-tions before admission and underwent plicaectomy, their knee function evaluated according to their Lysholm scores pre-and post-opera-tively. Results The diseased plica synovialis was completely excised in 46 cases diagnosed as simple medial plica syndrome by ar-throscopy.Forty-four of the patients were followed up for 6 to 32 (mean 26) months, and the excellence rate of treatment result was 95.5%. Conclusion Medial plica syndrome of the knee constitutes a larger proportion of knee disorders, for which arthroscopy re-mains the best diagnostic option and total excision of the diseased plica synovialis is an effective treatment .

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1) in matrine (MAT) induced differentiation of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells, and to explore its correlation to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signal pathway.

METHODSNB4 (an APL cell line sensitive to ATRA) and NB4-R1 (a resistant strain of ATRA) were observed as subjects in this study. Effects of combined treatment of 0.1 mmol/L MAT and 1 [mol/L ATRA on the differentiation of two cell lines were detected using nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction test and flow cytometry (CD11b). Expressions of PML/RARot and PLSCR1 protein/gene were detected using Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay. Meanwhile, H89, PKA antagonist, was used to observe cell differentiation antigen and changes of aforesaid proteins and genes.

RESULTSMAT combined ATRA could significantly elevate positive rates of NBT and CD11 b in NB4-R1 cells, and significantly down-regulate the expression of PML/RARapha-fusion protein/gene (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). ATRA used alone could obviously enhance the expression of PLSCRI in NB4 cells at protein and mRNA levels (P < 0.01). But the expression of PLSCR1 was up-regulated in NB4-R1 cells, but with statistical.difference only at the protein level (P <0. 01). In combination of MAT, PLSCR1 protein expression was further elevated in the two cell lines (P < 0.01). Besides, there was statistical difference in mRNA expressions in NB4-R1 cells (P < 0.05). All these actions could be reversed by treatment of 10 micromol/L H89 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONMAT combined ATRA could significantly induce the differentiation of NB4-R1 cells, and inhibit the expression of PML/RARalpha fusion gene/protein, which might be associated with up-regulating PLSCR1 expression.

Alkaloids ; Antineoplastic Agents ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; metabolism ; Phospholipid Transfer Proteins ; metabolism ; Quinolizines ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction ; Tretinoin ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Up-Regulation

Increasing attention has been focused on the antitumor activity of artemisinin derivatives in recent years, for artemisinin had been reported to have cytotoxic effects against HL-60, P388 and MCF-7 tumor cells. We report here the synthesis and evaluation for antitumor activity of a series of artemisinin-ether derivatives bearing tetrahydropyrrole, morpholine, piperidine, substituted piperidines and azoles with various linkers. Sixteen 10-O-substituted dihydroartemisinin derivatives were designed and synthesized, all of which have never been reported in literatures and whose antiproliferative effects on human breast cancer MCF-7, MCF-7/Adr and HL-60 cells were determined by MTT assay or direct cell counting. Each of these artemisinin derivatives possessed better effects than dihydroartemisinin evidently against HL-60 and MCF-7 cells growth, while less potent than doxorubicin. All target compounds exhibited significantly improved potency compared to DHA and doxorubicin on the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Adr cells, so did they in their sensitive counterparts MCF-7 cells. Among them, compounds GF02, GH04 and ZH04 showed strong activity against these three cell lines growth. Further research is undergoing.

BACKGROUND:Bone formation is a dynamic process, and osteoclasts and osteoblasts are involved in this dynamic process. Semaphorins were found first as axonal growth cone guidance molecules, which express in many different tissues and regulate many physiological processes. Recently, Semaphorins are confirmed to play an important role in the regulation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the role of Semaphorins in bone homeostasis. METHODS: A computer-based search of PubMed and Web of Science was performed for articles related to the effect of Semaphorins in regulation of bone metabolism published from June 1993 to January 2014 using the keywords of “semaphorin, sema”. Irrelevant articles or duplicate content articles were excluded, and finaly 48 articles were reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Semaphorins act as a new class of regulatory molecules in the aspect of bone cytobiology. Studies have show semaphorins are actively involved in bone remodeling through some special mechanisms, and semaphorin proteins are crucial for bone homeostasis, which provides a new method and therapeutic target for the treatment of osteoporosis, bone sclerosis, osteolysis adjacent to joint prosthesis and other bone diseases.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of treating myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) combined with Chinese medical syndrome typing.

METHODSFrom July 2009 to July 2013, 6 MDS patients were treated with allo-HSCT combined with Chinese medical syndrome typing from HLA-identical sibling donors at Department of Hematology, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine. Patients were classified as refractory anemia (RA, 2 cases), refractory anemia with ringed sideroblast (RARS, 1 case), refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD, 2 cases), and RA with excess blasts-I (RAEB-I , 1 case). Modified BuCy conditioning regimen was used in all 6 cases. Two patients received bone marrow transplantation (BMT), 1 patient received peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), and 3 patients received BMT + PBSCT. In order to prevent the occurrence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), all patients were treated with cyclosporine + methotrexate + mycophenolate mofetil. Different Chinese medical treatment methods (by syndrome typing) were given to patients according to different criticality of international prognostic scoring system (IPSS, 5 at moderate risk and 1 at high risk).

RESULTSAll 6 patients successfully reconstructed their hematopoietic system. The time from transplantation to ANC ≥ 0.5 x 10(9)/L and platelet (PLT) ≥ 20 x10(9)/L were 13 (9-15) days and 11 (9-22) days respectively. Main complications were GVHD. Acute GVHD (aGVHD) occurred in 4 cases, 3 cases of grade I and 1 case of grade II, and local chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurred in 1 patient. All cases survived with median follow-up of 18 (11-58) months. The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rate were 100%.

CONCLUSIONSHSCT combined with Chinese medical syndrome typing could improve clinical symptoms, reduce transplant as- sociated complications. So it was an effective treatment choice for MDS.

Biomedical Research ; Blood Platelets ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; therapy ; Transplantation Conditioning ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome

Background Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide;while the different types of glaucoma is vary from different region. Objective Present study was to survey the prevalence and types of glaucoma among peasants of Uigur adults in Kuche county and offer the basis for the prevent and treatment of glaucoma in Uigur nationanlity. Methods 4191 Uigur peasants aged 40 years or above were collected in Kuche county for the survey of prevalence and types of glaucoma by randomized cluster sampling in March and April of 2009. The subjects were grouped into 40-,50-,60- and ≥70 years groups according to the distribution of age. The disease history of glaucoma, regular eye examination, funds examination and measurement of the anterior chamber depth, gonioscope were performed in the all subjects. Darkroom prone test and mydriasis test were carried out in suspicious glaucomous patients. The depth of periphery anterior chamber was assessed based on van Herick' s criteria, and the width of chamber angle was graded based on Scheie' s method. The standardized training was performed. This survey approved by Xinjiang Medical Ethics Committee, all subjects signed the informed consent before the examination. Results 4191 of 4873 subjects finished all the examinations with the response rate 86%. All the subjects showed a good compliance. The prevalence of glaucoma was 3. 79% , and the prevalence of primary angle-closed glaucoma(PACG) .primary angle-open glaucoma (PAOG) and secondary glaucoma was 2.22% ,0.26% and 1. 31% respectively, showing a significant difference among the different types of glaucoma( P<0. 05). The prevalence of glaucoma was elevated with aging (χ2 - 116. 69 ,P<0. 05) and presented a high rate in male subjects compared with female ones(χ2 = 7. 34, P<0. 05 ). Bilateral blindness was found in 19.75% glaucoma peasants, in which 25.3% glaucoma peasants received anti-glaucoma surgery. The distribution of visual acuity of patients was of significant difference among different age groups(χ2 = 37. 69 ,P<0. 05 ) . Conclusions The prevalence of the glaucoma among Uigur peasants in Kuche county was higher than most area no matter inland or overseas. PACG still is the common type in those people.

Objective To evaluate the role of vascular endothelial growth factor-D(VEGF-D)in lymphangiogenesis of breast cancer,and investigate its relationship with some clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Methods VEGF-D expression was detected in 85 cases with primary breast carcinoma by immunohistochemistry,and VEGF-D mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.Podoplanin monoclonal antibody was used to mark lymphatic endothelial cell and lymphatic vessel density(LVD) was counted.The relationship among the aboved parameters,clinicopathological parameters and prognosis was analysed. Results It was revealed by immunohistochemistry that VEGF-D expression was ranked by 5 levels: negative,n=5(5.88%);"+",n=17(20%);"++",n=34(40%);"+++",n=22(25.88%),and "++++",n=7(8.24%).VEGF-D expression was associated with tumor lymph node metastasis and TNM clinical stage(P

Increasing attention has been focused on the antitumor activity of artemisinin derivatives in recent years, for artemisinin had been reported to have cytotoxic effects against HL-60, P388 and MCF-7 tumor cells. We report here the synthesis and evaluation for antitumor activity of a series of artemisinin-ether derivatives bearing tetrahydropyrrole, morpholine, piperidine, substituted piperidines and azoles with various linkers. Sixteen 10-O-substituted dihydroartemisinin derivatives were designed and synthesized, all of which have never been reported in literatures and whose antiproliferative effects on human breast cancer MCF-7, MCF-7/Adr and HL-60 cells were determined by MTT assay or direct cell counting. Each of these artemisinin derivatives possessed better effects than dihydroartemisinin evidently against HL-60 and MCF-7 cells growth, while less potent than doxorubicin. All target compounds exhibited significantly improved potency compared to DHA and doxorubicin on the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Adr cells, so did they in their sensitive counterparts MCF-7 cells. Among them, compounds GF02, GH04 and ZH04 showed strong activity against these three cell lines growth. Further research is undergoing.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Artemisinins ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Design ; HL-60 Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; drug effects

Objective To establish the normal parameters of psychometric measures such as the number connection tests A(NCT-A)and digit symbol tests(DST)in assessment of minimal hepatic en- cephalopathy(MHE).Methods One hundred and sixty healthy volunteers(aged 25 to 64 years;educa- tional level＞9 years)were divided into＜35 ys,35～44 ys,45～54 ys and 55～64 ys groups.All of the healthy volunteers were assessed with NCT-A and DST to establish the normal value of age-related parameters,which can be used for diagnosis of MHE in patients with liver cirrhosis.Two standard devi- ation of the normal mean was used as a diagnostic criterion for MHE.One hundred and six cirrhotic patients were assessed with these parameters.Results The parameters of NCT-A were(25.1?4.6) sec in＜35 ys group,(32.1?6.8) sec in 35～44 ys group,(38.6?7.1)sec in 45～54 ys group or (49.3?6.3)sec in 55～64 ys group.The scores of DST were 49.9?4.7 in＜35 ys group,44.6?4.8 in 35～44 ys group,38.5?5.0 in 45～54 ys group or 35.4?4.7 in 55～64 ys group.Thirty one out of 106 cirrhotic patients were diagnosed as MHE based on these parameters.Conclusion The NCT- A and DST are psychometric assessments for diagnosis of MHE.Age-based normal paramerters of NCT- A and DST are needed to be established.

Objective To investigate a possible protective effect of sodium ferulate (SF) on monosodium glutamate (MSG)-induced neurotoxicity in adult mice. Methods Sixty mice were randomly divided into control, SF, MSG, and MSG+SF [20,40,80mg/(kg·d)] groups, n=10. The animals in MSG group received intragastric (ig) administration of MSG (2.0g/(kg·d)], the animals in the MSG+SF groups received simultaneously ig administration of MSG [2.0 g/(kg·d)] and intraperitoneal (ip) administration of SF [20,40,80mg/(kg·d)], the animals in SF group received ip administration of SF [40mg/ (kg·d)], and the animals in control group received ig and ip administration of normal saline, respectively, once-daily for 10d. On day 1 after the last ig administration of MSG or (and) SF the behavioural tests (test of Y-maze discrimination learning and open field test) were performed, and on day 4 after the treatment of MSG or (and) SF the histopathology of the animal brains was studied to analyze the MSG-induced functional and morphological changes and the possible protective effect of SF. Results The correct responses of Y-maze test on day 6 after the last administration of MSG and/or SF in MSG-treated group (13.83/20) were significantly less than those in control (16.42/20)(P<0.01), and those in MSG[2.0g/(kg·d)]+SF[40mg/(kg·d)]-treated mice (16.30/20) were close to those in control (P>0.05). Examination of histopathology displayed MSG-treated hippocampal lesions characterized by intracellular edema, degeneration and necrosis of neurons, and hyperplasia, and the hippocampal lesion did not appear in the MSG [2.0g/(kg·d)]+SF[40mg/(kg·d)]-treated mice. Conclusions SF partially countered the behavior disorders and hippocampal lesions induced by MSG; therefor, SF has a potent neuroprotection against MSG-induced neurotoxicity in adult mice.