Objective: To isolate and identify the antibacterial constituents from the roots of Zanthoxylum nitidum. Methods: Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of compounds from the roots of Z. nitidum by using various chromatographic techniques such as silica gel, alumina, preparative TLC, and HPLC, and their chemical structures were then elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, including NMR, MS analysis, and their physicochemical properties. Results: Eleven compounds were isolated from the bioactive extracts in the roots of Z. nitidum and then were identified as skimmianine (1), oxychelerythrine (2), 8-methoxy-dihydrochelerythrine (3), β-sitosterol (4), L-sesamin (5), 8-methoxy-9-demethoxyldihydrochelerythrine (6), 4-hydroxy-N- methylproline (7), liriodenine (8), avicine (9), nitidine (10), and isobutyl benzoate (11), respectively. Compounds 1, 3, 6, 8, and 10 showed the potential inhibition on Staphylococcus aureus. Compound 8 showed the most potential inhibitory activity with MIC value of 31.3 μg/mL; Further studies demonstrated that compound 8 inhibited the clinical multidrug-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity with MIC value of 93.8 μg/mL, significantly. Conclusion: A series of bioactive alkaloids with the anti-staphylococcal activities were identified from the roots of Z. nitidum. Compounds 7, 9, and 11 are obtained from this plant for the first time, and the potential anti-staphylococcal activity of compound 8 against MRSA has been demonstrated, which has provided the chemical template as a new anti-bacterial agent against clinical multidrug-resistant MRSA infection.

Objective To detect the antitumor activity against SW620 and syngenic colon cancer SW480 by a fusion of human metastatic colon cancer SW620 cells and human peripheral blood-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Methods SW620 cells and human peripheral blood- derived DCs were fused with polyethylene glycol(PEG). The fusion cells were confirmed by "phenotypes determine, morphologic observation, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte response induced by the fusion were studied. Results Mature DCs with highly expressed surface markers (HLA-ABC, HLA-DR and CD80, CD86, CD83) were generated in vitro. The fusion of SW620 cells with DC resulted in a hybrid cell with morphologic as well as phenotypic characteristics of both DC and tumor cells. Flow cytometry showed that the highest fusion efficiency was 27. 12%. CTL assay demonstrated that the DC/SW620 fusion induced specific cytotoxic responses against the SW620 and SW480 cells. Conclusion The fusion of tumor cells with DCs induces tumor rejection.

Objective To clarify the role of a cell cycle regulator, cyclin D1 and CDK6 in patients with gastric carcinoma. Method Tissue samples from 48 patients with gastric carcinoma were included in the current study. Expression levels of cyclin Dl and CDK6 in samples of normal mucosa and tumor tissue were analyzed by Western blot. Result Overexpression of cyclin Dl and CDK6 protein were demonstrated in 58% and 69% of gastric cancer tissues, respectively. Several clinicopathologic parameters, including depth of tumor invasion, pathologic lymph node status and tumor stage ( P

BACKGROUND: Direct anterior minimum invasive surgery (DAMIS) total hip arthroplasty has been considered as the total hip arthroplasty that is most consistent with the minimally invasive standards. In theory, there is a low incidence of complications in the DAMIS total hip arthroplasty. However, because minimally invasive surgery demands high surgery skills, the incidence rate of complications is high in the early period of its learning curve. Lateral decubitus position DAMIS was considered to provide a better perspective, so that, the incidence of surgical complications may be reduced. OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of lateral decubitus position DAMIS for total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Totally 62 cases from the Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University between April 2013 and April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, and randomly assigned to two groups: lateral decubitus position group (n=31) and supine position group (n=31). Incision length, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, acetabular cup angle, hospital stay, Harris scores, Visual Analogue Scale score, and SF-36 score were compared between the two groups. Complications at postoperative 1 year were recorded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Operative time was longer and intraoperative blood loss was more in the lateral decubitus position group than in the supine position group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in incision length and hospital stay between the two groups (P > 0.05). (2) There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P >0.05). (3) There were no significant differences in the anteversion and abduction angles of acetabular cup between the two groups (P > 0.05). (4) There were no significant differences in Harris hip score, Visual Analogue Scale score, and SF-36 the quality of life scores between the two groups before surgery and 1 year after surgery (P > 0.05). (5) In conclusion, DAMIS total hip arthroplasty can abandon special traction bed when patients are in lateral decubitus position. The short-term effects are the same with supine DAMIS total hip arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the enantioselectivity of norgestrel (NG) transdermal permeation and the potential influence of linalool and lipids on the enantioselectivity. In vitro skin permeation studies of NG across the excised rat skins were performed with Valia-Chien diffusion cells, and the permeation samples were analyzed by enantioselective HPLC. The possible enantioselective permeation of NG across intact rat back skin and lipids extracted rat back skin and the influence of linalool were evaluated. The skin permeation rate of dl-NG was two times higher than that of l-NG when donor solutions (EtOH/H2O 2 : 8, v/v) containing l-NG or dl-NG. It may be mainly attributed to the solubility discrepancy between enantiomer and racemate. The enantioselective permeation of dl-NG across intact rat skin was observed when the donor solutions containing dl-linalool. The permeation flux of l-NG was 22% higher than that of d-NG. But interestingly, the enantioselective permeation of dl-NG disappeared under the same experimental condition except that the lipid extracted rat skin was used. Attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of stratum corneum showed that the wave number for asymmetric CH2 stretching vibrations of lipids treated with dl-linalool was greater than that of the control. The results indicated that the enantioselective permeation of NG may be contributed by the interaction between dl-linalool and lipids. More than half of lipids were composed of ceramides. The stereospecific interaction maybe existed among chiral enhancer (linalool), lipids (ceramides) and/or chiral drugs (NG).
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Lipids ; pharmacology ; Monoterpenes ; pharmacology ; Norgestrel ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Skin Absorption ; drug effects ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Stereoisomerism

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of oligomeric grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac remodeling in rats. ISO was given subcutaneously (5 mg x kg(-1), sc, 7 days) to induce cardiac remodeling in rats. Therapeutic groups were given GSP (50, 100, and 150 mg x kg(-1)) after ISO treatment. After 2 weeks intervention, heart rate (HR), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), rate of rise of left ventricular pressure (+/- dp/dt(max)) were examined. The myocardial hypertrophy index was expressed as heart weight/body weight (HW/BW) and left ventricle weight/body weight (LVW/BW), the histological changes were investigated by HE and Van Gieson stain. SOD activity and MDA content in serum, contents of hydroxyproline (Hyp) in the left ventricular tissue were assayed by xanthinoxidase method, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method and alkaline hydrolysis method, respectively. After the onset of ISO-treatment, GSP therapy potently improved cardiac function, inhibited myocardial hypertrophy, improved cardiac pathology change, decreased the myocardial cross-section area (CSA), collagen volume fraction (CVF) and perivascular circumferential collagen area (PVCA), reduced the content of Hyp in the left ventricular tissue, inhibited the decrease of SOD activity and increase of MDA content in serum. GSP possess protective effect against ISO induced cardiac remodeling in rats, this may be related to reducing the oxidative stress and improving antioxidant capacity.

Objective To explore the expression of N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) in gastric carcinoma and the relationship with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis. Methods The expression of NDRGI was detected by immunohisto chemistry in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections with a total of 220 specimens including 110 gastric carcinoma and 110 corresponding paraneoplastic tissue. The correlation between clinicopathological parameters and the expression of NDRG1 in gastric carcinoma were also analyzed. Results Low expression of NDRG1 was detected in most gastric carcinoma sections. Among the gastric cancer tissues, NDRG1 protein expression was significantly lower in tumors with more advanced pathological stage, local tumor invasion and lymphatic metastases. There was no significant difference in sex, age, tumor differentiation and gross types of the tumor. The 1-, 3- and 5 year survival and disease free survival in patients with low NDRG1 protein expression was 84.2%, 53.9%, 21.1%, and 60.5%, 31.6%, 19.7%, respectively, which was signifivantly poorer when compared with patients with high NDRG1 protein expression. Conclusion The expression of NDRG1 is low in the majority of patients with gastric carcinoma, which was in a close relationship with advanced stage, local invasion and lymphatic metastases of gastric carcinoma. NDRG1 may be a candidate metastasis suppressor gene.

Objective To observe the changes of behavior,blood cortisol level,glucocorticoid receptors (Grs) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) in hippocampus area after four weeks of unpredictable chronic mild stress,and to investigate the probable role of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the pathogenesis of depression in aged people.Methods Aged male Wister rats were randomly assigned to control group and model group.The model group received unpredictable mild stress,including food and water deprivation,restrain,tail clipping,forced swimming,white noise,cage titling and cage rotating for 4 weeks,while the control group was undisturbed unless routine feeding and cage changing.After 4 weeks of procedure,the behavior changes were assessed by sucrose intake test,open-field test and state evaluation,serum cortisol level was measured by chemiluminescent assay,the qualitation and quantitation of GRs and MRs in hippocampus area were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting respectively.All data were analyzed by using t-test.Results Body weight,the grooming score,activities in openfield test,food intake and sucrose intake were decreased in model group as compared with control group after 2 weeks of chronic mild stress (all P＜0.01),suggesting the stress induced depressive-like behavior effects on aged rats.Serum cortisol level was elevated in model group as compared with control group after 4 weeks of chronic mild stress (P＜0.01).A decrease of the neurons was found in CA3 of hippocampus,but not in DG area.In CA3 area,GR positive neurons were decreased,but no significant decrease was found in MR positive neurons.Conclusions The chronic mild stress leading to depressive-like behavior effects in aged rats induces overall HPA axis dysfunction,elevation of serum cortisol level,impairment of hippocampus neurons and decrease of GR positive neurons.The HPA axis dysfunction induced by chronic mild stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression.

Objective To explore the mechanism of HPV infection in carcinogenesis and progression of colon cancer. Methods Human colon cancer cells, HCT116 (with wild-type p53) and SW480 (with mutant-type p53), were transfected by HPV16 E6E7 oncogenes using a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector system. The transfection efficiency was determined by flow cytometry. The expression of HPV16 E6 genes was determined by Western blot. The cell proliferation and cell cycle was studied by MTT method and flow cytometry. Results Western blot confirmed the expression of E6 gene in colon cells that were infected by rAAV-E6E7. The population doubling time of HCT116 cell, which was more than 48 hours at control group, decreased to 33 hours. HPV16 E6E7 increased cell percentage of S phase and decreased cell percentage of G0/G1. The population doubling time of SW480 cell was 77.06% decreased and the OD540 was 47.18% increased with interference of HPV16 E6E7 gene. Conclusion HPV16 E6E7 oncogene precipitates the proliferation and positively controls cell cycle of HCT116 and SW480 human colon cancer cells. HPV infection may closely relate to the carcinogenesis and progression of colon cancer.

Objective To investigate the relationship between HPV infection and human colorectal carcinogenesis. Methods Colorectal carcinoma specimens from 72 Chinese patients were studied. DNA extracted from colorectal tissue was screened for HPV L1 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HPV subtype 6,11, 16, and 18 were detected by PCR using specific primers and in situ hybridization using specific probe. Results Twenty-four specimens out of 72 (33%) colorectal cancer were HPV L1 positive. The normal colorectal mucosa was HPV L1 negative. The location, infiltration and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma were all significantly related with HPV infection. The predominant HPV subtype was HPV 16,which was found in 58% of all HPV-positive colorectal carcinoma. Conclusion The presence of HPV DNA suggests that HPV may be involved in the carcinogenesis of colorectal carcinoma. HPV infection is closely related with the malignant potential of colorectal cancer.