OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-metastasis effect of emodin on the pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo.

METHODHuman pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 was treated with different concentrations of emodin (10, 20, 40 micromol x L(-1)) for 2 h, the effects of emodin on the migration and invasion of SW1990 cells were examined by using wound assay and matrigel counting. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in SW1990 cells after various concentrations of emodin (10, 20, 40 micromol x L(-1)) treatment for 48 h. Metastatic model simulating human pancreatic cancer was established by orthotropic implantation of histologically intact human tumor tissue into pancreatic wall of nude mice, and then divided into three groups: control group, low-dose emodin group (L-EMO) and high-dose emodin group (H-EMO). Eight weeks after implantation, the presences of metastasis were evaluated respectively after the mice were sacrificed. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of CD34, NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in the tumors.

RESULTEmodin suppressed the migration and invasion of SW1990 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Western bolt assay indicated that emodin down-regulated the expression of NF-kappaB and MMP-9 proteins in SW1990 cells. The incidences of metastasis were decreased significantly in L-EMO group and H-EMO group as compared with that in control group. The percentage of CD34, NF-kappaB and MMP-9-positive cells in the tumors were significantly reduced by the administration of emodin.

CONCLUSIONEmodin exerts anti-metastatic activity in pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo, which may be related to down-regulation of NF-kappaB and MMP-9.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Emodin ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; analysis ; Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; prevention & control ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; pathology

This study was purpose to examine the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Tween 80 on the growth and viability of stromal cells (BMSC), colony-forming units for granulocytes and macrophages (CFU-GM) and bone marrow endothelial cell line (BMEC) from murine bone marrow in vitro, and to analyze the concentration-effect relationship. The colony yields of colony-forming units fibroblastic (CFU-F) and CFU-GM were assessed in the murine bone marrow cell cultures at various concentrations of DMSO or Tween 80 and in the control groups. The MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion were used to determine the cell viability and percentage of survival in BMSC and BMEC cultures with or without either of these organic solvents. The results showed that the colony yields of both CFU-F and CFU-GM were decreased significantly (p<0.05 or <0.01) at the concentrations (v/v final) of 2% DMSO or 0.005%-0.01% Tween 80 respectively, as compared with control. The cell viability and percentage of survival of BMSC and BMEC cultures were significantly reduced (p<0.05 or <0.01) at 0.5%-1.0% DMSO or 0.002%-0.005% Tween 80, as compared with control. With the increase of volume fractions of these solvents, the decreased percentages of corresponding measurements were increased by degrees. It is concluded that when the concentration of DMSO or Tween 80 goes to a certain level in cell culture medium, either of the organic solvents has an inhibitory action or/and cytotoxicity on the growth and viability of BMSCs, CFU-GM and BMECs. The growth inhibition and cytotoxic response are more significant at higher concentrations of these solvents.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Progenitor Cells ; cytology ; Male ; Mice ; Polysorbates ; pharmacology ; Solvents ; pharmacology ; Stromal Cells ; cytology

To explore the differential expression of serum miRNAs in patients of advanced non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated by gifitinib before and after acquiring drug resistance.
 Methods: A total of 4 patients with advanced NSCLC from Affiliated Hospital of Yueyang Vocational Technical College, who acquired drug resistance during gefitinib therapy from June 2013 to June 2015, were enrolled. Serum samples were collected before treatment and after acquiring drug resistance. MicroRNA (miRNA) microarray was used to assess the levels and compositions of miRNAs in serum. Real-time RT-PCR was used to validate the results of miRNAs with significant differences in expression. The candidate miRNAs inhibitors and mimics were transfected into lung cancer cells by liposome, and the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to gifitinib was detected.
 Results: The miRNA microarray showed that there were significantly differential expression of miRNAs in serum of NSCLC patients after acquiring drug resistance, and 24 miRNAs were changed in more than 2-fold. Among them, 19 miRNAs were up-regulated and 5 miRNAs were down- regulated (both P<0.05). Especially, the expression of miR-21 in serum of NSCLC patients after obtaining resistance was up-regulated more than 10-fold compared with that before treatment. The results of RT-PCR was consistent with the results of miRNA microarray. The up-regulation of miR-21 in lung cancer cells could elevate the half maximal inhibition concentration (IC50) of gefitinib, and the down-regulation of miR-21 in lung cancer cells could reduce the IC50 of gefitinib (both P<0.05).
 Conclusion: There is differential expression of miRNAs in serum of NSCLC patients before treatment and after acquiring drug resistance during gefitinib therapy. The up-regulation of miR-21 may be involved in regulating the acquiring drug resistance of gefitinib.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; MicroRNAs ; blood ; genetics

A case with breast schistosomiasis japonica was reported.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) are stem cells derived from bone marrow and peripheral blood, which could proliferate and differentiate into endothelial cells and participate in repair after tube injury. Studies have shown that the improving function of diabetic EPC could prevent and reduce the occurrence of diabetic complications. The research progress in improving the function of EPC in recent years and the improvement of function in the development of diabetes were reviewed in order to provide new ideas for the treatment of diabetes.

Objective To explore the material basis and mechanism of the Chinese medicine Shenmajingfu granules in the treatment of cerebral infarction. Methods The potential active ingredients and targets of Shenmajingfu granules were retrieved through TCMSP, ETCM database and TCM Database. The related target genes of cerebral infarction were searched from OMIM database. The common targets of Shenmajingfu granules and cerebral infarction were obtained by the intersection method. Cytoscape was used to construct active components of Shenmajingfu granules-targets network. Protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING software. DAVID database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Results The 183 potential active ingredients of Shenmajingfu granules were screened out. 1785 potential targets were screened in the TCMSP database, including 30 targets related to cerebral infarction. These target genes were mainly involved in the inflammatory response and apoptosis process, involving the TNF signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway and NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusion The therapeutic effect of Shenmajingfu granules on cerebral infarction may be related to the regulation of inflammatory response, improvement of impaired neurological function and protection of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective To investigate the relieving effect of Yinlian Tongfeng granules on adjuvant arthritis rats. Methods A complete Freund adjuvant model was built for this study. 48 rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, Yinlian Tongfeng granules high, medium and low dose group (15.4g/kg, 7.7g/kg, 3.8g/kg). After the drug intervention, arthritis index, ankle swelling rate, formaldehyde induced pain score were recorded. Elisa method was used to detect IL-4, IL-10 and the content of PK1, PK2. The pathological changes of toe pad in rats were observed. Results Compared with the model control group, Yinlian Tongfeng granules groups significantly inhibited the ankle swelling, reduced the pain reaction caused by formaldehyde (P<0.01), significantly increased the content of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10 (P<0.01), and decreased the content of PK1 and PK2 (P<0.01). Toe edema and lymphocyte infiltration were alleviated. Conclusion Yinlian Tongfeng granules have a significant inhibitory effect on adjuvant arthritis, suggesting that it has a potential therapeutic application for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of Shengxue Mixture (SXM) in treating aplastic anemia and study the possible mechanism. Methods: Eighty-four patients in the treated group with Spleen-Kidney Yang deficiency syndrome and Spleen-Kidney Yin deficiency syndrome were treated with SXM-Ⅰ and SXM-Ⅱ respectively, and 30 patients in the control group were treated with Stanozolol. The clinical effect and several experimental parameters were also observed. Results: The basic cure was gained in 18 cases, remission in 23, markedly improved in 32, ineffective 11, total effective rate and cure remission rate of the treated group were 86.90% and 48.81% respectively, which were obviously better than those of the control group (P<0.05) with no obvious side-effect. While the patient's symptoms were alleviated, the peripheral blood cells increased, the ratio of T lymphocyte subsets tended to balance, the level of natural killer cell activity increased, interleukin-2 reduced, and reproduction of the bone marrow were markedly improved in most of the patients treated by SXM. Conclusions: SXM is an effective and safe drug for aplastic anemia. Its mechanism might be likely due to its regulating the immune function, which facilitates the recovery of the bone marrow hematopoiesis function.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy differences between different needling methods for dry eye syndrome.

METHODSSixty patients of dry eye syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases (60 eyes) in each group. Shangjingming (Extra), Xiajingming (Extra), Tongziliao (GB 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Fengchi (GB 20), Hegu (LI 4), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taixi (KI 3) and Taichong (LR 3) were selected in the two groups. The control group was treated with conventional acupuncture, while the observation group was treated with guiding-acupuncture. Electroacupuncture (EA) was used at bilateral Tongziliao (GB1) and Cuanzhu (BL 2), 30 min per treatment. The treatment was given three times per week. Totally 1-month treatment (12 treatments) was given. The eye symptom score, breakup time of tear film (BUT), Schirmer Ⅰ test (SⅠT) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared before treatment, the eye symptom score, BUT, SⅠT and VAS score were improved after treatment in the two groups (all<0.001); the improvements of eye symptom score and SⅠT in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (both<0.05). The differences of BUT and VSA score between the two groups were not significant (both>0.05). The total effective rate was 86.7% (52/60) in the observation group, which was superior to 73.3% (44/60) in the control group (<0.05). .

CONCLUSIONThe conventional EA and guiding-acupuncture combined with EA are both effective for dry eye syndrome, and the efficacy of guiding-acupuncture combined with EA is superior to that of conventional EA.

Objective To investigate the effect of muscle function on structural stress in patient with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), by observing the stress changes in LDH lumbar-pelvis finite element model loaded with muscle force. Methods One normal healthy volunteer and one LDH patient were selected. Their CT data were collected to establish two corresponding normal and LDH lumbar-pelvis finite element models, and their gait data were also simultaneously collected to drive the AnyBody musculoskeletal model. The muscle force around the lumbar and pelvis as well as the hip-joint force were obtained as the loading condition. Self-loading of the normal and LDH model as well as the normal model loaded with LDH muscle forces were conducted seperately. Then the stress changes in L4 and L5 intervertebral discs and sacroiliac joints under two above loading conditions were compared. Results The stress curve of normal model loaded with LDH muscle force showed a unimodal stress curve, instead of a bimodal curve, and such trend of stress-time curve was as same as the trend of the LDH model during self-loading. But the stress difference in L4 and L5 intervertebral discs and sacroiliac joint of the normal model loaded with LDH muscle force was smaller than that in the LDH model during self-loading. Conclusions Abnormal muscle function of LDH could lead to abnormal joint stress of the intervertebral discs and sacroiliac joint. Structural imbalance itself could lead to stress imbalance, and muscle as a driving factor was an important cause of anomaly structural dynamic stress, thus leading to abnormal joint motion patterns. Therefore, attention should be paid to assessment of the imbalance of peripheral muscle function in clinical treatment of LDH.