Carcinoma, Adenosquamous ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Jejunal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Jejunum ; surgery ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the effects of clotrimazole on the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods OSCC-25 cells growing in log phase were treated with various doses of clotrimazole. The concentration of IC50, cell cycle and cell cycle related protein were examined. Results The concentration of clotrimazole for inhibiting OSCC was IC50, 8. 51 μmol/L. Clotrimazole induced cell cycle arrest in the G0-G1, cell cycle phase, with a concomitant decrease of cells in the G2-M and S-phase. Furthermore, clotrimazole significantly decreased the levels of cyclin D, cyclin E and CDK-4. Conclusions Clotrimazole inhibits the growth of OSCC.

BACKGROUNDGlaucoma can cause progressive damage to retinal ganglion cells. These cells can be classified as cells projecting to the superior colliculus and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells, which project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This study was to investigate the effects of chronic intraocular pressure elevation on melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells in rats.

METHODSChronic intraocular pressure elevation was induced in one eye of adult Wistar rats by cauterization of three episcleral veins. Intraocular pressure was measured at different intervals with a rebound tonometer. Superior collicular retinal ganglion cells were retrogradely labeled from the superior colliculus with Fluorogold. Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were visualized by free-floating immunohistochemistry on whole-mount retinas. The number of labeled superior collicular and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were counted in the sample areas on flat-mounted retinas.

RESULTSCompared with contralateral control eyes, the numbers of both superior collicular and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of experimental intraocular pressure elevation ((2317.41 +/- 29.96)/mm(2) vs (1815.82 +/- 24.25)/mm(2); (26.20 +/- 2.10)/mm(2) vs (20.62 +/- 1.52)/mm(2), respectively). The extent of cell loss of the two types of retinal ganglion cells was similar. However, no morphologic changes were found in melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells.

CONCLUSIONBoth melanopsin-containing and superior collicular retinal ganglion cells were damaged by chronic ocular hypertension, indicating that glaucomatous neural degeneration involves the non-image-forming visual pathway.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glaucoma ; pathology ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; pathology ; Rod Opsins ; analysis

The complete nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone encoding weever ribosomal protein L8, WeevL8, is described here. The WeevL8 cDNA has 848 nucleotides in full length and encodes a 257 amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 28.02 kDa. Two conserved domains have been identified in WEEVL8. It was concluded fromsequence alignment that WeevL8 gene was quite conservative, consistent with its role as a house-keeping gene. A phylogenetic analysis made by L8 protein showed the similar phylogenetic relationship to that with 18s rDNA. The high similarity supports the notion that ribosomal protein L8 can also be used as phylogenetic criterion.

Objective: To explore therapeutic effect of pitavastatin on young and middle-aged patients with hyperlipidemia complicated carotid plaques and its influence on vascular endothelial function. Methods: A total of 126 young and middle-aged patients with hyperlipidemia complicated carotid plaques [carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) ＞ 1. 5mm]were selected, and were randomly divided into no lipid lowering treatment group (n=62) and pitavastatin group (n=64). Flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery (FMD), carotid IMT and blood lipid levels before and 12 months after medication, and incidence rate of adverse events were recorded and compared between two groups. Results: Compare with before treatment and no lipid lowering treatment group after treatment, there was significant rise in FMD [(6. 70±2. 10) ％, (6. 60±2. 35) ％ vs. (8. 90±3. 60) ％], and significant reductions in levels of total cholesterol [(6. 05±1. 40) mmol/L, (5. 67±1. 90) mmol/L vs. (4. 05±1. 20) mmol/L], triglyceride [(2. 18± 0. 72) mmol/L, (2. 08±0. 68) mmol/L vs. (1. 77±0. 65) mmol/L]and low density lipoprotein cholesterol [(4. 65±1. 50) mmol/L, (4. 41±1. 36) mmol/L vs. (2. 01±1. 30) mmol/L]in pitavastatin group, P＜0. 05 or＜0. 01; there were no significant changes in IMT in two groups. No obvious adverse reaction was found in pitavastatin group. Conclusion: Pitavastatin can significantly improve lipid levels and vascular endothelial function in young and middle-aged patients with hyperlipidemia complicated carotid plaques.

OBJECTIVETo know the anti-viral effects of rhubarb ethanol extract (REE) on herpes simplex virus(HSV) infection in vivo.

METHODSBALB/c mice inoculated from tail vein with 0.15 ml of HSV (TCID50=10(3)) were injected hypodermically with REE next day. After divided into seven groups, three groups of mice were given different doses of REE respectively and the other groups as controls. Pathological sections from the liver, spleen, kidney were made at different times of postinfection, and their pathological changes were observed under microscope; the virus titers in viscera were assayed by using plaque formation technique and the rhubarb inhibitions to the infection of HSV in vivo?were observed.

RESULTSNo toxic response to mice were observed for REE injected hypodermically; no pathological changes were observed in different therapy groups of spleens. And those in livers and kidneys at medium- and high-dosed groups disappeared quickly. The effect of low-dosed group was equal to that of positive control group, acyclovir(ACV); the results of the titer tests showed that the virus decreased rapidly by using REE, especially in the medium- and high-dosed groups which were much more marked than the low-dosed group; Q test of the data showed that total mean value had statistical significance (F=49.1459, P<0.01); moreover there were statistical significance between therapy groups (ACV, DH1, DH2, DH3) and non-therapy groups (VC) (P<0.01 ) and between DH2, DH3 and DH1 (P<0.01); no statistical significance were found between DH1, DH2 or DH3 and ACV (P>0.05). Results show that as to the effect of decreasing the average of the total titer, rhubarb is as effective as ACV; furthermore, the medium- and high-dosed groups are superior to the low-dosed group.

CONCLUSIONSREE has significant anti-viral effect on HSV in vivo; there will be a wide application foreground of it in clinical usage.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Herpes Simplex ; pathology ; virology ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Rheum

OBJECTIVETo investigate the characteristics of microglial activation of hippocampus in experimental epileptic rats.

METHODSMorphological changes and proliferation of OX-42 positive cells were compared at different time points after status of epilepticus (SE) in lithium-pilocarpine induced epileptic rats.

RESULTSOX-42 positive cells were activated after SE, which increased to a peak at 3-7 d and in a relatively stable state at 7-14 d; then gradually decreased after 14d and returned to slightly higher level than previously at 21 d.

CONCLUSIONInflammatory injury, microglial activation and cell proliferation are closely related after seizures, microglial activation may be an important mechanism in the inflammatory injury of epilepsy.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; pathology ; Male ; Microglia ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Status Epilepticus ; pathology

OBJECTIVEHemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by defects in factor VIII (FVIII) gene. In the present study, the frequencies of the microsatellite alleles at introns 13 and 22 in the factor VIII gene were analyzed in the group of Han nationality in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to explore their diagnostic value for hemophilia A. These two sites were also used to detect the carriers in 13 hemophilia A families.

METHODSNinty-one individuals of Han ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (135 X chromosomes) and 13 HA families were subjected to molecular studies. First, these two fragments were PCR amplified simultaneously. Then, silver staining was used later to show their polymorphisms. The investigators selected one sample at random to obtain its lengths of the PCR products at these two sites by ABI310 PCR amplifier. After counting its repeated numbers of (CA) according to the documents concerned, the repeated numbers of the other samples could be counted easily.

RESULTSIn the 91 individuals, 6 and 4 alleles were detected at these two sites, respectively. At intron 13 the allele frequencies ranged from 0.0002 to 0.5408 and polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.5899. At intron 22 the allele frequencies ranged from 0.0444 to 0.4963 and its PIC was 0.5359. The actual heterozygosity for intron 13 and intron 22 were 0.6364 (28/44) and 0.5227 (23/44), respectively. In 13 hemophilia A families with positive history, 9 of them were diagnosed by this method and the diagnosis rate was 69%.

CONCLUSIONWith high PICs, (CA)n at intron 13 and intron 22 were two valuable sites in the diagnosis of hemophilia A in the population of Han ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Compared with some other HA restrictive fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP), intron 22 (GT)n (AG)n was more informative.

Alleles ; Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Factor VIII ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Hemophilia A ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Introns ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Silver Staining

This study is designed to evaluate antioxidant and antigenotoxic activities of corn tassel extracts (CTTs). The major bioactive components of CTTs include flavonoid, saponin and polysaccharide. The antioxidant properties of the three bioactive components of CTTs were investigated by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Property (FRAP) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The activities of the extracts were determined by assessing the inhibition of mutagenicity of the direct-acting mutagen fenaminosulf, sodium azide, and indirect-acting mutagen 2-aminofluorene using the Ames test (strains TA98 and TA100). The results showed that the extraction rates of flavonoid, saponin, and polysaccharide from the dried corn tassels were 1.67%, 2.41% and 4.76% respectively. DPPH and FRAP assay strongly demonstrated that CTTs had antioxidant properties. CTTs at doses of 625, 1250 and 2500 μg per plate reduced 2-aminofluorene mutagenicity by 12.52%, 28.76% and 36.49% in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain assay respectively and by 10.98%, 25.27% and 37.83%, at the same doses in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 assay system, respectively. 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the different concentrations of CTTs inhibited the proliferation of MGC80-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). It is concluded that these integrated approaches to antioxidant and antigenotoxicity assessment may be useful to study corn tassel as a natural herbal material.
Antimutagenic Agents ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Fluorenes ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inflorescence ; chemistry ; Mutagens ; pharmacology ; Picrates ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Salmonella typhimurium ; drug effects ; genetics ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Zea mays ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the clustering character of overweight and obesity with multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors such as blood pressure, serum lipids and glucose, and to provide evidence for intervention in childhood.

METHODSA cross-sectional study was conducted on 913 children aged 7-13 years in urban area of Shijiazhuang. Measurements included height, weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and fasting serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum glucose (GLU).

RESULTSOverall prevalence rate of overweight and obesity was 29.24% (boys: 34.98% vs. girls: 24.23%). When compared with normal children, children with overweight or obesity had significantly higher levels of SBP, DBP, TC, TG but low HDL-C. The prevalence rates of high SBP, DBP, TC, TG, GLU and low HDL-C in overweight and obese children were higher than in normal children. After adjusted for gender and age, the odds ratios of overweight and obese children for high SBP, DBP, TC, TG, GLU and low HDL-C were 6.77, 3.22, 2.55, 6.42, 3.85 and 2.94 (95% CI: 4.15-11.04, 1.38-7.49, 1.59-4.11, 3.46-11.92, 1.69-8.78 and 1.83-4.73), respectively. Odds ratios of overweight and obese children holding any one, two or three of the selected six risk factors appeared to be 2.74, 13.15 and 15.33 (95% CI : 1.92-3.92, 6.69-25.87 and 4.17-56.39), respectively.

CONCLUSIONChildhood overweight and obesity increased the clustering of children's risk factors on cardiovascular diseases, as well as increasing the risk of children acquiring multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors. Controlling overweight and obesity would help early prevention on children from getting cardiovascular diseases.

Adolescent ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; prevention & control ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; statistics & numerical data ; Cluster Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Obesity ; blood ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Risk Factors ; Schools ; statistics & numerical data