The tumor microenvironment (TME), a dynamic and complex local environment, interacts with the tumor cells and is closely related to tumor growth, metastasis, immune escape and drug resistance. Thus, targeting the TME has been a worldwide focus in cancer therapy. Many natural products possess the advantages of multiple targets, multiple pathways and wide pharmacological functions, and are the main source of antitumor drugs. In recent years studies have found that some natural products had advantageous effects on the TME. In this review, we summarize the components and functions of the TME and some natural products that target the TME, with references to the drug therapy of cancer.

Objective To observe the tolerance of contemporaneous multiplane operations in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS). Methods Twenty-three patients were enrolled. According to the different obstructive level, the different operations were chosen to complete upper airway reconstruction in contemporaneous operation group (group A, 13 patients). In the simple palatopharynx level obstructive group (group B, 10 patients), bilateral tonsillectomy and H-UPPP was chosen. Results The operation time in group A was significantly longer than that in group B:(121.0 ± 35.4) min vs.(80.7 ± 25.3) min, P<0.01. The hospital days and adverse events in two groups had no significantly difference (P>0.05). Conclusions Individual therapeutic schedule for OSAHS patients should be formulated. Operating the different obstructive levels simutaneously, which would solve upper airway occlusion and complete the upper airway reconstruction at the same time. No more adverse events happen, compared with the simple palatopharynx level obstructive group, though the operation time may be longer.

This study is to determine the preventive effect and mechanism of targeting IL-17A on pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis after acute lung injury. Mice were treated with anti-IL-17A antibody on the day 7 and sacrificed on the day 14 after bleomycin lung injury. The pulmonary inflammatory status and the deposition of collagen were measured by HE and Sirius stains staining. The contents of hydroxyproline and collagen were measured by using commercial kits. The survival rate of mice was calculated by Kaplan-Meier methods. The inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured by ELISA and the expressions of inflammation-related molecules were detected by Western blotting assay. Targeting of IL-17A could prevent the development of lung inflammation, decrease collagen deposition and the contents of hydroxyproline, and protect against the development of pulmonary fibrosis, which together led to an increase in the animal survival. Moreover, blocking IL-17A decreased the expression ofpro-fibrotic cytokines such as IL-17A, TGF-beta1 and IL-13; increased the expression of anti-fibrotic or anti-inflammatory factors such as IFN-gamma, COX-2, 5-LOX, 15-LOX. Indeed, IL-17A antagonism suppressed the activation of pro-inflammatory p65NF-kappaB but enhanced the activation of pro-resolving p50NF-kappaB. In conclusion, that blockade of IL-17A prevents the development of pulmonary fibrosis from acute lung injury, is because blocking IL-17A may prevent acute inflammation converting to chronic inflammation.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Chloride Channels ; metabolism ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Kidney ; cytology ; Osmotic Pressure ; Periplasm ; metabolism ; Swine

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of structured triglycerides in parenteral nutrition in elderly patients with acute biliary tract infection.Methods 62 elderly patients with acute biliary tract infection under conservative therapy were randomly divided into structured triglycerides (ST) group and medium-chain triglycerides plus long-chain triglycerides (MCT/LCT) group.Patients underwent parenteral nutrition for 5 days.Levels of hepatic enzymes,blood triglycerides,nitrogen balance,fasting blood insulin and glucose were compared between the two groups after 5 days of parenteral nutrition.Results There were no significant differences in levels of hepatic enzymes,blood triglycerides and fasting blood glucose between ST group and MCT/LCT group.Plasma total bilirubin (T-Bill) levels were increased in the two groups,and T-Bill level dropped faster in the ST group than in the MCT/LCT group after 7 days of parenteral nutrition(P＜ 0.05).The difference in total cholesterol level dropping was significant between ST group and MCT/ LCT group (P＜0.05).The cumulative nitrogen balance for 5 days had significant difference between ST and MCT/LCT groups [(4.7-±-2.2) g vs.(2.8±0.7) g,P＜0.05].STG group versus MCT/LCT group had less fluctuation of fasting blood insulin level after 1,4 and 7 days of parenteral nutrition.Conclusions In the acute phase of biliary tract infection in elderly patients,ST-based parenteral nutrition can provide energy and help maintain nitrogen balance,with a little fluctuation of fasting blood insulin level.Short-term nutritional support may have better tolerance in the liver and has little effect on the change of hepatic enzymes.

Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; enzymology ; pathology

· AIM: To observe the inhibitory effect of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on the proliferation of monkey choroidretinal endothelial cells (RF/6A) in hypoxia or normal conditions.retinal endothelial cells of rhesus monkey (RF/6A). The effect of TA on the cellular activity was observed by MTT,the effect on cellular proliferation and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FCM).cycle were reduced and the proportion of cells in G2-M phase was increased under the hypoxia condition .TA had a great effect on the cell cycle of choroid-retinal endothelial cells of rhesus monkey and it induced apoptosis of endothelial cells. It relatively increased the S-phase cells and reduced G2-M phase cells under both normal and hypoxia conditions, which indicates its role in blocking cell cycle from s-phase to G2-M phase and reducing mitosis.RF/6A cells while TA has the opposite effect in both normal and hypoxia conditions. TA can also induce apoptosis of endothelial cells.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics ,diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of phaeohyphomycosis. Methods Clinical data were collected, including history, physical examination, cranial and spinal imaging. Brain biopsy was performed. Data of the pathology and incubation of brain tissue were analyzed. Responsiveness to treatment was followed up. Results A previously healthy three and half years old boy was presented to our unit, with a three- month history of recurrent headache, vomiting, progressive paraplegia accompanied by urinary continence and constipation. A computed tomogram scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed multiple lesions located in the region of the parietal - occipital lobes, periventricular area and frontal lobe, with prominent surrounding edema and irregular peripheral enhancement of the mass after the administration of contrast materials. A cerebral biopsy was performed and the pathological report was cerebral phaeohyphomycosis. The culture of the tissue and cerebrospinal fluid grew a same fungus identified as exo-phiala dermatitidis. The patient's response to therapy was poor, the parents of the boy gave up therapy, and the boy died 1 month later. Conclusions Cerebral Phaeohyphomycosis caused by Exophiala dermatitidis is rare, but the most serious form of fungus infection. Pathology and incubation of the tissue are essential for diagnosis. There is no curative therapy and the prognosis is poor.

Objective To explore the clinical features of vestibular paroxysmia (VP).Methods The clinical features of 51 patients with VP from January 2009 to April 2011 were analyzed retrospectively.The treatment effectiveness of antiepileptics was evaluated.Results The ratio of male to female was 1 ∶ 1.55 in the 51 patients with VP and the course of disease was 10 days to 20 years.In 46 patients (90.2％) the attacks occurred at rest,whereas 37 patients (72.5％) were precipitated by a head turn or a body turn.Three minutes hyperventilation-induced vertigo was found in 13 patients (25.5％) and Fukuda test was positive in 15 patients (29.4％).Forty patients (78.4％) were abnormal in brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) and the interpeak latency of wave Ⅰ-Ⅲ was prolonged than 2.2 ms in 26 patients (51.0％).There were 47 ears had neurovascular cross-compression (NVCC),which were unilateral in 37 patients and bilateral in 5 patients,with type Ⅰ in 23 ears(48.9％),type Ⅱ in 5 ears(10.6％),type Ⅲ in 17 ears(36.2％) and type Ⅳ in 2 ears(4.3％).Three month-treatment led to a significant reduction in the attack frequency(3 (2,7) per month vs 15 (9,30) per month,Z =-6.156,P ＜ 0.01),in the attack duration(2(1,4) s vs 12(6,20) s,Z =-6.066,P ＜0.01),and a reduction in the visual analogue scale of vertigo (1.86 ±0.57 vs 5.83 ± 1.12,t =1.984,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Briefvertigoattacksatrestis the character of VP.Three minutes hyperventilation-induced vertigo is helpful for the diagnosis of VP.The prolongation of the interpeak latency of wave Ⅰ-Ⅲ in BAEP is the character of VP.NVCC widely existed in the patients with VP and types Ⅰ and type Ⅲ was more common.Using antiepileptics,a better treatment effectiveness can be obtained.

Objective To approach the evaluative effect of respiratory variation of superior vena cava peak flow velocity measured using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) on fluid responsiveness in patients with mechanical ventilation.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted.All mechanical ventilated critically ill patients whose fluid therapy was planned due to hypovolemia in Department of Critical Care Medicine of Beijing Tongren Hospital of Capital Medical University from April 2011 to April 2013 were enrolled.Volume expansion was performed with 500 mL Linger solution within 30 minutes.Patients were classified as responders if pulse pressure variation (PPV) increased ≥ 13％ before volume expansion.The respiratory variation in superior vena cava peak velocity was calculated as the difference between maximum and minimum values of velocity in peak A,peak S and peak D over a single respiratory circle,and their variations (ΔA,ΔS,ΔD) were also calculated.The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to assess the evaluative effect of respiratory variation of superior vena cava peak velocity on fluid responsiveness.Results Twenty-seven patients were enrolled in this study.Volume expansion increased PPV ≥ 13％ happened in 14 patients (responders).The velocity of superior vena cava in peak A,peak S,peak D was significantly increased after volume expansion compared with that before volume expansion in responders [peak A (cm/s):34.6 ± 2.2 vs.31.3 ±2.1,t=-2.493,P=0.027; peak S (cm/s):39.1 ± 1.3 vs.35.3 ±2.1,t=-2.564,P=0.024; peak D (cm/s):28.1 ± 1.2 vs.23.3 ± 1.4,t=-4.995,P=0.000],but there was no significant difference in ΔA,ΔS and ΔD between before and after volume expansion.The ΔA,ΔS and ΔD were positively correlated with PPV (r＝0.040,P=0.854; r=0.350,P=0.074; r=0.749,P=0.000).The area under ROC curve (AUC) of peak S was 0.36 [95％ confidence interval (95％CI):0.11-0.52],but the AUC of ΔS was 0.68 (95％CI 0.47-0.89),the AUC of peak D was 0.41 (95％CI 0.19-0.63),but the AUC of ΔD was 0.95 (95％CI 0.86-1.00),so the aberration rate of superior vena cava in respiration was better than the flow rate in superior vena cava.When the cut-off value of ΔS was 20.7％ for predicting fluid responsiveness,the sensitivity was 78.6％ and the specificity was 61.5％.When the cut-off value of ΔD was 12.7％ for predicting fluid responsiveness,the sensitivity was 92.0％ and the specificity was 92.3％.Conclusion Respiratory variations in superior vena cava peak velocity measured by TTE could assess fluid responsiveness in patients with mechanical ventilation.