OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of serum restriction on the invasiveness and expressions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in human trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells in vitro.

METHODSHTR-8/SVneo cells were cultured in the presence of 1%, 5%, or 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for 48 h. Fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence staining were employed to examine the changes in IGF-1 and MMP-2 expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels in HTR-8/SVneo cells; MTT assay and Transwell invasion assay were used to assess the changes of the cell proliferation and the cell invasion ability, respectively. MMP-2 expression, cell proliferation and invasiveness were also assessed in the cells treated with recombinant human IGF-1.

RESULTSHTR-8/SVneo cells exhibited significantly lowered cell proliferation in cultures containing low concentrations of FBS (P<0.05). The expressions of IGF-1 and MMP-2 at both mRNA and protein levels were significantly down-regulated and the invasiveness was significantly lowered in cells cultured in the medium containing 1% FBS as compared with those of cells cultured in the presence of 5% and 10% FBS (P<0.05). Treatment of the cells with recombinant human IGF-1 significantly up-regulated MMP-2 expression (P<0.05) and increased the cell invasiveness (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFBS restriction down-regulates IGF-1 expression in human trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells and suppress the cell invasiveness possibly by suppressing MMP-2 expression. Treatment with recombinant human IGF-1 can up-regulate MMP-2 expression and promote the invasiveness of HTR-8/SVneo cells.

Objective To explore the relationship between T lymphocyte subsets and both glioma malignancy and its prognosis, and determine a clinical immunologic index for evaluating preoperative glioma malignancy and its prognosis. Methods The data of 117 inpatients with primary intracranial tumors, including glioma (n=85) and meningioma (n=32), were retrospectively analyzed. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis was performed to detect the preoperative contents of T lymphocyte subsets on 32 patients with meningioma and patients with glioma, including 45 high-grade glioma (WHO, grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ) and 40 low-grade glioma (WHO, grade Ⅰ -Ⅱ); and then the differences of their immunologic indexes were analyzed. Based on the detection result of T lymphocyte subsets, patients with glioma were divided into two groups: CD4~+CD8~+<1 and CD4~+CD8~+>1. Follow-up for 3-5 years was performed and the survival difference of these two groups was analyzed. Results Patients with high-grade glioma showed a decreased ratio of CD4~+CD8~+ and an increased value of CD8~+ with significant difference as compared with patients with low-grade glioma (P<0.05); patients with high-grade glioma showed a decreased ratio of CD4~+CD8~+, and an increased value of CD8~+ with statistical significance compared with patients with meningioma (P <0.05); patients with low-grade glioma showed a decreased ratio of CD4~+CD8~+ with statistical significance compared with the patients with meningioma (P<0.05). Patients with glioma showed a decreased ratio of CD4~+CD8~+ and CD4~+, and an increased CD8~+ with statistical significance compared with patients with meningioma (P<0.05). After follow-up for 3-5 years, 48 patients with glioma was found in the CD4~+CD8~+>1 group with 21 death (43.8%) and 31 months as a median survival time; 37 patients with glioma was found in the CD4~+CD8~+<1 group with 23 death (62.2%) and 16 months as a median survival time. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed with statistical significance (P<0.05). Conclusion The prognosis is poor in patients with low ratio of CD4~+CD8~+. The preoperative level of T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood, correlated to the glioma malignancy, can be considered as an index to evaluate the glioma malignancy and the prognosis in patients with glioma.

Due to the profound theoretical rationale, perfect diagnosis and treatment system, and characteristic medicinal resources, Tibetan medicine has been passed down to the present day as one of the four traditional medicine systems all over the world. With the development of modern society and the change in people's concept of seeking medical services, Tibetan medicine has gradually attracted wide attention by virtue of its natural, green and safe diagnosis and treatment characteristics, which enables it to be vigo-rously developed and inherited. There are numerous ancient books on Tibetan medicine, covering a large number of ancient prescriptions, which has laid a solid foundation for later scholars to thoroughly investigate the diagnosis and treatment rules in Tibetan medicine and apply them to modern clinical practice. Screening the classic prescriptions that meet modern clinical needs from those numerous ancient books is a new direction in the inheritance and development of Tibetan medicine. On the basis of historical origin and current application status of ancient prescriptions in Tibetan medicine, this paper preliminarily elaborated the definition of classic prescriptions of Tibetan medicine and their general screening principles and precautions, and also discussed the modern inheritance paths of classic prescriptions in Tibetan medicine from basic research, post-marketing evaluation, and the development of novel preparations. Considering the shortcomings in the present study, the key technical issues mentioned need to be more deeply explored and analyzed in future studies.
Humans ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Medicine, Traditional ; Prescriptions

BACKGROUNDThe perioperative aortic dissection (AD) rupture is a severe event after endovascular stent graft placement for treatment of type B AD. However, this life-threatening complication has not undergone systematic investigation. The aim of the study is to discuss the reasons of AD rupture after the procedure.

METHODSThe medical record data of 563 Stanford type B AD patients who received thoracic endovascular repair from 2004 to December 2011 at our institution were collected and analyzed. Double entry and consistency checking were performed with Epidata software.

RESULTSTwelve patients died during the perioperation after thoracic endovascular repair, with an incidence of 2.1%, 66.6% were caused by aortic rupture and half of the aortic rupture deaths were caused by retrograde type A AD. In our study, 74% of the non-rupture surviving patients had the free-flow bare spring proximal stent implanted, compared with 100% of the aortic rupture patients (74% vs. 100%, P = 0.213). The aortic rupture patients are more likely to have ascending aortic diameters = 4 cm (62.5% vs. 9.0%, P = 0.032), involvement the aortic arch concavity (62% vs. 27%, P = 0.041) and have had multiple stents placed (P = 0.039).

CONCLUSIONSThoracic AD endovascular repair is a safe and effective treatment option for AD with relative low in-hospital mortality. AD rupture may be more common in arch stent-graft patients with an ascending aortic diameter = 4 cm and with severe dissection that needs multi-stent placement. Attention should be paid to a proximal bare spring stent that has a higher probability of inducing an AD rupture. Post balloon dilation should be performed with serious caution, particularly for the migration during dilation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; surgery ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; surgery ; Aortic Rupture ; etiology ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents

In the current study, schisandrin B(SchB)-loaded F127 modified lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles(SchB-F-LPNs) were developed to improve the inhibition of breast cancer lung metastasis. Modified nanoprecipitation method was used to prepare SchB-F-LPNs. The nanoparticles were spherical in shape with shell-core structure by TEM observation. SchB-F-LPNs showed a mean particle size of(234.60±6.11) nm with zeta potential of(-5.88±0.49) mV. XRD results indicated that SchB existed in the nanoparticles in an amorphous state. The apparent permeability coefficient through porcine mucus of F-LPNs was 1.43-fold of that of LPNs as shown in the in vitro mucus penetration study. The pharmacokinetics study showed that the C_(max) of SchB was(369.06±146.94) μg·L~(-1),(1 121.34±91.65) μg·L~(-1) and(2 951.91±360.53) μg·L~(-1) respectively in SchB suspensions group, SchB-LPNs group and SchB-F-LPNs group after oral administration in rats. With SchB suspensions as the reference formulation, the relative bioavailability of SchB-F-LPNs was 568.60%. SchB-F-LPNs inhibited the morphological change during transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In addition, SchB-F-LPNs significantly decreased the number of metastatic pulmonary nodules in 4 T1 tumor-bearing mice, suggesting that SchB-F-LPNs may inhibit the metastasis of breast cancer. These results reveal the promising potential of SchB-F-LPNs in treatment of breast cancer lung metastasis.
Animals ; Cyclooctanes ; Lignans ; Lipids ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; Polycyclic Compounds ; Polyethylenes ; Polymers ; Polypropylenes ; Rats ; Swine

BACKGROUNDData on the epidemiology of hypertension in Chinese non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the non-dialysis CKD patients through a nationwide, multicenter study in China.

METHODSThe survey was performed in 61 tertiary hospitals in 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Trained physicians collected demographic and clinical data and measured blood pressure (BP) using a standardized protocol. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, and/or use of antihypertensive medications. BP < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg were used as the 2 thresholds of hypertension control. In multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for sex and age, we analyzed the association between CKD stages and uncontrolled hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients.

RESULTSThe analysis included 8927 non-dialysis CKD patients. The prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients were 67.3%, 85.8%, and 81.0%, respectively. Of hypertensive CKD patients, 33.1% and 14.1% had controlled BP to < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg, respectively. With successive CKD stages, the prevalence of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients increased, but the control of hypertension decreased (P < 0.001). When the threshold of BP < 130/80 mmHg was considered, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension in CKD 2, 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 stages increased 1.3, 1.4, 1.4, 2.5, and 4.0 times compared with CKD 1 stage, respectively (P < 0.05). Using the threshold of < 140/90 mmHg, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased in advanced stages (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of hypertension Chinese non-dialysis CKD patients was high, and the hypertension control was suboptimal. With successive CKD stages, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased.

Adult ; Aged ; Awareness ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; complications

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of high suspension and low incision (HSLI) surgery on mixed haemorrhoids, compared with Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy. METHODS: A multi-centre, randomized, single-blind, non-inferiority clinical trial was performed. Participants with mixed haemorrhoids from Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing Rectum Hospital, Air Force Medical Center of People's Liberation Army of China, and Puyang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were enrolled from September 2016 to March 2018. By using a blocked randomization scheme, participants were assigned to two groups. The experimental group was treated with HSLI, while the control group was treated with Milligan-Morgan haemorrhoidectomy. The primary outcome was the clinical effect evaluated at 12 weeks after operation. The secondary outcomes included the number of haemorrhoids treated during the operation, pain scores, use of analgesics, postoperative oedema, wound healing, incidence of anal stenosis, anorectal manometry after operation, as well as surgical duration, length of stay and total hospitalization expenses. A safety evaluation was also conducted. RESULTS: In total, 246 eligible participants were enrolled, with 123 cases in each group. There was no significant difference in the clinical effect between the two groups (100.00% vs. 99.19%, P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of external haemorrhoids treated during the operation and the pain scores after operation were significantly reduced in the experimental group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the patient number with wound healing at 2 weeks after operation and the functional length of anal canal at 12 weeks after operation were significantly increased in the experimental group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of anal stenosis, the numbers of patients using analgesics and patients with postoperative oedema between the two groups after operation (P>0.05). The surgical duration and length of stay in the experimental group were significantly longer than those in the control group, and the total hospitalization expense was significantly higher than that in the control group (all P<0.05). No adverse events were reported in either group during the whole trial or follow-up period. CONCLUSION HSLI had the advantages of preserving the skin of anal canal completely, alleviating postsurgical pain and promoting rapid recovery after operation. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022883).