OBJECTIVETo determine 20(S)-ginsengnoside Rh2 in the hydrolysis product of saponins from leaves of Panax qinquefolium.

METHODThe separation was performed on ZORBAX EXEND C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm), eluted with methanol and water (85:15) as mobile phase with the rate of 1.2 mL x min(-1) at 25 degrees C, the wavelength for measurement was 203 nm.

RESULTThe calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.5-25 microg for 20(S)-ginsengnoside Rh2(r = 0.9999, n = 7). The average recovery was 99.7% (RSD= 1.0%).

CONCLUSIONThis method is simple, accurate, reliable and reproducible. The result shows that the transform ratio of 20(S)-ginsengnoside Rh2 is high by this hydrolysis method.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Ginsenosides ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Hydrolysis ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo clarify if programmed cell death mechanisms induced by seizures take part in the necrotic process of neurons.

METHODSSeizure was induced by pilocarpine (P) in Sprague-Dawley adult rats which were allowed to recover for 24 or 72 hours before perfusion-fixation. Neuronal death was assessed by light microscopy with the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and with in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Bax and Bcl-2 protein expression were examined by histochemistry.

RESULTSTwenty-four and 72 hours after seizures, neuronal death in hippocampus CA1 region was morphologically necrotic. TUNEL-positive and morphologically necrotic cells increased in the hippocampal CA1 region at 72 hours after seizures, there was significant difference compared with controls (P < 0.001). Bax expression was also increased in the hippocampal CA1 region at 72 hours after seizures (P < 0.001), but Bcl-2 expression did not increase, while Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased.

CONCLUSIONSeizures induced late-onset neuronal necrosis was accompanied by programmed cell death mechanisms.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; pathology ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; analysis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Objective To investigate the dynamics and development trends of drinking water type of endemic fluorosis after water improvement in Xinbaerhuyouqi of Hulunbeir city, Inner Mongolia and to provide a scientific evidence for the development of countermeasures. Methods We mainly selected Adunchulusumu and Kerlunsumu in Xinbaerhuyouqi of Hulunbeir city as the two monitoring points after water improvement in 2000 -2009. Of these, 1 sample of centralized water supply source water and 3 samples of tap water and 5 samples of noncentralized water supply source water according to water well locations of east, west, south, north and center were collected and the levels of water fluoride were tested; the prevalence of dental fluorosis of school children aged 8 to 12 were examined; from 2002 onwards, the urine samples of 30 children aged 8 to 12(five age groups, six urine samples for each age group) were collected, and all urine samples were collected in the case of less than 30, and urine fluoride was tested. Dental fluorosis was diagnosed using Dean method; water fluoride was tested using fluoride ion selective electrode(WS/T 106-1999); urinary fluoride was tested by determination of fluoride in urine using ion-selective electrode(WS/T 89-1996). Results In 2000 - 2009, the mean levels of fluorine in drinking water in Adunchulusumu and Kerlunsumu were 1.79 - 4.35 mg/L and 1.38 - 3.18 mg/L, respectively; the detection rate of dental fluorosis of children aged 8 to 12 were 45.24％(19/42) - 89.78％(123/137) and 40.00％ (28/70) - 74.47％ (70/94), respectively; the median urinary fluoride of them were 2.30 - 4.15 mg/L and 2.73 - 4.55 mg/L, respectively. ConclusionsThe detection rate of children's dental fluorosis remains high in Xinbaerhuyouqi during the past 10 years after changing water. The endemic fluorosis remains a serious disease. Effective prevention and control measures must be taken to control the occurrence of fluorosis in the future.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; Lymphoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTThe authors studied the influence of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum on intracellular pH and signal transduction arising from cancer cell multiplication in laparoscopic tumor operation.

METHODThey set up a simulation of pneumoperitoneum under different CO(2) pressure, and then measured the variation of intracellular pH (pHi) at different time and the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein phosphatase 2a (PP2a) at the end of the pneumoperitoneum. After 1 week, the concentration of cancer cells in the culture medium was calculated.

RESULTWhen the pressure of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum was 0, 10, 20, 30 mmHg respectively, the average pHi was 7.273, 7.075, 6.783, 6.693 at the end of the pneumoperitoneum; PKC activity was 159.4, 168.5, 178.0, 181.6 nmol/(g.min) and PP2a was 4158.3, 4066.9, 3984.0, 3878.5 nmol/(g.min) respectively. After 1 week, the cancer cells concentration was 2.15 x 10(5), 2.03 x 10(5), 2.20 x 10(5), 2.18 x 10(5) L(-1).

CONCLUSIONCO(2) pneumoperitoneum could promote acidosis in cancer cells, inducing the activation of protein kinase C and deactivation of protein phosphatase 2a, but it could not accelerate the mitosis rate of the cancer cells.

Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Carbon Dioxide ; administration & dosage ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Intracellular Fluid ; chemistry ; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases ; metabolism ; Pneumoperitoneum, Artificial ; methods ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Protein Phosphatase 2 ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in combination with paclitaxel (PCT) on proliferation in esophageal carcinoma Eca-109 cells line.

METHODSEca-109 cells were treated with PCT alone, HPD alone at different doses, or their combinations. For the combined treatments, the cells were exposed to PCT for 12 h followed by incubation with HPD at high, middle or low concentrations for 4 h. PDT was then performed on these treated cells and fluorescence microscopic observation was made before and after PDT. The cell survival was measured by MTT assay, and the cell apoptosis rate analyzed by flow cytometry after a 24-h cell incubation following PDT.

RESULTSThe fluorescence excitation of the cells was weakened after PDT. Combined treatments resulted in significantly lowered cell survival rate and increased cell apoptosis rates as compared to those of the control cells and the cells treated with PCT alone and low-dose HPD (P<0.01). Significant differences were also noted among the cells exposed to HPD at different concentrations (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPDT combined with PCT have significant synergetic effects in inhibiting the proliferation of human esophageal carcinoma cells and inducing their apoptosis in vitro.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Photochemotherapy

In order to search for novel inhibitors of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform-1 (NHE-1), nine feruloylagmatine analogues were designed and synthesized from ferulic acid and agmatine. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectra, among which compounds 5f-5i were novel compounds. The results of preliminary pharmacological test showed that some of the compounds possessed strong NHE-1 inhibitory activity, among which compounds 5a, 5b and 6c were more potent than cariporide in NHE-1 inhibition.
Agmatine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cardiotonic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Drug Design ; Female ; Male ; Molecular Structure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Structure-Activity Relationship

OBJECTIVETo improve the diagnosis and treatment of testicular tumor.

METHODSEighty-seven cases of testicular tumor were retrospectively studied.

RESULTSOf the total number, 79 cases were pathologically diagnosed as germ cell tumor (90.1%), among which there were 44 cases of seminoma (55.7%) and 7 cases of benign tumor (8.1%). Nonseminoma germ cell tumor (NSGCT) was found mainly among those under 5 and from 18 to 40 years of age, while seminoma chiefly among those beyond 17, and testis tumor was rare among those between 5 and 17 years old (1 case only). Three-year and 5-year survival rates of seminoma and NSGCT were 90.6% and 81.3%, and 83.3% and 56.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION(1) Testicular tumors are mostly germ cell tumors. (2) NSGCT develops mainly among those under the age of 5 and from 18 to 40. (3) Seminoma is rare in those under 18. (4) Testicular tumor rarely develops among those between 5 and 17 years old. (5)Three-year and 5-year survival rates for seminoma are higher than those for NSGCT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Seminoma ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Testicular Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology

A mutant library of Cordyceps militaris was constructed by improved Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation and screened for degradation features. Six mutants with altered characters in in vitro and in vivo fruiting body production, and cordycepin formation were found to contain a single copy T-DNA. T-DNA flanking sequences of these mutants were identified by thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR approach. ATP-dependent helicase, cytochrome oxidase subunit I and ubiquitin-like activating enzyme were involved in in vitro fruiting body production, serine/threonine phosphatase involved in in vivo fruiting body production, while glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase and telomerase reverse transcriptase involved in cordycepin formation. These genes were analyzed by bioinformatics methods, and their molecular function and biology process were speculated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis. The results provided useful information for the control of culture degeneration in commercial production of C. militaris.
Agrobacterium ; Agrobacterium tumefaciens ; Biology ; Computational Biology ; Cordyceps* ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Fruit* ; Fungi* ; Gene Ontology ; Telomerase

Objective To examine whether polymorphisms of histone deacetylase( HDACs) and environment factors can be implicated in type 2 diabetes mellitus ( T2DM) ，and to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of T2DM． Methods In 2017，T2DM patients and controls were selected from 17 villages in Huadu District，Guangzhou． According the Diagnostic criteria for T2DM，the case group of T2DM was matched with control group from the population diagnosed as normal by gender，age no more than 5 years old，and from the same natural village． Conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the effect of gene and environment and their interaction on T2DM． Results The average age of 499 cases group were ( 61．53±13．08) years old，and the average age of 499 controls group were ( 61．48±13．09) years old． There were no statistic difference between two groups． Furthermore，the two groups were gender－balanced too． In conditional logistic regression model，we found that glycerin trilau- rate ( TG) abnormalities ( OR= 2．410，95% CI: 1．755－3．310，P＜0．001) and cholesterol total ( TC) ab- normalities ( OR= 1．436，95% CI: 1．046－1．972，P = 0．025) were risk factors for T2DM． The subjects carries rs72792338 TC+TT genotype ( OR= 0．526，95% CI: 0．349－0．793，P= 0．002) had lower the risk to develop T2DM． Conclusions Abnormal TG and TC are risk factors for T2DM． Rs72792338 TT and TC genotype carryings decrease the risk of T2DM．