OBJECTIVEBy using the metabonomics method, to study the plasma metabonomics of the stable phase chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients of Fei-qi deficiency syndrome (FQDS), and of Chinese materia medica (CMM) intervention, thus exploring possibly existent biomarkers.

METHODSForty stable phase COPD patients of FQDS were recruited as Group A. Liuwei Buqi Capsule (LWBQC) was given to them as intervention. A healthy control group (Group B, 37 cases) was set up. The pulmonary function test was performed on patients in Group B and Group A before and after intervention. The plasma metabolites were detected using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Statistical data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS). The original spectrum and data of plasma metabonomics were compared between the two groups. The whole spectrum amino acid metabonomics tests were performed in the two groups.

RESULTSCompared with Group B, the pulmonary function significantly decreased before intervention in Group A (P < 0.05). The pulmonary function was more mildly improved after 30 days' treatment than before treatment, but still lower than it in Group B (P < 0.05). The metabolic spectrum before treatment in Group A was significantly different from Group B, but showing regressive trend to Group B after treatment. Fifteen possible disease markers were found in COPD patients of FQDS. Results of the whole spectrum of amino acid metabolomics showed different features.

CONCLUSIONSThe changes of metabolic spectrum and amino acids could be found in the stable phase COPD patients of FQDS using plasma metabonomics, and potential markers could be detected. The intervention of the stable phase COPD patients of FQDS by Chinese medicine could brought positive changes in the metabolic profiling and amino acid metabolism.

Adult ; Aged ; Amino Acids ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metabolomics ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Plasma ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo reverse the multidrug resistance (MDR) property of carcinoma cells by blocking transcription of activating sites of mdr-1.

METHODSBreast carcinoma cells were transinfected with several antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN) complementary to mdr-1 by lipofectin. RT-PCR was used to detect the production of mdr-1mRNA. The expression of P-glycoprotein (gp) was then detected by immunohistochemistry and the function of P-gp was detected by rhodamine123 retention.

RESULTSForty-eight hours after transfection, mdr-1 index of cells treated by ASODN complementary to MA zone (major initiation start zone), MI (minor initiation start zone), C zone (CAAT box), G zone (GC box) of mdr-1 gene was 1.4, 1.9, 1.6 and 2.1 respectively. The rate of P-gp protein expression in treated cells was 14%, 43%, 26% and 39% respectively. The intracellular Rh123 retention in treated cells was 125%, 83%, 102% and 77% respectively. There was significant difference between cells treated by ASODN complementary to MA zone and C zone and drug-resistant cells.

CONCLUSIONSThe ASODN complementary to MA zone and C zone of mdr-1 gene can reverse MDR of drug-resistant cells to various extent, amongst which the former is more effective. Down-regulating transcription of mdr-1 by blocking transcription activating sites can reduce the expression of mdr-1mRNA and P-gp, and thus reversing MDR of carcinoma cells. The ASODN complementary to MI zone, G zone of mdr-1 however do not significantly reverse the MDR property.

ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; genetics ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Down-Regulation ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; genetics ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription, Genetic ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the quantified indices for describing the distributional status of diseases in the spatial point pattern analysis, and provide the a statistic in disease prevention and control.

METHODSG function, F function, J function and K function were summarized based on the inter-case distances from the view of spatial point pattern analysis. Through the introduction of the basic principles, these were used to analyze the data of acute schistosomiasis in the Guichi District, Chizhou City, Anhui province, with the study distances being from 0 to 3000 meters with 50-meter intervals. The findings were also validated by means of spatial moving scan window performed in SaTScan software.

RESULTSA total of 83 cases of acute schistosomiasis identified in Guichi District, and the point map showed that these cases were mainly distributed around the Yangtze and Qiupu rivers. The computational methods and characteristics of the four quantified indices were obtained. These acute schistosomiasis cases were also explored by using these indices, and the results showed that C and K functions were above 95% confidence interval. While, F and J functions were below 95% confidence interval. Ml these four indices showed that spatial clustering existed in the acute cases, which was consistent with the results of spatial moving scan window method. The latter method also found a most likely cluster, the coordinate of the circle center is (30.65 N, 117.44 E), radius is 2.69 km, and relative risk is 12.78 (DIR = 32. 80, P = 0. 0001).

CONCLUSIONThe quantified indices to describe the distributional status of diseases have not only solved the obstacle that spatial point pattern map which could only be analyzed qualitatively, but also supplied a theoretical foundation to deepen spatial clustering analysis.

OBJECTIVETo study the quantified indices for describing the distributional status of

Epidemiologic Measurements ; Models, Statistical ; Space-Time Clustering

[Objective] To improve the understanding of CT and MRI features of giant cell reparative granuloma of temporal bone and reduce misdiagnosis.[Methods] The CT and MR images of 4 cases of GCRG of temporal bone were analyzed,compared with their operation and pathology results.[Results] All the lesions of the 4 cases were located in the anterior and lower parts of the temporal bone with widely destruction.The CT images showed expansive destruction of bone with disruption of osseous shell,strip and punctate calcification and ossification in and around the lesion,and osteosclerosis of the adjacent bone,which consistent with the scope of the operation.The MR images showed a large patchy of low signal intensity on both T1-weighted and T2-weighted images,which showed heterogeneous enhancement after injection of contrast.Fibrous proliferation with multiple multinuclear giant cells and hemosiderin deposition were showed under microscope.[Conclusion] The morphological and pathological characteristics of recurrent intraosseous hemorrhage and parcels of granulation tissue in GCRG of the temporal bone could be reflected by CT and MR images,which has certain characteristics and is of important significance to the diagnosis of the tumor.

OBJECTIVETo study the prediction model of O. hupensis in the lake and marshland regions in order to provide methodological basis for quantitative study of O. hupensis.

METHODSThe research sites were randomly selected from the bottomlands along Qiupu River in the Guichi District, Anhui Province. A random and stratified sampling method was administrated according to the type of vegetation; the frame size of snail survey was 0.11 m2. Snail data was collected by crosscheck-random sampling inspection survey. Elevation, soil temperature and air temperature, height of vegetation, soil humidity and types of vegetation were measured through GPS machine, T&D Recorder for Windows, tape measure and attemperator. All the data were doubly inputted into the computer and checked. The final dataset for developing the prediction model was set up after necessary data preprocessing, such as, recoding the variable of elevation. The generalized linear models were used to develop the prediction model, and the statistics of deviance and AIC were used to determine the best model structure. Model diagnostics and model evaluation of efficiency were performed with the determined best model structure.

RESULTSThe sample size was 162, and there were 6 explanatory variable including 2 categorical variables and 4 quantitative variables. A complicated relationship was observed among all the variables. Snail was positively associated with height of vegetation (r = 0.36), while negatively associated with soil humidity (r = - 0.22), and the air temperature had a close positive relations with soil temperature (r = 0.59), and the soil temperature was negatively associated with height of vegetation (r = - 0.36), the soil humidity had negative relations with the soil and air temperature (r = -0.34 and -0.12). The best structure fitting for the liner model selected in gamma distribution was the error distribution, reciprocal as the conjunction function in mathematics, and the mean square as the variance function. The results showed that the elevation, soil humidity, soil temperature, types and the height of vegetation were statistically significant to predict the O. hupensis, while t-values were -3.202, 3.124, -1.989, 2.668 and -2.371, respectively, and P-values were 0.00166, 0.00214, 0.04849, 0.00846 and 0.01897 respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe generalized linear models can be used to develop the predictive model, which could broaden the area of quantitative study for O. hupensis.

Animals ; Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Geographic Information Systems ; Models, Statistical ; Snails ; Wetlands

OBJECTIVERho, a ras homologous gene, encodes a group of GTP-binding proteins. Our previous study suggested that one member of the Rho gene family, RhoC, was related to the progression of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study is to elucidate correlation of Rho overexpression with invasion and metastasis of HCC.

METHODSThe expression level of RhoC mRNA and protein in 25 cases of HCC and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissue was examined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Mutation of RhoC gene was examined by PCR-SSCP.

RESULTSThe expression of RhoC mRNA and protein was found in all HCC and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissue. The expression level of RhoC mRNA and protein was significantly higher in tumor tissue than in adjacent non-cancerous liver tissue (1.8 +/- 1.1 vs 1.0 +/- 0.7; 33 992 +/- 10 384 vs 17 342 +/- 9998, P < 0.01). The degree of RhoC overexpression was even more marked in metastatic lesions than in primary tumors (P < 0.01). Overexpression of the rhoC gene was significantly correlated with such clinic-pathological findings as cell differentiation, portal vein invasion, number of primary tumor nodules and metastatic lesions (P < 0.05). Mutation of RhoC gene was found in none of the HCC specimens examined.

CONCLUSIONOverexpression of RhoC gene may play an important role in carcinogenesis and progression of HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Portal Vein ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; rho GTP-Binding Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; rhoC GTP-Binding Protein

Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharide sulfate (ABPS) was a sulfated derivate derived from Achyranthes bidentata polysaccharide (ABP) which was isolated and identified from Chinese herb Achyranthes bidentata. The anti human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activities were studied in vitro and in vivo. ABPS was found to inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and integrase with the 50% inhibiting concentration (IC60) of (2.948 +/- 0.556) micromol x L(-1) and (0.155 +/- 0.030) micromol x L(-1), respectively, but the parent compound ABP was not effective. ABPS inhibited HIV-1 P24 antigen with IC50 of (0.082 +/- 0.044) micromol x L(-1) and selective index (SI) of > (358 +/- 148) in MT-4 cell cultures acutely infected with HIV-1 IIIB virus, and with IC50 of (11.80 +/- 5.90) micromol x L(-1) and SI of > (24.2 +/- 12.1) in PBMC cell cultures acutely infected with clinical isolated zidovudine resistant HIV-1 virus, but there was no activity even at its concentration of 500 micromol x L(-1) in latent infection of H9/HIV-1 IIIB cell cultures. 5% sera taken from rats after intraperitoneal injection from rats with ABPS 125 mg x kg(-1) once or mice with 3 mg x kg(-1) qd for 20 days effectively inhibited HIV-1 P24 in MT-4 cell cultures, but those had no inhibitory effect when given orally. The results suggested that ABPS is a promising HIV-1 inhibitor, active on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, integrase in vitro and HIV-1 P24 antigens in cell cultures, it was well absorbed by intraperitoneal injection but poor in oral bioavailability. It warrants further study.
Achyranthes ; chemistry ; Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; HIV Core Protein p24 ; metabolism ; HIV Integrase ; metabolism ; HIV Reverse Transcriptase ; metabolism ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; immunology ; pathology ; virology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sulfates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of GuidezillaTM guide extension catheter during complex coronary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI). Methods A total of 13 patients were included in the studywho presented with complex coronary lesions during PCI. Stents or balloons could not be delivered to these complex lesions with conventional approach and GuidezillaTM guide extension catheters were used. Results Among these 13 patients,there were 7 CTO lesions,7 calcified lesions, 6 tortuous lesions,8 diffuse lesions,8 distal lesions and 8 lesions with pre-existing stents. PCI success rate was 100% .In one patient,GuidezillaTM guide extension catheter was obstructed which were relieved after stent implantation. There was no major adverse cardiac event(MACE) during follow-up.Conclusions The GuidezillaTM guide extension catheter was safe and effective for PCI of complex coronary artery lesions.

AIM: To investigate the possible signaling pathway that promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transi-tion(EMT)of the lung cancer A549 cells stimulated with muscarinic receptor 3(M3R)agonist carbachol.METHODS:The lung cancer cells A549 were treated with 400 μmol/L carbachol.The morphological changes of the cells were observed under inverted phase contrast microscope.The migration and invasion abilites were measured by Wound healing and Tran-swell assays.qPCR was used to detect the mRNA level of vimentin and E-cadherin.The protein levels of p-AKT,vimentin and E-cadherin were determined by Western blot.RESULTS:After treatment with carbachol,the A549 cells showed loss of the close connection and the cell morphology was transformed from irregular polygon to spindle -like cells.The results of Wound healing and Transwell assays showed that the migration and invasion abilites of the A 549 cells were enhanced.Car-bachol increased the vimentin expression and decreased the E-cadherin expression at mRNA and protein level(P<0.05). The phosphorylation of AKT in the A549 cells was up-regulated(P<0.05).These changes was inhibited by M3R antago-nist 4-DAMP.CONCLUSION:Carbachol promotes EMT in the human lung cancer A 549 cells by activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

AIM:To analyze the association of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).METHODS:A retrospective analysis of a case series included in ROP screening from January 2011to December 2015 was performed in Suzhou Municipal Hospital.Totally 2527 children (5054 eyes) underwent screening.According to the gestational age,the data was divided into 4 groups (≤32wk,＞32 and ≤34wk,＞34 and ≤37wk,＞37wk).Every group was divided into two groups (IUGR group and no IUGR group) respectively.We compared the incidence of ROP in IUGR and non IUGR group.RESULTS:Of all the 2527 children,IUGR group were 702 including 78 ROP children,and non IUGR group were 1825 including 329 ROP children.There were 991 children were divided into ≤ 32wk group,including 63 IUGR in which 27 children were screened out ROP(42.9％) and 928 non IUGR in which 274 children were screened out ROP (29.5％),the difference on the incidence of ROP was statistically significant (X2 =4.958,P=0.026).There were 1025 children were divided into ＞ 32 and ≤ 34wk group,including 232 IUGR in which 33 children were screened out ROP(14.2％) and 793 non IUGR in which 51 children were screened out ROP (6.4％) and the difference was statistically significant (x2 =14.488,P＜0.001).There were 464 children were divided into ＞ 34 and ≤ 37wk group,including 374 IUGR in which 18 children were screened out ROP(4.8％) and 90 non IUGR in which 4 children were screened out ROP (4.4％) and the difference was not statistically significant (Fischer exact test,P=1).There were 47 children were divided into ＞37wk group,including 33 IUGR and 14 non IUGR,none were screened out in the two groups.CONCLUSION:Intrauterine growth retardation was closely related to the incidence of ROP.In the preterm infants with gestational age less than 34wk,the incidence of ROP in children with intrauterine growth retardation is significantly higher than that in children without intrauterine growth retardation.