In order to optimize extraction process conditions of tannins from Geranium orientali-tibeticum by supercritical CO2, the content of tannins was determined by phosphomolybdium tungsten acid-casein reaction, with extraction pressure, extraction temper- ature and extraction time as factors, the content of tannins from extract of G. orientali-tibeticum as index, technology conditions were optimized by orthogonal test. Optimum technology conditions were as follows: extraction pressure was 25 MPa, extraction temperature was 50 °C, extracted 1.5 h. The content of tannins in extract was 12.91 mg x g(-1), extract rate was 3.67%. The method established could be used for assay the contents of tannin in G. orientali-tibeticum. The circulated extraction was an effective extraction process that was stable and feasible, and that provides a way of the extraction process conditions of tannin from G. orientali-tibeticum.
Carbon Dioxide ; chemistry ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Geranium ; chemistry ; Tannins ; isolation & purification

Objective:To investigate the correlation of plasma D-dimer levels with the response to first-line chemotherapy and the prognosis of patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC). Methods:The preoperative plasmic D-dimer levels of 143 patients with prima-ry SOC were retrospectively evaluated. The patients were admitted to Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 2008 and May 2010. The patients were divided into two groups on the basis of plasmic D-dimer levels. Group A consisted of 100 patients with a normal plasmic D-dimer level of≤0.3 mg/L. Group B included 43 patients with an increased plasmic D-dimer level of>0.3 mg/L. The correlations of the different plasmic D-dimer levels with clinicopathological features, therapeutic effects, and surviv-al outcomes were further analyzed. Results:The plasmic D-dimer levels were positively correlated with the staging of the Federation of International Gynecology and Obstetrics, residual tumor size, presence of malignant ascites, preoperative serum CA125 level, and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Group B exhibited a significantly lower (P<0.001) complete response (CR) rate of 34.88%(15/43) than group A, which yielded a CR rate of 73.00%(73/100). The progression-free survival and overall survival rates of group B were significantly lower than those of group A (25.58%vs. 50.00%and 32.56%vs. 65.00%;P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the plasmic D-di-mer level is an independent prognostic factor associated with unfavorable prognosis. Conclusion:Increased preoperative plasmic D-di-mer levels may be a potential biomarker of weak responses to first-line chemotherapy and poor clinical outcomes in patients with SOC.

Adult ; Appendiceal Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; analysis

OBJECTIVESevere asphyxia during peripartum may lead to some sequela of the nervous system. Currently the neurologic outcome of asphyxiated neonates is assessed by using imaging techniques such as cranial ultrasound, CT and MRI except for evaluating perinatal abnormal factors and routine physical examinations of nervous system. These assessment approaches are based on the changes of anatomic structures of neonates. Electroencephalography (EEG) can show early abnormal cerebral functions. This study examined the EEG background activity and investigated the parameters associated with the prognostic assessment in full-term neonates with asphyxia.

METHODSA standard EEG was recorded in 49 asphyxiated full-term neonates aged from 24 hrs to 8 days. Of the 49 neonates, 14 had concurrent mild, 5 had moderate and 9 had severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Thirty-one aged-matched full-term neonates without asphyxia severed as the control group. Forty-three of 49 asphyxiated neonates were followed-up for neurological development for 6-12 months. Important parameters associated with neurological prognosis were evaluated by the principle of data statistics.

RESULTSThe mean interburst intervals was prolonged, the amplitude of brain electrical activity during all the states were lower, and the incidence of brief burst and sleep-wake cycle disturbance was higher in the asphyxiated group when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the follow-up, 4 infants had poor fine motor function and 7 showed retarded psychomotor development in the asphyxiated group. Gestational age, birth weightamplitude of brain electrical activity, severity of HIE, occurrence of sleep-wake cycle disturbance and imaging abnormality were shown as important parameters for predicting neurological outcomes in asphyxiated neonates. The infants who EEG showed isoelectric tracings or isoelectric tracings accompanied with much abnormal discharge had very poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONSEEG background pattern is valuable in predicting neurological outcomes for term neonates with asphyxia. EEG in combination with clinic data such as gestational age, birth weight, imaging examination, and severity of HIE may provide an accurate evaluation of neurological outcome.

Asphyxia Neonatorum ; mortality ; physiopathology ; Electroencephalography ; methods ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo compare the curative effect, safety and survival of Nedaplatin combined with docetaxel and docetaxel alone as a second line treatment for advanced NSCLC.

METHODSFrom Sep 2005 to Mar 2009, fifty-eight patients with NSCLC treated in the Shanghai Chest Hospital who failed first-line chemotherapy and receiving docetaxel or docetaxel combined with nedaplatin were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analysis was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier and Log-Rank test. There were 20 patients in the combination group, and 38 in the single-agent group.

RESULTSThe PFS was 4.35 months for combination group and 4.0 months for single-agent group, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The mean survival time and 1-year survival rate were 13.5 months vs. 10.6 months and 29.0% vs. 22.0%, respectively, with no significant difference. The Hematological toxicity in the combination group was higher than that in the single-agent group, 15.0% vs. 10.5% (P = 0.003), and no renal toxicity was noted in this study.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with the treatment with docetaxel alone, Nedaplatin combined with docetaxel as a second line treatment for NSCLC has a better curative effect and acceptable toxicity.

Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Leukopenia ; chemically induced ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; chemically induced ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Vomiting ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

METHODSOne hundred and seven cases, admitted to our hospital from Apr. 1996 to Oct. 2005, were detected by Envision immunohistochemical method and diagnosed as GISTs. Their pathological features, immunohistochemical phenotypes, clinical manifestations and imaging findings were analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 107 GISTs, 107 cases were positive for vimentin (107/107, 100%), 107 cases were positive for CD117 (107/107, 100%), 89 cases were positive for CD34 (89/107, 83.2%), 14 cases were positive for SMA (14/107, 13.1%), 10 cases were positive for desmin (10/107, 9.3%), 22 cases were positive for S-100 (22/87, 20.6%) and 15 cases were positive for NSE (15/107, 14.0%). Among all the GISTs, 73 cases occurred in stomach (68.2%), 28 in small intestine (26.2%), 1 in colon (0.9%) and 5 occurred in other position including mesentery, omentum, and retroperitoneum (4.7%). Fifteen cases were diagnosed as very low grade (14.0%), 25 cases as low grade (23.4%), 33 cases as low malignancy (30.8%) and 34 cases as high malignancy (31.8%). The follow-up was obtained successfully in 89 cases (83.2%). Fourteen cases (13.1%) were confirmed to have recurrences or metastases by review and medical records.

CONCLUSIONSThe diagnosis of GIST depends on pathological observation and immunohistochemical study. CD117 is a sensitive marker for the diagnosis of GIST. Surgical resection is the choice for treating GIST. Extended resection, even combined resection of involved organs, is required for malignant GIST.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged

The promoter of NAR gene in Magnaporthe grisea was isolated and sequenced. The promoter sequences contained the "TATA" box, the "CAAT" box, and binding sites for fungal regulatory proteins. Programs that predict promoter sequences indicated that promoter sequence lies between locations 430 and 857 of the NAR promoter fragment. GFP expression under the NAR promoter and NAR transcript analysis revealed that this promoter is activated primarily at the mycelial stage in the rice blast fungus and could be used to express native or extrinsic genes in the mycelia of the rice blast fungus.
Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Fungal Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; genetics ; Hyphae ; genetics ; Magnaporthe ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Transcriptional Activation ; genetics

A novel sesquiterpenoid (1) and three known compounds identified as isoaltenuene (2), altenuene (3), and alternariol 4, 10-O-dimethyl ether (4), were isolated in our investigation of the cytotoxic constituents from solid cultures of the endophytic fungus Colletotrichum sp. The structures of these compounds were elucidated through spectroscopic data analysis. All compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against lung cancer cell line A549, breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1. Compound 4 could induce the PANC-1 cells inflation or death, but couldn't induce apoptosis at the IC50 of 60.2 microg x mL(-1).
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colletotrichum ; chemistry ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Lactones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

To study relevant risk factors of Shenmai injection induced adverse reactions by using Logistic model and ROC curve, and made the prediction for the occurrence of relevant adverse reactions/events. Case data of patients treated with Shenmai injection were collected by using the prospective, multi-center, large-sample, nested-case control method, in order to analyze the risk factors of Shenmai injection-induced adverse reactions/events, establish the logistic model and draw the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for risk factors. During the study, 7632 patients (including 3 477 males and 4 155 females) were included, and eight of them suffered adverse reactions/events. Based on a multi-factor Logistic model analysis, the age (> or = 50 years) (OR = 5.061, 95% CI: 2.197-7.924; P = 0.001), the total number of medication days (OR = -1.020, 95% CI: -l.652 - 0.388; P = 0.002) and the single dose (OR = 0.245, 95% CI: 0.127-0.364; P = 0.000) were significant independent risk factors for Shenmai injection-induced adverse reactions/events. According to the results, ROC curves were drawn with age (> or = 50 years), the total number of days of inedication and single dose; The area under ROC curves the joint predictor (0.9753, 95% CI: 0.9443-1.000, P < 0.005) was larger than that of the other three single indexes, with a higher risk prediction value. The independent risk factors for Shenmai injection-induced adverse reactions/events included the age (> or = 50 years), the total number of days of medication and single dose. In clinical practice, the age (> or = 50 years), the total number of days of medication and the medication dose can be substituted in the joint predictor calculation formula (P = 1 / [1 + e(-(-21.58 + 5.061 x Xage - 1.020 x Xd + 0.245 x X(mL)] to predict the potential adverse reactions of patients and adjust the dosage regimen.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

Cardiac Catheterization ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; therapy ; Humans ; Prosthesis Implantation ; instrumentation ; Septal Occluder Device