Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; complications ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Liver ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Pace of life and work of people is accelerating nowadays, and hospitals keep improving their services, which gives rise to the decoction and delivery service from the third party vendors for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).Given the quality control standards for the TCM decoction service as issued by Zhejiang and other regions, the systems of supervision and assessment remain incomplete.Authors of the paper introduced a project improvement team, composed of Chinese medicine pharmacy, Chinese medicine experience specialists, vendors of Chinese medicine decoction and express delivery companies, hence establishing a " three-in-one" supervision system of Internet+TCM decoction and delivery service. This practice can optimize the assessment indexes, strengthen the assessment system of assessment transformation and supervision system for patient medication.It proves that the practice contributes to higher quality and safety of TCM decoction and delivery service, improves the ability and level of TCM services, and ensures the medication safety of patients.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Jianpi Liqi Yiliu Formula (JLYF) combined with cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for treating patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSBetween January 2011 and January 2014, 60 advanced HCC patients were enrolled in this study, who were assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to their willingness for taking JLYF, 30 cases in each group. All patients received CIK cell treatment: 1 x 10⁹-3 x 10⁹ each time, by intravenous dripping from the 1st day to the 3rd day, once per day. Besides, patients in the treatment group took JLYF decoction, while those in the control group took Chinese medical decoction by syndrome typing. All patients received treatment of at least two cycles. The time to progression (TTP) , overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), performance status scale (PS), Child-Pugh scale, and adverse reactions were observed, and subgroup analyzed.

RESULTSTo May 31, 2014, all patients reached the clinical endpoint. TTP was 3.5 months (95% Cl: 3.30-4.10) in the treatment group, better than that (2.5 months, 95% CI: 2.32-2.68) of the control group (P < 0.05). DCR was 36.7% in the treatment group and 30.0% in the control group (P > 0.05). OS was 5.2 months (95% CI: 4.53-5.87) in the treatment group and 4.6 months (95% CI: 4.06-5.14) in the control group (P > 0.05). The PS scale was 1.60 ± 0.10 after treatment, lower than that (1.80 ± 0.09) before treatment in the treatment group (P < 0.05). When the PS scale was 0-2 or Child-Pugh scale was class A, TTP was longer in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse reaction occurred in the two groups during the treatment course.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of JLYF with ClK cell treatment could prolong advanced HCC patients' TTP, improve PS scale, as compared with syndrome typed Chinese medical decoction treatment group. Besides, when the PS scale was 0-2 or Child-Pugh scale was class A, it was a better treatment program for advanced HCC patients.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; therapy ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells ; cytology ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC) have elevated levels of activated myeloid-derived leukocytes as a source of inflammatory cytokines. The selective depletion of these leukocytes by adsorptive granulocyte/monocyte apheresis (GMA) with an Adacolumn should alleviate inflammation, promote remission and enhance drug efficacy. However, studies have reported contrasting efficacy outcomes based on patients’ baseline demographic variables. This study was undertaken to understand the demographic features of GMA responders and nonresponders. METHODS: This was a multicenter study in China involving four institutions and 34 patients with active UC. Baseline conventional medications were continued without changing the dosage. The treatment efficacy was evaluated based on the endoscopic activity index and the Mayo score. RESULTS: Thirty of the 34 patients completed all 10 GMA treatment sessions. The overall efficacy rate was 70.59%. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the area under the curve was approximately 0.766 for a Mayo score of ≤5.5 with 0.273 specificity and 0.857 sensitivity (Youden index, 0.584) for GMA responders. No GMA-related serious adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The overall efficacy of GMA in patients with active UC who were taking first-line medications or were corticosteroid refractory was encouraging. Additionally, GMA was well tolerated and had a good safety profile.
Blood Component Removal* ; China* ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Cytokines ; Granulocytes* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Leukocytes ; Monocytes* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Treatment Outcome ; Ulcer*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of olmesartan medoxomil compared with losartan potassium in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

METHODThis is a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled, parallel, multi-center study. After a 2-week placebo run-in period, a total of 287 eligible subjects were randomized at 1:1 ratio to receive olmesartan medoxomil 20 mg or losartan potassium 50 mg, once daily for 8 weeks. The blood pressure was assessed after 4 weeks treatment. If the subject's seating diastolic blood pressure (SeDBP) was still >or=90 mm Hg, the dosage was doubled for another 4 weeks; for those subjects whose SeDBP was <90 mm Hg after 4-week treatment, the initial dosage remained unchanged and the treatment continued until completion of the study.

RESULTS(1) The mean trough reduction in SeDBP from baseline in olmesartan group was significantly greater than that in losartan group after 4 weeks (11.72 mm Hg vs 9.23 mm Hg, P=0.004) and 8 weeks treatment (12.94 mm Hg vs 11.01 mm Hg, P=0.035). (2) The number and percentage of responders in olmesartan group (81, 65.3%) were statistically higher than those (68, 52.7%) in losartan group (P=0.028) after 4 weeks treatment and were similar between the two groups after 8 weeks treatment (P>0.05). (3) Individual and overall trough/peak ratios of DBP and SBP in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were higher in olmesartan group than losartan group. The hypotensive effect of olmesartan was more durable than losartan at 24 hour interval. (4) The incidence of study drug-related adverse events (AEs) in olmesartan group (10.5%) was similar as that in losartan group (13.9%, P>0.05). Most of these AEs were mild and transient.

CONCLUSIONThis study shows that olmesartan medoxomil, at oral dose of 20 mg-40 mg once daily was effective and safe for hypertension treatment and the hypotensive effect was superior to losartan potassium (50 mg-100 mg once daily).

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; China ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Imidazoles ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Losartan ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Olmesartan Medoxomil ; Tetrazoles ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

In the present study, we used a proteomics approach based on a two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) reference map to investigate protein expression in the ovarian tissues of pubertal Swiss-Webster mice subjected to carbon ion radiation (CIR). Among the identified proteins, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) is associated with the cell cycle[1] and that it influences proliferation in ovarian tissues. We analyzed the expression of UCH-L1 and the proliferation marker proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) following CIR using immunoblotting and immunofluorescence. The proteomics and biochemical results provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of CIR toxicity in ovarian tissues.
Animals ; Biomarkers ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Heavy Ion Radiotherapy ; adverse effects ; Mice ; Ovary ; radiation effects ; Proteomics ; Random Allocation ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the influence of Rce1 on invasion and migration of tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells by silencing the Rce1 gene with RNA interference. METHODS: The tongue squamous cell carcinoma Cal-27 and SCC-4 cells were cultured in vitro. The small interfering RNA (siRNA) of the Rce1 gene was designed, and the Rcel gene expression was silenced vialiposome transfection. According to the siRNA transfected by liposome, the experimental group was divided into three groups, namely, Rce1-siRNA-1, Rce1-siRNA-2, and Rce1-siRNA-3 groups. Negative control group was transfected by siCON, and the blank control group was untransfected by siRNA. The Rce1, RhoA, and K-Ras gene expression levels in each group were analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The Rce1, RhoA, K-Ras, MMP-2, and MMP-9 protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blot. The invasiveness of tongue cancer cell Cal-27 and SCC-4 were determined by Transwell invasion assay, and cell migration assay was performed by cell scratch assay. RESULTS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot results showed that compared with the negative and blank control groups, the Rce1 gene and protein expression levels in three experimental groups decreased (P<0.05). The RhoA, K-Ras gene and protein expression levels were insignificantly different among groups (P>0.05). Meanwhile, the MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression levels decreased (P<0.05). Transwell invasion assay results showed that the total number of cells in the PET film of the experimental groups was significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05). The cell scratch test showed that the cell closure time of the scratch in the interference group was significantly longer than those in the control and blank groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Silencing Rce1 in vitro can effectively downregulate its expression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells Cal-27 and SCC-4 and reduce the migration and invasion abilities of these cells.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Endopeptidases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Tongue Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Transfection

OBJECTIVES: The effect of isoprenylcysteine carboxymethyltransferase (ICMT) silencing on the migration and invasion of tongue squamous cell carcinoma was investigated by constructing the small interfering RNA (siRNA) of ICMT. METHODS: Through liposomal transfection, siRNA was transfected into human tongue squamous cell carcinoma CAL-27 and SCC-4 cells (ICMT-siRNA group) with a negative control group (transfected with NC-siRNA) and a blank control group (transfected with a transfection reagent but not with siRNA). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the mRNA expression of ICMT and RhoA in each group of cells after transfection and to measure the silencing efficiency. Western blot was applied to examine the expression levels of ICMT, total RhoA, membrane RhoA, ROCK1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 proteins in each group. The migration and invasion abilities were evaluated via wound healing and Transwell motility assays. RESULTS: After CAL-27 and SCC-4 cells were transfected with ICMT-siRNA, the expression levels of ICMT genes and proteins decreased significantly in the experimental group compared with those in the negative and blank control groups ( CONCLUSIONS The migration and invasion abilities of CAL-27 and SCC-4 cells were reduced significantly after the transfection of ICMT-siRNA, and the involved mechanism might be related to the RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Protein Methyltransferases ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Tongue ; Tongue Neoplasms ; Transfection ; rho-Associated Kinases

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the effects of silencing isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransfe-rase (Icmt) through small interfering RNA (siRNA) interference on the proliferation and apoptosis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). METHODS: Three siRNA were designed and constructed for the Icmt gene sequence and were then transfected into TSCC cells CAL-27 and SCC-4 to silence Icmt expression. The tested cells were divided as follows: RNA interference groups Icmt-siRNA-1, Icmt-siRNA-2, and Icmt-siRNA-3, negative control group, and blank control group. The transfection efficiency of siRNA was detected by the fluorescent group Cy3-labeled siRNA, and the expression of Icmt mRNA was screened by quantitive real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) selected the experimental group for subsequent experiments. The expression of Icmt, RhoA, Cyclin D1, p21, extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), and phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) were analyzed by Western blot. The proliferation abilities of TSCC cells were determined by cell counting kit-8 assay. The change in apoptosis was detected by AnnexinV-APC/propidium staining (PI) assay. Cell-cycle analysis was conducted by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The expression of Icmt mRNA and protein in TSCC cells significantly decreased after Icmt-siRNA transfection ( CONCLUSIONS Silencing Icmt can effectively downregulate its expression in TSCC cells, reduce the RhoA membrane targeting localization and cell proliferation, and induce apoptosis. Thus, Icmt may be a potential gene therapy target for TSCC.
Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Protein Methyltransferases ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Tongue ; Tongue Neoplasms