Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of CAG regimen in treatment of primary, refractory and relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and analyse the factors influencing long-term survival. Methods Sixty-one patients with AML ( primary, n = 27; refractory, n = 18; relapsed, n = 16) and 9 patients with MDS were treated with CAG regimen. Examinations on liver and renal function, electrocardiogram and bone marrow cytology were performed before and after treatment, and adverse effects of CAG were observed. Short-term efficacy was evaluated based on clinical manifestation, peripheral blood and bone marrow cytologic examinations. Patients were followed up, overall survival ( OS) and disease free survival ( DFS) were analysed, and long-term efficacy of CAG regimen was evaluated. The factors influencing long-term survival were analysed by Log-rank test of survival curve. Results After a course of treatment by CAG regimen, the total effective rate was 71% , and 34 patients (49%) experienced complete remission. The median time of follow up was 45 months, the median OS was 28 months, and the median DFS was 23 months. Age, level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), remission condition after a course of treatment by CAG regimen and adoption of HD-Ara-C regimen as consolidation treatment were influencing factors for OS and DFS. The dominant clinical adverse effects were bone marrow depression, with 13 d as the median duration of agranulocytosis ( neutrophil <0.5 ×10~9/L) and 9 d as the median duration of thrombocytopenia (platelet <20 ×10~9/L). Conclusion CAG regimen may lead to favourable therapeutic effects in treatment of primary, refractory and relapsed AML and high risk MDS, and may yield less adverse effects and better long-term therapeutic effects. Age, level of LDH, remission condition after a course of treatment and adoption of HD-Ara-C regimen as consolidation treatment are dominant influencing factors for survival.

OBJECTIVETo observe differences of therapeutic effects among acupuncture bloodletting, penicillin and acupuncture bloodletting combined with penicillin for children acute tonsillitis and providea better treatment method in cli nic.

METHODSSeventy-five mild cases were selected into section of mild symptoms while seventy-five severe cases were selected into section of severe symptoms. Cases in the two sections then were divided into, an acupuncture bloodletting group, a penicillin group and a comprehensive group by random digital table method separately, 25 cases in each one. Qu-chi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Dazhui (GV 14), Shaoshang (LU 11) and Erjian (EX 11) were selected in the acupuncture bloodletting group, intravenous injection of penicillin sodium was applied in the penicillin group and acupuncture bloodletting combined with penicillin was applied in the comprehensive group. Efficacy assessment was conducted after 3 days in the section of mild symptoms and after 5 days in the section of severe symptoms.

RESULTSFor the section of mild symptoms, the total effective rate was 96.0% (24/25) in the comprehensive group and 92.0% (23/25) in the acupuncture bloodletting group, which were both superior to 68. 0% (17/25) in the penicillin group (P<0.05), but no statistical significance was seen between the comprehensive group and acupuncture bloodletting group (P>0.05). For the section of severe symptoms, the total effective rate was 96.0% (24/25) in the comprehensive group, which was obviously superior to 60.0% (15/25) in the acupuncture bloodletting group (P<0.01) and 68.0% (17/25) in the penicillin group (P<0. 05), and no statistical significance was seen between the acupuncture bloodletting group and penicillin group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe efficacy of acupuncture bloodletting combined with penicillin is little different from that of acupuncture bloodletting for treatment of children acute tonsillitis with mild accompanied symptoms, which were both superior to intravenous injection of penicillin sodium. For severe accompanied symptoms, the efficacy of acupuncture bloodletting combined with penicillin is obviously superior to acupuncture bloodletting and penicillin.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Bloodletting ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Penicillins ; therapeutic use ; Tonsillitis ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Taxol is one of the most potent anti-cancer agents, which is extracted from the plants of Taxus species. Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI) catalyzes the reversible transformation between IPP and DMAPP, both of which are the general 5-carbon precursors for taxol biosynthesis. In the present study, a new gene encoding IPI was cloned from Taxus media (namely TmIPI with the GenBank Accession Number KP970677) for the first time. The full-length cDNA of TmIPI was 1 232 bps encoding a polypeptide with 233 amino acids, in which the conserved domain Nudix was found. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the sequence of TmIPI was highly similar to those of other plant IPI proteins, and the phylogenetic analysis showed that there were two clades of plant IPI proteins, including IPIs of angiosperm plants and IPIs of gymnosperm plants. TmIPI belonged to the clade of gymnosperm plant IPIs, and this was consistent with the fact that Taxus media is a plant species of gymnosperm. Southern blotting analysis demonstrated that there was a gene family of IPI in Taxus media. Finally, functional verification was applied to identify the function of TmIPI. The results showed that biosynthesis of β-carotenoid was enhanced by overexpressing TmIPI in the engineered E. coli strain, and this suggested that TmIPI might be a key gene involved in isoprenoid/terpenoid biosynthesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Carbon-Carbon Double Bond Isomerases ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Escherichia coli ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Taxus ; enzymology ; genetics

To study the impact of five different origin processing methods, namely natural drying, drying in baking shop, drying by microwave heating, drying in drum and drying with sulphur fumigation, on the quality of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from Donghai cultivation base in Jiangsu Province, with the contents of chlorogenic acid and galuteolin and the similarity in HPLC fingerprints as the evaluation indicators. The results showed that different origin processing methods had significant impact on the content of chlorogenic acid and the similarity in HPLC fingerprints, but with no significant difference on the content of galuteolin. By means of drying by microwave heating and drying in drum, the samples showed higher contents of chlorogenic acid, respectively 3.67% and 3.39%. The similarities of HPLC fingerprints were 0.815 and 0.793, respectively. By means of the drying in baking shop and the drying with sulphur fumigation, the contents of chlorogenic acid in the samples were 2. 87% and 2. 53% , respectively. The similarities of HPLC fingerprints were 0.964 and 0.765, respectively. The lowest content of chlorogenic acid in naturally dried samples was 1.92%. The similarity of HPLC fingerprints was 0.940. According to the findings as well as the internal control standards for Lonicerae Japonicae Flos herbs of Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co. , Ltd. , the optimum processing method for Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from Donghai cultivation base was the drying in baking shop. This study provided a theoretical basis for determining the processing method for Lonicerae Japonicae Flos from Donghai cultivation base of Jiangsu Province.
China ; Desiccation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Quality Control

Objective To study the effects of recombinant chimeric toxin Dsg3EC_(1-2)PE40 on T and B cells from PV patients. Methods The recombinant protein Dsg3EC_(1-2)PE40 was expressed on BL21TrxB (DE3) cells, then identified and purified. ELISPOT assay was used to detect and quantitate autoantibody-producing B cells in different concentrations of recombinant chimeric toxin, and MTT assay and ~3H-TdR assay to observe the metabolism and proliferation of T cells from PV patients in vitro. Results The purity of expressed protein Dsg3EC_(1-2)PE40 was up to 80%. The number of anti-Dsg3 antibody-producing B cells in PBMC from PV patients decreased by 40% with treatment of Dsg3EC_(1-2)PE40, which was significantly lower (P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of in utero exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the apoptosis of testicular cells in the pubertal male rat offspring.

METHODSTen pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into a control and an experimental group to be treated intragastrically with olive oil (1 ml per day) and DBP (500 mg per kg of body weight per day) respectively between gestation days 12 and 19. At the pubertal age (postnatal day 45, PND 45), the testes of the male rat offspring were removed for observation of the cell structure under the transmission electron microscope and the development of different spermatogenetic cells by HE staining. The apoptosis of testicular cells was detected by the TUNEL method, the expressions of the apoptosis-regulating proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bax and p53 were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the data obtained were compared between the two groups by t-test.

RESULTSTransmission electron microscopy revealed increased apoptosis and vacuolization of testicular cells in the PND-45 rat offspring, HE staining showed markedly decreased numbers of different spermatogenetic cells, TUNEL manifested significantly increased apoptosis of testicular cells in the experimental group as compared with the control (12.00 ± 5. 22 vs 3.17 ± 1.47, P < 0.01), and immunohistochemistry and Western blot exhibited remarkably higher expressions of Bax and p53 in the former than in the latter group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn utero exposure to DBP can increase the apoptosis of germ cells and Sertoli cells, induce the vacuolization of testicular cells, and significantly elevate the expressions of the apoptosis-promoting proteins Bax and p53 in the pubertal male rat offspring.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Body Weight ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; adverse effects ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; cytology ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

genes related to pancreatic cancer was mainly associated with biological process,cellular location,molecular function,which suggested the development of pancreatic cancer was caused by multiple genes.

The adverse reactions caused by traditional Chinese medicine have occurred frequently, but there is a lack of scientific,objective and standardized methods for safety evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine.In the process of preclinical evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine, it is imperative to form a set of scientific, standardized and feasible evaluation system of modem Chinese herbal drug.We established the preclinical safety evaluation system of modem Chinese herbal drug including the quality control system of samples for the preclinical safety evaluation, the toxicity evaluation system of modem Chinese herbal drug and its preparation and the evaluation management system, and standardized each research link of preclinical evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine.Whether from protecting patients' health and increasing the safety of clinical medication, or from enriching and improving traditional Chinese medicine science, developing traditional Chinese medicine and promoting mutual connection of traditional Chinese medicine and international medicine, it has important instructional significance and application value.

Objective To investigate the effects of sitagliptin combined with premixed insulin on blood glucose fluctuations in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods A total of 42 patients with type 2 diabetes from April 2012 to November 2013 were randomly divided into two groups, treated with insulin aspart 30 injections alone 2 to 3 times a day( control group, n=21 ) or combined with oral sitagliptin once a day ( treatment group, n=21).The glucose fluctuations by fingertip blood glucose and continuous glucose monitoring ( CGM) were assessed and the changes of glucose fluctuations in two groups before and after treatment were com-pared as well as the incidence of adverse reactions.Results Compared with before treatment, the data of blood glucose fluctuations index in two groups were significantly decreased after treatment.The fingertip blood glucose results showed that standard deviation of blood glucose( SDBG) , coefficient of varicotion( CV) and postprandial blood glucose index were lower in treatment group after treatment(P<0.05).The date from CGM showed SDBG [(1.77 ±0.53) vs ( 2.39 ±0.80 ) mmol · L-1 ], was significantly lower in treatment group than that in control group( P<0.05).MAGE and MODD in treatment group was decreased than control group [ MAGE ( 4.36 ±1.14 ) vs ( 5.82 ±2.44 ) mmol · L-1 and MODD ( 1.32 ±0.37 ) vs (1.71 ±0.65)mmol· L-1], but there was no statistical difference found(P >0.05).Hypoglycemia time ratio in treatment group was lower than that in control group [ ( 0.86 ±1.58 )% vs ( 2.95 ±2.39 )%, P <0.05 ].Conclusion Sitagliptin combined with premixed insulin is more safe and convenient for reducing blood glucose level and glucose fluctuations.

OBJECTIVETo develop a simple, rapid and reliable method of purifying Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat islets by sequential filtration through two cell strainers of different sizes and to evaluate the efficacy of the method.

METHODSIslets were isolated from 8 to 12-week-old clean grade Sprague-Dawley rat pancreases using the standard collagenase digestion procedure and purified with either the generally used Ficoll density gradient method or the innovative two-step sequential filtration method. The purity and vitality of the isolated islets were visualized and assessed with DTZ and AO/PI staining. Glucose stimulating tests were performed to assay cell activity, and immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the synthesis function of islet cells.

RESULTSThe yield of islets in the two-step filtration method group was 782±115 IEQ per rat, which was significantly higher than in the conventional Ficoll density gradient method group (598 ± 135 IEQ per rat, P < 0.01). Purity of the isolated islets in the two-step filtration method group was 90%-100% and vitality was over 95%. In the conventional Ficoll density gradient method group, islet purity was 65%-85% and vitality was 85%-95%. With regard to the high-sugar stimulation test in the two-step filtration method group, insulin concentrations in islets cultured for 24 hours were significantly higher than in those that were freshly purified (76.9 ± 6.1 μg/L vs 49.4 ± 3.9 μg/L; P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSA two-step sequential filtration method for rat islet purification was developed and the method was simple and reliable, with high islet vitality, purity and yield.

Animals ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Female ; Filtration ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin ; biosynthesis ; Islets of Langerhans ; cytology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley