OBJECTIVE: To establish Caco-2 (a human colon adenocarcinoma cell line) cell monolayer model and the standard operation procedure for studying and assessing intestinal absorption of chemical components of traditional Chinese medicine. METHODS: Caco-2 cell monolayer model was established and evaluated by morphology feature using scanning electron microscope, inverted microscope and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) assay. Additionally, the model was further tested for the activity of alkaline phosphatase and the apparent permeability (Papp) of standard compounds, i.e. propranolol and atenolol, which were the control substances for high and poor transcellular transport marker, respectively. RESULTS: The integrality of cell monolayer, cell differentiation (reflected by expression of alkaline phosphatase and cell monolayer morphology), and the Papp value of standard compounds in the established Caco-2 cell model were satisfactory. All parameters tested were in good agreement with those reported in the literature. CONCLUSION: The established Caco-2 cell model can be used to study the intestinal absorption of orally administrated chemical components of traditional Chinese medicine and their absorption mechanism.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of endovascular treatment for intracranial venous sinus thrombosis based on individual condition. Methods Twelve patients with intracranial venous sinus thrombosis were treated with endovascular management according to the severity and course of disease after they failed to respond to anticoagulant therapy. The clinical signs and symptoms,cerebrospinal fluid pressure and arteriovenous circulation time were observed and followed up (including MRV). Intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombus maceration were carried out in all 12 patients,while intravenous thrombolysis, mechanical thrombus maceration in combination with intra-arterial thrombolysis were employed in 3. After the treatment, anticoagulant therapy was carried out for 6 months.The patients were followed up for 12 to 24 months. Results Of the twelve patients, clinical signs and symptoms included slight headache (2 cases), mild hemiplegia (1 case), ambiopia or blurred vision (3 cases). The cerebrospinal fluid pressure returned to under 26 cm H2O (1 cm H2O =0.098 kPa)following treatment from 28 to 38 cm H2O [ mean (32. 4 ±3.0) cm H2O] in preoperative measurement and the arteriovenous circulation time returned to below 10 s in all patients following treatment. Neither recurrence of thrombosis nor new symptoms of neurologic dysfunction was observed. No procedure-related intracranial or systemic hemorrhagic complications occurred both during and after the operation with the exception of a subcutaneous bleeding at the venopuncture site. Conclusion Endovascular treatment is effective and safe for patients with intracranial venous sinus thrombosis.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of Naoxintong capsule on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods 45 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: sham operation group (n=5), ischemia-reperfusion group (n=10), small dose of Naoxintong capsule group (n=10), large dose of Naoxintong capsule group (n=10), CoQ-10 group (n=10). The the cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model was established by occluding bilateral carotid arteries of animal. The moisture content and activity of ATPase in brain tissue of model rat were observed respectively at ischemia 30 min plus reperfusion 30 min and ischemia 30 min plus reperfusion 60 min.Results The activities of Na+-K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase decreased (P<0.01), contents of water in brain tissues increased (P<0.01) in the ischemia-reperfusion group, compared with the sham operation group. The activities of Na+-K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase increased (P<0.01), contents of water in brain tissues decreased (P<0.01) in the Naoxintong capsule group, compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group.Conclusion Naoxintong capsule can protect the brain tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective To evaluate the effect of rehabilitation training on dysphagia and trismus in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.Methods Fony-three post-radiotherapy nasopharyngeal carcino-ma patients were divided into a rehabilitation group and a control group.Both groups were subjected to routine treat-ment,while the rehabilitation group received rehabilitation training in addition.The patients were assessed with a wa-ter-swallowing test of swallowing.Late effects of normal tissues/subjective and objective medical analysis(LENT/SOMA)scored and inter-incisor distance were measured to assess trismus before and after treatment.Results The rehabilitation group displayed significant improvement in swallowing as well as increased inter-incisor distance.Con-clusions Rehabilitation training can improve swallowing,prevent or delay trismus and improve the quality of life of patients.

0.05).At post- operative 30 days and 90 days,ECD were(6.39?0.90)%,(6.54?1.24)% respectively in the torsional group and(13.17?1.78)%, (13.67?2.36)% respectively in the US group,the differences between two groups were statistically(P0.05).Conclusion The torsional mode may provide more effective lens re- moval with a lower level of phacoemulsification time and energy.It can reduce the ultrasound energy and the intraocular trauma.(Oph- thalmol CHN,2008,17:82-85)

Objective To investigate the effect of berberine on inhibiting HT-29 human colon cancer cell proliferation induced by deoxycholic acid(DCA).Methods The berberine with concentration of 1,5,10 or 20?mol/L were added into the HT-29 human colon cancer cell culture media containing 200?mol/L DCA.The effects of berberine on cell proliferation were studied by the method of MTT.RT-PCR was applied to measure the expression of cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)mRNA.Cellular immunochemical stain was applied to label COX- 2 protein expression.Concentration of prostaglandin E2(PGE2)was measured by radioimmunoassay. Results HT-29 cells were incubated with DCA for 6 h,COX2 expression of cells were increased prominent compared to controls(65.5%?5.6% vs.6.2%?1.1%).The level of PGE2 were increased(24.1 ng/L?1.4 ng/L vs.10.6 ng/L?0.8 ng/L).One?mol/L berberine reduced the proliferation rate of HT-29 in- duced by DCA over 6 h,the proliferation rate was 7.4?3.5%.Both COX-2 mRNA expression and the level of PGE2 were inhibited when the concentration of berberine was over 1?mol/L,and in a concentration-time dependent manner.Conclusions Berberine can inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 human colon cancer cell in- duced by DCA.Berberine can also suppress the expression of COX-2,and decrease the production of PGE2. These data provide new insights into the mechanism of its anti-cancer properties.

OBJECTIVETo explore Akt-regulated direct p53 mitochondrial translocation in cisplatin-induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells and the relationship between this and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer.

METHODSChemosensitive ovarian cancer cell lines (OV2008 and A2780s) and chemoresistant cells (C13(*) and A2780cp) were treated with cisplatin and whole cell and mitochondrial p53 contents were determined by Western blot. The p53 accumulation in mitochondria was determined in purified mitochondrial fractions in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cells. Akt1/2 siRNA were transfected into C13(*) cells. Cisplatin-induced apoptosis was measured by Hoechst staining and p53 translocation was determined by Western blot.

RESULTSCisplatin induced mitochondrial p53 accumulation and apoptosis in chemosensitive cells (P < 0.05), but not in resistant cells (P > 0.05). Over-expression of active Akt2 inhibited p53 directly translocate to mitochondria, and downregulation of Akt by Akt1/2 siRNA increased p53 mitochondrial accumulation and sensitize C13(*) cells to cisplatin treatment.

CONCLUSIONSCisplatin induces direct p53 mitochondrial accumulation in chemosensitive cells, and Akt confers resistance in ovarian cancer cells, in part, by regulating the direct action of p53 in mitochondrial death pathway.

Antineoplastic Agents ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; genetics ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; physiology ; RNA, Small Interfering ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between pulmonary vascular remodeling and expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in pulmonary vessels in neonatal rats with hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH).

METHODSA neonatal rat model of HPH was established as an HPH group, and normal neonatal rats were enrolled as a control group. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was measured. The percentage of medial thickness to outer diameter of the small pulmonary arteries (MT%) and the percentage of medial cross-section area to total cross-section area of the pulmonary small arteries (MA%) were measured as the indicators for pulmonary vascular remodeling. The immunohistochemical reaction intensities for HIF-1α, ET-1 and iNOS and their mRNA expression in lung tissues of neonatal rats were measured. Correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between pulmonary vascular remodeling and mRNA expression of HIF-1α, ET-1 and iNOS.

RESULTSThe mPAP of the HPH group kept increasing on days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 of hypoxia, with a significant difference compared with the control group (P<0.05). The HPH group had significantly higher MT% and MA% than the control group from day 7 of hypoxia (P<0.05). HIF-1α protein expression increased significantly on days 3, 5, 7 and 10 days of hypoxia, and HIF-1α mRNA expression increased significantly on days 3, 5 and 7 days of hypoxia in the HPH group compared with the control group (P<0.05). ET-1 protein expression increased significantly on days 3, 5 and 7 days of hypoxia and ET-1 mRNA expression increased significantly on day 3 of hypoxia in the HPH group compared with the control group (P<0.05). Both iNOS protein and mRNA expression were significantly higher on days 3, 5 and 7 days of hypoxia than the control group (P<0.05). Both MT% and MA% were positively correlated with HIF-1α mRNA expression (r=0.835 and 0.850 respectively; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPulmonary vascular remodeling is developed on day 7 of hypoxia in neonatal rats. HIF-1α, ET-1 and iNOS are all involved in the occurrence and development of HPH in neonatal rats.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Endothelin-1 ; analysis ; physiology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Hypoxia ; complications ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; analysis ; physiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; analysis ; physiology ; Pulmonary Artery ; chemistry ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Objective To investigate the bladder function in primipara and bipara within 1 week after delivery using urodynamic study.Methods Investigations on urodynamic changes were performed in 36 primipara volunteers and 12 bipara volunteers according to the recommendations of the International Continence Society(ICS).Fourteen women with upper urinary tract diseases but having normal lower urinary tract function,who had not experienced parturation were included as controls.Results Functional bladder volume(FBV)of primipara and bipara after delivery and normal desire cytometric capacity (NDCC)were respectively lower than those of control group(437?193)ml and(338?120)ml,however FBV and NDCC between primipara and bipara(310?154),(215?90)ml vs(243?141),(225?115) ml were not significantly different.The static Pure.max and Pure.clos.max of primipara and bipara were respectively higher than those of control group(87?7)cm H_2O(1 cm H_2O=0.098 kPa)and(78?8) cm H_2O(P