OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanisms underlying the proliferative inhibition of Chinese herbal medicine Kang-Ai injection (KAI) in gastric cancer cells. METHODS: Gastric cancer cell lines MGC803 and BGC823 were treated by 0, 0.3%, 1%, 3% and 10% KAI for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. The cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry. Interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA and protein expression levels were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The protein expression levels of cyclin A, cyclin E, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, p21, retinoblastoma (RB), protein kinase B (AKT), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 and STAT3 were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: KAI inhibited the proliferation of MGC803 and BGC823 gastric cancer cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. After treated with KAI for 48 h, the proportion of G1 phase was increased, expression level of cyclin D1 and phosphorylation-RB were down-regulated, whereas the expression of p21 was up-regulated (all P<0.01). Furthermore, 48-h treatment with KAI decreased the phosphorylation level of STAT3, inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-6 (all P<0.01). IL-6 at dose of 10 ng/mL significantly attenuated the proliferative effect of both 3% and 10% KAI, and recovered KAI-inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression level (all P<0.01). CONCLUSION KAI exerted an anti-proliferative function by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway followed by the induction of G₁ phase arrest in gastric cancer cells.
Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin D1/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/genetics*

Aspergillus fumigatus ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta ; Keratitis ; Receptors, IgE ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Tumor Necrosis Factors

Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Nasal Polyps/complications* ; Rhinitis/complications* ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Sinusitis/complications* ; Staphylococcal Infections/complications* ; Staphylococcus aureus

An UPLC method was established for the direct determination of six major bioactive isosteroidal alkaloids, namely peimisine, imperialine, sipeimine-3-D-glucoside, verticinone, verticine and hupehenine from the bulbus of Fritillaria(Beimu), a commonly used antitussive traditional Chinese medicinal(TCM) herb. An Acquity UPLC~(TM) CSH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) was used for all analysis. The investigated six compounds were all separated with gradient mobile phase consisting of 0.02% diethylamine-water-methanol at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1). The temperature of sample manager was set at 20 ℃. Drift tube temperature was 45 ℃, and spray parameter was 40% with injection volume of 1 μL. Then, the further quality assessment of Beimu was carried out by cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA). The investigated all had good linearity(r≥0.998 9) over the tested ranges. The method is simple, accurate and reproducible, and can be used for determining the content of six major bioactive isosteroidal alkaloids.
Alkaloids/isolation & purification* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fritillaria/chemistry* ; Phytochemicals/isolation & purification* ; Plant Roots/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE:To study the current status of cesarean section rate(CSR)and cesarean section(CS)indications in Shanghai,and to provide basic evidence for reducing the rate of CS.METHODS:Six general and maternal and child hospi⁃tals(MCH)in Shanghai were selected,and all data of childbirth of these hospitals in 2016 were collected.The total CSR was calculated for all hospitals and the Chi-square tests were used to compare the CSR among different hospitals.The constitution of CS indications were reported by using the data collected from two out of the six hospitals.RESULTS:The to⁃tal CSR of all hospitals in this study was 47.88%(95% CI 47.30%-48.46%).The CSR in suburb an hospitals was signifi⁃cantly higher than that in outer suburbs and city center(51.72% vs. 50.54% vs. 43.24%,P<0.01),The CSR in secondary hospitals was significantly higher than that in tertiary hospitals(49.73% vs. 46.36%,P<0.01).The CSR in general hospi⁃tals was higher than that in MCH(54.54% vs. 43.81%,P<0.01).The CS without medical indications or for social reasons accounted for 25.15% of all CS,while the scar uterus(36.31%),maternal pregnancy-related complications(13.17%)and abnormal fetal head position(6.33%)were the three leading medical indications of CS.CONCLUSION:The CSR in Shang⁃hai is at a high level.There are significant differences in CSR among different hospitals.The scar uterine and social rea⁃sons are the leading causes of CS in Shanghai.

Objective To evaluate the antibody titer distributions after primary vaccination by different sequential schedules of Sabin strain-based inactivated poliovirus vaccine(sIPV) and bivalent oral attenuated live poliomyelitis vaccine against types 1 and 3 (bOPV) in Drug Candy(DC) form or liquid dosage form. Methods Eligible infants of 2 months old selected in Liuzhou were assigned randomly in a ratio of 1:1:1:1 to 4 groups as following: sIPV+2bOPV(DC), sIPV+2bOPV(liquid), 2sIPV+bOPV(DC), 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid), and were vaccinated at 0, 28, 56 days. Polio neutralizing antibody titers against poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were tested prior to Dose 1 and at 28 days after Dose 3. Results The antibody titer distribution for type 1 was statistically different between sIPV+2bOPV(DC) and sIPV+2bOPV(liquid) (Z=-2.589, P=0.010) while no significant differences were detected between the two groups for type 2(Z=-0.331, P=0.741) and type 3(Z=-1.556, P=0.120). There were no significant differences between 2sIPV +bOPV(DC) and 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid) for the distributions(All P>0.05) (type 1: Z=-1.249, P=0.212; type 2: Z=-1.658, P=0.097; type 3: Z=-1.436, P=0.151). In the same dosage forms with different sequential schedules, the antibody titer distributions were significantly different between 2 doses sIPV and 1 dose sIPV groups(All P<0.05)(sIPV+2bOPV(liquid) vs 2sIPV+bOPV(liquid): type 1: Z=-2.766, P=0.006; type 2: Z=-9.137, P<0.001; type 3: Z=-5.529, P<0.001. sIPV+2bOPV(DC) vs 2sIPV+bOPV(DC): type 1: Z=-3.748, P<0.001; type 2: Z=-7.660, P<0.001; type 3: Z=-6.030, P<0.001). Conclusions Different dosage forms have similar immune effects, so appropriate dosage forms should be selected for vaccination according to the effectiveness, characteristics of subjects and the population density. In the case of sufficient supply of sIPV, 2 doses sIPV sequential program should be the first choice to complete the primary immunization.

Fifteen batches of Glycyrrhizeae Radix standard decoction were prepared for determination of the content of the glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin, then the transfer rate and the extract rate were calculated and a method was established to analyze the fingerprint by HPLC. According to the measurement of 15 batches of samples,the transfer rate of the glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin were 59.4%-87.4% and 49.8%-78.9% with extract rate of 29.9%-38.9%. Moreover,10 common chromatographic peaks were determined based on their fingerprint by using similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)(2012A) .The similarity results of 15 batches of samples were analyzed and compared,and the results showed that the similarity was all higher than 0.9. Fifteen batches of samples,prepared by a standard method,have stable quality and the high similarity.The method displayed good precision,stability and repeatability in fingerprint analysis. Therefore,this study can provide a reference for the quality control of Glycyrrhizae Radix dispensing granules.

OBJECTIVEThe influence of anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment history on tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBLN) diagnosis is unclear. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the diagnostic methods, including histology, microbiology, and molecular tests, used for TBLN.

METHODSIn this study, suspected patients with TBLN and having different anti-TB treatment background were enrolled. All the samples were tested simultaneously by histology, Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, mycobacterial culture (culture), Xpert MTB/RIF (xpert), real-time PCR, and high-resolution melting curve PCR (HRM). Thereafter, the performance of these methods on samples with different anti-TB treatment background was assessed.

RESULTSIn our study, 89 patients were prospectively included 82 patients with TBLN and 7 with other diseases. The overall sensitivities of Xpert, real-time PCR, histology, ZN staining, and culture were 86.6%, 69.5%, 58.5%, 43.9%, and 22.0%, respectively. The anti-TB treatment history revealed dramatic influences on the sensitivity of culture (P < 0.0001). In fact, the treatment that lasted over 3 months also influenced the sensitivity of Xpert (P < 0.05). However, the treatment history did not affect the performance of remaining tests (P > 0.05). For rifampicin drug susceptibility test (DST), the anti-TB treatment showed only significant influence on the success rate of culture DST (P = 0.001), but not on those of Xpert and HRM tests (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOther tests as well as culture should be considered for patients with TBLN having retreatment history or over 1-month treatment to avoid false negative results.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bacteriological Techniques ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the anti-renal fibrosis effect of Paidu Baoshen Pill (PBP) on 5/6 nephrectomized rats and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 50 SD male healthy rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (n = 10), the sham-operation group (n = 10), and the nephrectomy model group (n = 30) according to the proportion of 1:1:3. Rats in the sham-operation group had their renal capsule isolated without nephrectomy. Rats in the nephrectomy model group had their kidneys 5/6 nephrectomized. Then 24 h urine was collected and 24 h urinary protein (24 h UP) detected. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatitine (SCr) were also tested. According to the SCr level 30 rats of the model group were further randomly divided into the model group, the PBP group, and the Niaoduqing Granule (NG) group, 10 in each group. Rats in the PBP group and the NG group were respectively administered with PBP (at the daily dose of 1.0 g/kg) and NG (at the daily dose of 3.33 g/kg) by gastrogavage (they were dissolved in distilled water). At the same time, 2 mL distilled water was administered by gastrogavage to rats in the normal control group, the sham-operation group, and the nephrectomy model group, once daily for 4 successive weeks. Mental conditions, activities, hair color, shape of stool, and the body weight were observed during administration. After 4 weeks, urine was collected to detect 24 h UP. Blood was sampled to detect SCr, BUN, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), type III procollagen (PC III), collagen type IV (Col IV), laminin (LN), and fibronectin (FN). After rats were killed, their left remnant renal tissues were collected for pathological examinations. The protein expression quantity of TGF-β1 and FN was detected by immunohistochemical method. mRNA expression levels of TGF-β1 and FN were detected using real time fluorescent quantitative PCR.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the above indices between the normal control group and the sham-operation group (P > 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, rats' general condition was poorer in the model group, their body weight grew slower, and 24 h UP increased; serum levels of BUN, SCr, TGF-β1, PC III, Col IV, LN, and FN increased; the residual renal pathological lesion was serious; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA increased in the renal tissue (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, rats' general condition was better, their body weight grew faster, 24 h UP reduced (P < 0.05), blood levels of BUN and SCr decreased significantly (P < 0.01), serum levels of TGF-β1, PC III, CoL IV, LN, and FN decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the residual renal pathological lesion was attenuated in the PBP group and the NG group; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with the NG group, blood levels of SCr and FN, and expression levels of FN and FN mRNA decreased more in the PBP group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPBP had the effect of anti-renal fibro- sis in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. Down-regulating expression levels of TGF-β1, and FN from gene transcription and protein translation levels might be one of its mechanisms.

Animals ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Collagen Type IV ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fibronectins ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; Laminin ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Rats ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

This study was aimed to explore the clinical significance of monitoring level of minimal residual disease (MRD) at different time point in B-lineage childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Two hundred and six children with B-ALL were enrolled in this study from Augest 2008 to September 2011 in our hospital. MRD levels were detected by flow cytometry at day 15, 33 and week 12 after initial chemotherapy. The event-free survival (EFS) for patients based on MRD levels measured at different stages of chemotherapy were compared by Kaplan Meier analyses. The results showed that out of 206 cases 196 cases achieved complete remission (CR) after induction therapy (CR rate 95.1%), the 1- and 3-year EFS rate were (92.7 ± 1.8)% and (78.7 ± 3.7)%, respectively, and the 3-year EFS rate was (85.6 ± 4.9)% in standard risk group, (82.1 ± 5.8)% in intermediate risk group and (58.1 ± 9.2)% in high risk group, there was significant statistical difference between above mentioned 3 groups (P < 0.001). The MRD analysis at different time points showed that the higher the MRD level, the lower the 3-year EFS rate of children with ALL, in which the 3-year EFS rate of MRD ≥ 10(-2) at day 15, MRD ≥ 10(-3) at day 33 and MRD ≥ 10(-3) at week 12 were significantly lower. The MRD ≥ 10(-3) at week 12 was proven to be an independent predictor by multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model. The 3-year EFS rate for patients with MRD < 10(-3) and MRD ≥ 10(-3) at week 12 were (86.3 ± 4.1)% vs (55.8 ± 9.1)% (P < 0.05); 8 relapsed among 98 cases with negative MRD (MRD < 10(-4)) at day 33, 19 relapsed among 108 cases with positive MRD at day 33 between the two groups for recurrence rate has significant difference (P < 0.05). It is concluded that dynamically monitoring MRD by multi-parameter flow cytometry can precisely evaluate treatment response, judge treatment outcome and predict relapse in childhood B-ALL. The MRD 10(-2) at day 15, MRD 10(-3) at day 33 and MRD 10(-3) at week 12 should be considered as the best cut-off. MRD ≥ 10(-3) at week 12 was proven to be an independent factor of poor prognosis.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neoplasm, Residual ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies