OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Danmu Extract Syrup (DMS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and explore the mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-two male Balb/C mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table (n=12), including control (normal saline), LPS (5 mg/kg), LPS+DMS 2.5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 10 mL/kg, and LPS+Dexamethasone (DXM, 5 mg/kg) groups. After pretreatment with DMS and DXM, the ALI mice model was induced by LPS, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected to determine protein concentration, cell counts and inflammatory cytokines. The lung tissues of mice were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of lung tissue was calculated. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 β in BALF of mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of Claudin-5, vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) and Akt were detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: DMS pre-treatment significantly ameliorated lung histopathological changes. Compared with the LPS group, the W/D ratio and protein contents in BALF were obviously reduced after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The number of cells in BALF and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity decreased significantly after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DMS pre-treatment decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1 β (P<0.01). Meanwhile, DMS activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway and reversed the expressions of Claudin-5, VE-cadherin and VEGF (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS DMS attenuated LPS-induced ALI in mice through repairing endothelial barrier. It might be a potential therapeutic drug for LPS-induced lung injury.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Claudin-5/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Lung/pathology* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of fourteen bone-setting manipulations and small splint fixation combined with No.8 Orthopedics Prescription(mainly composed of Rehmanniae Radix,Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Persicae Semen,Caulis Akebiae,Carthami Flos,Corydalis Rhizoma,and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma)on distal radius fracture.Methods A retrospective study was carried out in the analysis of the clinical data of 124 patients with distal radius fractures treated by fourteen bone-setting manipulations and small splint fixation in the Department of Orthopedics,Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from September 2021 to September 2023.The patients were divided into an observation group(63 cases)and a control group(61 cases)depending on the medication of No.8 Orthopedics Prescription or not.The control group was treated with fourteen bone-setting manipulations and small splint fixation,while the observation group was treated with fourteen bone-setting manipulations and small splint fixation combined with No.8 Orthopedics Prescription.The two groups were treated for s one month and then were followed up for more than six months.The changes in the range of motion(ROM)of wrist pronation and supination and palmar flexion in the two groups were observed before treatment and three months after treatment.The time for starting wrist function exercise,time for subsiding swelling of the affected limb and fracture healing time were compared between the two groups.After six months of treatment,the wrist function improvement effect of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After treatment,the time for starting wrist joint functional exercise,time for subsiding swelling of the affected limb and the time for fracture healing in the observation group were significantly shortened compared with those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant between the two groups(P＜0.01).(2)After three months of treatment,the ROM of wrist pronation and supination and palmar flexion in the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement of ROM of wrist pronation and supination and palmar flexion in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the differences being statistically significant(P＜0.01).(3)After six months of treatment,the evaluation of the wrist joint function of the two groups showed that the excellent and good rate of the observation group was 55.56％(35/63),and that of the control group was 45.90％(28/61).There was no significant difference in the improvement of wrist function between the two groups(Z=1.075,P=0.282).Conclusion Both methods can achieve satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of distal radius fracture,and the wrist function of the patients has been effectively restored.The treatment of fourteen bone-setting manipulations and small splint fixation combined with No.8 Orthopedics Prescription can significantly shorten the time for subsiding swelling of the affected limb,promote fracture healing and bone regeneration,improve wrist function,and relieve the pain of patients.

Humans ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Microspheres ; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology* ; Mutation ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Fluoroquinolones ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics* ; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant/microbiology*

Six month old Cinnamomum cassia seedlings were used to simulate drought stress with polyethylene glycol(PEG 6000). The physiological indicators(osmotic substances, antioxidant enzymes, etc.) and chemical components of seedlings under different drought levels and the correlation between the two were studied. The results showed that the chlorophyll content and relative water content decreased gradually with the increase of PGE 6000(0, 5%, 10%, 15%) concentration and time(3, 5, 7 d), while the soluble protein content, soluble sugar content and catalase(CAT) activity increased, but the rising rate slowed down with the time. The activities of peroxidase(POD), superoxide dismutase(SOD), malondialdehyde(MDA) and proline content increased at first and then decreased. The content of coumarin, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid and dimethoxycinnamaldehyde decreased, while the content of cinnamyl alcohol continued to increase.Under drought stress, the fluorescence signals of reactive oxygen species and no contents in roots of C. cassia seedlings were significantly stronger than those of the control.Further correlation analysis showed that coumarin content, di-methoxycinnamaldehyde content and osmoregulation substance content were significantly negatively correlated(P<0.05), cinnamic acid content was significantly negatively correlated with POD and SOD activities(P<0.01).It was found that C. cassia seedlings showed a certain degree of drought tolerance under short-term or mild drought stress, but if the drought exceeded a certain degree, the physiological metabolism of the seedlings would be unbalanced.
Catalase ; Cinnamomum aromaticum ; Droughts ; Malondialdehyde ; Seedlings ; Stress, Physiological ; Superoxide Dismutase

Objective To study the adsorption effect of activated charcoal suspension on paraquat (PQ) in gastrointestinal tract of beagles exposed to PQ.Methods Twenty healthy male beagles were randomly divided into experimental group and control group,with 6 beagles in each group.20％ PQ solution (a dose of 30 mg/kg) was prescribed through stomach for beagles in both groups.After exposure to PQ for 30 minutes,the beagles in experimental group were given activated charcoal suspension (1.0 g/kg of type Ⅰ activated charcoal powder mixed with 100 mL of normal saline) by gavage,while the control group was only given equal volume of normal saline.After exposure to PQ for 10 minutes,30 minutes,and 1,2,4,8,12,24,and 48 hours,blood was collected from hepatic portal veins and peripheral veins to detect the PQ concentration change in the plasma.The toxicokinetics software DAS 2.1.1 was applied to analyze PQ concentration and compare the change in toxicokinetics parameters between the both groups.The change in vital signs including heart rate (HR),respiratory rate (RR) and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) was dynamically monitored 10 minutes before exposure,4 hours and each day from the 1st to the 7th day after exposure.Results After exposure to PQ,the poison concentration in the plasma of hepatic portal veins and peripheral veins in the control group rose quickly and reached peak 4 hours later.It fell quickly at first,and fell slowly 8 hours later.But in the experimental group,the increase rate to the peak was significantly slow.Besides,PQ peak fell more obviously than that in the control group and it was about 50％ of the control group (μg/L:123.50 ± 11.67 vs.255.18 ± 12.29 in blood from hepatic portal veins,122.35± 11.72 vs.250.86± 11.15 in blood from peripheral veins).After 8 hours it fell much more quickly than that of the control group.After exposure to PQ for 48 hours,PQ concentration in the plasma was still lower than that of the control group (μg/L:0.53 ± 0.18 vs.15.98 ± 5.58 in blood from hepatic portal veins,0.31 ± 0.01 vs.15.03 ± 4.82 in blood from peripheral veins,both P ＜ 0.01).With the toxicokinetics analysis,compared with the control group,the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC) of PQ in the plasma of hepatic portal veins and peripheral veins in the experimental group were significantly decreased [Cmax (μg/L):125.07 ± 9.49 vs.255.18 ± 12.29 in blood from hepatic portal veins,123.38 ± 9.52 vs.250.86 ± 11.15 in blood from peripheral veins;AUC (mg· L-1· h-1):1.6±0.2vs.3.3 ± 0.4 in blood from hepatic portal veins,1.5 ± 0.2 vs.3.2 ± 0.3 in blood from peripheral veins],time to the peak (Tmax) of PQ was slowed (hours:5.3 ± 1.9 vs.4.0 ± 0.0 in blood from hepatic portal veins,4.7 ± 1.5 vs.4.0 ± 0.0 in blood from peripheral veins),and PQ plasma half-life (t1/2) and mean retention time (MRT) were significantly shortened [t1/2 (hours):3.8 ± 1.2 vs.15.4± 3.7 in blood from hepatic portal veins,3.5 ± 1.0 vs.15.5 ± 2.7 in blood from peripheral veins;MRT (hours):8.0± 1.5 vs.13.4± 1.2 in blood from hepatic portal veins,7.6± 1.3 vs.13.3± 1.2 in blood from peripheral veins;all P ＜ 0.01].After exposure to PQ,HR and RR in both the experimental group and the control group increased and reached to the peak about the 4th day and then the increase rate began to slow down gradually;SpO2slowed down gradually and reached to the valley about the 4th day and then it began to recover,but the change range of vital signs in the experimental group was smaller than that of the control group,and the parameters were significantly better than those of control group [4-day HR (bpm):134.50±3.00 vs.142.00±6.43,4-day RR (times/min):31.00±0.58 vs.34.33±0.94,4-day SpO2:0.900±0.006 vs.0.873±0.005,all P ＜ 0.05].Conclusion Activated charcoal administrated at 30 minutes after PQ poisoning can slow down the increase rate of PQ concentration in the plasma,decrease the peak concentration and has less influence on vital signs in beagles.

Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Remission Induction ; Thymoma ; pathology ; therapy ; Thymus Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Transplantation, Homologous

This study was aimed to explore the effect of bortezomib and low concentration cytarabine (Ara-C) on proliferation and apoptosis in U937 cell line and its mechanism. The proliferation and apoptosis of U937 cells treated with bortezomib (10 nmol/L) and(or) Ara-C (50 nmol/L) were observed by cell count, cell morphology, flow cytometry and Western blot. The results showed that bortezomib and Ara-C alone inhibited U937 cell proliferation. The inhibitory effect was enhanced by combination of these two drugs, the inhibitory rates of U937 cell proliferation were (55.00 ± 2.81)% and (70.02 ± 3.33)% after treatment for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. Bortezomib and Ara-C synergistically induced apoptosis and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in U937 cells. The percentage of Rhodamin123 positive cells was (38.70 ± 1.54)%. Bortezomib and Ara-C also synergistically induced activation of caspase-9, caspase-8 and caspase-3. It is concluded that the bortezomib and low concentration Ara-C synergistically induced apoptosis in U937 cells, mainly through mitochondrial pathway, and possibly through death receptor pathway.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Boronic Acids ; pharmacology ; Bortezomib ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cytarabine ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; U937 Cells

This study was aimed to further explore the apoptosis-inducing effect of bortezomib combined with cytarabine (Ara-C) on U937 cell line. Proliferation and apoptosis in U937 cells treated with bortezomib and/or Ara-C were assessed by cell count. Cell cycle distribution and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production level were measured by using flow cytometry. Cell signaling pathway related to apoptosis was analyzed by Western blot. The results showed that 10 nmol/L bortezomib combined with 50 nmol/L Ara-C significantly inhibited U937 cell proliferation. These two drug combination synergistically induced apoptosis in U937 cells, significantly increased cellular ROS level, and up-regulated the expression of phosphorylated form of JNK and P38 and down-regulated phosphorylation of ERK. It is concluded that the apoptosis of U937 cells synergistically induced by bortezomib combined with low concentration Ara-C is possibly associated with up-regulation of phosphorylated form of JNK, P38 and down-regulation of phosphorylation of ERK induced by increase of ROS, resulting in decrease of mitochondrial potential.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Boronic Acids ; pharmacology ; Bortezomib ; Cytarabine ; pharmacology ; Drug Synergism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Phosphorylation ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; U937 Cells

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of different treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus in the portal vein (PVTT).

METHODSFrom Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2003, a total of 84 HCC patients with PVTT were divided into five groups based on methed of treatment: Group A (n = 9), HCC resection + PVTT removal + postoperative TACE + thymosin alpha(1); Group B (n = 20), HCC resection + PVTT removal + postoperative TACE; Group C (n = 7), HCC resection + PVTT removal; Group D (n = 38), TACE only; Group E (n = 10), conservative treatment only.

RESULTSThe rate of PVTT shrinkage or disappearance of groups A, B, C, D and E was 66.7%, 70.0%, 57.1%, 7.9% and 0, respectively with respective median survival time of 10.0, 7.0, 8.0, 5.0 and 2.0 months. The one year survival rate was 44.4%, 15.0%, 14.3%, 10.5% and 0.

CONCLUSIONResection of HCC and removal of tumor thrombus in the portal vein may have the tumor thrombus cleared in most of the patients and postoperative TACE and thymisin alpha(1) treatment may improve their survival.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; mortality ; surgery ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; mortality ; surgery ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; pathology ; Portal Vein ; pathology ; Survival Analysis ; Thymosin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of postoperative anti-viral therapy using lamivudine and thymosin alpha1 on recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) coexisting with active hepatitis B.

METHODSFrom Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2002, 33 HCC patients with coexisting with active hepatitis B were randomized into two groups: Group I (n = 17) received hepatectomy only, and Group II (n = 16) received hepatectomy and postoperative therapy using lamivudine plus thymosin alpha1. The suppression of HBV-DNA, HBeAg seroconversion rate, tumor recurrence rate and median survival in the two groups were observed and compared.

RESULTSIn Group II and Group I, the 1-year HBV-DNA suppression rate was 100.0% vs 6.0% (P < 0.01), HBeAg seroconversion rate was 62.5% vs 5.9% (P < 0.05), tumor recurrence rate was 81.3% vs 95.5% (P > 0.05), the recurrence time was 7.0 vs 5.0 months (P < 0.01) and median survival 10.0 vs 7.0 months (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAnti-viral therapy using lamivudine and thymosin alpha1 postoperatively may suppress the HBV reaction, delay the recurrence and prolong the survival for patients with HCC with coexisting active hepatitis B.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; surgery ; therapy ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; drug effects ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Hepatitis B ; genetics ; therapy ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; prevention & control ; Postoperative Period ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Survival Rate ; Thymosin ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use