Background The residues of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in aquatic environments have become an increasingly prominent urban pollution issue, attracting widespread attention. The analysis of PPCPs pollution in water environments holds profound implications in Zhengzhou, a strategically important city in central China. Objective To analyze the pollution characteristics of PPCPs, such as antidepressants and antibiotics, in rivers of Zhengzhou and assess associated ecological risk. Methods Water samples were collected from three rivers of Zhengzhou, and 13 PPCPs (5 antibiotics and 8 antidepressants) were analyzed quantitatively by high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) after automatic solid phase extraction. Risk quotient (RQ) was applied to assess ecological risk of PPCPs with high concentration. Results The primary antibiotics pollutants were norfloxacin and ofloxacin, both with a detection rate of 100%. Among antidepressants, venlafaxine and citalopram showed the highest detection rates at 92.3% and 88.5%, respectively. The detected antibiotics with the highest average concentrations included ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole with concentrations of 99.8 ng·L⁻¹and 96.2 ng·L⁻¹, respectively, while antidepressants venlafaxine and citalopram were detected with the highest average concentrations of 15.2 ng·L⁻¹and 1.35 ng·L⁻¹, respectively. The inter-river comparisons revealed statistically significant differences in contaminant loads (P<0.05). The sums of average PPCP concentrations at sampling points in the Jialu River and Suoxu River were 83.4 ng·L⁻¹ and 100.4 ng·L⁻¹, respectively. The Xiaoqing River exhibited higher pollution levels than both the Jialu and Suoxu Rivers, with a total average concentration of 478.4 ng·L⁻¹, where ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole were identified as the predominant pollutants. The results of ecological risk assessment indicated the RQ contributed by sulfamethoxazole ranged between 0.50−0.95 in the Xiaoqing River, suggesting a controllable risk but requiring prioritized mitigation strategies. The RQ values of norfloxacin were distributed within the range of 0.10-0.30, indicating a moderate ecological risk. The RQ values for ofloxacin and venlafaxine remained below 0.10, indicating a lower risk level. Conclusion PPCPs contamination is positive in the rivers of Zhengzhou, and sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin are the primary cantaminants. The Xiaoqing River exhibits the highest pollution levels. The initial risk assessment show that sulfamethoxazole and norfloxacin pose potential ecological risks, requiring prioritized contamination management.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of recombinant adenovirus-p53(rAdp53) injection combined with radiotherapy and hyperthermia in the treatment of unresectable advanced soft tissue sarcoma.Methods In this retrospective study, we evaluated 76 patients with unresectable advanced primary or recurrent soft tissue sarcoma treated in our hospital from November 2005 to November 2012.These patients received radiotherapy and hyperthermia with rAdp53(p53 group, n=41) or without rAdp53(control group, n=35).rAdp53((1-2)×1012viral particles each time, once a week, 8 times on average) was injected into the tumor or infused into the pelvic cavity.Radiotherapy (2 Gy each time, 5 times a week) was performed for the planning target volume at 56.3±5.3 Gy in the p53 group and 58.1±4.2 Gy in the control group, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Superficial or deep thermotherapy was employed 8 times on average (twice a week).Clinical features, response rate, time to progression (TTP), overall survival (OS), and adverse events were compared between the two groups (P>0.05).The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate OS;the log-rank test was used for survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data.Results At 2 months after treatment, the p53 group had significantly increased response rate (partial response+ complete response+ stable disease)(85% vs.54%, P=0.003) and local control rate (49% vs.23%, P=0.020) as well as prolonged TTP (12 months vs.5 months, P=0.010) and OS (48 months vs.31 months, P=0.049), as compared with the control group.No adverse events caused by radiotherapy and hyperthermia except transient fever were seen in the two groups.Conclusions Concurrent radiotherapy and hyperthermia combined with rAdp53 injection is effective and safe for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and toxicities of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy in the treatment of cervical cancer patients with para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastases after initial treatment.Methods From Oct 2008 to Aug 2013,56 cervical cancer patients with PALN metastases after initial treatment,including radical resection or pelvic radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy,were selected for analysis.The delivered radiation dose to PALN was 55-60 Gy for GTV and 45-50 Gy for CTV respectively with 25-30 fractions during 5-6 weeks.36 patients received concurrent paclitaxel (135 mg/m2) and cisplatin (60 mg/m2) chemoradiotherapy (CRT group) and 20 patients received RT alone (RT group).Results The median follow-up time after treatment was 22.7 months (2.7 to 74.4 months).98.2％ (55/56) of patients completed RT.In CRT group,38.9％ underwent concurrent TP regimen 2-3 cycles and the rest completed one cycle.The rates of CR plus PR in CRT and RT groups were 91.7％ (33/36) and 85％ (17/20),respectively (x2 =0.516,P ＞0.05).The 3-year overall survival rate in CRT group and RT group were 57.5％ and 32.7％ (x2 =4.059,P ＜ 0.05),and 3-year progression-free survival rates were 50.4％ and 29.2％ (x2 =4.184,P ＜ 0.05),respectively.TP regimen concurrent chemoradiotherapy was more effective than radiotherapy alone.The 3-year overall survival rate was 53％ and 39.5％ in patients with isolated PALN and nonisolated PALN,respectively (x2 =4.265,P ＜ 0.05).Grade 3 or 4 acute leukopenia was found in 10 (27.8％,CRT group) and 6 (30％,RT group) patients (x2 =0.693,P ＞ 0.05).Grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity occurred in 1 patient each group (x2 =0.847,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions TP regimen concurrent CRT is associated with better survival than RT alone,and the treatment toxicities could be tolerant.

OBJECTIVE:To research the mechanism of in vitro permeation of phillyrin through blood-brain barrier. METH-ODS:After Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells transfected with colorectal cancer MDR1 gene (MDCK-MDR1) were cul-tured with phillyrin solution of 0(negative control),10,25,50,75 and 100μg/ml for 24 h,cell viability was determined by resa-zurin method and cell survival rate was calculated. After MDCK-MDR1 cells were cultured with phillyrin solution of 10,25,50, 75 and 100 μg/ml for 10 min,the content of phillyrin in the cells was determined,and concentration-uptake rate curve was drawn. Following 3 h culture of MDCK-MDR1 cells with phillyrin solution of 0 (negative control),50 and 100 μg/ml,the structure of cell tight junction protein was observed under the inverted microscope. RESULTS:Compared to the negative control group,after 24 h cell culture with phillyrin solution of 10-100 μg/ml,no obvious change in cell survival rate occurred. MDCK-MDR1 cells cultured with the phillyrin at a mass concentration of 10-100 μg/ml demonstrated a nonlinear relationship with concentration of phillyrin and a gradual saturation trend. After the cells were cultured with phillyrin of 50 and 100 μg/ml for 3 h,cell tight junction protein was intact. CONCLUSIONS:The absorption of phillyrin through the simulated blood-brain barrier may be in the form of passive transportation combined with active transportation,the concertration has effect on cell tight junction protein.