Preliminary study of Realgar and arsenic trioxide on gut microbiota of mice / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to observe the effect of Realgar and arsenic trioxide on gut microbiota. The mice were divided into low-dose Realgar group(RL), medium-dose Realgar group(RM), high-dose Realgar group(RH), and arsenic trioxide group(ATO), in which ATO and RL groups had the same trivalent arsenic content. Realgar and arsenic trioxide toxicity models were established after intragastric administration for 1 week, and mice feces were collected 1 h after intragastric administration on day 8. The effects of Realgar on gut microbiota of mice were observed through bacterial 16 S rRNA gene sequences. The results showed that Lactobacillus was decreased in all groups, while Ruminococcus and Adlercreutzia were increased. The RL group and ATO group were consistent in the genera of Prevotella, Ruminococcus, and Adlercreutzia but different in the genera of Lactobacillus and Bacteroides. Therefore, the effects of Realgar and arsenic trioxide with the same amount of trivalent arsenic on gut microbiota were similar, but differences were still present. Protective bacteria such as Lactobacillus were reduced after Realgar administration, causing inflammation. At low doses, the number of anti-inflammatory bacteria, such as Ruminococcus, Adlercreutzia and Parabacteroides increased, which can offset the slight inflammation caused by the imbalance of bacterial flora. At high doses, the flora was disturbed and the number of Proteobacteria was increased, with aggravated intestinal inflammation, causing edema and other inflammatory reactions. Based on this, authors believe that the gastrointestinal reactions after clinical use of Realgar may be related to flora disorder. Realgar should be used at a small dose in combination with other drugs to reduce intestinal inflammation.

Synergistic effect and different toxicities of adjuvant components of Realgar–Indigo Naturalis formula / 中草药·英文版

Objective: Realgar–Indigo Naturalis formula (RIF) is a well-known arsenic-containing preparation that is used to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in China. In recent multicenter clinical trials, complete remission rates in APL patients have ranged from 96.08% to 100%. RIF has a satisfactory therapeutic effect, but its safety is a widespread concern, since the preparation contains arsenic, a wide-ranging and naturally occurring toxicant. In this study, in order to determine the toxic potential of RIF, acute toxicity and sub chronic toxicity assays were performed to evaluate the toxic potential of Realgar and the adjuvant components of RIF in addition to Realgar's synergy with these adjuvant components. Methods: KM mice and Wistar rats were selected for these experiments. To evaluate acute toxicity, the toxic effects of a single dose of a gradient of concentrations of Realgar were firstly determined. Then, the toxic effects of combinations of gradient doses of Realgar and fixed doses of Indigo naturalis and Salvia miltiorrhiza were evaluated. Results: The results showed that when Realgar was used alone, the LD50 was 2756.73 mg/kg (equivalent to 23.6 mg/kg As2O3). However, the LD50 dropped to 936.90 mg/kg when Realgarwas used with I. naturalis. By contrast, the LD50 increased to 7538.86 mg/kg when Realgar was used with S. miltiorrhiza. Hence, I. naturalis strengthened the toxicity of Realgar, whereas S. miltiorrhiza displayed the opposite effect. The sub chronic toxicity assessment results revealed a trend that was consistent with acute toxicity. Changes in the levels of different valence states of arsenic were also taken into account. The test results of the effects of in vitro combinations of Realgar and adjuvant components on soluble arsenic dissolution showed that I. naturalis increased the level of soluble arsenic in Realgar extracts and I. naturalis suspensions when theRealgar/I. naturalis ratio was 2, 1.5, and 1.0. However, S. miltiorrhiza did not affect it. Conclusion: Based on the collective experimental results presented here, it can be concluded that the toxicity of RIF is the result of the soluble arsenic in Realgar and that the I. naturalis and S. miltiorrhiza in the RIF exert completely opposite effects on the toxicity of Realgar. This maybe an intelligent explanation for the compatibility of this formula, and this RIF study may therefore be viewed as a classic case of traditional Chinese medicine research on compatibility.

Identification and selection of completely immotile but viable spermatozoa for assisted reproductive technology / 中华男科学杂志

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) remains the most effective method for severe male infertility patients to obtain their genetic offspring. A viable spermatozoon is the prerequisite for initiating fertilization in ICSI. Motility is the primary sign of sperm viability. However, how to select immotile but viable spermatozoa for ICSI on the day of ovum pick-up is critical for ICSI. This review focuses on the techniques for the identification and selection of immotile but viable spermatozoa for assisted reproductive technology.

Effect of clinical doses of Realgar-Indigo Naturalis formula and large-dose of realgar on CYP450s of rat liver / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the effect of clinical dose of Realgar-Indigo Naturais formula (RIF) and large-dose of Realgar on main drug-metabolizing enzymes CYP450s of rat liver, as well as its regulatory effect on mRNA expression. Wistar rats were administrated orally with tested drugs for 14 days. A Cocktail method combined with HPLC-MS/MS was used in the determination of 4 cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP1A2, CYP2B, CYP3A and CYP2C) in liver of the rats, and the mRNA expression levels of the above subtypes were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The results showed that RIF can significantly induce CYP1A2 and CYP2B enzyme activity, and inhibit CYP3A enzyme activity. This result was consistent with the mRNA expression. However, its single compound showed weaker or even contrary phenomenon. Different doses of Realgar also showed significant inconsistencies on CYP450 enzymes activity and mRNA expression. These phenomena may be relevant with RIF compatibility synergies or toxicity reduction. The results can also prompt drug interactions when RIF is combined with other medicines in application.

Quality of realgar and its influencing factors based on toxicity / 中国中药杂志

The results of a toxicity analysis showed differences from those of the existing experimental data. Therefore, HPLC-ICP-MS was used to analyze the soluble arsenic content at different valences in realgar prepared with water grind processing, which were collected from 3 companies. The results showed that the free arsenic of the 3 companies did not exceed the limit of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, if the free arsenic was calculated based on the total value of As(Ⅲ) + As(Ⅴ), free arsenic of 1 company exceeded the limit of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The method of determining free arsenic in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. was ancient Cai's arsenic detection method, which had a certain limitation and failed to effectively avoid the toxicity of remaining arsenics except for trivalent arsenic. Then, we examined the effects of water and temperature on the content and form of soluble arsenic in realgar. The results showed that the content of soluble arsenic increased with the rise of water content, and the form of soluble arsenic did not change, there were only As (Ⅲ) and As (Ⅴ); With the simple temperature factor, there was an increasing trend in the content of soluble arsenic in the samples, the maximum increment was As (Ⅲ) 2.489 mg•g⁻¹ and As (Ⅴ) 0.546 mg•g⁻¹; When water and temperature played an synergistic effect, the increase of soluble arsenic in the samples significantly changed, the maximum increment was As (Ⅲ) 23.690 mg•g⁻¹, As (Ⅴ) 0.468 mg•g⁻¹, respectively. Through comprehensive analysis, we believed that the quality of realgar was susceptible to water content and temperature. Both of the single effect of water content and the synergistic effect of water and temperature can significantly change the content of soluble arsenic in realgar, and the water content was a high-risk factor. In the current Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2015 version, the free arsenic detection method had limitations, hence new techniques shall be introduced; At the same time, realgar does not have a water content inspection item in the current pharmacopoeia, which shall be added. However, due to the limit of water content, more in-depth studies are required.

Successful pregnancy following laser-assisted selection of viable but immotile spermatozoa for intracytoplasmic sperm injection: A report of 2 cases / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility and clinical application value of selecting viable spermatozoa by noncontact diode laser.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We obtained immotile spermatozoa from 2 infertile men with obstructive azoospermia or severe asthenospermia and selected viable spermatozoa using a single laser shot at the sperm tail. Those that responded to the laser shot by a curling reaction of the tail were regarded as presumably viable and used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean fertilization rate was 88.89% after ICSI with the laser-selected viable spermatozoa. Both of the embryo transfers resulted in a single pregnancy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Noncontact diode laser is a useful alternative for the assessment of sperm viability, which may help to achieve successful pregnancy.</p>

A case of spontaneous remission of acute myeloid leukemia with rare t（10;11）（q22;q23） rearrangement: case report and literatures review / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize a case of acute myeloid leukemia（AML） with severe infection and a rare translocation of t（10;11）（q22;q23）who got spontaneous remission.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The laboratorial examination results and clinical data in this case were summarized in couple with the light of published literatures.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Like most of the spontaneous remission cases, severe infection happened to this case of AML patient, but the different point was that a rare translocation of t（10;11）（q22;q23）was disclosed in this patient. There were only 6 cases of this kind of translocation reported by the literatures up to now. This patient got spontaneous remission after the controlled infection without any chemotherapy. The rare translocation of t（10;11）（q22;q23）disappeared after he got remission.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Spontaneous remission of acute leukemia was a rare phenomenon, the underlying mechanism was unclear, maybe due to the inflammatory factors triggered by infection, or the activated immune system by the infection, or even the role of gene mutation factors. Accumulating data might shed insight into this rare kind of disease.</p>

Prokaryotic expression of streptolysin O antigen and its condition optimization / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To construct the recombinant streptolysin O antigen(SLO) prokaryotic expression plasmid and establish its best expression condition in Escherichia coli .Methods The DNA fragment encoding SLO was amplified from streptococcal ge-nomic DNA template by PCR ,and then incorporated into pET-32a(+ ) vector to construct pET-32a(+ )-SLO recombinant plas-mid .pET-32a(+ )-SLO was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and SLO protein was expressed and purified by isopro-pyl-β-D-thiogalactoside(IPTG)-induction and auto-induction ,respectively .Results The results of DNA electrophoresis and DNA sequencing showed that pET-32a(+ )-SLO recombinant plasmid was constructed successfully .When IPTG at different concentra-tion was used ,SLO expressed as inclusion body and its expression efficiency was low .Under auto-induction condition ,SLO ex-pressed as partly soluble manner ,and its expression efficiency increased .Conclusion The prokaryotic expression plasmid pET-32a (+ )-SLO is constructed successfully and the best condition for SLO expression and purification from Escherichia coli culture is es-tablished ,which lay the foundation for further basic and clinical application research with SLO .

BMMSC from blastic phase CML down-regulate leukemia cell apoptosis / 中国实验血液学杂志

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC) from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blastic phase (Bp) on K562 cells and the primary CML-Bp cells, and to explore its potential mechanisms. K562 cells and primary CML-Bp cells were co-cultured with BMMSC of different groups; the cell proliferation was detected by MTT method, the cell apoptosis rate and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by flow cytometry, the expression levels of Caspase-8, Caspase-9, and activated Caspase-3 in cells were measured by Western blot. The results showed that the CML-Bp BMMSC could enhance the survival rate of K562 cells treated with adviamycin (ADM) and display protective effect on K562 cells and primary CML-Bp mononuctear cells, inhibited ADM-induced leukimia cell apoptosis (P < 0.05); as compared with CML-chronic phase (CML-Cp) BMMSC and normal BMMSC, the CML-Bp BMMSC showed the highest protective effect on leukemic cells, the mitochondrial membrane potential of co-cultured cells slightly droped (P < 0.05). In the CML-Bp BMMSC cultured with K562 cells, the expression level of caspase-3 was more down-regulated than that in K562 alone plus ADM group, while the expression of caspase-9 significantly increased (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the CML-Bp BMMSC down-regulates ADM-induced leukemia cell appoptosis, its mechanism may relate with the inhibition of mitochondrial membrane potential drop, the stabilization of unactive expression of caspase-9 and down-regulation of caspase-3 expression.

Effects of IVF versus ICSI on the outcomes of elective blastocyst culture / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of different fertilization methods on the outcomes of elective blastocyst culture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of elective blastocyst culture for 1 153 cycles of IVF and 205 cycles of ICSI performed between january 2009 and December 2012.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total number of 14 748 embryos in the IVF group and 2 655 embryos in the ICSI group underwent sequential blastocyst culture, with 7 871 blastocysts formed in the former and 1 210 in the latter. No cycles were canceled for no blastocyst formation in either of the two groups. The rates of quality embryos, blastocyst formation and embryo utilization were significantly higher in the IVF than in the ICSI group (64.77 vs 58.72%, 53.37 vs 45.57%, and 60.06 vs 52.17%, all P < 0.05), but the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion showed no significant differences between the two groups (48.94 vs 51.43%, 49.03 vs 52.02%, and 11.69% vs 15.56, all P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>With the same inclusion criteria of selective blastocyst culture, IVF has a lower risk of cycle cancellation due to no blastocyst formation and therefore may effect higher rates of blastocyst formation and embryo utilization than ICSI. Our study suggested that appropriate inclusion criteria of selective blastocyst culture should be laid down according to different fertilization methods.</p>

Inner ear morphological study of guinea pigs with acoustically evoked short latency negative response / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a model of ototoxicity in guinea pigs with acoustically evoked short latency negative response (ASNR) and verify the responsible organ of ASNR based on microscopic characteristics of basal membranes, saccules, utricles and ampulla canalis semicircularis of the inner ear.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Total of 45 guinea pigs were employed in the experiment, which were randomly divided into the control group (15 subjects, 30 ears) and the deafened group (30 subjects, 60 ears). Each animal experienced auditory brainstem response (ABR). A quick treatment was employed for deafened group consisting of a subcutaneous injection of kanamycin at a dose of 400 mg/kg followed by jugular vein injection of ethacrynic acid at a dose of 40 mg/kg one hour later. The animals were performed ABR test from 7 to 10 days after the drug administration. The deafened group was further divided into ASNR group and non-ASNR group based on the presence of ASNR. All the guinea pigs were sacrificed after ABR tests. The Corti organ, macula sacculi, macula utriculi and crista ampullaris were observed by light microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the deafened group (60 ears), 3 subjects died postoperatively, 27 subjects (54 ears) provided full data. ASNR was elicited in 19 ears (35.2%, 19/54), the thresholds of ASNR were from 110 to 125 dBSPL with average of (121.7 ± 4.5) dBSPL. ASNR latency ranges were 1.80 - 2.08 ms, the average latency of thresholds were (1.93 ± 0.07) ms. The stretched preparation results: overall hair-cell density of macula saccule, macula utriculi and crista ampullaris decreased in order of normal control group, ASNR group and non-ASNR group. There was no difference between the normal group and ASNR group for cell density of macula saccule. Apart from this, statistical differences were found among other groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The present study evoked ASNR in an ototoxicity guinea pig model which was profound hearing loss with normal saccular function and normal saccular hair cell density. It suggested that ASNR originates from the saccule and have no relation with cochlear, utricle and semicircular canal according to morphological study.</p>

Origin of acoustically evoked short latency negative response in guinea pigs / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a model of acoustically evoked short latency negative response (ASNR) in guinea pigs, a model of profound hearing loss with normal saccular functions, and verify the correlation between ASNR and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two healthy guinea pigs were employed in the experiment, which were randomly divided into control group (16 subjects) and deafened group (16 subjects). Each animal experienced auditory and vestibular tests including auditory brainstem response (ABR), VEMP and caloric test. A quick treatment was employed for deafened group consisting of a subcutaneous injection of kanamycin at a dose of 400 mg/kg followed by a jugular vein injection of ethacrynic acid at a dose of 40 mg/kg one hour later. The animals were received ABR, VEMP and caloric test 7 - 10 days following the drug administration. The deafened group was further divided into ASNR group and non-ASNR group, based on the presence of ASNR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In deafened group, five subjects died postoperatively, 11 subjects (22 ears) provided full data, ASNR was elicited in eight ears (36.4%), the threshold was 120 - 130 dB SPL with mean of (124.4 ± 4.96) dB SPL. Its latency range was 1.75 - 2.60 ms with mean of (2.15 ± 0.27) ms. The mean latency of threshold was (2.34 ± 0.18) ms. All eight ASNR ears presented with VEMP. The VEMP threshold, positive and negative potential latencies proved no statistical difference (P > 0.05) between ASNR group and control group. Significant difference was detected between the VEMP presence of ASNR group and non-ASNR group (P = 0.002). There was no statistically significant correlation between VEMP and caloric test neither between ASNR and caloric test in deafened group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study evoked ASNR in an ototoxicity guinea pig model which has profound hearing loss with normal saccular functions. The presence of ASNR correlated with VEMP, however, not correlated with caloric test, suggesting that ASNR and VEMP are both originated from the saccule.</p>

Activation of anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes by fusion of human dendritic cells and melanoma cells / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the effect of activation of specific anti-tumor cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and the ability of cross-presentation in vitro by fusion of HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells (DCs) with HLA-A2- melanoma cells.@*METHODS@#The HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells and HLA-A2- melanoma cells were fused by PEG and were cultivated in complete RPMI1640 media containing FCS (10%) and GM-CSF for 24-48 h, and then co-cultured fusion cells with Melan-A specific T cells. HLA-A2- melanoma cells were negative control,While T2 cells and DC+Pts were positive control. The activation of anti-tumor CTL elicited by the fusion cells was detected by intracellular cytokine staining.@*RESULTS@#The immature DC could express CD80, CD83, CD86, HLA-DR, and HLA-ABC,but the mature DC induced by TNF-alpha, PGE-2, and CD40L further highly expressed above molecules. The rate of specific CTL cells primed by the fusion cells was 16.72%+/-4.26%, negative control was 0.21%+/-1.84%,and positive control was 28.60%+/-5.67%. The CTL from vaccine by fusing DC and LAR6 induced lysis of HLA-A2+ LAR1 cells.@*CONCLUSION@#The HLA-A2 restricted specific anti-tumor CTL can be induced in vitro by fusion of HLA-A2+ human dendritic cells with HLA-A2- melanoma cells.

Expression of COX-2 and the relationship between COX-2 and PTEN in endometrial adenocarcinoma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To study the expression and clinical significance of COX-2 and the relation- ship between COX-2 and PTEN in endometrial adenocarcinoma(EAC).Methods The expression of COX-2, PTEN protein was detected by SP-immunohistochemical method in EAC,endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia, corresponding normal endometrium.Results The positive rates of COX-2 protein increased from normal en- dometrium(13.33%) to endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia(50.00%) and adenocarcinoma(64.58 %)(P

Association of Nogo-A Receptor Antagonist and Neurite Outgrowth in Neonatal Rats with Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the possible effect of Nogo-A receptor antagonist NEP1-40 on neurite outgrowth in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD).Methods Sixty-four healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups at 2 different time points(6 h,24 h):control group,HIBD group,NEP1-40 group and ganglioside group(GM-1 group).Rats of control group and HIBD group were injected with saline(0.25 mL/kg)by intraperitoneal injection,while rats of NEP1-40 group and GM-1 group were administrated with 10 mg/(kg?d) NEP1-40 and 20 mg/(kg?d) GM-1 on request in each group,respectively.Immunohistochemical staining was adopted to detect the Nogo-A-positive cells,and ultrastructural changes of neuron and axon were observed by transmission electron microscopy.SPSS 13.0 statistical software was used to run One-Way ANOVA tests on the data presented.Results The Nogo-A-positive cells at 2 time points in rats of HIBD group were significantly higher than those of control group(t=7.63,15.13 Pa0.05),while the Nogo-A-positive cells in GM-1 group at 24 h was lower than that of HIBD group(t=4.25 P

Dynamical Changes of Plasma Motilin and Serum Gastrin Levels in Neonates with Intracranial Haemorrhage / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the changes of the plasma motilin(MTL)and serum gastrin(GAS)levels and their relationship with course of disease,the severity,the complication of digestive system in neonates with intracranial haemorrhage(ICH).Methods The objects were 26 cases of term newborns with ICH,the healthy control group contained 30 cases of healthy term newborns.Plasma motilin and serum gastrin concentration were measured by radioimmmunoassay in 26 cases of newborns with ICH in the 2 d,3-5 d,7-10 d,and 12-15 d after birth,and compared with the healthy control group.Results Compared with healthy control group,the blood GAS and MTL levels of neonatal ICH group increased dramatically(Pa