Successfully Managing Cornual Heterotopic Pregnancy:A Case Report and Literature Review / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Cornual heterotopic pregnancy is an extremely rare, life-threatening complication during pregnancy. Here, we report a 33-year-old woman who suffered cornual heterotopic pregnancy after

Effect of Categorized Formulas Da Chengqitang in Clinical Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common clinical acute abdominal disease, which can be divided into three types:mild, moderate and severe. Severe acute pancreatitis still has a high mortality rate, but there is no specific drug for this disease, and non-operative symptomatic supportive treatment is the main therapy in the early stage of the disease. In recent years, a large number of clinical studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine has a unique advantage in prevention and treatment of AP. According to the characteristics of the disease, such as abdominal pain, no stool, treatment based on syndrome differentiation can alleviate a series of symptoms, especially the formulations of "removing stasis by purgation" represented by Da Chengqitang, including the formula evolved based on Da Chengqitang. Specifically, Chaishao Chengqitang and Chaiqin Chengqitang can improve intestinal function, alleviate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as intestinal paralysis combined with AP patients, prevent intestinal flora ectopia, protect intestinal mucosal barrier function, and help activate enteral nutrition in early stage, regulate immune inflammatory response, so as to avoid systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In addition, categorized formulas Da Chengqitang can also promote pancreatic microcirculation, promote the recovery of damaged parts of pancreas during AP pathogenesis, reduce blood amylase, and improve systemic coagulation function and treatment effect. In China, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment has become an important part of the treatment of AP at present. It can prevent AP from aggravating, reduce complications and shorten hospitalization time. To summarize the therapeutic effect of Da Chengqitang and its categorized formulas on AP in clinic, the authors review clinical studies of categorized formulas Da Chengqitang on AP in recent five years based on "intestinal function, intestinal nutrition, inflammatory mediators and pancreatic microcirculation".

Spatial pattern of poverty alleviation in traditional Chinese medicinal materials industry and its main influencing factors / 中草药

Based on the data of “National Chinese Medicine Resources Census and Germplasm Sharing Data Special Service-Poverty Alleviation of Chinese Medicine Industry” and “Kangmei Chinese Medicine Network-Service Platform of Chinese Medicine Whole Industry Chain”, the information of traditional Chinese medicinal materials (TCMM) resources in poverty-stricken areas was collated and analyzed, the database of planting area and output value of Chinese medicine in poverty-stricken areas was constructed, and the species in poverty-stricken areas were plotted by ArcGIS software. The spatial distribution map of the situation of herbal medicine planting can discover and summarize the spatial pattern characteristics and development rules of poverty alleviation in Chinese herbal medicine industry. On this basis, by referring to the relevant reports of “China Poverty Reduction Database” and “Office of the Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development of the State Council”, this paper comprehensively analyses the main factors affecting poverty alleviation in the traditional Chinese medicine industry, and puts forward corresponding suggestions, hoping to provide beneficial references for the extensive poverty alleviation work in poor areas.

Study on biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using fagopyri dibotryis rhizoma extract and optimization of synthesis conditions / 中国中药杂志

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized from the extract of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma and the optimization of synthesis was studied. The absorbance of UV-visible spectroscopy was determined under the different influencing factors such as extracting time of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powder, reation temperature of synthesis, volume of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma extract and concentration of AgNO3 to seek the optimization conditions. By means of FT-IR, TEM, DLS and XRD, the silver nanoparticles were characterized. The results showed that when the boiling time of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powder was 5 min, resultant temperature was 25 degrees C, the volume ratio of 0.1 g x mL(-1) Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma extract and 1 mmol x L(-1) AgNO3 was 1 to 10, and the reaction time was 3.5 h, the obtained silver nanoparticles had mean size about 27 nm and Zeta potential about -34.3 mV with good uniformity and dispersivity. Therefore, the green synthesis method of silver nanoparticles using extract of traditional Chinese medicine is stable and feasible.

Study on different factors affecting the bionic enzymatic hydrolysis of icariin / 药学学报

This study aims to observe different factors which affected the bionic enzymatic hydrolysis of icariin into baohuoside I and to optimize the reaction conditions in order to provide research foundation for building a novel bionic enzymolysis drug delivery system. To simulate the environment in vivo, 37 degrees C was set as the temperature and artificial intestinal juice and gastric juice were selected as the buffer solutions. Taking the conversion of baohuoside I as index, the effects of the kinds of enzyme, enzyme activity, substrate concentration, reaction time, pancreatin in artificial intestinal juice and surfactant on the conversion of baohuoside I were investigated. The results showed that cellulase, beta-glucosidase and snailase were all inactive in artificial gastric juice and no baohuoside I generated. Pancreatin in artificial intestinal juice couldn't significantly influence the activity of beta-glucosidase or snailase (P > 0.05), but noticeably decrease the activity of cellulase (P < 0.05). In artificial intestinal juice, the conversion of baohuoside I was highest by using beta-glucosidase, and the optimum reaction conditions were determined as follows: enzyme activity 10 U x mL(-1), substrate concentration 1 mg x mL(-1), 3 g x L(-1) rhamnolipid and reaction time 3 h. Under this condition, the conversion of baohuoside I was 99.8%.

Preparation and characterization of Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites / 中草药

Objective: To synthesize and characterize Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites by reduction of silver nitrate solution using Sanguisorbae Radix as reducing agent and dispersant. Methods: Taking the absorbance of UV-visible spectroscopy of Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites as index to study the influence of different factors, such as extracting time of Sanguisorbae Radix powder, reaction temperature of synthesis, volume of Sanguisorbae Radix extract, and concentration of AgNO3, on the formation of nano-silver composites and to optimize the conditions. TEM, XRD, FT-IR, and DLS could be used to characterize the physicochemical properties of Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites. Results: The optimum conditions were as follows: the boiling time of Sanguisorbae Radix powder was 15 min, the volume ratio of 0.1 g/mL Sanguisorbae Radix extract and 1 mmol/L AgNO3 was 1:10, the resultant temperature was 25 °C, and the reaction time was 1 h, the Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites obtained were approximately spherical in shape with the mean size about 21 nm in good uniformity and stability. Conclusion: The preparation of Sanguisorbae Radix/nano-silver composites is stable and feasible.

Anti-tumor effect of suicide gene therapy using chimeric promoter plus radiotherapy on cancer cell lines / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the synergistic anti-tumor effect of radiotherapy and horseradish peroxidase/prodrug indole-3-acetic acid (HRP/IAA) gene therapy system using chimeric hTERT promoter responsive to ionizing radiation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The synthetic hTERT promoters containing four tandem-repeat copies of radio-inducible CArG elements, and the chimeric promoter containing cytomegalovirus (CMV) early promoter were both constructed. The activities of the chimeric promoters in cancer cell lines (HeLa, A549, and MHCC97) and normal cell line (MRC-5) were detected using luciferase reporter gene expression analysis after a (60)Co γ-irradiation treatment at a series of doses(a single dose of 0 to 10 Gy). The anti-tumor effect of combining irradiation with HRP/IAA gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy system controlled by the chimeric promoter was tested by colony formation assay, cell counting and apoptosis analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The chimeric promoters were ineffective in normal human cells, even after irradiation, but the expression of luciferase gene in tumor cells was significantly higher. The activity of the chimeric promoter in MRC-5 cells was 22.3%, 12.9% and 13.6% of that in HeLa, A549 and MHCC97 cells, respectively. After irradiation, the ratios were 11.7%, 8.7% and 8.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the chimeric promoters could successfully induce the expression of luciferase gene following different doses of radiation, with maximal inducible activity seen after 6 Gy irradiation. The chimeric promoter containing four tandem-repeat copies of radio-inducible CArG elements and CMV early promoter showed the highest activity with 6 Gy irradiation. The relative luciferase activities in HeLa, A549 and MHCC97 cells were 1.7 ± 0.2, 2.3 ± 0.2 and 2.3 ± 0.1, respectively. The chimeric promoter mediated suicide gene therapy system could increase radio-sensitivity in different cancer cells. Compared with the control system, it plus irradiation showed stronger cell proliferation inhibition, 67.3% vs. 26.1% in HeLa, 69.0% vs. 28.3% in A549, 64.6% vs. 20.8% in MHCC97 cells, and also higher apoptosis-inducing effect, 39.6% vs. 14.2% in HeLa, 33.0% vs. 12.4% in A549, and 33.2% vs. 14.2% in MHCC97 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chimeric promoter containing hTERT promoter, CArG elements and CMV promoter preserve the tumor-specificity in telomerase-positive tumor cells, and irradiation-responsive to low dose of radiation. The suicide gene therapy using this promoter plus radiotherapy show a strong anti-tumor effect in vitro. It is expected to have a good potential for future application in gene radiotherapy.</p>

hTERT promoter enhances the radiosensitivity to gene-radiation therapy of human laryngeal carcinoma transplanted in nude mice / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the therapeutic efficiency of human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp) mediated horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed effects of indole-3-acetic (IAA) on laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with different radiosensitivity in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma Hep-2 and Hep-2R cells were transplanted into nude mice. After growing to about 30 approximately 50 mm3, the tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into eight groups: Hep-2 line: combined group (A), gene group (B), radiation group (C) and blank group (D); Hep-2R line: combined group (AR), gene group (BR), radiation group (CR) and blank group (DR). The phTERTp-HRP was delivered by intratumoral injection and the IAA by intraperitoneal injection, combined with 2 Gy daily radiation to a total dose of 30 Gy. The tumor volume was recorded. The cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. The expression of HRP protein was detected by AP immunohistochemisty.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tumor growth of combined groups was attenuated significantly and the tumor volume of Hep-2R blank group was the largest. The inhibition rate of each group was: A: 54.8%, B: 10.0%, C: 31.9%; AR: 52.7%, BR: 24.8%, CR: 17.0%. In the combined groups, necrosis and apoptosis of tumor cells were observed under the light microscope and the apoptotic index [A (16.6 +/- 1.3)% vs. AR (17.6 +/- 1.3)%] of tumor cells was highest (P < 0.05). The HRP protein expression of BR (33.3 +/- 8.9)% was higher than that of B (21.9 +/- 5.7)%, which was directly up-regulated in the tumors (45.0% vs. 54.8%, P < 0.05) after radiation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In the Hep-2- and Hep-2R-transplantation tumors in nude mice, hTERTp can be induced by radiation and enhance the expression of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) gene according to telomerase activity. hTERTp-HRP/IAA system, which has synergistic effects with radiation and inhibits the tumor growth by induction of apoptosis and necrosis, may be a new gene-radiation strategy for the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.</p>