ABSTRACT
Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent and glycyrrhizin has activities of anti-inflammation, immunoregulation and anti-viral infections. To enhance antiviral efficacy and weaken side-effects of ribavirin, antiviral effects of the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin were studied in the present study. Firstly, a mouse model of viral pneumonia was established by inoculation of influenza H1N1 virus. Protective effects of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin used alone or in combination against H1N1 virus infection in mice were evaluated based on the survival rate, lung index and virus titer in lungs of mice. Results showed that the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin significantly inhibited the lung consolidation with a 36% inhibition ratio on the lung swell of infected mice. The combination of the two drugs exhibited synergetic effects on survival of infected mice. The combination of 50 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) glycyrrhizin and 40 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) ribavirin resulted a 100% protection for infected mice with a synergetic value of 36, which was significantly higher than the control group and each drug alone. This combination also resulted a significant drop of lung virus titer (P < 0.01), as well as inhibition on the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 (P < 0.01), TNF-α (P < 0.01) and IL-1β (P < 0.05) induced by virus infection compared to the control. The treatment of ribavirin plus glycyrrhizin was more effective in influenza A infection in mice than either compound used alone, which suggested a potential clinical value of the combination of the two agents.
ABSTRACT
To elucidate the effects of Zearalenone(ZEA) on proliferation and cell cycle of cultured thymic epithelial cells in mice,trypan blue staining and flow cytometric analysis were performed.At the concentrations from 1 to 25 mg/L,ZEA displayed a significant inhibitory action to proliferation of thymic epithelial cells in its dose-and timedependent manner.Higher doses(10-25 rag/L)ZEA could induce a profound increase in G2/M phase with arrest of thymic epithelial cells in the G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner.In conclusion,ZEA could be assumed that there were toxic effects on the thymie epithelial cells of mice in vitro.
ABSTRACT
Genomic DNA from 17 primary human tcsticular seminomas was screend for the presence of mutations in exon 5 - 8 of P53 gene, using the single strand conformation polymorphism assay, followed by direct DNA sequencing. P53 mutations in one alle'e leading to an amino acid change were identified in 4 of 17 seminomas. Sites of mutations were in exon 5(codon 141), exon 7 (codon 238, codon 258) and exon 8(codon 279). The present study suggests that mutation of P53 gene is involved in the development of human testicular seminoma.
ABSTRACT
The numbers of nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) were counted by one-step silver colloid technique in 6 cases of normal bladder tissue, 9 chronic cystitis and 56 transitional cell carcinoma of bladder. The results revealed that the mean number of AgNOR per nucleus was not statistically different between normal bladder tissue and chronic cystitis while a significant difference was observed between normal, or inflammatory tissue and malignant tissue or between various grades of bladder tumor. The results also indicated that the mean number of AgNOR per nucleus was closely related to the prognosis of bladder tumor. So it is suggested that the AgNOR counting with silver stain technique may play a role in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions and in the grading and prognosis of bladder tumors.