Effects of Artesunate Combined with Arsenious Acid on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells via PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of artesunate and arsenous acid and their combination on the proliferation and apoptosis of human multiple myeloma cells and their mechanism.@*METHODS@#Human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI 8226 cells were cultured and treated with 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 nmol/L arsenous acid and 0, 40, 80, 160, 320 μmol/L artesunate, respectively. The inhibition of cell growth was detected by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. QPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of cell proliferation and apoptosis-related factors. The expression of cell proliferation, apoptosis-related factors and PI3K/AKT pathway protein were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#CCK-8 assay showed that the growth of multiple myeloma cells was inhibited by arsenous acid and artesunate. The IC@*CONCLUSION@#Artesunate combined with arsenous acid inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of tumor cells through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and is superior to the effect of two drugs alone.

Detection and genotype analysis of sapovirus associated with sporadic diarrhea in Shenzhen in 2009 / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To conduct an epidemiological and genotype analysis of sapovirus (SaV) associated with sporadic diarrhea in Shenzhen in the year 2009.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 852 fecal samples were collected from sporadic cases of diarrhea in Shenzhen in 2009 and detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using the primers of SLV5317/5749. The PCR products were analyzed with 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis and sequenced to construct the phylogenetic tree.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sixteen samples were found positive for SaV, with a positivity rate of 1.88%. Sequence analysis identified 8 isolates as SaV GI genotype (including 3 SaV GI.1 and 5 SaV GI.2), 7 as SaV GIV genotype, and 1 as GII genotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SaV infection is present in Shenzhen with GI as the predominant genotype. This is the first report of SaV GIV strains in China, which differs from the strains of Anhui-A141 and Beijing-CHN99/BJ360, suggesting the genotypic variety of SaV infection in China.</p>

Psychological anxiety evaluation and analysis of graduates at a medical university under employment pressure / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the psychological anxiety of graduates at a medical university under the ever-increasing employment pressure, so as to provide ground work for psychological intervention on college students.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Subjects were randomly drawn from the students who majored in clinical medicine, biomedical engineering, nursing and integrated Chinese and western medicine and graduated in the year of 2008 and 2009, with 25 subjects from each major each year, totaling up to 200. In March of their graduation year, they were evaluated by Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). A general analysis into their anxiety was first made and then the comparative analysis of anxiety on the basis of gender, year group and major of the subjects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Female students showed a significantly higher anxiety than male students. Graduates in 2009 showed a significantly higher anxiety than those in 2008. In terms of the major difference, the anxiety was in a falling curve from integrated Chinese and western medicine, clinical medicine, biomedical engineering and nursing. There was no major difference in the students majoring integrated Chinese and western medicine, clinical medicine and biomedical engineering, but nursing students showed significantly low anxiety.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The increasing employment pressure has caused the significant increase in the anxiety of college students. The employment rate in different majors may play a positive role in anxiety. Generally, female students showed a higher degree of anxiety than male students.</p>

Functional changes of dendritic cells after infection by recombinant retrovirus carrying human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene fragment / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the functional changes of dendritic cells (DCs) after infection by recombinant retrovirus carrying human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene fragment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in DC culture supernatant was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The abilities of DCs infected with recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT gene (hTERT-DCs) and non-infected DCs (N-DCs) to stimulate allogeneic lymphocyte proliferation were evaluated with mixed leukocytes reaction (MLR), and the surface markers of DCs including CD80, CD83, CD86 and HLA-DR were detected by flow cytometry. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) assay was performed with CytoTox 96 non-radioactive cytoxicity assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with N-DCs, hTERT-DCs showed no significant changes in IL-12 secretion and capacity to stimulate allogeneic lymphocytes reaction, but had significantly lower CD83 expression. Specific CTLs induced by hTERT-DCs resulted in higher cytotoxicity against telomerase-positive target cells than that against the negative target cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Infection with the recombinant retrovirus carrying hTERT fragment may jeopardize the maturation of DCs, which, however, still retain their capacity to activate and stimulate lymphocyte proliferation and to prime autologous T lymphocytes to generate specific CTL against hTERT.</p>

A field trial for evaluating the safety of recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the safety of recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray for the prevention of SARS and other upper respiratory viral infections.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Field epidemiologic evaluation was conducted, the design was randomized and had a synchronously parallel control group. In the study, the drugs were given for five days and all subjects were followed up for ten days.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During the period of using interferon, body temperature of the experimental group was normal compared to the control group. Experimental group had more influenza-like symptoms than the control group (P < 0.05), such as headache (4.83%-7.09%), dizziness (7.17%-11.63%), lassitude (8.55%-15.06%), muscular soreness (4.43%-7.09%), pharynx dryness (12.10%-17.85%), angina (6.25%-8.72%), abdominal pain (2.30%-5.50%) and diarrhea (2.45%-5.66%). Most of side effects reached their peak with in the first 3 days. Except for pharynx dryness, the incidences of all other side effects declined after completion of the use of the trial drug, and incidences of some symptoms in experimental group were lower than those of the control group. There were no significant differences in the symptoms of cough and expectoration between the experimental group and the control group. The incidence of exanthem in the control group was significantly higher than that in the experimental group. The side effect of bloody nasal mucus was not observed in experimental group, which had been reported by other authors in several volunteer studies.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray could lead to some influenza-like symptoms, however, all those symptoms were mild , reversible, and relieved after completion of the use of the trial drug. No serious side effects were found during the period of following up. The authors conclude that the drug is safe.</p>

A field trial of recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray to prevent SARS and other respiratory viral infections / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the preventive effect of recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray against SARS and other common respiratory viral infections by serum-epidemiological method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind field trial study in populations with 14,391 persons from SARS prevalent cities or provinces in China during May-Jun, 2003 and Dec-Apr, 2004. Interferon alpha-2b was given twice per day, once 9 x 10(5) IU by nasal spray for 5 days. Serum samples were taken at 15 days after last administration. Serological tests included SARS IgG antibody and IgM antibodies against influenza B, parainfluenza virus types 1-3, adenovirus type 3, 7 and respiratory syncytial virus by using commercial ELISA kits.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No statistically significant difference in serum SARS IgG antibody positive rate was found between the interferon and control groups among 2,757 serum samples. On the other hand, after using interferon, all four respiratory viruses (parainfluenza virus types 1-3 influenza B, adenovirus types 3, 7 and respiratory syncytial virus) in interferon group had lower IgM antibody positive rates than those in control group. Among them there were statistically significant differences between the interferon and control groups for parainfluenza virus, influenza B and adenovirus. The preventive efficacy of interferon against four respiratory viruses was different, from high to low, the rank was Flu B (66.76%), parainfluenza types 1-3 (66.75%), RSV (39.61%) and adenovirus (32.86%). The average preventive efficacy was 50.27%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The recombinant human interferon alpha-2b for nasal spray could decrease the rates of common respiratory viruses infection in the selected population.</p>