Effects of modified Zhujing Pill on mitochondrial dynamics related protein in mice with form deprivation myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the effects of modified Zhujing Pill on the mitochondrion structure and dynamin-related protein of retinal pigment epithelial cells(RPEs)in mice with form deprivation myopia.METHODS: 3-week-old C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and Chinese medicine group, with 10 mice in each group. Myopia model of the right eye of mice was established by means of form deprivation in model and Chinese medicine groups. After 4wk, the Chinese medicine group were given intragastric administration of modified Zhujing Pill suspension 0.546g/(kg·d)(0.2mL/d)for 4wk, and same amount of saline was given to mice in other groups at the same time of modeling. The axial length and diopter of the right eye of the mouse were measured before and after the experiment by A-ultrasound and a strip retinoscope respectively. At the end of the experiment, the mitochondrial ultrastructure of RPEs was observed by transmission electron microscope. Western blot, and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR(q-PCR)were used to detect quantitative and gene expression of mitofusin 1(MFN1), optic atrophy 1(OPA1), and dynamin-related protein 1(DRP1)in retinal tissues respectively.RESULTS: At the beginning of the experiment, there was no statistically significant difference in axial length and diopter of the right eye of the mouse in control, model and Chinese medicine groups(P>0.05). At the end of the experiment, compared with the control group, the mice in the model group and the Chinese medicine group had lower diopter and continuously prolonged axial length(all P<0.05), while the mice in the Chinese medicine group had significantly shorter axial length and higher diopter than the model group(all P<0.05). Western blot and q-PCR results showed that the relative expression of MFN1 and OPA1 decreased and DRP1 increased in both the model group and the Chinese medicine group compared with the control group(all P<0.05), and the relative expression of MFN1 and OPA1 increased in the Chinese medicine group compared with the model group(all P<0.05). The electron microscopic results showed that the mitochondria in the right retina of the mice were only mildly swollen in the Chinese medicine group, while the mitochondria in the model group were obviously swollen and disordered and empty.CONCLUSION: Modified Zhujing Pill could protect the retinal mitochondria by regulating the key proteins of mitochondrial dynamics(MFN1, OPA1, and DRP1), and it has a protective effect on the retina of axial myopic mice.

Oral Chinese Patent Medicines for Influenza： A Scoping Review of Clinical Evidence / 中国实验方剂学杂志

This study aims to summarize the clinical research evidence on oral Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of influenza with the method of scoping review， and thus clarify the status quo and problems. Specifically， the target medicines were selected from related drug catalogues and diagnosis and treatment protocols， and the basic information of the medicines on the specifications was collected. Articles on these medicines were retrieved from Chinese and English databases for statistical analysis and visualization. Finally， 36 medicines and 87 articles were included. The main efficacy of the medicines is clearing heat and removing toxin， and the main components of the medicines are Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， Forsythiae Fructus， and Isatidis Radix. A total of 12 medicines can be used for the treatment of mumps and acute bronchitis in addition to influenza. Only 6 medicines have contraindications and adverse reactions labeled on the specifications. Papers on oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of influenza show an increasing trend， and the authors are from 25 provinces and cities in China. Among them， papers on Lianhuaqingwen preparations take up the largest proportion. The studies were mostly randomized controlled trials， non-randomized controlled trials， and retrospective research. A total of 13 studies were supported by national funding， and only 9 studies included more than 200 cases. The most frequently used method was the comparison of the intervention effect of Chinese patent medicines with western medicine， and the treatment course was generally 3-14 days. A total of 7 outcome indicators were used in the studies and the frequency was in the order of ① composite effective rate，② antipyretic effect， ③ symptom improvement， ④ safety indicator， ⑤ virological examination， ⑥ serum inflammatory factor， and ⑦ traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score. The conclusions in the clinical studies show difference from the information in drug catalogues. The drug specifications are generally not standard. The available clinical studies have the limitations of small quantity， low in quality， and no demonstration of TCM advantages. In the future， it is necessary to optimize the specifications of Chinese patent medicines， enhance clinical research， further standardize the design of clinical research， and highlight the characteristics of Chinese patent medicines， thereby providing evidence to support the comprehensive clinical evaluation of oral Chinese patent medicines for influenza.

Advances on Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils from Perillae Folium and Their Pharmacological Effect：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Perilla frutescens is a traditional medicinal and edible plant widely distributed in China and enjoys an extensive usage. P. frutescens contains multiple essential oils， which are composed of monoterpenes， sesquiterpenes， and their oxygen-containing derivatives. Compared with other parts of P. frutescens， Perillae Folium produce more oils， with volatile oils as the main constituents. There are many active substances in the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， mainly including perillaldehyde， perillaketone， perillaalcohol， D-limonene， β-caryophylene， etc. Such factors as germplasm， growth environment， extraction method， cultivation time， and harvest period all can trigger changes in volatile oil constituents and content from Perillae Folium. The volatile oils from Perillae Folium have diverse pharmacological effects like anti-oxidation， anti-bacteria， anti-inflammation， vasodilation， anti-tumor， and anti-depression， implying its high clinical application value. However， the chemical constituents in volatile oils from Perillae Folium are complex and unstable and their pharmacological activities are affected by many factors， so the safety and effectiveness of clinical medication fail to be guaranteed， which may has impeded the rational and effective use of these volatile oils. Many scholars in China and abroad have conducted a lot of research on the volatile oils from Perillae Folium， but there is currently no systematic and comprehensive research report on the chemical constituents of volatile oils from Perillae Folium and their pharmacological effects. This paper reviewed the relevant domestic and foreign literature， analyzed the development status of volatile oils from Perillae Folium， and summarized their extraction process， chemical constituents， and pharmacological actions， aiming to provide a reference for their further development， clinical application， and risk assessment.

Diagnostic Value of HBA / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the diagnostic value of HBA@*METHODS@#1 178 couples in the department of women's health of Chongqing maternal and child health hospital were selected for pregnancy examination. Peripheral venous blood was extracted and analyzed for parallel blood routine test, hemoglobin capillary electrophoresis and thalassemia gene detection.@*RESULTS@#A total of 265 cases of thalassemia gene carriers were screened out in 1 178 couples； 91.3% β@*CONCLUSION@#HBA

Bruceantin inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer H1299 cells by up-regulating miR-29a-3p / 药学学报

We investigated the inhibitory effect and mechanism of action of bruceantin (BCT) on the proliferation, invasion and migration of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. The cytotoxic activity of BCT was measured by MTT assay; a colony forming assay, wound healing assay, and a Transwell assay were used to investigate the anti-proliferative, anti-migration, and anti-invasion effects, respectively; immunoblotting and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of related proteins, miRNA, and mRNA, respectively, that were involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Two gene prediction websites were used to predict the downstream target gene of miRNA. Our results show that BCT has a potent cytotoxic effect on NSCLC cell lines, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of BCT against H1299, PC-9, and A549 of 0.12 ± 0.02, 0.31 ± 0.20, and 2.07 ± 0.70 μmol·L-1, respectively. When H1299 cells were treated with 0.03, 0.15, and 0.75 μmol·L-1 BCT for 24 h, the proliferation, migration, and invasive ability were inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. It is worth noting that the expression level of miRNAs related to cell migration and invasion, such as miR-29a-3p, miR-21-3p, miR-183-5p, and miR-34b-5p increased with the concentration of BCT, especially for miR-29a-3p. Using the two gene prediction websites, we predict that integrin β1 (ITGB1) may be the target gene of miR-29a-3p; immunoblot results further show that a variety of proteins related to cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, such as various proteins of the integrin family, β-catenin, p-Src, and vascular endothelial growth factor, all decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, among which the reduction of ITGB1 protein was the most obvious. RT-qPCR results showed that there was no change in ITGB1 mRNA expression. We speculate that BCT might inhibit the expression of ITGB1 protein by up-regulating miR-29a-3p independent of its mRNA level. The in-depth mechanism needs to be further explored. This study suggests that BCT has the potential for further development in the treatment of NSCLC.

Combined autologous fascia transplantation with autologous fascia and fat injection into the vocal fold for sulcus vocalis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To assess voice outcomes after surgical technique for typeⅡ and type Ⅲ sulcus vocalis. Methods: The data of 39 cases of bilateral type Ⅱ-Ⅲ sulcus vocalis were collected and analyzed retrospectively. There were 29 patients with bilateral type Ⅲ sulcus vocalis, and 10 patients with type Ⅲ on one side and typeⅡon the contralateral vocal cord. All of vocal cords were applied autologous anterior rectus sheath fascia transplant, and 68 sides of vocal cords with type Ⅲ sulcus vocalis were also applied autologous fascia and fat injection. Two male patients, whose results from transplant and injection were not satisfied, were carried out cricothyroid myotomy one year after surgery. Subjective and objective voice evaluations were performed before and after operation. Results: One patient was found mild adhesion on the middle part of vocal cords, and all the other 38 patients recovered well and there were no complications. During 5-6 weeks after surgery, breathy voice was the feather. Then vocal quality and glottal closure were gradually improved and became steady in 12 months. It showed that all the subjective and objective parameters, except for fundamental frequency, were significantly improved (P<0.05), and obvious improvement was achieved in glottal closures and mucosal waves in 35 patients. Three patients obtained no significant vocal quality improvement after transplant and injection surgery, and two male patients of them achieved improvement in mucosal waves and MPT after bilateral cricothyroid muscle amputations. One patient, who was revealed with mild adhesion, achieved a satisfied result after adhesion separation and suture. All the patients who originally had feelings of fatigue and voice discontinuity during phonation gained significant improvement postoperatively. Steady function with no complications was observed during the 36 months (up to 5 years in 20 patients) follow-up period. Conclusions: Autologous fascia transplantation combined fascia and fat injcetion can lead to excellent long-term results, and it is a good treatment option for pathologic sulcus vocalis. Cricothyroid muscle amputations can reduce the tension, and may improve vibration property of the vocal fold in patients with pathological sulcus vocalis.

Relationship between marked hyperferritinemia and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the relationship between marked hyperferritinemia (MHF) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(HLH).@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 123 patients with MHF admitted to Peking University People's Hospital from January 2017 to September 2018 were collected, including demographics, baseline characteristics, signs and symptoms, blood routine, blood biochemistry, coagulation function parameters, such as prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), d-dimer (D-D), fibrin degradation product (FDP), blood ferritin, natural killer (NK) cell activity, soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor and bone marrow examination. According to the diagnosis of HLH, the patients were divided into HLH group and non HLH group. The patients were divided into death group and survival group according to the 3-month follow-up results. The groups were compared and statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#In the 123 patients with MHF, the average age was (44.2±17.4) years with a male/female ratio of 1.3 ∶1. The most common causes were hematolo-gic malignancies, rheumatologic and inflammatory disorders, iron overload, and HLH. HLH was enriched as the ferritin increased, and the HLH ratios were 28.8%, 40.0%, 54.5%, 50.0%, 50.0% in ferritin value of 10 000-19 999, 20 000-29 999, 30 000-39 999, 40 000-49 999 μg/L, more than 50 000 μg/L respectively. There were 46 cases of HLH, among which 15 cases were secondary to malignancies, 14 cases secondary to rheumatologic disorders, 2 cases secondary to infection, and 15 cases with no clear precipitating cause. There were significant differences between the HLH group and non-HLH group in hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, lymphadenectasis, albumin (ALB), fibrinogen(Fib), P < 0.05, and no significant differences in age, gender, fever, disturbance of consciousness, ferritin level on presentation, maximum ferritin level, cytopenia in 2 or more cell lines, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), triglyceride (TG), coagulation parameters (PT, APTT, D-D, FDP, exception of Fib), and mortality rate (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between the death group and survival group in disturbance of consciousness, platelet count, PT, TBIL, and DBIL (P < 0.05), but no significant differences in age, gender, fever, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, lymphadenectasis, ferritin level on presentation, maximum ferritin level, neutrophils, hemoglobin, ALT, AST, ALB, TG, coagulation parameters (Fib, APTT, D-D, FDP, exception of PT) and the HLH ratio (P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#HLH was enriched as the ferritin increased, but marked hyperferritinemia was not specific for HLH in adults.

Prevalence and Genotypes Analysis of Thalassemia Among People of Reproductive Age in Yuzhong District of Chongqing Based on Next-Generation Sequencing / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the prevalence and gene distribution of thalassemia among people at reproductive age in yuzhong district, Chongqing.@*METHODS@#1000 pre -pregnancy examination couples in yuzhong district were investigated. Peripheral venous blood was extracted and next-generation sequencing was used to screen the thalassemia genes.@*RESULTS@#Among the 1000 pregnant couples, the thalassemia gene carrying rate was 7.45%, the carrying rate of α and β thalassemia genes were 4.60% and 2.10%, respectively. The most common α thalassemia genotypes in αα/-α3.7 (53.26%), αα/--SEA (23.91%), αα/-α4.2 (11.96%); and the most common genotypes in β thalassemia genotypes were mainly Codons17 (A＞T) (26.19%)、Condon41/42 (-TTCT) (26.19%)、IVS-II-654 (C＞T) (14.29%) At the same time, 3 cases of α and β complex thalassemia and 3 pairs of homotypic thalassemia genes were detected, more over, 12 cases of 5 new genes were found.@*CONCLUSION@#Yuzhong district of Chongqing is a high incidence area of thalassemia, and the diversity of gene mutation types is relatively rich. Screening for thalassemia before pregnancy is of great significance to improve the quality of population.

Anti-tumor Mechanism and Development of Volatile Oil of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Volatile oil of traditional Chinese medicine （VOTCM） is a plant volatile component obtained through distillation or supercritical fluid extraction. The volatile oil is rich in terpenes and phenylpropanoids， with many different effect. It is not only widely used in healthcare products， but also has a variety of pharmacological effect， such as analgesia， antioxidant， antibacterial， anti-inflammatory， anti-tumor effect. Malignant tumor is an important threat to human health. At present， the drugs commonly used in clinical treatment of tumors are expensive with certain toxic and side effect. Although new treatment technologies are also being promoted step by step， they have higher treatment costs than traditional chemotherapies， and the long-term efficacy remained to be further confirmed. The effect of volatile oil of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） on cancer is receiving more and more attention. In particular， it has a significant inhibitory effect on lung， liver， colon， and stomach cancer. Specifically， it can not only reduce the side effect of chemotherapy drugs， but also effectively prolong or stop the tumor recurrence， with special effects in treatment and adjuvant treatment. At the same time， various anti-tumor mechanisms of volatile oils have been discovered， such as inducing tumor cell apoptosis， inhibiting tumor blood vessel formation， inhibiting tumor cell proliferation， inducing tumor cell differentiation， interfering with multidrug resistance， and regulating the body's immune function. However， there are still some problems in the basic research， achievement transformation， and product development of volatile oil of TCM， which restricts its clinical and daily application. This paper summarizes the antitumor mechanism of volatile oil of TCM by consulting relevant domestic and foreign literatures， analyzes the current situation of volatile oils， and proposes improvement directions for its problems and development， in the expectation of laying the foundation for the research of volatile oil of TCM in anti-tumor research.

Anti-leukemia Mechanism and Problems of Volatile Oil from Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Leukemia is a hematopoietic hyperplastic disease with an increasing incidence year by year, involving bone marrow and lymphatic system. The disease is complex and a highly heterogeneous disease, including a variety of subtypes, with difficulties in treatment and a poor prognosis. Currently, retinoic acid and its derivatives, arsenic are commonly used in clinical treatment as leukemia cell differentiation inducers. However, their clinical range of treatment is mostly restricted to granulocytic leukemia, with a high price and certain toxic and side effects. With the development of molecular genetics, molecular biology, second-generation sequencing and other technologies, the etiology and pathology of leukemia has been significantly studied, but the specific pathogenesis of leukemia has still been unclear. With the further promotion of molecular targeted drugs, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy (CAR-T) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, although the treatment of leukemia has entered a new field, compared with traditional chemotherapy, these therapies have high costs, and the long-term efficacy is yet to be further confirmed. After years of basic research and clinical research, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) volatile oil in the treatment of leukemia has made remarkable achievements. Essential oil can alleviate the toxic and side effect of chemotherapy drugs, effectively prolong or prevent the relapse of leukemia, inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cells, and promote the apoptosis of leukemia cells. In this paper, the authors reviewed relevant domestic and foreign literatures by literature tracking method, summarized the anti-leukemia mechanism of essential oil of TCM, analyzed the characteristics and existing problems of essential oil of TCM, and proposed the improvement direction, in order to provide reference for accelerating the research and development and innovation of essential oil in the treatment of leukemia.

Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Rosmarini Officinalis Herba / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Rosmarini Officinalis Herba is a common shrubby aromatic plant, which is widely used in traditional food and folk medicine. At present, most of relevant researches focus on rosemary's essential oil, ethanol and water extract, which not only plays an important role in food preservation, preservation and condiments, but also is often used to improve acne, dandruff, circulation function, alleviate muscle pain and fatigue and treat asthma, bronchitis. It has a high application value, and a variety of other pharmacological effects. However, Rosmarini Officinalis Herba has not been included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, with no quality evaluation standard for its medicinal use. The products in the market may have some potential safety hazards in the use process. Therefore, the full understanding of the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of rosemary is crucial for a comprehensive study of the properties and applications of Rosmarini Officinalis Herba. Through the collation and analysis of relevant literatures at home and abroad, it is concluded that Rosmarini Officinalis Herba has anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-depression and other pharmacological effects. The chemical constituents extracted from Rosmarini Officinalis Herba are rich in acid phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids and essential oils. Up to now, there are no systematic and comprehensive report on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Rosmarini Officinalis Herba. This paper reviews the progress of the researches on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Rosmarini Officinalis Herba, and discusses its application, in the expectation to lay a foundation for the future research on food development, drug research and clinical application of rosemary.

Angiopoietin-1 Modified Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Endotoxin-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats

PURPOSE: Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) is a critical factor for vascular stabilization and endothelial survival via inhibition of endothelial permeability and leukocyte- endothelium interactions. Hence, we hypothesized that treatment with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) carrying the Ang1 gene (UCMSCs-Ang1) might be a potential approach for acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: UCMSCs with or without transfection with the human Ang1 gene were delivered intravenously into rats one hour after intra-abdominal instillation of LPS to induce ALI. After the rats were sacrificed at 6 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, 8 days, and 15 days post-injection of LPS, the serum, the lung tissues, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were harvested for analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Administration of fluorescence microscope confirmed the increased presence of UCMSCs in the injured lungs. The evaluation of UCMSCs and UCMSCs-Ang1 actions revealed that Ang1 overexpression further decreased the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, TGF-β1, and IL-6 and increased the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the injured lungs. This synergy caused a substantial decrease in lung airspace inflammation and vascular leakage, characterized by significant reductions in wet/dry ratio, differential neutrophil counts, myeloperoxidase activity, and BALF. The rats treated by UCMSCs-Ang1 showed improved survival and lower ALI scores. CONCLUSION: UCMSCs-Ang1 could improve both systemic inflammation and alveolar permeability in ALI. UC-derived MSCs-based Ang1 gene therapy may be developed as a potential novel strategy for the treatment of ALI.

Research advances in the role of JAK2 mutations in acute leukemia / 中国当代儿科杂志

The Janus kinase -signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway plays pivotal roles in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis, which is closely related with the development of hematopoietic cells and some hematological diseases. As an important signaling axis in JAK-STAT pathway, abnormally activated JAK2-STAT signaling is involved in the development of the hematological malignancies. JAK2V617F mutation is the important molecular pathogenesis of myeloproliferative disorders. Recent studies have demonstrated that JAK2 mutations are present in different acute leukemia subtypes and the frequency of mutations is different and that JAK2 mutations might be closely correlated with acute leukemia formation, treatment and prognosis. The pathogenic mechanism of JAK2 mutations has not been completely elucidated. JAK2 mutations might lead to JAK-STAT overactivation, resulting in the excessive proliferation, apoptosis resistance and differentiation blocking of blood cells. JAK2 inhibitors have been rapidly developed as targeted therapies for hematological disorders with JAK2 mutations. This article mainly focuses on recent studies about the role of JAK2 mutations in the pathogenesis, clinical characteristics and targeted therapies of acute leukemia.

Gene expression and functional profiles related to differentiation of human hepatic progenitor cells / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the genes playing a functional role in differentiation of human hepatic progenitor cells to hepatocytes by comparing the gene expression and functional profiles of the two cell types.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>mRNA was isolated from human fetal hepatic progenitor cells (hFHPCs) and functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) that had differentiated from hFHPCs. Global gene expression profiling was performed on triplicate samples of each cell type. The differential gene expression was analyzed using volcano plot filtering and functional annotation was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to the hFHPCs, the HLCs had a total of 1878 significantly up-regulated genes and 1441 significantly down-regulated genes. The up-regulated genes included functional groups related to the hexose metabolic process, positive regulation of apoptosis, angiogenesis, regulation of cell motion, and protein amino acid phosphorylation. The down-regulated genes included functional groups related to cell cycle, DNA metabolic process, cytoskeleton organization, regulation cell cycle, and chromosome segregation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Differentiation of HLCs from hFHPCs may involve increased expression of genes related to hepatocyte function and decreased expression of genes related to cell cycle regulation.</p>

Effect of baicalin on signal transduction and activating transcription factor expression in ulcerative colitis patients / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the intervention of baicalin on signal transduction and activating transcription factor expression of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Recruited were UC patients at Outpatient Department of Digestive Disease, Inpatient Department of Digestive Disease, Center for Digestive Endoscopy of College City Branch, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Southern Hospital affiliated to Southern Medical University from June 2010 to January 2011. They were assigned to the UC group (33 cases) and the diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) group (30 cases). Another 30 healthy subjects were recruited as a healthy control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro intervened by different concentrations baicalin were taken from UC patients. IL23R gene expressions in vitro intervened by different concentrations baicalin were detected using Q-PCR. Expressions of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) , STAT6, phosphorylated-STAT4 (p-STAT4), and p-STAT6 were detected using Western blot. Serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. Effects of different concentrations baicalin on expressions of PBMCs, and levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 of UC patients were also detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the negative control group, 40 µmol baicalin obviously decreased IL23R gene expression of UC patients (P <0. 01). Compared with the healthy control group and the IBS-D group, p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios increased, p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios decreased, levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 all increased in the US group (all P <0. 05). Compared with the negative control, 5 and 10 µmol baicalin groups, 20 and 40 moL baicalin obviously decreased p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios (all P <0. 05); 20 and 40 µmoL baicalin obviously increased p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios (all P <0. 05); 20 and 40 µmoL baicalin obviously lowered levels of IFN-γ and IL-4, and elevated IL-10 levels (all P <0. 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>40 µmoL baicalin could in vitro inhibit p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios, adjust p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios and related cytokines, thereby balancing the immunity and relieving inflammatory reactions of UC.</p>

Expansion and function of MHC restricted killer T cells derived from umbilical cord blood / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was to expand the cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) through inducing the differentiation of umbilical blood monomuclear cells (UBMNC) by using various combination of cytokines, and to investigate the functions of expanded CTL.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The MNC were isolated by ficoll density gradient centrifugation. Then, the PHA-P, IFN-γ combined with IL-2, IL-15 and other cytokines were used for induction and expansion of the cord blood-derived CTL. The biological function of CTL was examined by phenotype analysis, cytotoxic tests and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After expansion for 15 days, the cell number increased by 1522% ± 137%. The content of CD3(-)CD8(-) cells in uncultured cord blood MNC was 95%, and the CD3(+)CD8(+) CTL cells reached 82.77% in cultured cord blood MNC after expansion for 15 days. The expanded CTL cell showed the cytotoxic activity against K562 and HeLa cell line. The killing rate of MNC was 61.88 ± 1.08%. After expansion, the killing rate could reach to 90% with the average value of 90.33 ± 2.02%. The expanded CTL cells highly expressed some key cytokines, such as granzyme A, granzyme B, GM-CSF, granulysin, IFN-γ, TGF-β, TNF-α and perforin. Compared with the control group, the expression of IFN-γ and TGF-β significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the other factors dramatically increased (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The cord blood-derived CTL can be expanded by different combinations of cytokines. These protocols may provide alternative choices for CTL cell expansion in tumor adoptive immunotherapy.</p>

IFN-γ stimulation enhances immunosuppressive capability of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was objective to explore the effect of IFN-γ on immunosuppressive capability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from umbilical cord. The immunomodulating capability of MSC was changed by stimulating cell surface receptors like Toll-like receptors (TLR). The inhibition of T-lymphocyte proliferation by MSC was tested via cell co-cultures. Further RT-PCR and ELISA were performed to examine the expression changes in gene and protein level. The results showed that the IFN-γ could promote the immunosuppressive effect of umbilical cord derived MSC. IFN-γ-stimulated MSC could suppress the proliferation of T cells more effectively. IFN-γ stimulation up-regulated the expression of immunosuppressive genes like IDO1, COX2, HLA-G, and soluble suppressive proteins such as HLA-G, KYN, IL10, PGE2 of MSC. And the immuno suppression capability of IFN-γ-stimulated MSC was 2-7 folds higher than control in MSC and lymphocyte co-culture tests. It is concluded that IFN-γ can effectively enhance the immunosuppressive capability of MSC.

Inducing-apoptosis effect of brucine on human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 and its mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the inducing-apoptosis effect of brucine on human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 cells and its possible mechanism. The inhibition effect of brucine on growth of THP-1 cells was measured by CCK-8 method. Morphological changes of THP-1 cells treated with brucine was detected by acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB)double staining. Annexin-V/PI double labeling method was used to assay the apoptosis rate of THP-1 cells. The effect of brucine on THP-1 cell cycle distribution was detected by PI single staining. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of BCL-2 and BAX. The results showed that the brucine could inhibit the THP-1 cell growth in concentration and time-dependent manners at the range of 50 to 400 µg/ml. The cells stained with AO/EB revealed that the brucine induced the nuclear chromatin condensation. After the THP-1 cells were treated with brucine of 400µg/ml for 48 hours, most nucleic were stained as orange-red, and condensed, displaying the late apoptotic cell morphology. Annexin-V/PI detection showed that brucine could induce apoptosis of THP-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, more cells in brucine-treated group were arrested at G0/G1 phase in a concentration-dependent manner. RT-PCR detection revealed that the expression of BCL-2 was down-regulated strikingly and BAX was up-regulated. It is concluded that brucine can efficiently inhibit cell growth and block THP-1 cells in G0/G1 phase. The mechanism of THP-1 cell apoptosis induced by brucine may be related to the inhibition of BCL-2 and activation of BAX.

Th17 cells and aplastic anemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

During the past few years, a novel family of CD4⁺T cell lineage was detected and named as Th17 cells because of its unique ability expressing IL-17, which also can produce IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22 and IL-26. Some cytokines, such as TGF-β, IL-6, L-23 may promote the differentiation of Th17 subset, whereas some cytokines, such as IL-21, IL-2, IFN-γ, may have inhibitory effects. Th17 cells serving as immune effectors play an important role in autoimmune diseases caused by chronic inflammation injury. More and more studies confirmed that Th17 cells have closely correlations with the development of aplastic anemia, and may be a new target in the diagnosis, therapy, prognosis and prophylaxis of aplastic anemia.

Scrotal Sparganosis Mimicking Scrotal Teratoma in an Infant: A Case Report and Literature Review

Sparganosis is an infection with a parasitic tapeworm larva that occurs by eating infected foods or drinking contaminated water. The larvae can migrate to a tissue or muscle in the chest, abdominal wall, extremities, eyes, brain, urinary tract, pleura, pericardium, spinal canal, or scrotum. Herein, we report a 5-month old infant with scrotal sparganosis who was initially suspected to have a scrotal inflammatory mass with a history of applying raw frog meat into the umbilicus. Preoperative ultrasound examinations and computed tomography (CT) scanning misdiagnosed the mass as a scrotal teratoma. The scrotal mass was surgically removed, and the histopathology proved it to be scrotal sparganosis. This case displays the youngest patient ever reported with scrotal sparganosis, and the first description of CT characteristics of scrotal sparganosis. A detailed medical history is necessary for patients with scrotal masses suspected of sparganosis. In addition, ultrasound and CT examinations are helpful to rule out other causes of a scrotal mass.