Silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with different matrix stiffness influence the growth and phenotype of human mammary epithelial cells / 生理学报

Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is closely related to the physiological and pathological states of breast tissue. The current study was aimed to investigate the effect of silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with adjustable matrix stiffness on the growth and phenotype of normal breast epithelial cells. In this study, the enzymatic reaction of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to change the degree of cross-linking of the silk fibroin solution. The rotational rheometer was used to characterize the composite hydrogel's biomechanical properties. Human normal mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A were inoculated into composite hydrogels with various stiffness (19.10-4 932.36 Pa) to construct a three dimensional (3D) culture system of mammary epithelial cells. The CCK-8 assay was applied to detect the cell proliferation rate and active states in each group. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining and whole-mount magenta staining were used for histological evaluation of cell morphology and distribution. The results showed that with the increase of matrix stiffness, MCF-10A cells exhibited inhibited proliferation rate, decreased formation of acinus structures and increased branching structures. Meanwhile, with the increase of matrix stiffness, the polarity of MCF-10A cells was impeded. And the increase of matrix stiffness up-regulated the expression levels of mmp-2, mmp-3, and mmp-9 in MCF-10A cells. Among the genes related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), the expression level of the epithelial marker gene E-cadherin was significantly down-regulated, while the interstitial cell marker gene Vimentin was up-regulated, and the expression levels of Snail, Wnt5b and Integrin β1 in the Wnt pathway were up-regulated. These results suggest that the silk fibroin/collagen composite hydrogels with adjustable matrix stiffness regulates the proliferation and the phenotype of MCF-10A cells. The effects of increased matrix stiffness may be closely related to the changes of the polar structures and function of MCF-10A cells, as well as the occurrence of ECM-remodeling and EMT.

Fruit variation and geographical distribution of citron / 中国中药杂志

The ripe dried fruit of citron(Citrus medica) is one of the important sources of Chinese herb Citri Fructus. At the same time, it is also grown for edible and ornamental uses. There are many species and abundant genetic variation. To clarify the intraspecific variation and resource distribution of citron, this study investigated the variation in 11 citron fruits, basically covering the main species in China, including Xiaoguo citron(C. medica var. ethrog), Goucheng(C. medica var. yunnanensis), Muli citron(C.medica var. muliensis), Dehong citron(C.medica×Citrus spp.), Fuzhou citron(C.medica×C.grandis?), Mawu(C.medica×C.grandis?), Cangyuan citron, Binchuan citron, Sweet citron, Big citron, and Small citron. The natural communities of citron were proved to be mainly distributed in the southwestern and western Yunnan and southeastern Tibet of China, with Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Hubei, and Zhejiang identified as the main production areas. Citron has also been widely grown in India, the Mediterranean region, and the Caribbean coast countries. The field investigation revealed the large-scale intraspecific variation of citron fruits. Most of the fruits are oval-like or sphere-like in shape. The fruits are green when raw and yellow when ripe, with oil cell dots on the skin, stripe-likes running from top to bottom, and bulge at the top. Usually, in the smaller citron fruits, the pulp and juice vesicles are better developed and the central columella is tighter. By contrast, the juice vesicles and central columella in larger fruits became more vacant, with carpels visible, and the apex segregation and development of the carpels is one of the reasons for variation. These variations should be given top priority in the future variety selection and breeding, and the quality differences of different citron species and their mechanisms should be further studied. In particular, variety selection and classification management according to their medicinal or edible purposes will provide scientific and technological supports for the orderly, safe, and effective production of citron products consumed as food and medicine.

Anti-tumor Constituents from Rhizome of Euphorbia fischeriana / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To screen out active fraction from Euphorbia fischeriana, separate active components from E. fischeriana and explore structure-activity relationships, in order to analyze and identify chemical compositions of petroleum ether fraction from E. fischerian ethanol extract by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Method::The anti-tumor activities of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water extracts from E. fischeriana were tested by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT)method. A variety of modern chromatographic separation methods were used to separate active compounds from petroleum ether layer. Compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified by NMR technique. The structure-activity relationships between anti-tumor activities and structures of compounds were investigated. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technique was used to identify the structures of petroleum ether extract from E. fischeriana. Mass spectrometry was performed in the positive ion mode using ESI ion sources. Result::Six compounds were isolated from petroleum ether fraction. They were jolkinolide A, jolkinolide B, 17-hydroxyjolkinolide A, 17-hydroxyjolkinolide B, euphopilolide and atis-16-en-13(s)-hydroxy-3, 14-dione. A total of 23 peaks were identified based on the comparison of retention times, accurate masses and fragmentation patterns with available standard compounds and literatures. Among them, there were 19 diterpenoids, 2 polyphenols, 1 fatty acid and 1 triterpenoid. Peaks No.18 and No.21 were tentatively identified as new compounds. Conclusion::The petroleum ether fraction showed a potential anti-tumor activity. The structure-activity relationships were discussed. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology can be used to quickly and accurately identify the structures, so as to provide a reference for its quality evaluation and active ingredient research.

Targeted inhibition of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment by low-dose doxorubicin to improve immune efficacy in murine neuroblastoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#High agglomeration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in neuroblastoma (NB) impeded therapeutic effects. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of targeted inhibition of MDSCs by low-dose doxorubicin (DOX) to enhance immune efficacy in NB.@*METHODS@#Bagg albino (BALB/c) mice were used as tumor-bearing mouse models by injecting Neuro-2a cells, and MDSCs were eliminated by DOX or dopamine (DA) administration. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 2.5 mg/kg DOX, 5.0 mg/kg DOX, 50.0 mg/kg DA, and control groups (n = 20). The optimal drug and its concentration for MDSC inhibition were selected according to tumor inhibition. NB antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) were prepared. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into DOX, CTL, anti-ganglioside (GD2), DOX+CTL, DOX+anti-GD2, and control groups. Following low-dose DOX administration, immunotherapy was applied. The levels of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-I, CD8, interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon (IFN)-γ in peripheral blood, CTLs, T-helper 1 (Thl)/Th2 cytokines, perforin, granzyme and tumor growth were compared among the groups. The Wilcoxon two-sample test and repeated-measures analysis of variance were used to analyze results.@*RESULTS@#The slowest tumor growth (F = 6.095, P = 0.018) and strongest MDSC inhibition (F = 14.632, P = 0.001) were observed in 2.5 mg/kg DOX group. Proliferation of T cells was increased (F = 448.721, P < 0.001) and then decreased (F = 2.047, P = 0.186). After low-dose DOX administration, HLA-I (F = 222.489), CD8 (F = 271.686), Thl/Th2 cytokines, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes, granzyme (F = 2376.475) and perforin (F = 488.531) in tumor, IL-2 (F = 62.951) and IFN-γ (F = 240.709) in peripheral blood of each immunotherapy group were all higher compared with the control group (all of P values < 0.05). The most significant increases in the aforementioned indexes and the most notable tumor growth inhibition were observed in DOX+anti-GD2 and DOX+CTL groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Low-dose DOX can be used as a potent immunomodulatory agent that selectively impairs MDSC-induced immunosuppression, thereby fostering immune efficacy in NB.

Survey on risk factors for stroke in population with family history in Zhengzhou rural area / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors for stroke in population with family history in rural areas of Zhengzhou. Methods A cluster random sampling method was used to collect 386 residents with family history of stroke from 5 villages of Zhengzhou. The participants were divided into stroke group and non-stroke group according to diagnosis. IBM SPSS STATISTICS 21.0 and SPSS Modeler 14.1 software were used to analyze the data.Results Hypertension, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia, smoking and drinking in stroke group were significantly higher than those of the non-stroke group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that hypertension (OR=35.705, 95％ CI9.045～140.950, P =0.000) and dyslipidemia (OR=2.669, 95％ CI 1.077～6.614, P = 0.034) were linked with stroke. Artificial neural network (ANN) model indicated the independent variables in predicting stroke were hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, drinking and atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia according significance, respectively. The accuracy of the model was 82.0％. Conclusion Among population with family history of stroke, those who had hypertension, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia, smoking and drinking were more susceptible to develop this condition.

Anti-inflammatory effect of the compounds from the flowers of Trollius chinensis

In order to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids from the flowers of Trollius chinensis, some representative compounds, namely, orientin, 2"-O-Beta-L-galactopyranosylorientin, vitexin, quercetin, isoquercetin, luteolin, veratric acid, proglobeflowery acid, trollioside, and trolline were selected to study their inhibitory effects against LPS-induced NO, IL-6, and TNF-Alpha release in RAW264.7 cells. At the higher concentration, both phenolic acids and flavonoids inhibited the production of NO, whereas only phenolic acids showed this effect at the lower concentration. Although trolline had stronger cytotoxicity, it exhibited a potential effect of decreasing NO production induced by LPS in the non-toxic concentration range. In addition, all tested compounds ecreased the production of IL-6 and TNF-Alpha by almost 50% at both the higher and lower concentrations. It is concluded that the anti-inflammatory activity of the phenolic acids is stronger than that of the flavonoids

Current knowledge on Trichosporon spp / 中华检验医学杂志

In recent years , with the increasing of immunocompromised patients , Trichosporon spp. has become a more and more significant clinical opportunistic pathogen .Medical staff should enhance the clinical awareness to this pathogen . In this paper , the classification , virulence factor and pathogenic mechanism, infections, diagnostic methods of laboratory , antifungal susceptibility and treatment of Trichosporon spp. were reviewed systematically . Trichosporon asahii is the major pathogen of invasive infections.Biofilm formation and enzyme production will promote its ability to escape from antifungal drugs and host immune responses .Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry has the advantages of accurate , fast and low cost for identification of Trichosporon spp., and zoles is the first-line treatment for invasive infections .

Lignan glycosides and sucrose esters from roots of Securidaca inappendiculata / 中国中药杂志

Nine compounds, including five lignan glycosides (1-5), three sucrose esters (6-8), and one organic acid ester (9), were isolated from the ethanol extract of the roots of Securidaca inappendiculata by various chromatographic methods including silica gel, MPLC and preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated as acernikol-4″-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), (7R, 8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (7R, 8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), (7R, 8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), (7R, 8S)-5-methoxydihydrodehy-drodiconiferyl alcohol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), 3, 6'-O-diferuloylsucrose (6), 3-O-feruloyl-6'-O-sinapoylsucrose (7), sibricose A5 (8), and mehyl ferulate (9) on the basis of 1H-, 13C-NMR and MS experiments. Compounds 1-5, 8, and 9 were isolated from the Securidaca genus for the first time. Compounds 2, 3, and 7 exhibited weak cytotoxic activities against Hela and MCF-7 cell lines.

Identification of antioxidant activity of two new aromatic ring butyrolactone derivatives from Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz / 中国天然药物

The present study carried out a phytochemical investigation on the root barks of Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz, leading to the isolation and characterization of two new aromatic ring butyrolactone derivatives, dasycarpusphenol acid A (1) and dasycarpusphenol acid B (2). Their structures were elucidated by using spectroscopic techniques and HR-FAB-MS. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited antioxidant activity, with their IC values being 28.95 and 41.76 mg·mL, respectively.

Serum pharmacochemistry of honey-fried Stemona tuberosa Lour. by UHPLC-QTOF/MS and MetaboLynx analysis / 药学学报

A high throughput UHPLC-QTOF/MS method was established to analyze and identify the constituents in rat plasma after oral administration of honey-fried Stemona tuberosa Lour. extract. Automated data analysis software MetaboLynx was developed in analysis and identification of the bioactive components and their metabolites in rat plasma following oral administration of honey-fried S. tuberosa Lour. extract. As a result, 40 compounds including 12 prototype components and 28 metabolites were characterized. The constituents absorbed into blood and the possible metabolites which were demonstrated to originate from the active fraction of honey-fried S. tuberosa Lour. were responsible for the observed efficacy. Its serum pharma­cochemistry should be subjected to complete investigation to illuminate the pharmacology and active mechanism of honey-fried S. tuberosa Lour.

Screening of active fractions with antithrombotic effect from Caragana jubata / 中国中药杂志

The antithrombotic effect of Caragana jubata (Pall.)Poir.ethanolic extract (TE)was evaluated by inferior vena cava thrombosis in rats and acute pulmonary thrombosis in mice. To search for the bioactive fractions of TE, comparison on acute pulmonary thrombosis was made between the two main fractions of TE (TE-1 and TE-2). Besides, pharmacological effects of TE, TE-1 and TE-2 on bleeding time and clotting time were also studied. Reference substances combined with UPLC/DAD-q-TOF-MS were applied to identify the main six compounds and other chemical constituents of the TE. The results showed that TE could significantly reduce the rat thrombosis weight in all doses (P<0.01) and improve the protective rate to mice in medium and high doses (P<0.05). TE-2 showed a stronger effect on protecting the mice from paralysis or death and prolonging the bleeding time and clotting time than TE-1. Chemical constituents in TE mainly include isoflavones, pterocarpans and stilbenoids. Constituents in TE-2 were mainly isoflavones and pterocarpans, while those in TE-1 were mainly stilbenoids, which could be inferred that all of these three kinds of constituents may be responsible for the antithrombotic effects of Caragana jubata.

Identfication of new naphthalenones from Juglans mandshurica and evalution of their anticancer activities / 中国天然药物

Two new naphthalenone compounds were isolated from green walnut husks of Juglans mandshurica and their structures were identified as 4-butoxybutoxy-5,8-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one (1), 4-ethoxyethoxy-5,8-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one (2). Compounds 1 and 2 were named as Juglanstetralone A (1) and Juglanstetralone B (2). Compound 1 showed more significant anti-tumor activity than 2 against gastric cancer BGC-823 cells, wih the IC50 of 125.89 (g(mL(-1).

Influence of male age on the outcome of conventional IVF-ET / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the influence of male age on the outcome of conventional IVF-ET.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on male age, 170 couples undergoing conventional IVF-ET were divided into three groups: <35 yr (n = 60), 35 -39 yr (n = 77) and > or = 40 yr (n = 33). We observed the rates of fertilization, cleavage, good quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion in different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences among the three groups in semen volume ([3.10 +/- 1.22] ml vs [2.84 +/- 1.05] ml vs [2.80 +/- 0.79] ml), sperm concentration ([54.23 +/- 26.07] x 10(6)/ml vs [60.27 +/- 24.80] x 10(6)/ml vs [60.21 +/- 27.42] x 10(6)/ml) and sperm viability ([53.93 +/- 13.25]% vs [56.10 +/- 16.58]% vs [51.82 +/- 15.45]%) (P>0.05). The men of the > or = 40 yr group showed a significantly lower percentage of grade a + b sperm ([40.97 +/- 11.91]%) than those of the <35 and 35 - 39 yr groups ([48.47 +/- 11.78]% and [46.84 +/- 13.51]%) (P<0.05), and morphologically normal sperm ([11.76 +/- 5.97]%) than those of the <35 yr group ([15.25 +/- 6.94]% (P<0.05). The rates of fertilization, cleavage, good quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy were 81.52%, 82.61%, 52.33%, 18.06% and 33.33% in the > or = 40 yr group, with no significant differences from those of the <35 yr group (83.18%, 82.68%, 56.99%, 22.40% and 40.00%) and the 35 - 39 yr group (78.78%, 80.66%, 55.01%, 21.74% and 38.96%) (P>0.05), while the abortion rate was markedly increased in the > or = 40 yr group as compared with the <35 yr group (36.36% vs 8.33%, P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Increasing male age is related with decreasing percentages of progressively motile sperm and morphologically normal sperm, but not obviously with the rates of fertilization, good quality embryo, implantation, pregnancy and abortion.</p>

Effects of males' age on sperm apoptosis and DNA integrity / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the correlation of males'age with sperm apoptosis, sperm DNA integrity and other seminal parameters.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected 104 semen samples and divided them into three groups according to the males' age: <35 yr (n = 43), 35 -39 yr (n = 31), and > or = 40 yr (n = 30). Based on the WHO Laboratory Manual (4th ed), we detected the seminal parameters, calculated the percentage of apoptotic sperm by flow cytometry (FCM), determined sperm DNA integrity by Acridine orange staining, and compared the results among the three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no statistically significant differences among the < 35 yr, 35 -39 yr and > or = 40 yr groups in semen volume ([2.87 +/- 0.89] ml vs [2.98 +/- 1.09] ml vs [2.65 +/- 0.95] ml), sperm concentration ([60.40 +/- 25.43] x 10(6)/ml vs [69.74 +/- 28.33] x 10(6)/ml vs [55.97 +/- 27.22] x 10(6)/ml) (P>0.05). The percentage of progressively motile sperm was significantly lower in the > or = 40 yr ([39.00 +/- 8.35 %) than in the <35 and 35 -39 yr groups ([48.73 +/- 9.89]% and [45.65 +/- 10.55]%) (P<.0.1), and so was the percentage of morphologically normal sperm in the > or = 40 yr than in the < 35 yr group ([11.11 +/- 8.26]% vs [16.43 +/- 8.75 ]%, P<0.01). The percentage of apoptotic sperm was markedly higher in the > or = 40 yr than in the <35 yr group ([11.82 +/- 5.77]% vs [7.04 +/- 3.50]%, P<0.01), while the sperm DNA integrity significantly reduced in the > or = 40 yr group ([75.52 +/- 10.60]%) as compared with the <35 yr ([86.55 +/- 5.60])% and 35 -39 yr group ( [81.39 +/- 8.94]%) (P<0.01). The males' age was correlated positively with the rate of sperm apoptosis (P<0.01), and negatively with sperm DNA integrity and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The advance in males' age increases sperm apoptosis and reduces sperm progressive motility, normal morphology and DNA integrity.</p>

A cross-sectional study on health-related knowledge and skills and its influencing factors among the Chinese college students / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the status on health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Methods 5070 Chinese students from 28 universities or colleges were sampled, using the multiple-stage stratified, purposive and convenient mixed sampling method. A cross-sectional investigation on health literacy was conducted with self-designed questionnaire, and SPSS 13.0 was used to statistically analyze the data. Results The average scores on health-related related knowledge and skills among the subjects was 74.139 ± 12.0223, with 38.4% on basic health-related literacy (scores≥80). The rate (1.1%) of passing the margin line set for the awareness on chronic disease prevention appeared to be the lowest. And there noticed significant differences (P＜0.05) in different regions, types, and genders on the basic health-related knowledge and skills as well as on the prevalence rates of total and each dimensional health-related literacy among universities and colleges. Regions and types of universities and colleges were the main influencing factors on the levels of health-related knowledge and skills among the college students. Conclusion The prevalence of basic health-related knowledge and skills was low and the prevalence rates of health-related knowledge and skills were differently distributed among student populations under study.

Clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of endometrial stromal sarcoma: a study of 55 cases / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinicopathologic features and the prognostic factors of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>55 cases of endometrial stromal sarcoma were reviewed and categorized into 3 pathologic types based on the related literatures, i.e., low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma with nuclear uniformity (UES-U) and undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma with nuclear pleomorphism (UES-P). Meanwhile, the pathologic features were reviewed, including fibroid, myoid, mucoid, and epithelioid differentiation and mitotic index. Clinical and follow-up data were collected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In endometrial stromal sarcoma, two or three pathologic types co-existed in one case, including 12.8% (5/39) of LGESS, 5/9 of UES-U, and 5/7 of UES-P. Mitotic index varied in different regions of one tumor from rare to high. Multi-differentiation was also commonly seen in ESS. The numbers of cases in LGESS, UES-U and UES-P were 39, 9 and 7, with recurrence rate of 51.6% (16/31), 5/6 and 2/3, respectively. There was no death case in LGESS, and 2 cases were died in UES-U and UES-P, respectively. In the 2 death cases of UES-U, both had focus of UES-P. There was a significant difference in the recurrence rate between cases with different mitotic index (≥ 10/10 HPF and < 10/10 HPF, P = 0.009), especially in LGESS group. All death cases had high mitotic index (> 30/10 HPF).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is a common phenomenon in ESS that two or three pathologic types may exist in one case, especially in UES-U and UES-P. And multi-differentiation is also commonly seen in ESS. So adequate pathologic sampling is important for pathologists to make a correct diagnosis of ESS in daily work. The recurrence rates are significantly higher in cases with high mitotic index, especially in LGESS. In addition, the presence of UES-P and high mitotic index may increase the risk of death in the patients.</p>

Prognostic factors and fertility outcomes of borderline ovarian tumors after conservative surgery / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prognostic factors and fertility outcomes of borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) after conservative surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 109 patients with BOT who were treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1990 to December 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the FIGO staging system,there were 34(31.2%) patients at Stage Ia and Ib, 66 (60.6%) at Stage Ic, 2 (1.8%) at Stage II and 7(6.4%) at stage III. No patient was at Stage 4.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Surgical treatment included comprehensive staging surgery (n=40, 36.7%), ovarian cystectomy (n=27,24.8%), and unilateral salpingo-ovariectomy (n=42, 38.5%). The average follow-up period was (60.3±42.5) months. Relapse occurred in 25 patients (22.9%), and the mean duration from therapy to recurrence was (36.1±31.9) months. Only one patient died of BOT. Multivariate analysis showed that surgery procedure and tumor stage were the independent prognostic factors affecting recurrence. Of 66 patients with the desire of fertility, 24 (36.4%) finally got pregnant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Conservative surgery has comparatively good prognosis and should be the first choice for younger patients with the desire of fertility. The high-risk factors should be evaluated before the initiation of treatment.</p>

In vitro susceptibility testing of Aspergillus spp. against voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>During recent years, the incidence of serious infections caused by opportunistic fungi has increased dramatically due to alterations of the immune status of patients with hematological diseases, malignant tumors, transplantations and so forth. Unfortunately, the wide use of triazole antifungal agents to treat these infections has lead to the emergence of Aspergillus spp. resistant to triazoles. The present study was to assess the in vitro activities of five antifungal agents (voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin) against different kinds of Aspergillus spp. that are commonly encountered in the clinical setting.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The agar-based Etest MIC method was employed. One hundred and seven strains of Aspergillus spp. (5 species) were collected and prepared according to Etest Technique Manuel. Etest MICs were determined with RPMI agar containing 2% glucose and were read after incubation for 48 hours at 35°C. MIC(50), MIC(90) and MIC range were acquired by Whonet 5.4 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MIC(90) of caspofungin against A. fumigatus, A. flavus and A. nidulans was 0.094 µg/ml whereas the MIC(90) against A. niger was 0.19 µg/ml. For these four species, the MIC(90) of caspofungin was the lowest among the five antifungal agents. For A. terrus, the MIC(90) of posaconazole was the lowest. For A. fumigatus and A. flavus, the MIC(90) in order of increasing was caspofungin, posaconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B. The MIC of amphotericin B against A. terrus was higher than 32 µg/ml in all 7 strains tested.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The in vitro antifungal susceptibility test shows the new drug caspofungin, which is a kind of echinocandins, has good activity against the five species of Aspergillus spp. and all the triazoles tested have better in vitro activity than traditional amphotericin B.</p>

Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus: A clinicopathologic analysis of 9 cases / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of uterine mullerian adenosarcoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 9 cases of uterine mullerian adenosarcoma in PUMC hospital from January 2003 to February 2009 were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 6 uterine endometrial adenosarcomas and 3 cervical adenosarcomas. The main clinical manifestations were abnormal vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain. Physical examination showed cervical/vaginal mass, enlarged uterus or pelvic mass. The adenosarcoma was characterized by benign or atypical-appearing neoplastic glands within a sarcomatous stroma. This stroma could appear as periglandular cuffs or intraglandular polypoid projections of increased cellular structure. The primary diagnostic rate was 66.7% and the most common clinical stage was stage I (7/9). All patients received surgical treatment and seven had postoperative chemotherapy, radiotherapy or hormone therapy. Conservation of unilateral ovary or bilateral ovaries was performed in 5 cases. Three patients underwent local excision, which resulted in the preservation of reproductive function. During the follow-up, 2 cases of uterine endometrial adenosarcoma recurred. One patient of clinical stage III containing sarcomatous overgrowth died from recurrence 13 months after surgery. The other one recurred 2 years after local excision of the tumor in the uterine cavity and she remained healthy since hysterectomy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Uterine mullerian adenosarcoma is a rare tumor without specific clinical symptoms and signs. The diagnosis depends on pathomorphologic examination. The tumors show low malignant potential and the vast majority are at early stage. Surgical excision is the main treatment strategy with a good prognosis in the early stage disease with complete removal of tumors. The prognosis is poor in advanced adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth. Due to the relatively high rate of recurrence, long-term follow-up is recommended.</p>

Seven cases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma with brain metastasis / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of brain metastasis in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analysis was conducted in 7 cases of brain metastases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma from January 1986 to March 2007 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital for summarizing therapy results and prognosis-affecting factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Incidence of brain metastases of epithelial ovarian carcinoma was about 0.66% (7/1055). Serous adenocarcinoma was the predominant pathological type in 4 cases and the subsequent was adenocarcinoma in 3 cases. All the patients were diagnosed at late stage, 6 cases with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIc and 1 with FIGO stage IV. The mean duration from diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma to brain metastasis was 32.7 +/- 20.0 months (range, 23-73 months). Single metastasis focus occurred in 43% of cases and multiple metastases in 57% of cases. Fifty-seven percent of patients presented extracranial metastasis. Serum CA125 played a role in monitoring reoccurrence and brain metastases. The average survival time was about 12 months. Better treatment with prolonged survival could be achieved by combination of operation and chemotherapy or combination of radiotherapy with chemotherapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>As a rare condition, brain metastasis of epithelial ovarian carcinoma is rising in incidence with improved treatment of ovarian carcinoma and prolonged survival. However, brain metastasis indicates bad prognosis which can be improved by combined therapy.</p>