Pimecrolimus increases the melanogenesis and migration of melanocytes in vitro

Vitiligo is an intriguing depigmentary disorder and is notoriously difficult to be treated. The ultimate goal of vitiligo treatment is to replenish the lost melanocytes by immigration from hair follicle and to restore the normal function of melanogenesis by residual melanocytes. There are two types of topical calcineurin inhibitors called tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, and are recommended as the first-line treatments in vitiligo. Although pimecrolimus is efficacious for the repigmentation of vitiligo, its intrinsic mechanisms have never been investigated in vitro. This research aimed to study the ability of pimecrolimus on stimulating melanogenesis, melanocyte migration and MITF (microphthalmia associated transcription factor) protein expression. Results showed that pimecrolimus at the dosages of 1, 10, 10² nM were neither mitogenic nor cytotoxic to melanocytes. The addition of pimecrolimus at 10, 10² and 10³ nM significantly increased intracellular tyrosinase activity, which was consistent with the elevated content of melanin content at the same concentrations. The peak effect was seen at 72 h in response to 10² nM pimecrolimus. Results of the wound scratch assay and Transwell assays indicate that pimecrolimus is effective in facilitating melanocyte migration on a collagen IV-coated surface. In addition, MITF protein yield reached the highest by pimecrolimus at 10² nM. In brief, pimecrolimus enhances melanin synthesis as well as promotes migration of melanocytes directly, possibly via their effects on MITF protein expression.

Influence of apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism on the lipid regulation by xuezhikang capsule / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism on the lipid metabolism regulatory effect of Xuezhikang Capsule (XZKC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>ApoE polymorphism of 74 patients with hyperlipidemia was detected by gene sequencing method, and their plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) were determined before and after they received a 6-week treatment of XZKC, for analyzing the relationship between ApoE gene polymorphism and the changes of various blood lipids associated indices.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The effect of XZKC on reducing TG in the epsilon2 allele (E2/E2 and E2/E3 genotypes) was higher than that in the E3/E3 genotypes and epsilon4 allele (E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes), while on increasing HDL-C, it showed more effect in the epsilon4 allele (E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes) than that in the epsilon2 allele (E2/E2 and E2/E3 genotypes) and E3/E3 genotypes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients' ApoE gene polymorphism could influence the lipid regulatory effect of XZKC, embodying mainly by raising HDL-C and reducing TG in patients with different ApoE genotypes to different extents.</p>

Regulatory effect of Ningxin Hongqi Capsule on local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors in rats during peri-menopausal period / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the regulatory effect and mechanism of Ningxin Hongqi Capsule on local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors in peri-menopausal rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SD female rats aged 4 months were allocated in a normal control group (A) and those aged 14 months with vagino-cytologic figure of oestrus elongation were allocated in a senile female rat model group (B). Rats in Group B were subdivided into 5 groups randomly as the B1, B2 and B3 subgroups treated respectively with high, moderate and low dose Ningxin Hongqi Capsule, the B4 subgroup treated with estradiol and the B5 subgroup untreated for control. Rats' ovaries were obtained at the end of the experiment for observing the conditions of ovarian growing follicles and corpus luteum by HE staining, determining expressions of ovarian estradiol receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin alpha (INHalpha), activin (ACT) alpha-beta, follistatin (FS), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>As compared with Group B5, the ovary index, number of growing follicle were higher and levels of FSH and LH were lower in Group B2 and B3, expression of ER was higher in Group B1 and B4, IGF-1 and INHalpha was higher in Group B2 and B3, and ACTalpha-beta and FS were lower (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Nirigxin Hongqi Capsule could adjust and balance the local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors to improve the ovarian function.</p>

Detection of microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer by fluorescence multiplex polymerase chain reaction and its clinical value / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect microsatellite instability(MSI) in colorectal cancer by fluorescence multiplex polymerase chain reaction(FM-PCR) and explore its clinical value.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MSI of 110 colorectal cancer patients undergone surgical resection in our department from 2004 to 2005 were examined by FM-PCR, and the pathological characteristics were compared between MSI and microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 110 cases, the male were 66 and the female were 44. Mean age was 60.8 (26-94) yrs. All 5 microsatellite markers were amplified. Out of them, 10 cases (8.1%) were MSI-H, 13 cases (11.8%) were MSI-L and 87 cases (79.1%) were MSS. Instability of BAT-26 was found in 9 cases (8.2%), BAT-25 was in 11 cases (10.0%), D2S123 was in 11 cases (10.0%), D5S346 was in 6 cases (8.2%) and D17S250 was in 8 cases (7.3%). Age between MSI and MSS colorectal cancer patients was significant and other pathological characteristics were not significant.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>FM-PCR is a clinically stable method for MSI detection in colorectal cancer patients. There are no significant differences between MSI and MSS pathological characteristics of colorectal cancer patients.</p>

Study on the relationship between polymorphism of ApoE gene and TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between the polymorphism of ApoE gene and TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>ApoE genotype of 102 patients with hyperlipemia was detected by gene PCR sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of five genotypes were detectable, they were E2/2, E3/3, E4/4, E2/3 and E3/4. The frequency of E3/4 + E4/4 and epsilon4 allelotype detected in the patients of Gan-Shen Yin deficiency syndrome type were significantly higher than those in patients of Pi-Shen Yang-deficiency type or of phlegm stagnation type (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and which in patients of Qi-stagnation caused blood stasis type were significantly higher than those in patients of phlegm stagnation type ( P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Polymorphism of ApoE gene is related in a certain degree to TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia.</p>

Clinical value of CK34BE12 combining the expression of protein P53 gene and prostate specific antigen for the differential diagnosis of prostate carcinoma / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To improve the level of clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis of benign and malignant prostate lesions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and nine cases of prostate cancer and prostate hyperplasia were evaluated by the expression of high molecular weight cytokeratin (CK34BE12), prostate specific antigen (PSA) and protein P53 gene using the immunohistochemical technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The basal-cells in all of the benign lesions were stained with the CK34BE12 and PSA, while it had not immunoreactivity with P53. In contrast, the prostate carcinoma were not stained or partly stained with the CK34BE12 and PSA, but P53 show significant immunoreactivity with the tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Based on the routine histological studies with the expression of CK34BE12 and PSA together, they can indicate the existence of basal-cell distinctly and show indirectly whether the basal-cell is integrated. Combining the expression of P53 to determine the existence of cancer gene, it can help to distinguish benign and malignant prostate lesions.</p>

Epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon double-sequencing analysis in NSClC / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the mutation patterns of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 18, 19 and 21 in Chinese non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Somatic mutation in samples of 32 cases without Iressa-treatment were compared with that in 10 volunteers blood control. The mutations were identified for the forward and reverse sequence chains for the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR gene, followed by DNA template abstraction and Touchdown PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nine types of mutation were found in sequences of 7 cases among the 32 non-small cell lung carcinoma tissues, namely, five reported mutation within exon 19, and two new heterozygous mutations, L833V and H835L within exon 21, and two intron polymorphism. These results showed a mutation rate of 9/32 (28.1%) in Chinese with NSCLC, and of 31.6% in lung adenocarcinomas.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EGFR mutation rate in Chinese with NSCLC is consistent with those of Asian women reported in the literature but new mutation points in Chinese were presented as L833V and H835L. The mutation rate is in concordance with release rate of NSCLC obtained by Gefitinib treatment in Chinese.</p>