Study on influence factors of acupoint function based on energetics / 中国针灸

Acupoint is the integration of structure and function. In this paper, the structure and function of acupoint are studied based on energetics. It is viewed that acupoint is the aggregation and release place of energy, acupuncture is the process of applying energy to acupoint, and the variations of speed, direction, time and local temperature are the key factors of acupoint function.

Black phosphorus loaded with zinc ions for enhanced photothermal therapy of prostate cancer / 药学学报

Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumor of male reproductive system, which seriously threatens men's health. It has been shown that the existence of zinc ions can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. In addition, photothermal treatment of cancer is attracting more and more attention due to its high accuracy and efficiency. In this study, zinc ions loaded black phosphorus nanosheets (BP-Zn) were prepared, and the photothermal therapy efficiency of the system on human prostate cancer cells (PC-3) was evaluated. The inhibition effect of zinc ions on PC-3 cells was studied. It was demonstrated that the toxicity of zinc ions on PC-3 cells was concentration- and time-dependent. Moreover, it can be seen from in vitro photothermal therapy that the treatment effect of black phosphorus assisted by zinc ions is superior to that of black phosphorus alone. This study further studied the in vivo therapeutic effect of BP-Zn. The results once again confirmed that the combinational photothermal treatment of zinc ions and BP had excellent anti-tumor effect. The animal procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School.

bFGF promotes blood spinal cord barrier recovery in rats / 基础医学与临床

Objective To investigate the mechanisms of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) promoting blood spi-nal cord barrier(BSCB) recovery in rats after spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods Rats were randomly divided into sham group,SCI model group, bFGF intervention group(80 μg/kg). The nerve function of hind limb motor was evaluated by Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores during postoperative 14 days. Neuron loss of injured spinal cords was observed by haematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining and NeuN staining.The integrity of BSCB was investigated with Evan's Blue staining and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran extravasation. The expression protein of adhesive connection protein (p120-catenin,β-catenin) and tight junction protein expression(occludin, claudin-5) were analyzed by Western blot.Results Compared with SCI model group, bFGF intervention group neuron loss decreased significantly at 3 d after injury(P<0.05);the permeability of blood spinal cord barrier obvi-ously reduced at 1d after injury; the expressions of p120-catenin, beta-catenin, occludin, claudin-5 protein of bFGF intervention group were increased dramatically at 1 d after injury(P<0.05). Conclusions bFGF improves the recovery of BSCB in an SCI model by reducing the loss of neurons and increasing the expressions of adhesion junction proteins and tight juction proteins.

Clinical Research of Serum Trefoil Factor 3 Expression in Gastric Cancer / 胃肠病学

Background:Gastric cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third cause of cancer death in China. Selection of candidates in high risk of gastric cancer by a simple and non-invasive marker with high sensitivity and then undergoing endoscopy is an optimal approach for large scale gastric cancer screening. Aims:To evaluate the clinical value of using trefoil factor 3(TFF3)as a serum biomarker for gastric cancer screening. Methods:Serum samples of 49 gastric cancer patients and 29 healthy subjects were collected for measurements of serum TFFs by ELISA from Jul. 2013 to Jan. 2014 at Ningbo Medical Treatment Center Lihuili Hospital. ROC curve and the area under curve(AUC)were used to verify the diagnostic performance of serum TFF1,TFF2 and TFF3 for gastric cancer. Correlations between TFFs and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer were further analyzed. Results:Serum concentration of TFF3 in gastric cancer group was significantly higher than that in healthy controls[(43. 57 ± 19. 49)ng/ mL vs.(29. 97 ± 14. 20)ng/ mL, P 0. 05). AUC of serum TFF1,TFF2 and TFF3 for diagnosis of gastric cancer were 0. 56,0. 56 and 0. 83, respectively,which indicated that the performance of TFF3 was the best. Taken 33. 0 ng/ mL as the cut off value of TFF3, the sensitivity and specificity were 63. 3% and 82. 8% ,respectively,and the odds ratio for predicting gastric cancer was 8. 27. Significant correlations were existed between serum concentration of TFF3 and TNM stage,differentiation and lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(P < 0. 05). Conclusions:Serum TFF3 is a promising non-invasive biomarker for gastric cancer screening.

Advances in the non-genetic regulation of PTEN tumour suppressor activity / 基础医学与临床

Mutations and deletions of the tumour suppressor PTEN are frequently involved in the development of cancer.However, PTEN is also tightly controlled by various non-genomic mechanisms,such as the epigenetic silen-cing of PTEN, post-transcriptional regulation by non-coding RNAs and post-translational modification.

Pharmacology research on PXR as a potential target in screening bioactive components of Chinese material medica / 中国中药杂志

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is key transcription factors which mainly regulate the expression of CYP3A genes. At the molecular level, PXR has been revealed the protection mechanism of the body against xenochemicals and a major mode of the drug-drug interactions. Besides playing an important role in drug metabolism and interactions, PXR and its target genes also play an important role in maintaining normal physiological function and homeostasis. Therefore, it is necessary to study the regulation of PXR and its related pharmacological effects of TCM and natural products, and to provide new clues for the new pharmacological pathway.

Diagnostic value of promoter methylation and protein expression of plasma RNF180 gene in gastric cancer / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of the promoter methylation of plasma RNF180 gene and its protein ex-pression for the detection of gastric cancer. Methods:Methylation-specific polymerase-chain reaction (MSP) and enzyme-linked immu-no-sorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to detect DNA methylation and protein expression of the RNF180 gene, respectively. The correlations of DNA methylation and protein expression of the RNF180 gene with the clinico-pathological parameters of gastric carcino-ma were then separately analyzed. Results:MSP showed that the methylation rates of the RNF180 gene were 62.75%and 21.88%in the plasma of patients with gastric carcinoma and healthy volunteers, respectively;this result indicated that the two groups significantly differed (P0.05). Conclusion:The RNF180 gene is expressed at a hypermethylation rate, and the corresponding protein expression level is de-creased in the plasma of individuals with gastric carcinoma. Therefore, RNF180 gene methylation in plasma could be applied to detect microinvasion for the clinical diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Detection of GATA5 gene methylation in plasma and stool of colorectal cancer and the clinical ;diagnosis / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignancy which is the third incidence and the fourth mortality in the worldwide. The main reason for the development of CRC is that the changes of genetic and epigenetic causes the tumor suppressor gene methylation silencing. This study aimed to investigate the plasma and stool GATA5 gene promoter methylation was detected in clinical diagnosis of CRC. Methods: To collect the paired plasma and stool specimens of 34 cases of healthy and 43 cases of patients with CRC. Methylation speciifc PCR (MSP) was respectively detected the GATA5 gene methylation levels of GATA5 gene in plasma and stool. And then separately analyzed their correlations with clinical and pathological parameters in gastric carcinoma. Results: The result of MSP showed that GATA5 gene promoter methylation rates in plasma and stool of CRC patients were 60.74%, 76.60%, respectively, were higher than those of healthy persons (6.47%, 32.35%). And the differences were statistically signiifcant (P=0.006 7, P=0.000 2, respectively). GATA5 gene methylation rates in plasma of CRC patients were closely related to clinical stage (P=0.000 5) and lymph node metastasis(P=0.020), while GATA5 gene methylation rates in stool of CRC patients had no signiifcant with clinical and pathological parameters. Conclusion:Detection of faecal GATA5 gene methylation level and supplemented plasma GATA5 gene methylation level can become a simple, non-invasive, sensitive and speciifc method for clinical diagnosis of CRC.

Screening active components in compound danshen based on PXR-CYP3A4: an experimental study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen active components in Compound Danshen (CD) based on pregnane X receptor-cytochrome P450 3A4 (PXR-CYP3A4).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>By using PXR-CYP3A stable transfection human hepatoblastoma G2 (HepG2) cell lines engineering cell strain combined reporter genes technology, active components that induce or inhibit PXR-CYP3A4 paths in CD were screened, and confirmed at the level of enzymic activities. The experiment was divided into the positive control group (RIF 10 micro mol/L), the DMSO group (DMSO 0.1%), each dose of treatment groups (ginsenoside Rc, Rf, Rb2, Rg2, F2, F1, tanshinone I , isoborneol 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 micro mol/L; each with six duplicates). Cells medium was removed 36, 48, and 60 h after treatment. The activity of CYP3A4 was then determined in the supernant and the fold induction was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the DMSO group, the fold induction increased when ginsenoside Rc, Rf, Rb2, Rg2, F2, F1, tanshinone I , and isoborneol 50 and 100 micro mol/L was respectively intervened for 36, 48, and 60 h (P <0.05). When cells were treated with isoborneol 200 micro mol/L for 48 and 60 h,the fold induction of ginsenoside Rb2, Rg2, and F1 was significantly higher than that of the RIF group (P <0.05). Enzymic activity results showed that ginsenoside Rc, Rf, Rb2, F2, and F1 could increase the enzyme activity of CYP3A4 at 48 h (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ginsenoside Rc, Rf, Rb2, F2, F1, tanshinone I, and isoborneol in DC could induce CYP3A4 enzymes.</p>

Screening of pregnane X receptor activation from ginsenosides / 药学学报

In order to study effects of ginseng on the metabolism of drug belong to CYP3A4 substrate, screening of pregnane X receptor activation from ginsenosides was performed by reporter assay. Based on PXR-CYP3A stable translation cell lines, 13 ginsenosides were screened for pregnane X receptor activation by reporter assays, and RIF as the positive control. The effect of ginsenosides Rg1 onCYP3A4 mRNA expression was also investigated by RT-PCR. The PXR-CYP3A stable translation cell lines had good response to RIF, and the EC50 is 2.51 micro mol x L(-1). When the condition of final concentration was 10 micromol x L(-1), ginsenoside F2 and protopanaxatriol had moderate inductive effects on PXR. Panaxotriol, Rg2, pseudoginsenoside F11, Rg1, ginsenoside and Rb3 had inhibitory effects on PXR. Ginsenoside Rf1, Rg3, Rh2 and protopanaxdiol had no obvious effects on PXR. Rg1 down-regulated CYP3A4 mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Activation of pregnane X receptor by ginsenosides may influence the metabolism of drug belong to CYP3A4 substrate, and cause ginseng-drug interactions.

Diagnostic Value of 64 Slice Spiral Computed Tomography for Budd-Chiari Syndrome / 中国普外基础与临床杂志

Objective To investigate the imaging features of Budd-Chiari syndrome(BCS) on 64 slice spiral computed tomography(64SCT) and the diagnostic value of 64SCT for BCS.Methods Twenty-nine patients diagnosed as BCS by 64SCT were retrospectively included into this study and all the patients were researched by digital substraction angiography(DSA).Two abdominal radiologists analyzed the CT imaging features of BCS,paying attention to the vascular lesion,the morphology abnormality of the liver and the degree of portal hypertension,with review of DSA findings.Results ①The accuracy of 64SCT for BCS was 93.1%(27/29),and there were 2 false positive cases and no false negative case.The accuracy of 64SCT for those patients with thrombosis of inferior vena cava(IVC) and(or) hepatic vein(HV) was high as compared to those with stenosis of IVC and(or) HV.②The morphology abnormality of the liver included hepatomegaly(24 cases),low attenuation(27 cases) and inhomogeneous pattern of parenchymal contrast enhancement(5 patients in arterial phase and 19 patients in portal vein phase).③The images of all the patients showed the features of portal hypertension.Conclusion The accuracy of 64SCT for BCS is satisfactory and the false negative is seldom.The 64SCT could accurately display the morphology abnormality of the liver and the compensatory circulation in BCS patients.For those patients with stenosis of IVC and(or) HV,however,the diagnostic power of 64SCT is limited.