Which Is Safer, Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine? Comparative Analysis Based on Chinese Spontaneous Reporting Database / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the safety differences between Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine (WM) based on Chinese Spontaneous Reporting Database (CSRD).@*METHODS@#Reports of adverse events (AEs) caused by CM and WM in the CSRD between 2010 and 2011 were selected. The following assessment indicators were constructed: the proportion of serious AEs (PSE), the average number of AEs (ANA), and the coverage rate of AEs (CRA). Further comparisons were also conducted, including the drugs with the most reported serious AEs, the AEs with the biggest report number, and the 5 serious AEs of interest (including death, anaphylactic shock, coma, dyspnea and abnormal liver function).@*RESULTS@#The PSE, ANA and CRA of WM were 1.09, 8.23 and 2.35 times higher than those of CM, respectively. The top 10 drugs with the most serious AEs were mainly injections for CM and antibiotics for WM. The AEs with the most reports were rash, pruritus, nausea, dizziness and vomiting for both CM and WM. The proportions of CM and WM in anaphylactic shock and coma were similar. For abnormal liver function and death, the proportions of WM were 5.47 and 3.00 times higher than those of CM, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Based on CSRD, CM was safer than WM at the average level from the perspective of adverse drug reactions.

Effect of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Preparata on hemodynamics of rats with acute heart failure and its mechanism / 中草药

Objective: To observe the effects of Aconiti Lateralis and Radix Preparata (ALRP) on hemodynamic indexes of rats with acute heart failure (AHF) and to study its possible mechanism of α and β adrenergic receptor-related action. Methods: The AHF model in Wistar rats was induced by injecting large doses of pentobarbital. Rats were received high and low doses of ALRP as well as α and β adrenergic receptor blockers to observe the effect on hemodynamics (LVSP, HR, and ±dp/dtmax) in rats. Results: ALRP could significantly increase blood pressure, heart rate, and myocardial contractility compared with the control group (P < 0.05, 0.01), and it also exhibited a certain degree of volume-efficiency and time-effect relationship. The pressor effect of ALRP could be significantly reduced by α and β adrenergic receptor blockers. Moreover the increasing heart rate effect of ALRP could be significantly reduced by β adrenergic receptor blocker (P < 0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: ALRP can significantly enhance the cardiac function in rats with AHF and the possible mechanism of this effect is associated with α and β adrenergic receptors.

Relationship of epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations, clinicopathologic features and prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations in exons 19 and 21 of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to analyze the relationship of EGFR mutations with clinicopathological features and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The EGFR gene exons 19 and 21 of paraffin-embedded tumor tissue were amplified by PCR, followed by direct sequencing in 282 surgically-removed specimens of NSCLC. The relationship of EGFR gene mutations in NSCLC with clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EGFR mutations were detected in 120 of 282 (42.6%) patients with NSCLC. There were 61 cases of the mutations in exon 19 and 66 cases of the mutations in exon 21, including 7 cases of the mutations both in exons 19 and 21. Mutations were more frequently observed in women (55.2%, 53/96) than in men (36.0%, 67/186), in 51 to 60-years-old (51.3%, 39/76) than ≤50-years-old (30.4%, 21/69) and >60-years-old (43.8%, 60/137), in non-smokers (54.3%, 69/127) than smokers (32.9%, 51/155), there was negative correlation of EGFR mutations with smoking status (P=0.000, rs=-0.216). EGFR mutations were more frequently observed in adenocarcinomas (47.8%, 64/134), bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas (73.0%, 27/37), adenosquamous carcinomas (7/9) than squamous cell carcinomas (23.6%, 17/72) and other types (16.7%, 5/30). The EGFR mutation rate in the well differentiated, the middle differentiated, the poorly differentiated and the undifferentiated was 55.7% (68/122), 50.8% (30/59), 22.7% (17/75), 19.2% (5/26) respectively, the incidences of EGFR mutations decreased with the degrading of differentiation, there was positive correlation of EGFR mutations with differentiation of lung cancer (P=0.000, rs=0.296). The patients with EGFR mutations had better prognosis than those with wild-type EGFR (P=0.027). There was no association of EGFR mutations with clinical TNM stage.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EGFR mutations occur frequently in females, non-smokers and adenocarcinomas, bronchioloalveolar carcinomas, and adenosquamous carcinomas. The patients with EGFR mutations have better prognosis. The results may offer a practical approach to select the patients who may benefit from anti-EGFR target therapy.</p>

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C and cyclooxygenase-2 in non-small-cell lung carcinoma and their clinical significance / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins, and their relationship with biological behaviors of non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of VEGF-C and COX-2 proteins in 77 cases of NSCLC. The relationship was analyzed between the expression of VEGF-C, COX-2 and lymphatic vessel density (LVD), tumor size, histological type, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, clinical recurrence and survival time of the patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of 77 cases of NSCLC, 45 cases and 29 cases showed positive expression of VEGF-C and COX-2 proteins, respectively. The expression rates of VEGF-C and COX-2 protein were 58.4% and 37.7%, respectively. The expression of VEGF-C protein was correlated negatively with the degree of differentiation of NSCLC (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF-C was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis, LVD and tumor size (P < 0.01). The survival time of the patients was negatively correlated with the expression of VEGF-C (P < 0.01). The expression of COX-2 was positively correlated with LVD (P < 0.01). The survival time of the patients was negatively correlated with the expression of COX-2 (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of VEGF-C and COX-2 proteins are closely correlated with the biological behaviors of NSCLC, especially VEGF-C protein. Its high expression suggests probable lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis.</p>

Melatonin in in vitro apoptosis of H22 hepatocarcinoma cells / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of melatonin (MLT) in in vitro apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The apoptotic cells, bcl-2 and bax were detected through immunocytochemical method (ICC) and Tolt-mediated x-duTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Computer image analysis system was used to quantify the expression of bcl-2 and bax by detecting the absorbance value of positive products. Apoptosis index (AI) was used to quantify the number of apoptotic cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In vitro, AI increase was both concentration- and time-dependent through TUNEL. During the same duration, AI of medium dose group was higher than that of low dose and control group (P < 0.05); AI of high dose, medium dose and 5-Fu group were higher than those of low dose and control group (P < 0.01), however, there was no significant difference between the low dose and control group (P > 0.05). At the same dose, in high dose, medium dose and 5-Fu group, the change of AI showed significant difference from 24 to 36 hours (P < 0.05). The expression of bcl-2 was down-regulated as the MLT increased, and there was significant difference between the low dose and control group (P < 0.01). But, the expression of bax was up-regulated as the dose of MLT increased, showing significant difference between the high dose and control groups (P < 0.01). As time went on, the expression of bcl-2 was decreased and in every group, with the change in absorbance value of bcl-2 significantly different from 24 to 36 hours (P < 0.05), whereas that of bax remained almost unchanged. The ratio of bax/bcl-2 was increased with the increase in the concentration of MLT.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Melatonin may induce apoptosis in the hepatocarcinoma cells which is concentration- and time-dependent, in which bcl-2 and bax are involved.</p>