Design and semisynthesis of oleanolic acid derivatives as VEGF inhibitors: Inhibition of VEGF-induced proliferation, angiogenesis, and VEGFR2 activation in HUVECs / 中国天然药物

Angiogenesis inhibitors targeting the VEGF signaling pathway are developed into drugs for the treatment of vaious diseases, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and age-related macular degeneration. Recent studies have revealed that oleanolic acid (OA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, inhibited the VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling pathway and angiogenesis in HUVECs, which may represent an attractive VEGF inhibitor. In this paper, rational structural modification towards OA was performed in order to improve its inhibitory effects aganist VEGF and anti-angiogenesis potential. As a result, a series of novel OA derivatives, possessing α,β-unsaturated ketone system in ring A and amide functional group at C-28, were prepared and evaluated for cytotoxicity and their ability to inhibit VEGF-induced abnormal proliferation of HUVECs. The results showed that two promising derivatives, OA-1 and OA-16, exhibited no in vitro cytotoxicity against HUVECs but showed more potent inhibitory activity against VEGF-induced proliferation and angiogenesis in HUVECs, compared with OA. The results of Western blot indicated that OA-1 and OA-16 inhibited VEGF-induced VEGFR2 activation. Furthermore, small interfering RNA experiments were performed to confirm that both compounds inhibited VEGF-induced angiogenesis via VEGFR2. Thus, the present study resulted in the discovery of new promising OA-inspired VEGF inhibitors, which can serve as potential lead compounds for the treatment of angiogenesis-related diseases.

Analysis of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on lysine sites in deer-hide gelatin / 中国中药杂志

Nano-LC MS/MS was used to analyze trypsin digested deer-hide gelatin(DHG) samples, hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on lysine sites of DHG were comprehensive identified by using PEAKS Studio software. The sites, sorts and amounts of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation on Type Ⅰ collagen α1 chain(COL1 A1) and α2 chain(COL1 A2) of DHG were revealed. As a result, 5 284 peptides were identified from DHG samples, which were mainly from COL1 A1 and COL1 A2. Among these peptides, there were 449 peptides with hydroxylysine, 442 with galactosyl-hydroxylysine, 449 with glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine. The major modified sites of hydroxylation and O-glycosylation in DHG were shown as follow: α1-9 N and α2-5 N in N-telopeptides, α1-87, α1-174, α1-930, α2-87, α2-174, α2-933 in triple helix domain, and α1-16 C in C-telopeptides. These hydroxylation and O-glycosylation were correlated with the formation and stability of collagen molecules and collagen fibrils. It is feasible for the collagens and peptides dissolving from deer skin collagen fibrils under high temperature and pressure decocting, high temperature and pressure also might destroy inter-molecular covalent cross-linking and help those glycol-peptides formations. The present study provided ideas and strategies for the in-depth investigation on DHG chemical constituents, and showed good theoretical significance and application value.

Outcomes of intermediate-risk to high-risk stage I endometrial cancer: 10-year clinical experiences of using in-house multi-channel applicators in a single center / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#There are only very few reports on clinical outcomes using multi-channel applicators (MCA) for patients with endometrial cancer (EC) in China. We aimed to evaluate the clinical experience of treating intermediate-risk (IR) to high-risk (HR) stage I EC using in-house made multi-channel applicators (IH-MCA) in a single institution.@*Methods@#Three hundred and ninety patients with stage I IR to HR EC were treated with hysterectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy from 2003 to 2015. All patients received post-operative vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VBT) alone or as a boost after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). The prescriptions were 500 cGy per fraction for a total of 5 to 6 fractions with brachytherapy alone or 400 to 600 cGy per fraction for 2 to 3 fractions if it was combined with EBRT. Two types of applicators including a traditional rigid IH-MCA and a recent model custom-made with 3 dimension printing technology were used for treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate.@*Results@#Follow-up rate was 92.8% and the median follow-up time was 48 months (range 4–172 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, local recurrence, and distant metastasis rates for all patients were 96.3%, 92.1%, 2.9%, and 4.8% respectively. Two patients had isolated relapse in vagina outside the irradiated volume. The univariate and multivariate analysis showed that age and grade were the prognostic factors correlated with OS (hazard ratio: 0.368, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.131–1.035, P = 0.048; hazard ratio: 0.576, 95% CI: 0.347–0.958, P = 0.026,).@*Conclusions@#For patients with IR to HR stage I EC, adjuvant VBT alone or in combination with EBRT using IH-MCA led to excellent survival and recurrence rates. Age and grade were the prognostic factors correlated with OS.

Outcomes of intermediate-risk to high-risk stage I endometrial cancer: 10-year clinical experiences of using in-house multi-channel applicators in a single center / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#There are only very few reports on clinical outcomes using multi-channel applicators (MCA) for patients with endometrial cancer (EC) in China. We aimed to evaluate the clinical experience of treating intermediate-risk (IR) to high-risk (HR) stage I EC using in-house made multi-channel applicators (IH-MCA) in a single institution.@*METHODS@#Three hundred and ninety patients with stage I IR to HR EC were treated with hysterectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy from 2003 to 2015. All patients received post-operative vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VBT) alone or as a boost after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). The prescriptions were 500 cGy per fraction for a total of 5 to 6 fractions with brachytherapy alone or 400 to 600 cGy per fraction for 2 to 3 fractions if it was combined with EBRT. Two types of applicators including a traditional rigid IH-MCA and a recent model custom-made with 3 dimension printing technology were used for treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rate.@*RESULTS@#Follow-up rate was 92.8% and the median follow-up time was 48 months (range 4-172 months). The 5-year overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, local recurrence, and distant metastasis rates for all patients were 96.3%, 92.1%, 2.9%, and 4.8% respectively. Two patients had isolated relapse in vagina outside the irradiated volume. The univariate and multivariate analysis showed that age and grade were the prognostic factors correlated with OS (hazard ratio: 0.368, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.131-1.035, P = 0.048; hazard ratio: 0.576, 95% CI: 0.347-0.958, P = 0.026,).@*CONCLUSIONS@#For patients with IR to HR stage I EC, adjuvant VBT alone or in combination with EBRT using IH-MCA led to excellent survival and recurrence rates. Age and grade were the prognostic factors correlated with OS.

The protective effect of QZXK in nerve injury using zebrafish model induced by MPTP / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effect of Qi ZhiXiaoke granules ( QZXK ) on nerve injury using zebrafish and nerve cell injury models. Methods The nerve injury model was established using wild zebrafish AB line, 72 hours after fertilization treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1 , 2 , 3 , 6-four pyridine ( MPTP ) .Then QZXK of different doses were administered for three days,and the trajectory of the zebrafish behavior was recorded and analyzed. Neuroblastoma PC12 cells were incubated with different concentrations of QZXK and MPTP,and the cell viability of PC12 cells was de-tected by MTT. The mitochondrial membrane potential and expression of apoptosis related protein Caspase3 were measured by kits. Results Compared with con-trol group,MPTP reduced the movement distance of ze-brafish,and with the increase of concentration, QZXK promoted the movement distance and reversed the swimming behavior abnormality of zebrafish. Compared with control group, QZXK could inhibit the apoptosis induced by MPTP and promote the cell viability of PC12 cells with MPTP. QZXK improved the membranepotential and decreased the expression of Caspase3 . Conclusions QZXK exerts neuroprotective effect in the process of nerve injury induced by MPTP. The mechanism may be related with inhibiting apoptosis of neural cells. These experiment provides experimental and theoretical foundation for QZXK promoting cogni-tive function.

Model establishment of skin damage and molecular mechanism on transgenic zebrafish embryos / 中国药理学通报

Aim To establish a new model of skin damage by u-sing vincristine to transgenic zebrafish (krt4:NTR-hKikGR).Methods Skin fluorescent transgenic zebrafish embryos after 24 h fertilization were treated with the 0.01~0.04 mmol·L-1 vincristine,and zebrafish skin cell ablation was investigated un-der fluorescence microscope after 24 h,at same time skin death cells were detected with TUNEL assay and image processed, then the protein expressions of KRT4, caspase-3 and p53 were assessed with Western blot. Results 0.02 mmol·L-1and 0.04 mmol·L-1vincristine could obviously induce zebrafish skin cell apoptosis(P<0.01) with statistically significant differ-ence compared with the control, and the same result could be accomplished in TUNEL assay. Results of Western bolt showed that vincristine could increase the embryos caspase-3 and p53 expression(P <0.01), while vincristine in high concentration might decrease KRT4 markedly(P<0.01). Conclusion Vin-cristine can induce damage on zebrafish skin with suppression KTR4,which can be used as a new skin damage model.

Study on Information Service of Hospital WeChat Public Platform / 医学信息学杂志

The paper takes the 17 hospitals in Chongqing as its study subject,analyzes the status quo of hospital information service from the use of their WeChat public platforms,builds category of information released on WeChat public platforms from the content level,and makes suggestions on information service of WeChat public platforms.

Effect of acupuncture in intervening heroin-induced brain damage via regulating ubiquitin-proteasome pathway / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective:To observe the effect of acupuncture in regulating ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP),and discuss the action of acupuncture in intervening heroin-induced brain damage.Methods:Thirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into a control group,a model group and an acupuncture group by using the random number table.Rats in the model and acupuncture groups received intramuscular heroin injection for successive 8 d at a progressively increased dose.Afterwards,the injection was suspended for 5 d for withdrawal.The heroin relapse rat model was established by repeating the drug addiction and withdrawal process for 3 times.The control group followed the step of the model establishment,but was given intramuscular injection of normal saline at the stage of addiction and no intervention at the stage of withdrawal;the model group was given intramuscular heroin injection at a progressively increased dose at the addiction stage and no intervention at the withdrawal stage;the acupuncture group was dealt in the same way as the model group at the addiction stage,but received acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20) and Dazhui (GV 14) at the withdrawal stage,with the needles retained for 30 min each time,1 session a day,for successive 5 d.On the 39th day,brain tissues were extracted from the hippocampus and ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the three groups of rats.The apoptosis of brain nerve cells was detected by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick and labeling (TUNEL).The mRNA and protein expressions of ubiquitin (Ub),ubiquitin protein ligase (E3) and 26S were examined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).Results:Compared with the model group,rat's hippocampus and VTA in the acupuncture group showed significantly fewer cells positively stained by TUNEL staining (P＜0.01),and its mRNA and protein expressions of Ub,E3,26S were significantly lower (P＜0.01).Conclusion:Reducing nerve cell apoptosis and regulating the mRNA and protein expressions of Ub,E3 and 26S in rat's hippocampus and VTA are possibly one of the action mechanisms of acupuncture in intervening heroin-induced brain damage.

Value of PI-RADS v2 scores combined with prostate specific antigen in diagnosis of peripheral zone prostate cancer: a logistic regression analysis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the value of Prostate Imaging and Reporting and Data System: Version 2 (PI-RADS v2) combined with prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the diagnosis of peripheral zone (PZ) prostate cancer (PCa).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and PSA data were ananlyzed for 69 patients with pathologically confirmed PCa and 109 non-PCa patients. PI-RADS v2 scores (1-5) was used to evaluate the risk of PZ PCa. The total PSA (tPSA) level, free to total PSA ratio (f/t PSA), PSA density (PSAD), PZ-PSAD and PI-RADS v2 scores were compared between the PCa and non-PCa patients. Logistic regression models were established with parameters that differed significantly the two groups. The receiver opearting characteristics (ROC) curve was constructed based on the P values derived from the logical regression models and PI-RADS scores to assess the diagnostic efficiency.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PI-RADS v2 score, tPSA, f/t PSA, PSAD and PZ-PSAD differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.01). Four predictive multivariate models were established: Logit P=-6.825+1.024PI-RADS v2+ 0.223tPSA (A), Logit P=-4.354+1.586PI-RADS v2-12.7841f/tPSA (B), Logit P=-8.993+1.630PI-RADS v2+17.091PSAD (C), and Logit P=-9.434+1.596PI-RADS v2+10.494PZ-PSAD (D), whose area under the ROC curves was 0.908, 0.891, 0.944, and 0.961, respectively, all significantly greater than that of PI-RADS v2 score (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with PI-RADS v2 score alone, the combination of PI-RADS v2 score and PSA in the logistic regression model can improve the diagnostic efficiency of PZ PCa and offers better confidence in the decision of biopsy in suspected cases.</p>

Analysis of Impurity Profile of Cefotaxime Sodium by HPLC-MS / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC-MS method for the analysis of the impurity profile of cefotaxime sodium. METHODS: Shimadzu-LCMS-IT-TOF was used with Waters XBridge Shield (RP18, 4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) column. Mobile phase A was 20 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate (pH adjusted to 6.25)-methanol (92: 8), and mobile phase B was set at 20 mmol·L-1 ammonium acetate-methanol (60: 40) (pH adjusted to 6.25).Gradient elution was performed at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. ESI source was used.Positive and negative ion scanning was conducted in the range of m/z 150-900.The heating temperature was 200℃, CDL temperature was maintained at 200℃, atomization gas flow rate was 1.5 L·min-1, dry gas pressure was 94.0 kPa, and the post-column diversion ratio was 1: 4.Some related substances in cefotaxime sodium were identified by comparing the retention time in chromatography, [M+H]+ spectrum and MS2 spectrum with those of reference substances, the others which haven't reference substances were deduced or speculated by analyzing the MS2 or MSn fragmentation with the help of a rule summarized from the MS2 fragmentation of cefotaxime sodium and the reference substances of system suitability impurities. RESULTS: Twenty-six related substances were separated and detected in the sample, all of which were identified or deduced. They were cefotaxime sodium isomeric compounds and homologs generated during the production process or degradation products. CONCLUSION: The method can be applied in the identification and qualitative analysis of the related substances of cefotaxime sodium and the quality control and optimization of the synthesis of cefotaxime sodium.

Information narrowing and perception of its users under the micro-dissemination environment / 中华医学图书情报杂志

Objective To study the association between users behaviors and information narrowing and the effect of in-formation narrowing on the access of information under the micro-dissemination environment.Methods The presence of in-formation narrowing and the reasons why it occurs were analyzed by literature analysis, the perception of its users was analyzed according to the questionnaire survey,and the data recorded during the questionnaire survey were ana-lyzed by ordinal logistic regression analysis using the SPSS 21.0.Results Five variables displayed in ordinal logistic regression analysis showed their significant effect on information narrowing.Conclusion Information narrowing can affect our understanding of information and lead to the spread of false information and rumors. Information users should thus expand their knowledge structure and information access channels,strengthen Internet management and take a lead in the healthy development of network information dissemination.

Rhizosphere microorganism evidence on geo-authentic features of traditional Chinese medicine from Moutan (Paeonia suffruticosa) / 药学学报

Paeonia suffruticosa also named Moutan that cultivated in five geographic regions during different growth stages were chosen in this study. Biolog and 454 pyrosequencing technology were used to detect the whole microbial activity and fungal diversity for exploring the relationship between the geo-authentic features of the medicinal plant and the rhizosphere microorganism. The results suggest that the value of average well color development (AWCD) from the rhizosphere soil of P. suffruticosa in the five regions at the fo ur growth stage have an increasing tendency. 9 703 operational taxonomic unit (OTU) were obtained from 272 463 high quality sequences according to the similarity of 97% by the pyrosequencing. Fungi in five phyla, twenty-two classes, seventy orders, one hundred and thirty-nine families and two hundred and sixty-six genera were detected in the five regions excluding twelve percent to fifty-eight percent unidentified fungi. They were divided into four branches, i.e. Blastocladiales, Chytridiomycota, Dikarya and Glomeromycetes. Twenty-four genera such as Leptosphaeria were found in the five regions while six genera such as Curvularia were only detected in the geo-authentic regions. The dominant genera were Guehomyces, Exophiala and Fusarium in geo-authentic regions, whereas genus Leptosphaeria, Cryptococcus, Exophiala, Fusarium and Ceratobasidium in non-authentic regions. The results from principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the fungi formations were similar in Tongling and Nanling region at four different growth stages, and the same in Heze at the leaf bud and fruiting stage. According to heatmap analysis, Tongling and Nanling region showed a close similarity in fungal community structures on phylogenetic analysis, while Bozhou, Heze and Luoyang showed the same. In brief, the whole microbial activity was higher in geo-authentic regions than the non-authentic. Fungi in rhizosphere soil of the medicinal peony presented diversity and region specificity. We found not only the abundant new species in the five regions, but also the phylogenetic similarity in the geo-authentic regions.

Microscopic study of ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction effects on vascular smooth muscle cells

Objective: To observe vascular smooth muscle cell morphological changes induced by ultrasound combined with microbubbles by Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy (AFAM). Methods: A7r5 rat aortic smooth muscle cells were divided into groups: control group (without ultrasonic irradiation, no micro bubbles) and US+MB group (45 kHz, 0.4 W/cm2 ultrasound irradiate for 20 seconds with a SonoVue™ concentration of [(56-140)×105/mL]. Cell micro-morphological changes (such as topographic and acoustic prognosis) were detected, before and after ultrasound destruction by AFAM. Results: In cell morphology, smooth muscle cells were spread o and connected to each another by fibers. At the center of the cell, the nuclear area had a rough surface and was significantly elevated from its surroundings. The cytoskeletal structure of the reticular nucleus and cytoplasm in the morphology of A7r5 cells (20 μ m × 20 μ m) were clear before microbubble intervention. After acoustic exciting, the cell structure details of the acoustic image were improved with better resolution, showing the elasticity of different tissues. In the acoustic image, the nucleus was harder, more flexible and uneven compared with the cytoplasm. Many strong various-sized echo particles were stuck on the rough nuclear membrane's substrate surface. The nuclear membrane did not have a continuous smooth surface; there were many obstructions (pores). After ultrasound-intervention was combined with microbubbles, the dark areas of the A7r5 cell images was increased in various sizes and degrees. The dark areas showed the depth or low altitudes of the lower regions, suggesting regional depressions. However, the location and scope of the acoustic image dark areas were not similar to those found in the topographic images. Therefore, it was likely that the dark areas, both from the topographic and acoustic images, were sound-holes. In addition, some cell nuclei become round in different degrees after irradiation. Conclusions: Atomic force microscopy and acoustic excitation method can noninvasively and completely display a cell's structure, connections and elastic properties at a nano scale in just several minutes. The dark areas, both from the topographic and acoustic images, may be sound-holes; therefore, it would be helpful if these sound-holes were found. These findings provide a relationship between cell apoptosis after ultrasound and microbubble ultrasound irradiation, and the sound-hole effect.

Microscopic study of ultrasound-mediated microbubble destruction effects on vascular smooth muscle cells

OBJECTIVE@#To observe vascular smooth muscle cell morphological changes induced by ultrasound combined with microbubbles by Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy (AFAM).@*METHODS@#A7r5 rat aortic smooth muscle cells were divided into groups: control group (without ultrasonic irradiation, no micro bubbles) and US+MB group (45 kHz, 0.4 W/cm(2) ultrasound irradiate for 20 seconds with a SonoVue™ concentration of [(56-140)×10(5)/mL]. Cell micro-morphological changes (such as topographic and acoustic prognosis) were detected, before and after ultrasound destruction by AFAM.@*RESULTS@#In cell morphology, smooth muscle cells were spread o and connected to each another by fibers. At the center of the cell, the nuclear area had a rough surface and was significantly elevated from its surroundings. The cytoskeletal structure of the reticular nucleus and cytoplasm in the morphology of A7r5 cells (20 μ m × 20 μ m) were clear before microbubble intervention. After acoustic exciting, the cell structure details of the acoustic image were improved with better resolution, showing the elasticity of different tissues. In the acoustic image, the nucleus was harder, more flexible and uneven compared with the cytoplasm. Many strong various-sized echo particles were stuck on the rough nuclear membrane's substrate surface. The nuclear membrane did not have a continuous smooth surface; there were many obstructions (pores). After ultrasound-intervention was combined with microbubbles, the dark areas of the A7r5 cell images was increased in various sizes and degrees. The dark areas showed the depth or low altitudes of the lower regions, suggesting regional depressions. However, the location and scope of the acoustic image dark areas were not similar to those found in the topographic images. Therefore, it was likely that the dark areas, both from the topographic and acoustic images, were sound-holes. In addition, some cell nuclei become round in different degrees after irradiation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Atomic force microscopy and acoustic excitation method can noninvasively and completely display a cell's structure, connections and elastic properties at a nano scale in just several minutes. The dark areas, both from the topographic and acoustic images, may be sound-holes; therefore, it would be helpful if these sound-holes were found. These findings provide a relationship between cell apoptosis after ultrasound and microbubble ultrasound irradiation, and the sound-hole effect.

Clinical parameters predicting pathologic complete response following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer / 癌症

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT), followed by total mesorectal excision, has become the standard of care for patients with clinical stages II and III rectal cancer. Patients with pathologic complete response (pCR) to preoperative CRT have been reported to have better outcomes than those without pCR. However, the factors that predict the response to neoadjuvant CRT have not been well defined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of clinical parameters on the development of pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 323 consecutive patients from a single institution who had clinical stage II or III rectal cancer and underwent a long-course neoadjuvant CRT, followed by curative surgery, between 2005 and 2013 were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to their responses to neoadjuvant therapy: the pCR and non-pCR groups. The clinical parameters were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses, with pCR as the dependent variable.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 323 patients, 75 (23.2%) achieved pCR. The two groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, body mass index, tumor stage, tumor location, tumor differentiation, radiation dose, and chemotherapy regimen. On multivariate analysis, a pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of ≤ 5 ng/mL [odds ratio (OR) = 2.170, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.195-3.939, P = 0.011] and an interval of >7 weeks between the completion of chemoradiation and surgical resection (OR = 2.588, 95% CI = 1.484-4.512, P = 0.001) were significantly associated with an increased rate of pCR.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The pretreatment CEA level and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy-surgery interval were independent clinical predictors for achieving pCR. These results may help clinicians predict the prognosis of patients and develop adaptive treatment strategies.</p>

Expression of Translationally Controlled Tumor Protein (TCTP) Gene of Dirofilaria immitis Guided by Transcriptomic Screening

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. More sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. Applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for D. immitis infection. A filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was initially identified by screening the assembled transcriptome of D. immitis (DiTCTP). A BLAST analysis suggested that the DiTCTP gene shared the highest similarity with TCTP from Loa loa at protein level (97%). A histidine-tagged recombinant DiTCTP protein (rDiTCTP) of 40 kDa expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed immunoreactivity with serum from a dog experimentally infected with heartworms. Localization studies illustrated the ubiquitous presence of rDiTCTP protein in the lateral hypodermal chords, dorsal hypodermal chord, muscle, intestine, and uterus in female adult worms. Further studies on D. immitis-derived TCTP are warranted to assess whether this filarial protein could be used for a diagnostic purpose.

Evaluating range of motion in cervical spine by the non-contact measurement technology / 医用生物力学

Objective To develop an improved DIC (digital image correlation) algorithm suitable for measuring large ROM (range of motion) of the cervical spine, as traditional DIC algorithm is not capable of accurately measuring ROM of the cervical spine due to its large rotation angles. Methods An algorithm which allowed rotation of the subset window was proposed to achieve robust correlation matching in the measurement. A new iterative variable, which represented the orientation of the subset, was introduced and incorporated in the Newton-Raphson iteration method together with the position variables (x,y). By assigning an initial guess to these variables individually, the precise location and rotation angle could be determined in the deformed image. The precision of the proposed method was evaluated by translation and rotation experiments. ResultsThe translation experiment confirmed that the proposed method had the same accuracy as the traditional DIC, and the displacement measurement accuracy was within 0.5%. While the rotation experiment indicated that the proposed method could measure the deformation at any angles with precision less than 0.5°. The method was then applied to the measurement of ROM of cervical spine subjected to compressive loads and received good results. Conclusions Compared with the traditional DIC algorithm, the proposed method can achieve accurate measurement with large ROM for cervical spine tests with different loads, and provide an effective means for assessing the stability and physiological activities of cervical spine.

Clinical features of antiviral therapy-induced thyroid disease in patients with chronic hepatitis C / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features of thyroid disease occurring in response to antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-two patients diagnosed with CHC were recruited for study from our hospital between 2009 and 2010. All patients were given a 48-week course of antiviral combination therapy with pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN; 180 mug qw ih) and ribavirin (RBV; 15 mg/kg bw). Patient sera was collected prior to treatment (baseline), at treatment weeks 24 and 48, and post-treatment week 24, and used to detect changes in levels of thyroid function markers, thyroid-specific and other autoantibodies, complement factors, and immunoglobulins (Igs). Differential expression of biomarkers was assessed between patients who developed thyroid disorder and those who did not.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At treatment week 48, 13.4% (11/82) of cases developed hypothyroidism, 3.7% (3/82) developed hyperthyroidism, 20.7% (17/82) tested positive for thyroglobulin antibody, and 22.0% (18/82) tested positive for thyroid peroxidase antibody. The patients who did not develop thyroid disease had significantly higher post-treatment levels (vs. baseline) of IgG (14.84 +/- 2.61 vs. 12.95 +/- 3.32 g/L, F = 10.458, P = 0.002) and C4 (0.26 +/- 0.09 vs. 0.22 +/- 0.08 g/L, F = 6.835, P = 0.011) and significantly lower IgM (0.86 +/- 0.48 vs. 1.00 +/- 0.42 g/L, F = 9.106, P = 0.003). The patients who developed thyroid disease showed no significant differences in the baseline and post-treatment levels of IgG, C4, or IgM. When the two groups of patients who did or did not develop thyroid disease were compared, there was no difference in the amount of patients who achieved sustained virological response.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Antiviral-induced thyroid disease in patients with refractory hepatitis C manifests as clinically-detectable abnormalities in serum levels of thyroid autoantibody and markers of hypothyroidism. Levels of other autoantibodies and Igs do not correlate with the development of thyroid disease in these patients, and thyroid disease does not appear to affect the efficacy of Peg-IFN + RBV antiviral therapy.</p>

Effect of modified Yupingfeng granule on nuclear factor-kappaB expression in mice with allergic contact dermatitis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of modified Yupingfeng granule on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB)expression in mice with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mouse models of ACD were treated with the granules at low, medium and high doses, with normal saline and hydrocortisone as the negative and positive controls, respectively. The expressions of NF-kappaB and its distribution in the lesions were detected using immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The staining intensity, area and positive expression rates of NF-kappaB p50 were significantly different between the treatment group and the normal saline group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Modified Yupingfeng granule can effectively inhibit the expression of NF-kappaB in ACD, which might be a possible mechanism for its therapeutic effect on ACD.</p>

Effectiveness and safety of bicyclol combined with thymosin in treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the efficacy and safety of bicyclol combined with thymosin in treatment of chronic viral hepatitis B (CHB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 135 patients with CHB were randomized into experimental group and control group. The patients in the experimental group received bicyclol orally 75 mg daily and thymosin 20 mg intramuscular injection once every 2 days for 24 weeks and those in control group received bicyclol orally 75 mg daily alone for 24 weeks. The levels of serum aminotransferase (ALT/AST), HBV-DNA, HBeAg /antiHBe were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with pre-treatment levels, the serum aminotransferase levels decreased significantly in both groups, but there were no statistically significant differences between them. HBeAg negative conversion rate was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (35.3 percent vs.19.4 percent, P less than 0.05). HBV DNA negative conversion rate was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (36.7 percent vs. 20.9 percent, P less than 0.05). No obvious adverse events which were probably related to the drugs were observed in this study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The combination of bicyclol with thymosin had better effect in treatment of chronic hepatitis B ias compared with bicyvlol alone.</p>