Effect of berberin hydrochloride on blood concentration of cyclosporine A in cardiac transplanted recipients / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinic effect of combined use of berberin hydrochloride (Ber) with cyclosporine A (CsA) on the blood concentration of CsA in heart transplanted recipients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The blood concentration of CsA, liver-renal function and blood lipids in 22 heart transplanted recipients, who received Ber-CsA combined therapy, were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The whole blood steady state concentration of CsA, C0 and C2, in recipients after being treated with Ber-CsA significantly increased than those before applying Ber-CsA (P < 0.01), with the mean increment of 26% and 18% respectively; the dosage of CsA used decreased in 21 patients by 25-100 mg/d; and the Ber-CsA showed no significant effect on liver-renal function or blood lipids (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combined use of CsA with Ber could markedly increase the blood concentration of CsA in heart transplanted recipients and reduce the dosage of CsA required, save the fee for medical service, and shows no obvious adverse reaction.</p>

Significance and mechanisms of overexpression of PAK1 gene in epithelial ovarian neoplasms / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the significance and mechanisms of overexpression of p21-activated kinase 1 gene (PAK1) in epithelial ovarian neoplasms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling methods were used to examine the protein expression and amplification of PAK1 and cell apoptosis in 30 benign ovarian adenomas, 20 borderline tumors and 80 ovarian carcinomas by tissue microarray.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In immunohistochemistry study, overexpression of PAK1 protein was observed in 7 (25.9%) informative benign ovarian adenomas, 7 (36.8%) borderline tumors and 53 (68.8%) ovarian carcinomas. A significant inverse correlation of PAK1 overexpression and cell apoptosis was observed in these epithelial ovarian neoplasm cohorts (P = 0.002). In addition, 27/31 (87.1%) poorly differentiated (G3) carcinomas showed overexpression of PAK1, the frequency was significantly higher than that in tumors of G1 - G2 (26/46, 56.5% , P =0.01). In fluorescence in situ hybridization study, only 2 (4.7%) informative ovarian carcinomas showed amplification of PAK1 gene. None of the borderline and benign ovarian tumors showed PAK1 amplification.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Overexpression of PAK1 protein may be involved in the tumorigenesis of epithelial ovarian neoplasms and it is associated closely with the malignant histological phenotype of ovarian carcinomas. Mechanism other than gene amplification of PAK1 may play a more important role in the regulation of protein expression of PAK1 in ovarian tumors.</p>