Medicine in Future and Advantages of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

The history of medical development shows that oriental medicine, or traditional medicine, was born through medical practice during the times when science and technology were immature and underdeveloped, whereas with the development of science and technology, Western medicine, or modern medicine, was born through experimental analysis and research. With the development of medicine, the pros and cons of both medical systems become increasingly evident. How to integrate them and learn from each other will be the direction of future development of medicine. The formation and development of integrated medicine will, inevitably, usher in a new era for medicine.

Expression of EphA2 and EphrinA1 in human renal cell carcinoma and its relationship with angiogenesis / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of EphA2 and EphrinA1 and its relationship with angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma and its relevance to clinicopathologic features.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of the EphA2 and EphrinA1 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the tissues samples from 68 renal cell carcinomas and 24 normal kidneys, and quantitatively analyzed. The microvessel density (MVD) was determined by CD34 immunostaining of microvascular endothelial cells. Statistical analysis was performed using the software SPSS (version 13.0).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of EphA2, EphrinA1 and MND in the cancerous tissues were significantly higher (P<0.01) than that in the normal ones. Significantly increased expression of EphA2, EphrinA1 and MVD (P<0.01) was detected in cancer tissues with higher grade differentiation, more advanced stage and more lymph node metastasis, respectively (P<0.05 for each group). Expression of the EphA2 and EphrinA1 protein was shown to be positively associated with the MVD assessed by Spearman's correlation and factor analysis (r=0.555, r=0.485, P<0.01). The MVD was also significantly correlated with the diameter of the tumor (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EphA2 and EphrinA1 are highly expressed in renal cell carcinoma, and positively correlated with histological differentiation, clinical stage and angiogenesis in the cancer.</p>

Effects of tonifying shen recipe on advanced glycation end products, amyloid-beta peptide in telencephalon and hippocampus of ovariectomized rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Tonifying Shen recipe (TSR) on advanced glycation end products (AGEPs), amyloid-beta peptide (A beta P) in telencephalon and hippocampus of ovariectomized rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Female SD rats, 9 months old, were randomly divided into 3 groups: the sham operation (Sh) group, the ovariectomized (OV) group and the TSR group. Medication via gastrogavage 4 weeks was given after ovariectomy consecutively for 16 weeks. Competitive ELISA and radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to detect AGEPs and A beta P level in rats' telencephalon and hippocampus; florescent assay was used to determine the serum and urinary soluble AGE-peptide level; and also the rats' behavioral alteration and hippocampal morphological change were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with those in the Sh group, the correct escape rate in the OV group was significantly lower (P < 0.05), content of A beta P in telencephalon and serum soluble AGE-peptide levels significantly higher (P < 0.05), contents of AGEPs in telencephalon and hippocampal tissue showed an increased tendency, but without significance (P > 0.05), argyrophil stain showed that nerve fiber thickened, senile plaques appeared in temporal cortex. In the TSR group after treatment, contents of AGEPs in telencephalon, A beta P in telencephalon and hippocampus significantly decreased (P < 0.05), the urinary soluble AGE-peptide level significantly increased (P < 0.05) and with markedly improvement of learning memory capability and above-mentioned pathological changes.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TSR could reduce the accumulation of AGEPs in telencephalon and the contents of A beta P in telencephalon and hippocampal tissue, and improve the impaired ability of learning and memory caused by lack of estrogen. Its mechanism might be based on the elevation in excretion of AGE-peptide via kidney.</p>