Ten-year survey on oncology publications from China and other top-ranking countries / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Cancer is a global disease that knows no borders. Over the past decade, oncology research had developed rapidly worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the publication characteristics in oncology journals from China and other top-ranking countries.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The present study was designed to study publication characteristics in oncology journals from China and other top-ranking countries, the United States (USA), Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK) and France, from 2001 to 2010. We also examined the research output from the three different regions of China: the mainland of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Articles published in 163 journals related to oncology were retrieved from the PubMed database. The number of articles showed significantly positive trends for the six countries. The percentage of articles in the world output showed a significantly positive increase in contributions from China, especially the mainland of China. China contributed 4.5% of the total 163 journals, and 2.5% of the journals with the top 10% impact factor (IF) scores. USA contributed 31.4% of the total world output, 40.5% of the top 10% IF score journals and ranked the first.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This analysis described the research output from each country and region of China, and revealed the positive trend in China during 2001 and 2010. Also, by contrast with other top-ranking countries, these results imply that China falls behind the others in conducting high-quality oncology research.</p>

Application of gene sequencing directly to identify the pathogens in specimens / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Accurate identification of bacterial isolates is an essential task in clinical microbiology. This study compared culturing to analyzing 16S rRNA gene sequences as methods to identify bacteria in clinical samples. We developed a key technique to directly identify bacteria in clinical samples via nucleic acid sequences, thus improving the ability to confirm pathogens.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We obtained 225 samples from Beijing Tongren Hospital and examined them by conventional culture and 16S rDNA sequencing to identify pathogens. This study made use of a modified sample pre-treatment technique which came from our laboratory to extract DNA. 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR. The amplified product was sequenced on a CEQ8000 capillary sequencer. Sequences were uploaded to the GenBank BLAST database for comparison.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the positively cultivated bacterial strains, seven strains were identified differently by Vitek32 and by 16S rDNA sequencing. Twelve samples that were negative by standard culturing were determined to have pathogens by sequence analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The use of 16S rRNA gene sequencing can improve clinical microbiology by providing better identification of unidentified bacteria or providing reference identification of unusual strains.</p>

Relationship between copper injury and apoptosis and the effect of curcumin on copper-injured BRL cells / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between copper-induced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in BRL cells and the effect of curcumin, a plant-derived polyphenol, on copper-injured BRL cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BRL cells were treated with CuSO4 (100 micromol/L) or curcumin + CuSO4. The BRL cells without any treatment were used as controls. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the production of ROS with fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. MTT colorimetry was used to evaluate cell activity. Apoptosis was measured using Hoechst 33258 staining and Annexin V-FITC and propidiumiodide (PI) staining. JNK/SAPK protein level was detected using Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ROS levels (711.70 +/- 68.33 vs 87.22 +/- 7.58) and apoptosis rate (45.08 +/- 1.87% vs 8.23 +/- 2.56%) of BRL cells reached to a peak after 6 hrs of CuSO4 treatment, which were significantly higher than controls (P < 0.01). JNK/SAPK levels increased significantly after 6 hrs of CuSO4 treatment and peaked at 24 hrs of CuSO4 treatment compared with controls (P < 0.01). Curcumin pretreatment decreased significantly ROS and JNK/SAPK levels as well as the apoptosis rate when compared with the CuSO4-treated alone group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Copper may induce apoptosis of BRL cells. ROS participated in apoptosis induced by copper. Curcumin produced protections on copper-injured BRL cells possibly by anti-oxidation and inhibition of p-JNK expression.</p>

Curcumin attenuated the lipid peroxidation and apoptotic liver injury in copper-overloaded rats / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson disease, WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. The clinical manifestations are dominated by the neuropsychiatric and hepatic symptoms due to copper deposition. Investigation of mechanism of copper injury should be helpful for elucidating the pathogenesis and treatment of WD. Curcumin, a plant-derived polyphenol, exhibits the properties of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammation and has no evident side effects, therefore, today curcumin is studied by more and more researchers in pharmacologic action and clinical application especially for its protective effect on liver diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the lipid peroxidation and apoptotic liver injury in copper-overloaded rats, and to explore the protective effects of curcumin.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Wistar rats, male, were randomly divided by copper-overloaded groups and curcumin treatment groups and control group. Copper-overloaded rat model was established by feeding with forage containing 1 g/kg copper sulfate and water with 0.185% copper sulfate for 8 weeks or 12 weeks. In the treatment groups, curcumin was administered orally either 50 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg for 2 weeks and 4 weeks and 8 weeks and fed with copper sulfate at the same time until the 12th week. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in liver homogenates were measured to reflect the copper induced lipid peroxidation. The apoptosis of liver cell was detected by electron microscope (EM) and TUNEL assay. The expressions of TNF-alpha mRNA and IL-8 mRNA were observed by RT-PCR. Contents of TNF-alpha and IL-8 in liver homogenates were measured by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MDA concentrations were significantly increased and the GSH and SOD levels were decreased in the copper-overloaded rats. The apoptosis index displayed from (2.2 +/- 1.2)% in control rats to (16.7 +/- 2.5)% in the copper treated animals. Expression of TNF-alpha mRNA and IL-8 mRNA were enhanced in the copper-overloaded rats. Curcumin significantly attenuated the increase of MDA concentrations and recovered the GSH and SOD levels. The apoptosis index decreased to (10.4 +/- 1.2)% in the copper-overloaded rats with curcumin treatment. Curcumin down-regulated the expressions of TNF-alpha mRNA and IL-8 mRNA and content of TNF-alpha and IL-8. Histological changes induced by copper in liver, such as mitochondrial swelling and endoplasmic reticulum distention and increased lysosomal granules in the model rats, were also improved significantly by curcumin treatment as evidenced by EM examination.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Copper-overloading caused lipid peroxidatic injury and induced significant apoptosis in liver. TNF-alpha and IL-8 might be involved in liver injury in this model. Curcumin exhibited protective effects and possibly acted through its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties.</p>