Emodin enhances anti-tumor effect of gemcitabine by down-regulation expression of xiap in pancreatic cancer / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) playing in anti-tumor effect of emodin in combination with gemcitabine on pancreatic Cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Determination of aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine in Shenfu injection / 中国中药杂志

To establish a method for the content determination of indexes for measuring aconitic compounds contained in Shenfu injection, in order to provide basis for the evaluation of the curative effect of monkshood in Shenfu injection. The sample were purified and enriched with HF-LPME. ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm, 1.7 microm) was adopted and eluted with a gradient program, with acetonitrile-10 mmol x L(-1) NH4HCO3 (pH 10) as the mobile phases. The flow rate was 0.45 mL x min(-1). The content was determined with ESI and MRM. The results showed that aconitine, hypaconitine and mesaconitine showed a good linear relationship, with r > 0.999, within the range of 0.1-100 ng x L(-1). The recoveries were detected to be 100.1%, 97.4%, 97.5%, with RSD being 1.2%, 1.1%, 1.5%, respectively. This method was used to prove the safety of Shenfu injection, and provide scientific basis for correct evaluation of curative effect of monkshood, as well as a reliable, simple and practical means for quality control of monkshood-containing Chinese materia medica preparations.

Surgical treatment of postoperative deep wound infection after posterior lumbar interlumbar fusion of the lumbar stenosis / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study surgical treatment for the deep wound infections after the operation of posterior lumbar interlumbar fusion (PLIF) in lumbar spinal stenosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From December 2005 to December 2010,10 patients with the deep wound infection of the PLIF were analyzed retrospectively, including 4 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 52.8 years (ranged from 34 to 70 years). All the patients were treated with debridement and the drainage. The sensitive antibiotics were used. The VAS score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and JOA lumbar score were used to compare the clinical results pre-and post-operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the patients were followed up, and the mean duration was 24 months (ranged from 19 to 28 months). One patient developed to an intervertebral space infection and the cage was removed. One patient suffered a radical central nerve system infection and died after the debridement. Other 8 patients got a good clinical result. The VAS score decreased from preoperative 8.0 +/- 0.4 to postoperative 2.8 +/- 0.3; JOA score improved from preoperative 10.30 +/- 3.02 to postoperative 24.10 +/- 2.85; ESR decreased from preoperative (85.0 +/- 17.0) mm/h to postoperative (14.0 +/- 6.0) mm/h; both CRP and WBC decreased from preoperative (73.5 +/- 14.3) mg/L, (11.1 +/- 1.8) x 10(9)/L to postoperative (5.1 +/- 1.1) mg/L, (7.4 +/- 0.5) x 10(9)/L respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Treatment of patients with deep wound infections after PLIF with debridement, drainage, and sensitive antibiotics could get a good long-term clinical result, which is important to treat the patients with high-risk factors. Early diagnosis and operation is the key to deal with the patients with deep wound infections after PLIF.</p>

Comparison between bipedicular approach and uni-extrapedicular approach in application of vertebroplasty / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of bipedicular approach and uni-extrapedicular approach of vertebroplasty in treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2008 to December 2010,53 patients with OVCFs were retrospectively analyzed. There were 24 males, 30 females with an average age of 66.9 years (ranged,59 to 88 years). Among them, 26 cases were treated with bipedicular approach, 28 cases were treated with uni-extrapedicular approach. The data of bone cement injection, radiology exposure times, operation time, bone cement leakage and vessels nerve complications were observed. Cobb angle, vertebral compression ration were observed by imaging data, and evaluate recovery of deformity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The data of bone cement injection, radiology exposure times, operation time, VAS score were (6.6 +/- 0.8) ml and (6.8 +/- 1.5) ml, (21.7 +/- 4.0) times and (17.9 +/- 3.6) times, (40.5 +/- 5.5) min and (31.6 +/- 9.1) min, (2.8 +/- 0.6) scores and (3.1 +/- 0.5) scores respectively. Cobb angle,vertebral compression ration were (7.6 +/- 2.0) degrees and (6.9 +/- 2.6) degrees, (18.1 +/- 5.8)% and (16.5 +/- 6.1)%. There were no vascular nerve complications occurred. For bone cement leakage, 3 cases (11%) in bipedicular approach and 3 cases (11%)in uni-extrapedicular approach. There was no significant differences between two groups in VAS score, recovery of vetebral body, Cobb angle, bone cement injection and bone cement leakage, but had significant differences in radiology exposure times and operation time (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both of two approaches can treat OVCFs well, especially extropedicle approach which could reduce operation time and radiation shoot frequency.</p>

A follow-up of the survival and medical factors responsible for the termination of treatment in very or extremely low birth weight infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the outcomes of very or extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants born between 2000 and 2008 in a single NICU and the medical factors associated with the termination of treatment in some infants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this case control study, the clinical data of 148 VLBW/ELBW infants were retrospectively studied and the surviving infants were followed up. Both univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the medical factors associated with terminating treatment in infants.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty infants (13.5%) failed to respond to the therapy and died in the hospital. Three infants (2.0%) died after discharge. Nineteen infants (12.8%) did not receive treatment due to decision of the guardian and died. Thirty infants (20.3%) were not followed up after discharge. Seventy-six infants (51.4%) survived, including 47 healthy infants, 2 cases of congenital diseases and 27 cases with poor prognosis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed there were 2 significant factors associated with terminating treatment: neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (P=0.030, OR=11.396, 95%CI 1.-102.701) and hospitalization periods (the year 2004-2006) (P=0.039, OR=9.869, 95%CI 1.118-87.140).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The survival status of VLBW and ELBW infants needs to be improved. It is important to decrease the incidence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome for decreasing the proportion of terminating treatment in the infants.</p>

Role of nuclear factor-kappaB on emodin-induced sensitization of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine / 药学学报

In view of gemcitabine resistance has limited clinical activity of gemcitabine as a cellulotoxic drug in pancreatic cancer patients, this study is designed to investigate the effect of emodin on the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine as well as its mechanism. After gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line (SW1990/GZ) was established by escalating doses of gemcitabine serially in pancreatic cancer cell line (SW1990). The cellular proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to determine apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. The activity of NF-kappaB in pancreatic cancer cells was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Survivin in SW1990/GZ cells. Metastatic model simulating human pancreatic cancer was established by orthotopic implantation of histologically intact human tumor tissue into pancreatic wall of nude mice. Also, immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expression of Ki-67, NF-kappaB, Bcl-2 and Survivin in the tumors. The results show that pretreatment of cells with emodin followed by gemcitabine induced a higher percentage of growth inhibition and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells than that of gemcitabine alone. In addition to in vitro results, emodin in combination with gemcitabine is much more effective as an antitumor agent compared to either agent alone in the orthotopic tumor model. Further study showed that the emodin with or without gemcitabine significantly down-regulates NF-kappaB and its regulated molecules such as Bcl-2 and Survivin proteins both in vitro and in vivo. It is concluded that inactivation of NF-kappaB signaling pathway by emodin resulting in the chemosensitization of pancreatic cancer to gemcitabine, which is likely to be an important and novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.