Intervention effect of Tuina pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) acupoint on NF-κB p65 protein at spinal cord dorsal horn in sciatica rats / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the analgesic effect of Tuina by pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) acupoint on rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) and to explore the analgesic mechanism of Tuina on sciatica rats.@*METHODS@#Thirty-two SPF male SD rats weighing 180 to 220 g were randomly divided into fore groups:blank group (without any treatment), sham group (only exposed without sciatic nerve ligating), model group (sciatic nerve ligating) and Tuina group (manual intervention after lsciatic nerve ligating). The CCI model was prepared by ligating the right sciatic nerve of the rats, on the third day of modeling, the rats in the Tuina group were given pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) point for 14 days, and the changes of paw withdrawal threshold(PWT), paw withdrawal latency(PWL) were measured before and on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th and 17th days after modeling. The changes of sciatic functional index(SFI) were measured before and on the 1st and 17th day after modeling. The morphological changes of the sciatic nerve were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining;and the differences in NF-κB protein expression in the right dorsal horn of the spinal cord of rats were detected.@*RESULTS@#Following modeling, there was no significant difference in PWT, PWL and SFI between the blank group and the sham group (P>0.05), but the PWT, PWL and SFI of the model group and the Tuina group decreased significantly (P<0.01). After manual intervention, the pain threshold of rats in Tuina group increased. On the 8th day of manual intervention (the 10th day after modeling), PWT in Tuina group increased significantly compared with that in model group (P<0.01). On the 5th day of manual intervention (the 7th day after modeling), the PWL of the massage group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P<0.01). The pain threshold of rats in Tuina group continued to rise with the continuous manipulation intervention. After 14 days of manipulative intervention, the sciatic nerve function index of rats in the Tuina group increased significantly(P<0.01). Compared with the blank group and sham group, the myelinated nerve fibers of sciatic nerve in the model group were disordered and the density of axons and myelin sheath was uneven. Compared with the model group, the nerve fibers of rats in the Tuina group were gradually continuous and the axons and myelin sheath were more uniform than those in the model group. Compared with the blank group and sham group, the expression of NF-κB protein in the right spinal dorsal horn of the model group was significantly increased(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of NF-κB protein in the right spinal dorsal horn of rats in Tuina group decreased significantly(P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) point restores nerve fiber alignment;and improves the PWT、PWL and SFI in the CCI model by decreasing NF-κB p65 protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn. There fore, Tuina demmstrates an analgesic effect and improves the gait of rats with sciatica.

Therapeutic Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing Interleukin-10 on Inflammatory Bowel Disease / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an, intractable inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by T-cell infiltration to the colon. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), owing to their immunosuppressive capabilities, have the potential to rescue IBD. But the therapeutic effectiveness of MSCs is sometime thwarted by their variable immunomodulatory ability in vivo. In the present study, we produced engineered MSCs that secrete interleukin10 (IL-10) and evaluated their therapeutic potential in IBD mouse model. The MSCs maintained the phenotype and cell proliferation rate after overexpression of IL-10 by lentivirus (LV) infection. Immune cells and MSCs in vitro co-culture systems exhibited that relative to unmodified MSCs, immune cells co-cultured with IL-10-overexpressing MSCs had significantly lower numbers of T helper 1 cells (Th1) and T helper 17 cells (Th17) (P0.05). Overall, LV induced MSCs overexpressing IL-10 might be a promising alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of IBD.

DNA Damage-Inducible Transcript 4 (Ddit4) Overexpression Could Inhibit Proliferation and Promote Apoptosis of HT-22 Cells through the Wnt / β-catenin Signaling Pathway / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are congenital defect diseases caused by cell proliferation and apoptosis disorders. Using RNA-Seq assays, we found the increased expression of DNA damage-inducible transcript 4 (Ddit4) in embryonic brain tissues from NTD fetuses. In this study, we intend to explore the effects of Ddit4 overexpression on the proliferation and apoptosis of HT-22 cells and related mechanisms to lay the foundation for the study of the role of Ddit4 in NTDs. According to the mouse Ddit4 sequence, we constructed the eukaryotic expression vector pEX-3-Ddit4. The results of restriction enzyme analysis and sequencing showed that the eukaryotic expression vector pEX-3-Ddit4 was successfully constructed. qRT-PCR and Western blotting results showed that the expression level of Ddit4 in HT-22 cells was significantly increased after transfection of PEX-3-Ddit4 (P < 0. 01) . CCK-8 and Western blotting results showed that Ddit4 overexpression decreased the proliferation of HT-22 cells (P < 0. 01) . Flow cytometry showed that Ddit4 overexpression increased the proportion of cells in the G

Clinical Effect of Tiaomai Mixture on Premature Ventricular Contraction in Coronary Heart Disease Due to Qi-Yin Deficiency and Stagnated Heat in Blood Vessel / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of Tiaomai mixture combined with metoprolol tartrate on premature ventricular contraction in coronary heart disease （CHD） due to Qi-Yin deficiency and stagnated heat in blood vessel. Method:A total of 95 patients with CHD complicated with premature ventricular contraction were randomized into a treatment group and a control group. Four cases dropped out， leaving 91 cases （45 in the treatment group and 46 in the control group） included in the follow-up. On the basis of routine treatments for CHD， patients in the control group were further treated with metoprolol tartrate， while those in the treatment group received metoprolol tartrate plus Tiaomai mixture. Such curative effect and safety indexes as traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， electrocardiogram （ECG）， and 24 h dynamic ECG were observed before and after four-week treatment. Result:After treatment， the therapeutic effect on arrhythmia in the treatment group was better than that in the control group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The treatment group was superior to the control group in reducing the frequency of premature ventricular contraction （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， improving the Lown grade （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， increasing the heart rate variability index （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， and ameliorating the QT dispersion in ECG （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， hypersensitive C-reactive protein， and homocysteine（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. As revealed by comparison with those before treatment， both interventions improved TCM syndrome， with better outcomes observed in the treatment group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， manifested as the alleviation of shortness of breath， fatigue， dry mouth with desire to drink， and tongue and pulse manifestations （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Tiaomai mixture improves the clinical efficacy against arrhythmia in CHD patients by regulating the heart rate variability index， inhibiting inflammatory cytokines， lowering homocysteine， and relieving clinical symptoms， which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Effects of manual loading on calcitonin gene-related peptide and nerve growth factor in rats with chronic low back pain / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the analgesic effect of manipulation loading on chronic low back pain (CLBP) model rats and the expression of inflammatory factors in psoas major muscle tissue, and to explore the improvement of manipulation on local inflammatory microenvironment.@*METHODS@#Thirty two SPF male SD rats weighing 340-360g were randomly divided into blank group, sham operation group, chronic low back pain model group and treatment group, with 8 rats in each group. In the model group, L@*RESULTS@#There was no significant difference in PWT and PWL between the blank group and the sham operation group after modeling (@*CONCLUSION@#Local massage loading has analgesic effect on CLBP rats, at the same time, it can inhibit the content of CGRP and NGF in psoas muscle tissue of CLBP rats, and improve the local inflammatory microenvironment.

Identification and characterization of murine adipose tissue-derived somatic stem cells of Shenque (CV8) acupoint / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Shenque (CV8) acupoint is located on the navel and has been therapeutically used for more than 2000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, clinical research on the underlying therapeutic molecular mechanisms of the CV8 acupoint lags far behind. This study aimed to study the mechanisms of umbilical acupoint therapy by using stem cells.@*METHODS@#The morphological characteristics of CV8 acupoint were detected under a stereomicroscope using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Oil Red, Masson, and immunohistochemical staining on multi-layered slices were used to identify the type of cells at the CV8 acupoint. Cell proliferation was measured by a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were used for cell identification. Induced differentiation was used to compare the differentiation of cells derived from CV8 acupoint and non-acupoint somatic stem cells into other cell types, such as osteogenic, adipogenic, and neural stem cell-like cells.@*RESULTS@#Morphological observations showed that adipose tissues at the linea alba of the CV8 acupoint in mice had a mass-like distribution. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed the distribution of stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1) positive cells in the multi-layered slices of CV8 acupoint tissues. Cells isolated from adipose tissues at the CV8 acupoint exhibited high expression of Sca-1 and CD44 and low expression of CD31 and CD34, and these cells possessed osteogenic, adipogenic, and neurogenic stem cell-like cell differentiation ability. The cell proliferation (day 4: 0.5138 ± 0.0111 vs. 0.4107 ± 0.0180, t = 8.447, P = 0.0011; day 5: 0.6890 ± 0.0070 vs. 0.5520 ± 0.0118, t = 17.310, P 100 μm: 2.6000 ± 0.5477 vs. 0.8000 ± 0.8367, t = 4.025, P = 0.0038) were significantly enhanced in somatic stem cells derived from the CV8 acupoint compared to somatic stem cells from the groin non-acupoint. However, cells possessed significantly weaker osteogenicity ([2.697 ± 0.627]% vs. [7.254 ± 0.958]%, t = 6.893, P = 0.0023) in the CV8 acupoint group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our study showed that CV8 acupoint was rich with adipose tissues that contained abundant somatic stem cells. The biological examination of somatic stem cells derived from the CV8 acupoint provided novel insights for future research on the mechanisms of umbilical therapy.

Closed reduction and internal fixation versus transtarsal sinus small incision internal fixation for Sanders type II calcaneal fractures / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effects of closed reduction and internal fixation with limited transtarsal sinus incision in the treatment of Sanders type II calcaneal fractures.@*METHODS@#From June 2015 to February 2018, 60 patients with Sanders type II calcaneal fractures were treated by minimally invasive method. According to the different treatment methods, they were divided into two groups: closed prying reduction and internal fixation with hollow nails(group A) and limited transtarsal sinus incision internal fixation (group B). There were 34 cases in group A, including 22 males and 12 females, aged 21 to 60(38.90±3.25) years old, 14 cases of Sanders type IIA, 14 cases of Sanders type IIB and 6 cases of Sanders type IIC. There were 20 cases in group B, including 14 males and 6 females, aged 20 to 59(39.20±2.96) years old, 8 cases of Sanders type IIA, 9 cases of Sanders type IIB and 3 cases of Sanders type IIC. Calcaneal height, calcaneal width, Gissane angle and Bohler angle were measured before and after operation. The complications, hospitalization time and cost were compared. Functional evaluation was performed by AOFAS score system one year after operation.@*RESULTS@#Fifty-four cases were followed up for 6 to 16(11.40±2.55) months and 6 cases were lost. All the wounds healed in grade A without complications such as skin infection and necrosis. There were 1 case of nerve injury in group A, 2 cases of tendon entrapment, 2 cases of nerve injury in group B, there was no significant difference(>0.05). There was no significant difference in calcaneal width, height, Bohlers angle and Gissane angle between group A and group B (>0.05). There was no significant difference in AOFAS score between group A and group B(89.2±4.7 vs 88.7±4.8, >0.05). The hospitalization expenditure and length of stay in group A were(5 021.25±1 047.19) yuan, (6.31±4.75) d, and those in group B were(13 591.35±1 975.21) yuan, (9.65±3.42) d, respectively, with significant difference(<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Closed reduction and internal fixation is as effective as transtarsal sinus incision reduction and internal fixation for Sanders typeIIfracture. It has the advantages of less trauma and fewer complications. Closed reduction and hollow nail fixation group can significantly shorten hospitalization time, reduce hospitalization costs, and is more economical. It is worth recommending, but attention should be paid to avoid choosing to comminute serious calcaneal fracture.

A retrospective study on risk factors associated with postoperative delirium in elderly patients with spinal operation / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the incidence and risk factors of delirium after spinal surgery in elderly patients.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on 436 patients with spinal surgery from January 2016 to November 2018. According to delirium occurrancy after the operation, 436 cases were divided into two groups:delirium group and non-delirium group. Body mass index(BMI), history of diabetes, history of coronary heart disease, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), preoperative white blood cell count, preoperative erythrocyte volume, preoperative hemoglobin level, operation mode, operation time, anesthesia time, American Association of Anesthesiologists(ANA)(ASA) score, cardiac function grading(NYHA), intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion, intraoperative fentanyl, propofol and Dizocine dosage, postoperative white blood cell count, postoperative erythrocyte volume, postoperative hemoglobin level, postoperative electrolytes (sodium, potassium) and univariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors. The independent risk factors were further investigated by multivariate Logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#Among 436 cases, 112 elderly patients had postoperative delirium, the incidence of delirium was about 25.68%. The age, preoperative leukocyte count, erythrocyte specific volume, postoperative hemoglobin level in delirium group and non-delirium group were measured. There were significant differences in the postoperative sodium concentration, anesthesia time, ASA score, cardiac function grading, blood loss during operation, postoperative use of Dizocine, history of diabetes, history of coronary heart disease and history of COPD (2, the use of Dizocine analgesic and the patients with COPD are the independent risk factors of postoperative delirium.

Comparison of three time series models in predicting the incidence of healthcare-associated infection / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To compare and evaluate the effect of different time series models in predicting incidence of healthcare-associated infection (HAI), and explore the best model for predicting incidence of HAI.Methods Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, nonlinear autoregressive neural network (NARNN), and ARIMA-back propagation neural network (ARIMA-BPNN) combination model were constructed based on fitting dataset of monthly HAI incidence from 2011 to 2016 (72 months) in a tertiary first-class hospital in Shanghai, predicting dataset of monthly infection incidence from January to December 2017 were used to test the predictive effect of model, the predictive effect of different models was evaluated and compared.Results For the fitting dataset, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of ARIMA, NARNN, and ARIMA-BPNN combination model were 13.00％, 14.61％, and 11.95％respectively;and for the predicting dataset, MAPE of ARIMA, NARNN, and ARIMA-BPNN combination model were 15.42％, 26.31％, and 14.87％ respectively.Conclusion Three time series models can effectively predict the incidence of HAI, of which the ARIMA-BPNN combination model showed the best performance in fitting and predicting the occurrence of HAI in this hospital, and can provide data support for the hospital decision-making.

Effect and Mechanism of Guhong Injection Promoting Fracture Healing in Rats / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of guhong injection(GHI) on tibial fracture healing in rats and to explore the mechanism of the action of GHI. METHODS: One hundred and eighty male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups with 30 rats in each group: sham operation group, model group, positive drug group(compound ossotide injection, 5 mL•kg-1), low, medium and high dose of GHI groups(2.5, 5, 10 mL•kg-1). In addition to the sham operation group, the other groups established the rat model of tibial fracture. All were given once daily intraperitoneal injections and samples were taken at 1st, 2nd, 4th and 6th week. Blood biochemical analysis and Elisa kit detection were performed on blood samples. X-rays, biomechanical tests, immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were performed on the tibial samples. RESULTS: ①After administration for one, two and four weeks, the levels of serum calcium(Ca) and phosphorus(P) in medium and high dose of GHI groups were higher than those in model group(P<0.05). ②X-ray showed that the outer callus growth and the disappearance of fracture line in all dose groups of GHI were faster than those in model group. ③Compared with model group, the maximum load and rigidity of medium and high dose of GHI groups were increased at each time point(P<0.05), and the trend of stress line graph were improved obviously. The content of alkaline phosphatase(ALP) in medium and high dose of GHI groups were higher than that in model group at each time point(P<0.05). Compared with model group, the serum levels of PDGF were increased in all dose groups of GHI(P<0.05 or P<0.01). After administration for one, two and four weeks, the serum BMP-2 in all dose groups of GHI were higher than those in model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01). ⑤Compared with model group, the expression of Runx2 mRNA were increased in medium and high dose of GHI groups, as well as Smad5 protein expression(P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: GHI could significantly improve the biomechanical properties of bone in fracture rats. The promotion of fracture healing might be through the upregulation of PDGF and BMP-2 expression in different stages of bone healing, and the regulation of BMP/Smad5/ Runx2 signaling may be one of the mechanisms of promoting fracture healing.

Anti-colorectal cancer effects of tripolinolate A from Tripolium vulgare / 中国天然药物

Tripolinolate A (TLA) is recently identified as a new compound from a halophyte plant Tripolium vulgare and has been shown to have significant in vitro activity against the proliferation of colorectal cancer and glioma cells. This study was designed to further investigate the effects of TLA on the proliferation of human normal cells, and the apoptosis and cell cycle in colorectal cancer cells, and the growth of tumors in the colorectal cancer-bearing animals. The data obtained from this study demonstrated that: 1) TLA had much less cytotoxicity in the human normal cells than the colorectal cancer cells; 2) TLA remarkably induced apoptosis in the human colorectal cancer cells and blocked cell cycle at G/M phase, and 3) TLA had significant anti-colorectal cancer activity in the tumor-bearing animals.

Pharmacokinetic comparison of two ozagrel polymorph forms in SD rats / 药学学报

To enhance the quality and efficiency of ozagrel by investigating the differences between the ozagrel polymorphs in bioavailability. Solid ozagrel in different polymorph forms were orally administered to SD rats. An HPLC method was established to determinate plasma level of ozagrel. The bioavailabilities of two polymorph forms were calculated and compared. The pharmacokinetic parameters of ozagrel, were as follows: Cmax was 32.72 ± 17.04 and 34.01 ± 19.13 mg · L(-1), respectively; AUC0-t was 61.14 ± 14.76 and 85.56 ± 18.08 mg · L(-1) · h, respectively; t½ was 1.53 ± 0.51 and 4.73 ± 3.00 h, respectively. There was no significant difference in pharmacokinetic parameters between form I and II polymorphs of ozagrel while the t½ of form II is longer, which indicates that the use of form II polymorph as pharmaceutical product may prolong the effective action time in clinics. This would help the polymorph quality control in drug production.

Establishment of double targets of high throughput screening model for xanthine oxidase inhibitors and superoxide anion scavengers / 药学学报

A double targets of high throughput screening model for xanthine oxidase inhibitors and superoxide anion scavengers was established. In the reaction system of xanthine oxidase, WST-1 works as the probe for the ultra oxygen anion generation, and product uric acid works as xanthine oxidase activity indicator. By using SpectraMax M5 continuous spectrum enzyme sign reflectoscope reflector, the changes of these indicators' concentration were observed and the influence factors of this reaction system to establish the high throughput screening model were studied. And the model is confirmed by positive drugs. In the reaction system, the final volume of reaction system is 50 μL and the concentrations of xanthine oxidase is 4 mU x mL(-1), xanthine 250 μmol x L(-1) and WST-1 100 μmol x L(-1), separately. The Z'-factor of model for xanthine oxidase inhibitors is 0.537 4, S/N is 47.519 9; the Z'-factor of model for superoxide anion scavengers is 0.507 4, S/N is 5.388 9. This model for xanthine oxidase inhibitors and superoxide anion scavengers has more common characteristics of the good stability, the fewer reagent types and quantity, the good repeatability, and so on. And it can be widely applied in high-throughput screening research.

Regulatory effect of leonurus extracts on hyperuricemia in rats / 中国中药杂志

In this study, SD rats were orally administrated with oteracil potassium (300 mg . kg-1 . d-1 ) to prepare the hyperuricemia model, and divided into normal, model, Allopurinol, LE high dosage, middle dosage and low dose (200, 100, 50 mg . kg-1 . d-1) groups. The rats were orally administrated with test drugs 1 hour later after being orally administrated with Oteracil potassium. After 7 days, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, uric acid and expression of relevant transporters in kidney were tested to study the regulatory effect of leonurus extracts on serum uric acid, renal function and relevant transporters in kidney of rats with hyperuricemia. Compared with the model group, the leonurus extract group could significantly down-regulate serum uric acid and creatinine levels of rats with hyperuricemia, and increase the urine uric acid level. Meanwhile, leonurus extracts could notably down-regulate the mRNA expressions of urate transporter 1 (URAT1) and glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9), up-regulate the mRNA expressions of organic cation transportanter (OCT) and Carnitine transporter (OCTN) and promote the excretion of uric acid of kidney.

Application of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction from Chinese medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility of serum pharmacology in evaluating the antitumor effect of Chinese medicine (CM) of Fuzheng Guben (supporting the healthy energy and strengthening the body's resistance to pathogens), the effects of Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction (FYD), a typical prescription of Fuzheng Guben, on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatoma cells in vitro were observed by two methods with serum pharmacology and traditional pharmacology, respectively.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HepG2 cells were treated with FYD-containing serum or crude FYD extract in vitro. The proliferation rate was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate was performed by flow cytometry. And the levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in FYD-containing serum were detected by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>FYD-containing serum remarkably inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of hepatoma cells at least by promoting the production of IL-2 and TNF-α in vivo. On the contrary, crude FYD extract promoted the proliferation and did not induce cell apoptosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results by serum pharmacology were accordant with those of our previous animal and clinical trials which indicates that serum pharmacology is a reasonable and feasible method for the evaluation of the antitumor effect of herbs of Fuzheng Guben.</p>

Interaction between maternal 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T and methionine synthase A2756G gene variants to increase the risk of fetal neural tube defects in a Shanxi Han population / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and methionine synthase (MS) are attractive candidates for screening for risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). The aim of the current study was to investigate maternal MTHFR and MS polymorphisms and the interaction between them and their influence on children with NTDs in the Shanxi Province of northern China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-one mothers who previously had children with NTDs constituted the case group and 51 age-matched mothers with children that were unaffected by any birth defects constituted the control group. All subjects were genotyped for MTHFR C677T and MS A2756G polymorphisms. SPSS 11.5 software package was used for all analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was a significant difference for MTHFR genotype distribution for one site (C677T) between the case and control groups. The T allele frequencies were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (55.9% vs. 35.3%, P < 0.05). A lack of association was observed for the MS A2756G polymorphism. There was an interaction between the maternal MTHFR C677T genotype and MS A2756G genotype.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Genetic interaction between MTHFR and MS genes raises the probability of neural tube defects.</p>

Short hairpin RNA mediated glypican-3 silencing inhibits hepatoma cell invasiveness and disrupts molecular pathways of angiogenesis / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct glypican-3 (GPC-3) short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and investigate the effects of GPC-3 transcription silencing on hepatoma cell invasion and angiogenesis mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>GPC-3-specific shRNA and non-target control shRNA were constructed and transfected into the human hepatoma cell lines HepG2, MHCC-97H, and Huh7. shRNA-mediated silencing of GPC-3 expression was confirmed at the mRNA and protein levels by fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription (FQRT)-PCR and western blotting, respectively. The effect of silenced GPC-3 expression on cell proliferation was detected by EdU and sulforhodamine B assays, on migration by wound healing (scratch) assay, on invasion by transwell chamber assay, and on apoptosis by luminescence assay of caspase-3/7 activity. The effect of silenced GPC-3 expression on angiogenesis-related signaling factors was detected by FQRT-PCR (for the glioma-associated oncogene homolog-1 hedgehog signaling factor, GLI1, and the beta-catenin Wnt signaling factor, b-catenin), immunofluorescent staining (for the insulin-like growth factor-II, IGF-II), and ELISA (for the vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF). Pairwise comparisons were made by the independent sample t-test, and multiple comparisons were made by one-way ANOVA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In all cell lines, transfection with the GPC-3-specific shRNA significantly reduced GPC-3 mRNA levels (% reduction as compared to the non-target control shRNA: HepG2, 89.2+/-6.0%, t = -25.753, P less than 0.001; MHCC-97H, 75.3+/-4.9%, t = -26.487, P less than 0.001; Huh7, 73.6+/-4.6%, t = -27.607, P less than 0.001); the GPC-3 protein levels were similarly reduced. The GPC-3 shRNA-silenced cells showed significantly reduced proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities, as well as significantly increased apoptosis. The shRNA-mediated GPC-3 silencing was accompanied by significant down-regulation of b-catenin mRNA (HepG2, 46.9+/-0.6%; MHCC-97H, 67.5+/-2.7%; Huh7, 56.3+/-8.4%) and significant up-regulation of GLI1 mRNA (HepG2, 49.2+/-28.6%; MHCC-97H, 54.6+/-24.4%; Huh7, 31.6+/-15.7%). At 72 h after transfection, the HepG2 cells showed significant down-regulation of VEGF protein (54.3+/-1.5%, t = 46.746, P less than 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GPC-3 contributes to migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and apoptosis of hepatoma cells, possibly through its interactions with the Wnt/b-catenin and Hedgehog signaling pathways. GPC-3 may represent a useful target for gene silencing by molecular-based therapies to treat hepatocellular carcinoma.</p>

Chinese medicine improves postoperative quality of life in endometriosis patients: a randomized controlled trial / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine (WM) on quality of life (QOL) after conservative surgery for endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 320 patients with endometriosis were randomized into two groups by using random block design, CM group (160 cases, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis treatment based on syndrome differentiation) and WM group (160 cases, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist or gestrinone treatment) after conservative surgery. Treatment was given for 3-6 months (according to the revised American Fertility Society scoring system stage), and the World Health Organization QOL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was applied to patients before and after treatment to assess QOL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were 136 cases in the CM group and 141 cases in the WM group completing therapy. In the CM group, the use of the WHOQOL-BREF showed that the physical, psychological and environmental scores posttreatment were significantly higher than those at pre-treatment (P < 0.05), and for 12 items (pain and discomfort, energy and fatigue, sleep and rest, mobility, activities of daily living, work capacity, negative feelings, health and social care: accessibility and quality, participation in and opportunities for recreation/leisure activities, appetite, QOL score, overall health status and QOL), the difference in scores was significant (P < 0.05). In the WM group, 4 items (pain and discomfort, opportunities for acquiring new information and skills, QOL score, overall health status and QOL) had significantly different scores post-treatment compared with those at pre-treatment (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the QOL in the two groups of patients showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). After treatment, the scores for physical health in the CM group were significantly higher than those of the WM group (P < 0.05) and the scores of 4 items (mobility, activities of daily living, sexual activity, QOL score) in the CM group were significantly higher than those in the WM group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CM and WM treatment could improve the QOL of patients with endometriosis after conservative surgery. CM treatment is more effective than WM.</p>

Effects of inhibited IGF-IR expression on proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the therapeutic value of inhibiting the expression of insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) using picropodophyllin (PPP) by studying the effects on proliferative and metastatic potentials of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using an in vitro cultured cell system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>IGF-IR expression in human HCC cell lines (Bel-7404, Bel-7402, HepG2, and Huh-7) and human hepatocytes (L02) was assessed at baseline (pre-treatment) and after PPP treatment by western blotting. Changes in cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry and in cell viability by sulforhodamine B staining. Early apoptosis was detected by annexin-V/FITC and propidium iodide double-staining assay. Caspase-3/7 activity was suppressed by z-VAD-FMK and analyzed by homogeneous luminescence assay. Effects on cell motility were tested by wound-scratch test. Between-group differences were assessed by t-test or one-way analysis of variance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IGF-IR was markedly up-regulated in all HCC cell lines (vs. non-hepatoma hepatocytes). HCC cells with PPP-inhibited IGF-IR showed time-dependent decreases in cell motility and viability. After treatment with PPP for 24 hours, the proportion of HCC cells in G1 phase was 2.1% +/- 0.4%, in S phase was 11.0% +/- 0.7%, and in G2/M phase was 87.1% +/- 0.6%, and no healing was observed in the wound-scratch assay. The PPP treatment induced cell apoptosis, as evidenced by enhanced caspase-3/7 activity; the proportion of annexin-V+/PI- cells was significantly higher in the HepG2 cells than in the non-hepatoma hepatocytes (16.4% +/- 0.4% vs. 5.8% +/- 0.2%, t = 14.05, P less than 0.01). After z-VAD-FMK treatment, the apoptosis rate was significantly higher in the HepG2 cells than in the non-hepatoma hepatocytes (11.3% +/- 0.7% vs. 5.8% +/- 0.2%, t = 11.83, P less than 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IGF-IR is associated with proliferation, cell motility, and apoptosis of HCC cells, and may be a promising molecular target for HCC.</p>

Application of sacral rod fixation for the treatment of lumbosacral segment tuberculosis / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical outcomes of primary anterior radical debridement, bone autograft, and sacral rod fixation for the treatment of tuberculosis of the lumbosacral segment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2004 to November 2008,11 patients with tuberculosis of the lumbosacral segments received antituberculosis medications for 2 to 3 weeks before anterior radical debridement, autologous iliac bone grafting, and internal sacral rod fixation. Among the patients, 5 patients were male and 6 patients were female, with an average age of (44.45 +/- 8.50) years (ranged from 29 to 56 years). The average time from stage of onset to operation was 11 months (ranged from 8 to 15 months). All the patients presented with various degrees of lower back pain; one patient experienced preoperative lower extremity radicular pain, while 2 patients experienced saddle area anaesthesia. However, only 6 patients exhibited mild to moderate tuberculous toxic reactions. All the patients were evaluated by plain radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made with reference to clinical and radiological findings. Surgery was performed when the toxic symptoms of tuberculosis were controlled and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) decreased to (37.2 +/- 9.6) mm/h (25 to 54 mm/h). Lumbosacral angle, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, ESR, and neurological performance were assessed before and after surgery.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All surgical procedures were performed successfully without intra or postoperative complications. There were no instances of spinal tuberculosis recurrence. Patients were followed up for a mean of (19.64 +/- 5.43) months. The mean lumbosacral angle significantly increased from the preoperative mean (12.9 +/- 5.0) degrees to postoperative (21.5 +/- 6.1) degrees and at final follow-up (20.1 +/- 5.2) degrees (P < 0.001). The mean VAS scores and ESR significantly decreased from preoperative (7.3 +/- 1.2) score and (37.2 +/- 9.6) mm/h respectively to final follow-up (0.6 +/- 0.5) score and (10.5 +/- 2.3) mm/h respectively (P < 0.001). Bone fusion occurred in all patients at a mean of (9.0 +/- 1.9) months (ranged 6 to 12 months) after surgery. Three patients who had impaired neurological performance before surgery had normal neurological performance after surgery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings suggest that anterior radical debridement, interbody fusion, and sacral rod fixation can be an effective treatment option for lumbosacral segment tuberculosis.</p>