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【Objective】 To establish the optimal treatment model of Bletilla striata polysaccharide （BSP） on dextran sodium sulfate （DSS）-induced ulcerative colitis （UC） in mice. 【Methods】 We randomly divided 48 male C57BL/6 mice into normal control group， DSS model group （25 g/L DSS）， BSP low-， medium- and high-dose groups （25 g/L DSS + 95， 190， 380 mg/kg BSP）， and salazosulfapyridine （SASP） （25 g/L DSS + 320 mg/kg SASP， positive control） group. Mice in the normal control group drank distilled water freely， while the other groups were given 25 g/L DSS solution to drink freely for 7 days. From the second day， the low-， medium- and high-dose BSP groups and SASP （positive control）group were administered by gavage according to body mass. The normal control group and DSS model group were given the same amount of normal saline once a day for 7 consecutive days. The mice’s blood pressure was recorded every day. Mental state， body mass， stool characteristics and bloody stool were used to calculate the mice’s disease activity index （DAI）. The mice were killed on the 9th day， and their colonic tissues were taken for hematoxylin eosin （HE） staining and histopathological scoring. The expression of tight junction protein Claudin-1 in colonic tissues was detected by Western blotting. 【Results】 Compared with the normal control group， the DSS model group had obvious clinical manifestations， histopathological changes and reduced body weight， increased histopathological score and DAI score （P<0.05）， and decreased expression of tight junction protein Claudin-1 in colon tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with those in DSS model group， the clinical manifestations of UC and colonic mucosal injury in low-， medium- and high-dose BSP groups were improved in varying degrees. The high-dose （380 mg/kg） BSP group had the best effect. The degree of body weight reduction， histopathological score and DAI score in this group were significantly lower than those in DSS model group （P<0.05）， whereas the expression of Claudin-1 increased significantly （P<0.05）. 【Conclusion】 When BSP was administered by gavage at 380 mg/kg， the therapeutic effect on UC mice induced by 25 g/L DSS was the best. This model can be used as an effective one for further studies on Striata Bletilla polysaccharide in UC mice.
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OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of leflunomide for the treatment of refractory COVID-19 in adult patients. DESIGNOpen-label controlled study SETTINGA designated hospital for patients with refractory COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. PARTICIPANTS27 hospitalized adult patients ([≥]18 years of age) with radiologically confirmed pneumonia and SARS-CoV-2 positive for more than 28 days despite standard care were assigned to receive standard of care (SOC, grp I) or leflunomide + SOC (grp 2). After 2 weeks, grp 1 and grp 2 patients who continued to be SARS-CoV-2-positive received leflunomide for 14 days while continuing SOC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESThe primary outcomes were the rate of and time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance and the 14-day and 30-day hospital discharge rate. RESULTSTwelve patients enrolled in grp 1 and 15 patients were in grp 2. The 14 days SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance rate was 80.0% (12/15) for grp 2 patients receiving leflunomide versus 16.7% for grp 1 patients (2/12) (P=0.002). By day 14, the median time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance was 6.0 days (range 1-12, IQR 1-12) for grp 2 patients. In grp 1, two patients converted to viral negative on days 1 and 6 (P=0.002). The 14-day discharge rate was 73.3% (11/15) for the grp 2 versus 8.3% (1/12) for grp 1 (P=0.001). The 30-day discharge rate was 100% (15/15) for the grp 2 versus 66.7% (8/12) for grp 1. No severe adverse events or deaths were reported. CONCLUSIONLeflunomide is effective in enhancing SARS-CoV-2 clearance and hospital discharge in refractory COVID-19 patients. The addition of leflunomide to SOC did not increase adverse events versus SOC. These preliminary observations underscore a need for a randomized clinical study of leflunomide in SARS-CoV-2 infection. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPICBased on the large numbers of global infected patients of SARS-CoV-2, there will be many patients on persist viral positive which is named refractory covid-19. Specific medication for the treatment of the refractory covid-19 has been approved. Leflunomide has been widely used in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis with good safety and tolerance. Recently, it is found an activity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and the effective concentration of leflunomide is within the recognized therapeutic level for rheumatoid arthritis. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDSLeflunomide is effective in enhancing SARS-CoV-2 clearance and hospital discharge in refractory COVID-19 patients. The safety and tolerability of the 14-28-day course of treatment with leflunomide is acceptable.
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Objective To clarify the relationship between CT120,a novel human plasma membrane-associated gene,and the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549.Methods Expression vector(pcDNA3.1)containing antisense oligonucleotides of CT120 was constructed and transfected into the adenocarcinoma cell line A549.RT-PCR and Western blot detected the expression of CT120.Meantime,flow cytometry and soft agarose colony formation were applied for cell proliferation,and P53,CyclinD1 and CDK4 were detected by RT-PCR.ResultspcDNA3.1 containing antisense oligonucleotides of CT120 was successfully constructed and inhibited the expression of CT120 effectively by RT-PCR and Western blot.The expression of P53 was up-regulated and the expression of CyclinD1 and CDK4 were down-regulated.Conclusion The down-regulation of CT120 expression by antisense oligonucleotides technique may be a potential drug target for treatment of lung cancer.
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AIM:To investigate the mechanism of 9-cis-RA inhibiting the growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells, and we detect the expressional changes of cyclinD1 and cdk4 in lung adenocarcinoma cells PG, A_(549), SPC-A_1 before and after being treated with 9-cis-retinoic acid(9-cis-RA). METHODS: RT-PCR was used to analyse the transcriptional changes of cyclinD1 and cdk4 in PG, A_(549) and SPC-A_1. RESULTS:9-cis-RA decreased the transcription of cyclinD1 in PG and A_(549)(P
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To study effects of 9 cis retinoic acid (9 cisRA) on biological characteristics of lung squamous cancer cells, cell growth, cell differentiation and apoptotic indexes were observed in 9 cisRA treated L 78 and A 2 lung squamous cancer cells with flow cytometry. The results showed that 9 cisRA exerted marked inhibitory effect on the growth of two lung squamous cancer cell lines, 9 cisRA also had significant inducing effect on the differentiation of L 78 and A 2 cell lines, whereas the percentages of apoptosis of two cell lines in the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group. We conclude that 9 cisRA could inhibit growth inhibition, induce cell differentiation and apoptosis of L 78 and A 2 lung squamous cancer cells
