[Anatomical structures of Coleus forskohlii transplanted in Tongcheng].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the vegetative tissues of Coleus forskohlii cultivated in Tongcheng, Hubei Province, and to provide useful information for its planting. METHODS: The root, stem, leaf and enlarged rhizome of Coleus forskohlii were subject to routine paraffin section and staining with safranin and fast green FCF solution before examination by light microscopy. RESULTS: The secondary tissue was well developed in root, and stem showed a higher percentage of cortex and pitch, and 4 large vascular bundles. Leaf epidermis was covered by lots of trichomes, including glandular hairs, glandular scale and linear non-glandular hairs. Mesophyll tissue was poorly differentiated to palisade and spongy tissues. Enlarged rhizome was the same as normal dicotyledons plants. CONCLUSION: Enlarged rhizome, unconspicuous root tuber and poorly differentiated leaf mesophyll cells are 3 main different features of Coleus forskohlii transplanted in Tongcheng. These results provide scientific basis for formulating quality standards, further cultivation and utilization of the plant.

[Anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene expression, clinical pathological characteristics and prognosis in 95 Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion gene in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: In this study, 95 patients with NSCLC and corresponding clinical information and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were included. Hematoxylin & eosin (HE) staining, conventional ALK immunochemistry (IHC) staining and intercalated antibody-enhanced polymer (iAEP) IHC staining, and dual-color split fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for ALK fusion gene were performed. RESULTS: Eight ALK-positive cases were detected using anti-ALK immunohistochemistry with the iAEP method, and FISH analyses revealed 4 patients of them who harbored the ALK fusion gene (4.2%, 4/95), including 2 cases of female patients with solid signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma and 2 cases of male patients with adenosquamous carcinoma. The positive cases were all non-smokers without EGFR/KRAS mutations. Furthermore, the positive cases all survived, and the overall postsurgery survival time of 2 cases was more than 5 years. CONCLUSION: ALK IHC with the iAEP method is better than conventional ALK IHC, and the percentage of the positive cells is more important than that of the intensity. ALK translocations were infrequent in the entire NSCLC patient population (<5%) with better prognosis.