Comparison of Profiling of Hairy Root of Two Tibetan Medicinal Plants Przewalskia tangutica Maxim. and Anisodus tanguticus Maxim.

BACKGROUND: Tropane Alkaloids (TAs) are important drugs for curing many diseases in the medical industry. METHODS: To sustainably exploit TA resources in endangered traditional Tibetan herbs, the hairy root (HR) systems of Przewalskia tangutica Maxim. and Anisodus tanguticus Maxim. were compared under the same culture conditions. RESULTS: The results indicated that both the Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains and explants affected the HR induction frequency, MSU440, A4 and LBA9402 strains could induce hairy roots following infection of cotyledon and hypocotyl of A. tanguticus while LBA9402 could not induce HR on either explants of P. tangutica. The efficiency of LBA9402 was higher than A4 and MSU440 on A. tanguticus and A4 was better strain than MSU440 on P. tangutica. The hypocotyl explant was more suitable for P.tangutica and cotyledon explant was better for A.tangutica with a transformation frequency of 33.3% (P. tangutica) and 82.5% (A. tanguticus), respectively. In a flask reactor system, both the growth curves of HR for two species both appeared to be "S" curve; however, the HR of P. tangutica grew more rapidly than that of A. tanguticus, and the latter accumulated more biomass than the former. As the culture volume increased, the HR proliferation coefficient of both the species increased. HPLC analysis results showed that the content of TAs in the HR of P. tangutica was 257.24mg/100g·DW, which was more than that of A. tanguticus HR (251.08mg/100g·DW), and the anisodamine in the Pt- HR was significantly higher than that in At-HR. Moreover, tropane alkaloids in the HR of the two species were all significantly higher than that of the roots of aseptic seedlings. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that HR of P. tangutica and A. tanguticus both could provide a useful platform for sustainable utilization of two Tibetan medicinal plants in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in the future.

Q-PTP is an optimized technology of 1064-nm Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser in the laser therapy of melasma: A prospective split-face study.

Quickly-pulse-to-pulse (Q-PTP) is the latest dual pulse mode Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet [QS Nd:YAG (QSNY)] laser technology that improves efficacy and minimizes side effects. In this study, the safety, efficacy, and advantages of Q-PTP and single-pulse laser mode of 1064-nm QSNY in the treatment of melasma were compared. Twelve healthy women were enrolled in this split-face study. Q-PTP and single-pulse laser mode of 1064-nm QSNY were applied to the treatment side and the control side, respectively. Physician's global assessment, patients' self-assessment and the modified melasma area and severity index (mMASI) scores were used to quantify pigmentation changes. Side effects were recorded. Mean mMASI scores were decreased significantly at the 4th and 12th-week follow-up visit compared to the baseline. Melasma lesion clearance was more than 50% in 58% of patients compared with the baseline. However, both sides of the same patient showed similar therapeutic effect. Minor pain experience and slighter skin erythema reaction were reported in Q-PTP laser mode treatment side compared with the control. No serious complications were found in any of the patients. Q-PTP laser mode of 1064-nm QSNY is an optimal laser therapy in the treatment of melasma with greater safety and superiority.

Genetic transformation of the endangered Tibetan medicinal plant Przewalskia tangutica Maxim and alkaloid production profiling revealed by HPLC.

To achieve a high yield of tropane alkaloids (TA) and exploit the alpine plant sustainably, an optimized protocol for induction and establishment of hairy roots culture of Prezwalskia tangutica Maxim was developed through selection of appropriate Agrobacterium strain and the explant type. The hypocotyl is more readily facile to induce the HR than the cotyledon is when infected with the three different agrobacterium strains. MUS440 has an efficiency (of up to 20%), whereas the ATCC10060 (A4) can induce HR on both types of explants with the highest frequency (33.33%), root length (21.17 ± 2.84 cm), and root number (10.83 ± 1.43) per explant than the other strains. The highest HR production resulted from using hypocotyl as explants. Independent transformed HR was able to grow vigorously and to propagate on a no-hormone 1/2MS liquid medium. The presence of pRi rolB gene in transformation of HR was confirmed by PCR amplification. In the liquid medium, the HR growth curve appeared to be "S" shaped, and ADB had increased to 4.633 g/l. Moreover, HPLC analysis showed that HR lines have an extraordinary ability to produce atropine (229.88 mg/100 g), anisodine (4.09 mg/100 g), anisodamine (12.85 mg/100 g), and scopolamine (10.69 mg/100 g), which were all more significant than the control roots. In conclusion, our study optimized the culture condition and established a feasible genetics reactor for P. tangutica green exploration and biological study in the alpine region.

[Role of computed tomographic dacryocystography in lacrimal path damage].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic role of computed tomographic dacryocystography (CTDCG) in lacrimal path damage and provide operative approach guidance for the endoscopic transnasal dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). METHOD: Twenty-eight cases with lacrimal path damage underwent CTDCG. The following reconstruction techniques including volume rendering (VR), multiple planar reconstruction (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP) and three-dimensional reconstruction (3-d R) were done on the real-time workstation. The morphology of dacryocyst, displacement fracture of the lacrimal fossa (FS) and the relationship between the uncinate process (UP) and the FS were observed. The thickness of inner walls of anterosuperior and posteroinferior aspects of lacrimal fossa was measured. RESULT: The morphology of dacryocyst, the displacement fracture of the lacrimal fossa and the block site of the lacrimal passage could be displayed clearly by CTDCG with the following reconstruction techniques including VR, MPR, MIP and 3-d R, 6 cases of canaliculus obstruction, 14 cases of lacrimal sac obstruction, 8 cases of lacrimonasal duct obstruction were showed. Meanwhile the relationship between the UP and the FS could also be showed clear. The average bony thickness of the anterosuperior part of FS was (2.96 +/- 0.30) mm, while the bony thickness of the posteroinferior half was (0.02 +/- 0.005) mm, and the distance between the top and bottom of dacryocyst to the operculum of the middle turbinated (OMT) are (6.80 +/- 1.50) mm, (4.00 +/- 1.80) mm respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The morphology of dacryocyst, the displacement fracture of the lacrimal fossa, block site of the lacrimal passage and the relationship between the UP and FS can be clearly displayed by CTDCG, which provide operative approach guidance for the endoscopic transnasal dacryocystorhinostomy.

Down-regulation of annexin II in prostate cancer is associated with Gleason score, recurrence, metastasis and poor prognosis.

The aim of this study was to compare the expression of annexin II (ANXA2) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with that of prostate cancer (PC), and to correlate the expression levels with pathologic grade and stage. Immunohistochemistry was performed on samples from 85 patients with PC and 40 patients with BPH. The correlation between ANXA2 expression and clinicopathologic features and clinical outcome was evaluated. The data showed that ANXA2 expression was significantly lower in PC compared to BPH (P<0.01). There was significant difference between ANXA2 expression and Gleason score (P<0.01). Patients with down-regulated ANXA2 tended to have tumors of advanced clinical stage, more frequent recurrence and regional lymph node and distant metastasis. ANXA2 expression was not correlated with age. The down-regulation of ANXA2 in a PC-3 cell line increased in vitro invasive ability, and ANXA2 had an independent prognostic effect on overall survival. In conclusion, ANXA2 dysregulation is an important event associated with the development and progression of PC. ANXA2 down-regulation aids in the discrimination of PC from BPH and may serve as a clinically useful biomarker.