Prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula combined with interrupted inferior vena cava: a rare case report.

PURPOSE: This is an extremely rare case of complicated fetal esophageal atresia (EA) with tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) and interrupted inferior vena cava (IVC) diagnosed by prenatal ultrsonography and successfully treated with surgical repair. METHODS: A 35-year-old pregnant woman was referred to our center for prenatal ultrasound, and the fetus was found to have a series of abnormalities, such as an interrupted IVC associated with a dilated azygos vein, an upper neck pouch sign of the thorax, and polyhydramnios. With suspicion of EA with TEF and interrupted IVC, the infant was born at 39 weeks of gestation, and successfully underwent the surgical operation. RESULTS: The baby was doing well after 21 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: It is beneficial for the prenatal ultrasonic diagnosis of EA with TEF in optimizing labor care, postpartum treatment, and prompting neonatal management.

[Effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide on invasion of human lung carcinoma cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To find out the effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide (Gl-PP) on the invasion of the human lung carcinoma cell (PG cell). METHODS: PG cells were pretreated with different concentration Gl-PP in vitro, using cell proliferation assay, cell migration assay, adhesion assay, zymography and RT-PCR, then the effects of Gl-PP on proliferation, motility, adhesion and MMP-9 activity and mRNA expression of PG cells were investigated in vitro. RESULTS: Gl-PP did not directly inhibit PG cell proliferation in vitro. However, pretreated with Gl-PP, PG cells motility was inhibited significantly. PG cells adhesion was also inhibited. The activity of MMP-9 was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibited ratio was 41.53% at a dose of 100 mg/L Gl-PP. The mRNA expression of MMP-9 of pretreated PG cells was inhibited. CONCLUSION: Gl-PP could suppress invasion of human lung carcinoma cells in vitro.

Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide inhibits the growth of vascular endothelial cell and the induction of VEGF in human lung cancer cell.

Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharide Peptide (Gl-PP) has shown some effects as anti-tumors in mice and potential anti-angiogenesis. In this study, we elucidated the possible mechanism of Gl-PP action on anti-angiogenesis of tumor. Our research indicated that the proliferation of HUVECs was inhibited by Gl-PP in a dose-dependent fashion, but not because of cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric studies revealed that Gl-PP treatment of HUVECs could induce cell apoptosis directly. Moreover, addition of Gl-PP also led to a reduction of Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic protein expression and an increase of Bax pro-apoptotic protein expression of HUVECs. Therefore, inducing cell apoptosis by Gl-PP might be the mechanism of inhibiting HUVEC proliferation. Human lung carcinoma cells PG when exposed to high dose of Gl-PP in hypoxia for 18 h resulted in a decrease in the secreted VEGF. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that the key attribute of the anti-angiogenic potential of Gl-PP is that it may directly inhibit vascular endothelial cell proliferation or indirectly decrease growth factor expression of tumor cells.

In vitro growth inhibition of human colonic tumor cells by Verapamil.

AIM: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Verapamil on cultured human colonic tumor (HCT) cells. METHODS: HCT cells were treated with different concentrations of Verapamil, and their proliferation was examined by MTT assay. The areas of sub-diploid peak were measured by flow cytometry, and the DNA ladder was found by agarose gel electrophoresis. The characteristic changes in morphology were observed under light microscopy. The cell nuclei (propidium iodide labeled, PI-labeled) and cellular distribution and concentration of calcium (Fluo-3-labeled) were studied by using laser confocal scanning microscope. RESULTS: The proliferation of HCT cells was inhibited by different concentrations of Verapamil. With the increase in concentration of Verapamil, the percent of G0-G1 phase cells in HCT cells increased and that of S phase cells decreased. After treating with different concentrations of Verapamil, flow cytometry showed that HCT cells were enlarged in areas of sub-diploid in a dose-dependent manner. Gel electrophoresis results displayed a typical DNA ladder. On staining with Wrights-Giemsa, the typical cellular apoptosis morphologic changes were also observed. PI-labeled cell nuclei were found markedly changed. In addition, we inspected that the 100 micromol/L Verapamil could increase the intracellular calcium ion concentration [Ca(2+)](i) in HCT cells. CONCLUSION: Verapamil can inhibit proliferation of HCT cells via inducing cell apoptosis.

Antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide.

AIM: To investigate the antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides peptide (GLPP). METHODS: Antitumor effect of GLPP was observed in tumor-bearing mice in vivo. At the same time, the effects of GLPP on proliferation of tumor cells and human umbilical cord vascular endothelial cell (HUVEC) were detected by MTT assay in vitro. Subsequently, spleen lymphocytes proliferation of nude mice was stimulated by LPS or ConA. To investigate the anti-angiogenic effect of GLPP, GLPP 80 microg per disc and GLPP-treated serum 10 microL per disc were added to the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) respectively in vivo. RESULTS: GLPP 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg inhibited growth of Sarcoma 180 in BALB/c mice markedly by 35.2 %, 45.2 %, and 61.9 %, respectively. GLPP which was directly added to the cultured medium did not inhibit PG cell proliferation in vitro; but GLPP-treated serum 50, 100, 200 mg/kg potently inhibited PG cell proliferation by 22.5 %, 26.8 %, and 30.3 %, respectively; and reduced the xenograft (human lung carcinoma cell PG) in BALB/c nude mice greatly in vivo by 55.5 %, 46.0 %, and 46.8 %, respectively. Lymphocytes proliferation of nude mice could be stimulated by LPS 5 mg/L but not by ConA 2.5 mg/L, indicating that GLPP could not promote the T lymphocyte proliferation and neutral red phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages of nude mice. The CAM assay showed that GLPP and GLPP-treated serum had anti-angiogenic effect. GLPP (1, 10, and 100 mg/L) inhibited HUVEC proliferation in vitro with the inhibitory rate of 9.4 %, 15.6 %, and 40.4 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: GLPP has antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity. The anti-angiogenesis of GLPP may be a new mechanism underlying its anti-tumor effects.