Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for vascular endothelial growth factor / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the main regulator of physiological angiogenesis during embryonic development, bone growth, and reproductive function, and it also participates in a series of pathological changes. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with a history of more than 2000 years, has been widely used in clinical practice, while the exploration of its mechanisms has only begun. This review summarizes the research of recent years on the influence of TCM on VEGF. It is found that many Chinese medicines and recipes have a regulatory effect on VEGF, indicating that Chinese medicine has broad prospects as a complementary and alternative therapy, providing new treatment ideas for clinical applications and the theoretical basis for research on the mechanisms of TCM.

A comprehensive update: gastrointestinal microflora, gastric cancer and gastric premalignant condition, and intervention by traditional Chinese medicine / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

With the recent upsurge of studies in the field of microbiology, we have learned more about the complexity of the gastrointestinal microecosystem. More than 30 genera and 1000 species of gastrointestinal microflora have been found. The structure of the normal microflora is relatively stable, and is in an interdependent and restricted dynamic equilibrium with the body. In recent years, studies have shown that there is a potential relationship between gastrointestinal microflora imbalance and gastric cancer (GC) and precancerous lesions. So, restoring the balance of gastrointestinal microflora is of great significance. Moreover, intervention in gastric premalignant condition (GPC), also known as precancerous lesion of gastric cancer (PLGC), has been the focus of current clinical studies. The holistic view of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is consistent with the microecology concept, and oral TCM can play a two-way regulatory role directly with the microflora in the digestive tract, restoring the homeostasis of gastrointestinal microflora to prevent canceration. However, large gaps in knowledge remain to be addressed. This review aims to provide new ideas and a reference for clinical practice.

Expressions of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell 2 in different brain regions in tyrosine kinase binding protein gene knockout mice / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To compare the expression of myeloid cell trigger receptor expressed on myoid cell 2 (TREM2) in different brain regions of tyrosine kinase binding protein(TYROBP) knockout mice and wild-type mice at different months of age, and to explore the relationship between TREM2, TYROBP and early onset Alzheimer's disease(EOAD).Methods:Healthy TYROBP gene knockout mice were divided into three groups according to the results of gene sequencing: the homozygous (TYROBP -/-) group, the heterozygous (TYROBP -/+ ) group, and the wild type (WT) group.Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of TREM2 in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of 2, 4 and 6 month old mice in the three groups and with 10 in each group at each time point. Results:(1) In the prefrontal cortex: Western blot and RT-qPCR results showed that compared with WT mice (2-month-old: (0.993±0.048), (1.654±0.033); 4-month-old: (0.503±0.019), (2.169±0.023); 6-month-old: (0.600±0.036), (1.468±0.057)), the levels of TREM2 protein and mRNA in 2-month-old TYROBP -/+ group ((0.746±0.062), (1.137±0.067)) and TYROBP -/- group ((0.661±0.028), (0.644±0.012)) were decreased.While in 4-month-old and 6-month-old TYROBP -/+ group (4-month-old: (1.140±0.006), (5.483±0.088); 6-month-old: (0.827±0.043), (3.020±0.082)) and TYROBP -/- group (4-month-old: (1.071±0.010), (3.012±0.150); 6-month-old: (0.627±0.026), (1.633±0.027)) were increased, especially in 4-month-old mice and the differences were statistically significant ( F=12.946, 134.445; 725.318, 289.202; 12.172, 202.791; all P<0.05). (2) In the hippocampus: Western blot results showed that compared with WT mice (2-month-old: (1.268±0.036); 4-month-old: (0.813±0.010); 6-month-old: (0.312±0.021)), the level of TREM2 protein in 2-month-old TYROBP -/+ group ((0.804±0.034)) and TYROBP -/- group ((0.534±0.020)) were decreased.While in 4-month-old and 6-month-old TYROBP -/+ group ((0.932±0.011); (0.769±0.031)) and TYROBP -/- group ((0.910±0.014); (0.609±0.018)) were increased, especially in 4-month-old mice and the differences were statistically significant ( F=142.807; 27.884; 94.067; all P<0.05). Conclusion:The expression level of TREM2 decreases in 2-month-old TYROBP gene knockout mice while increases in 4-month-old and 6-month-old TYROBP gene knockout mice.It is presumed that TREM2/TYROBP signal pathway participates in the pathological process of EOAD and plays different roles in different pathological stages of EOAD.

Multistage analysis method for detection of effective herb prescription from clinical data / 医学前沿

Determining effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for specific disease conditions or particular patient groups is a difficult issue that necessitates investigation because of the complicated personalized manifestations in real-world patients and the individualized combination therapies prescribed in clinical settings. In this study, a multistage analysis method that integrates propensity case matching, complex network analysis, and herb set enrichment analysis was proposed to identify effective herb prescriptions for particular diseases (e.g., insomnia). First, propensity case matching was applied to match clinical cases. Then, core network extraction and herb set enrichment were combined to detect core effective herb prescriptions. Effectiveness-based mutual information was used to detect strong herb-symptom relationships. This method was applied on a TCM clinical data set with 955 patients collected from well-designed observational studies. Results revealed that groups of herb prescriptions with higher effectiveness rates (76.9% vs. 42.8% for matched samples; 94.2% vs. 84.9% for all samples) compared with the original prescriptions were found. Particular patient groups with symptom manifestations were also identified to help investigate the indications of the effective herb prescriptions.

The effect of PIM-1 silence on the growth of human prostate cancer xenograft tumor in nude mice / 天津医药

Objective To study the effect of PIM-1 gene silence by RNA interference (RNAi) on the growth of human prostate cancer xenograft tumor in nude mice. Methods The xenograft tumor model of human prostate cancer was established by injecting PC-3 cells in armpits of 12 nude mice. After modeling, the nude mice were randomly divided into three groups: interference plasmid group (injecting with RNAi recombinant plasmid), empty plasmid group and negative control group (liposome every), 4 mice in each group. Mice were injected every 2 days for 5 times. The tumor volumes of xenografts were measured during experiment, and the curve of tumor growth was drawn accordingly. The quality of tumor was measured, and the inhibitory rate of tumor was calculated at the end of the experiments. The expression levels of PIM-1, c-MYC mRNA and protein in xenograft tumors were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot assay, respectively. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining was used to verify the expression of PIM-1. Results The xenograft tumor model of human prostate cancer was established successfully. The volume of tumor was significantly decreased 6 days after the injection treatment in interference plasmid group than that of empty plasmid group and negative control group. The effect of suppressing tumor growth was remarkable. The expression levels of PIM-1 mRNA and protein were down-regulated significantly in interference plasmid group than those of other two groups. The immunohistochemical staining of PIM-1 showed the same changes. There was no significant difference in c-MYC protein level between the three groups. But interestingly, the c-MYC mRNA level was significantly decreased in interference plasmid group than that of other two groups. Conclusion The silence of PIM-1 gene by RNAi recombinant plasmid can result a significant growth suppression of the human prostate cancer xenograft tumors in nude mice. The expression of c-MYC gene is down-regulated at translation level in the therapeutic group concomitantly. PIM-1 may be a promising target of gene therapy for prostate cancer.

Molecular Identification of Diphyllobothrium latum from a Pediatric Case in Taiwan

Human diphyllobothriasis is a parasitic disease caused by ingestion of larvae (plerocercoids) in raw or undercooked fish and commonly found in temperate areas. Rare cases were reported in tropical or subtropical areas especially in children. The first documented case of pediatric diphyllobothriasis in Taiwan had been reported 11 years ago. Here, we report another 8-year-old girl case who presented with a live noodle-like worm hanging down from her anus, with no other detectable symptoms. We pulled the worm out and found the strobila being 260 cm in length. Examination of gravid proglottids showed that they were wider than their lengths, containing an ovoid cirrus sac in the anterior side and the rosette-shaped uterus. Eggs extracted from the uterus were ovoid and operculated. Diphyllobothrium latum was confirmed by molecular analysis of the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The girl was treated with a single oral dose of praziquantel, and no eggs or proglottids were observed from her stool in the subsequent 3 months. The reemergence of human diphyllobothriasis in non-endemic countries is probably due to prevalent habit of eating imported raw fish from endemic areas. This pediatric case raised our concern that human diphyllobothriasis is likely underestimated because of unremarkable symptoms.

Severe anemia and melena caused by pyeloduodenal fistula due to renal stone-associated squamous cell carcinoma

Pyeloduodenal fistula is a rare condition and its association with malignancy is even rarer. Herein we report the case of a 66-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with a three-month history of intermittent melena and a more than 20-year history of right-side renal stones. Computed tomography showed a heterogeneous right renal mass with a staghorn stone that had invaded the duodenum and caused an internal fistula. An upper gastrointestinal series showed pyeloduodenal fistula. The patient underwent an exploratory operation and a biopsy was taken at the peripelvic region. Pathological examination verified the existence of squamous cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pyeloduodenal fistula associated with renal stones, squamous cell carcinoma and upper urinary tract calculus presenting on melena. We report on the features of this rare entity but also review and summarize the etiology, diagnosis and treatment options that can be extrapolated from the existing literature

Combined usage of Ho: YAG laser with monopolar resectoscope in the treatment of bladder stoneand bladder outlet obstruction

Bladder stones in elderly men are commonly associated with bladder outlet obstruction, and many different treatment modalities have been presented for both these conditions. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a novel method concerning spontaneous usage of both monopoplar transurethral resection of the prostate and Holmium Laser cystolithotripsy, we compared the transurethral use of resectoscope and cystoscope lithotripsy approaches retrospectively. Patients data of one hundred and nine male patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia [BPH] and bladder stone[s] were analyzed retrospectively. Two groups of patients were compared: Group I was treated with combination of transurethral holmium laser cystolithotripsy [HLC] and transurethral resection of the prostate [TURP] using the 24F resectoscope, and group II used 22F cystoscope and 24F resectoscope for treating both these conditions. We reviewed the records of 109 patients undergoing transurethral cystolithotripsy with holmium laser and simultaneous TURP. The mean bladder stone size were 3.6 +/- 1.5 cm in Group-I and 3.7 +/- 1.1 cm [mean 3.8] in Group-II [p > 0.05]. The mean operation time of Group-I and Group-II was 49.0 +/- 22.5 minutes and 79.0 +/- 28.5 minutes, respectively [p < 0.05]. Stone fragments were removed completely and TURP procedures were done successfully in all of the patients. Mild hematuria was found more frequently in Group-II [22.2%], and four [7.4%] patients had urethral stricture in the same group during the late follow-up. Combination of transurethral laser cystolithotripsy and TURP using the same 24F resectooscope is an effective, safe and economical treatment for bladder stones in BPH patients. It is minimally invasive and involves and has lower complication rates and shorter hospital stay. However, this combined approach should be taken in the treatment of calculus within 4 or 5 centimeters

Prostate health index in predicting the results of prostate biopsy for prostate cancer: a meta-analysis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To systematically evaluate prostate health index (PHI) in predicting the results of prostate biopsy in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrieved the literature relevant to the value of PHI in predicting prostate cancer at prostate biopsy published from the inception to February 2014 in the databanks of PubMed (1966 - 2014), CNKI (1982 - 2014), VIP (1989 - 2014), and Cochrane Library (1999 - 2014). According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and retrieval strategies, we extracted the data, evaluated the quality of the included literature, and performed meta-analysis using the Meta-Disc 1.4 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally, 64 articles were identified, of which 52 were excluded and 12 included with 1 430 cases of prostate cancer and 2 159 normal or BPH controls. There was heterogeneity among the included studies. Based on the random effect model, in predicting the results of prostate biopsy in the diagnosis of prostate cancer, serum PHI exhibited a pooled sensitivity of 55.1% (95% CI: 0.525 - 0.577), a pooled specificity of 71.5% (95% CI: 0.695 - 0.734), a positive likelihood ratio (P-LR) of 2.379 (95% CI: 1.922 - 2.943), a negative likelihood ratio (N-LR) of 0.515 (95% CI: 0.428 - 0.619), a diagnosis odds ratio (DOR) of 5.268 (95% CI: 3.870 - 7.170), a summary receiver operating characteristic curve--area under the curve (SROC AUC) of 0.7578, and a Q * index of 0.6999.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Serum PHI plays a role of auxiliary diagnosis in detecting prostate cancer and can be used in the prediction of the results of prostate biopsy.</p>

Metabolic regulatory and anti-oxidative effects of modified Bushen Huoxue decoction on experimental rabbit model of osteoarthritis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the metabolic, regulatory and anti-oxidative effects of modified Bushen Huoxue Decoction (BSHXD), a Chinese herbal medicine for kidney (Shen)-reinforcement and blood-activation, on an osteoarthritis (OA) rabbit model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rabbit model for knee joint OA was established by the classic Hulth's method. The OA model rabbits were randomized into 5 groups: the model control group, the positive control group treated with glucosamine sulfate, and the three BSHXD treated groups treated respectively with low, moderate, and high doses of BSHXD. In addition, a normal control group and a sham-operated group were set up. Experimental animals were sacrificed after a 7-week treatment, and pathological changes in cartilaginous tissue were estimated using the Mankin criteria. Hydroxyproline (Hyp) and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents in blood serum and urine, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and nitric oxide (NO) content in blood serum and knee joint synovial homogenates were detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Mankin scoring showed insignificant statistical differences between the various treatment groups (P >0.05), but all were better than the model control group (P <0.05). Serum and urinary contents of Hyp and MDA as well as serum and synovial levels of NO were significantly lower, but the SOD activity in blood serum and synovial tissue was higher in the BSHXD treated groups than in the model group P <0.01); the effect of BSHXD was dose-dependent to some extent.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The modified BSHXD shows an effect of improving cartilage metabolism in experimental rabbits with OA, and possesses osteo-chondric protective effects in antagonizing peroxidation injury.</p>

FDG PET or PET/CT in Evaluation of Renal Angiomyolipoma

OBJECTIVE: Angiomyolipoma is the most common benign kidney tumor. However, literature describing FDG PET findings on renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is limited. This study reports the FDG PET and PET/CT findings of 21 cases of renal AML. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study reviews FDG PET and PET/CT images of 21 patients diagnosed with renal AML. The diagnosis is based on the classical appearance of an AML on CT scan with active surveillance for 6 months. The study is focused on the observation of clinical and radiographic features. RESULTS: Six men and 15 women were included in our study. The mean age of the patients was 57.14 +/- 9.67 years old. The mean diameter of 21 renal AML on CT scans was 1.76 +/- 1.00 cm (Min: 0.6 cm; Max: 4.4 cm). CT scans illustrated renal masses typical of AMLs, and the corresponding FDG PET scans showed minimal FDG activities in the area of the tumors. None of the 21 AMLs showed a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) greater than 1.98. No statistically significant correlation was present between SUVmax and tumor size. CONCLUSION: Renal AMLs demonstrate very low to low uptake on FDG PET and PET/CT imaging in this study. When a fat-containing tumor in the kidney is found on a CT scan, it is critical to differentiate an AML from a malignant tumor including an RCC, liposarcoma, and Wilms tumor. This study suggests that FDG PET or PET/CT imaging is useful for differentiating a renal AML from a fat-containing malignant tumor.

Expression of PIM-1 in prostate cancer tissue and its relationship with PSA recurrence / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of the PIM-1 protein in prostate cancer tissue and its relationship with PSA recurrence.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We used the immunohistochemical SP method to detect the expression of the PIM-1 protein in the prostate tissues of 68 cases of prostate cancer (PCa) and 37 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of the PIM-1 protein expression was 67.65% (46/68) in the PCa tissue, significantly higher than 40.54% (15/37) in the BPH tissue (P<0.05). Its positive rates in PCa Gleason scores 6, 7 and 8-10 were 33.33% (7/21), 77.5% (21/28) and 94.74% (18/19), respectively, with significant between-group differences (P<0.05), and those in stages I , II, III and IV of PCa were 47.62%, 53.85%, 73.33% and 94.74%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis of the results of a 36-month follow-up showed the ratios of PIM-1 expression to PSA recurrence and non-recurrence were 10/22 (45.45%) and 36/46 (78.26%), respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PIM-1 protein expression in PCa tissue is closely related to the Gleason score and clinical stage of PCa and PSA recurrence, which suggests that the PIM-1 gene plays an important role in PCa evolution and progression, and may be an indicator for the prognosis of PCa.</p>

Application of pelvic double-slice retractor in the division of bladder and prostate pedicles in male patients with complicated pelvic anatomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To evaluate effectiveness of the applying pelvic double-slice retractor in the division of bladder and prostate pedicles in male patients with previous surgery history during radical cystectomy (RC) and anterograde radical prostatectomy (ARP). Methods The pelvic double-slice retractor was used to expose the bladder and prostate pedicles in 43 RC (30 cases with BMI ＞ 28 kg/m2,16 cases had previous partial cystectomy) and 37 ARP ( all cases with BMI ＞ 28 kg/m2 ). Results The pelvic double-slice retractor provided excellent exposure for the division of bladder and prostate pedicles.The handling of bladder and prostate pedicles became easy and safe without unnecessary bleeding and injury to the rectum.The median operating time to control the pedicles during RC and ARP were 12 min and 7 min,and the average blood loss were 30 ml and 20 ml,respectively. Conclusion The use of pelvic double-slice retractor for the exposure of the bladder and prostate pedicles is simple and effective in male patients with complicated pelvic anatomy during RC and ARP.

Expression and significance of vasculogenic mimicry and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective　To find out if an unique blood mode-vasculogenic mimicry (VM) exist in prostate cancer and analyze its relationship with prognosis.　Methods　The age of the patients was 59 to 72 years,with a mean age of (66.7 ± 11.0) years.All had been confirmed as prostate cancer by biopsy.The level of serum PSA was 15.6 to 76.7 μg/L,with a mean level of (34.6 ± 1.7 ) μg/L.A histochemical and immunohistochemical dual staining method for PAS-CD31 and MMP-2 in 96 prostatic adenocarcinomas were conducted to explore if VM exist in prostate cancer,describe its morphology and distribution.The different expression of MMP-2 in VM positive and VM negative tissue were.The clinical data were collected and analyzed to explore the relationship between disease progression and VM.　Results　Among 96 cases,24 cases were found VM positive,the others were negative.The boundary membrane of VM was PAS positive,which was continuous or incontinuous. A positive correlation between VM density and high Gleason score were found.The tPSA were higher in the VM positive cases than that in VM negatives.The VM positive patients had poorer prognosis than that of the negatives.The MMP-2 expression was found correlated with VM positive (rs =0.60,P ＜ 0.01 ).　Conclusions　VM exists in the prostate cancer as an independent structure,and it is more common in the high-grade cancer.The progression-free survival of VM positive patients could be worse than the negative.MMP-2 and VM could be the indicators of poor prognosis.

Preservation of continence important structures during Studer neobladder / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of preserving continence important structures during Studer pouch surgery. Methods Radical cystectomy and Studer orthotopic neobladder surgeries were performed on 68 male patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer.The anatomic configuration of the rhabdosphincter complex,pudendal nerve supply,and musculofascial support system to the proximal urethra were carefully preserved.The neobladder functions were then evaluated. Results The pathological classification of the 68 patients was as follows:T3a N0M0 in 20 cases and T2N0M0 in 48 cases.The patients were followed up for 6 to 36mon(mean 12 mon).Complete urinary continence was achieved in 67 patients 24 hours a day and the remained one had nocturnal incontinence.Of these patients,59 patients could urinate well without residual urine and the other 9 patients had residual urine of 20 to 30 ml. Conclusions A well-performed Studer pouch should pay specific attention to the anatomic configuration of the rhabdosphincter complex,pudendal nerve supply,and musculofascial support system to the proximal urethra to achieve the goal of maximizing continence preservation.

Construction and identification of prostate-specific double gene expression vector pIRES-PSMAe/p-TKCx43 / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To construct the prostate-specific double gene expression vector pIRESPSMAe/p-TK-Cx43 and establish the foundation for experimental prostate cancer gene therapy research. Methods Cx43 gene was amplified and cloned into pMD19-T Simple vector. HSV-TK gene was then synthesized and cloned into multiple clone site (MCS) A of the eukaryotie vector plRES. The new plasmid was named plRES-TK: PSMAe/p was obtained and cloned into plRES-TK by replacing CMV promoter. The new plasmid was named plRES-PSMAe/p-TK; Fourth, Cx43 gene was cloned into the MCS B of pIRES-PSMAe/p-TK and the new plasmid was named pIRES-PSMAe/p-TK-Cx43.This plasmid was identified by double digestion with Sal Ⅰ/Not Ⅰ and sequenced; Finally, LNCaP cells were transfected by the plasmid plRES-PSMAe/p-TK-Cx43 and the mRNAs expression of HSV-TK gene and Cx43 gene was tested by RT-PCR. Results The plasmids synthesized in this experiment were double digested respectively and the specific bands of the inserted genes were confirmed by RTPCR. plRES-PSMAe/p-TK-Cx43 was in line with the expected design by DNA sequencing. The mRNAs of TK gene and Cx43 gene were expressed and successfully confirmed by RT-PCR after LNCaP cells transfected with pIRES-PSMAe/p-TK-Cx43. Conclusion Double gene expression vector pIRES-PSMAe/p-TK-Cx43 containing HSV-TK gene and Cx43 gene is constructed successfully.

Application of fresh first morning midstream urine in cytological study of bladder cancer patients / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To investigate the value of the application of the fresh first morning midstream urine in cytological study of bladder cancer patients. Methods The results of the fresh first and second morning midstream urine cytological studies for 52 bladder cancer patients were analyzed.Continual three urine samples and single urine sample were treated as study objects respectively. The positive rates in different tumor stages and grades were evaluated. Results The positive rate of overall 52 patients was 78. 8 % (41/52) in fresh first morning midstream urine and 80. 8% ( 42 / 52) in the fresh second morning midstream urine. While in 156 single urine samples, the positive percentages were 56.4%(88/156) and 60. 9% (95/156). The positive rates of the fresh first and second morning midstream urine were 69.7% (23/33) and 72.7% (24/33) respectively in grade 1- 2 patients, and 44.4 % (44/99) and 48. 5 % (48/99) in 99 single urine samples. The positive rates of 42 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients were 73. 8% (31/42) and 76.2% (32/42) in the fresh first and second morning midstream urine, while in 126 single urine samples, the positive rates were 54.8% (69/126)and 57.1% (72/126). There were no significant differences between positive rate of the fresh first and second morning midstream urine in diagnosis of bladder cancer, low grade bladder cancer and nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion The fresh first morning midstream urine can be used for urine cytological study in the diagnosis of bladder cancer, even in the diagnosis of low stage and low grade bladder cancer.

Animal experiment and clinical study of Argon plasma coagulator in simple enucleation for small renal cell carcinoma / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the feasibility and clinical effect of Argon plasma coagulator in simple enucleation for small renal cell carcinoma. Methods On the basis of successful performing the animal experience of coagulating therapy on the wound tissue during partial nephrectomy with Argon plasma coagulator in rabbit models, 10 cases of simple enucleation for small renal cell carcinoma with Argon plasma coagulator were accomplished. Results Both with the standard of stopping bleeding of wound tissue by Argon plasma coagulator and with the standard of re-spraying the wound tissue for 2 s after stopping bleeding using Argon plasma coagulator, the depth of wound tissue necrosis without blocking the renal pedicle is deeper than that with blocking the renal pedicle(P=0. 012 and P=0. 002, respectively).If the wound tissue was re-sprayed for 2 s after stopping bleeding by Argon plasma coagulator, the depth of the wound tissue necrosis without blocking the renal pedicle was deeper than that just with blocking the renal pedicle(P=0. 007 and P=0. 002,respectively). In the part of application in clinical, all procedures were successfully completed. The mean operative time was 163 min (range, 100-210 min) and mean blood loss was 230 ml (range, 100-400 ml). Drainage tube was pulled out 1 month after operation in 1 case for being allergic to absorbable hemostatic gauze, and the mean pulling drainage tube out time in others was 4. 2 d (range, 3-5 d). During a mean follow-up of 22 months (range, 10-38 months), no local tumor recurrence and distant metastasis was found. Conclusion Argon plasma coagulator can be used in simple enucleation for small renal cell carcinoma, and the clinical effectiveness is ideal.

Key genes in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer in Chinese men: a bioinformatic study / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The purpose of this study was to construct a pathway-based network using differentially expressed genes in prostate cancer (PCa) screened by cDNA microarray chips in domestic research to visualize the relations among the genes obtained from the microarray data, and identify the genes with significant influence on this network by statistical analysis. It also aimed to search for the genes that play key roles in the tumorigenesis of PCa, and probe into the molecular mechanism of PCa pathogenesis in Chinese men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The relevant domestic literature of recent years were reviewed to sum up differentially expressed genes in PCa according to the screened microarray data. The OMIM database was used to analyze the relations among these genes and build a network of biological pathway. Furthermore, a statistical method, namely node contraction, was employed to compare the importance of the key genes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>According to the gene expression profiling data, there were 113 differentially expressed genes, 51 up-regulated and 62 down-regulated. A pathway-based network including 68 inter-related genes was constructed using the OMIM database. The importance of every key node was calculated using the method of node contraction, and 12 key genes were identified, incuding c-MYC, VEGF, HSPCA, TGFbeta1, RANTES, EGR1, etc, which probably played important roles in the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We applied bioinformatics to the analysis of the gene expression profiling data in China, constructed a network of the differentially expressed genes using the OMIM database and method of node contraction, appraised the importance of the key genes, and established a method for the overall analysis of the gene chip data, which have paved a new ground for further researches on the pathogenesis of prostate cancer in Chinese men.</p>

Construction of Recombinant Expression Plasmid plenti6N5-D-TOPO(R)- TβR Ⅱ DNglytk / 天津医药

Objective: To construct the lentiviral plenti6/V5-D-TOPO vector containing TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk and control vector by developing a lentivirus mediated gene transfer program incorporating a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase(HSVtk) in the dominant negative TGF-β type Ⅱ receptor (TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk) expression vector. Methods: The PCR methods were used to amplify the genes TβR Ⅱ DN and HSV-tk from the respective plasmids. Then the genes were Linked by recombinant PCR technology to construct the fusion gene TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk and control vector TRANSglytk. According to the operation manual (from the Invitrogen company), ToPe cloning technology were used to construct the plasmids of plenti6/VS-D-TOPO(R)-TβRⅡ Dnglytk and plenti6/VS-D-TOPO -TRANSglytk. Both of the constructed plasmids were verified by sequencing.Results: The constructions of the plasmids of plenti6/V5-D-TOPO(R)-TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk and plenti6/V5-D-TOPO(R)-TRANSglytk were completed smoothly. The DNA sequencing results showed that both the plasmids were constructed correcdy and can be used in the production of infectious lentivirus vectors. Conclusion: Using TOPO cloning technology in the construction of the plasmids of plenti6/VS-D-TOPO -TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk and plenti6/VS-D-TOPO(R)-TRANSglytk and recombinant PCR in the fusion genes are feasible. The recombinant PCR combined with ToPe cloning technology can be the simple, highly efficient and rapid way to construct lentiviral vector and construction of plenti6/V5-D-TOPO(R)-TβR Ⅱ Dnglytk, which will lay a foundation for tumor immunotherapy.