Tea crude extracts effectively inactivate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

It is well known that black and green tea extracts, particularly polyphenols, have antimicrobial activity against various pathogenic microbes including viruses. However, there is limited data on the antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged rapidly in China in late 2019 and which has been responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic globally. In this study, 20 compounds and three extracts were obtained from black and green tea and found that three tea extracts showed significant antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, whereby the viral titre decreased about 5 logs TCID50 per ml by 1·375 mg ml-1 black tea extract and two-fold diluted tea bag infusion obtained from black tea when incubated at 25°C for 10 s. However, when concentrations of black and green tea extracts were equally adjusted to 344 µg ml-1 , green tea extracts showed more antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. This simple and highly respected beverage may be a cheap and widely acceptable means to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral burden in the mouth and upper gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts in developed as well as developing countries.

Overall assessment of antimicrobial peptides in piglets: a set of meta-analyses.

Developing alternatives to antibiotics is an urgent need in livestock production. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are regarded as powerful antibiotic substitutes (ASs) because AMPs have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and growth-promoting ability. Here, we aimed to comprehensively assess the effects of AMPs on the growth performance, diarrhea rate, intestinal morphology and immunity of healthy or challenged piglets, compared with an antibiotics group or negative control group. We performed a set of meta-analyses of feeding trials from database inception to 27 May 2019. Among the 1379 identified studies, 20 were included in our meta-analyses (56 arms and 4067 piglets). The meta-analyses revealed that (1) compared with the negative control group, AMPs significantly improved the healthy piglets' average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain : feed ratio (G/F), levels of immune globulin (Ig) IgM and IgG, and intestinal villus height : crypt depth ratio (V/C) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, AMPs significantly increased the challenged piglets' ADG, ADFI, G/F and V/C of the jejunum and ileum, and notably deceased the diarrhea rate (P < 0.05); (2) compared with antibiotics group, the effects of AMPs were slightly weaker than those of antibiotics in the healthy piglets, but AMPs have similar effects to those of antibiotics in challenged piglets. In a higher purity, the optimal dose of AMPs may be approximately 0.01%. Our findings indicate that AMPs can improve piglet growth performance, enhance immunity, benefit intestinal morphology and decrease the diarrheal rate. AMPs could be great ASs especially under infection conditions.

[Analysis of mental state of allergic rhinitis patients in Chengdu city by symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) scale].

Objective: To analyse the mental state of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Chengdu. Methods: One thousand five hundred and thirty-six AR patients from Sichuan Provincial Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan People's Hospital, Sichuan Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected from July 2013 to January 2018. Eight hundred and twenty-seven patients were screened into study group by inclusion and exclusion standards. The symptom check list 90 (SCL-90) was used to group and score the mental state of these patients according to nine classification criteria: gender, BMI, age, marital status, monthly salary, disease duration, living environment, education level and working environment. Then, the scores were compared within groups. Inter-group comparison was made between the study group and the Chinese norm, and the positive factors for psychological disorders were extracted. Four symptoms in the study group, i.e. nasal itching, sneezing, clear discharge and nasal congestion, were scored on the visual analogue scale (VAS). SPSS 19.0 software was used to carry out statistical analysis. Partial correlation analysis was performed between the positive factors and the symptom scores by multiple regression statistical method. Results: The total score of SCL-90 in the study group was 2.64±0.25, which was accorded with mild to moderate mental health impairment. There were 124 (15.0%) without mental health damage, 176 (21.3%) with mild damage, 474 (57.3%) with mild to moderate damage, 41 (5.0%) with moderate to severe damage and 12 (1.4%) with severe damage. The in-group comparison showed that the top three categories of different items were the living environment, gender and working environment. The scores of somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, psychosis, other (sleep, diet) and total average score of urban residents were higher than that of country residents (3.29±0.61 vs 2.65±0.50, 2.81±0.77 vs 2.05±0.38, 3.10±0.19 vs 2.49±0.67, 3.40±0.84 vs 2.49±0.70, 3.04±0.64 vs 2.33±0.51, 3.02±0.55 vs 2.40±0.77, 3.40±0.41 vs 2.52±0.77, 2.91±0.11 vs 2.29±0.40, Z value was 4.88, 5.25, 4.57, 5.91, 5.09, 4.63, 5.55, -4.55, respectively, all P<0.05). Women scored higher than man for somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depression and others (2.66±0.51 vs 2.00±0.45, 3.37±0.47 vs 2.63±0.51, 3.44±0.57 vs 2.85±0.52, 3.47±0.36 vs 2.76±0.45, Z value was -5.10, -5.51, -4.86, -5.28, respectively, all P<0.05). The scores of somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) were higher in the indoor group than those in the outdoor group (3.49±0.64 vs 2.78±0.46, 3.33±0.30 vs 2.56±0.68, 3.28±0.60 vs 2.67±0.31, 3.50±0.85 vs 2.85±0.37, Z value was 5.31, 5.79, 4.89, 5.00, respectively, all P<0.05). The outdoor group scored higher on obsessive-compulsive symptoms, anxiety and hostility (3.44±0.40 vs 2.83±0.35, 3.40±0.50 vs 2.57±0.93, 3.34±0.88 vs 2.69±0.56, Z value was 4.96, 6.22, 5.08, respectively, all P<0.05). The inter-group comparison found that depression, anxiety, psychosis and other (sleep, diet) could be partially correlated with VAS scores as 4 positive factors. The results of partial correlation analysis showed that depression was positively correlated with sneezing and nasal runny discharge, anxiety was positively correlated with nasal itching and nasal obstruction, psychosis was positively correlated with nasal itching and sneezing, and other (sleep, diet) was positively correlated with nasal runny discharge and nasal obstruction. Conclusion: AR patients have mild to moderate mental health impairments, which are correlated with AR symptoms.

[Advances in the research of effects of exosomes on acute lung injury].

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a clinically common critical disease with various treatment methods. Stem cell has drawn great attention for excellent performance in treatment of ALI. However, due to its high apoptosis rate, the further clinical application of stem cell is restricted. Exosomes are a kind of extracellular vesicles secreted by cells, which play important role in injury repair with further research about exosomes. This article reviews current situation, brief introduction to exosomes, repair effects of exosomes on ALI, and the potential signal pathway.

Electro-acupuncture at ST37 and ST25 induce different effects on colonic motility via the enteric nervous system by affecting excitatory and inhibitory neurons.

BACKGROUND: On the basis of the importance of the enteric nervous system (ENS) in gastrointestinal motility, we hypothesized that the ENS may mediate the therapeutic efficacy of electro-acupuncture (EA) in constipation by regulating the mechanisms underlying the effects of EA on gastrointestinal function. METHODS: Model mice with constipation were generated by gastric instillation of 0-4°C normal saline. Defecation time and stool (form and wet and dry weight) were assessed. The effect of EA at ST37 or ST25 on colorectal motility and proximal colonic motility was assessed using a water-filled balloon. The expression of protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), the cholinergic neuron marker acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the anticholinergic neuron marker nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) was detected by immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis. KEY RESULTS: ST37 and ST25 improved colorectal pressure; however, ST37 but not ST25 improved proximal colonic pressure. In the proximal colon, the expression of PGP9.5 returned to normal after EA at ST 37, while EA at ST25 did not have this effect. In addition, qPCR and western blot analysis showed that ST37 could downregulate the expression of nNOS and upregulate the expression of ChAT to normal levels, while ST25 could only downregulate the expression of nNOS to normal levels. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: Electro-acupuncture at specific acupoints can improve intestinal motility in constipation by altering the ENS and differentially affecting excitatory and inhibitory neurons, restoring the coordination between contraction and relaxation muscles, and working in concert with the central nervous system and peripheral neural pathways.

Berberine binds RXRα to suppress ß-catenin signaling in colon cancer cells.

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, is a traditional oriental medicine used to treat diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Recently, we reported that it could inhibit the growth of intestinal polyp in animals and in patients with the familial adenomatous polyposis by downregulating ß-catenin signaling. However, the intracellular target mediating the effects of berberine remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that berberine inhibits ß-catenin function via directly binding to a unique region comprising residues Gln275, Arg316 and Arg371 in nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα), where berberine concomitantly binding to and synergistically activating RXRα with 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), a natural ligand binding to the classical ligand-binding pocket of RXRα. Berberine binding promotes RXRα interaction with nuclear ß-catenin, leading to c-Cbl mediated degradation of ß-catenin, and consequently inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Furthermore, berberine suppresses the growth of human colon carcinoma xenograft in nude mice in an RXRα-dependent manner. Together, our study not only identifies RXRα as a direct protein target for berberine but also dissects their binding mode and validates that berberine indeed suppresses ß-catenin signaling and cell growth in colon cancer via binding RXRα, which provide new strategies for the design of new RXRα-based antitumor agents and drug combinations.

Protective effects of curcumin against mercury-induced hepatic injuries in rats, involvement of oxidative stress antagonism, and Nrf2-ARE pathway activation.

Mercury (Hg) represents a ubiquitous environmental heavy metal that could lead to severe toxic effects in a variety of organs usually at a low level. The present study focused on the liver oxidative stress, one of the most important roles playing in Hg hepatotoxicity, by evaluation of different concentrations of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) administration. Moreover, the protective potential of curcumin against Hg hepatotoxic effects was also investigated. Eighty-four rats were randomly divided into six groups for a three-days experiment: control, dimethyl sulfoxide control, HgCl2 treatment (0.6, 1.2, and 2.4 mg kg-1 day-1), and curcumin pretreatment (100 mg kg-1 day-1) groups. Exposure of HgCl2 resulted in acute dose-dependent hepatotoxic effects. Administration of 2.4 mg kg-1 HgCl2 significantly elevated total Hg, nonprotein sulfhydryl, reactive oxygen species formation, malondialdehyde, apoptosis levels, serum lactate dehydrogenase, and alanine transaminase activities, with an impairment of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver. Moreover, HgCl2 treatment activated nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) signaling pathway in further investigation, with a significant upregulation of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1, and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase heavy subunit expression, relative to control. Pretreatment with curcumin obviously prevented HgCl2-induced liver oxidative stress, which may be due to its free radical scavenging or Nrf2-ARE pathway-inducing properties. Taking together these data suggest that curcumin counteracts HgCl2 hepatotoxicity through antagonizing liver oxidative stress.

Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on relieving ammonia stress and hepatic proteomic analyses of broilers.

Ammonia in poultry houses not only affects worker health but also induces a variety of poultry diseases. Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is an effective antioxidant that protects cells against oxidative injury during various toxic and pathological processes. This study was designed to evaluate the mitigating effects of LA supplementation on ammonia stress and hepatic proteome changes in broilers. Male broilers (22 d old) were allocated to 3 groups: (1) a control group without ammonia stress (CTRL); (2) exposure to 70 ppm ammonia (AM); and (3) exposure to 70 ppm ammonia and dietary administration of 300 mg/kg LA (AM+LA). Ammonia exposure significantly decreased broiler growth performance and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity (P < 0.05), and increased plasma malondialdehyde content and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity (P < 0.05). These negative effects were eliminated by LA supplementation. Comparative proteomic analyses revealed 291 differentially expressed proteins in the AM group compared to the CTRL and AM+LA groups. A total of 30 proteins were differentially expressed between the AM/CTRL and (AM+LA)/AM groups. The addition of LA restored 24 of these proteins to control levels; these proteins were mainly related to transcription regulation, detoxification, protein translation and degradation, and immune and stress responses. The differentially expressed proteins included the high mobility group box (HMGB) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), which is closely related to immune response and oxidative stress, and collagens, which are implicated in liver injury. The addition of LA to broiler diet may reduce ammonia toxicity by maintaining the antioxidant system, xenobiotic metabolism, and metabolic pathways.

The protective role of tea polyphenols against methylmercury-induced neurotoxic effects in rat cerebral cortex via inhibition of oxidative stress.

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that could induce oxidative stress and an indirect glutamate (Glu)-mediated excitotoxicity. However, the underlying mechanisms through which MeHg affects the central nervous system have not been fully elucidated, and little has been known of the interaction between oxidative stress and Glu dyshomeostasis in MeHg neurotoxicity. Therefore, rats were administrated with different MeHg concentrations (0, 4, and 12 µmol/kg) to evaluate the neurotoxic effects in cerebral cortex. Moreover, we have investigated the neuroprotective role of tea polyphenols (TP), a natural antioxidant that has a formidable free radical scavenge ability, against MeHg-induced neurotoxicity. Eighty rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, TP control, MeHg-treated (4 and 12 µmol/kg), and TP pretreated (1 mmol/kg). Administration of MeHg at 12 µmol/kg for 4 weeks significantly increased total Hg and ROS levels in cerebral cortex. In addition, MeHg reduced non-enzymatic (non-protein sulfhydryl) and enzymatic (SOD and GSH-Px) antioxidants, up-regulated Nrf2, HO-1, and γ-GCS expression. Moreover, MeHg-induced ROS over-production appeared to inhibit the activities of GS, down-regulated GLAST and GLT-1 expression in cerebral cortex. Pretreatment with TP at a dose of 1 mmol/kg significantly prevented MeHg-induced oxidative stress and Glu uptake/metabolism disorders in cerebral cortex. In conclusion, the results suggested that oxidative stress resulting from excessive ROS formation plays a critical role in MeHg neurotoxicity. TP possesses the ability to attenuate MeHg-induced neurotoxic effects through its antioxidative properties.

A comparative study on anticoagulant activities of three Chinese herbal medicines from the genus Panax and anticoagulant activities of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rg2.

CONTEXT: Chemical compositions of three herbal plants from the family Araliaceae genus Panax [Panax ginseng C. A. Mey, P. quinquefolius L. and P. notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen] are quite similar; however, their medicinal natures vary greatly. The reason for differences has been explained in traditional Chinese medicine theory and partially verified by modern pharmacological investigations, such as antiplatelet aggregation. Aside from platelet aggregation, a variety of plasma coagulation factors are also involved in blood coagulation. The anticoagulation profiles of three herbs have not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The current research compared the inhibitory effects of three herbal extracts from Panax spp. and the purified ginsenosides from P. ginseng on blood coagulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human plasma was mixed with the water extracts (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL) from roots of P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius and P. notoginseng and ginsenosides Rg1 and Rg2 (0.05 and 0.1 mg/mL), the blood clotting time of activated partial thromboplastin, prothrombin and thrombin were measured by a biochemical analyzer. RESULTS: The water extracts (0.05 mg/mL) of P. ginseng, P. quinquefolius and P. notoginseng could significantly extend blood clotting time as compared to the control group. Among three herbal medicines, 0.05 mg/mL of water extract from P. ginseng exhibited the strongest anticoagulation effects, followed by P. notoginseng, while P. quinquefolius presented the weakest effects. Both ginsenosides Rg1 and Rg2 could significantly extend blood clotting time in all three tests; ginsenoside Rg2 exhibited relative stronger anticoagulation effects as compared to ginsenoside Rg1. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Among three herbs tested, P. ginseng as well as its active component ginsenoside Rg2 shows the strongest anticoagulation activity; current results indicate that P. ginseng and ginsenoside Rg2 have great potential to be an anticoagulation drug.

First Report of Powdery Mildew of Snow Lotus (Saussurea involucrata) Caused by Leveillula taurica in China.

Snow lotus (Saussurea involucrata Kar. et Kir.) is a rare and beneficial traditional Chinese medicinal herb, growing in the mountains at heights of 4,000 to 4,300 m in the Tianshan and A'er Tai areas in China (2). Because of its very slow growth and exhaustive plant collection, the wild population has been listed as a protected plant by the Chinese government. In recent years, it has succeeded in artificial cultivation. Since 2010, severe powdery mildew infections were repeatedly observed on leaves of the plant of artificial cultivation in Urumqi, Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. White superficial mycelia were present epiphyllously on both sides of the leaves as well as on young stems, forming a thin, irregular covering. Infections often cause leaf yellowing, reduced growth, and premature defoliation. On the basis of microscopic examination, the morphology of the fungus can be described as follows: Conidiophores emerged through leaf stomata, singly or branched, and form dimorphic conidia. Primary conidia are lanceolate with distinct apical points and 44 to 63 × 12 to 22 µm. Secondary conidia are ellipsoid to cylindrical and 41 to 59 × 12 to 20 µm. The germ tube has indistinct appressoria, is longer than conidia length, and arises from the subterminal region of conidia. These morphological features are typical of the anamorphic stage description of Leveillula taurica (Lév.) Arnaud (1). No ascomata were observed. Representative voucher specimens were deposited in the fungal herbarium of Xinjiang Agriculture University (HMACC 40731). To verify the identity of the fungus, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA was amplified and sequenced, and the sequences were deposited as GenBank Accession No. KC292212. Comparison with sequences in the GenBank database revealed that the ITS sequence showed 99% homology with the sequence of L. taurica on Helianthus sp. (AB044378) and Gundelia tournefortii (AB667874). Thus, the pathogen was identified as L. taurica on the basis of the morphological characters and the ITS sequence. Pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation by gently pressing diseased leaves onto leaves of healthy potted plants. Three inoculated plants were kept under a plastic humid chamber, whereas the same number of non-inoculated plants served as the control. The plants were placed under natural conditions (25 to 28°C) with 80 to 90% humidity. At 5 days after inoculation, typical symptoms of powdery mildew developed on the inoculated plants. No symptoms were seen on the control plants. To our knowledge, this is the first record of L. taurica on S. involucrata in the world. Because the plant is becoming widely cultivated in the Urumqi for use as a Chinese medicinal herb, the occurrence of powdery mildew poses a potential threat to the health of snow lotus. References: (1) U. Braun. A Monograph of the Erysiphales (Powdery Mildews). Nova Hedwigia Beiheft 89:1, 1987. (2) L. G. Fu. China Plant Red Data Book - Rare and Endangered Plants, vol 1. Chinese Science Press, Beijing, 1992.

Randomized phase II non-inferiority study (NO16853) of two different doses of capecitabine in combination with docetaxel for locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This phase II study investigated whether a lower-than-approved dose of capecitabine, plus docetaxel (XT), would improve tolerability versus standard-dose XT without compromising efficacy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women aged ≥18 years with locally advanced/metastatic breast cancer resistant to anthracycline-based chemotherapy in the (neo)adjuvant, first- or second-line metastatic setting were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to receive standard-dose XT (capecitabine 1250 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14; docetaxel 75 mg/m(2), day 1 every 3 weeks) or low-dose XT (capecitabine 825 mg/m(2) twice daily, days 1-14; docetaxel as above). The primary objective was to demonstrate non-inferiority of low-dose to standard-dose XT in terms of progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: 470 patients were randomly allocated in a 1 : 1 ratio to standard-dose or low-dose XT. Median PFS was 7.9 versus 5.8 months [hazard ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-1.43] in the standard-dose and low-dose arms, respectively. The upper limit of the 95% CI was above the predefined non-inferiority margin (1.35, P = 0.078). Secondary efficacy end points were consistent with PFS. The frequency and severity of adverse events was similar in both treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: Non-inferiority of low-dose to standard-dose XT in terms of PFS was not demonstrated; this may be due to regional subgroup effects.

Cardioprotection with forsythoside B in rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury: relation to inflammation response.

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of forsythoside B (FB) on rat myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model and elucidate the potential mechanism. Left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and +/-dp/dt(max) were detected. Blood samples were collected to determine serum levels of troponin T (Tn-T), TNF-alpha and IL-6. Hearts were harvested to assess histopathological change and infarct size, determine content of MDA, myeloperoxidase (MPO), SOD and GPx activities, analyze expression of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), phosphor-I kappaB-alpha and phosphor-nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in ischemic myocardial tissue by Western blot. Compared with control group, rats treatment with FB showed a significant recovery in myocardial function with improvement of LVSP and +/-dp/dt(max). The myocardial infarct volume, serum levels of Tn-T, TNF-alpha and IL-6, content of MDA and MPO activity in myocardial tissue were all reduced, protein expression of HMGB1, phosphor-I kappaB-alpha and phosphor-NF-kappaB were down-regulated, while attenuated the decrease of SOD and GPx activities. Besides, the infiltration of polymorph nuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and histopathological damages in myocardium were decreased in FB treated groups. These findings suggested that FB rescued cardiac function from I/R injury by limiting inflammation response and its antioxidant properties.

Natural medicines for alcoholism treatment: a review.

Alcoholism is a serious problem throughout the world. The development of alcoholism remedies have medical, social and economical significance. In view of the pitfalls of psychological dependence and adverse behavioural effects of synthetic drugs, the development of low toxicity and high efficiency medicines derived from natural products exhibits expansive market prospects. Based on these considerations, we summarize briefly folk application of traditional hangover remedies and clinical application of herbal complex and patent medicines for alcoholism treatment. We have reviewed the effects of natural medicines on intake, absorption and metabolism of alcohol, as well as the protective effects on alcohol-induced acute and chronic tissue injury.

Clinical study of recombinant adenovirus-p53 (Adp53) combined with hyperthermia in advanced cancer (a report of 15 cases).

The study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Adp53 combined with hyperthermia on advanced cancer. Fifteen patients with advanced cancer were enrolled in this clinical trial. Thirteen patients with recurrent tumours failed in conventional treatments and the two other patients with primary tumour received no treatment before they were enrolled. Recombinant adenovirus-p53 (Adp53) is a E1 substituted replication-incompetent recombinant adenovirus encoding the human wild-type p53 (wtp53) gene. The 15 patients were intra-tumourally injected with Adp53, 1x10(12)vp (virus particle) once a week, with a total of 4-8 times was given. The temperature being set hyperthermia every week 3 days after the injection of Adp53 at 43-44 degrees C using 915 MHz microwave machine for superficial tumour for 1 h or at 42-43 degrees C using 41 MHz radiofrequency machine for deep-seated tumour for 1 h. Among the 15 patients, five concurrently were added with radiotherapy and three were added with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The treatment achieved CR in two cases, PR in four cases, SD in eight cases and PD in one case and, after the treatment, tumours of two cases disappeared and seven of the other 13 cases (54%) had low-density area (LDA) of more than 50% on CT images in tumours. In the 15 patients, no dose-limiting toxicity and adverse events were noted, except transient fever after Adp53 administration. In conclusion, Adp53 combined with hyperthermia was safe and effective in patients with advanced cancer and p53 gene therapy was potential to thermosensitize in advanced cancer.

Garlic increases IL-10 and inhibits TNFalpha and IL-6 production in endotoxin-stimulated human placental explants.

Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder manifest by hypertension after 20 weeks' gestation associated with end organ damage, usually proteinuria. The placenta is thought to be pivotal in the pathogenesis of the disease. Both the placenta and the maternal systemic response are characterised by heightened inflammation. Garlic has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic properties amongst others. It was hypothesised that treating placental explants with garlic may inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor (TNFalpha)) and stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10 (IL-10)) by the placental explants. Garlic, we hypothesised, would also stimulate apoptosis in the explants as measured by soluble TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/Apo-2L (sTRAIL) production. Normal placental explants (n=5) and explants from women who had preeclampsia (n=4) were cultured in the presence of various garlic concentrations (10-1000 microg/mL). The lowest garlic concentration (10 microg/mL) increased the normal explant production of IL-10 by 29.2% (12.2, 57.5%; p<0.01) while inhibiting the production of IL-6 by 23.5% (8.9, 32.5%; p<0.01) (normal explants) and TNFalpha by 19.4% (4.5, 35.3%; p<0.05) (preeclamptic explants). Garlic resulted in an increase in IL-10 production at lower doses (normal explants only) and inhibition of the production of IL-10 at higher doses (normal and preeclamptic explants). Garlic also resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of IL-6 and TNFalpha. Initially there was no change in sTRAIL production; however, at the highest garlic concentrations there was a significant increase in production. We thus conclude that garlic may have an immunomodulatory effect on normal and preeclamptic placentas.

Biological effects of hyperbaric oxygen on human severe periodontitis.

This paper reports the effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO2) in a controlled study of periodontitis in 24 patients. The patients received either HBO2 or no HBO2, and study teeth were divided into 4 groups based on treatment: 1-HBO2 therapy, 2-HBO2 + scaling, 3-scaling, 4-control. We measured indices of periodontal disease and gingival blood flow (GBF). The microorganisms in a periodontal pocket were stained and the percentage of straight rods (Rods), curved rods (Cur), fusiforms (Fusi) and spirochetes (Spiro) were observed. The numbers of anaerobic organisms were measured by routine anaerobic culture. Highly significant differences in Gingival Indices (GI), Sulcus Bleeding Indices (SBI), Probing Depth (PD), Attachment Loss (AL), Plaque Index (PLI), and GBF were seen in the HBO2, the HBO2 + Scaling and the Scaling Groups compared to the Control Group (P < 0.01). The number of subgingival anaerobes as well as the number of Rods, Cur, Fusi, and Spiro were reduced markedly in these three treatment groups. Statistically greater differences in clinical indices, GBF, subgingival anaerobe number and number of Rods, Cur, Fusi and Spiro were found by comparison of HBO2 + Scaling and HBO2 Groups, as well as between the HBO2 + Scaling and Scaling Groups, but no significant differences were observed in GI, SBI, PD, or AL between the HBO2 and Scaling Groups. In conclusion, HBO2 had beneficial therapeutic effects on severe periodontitis. HBO2 therapy combined with scaling and root planing was the most beneficial in the treatment of periodontitis. Clinical follow-up suggests that this treatment effect could last more than 1 year.

[Quantitative study on tongue diagnosis in stroke patients].

OBJECTIVE: To study the tongue proper and tongue fur quantitatively in stroke patients. METHODS: Three hundred and seventy-eight stroke patients were studied by means of TCM Glossoscopy Expert System, the techniques of color digitized image processing and pattern recognition were applied to objectively study the changes of tongue proper and tongue fur. RESULTS: Dark-red tongue was the commonest tongue proper, which revealed in 128 cases (33.86%) in the 378 patients investigated. There was significant difference of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) values in dark-red tongue as compared with those in pale-purple tongue, pale-white tongue, pale-red tongue, deep red tongue, purple-red tongue and blue-purple tongue (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Thick and yellow greasy fur was the commonest in 214 cases of acute stage, it accounted for 30.84% and with a total of 66 cases. There was also significant difference in R/G and R/B values among different types of tongue fur (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This quantitative study on stroke patients regarding to tongue proper and tongue fur by means of TCM Glossoscopy Expert System provides a base for standardization and quantification of diagnosis of stroke patients.