[Brief introduction on compilation and editions of Yang ke xuan cui].

Yang ke xuan cui («¼) is a surgical work compiled by Chen Wenzhi () of the Ming Dynasty. There are few of research on the completion and author of the book. Based on the evidences in the local chronicles, the prefaces and postscripts of the book, it has been verified that the book was originally completed no later than 1591, and Chen Wenzhi passed away no later than 1623. After investigating the 6 editions collected by 8 institutions, a collection of 11 books in total, by comparing the characteristics and circulation relationship of each edition, two systems of circulation were sorted out: block-printed edition of Xu Xi () and review edition of Xu Dachun ().

[Role of Ginkgo biloba extract in regulating 5-hydroxytrytamine and its receptor in heart failure mice].

Objective: Exploring the modulation of periphery and central serotonin (5-hydroxytrytamine, 5-HT) and 5-HT(2A) receptor (5-HT(2A)R) in mice with heart failure during the process of heart failure and after treatment. Methods: Thirty mice were allocated into three groups randomly including normal group (NG), heart failure group (HFG) and treatment group (TG) (n=10). Mice in the NG were sacrificed after evaluating left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) with echocardiogram. Mice in HFG and TG experienced myocardial infarction surgery to achieve EF≤30%, HFG was treated with saline and TG with Ginkgo biloba pills (GBP), once a day for 4 weeks, then EF was assessed again before sacrifice. Cardiac muscle tissue fibrosis was observed and the severity of fibrosis was assessed by semiquantitative method. All the indexes including BNP, serum 5-HT, 5-HT and 5-HT(2A)R in platelet and brain were detected. The data were analyzed by SPSS 19.0. Results: EF: EF in HFG and TG were much lower than that in NG (P<0.05), TG was much higher than HFG (P<0.05). BNP: BNP in HFG and TG were much higher than that in NG (P<0.05), TG was significantly lower than HFG (P<0.05). HFG showed ventricular remodeling, increased myocardial fibrosis; while myocardial fibrosis decreased in TG. 5-HT in serum: serum 5-HT in HFG was much higher than NG (212±29 ng/L vs 146±5 ng/L, P<0.05), TG was much lower than HFG (163±8 ng/L vs 212±29 ng/L, P<0.05). 5-HT in platelet: platelet 5-HT in HFG was much lower than NG (165±22 ng/L vs 193±19 ng/L, P<0.05), platelet 5-HT in TC was higher than HFG and NG (224±27 ng/L vs 193±19 ng/L, 165±22 ng/L, P<0.05). 5-HT(2A)R in platelet: platelet 5-HT(2A)R in HFG was much lower than NG (P<0.05), TG was much higher than NG and HFG (P<0.05). 5-HT in cortex: cortex 5-HT in HFG and TG were much higher than NG (253±4 ng/L, 231±31 ng/L vs 179±9 ng/L, P<0.05), TG was a little lower than HFG (231±31 ng/L vs 253±4 ng/L, P>0.05). 5-HT(2A)R in cortex: cortex 5-HT(2A)R in HFG and TG were much higher than NG (P<0.05), TG was much lower than HFG (P<0.05). 5-HT in hippocampus: hippocampus 5-HT in HFG was much higher than NG (250±7 ng/L vs 179±5 ng/L, P<0.05), TG was much lower than HFG (164±6 ng/L vs 250±7 ng/L, P<0.05). 5-HT(2A)R in hippocampus: hippocampus 5-HT in both HFG and TG were much higher than NG (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between TG and HFG (P>0.05). Conclusion: Significant changes of 5-HT and 5-HT(2A)R are found in heart failure mice during the process of heart failure and after treatment, indicating the potential value of 5-HT modulation in the diagnose and treatment of heart failure.

Effects of 10-hydroxycamptothecin on differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into osteoclasts.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 10-hydroxycamptothecin (10-HCPT) on osteoclast formation. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in vitro with 100 ng/ml receptor activator for nuclear factor-κ B ligand (RANKL) and 30 ng/ml recombinant macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF), and 10-HCPT with different solubilities were added. After five-day cultivation, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to observe the number of osteoclasts. mRNA expression of osteoclast-specific genes, such as TRAP, cathepsin K (CTSK) and matrix metalloproteinase protease 9 (MMP-9), was detected by real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The effect of 10-HCPT on the proliferation activity of RAW264.7 cells was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). CCK-8 detection showed that 10-HCPT with a certain concentration (1 ng/ml to 5 ng/ml) had no effect on cell proliferation (P>0.05); 10-HCPT could inhibit the generation of osteoclasts. With the increase of the concentration of 10-HCPT, the number of osteoclasts generated from cells cultured with 10-HCPT [1 ng/ml (86±11.14), 2 ng/ml (66.67±7.51), 5ng/ml (27.67±6.51)] was much lower than that of the control group (145±8.19), and the difference was statistically significant (all P=0, P less than 0.05); mRNA expression of osteoclast-specific gene TRAP [1 ng/ml (24.38±0.68), 2 ng/ml (20.09±1.86), 5 ng/ml (6.23±0.53)], CTSK [1 ng/ml (10.08±0.81), 2 ng/ml (7.30±0.30), 5 ng/ml (3.20±0.56)] and MMP-9 [1 ng/ml (43.54±6.96), 2 ng/ml (28.28±5.83), 5 ng/ml (11.07±2.53)] was much lower than that of the groups added with RANKL and M-CSF only (all P=0, P less than 0.05), and with the increase of concentration of 10-HCPT, the expression of osteoclast-specific genes showed a decreasing tendency. All the findings suggest that 10-HCPT can inhibit the formation of osteoclasts by reducing the expression of osteoclast-specific genes such as TRAP, CTSK and MMP-9.

High expression of the transcriptional co-activator p300 predicts poor survival in resectable non-small cell lung cancers.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between p300 (a transcriptional co-activator) expression and clinical/prognostic characteristics in surgically resected NSCLC patients for the purpose of identifying patients with increased risk of cancer recurrence and providing them with tailored therapy. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-nine completely resected NSCLC patients were included in this study. Paraffin-embedded primary tumour tissues of patients were supplied to produce a tissue microarray, and immunohistochemistry was used for the evaluation of p300 expression. The clinical/prognostic significance of p300 expression was analysed for statistical significance. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to assess differences in survival between the groups. The prognostic impact of clinicopathologic variables and p300 expression was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: High expression of p300 was associated with poor disease-free survival (p = 0.027) and overall survival (p = 0.006) in NSCLC patients. Further analysis suggested that this difference in overall survival also existed in patients with T2 (p = 0.040), positive lymph nodes (p = 0.023), stage IIIA (p = 0.003), adenocarcinoma (p = 0.021), and a well-differentiated histological grade score (p = 0.011). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that low p300 expression is an independent marker of better disease-free survival (relative risk = 0.628, p = 0.047) and overall survival (relative risk = 0.545, p = 0.024) in operable NSCLC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Low p300 expression is an independent prognostic marker of better survival in operable NSCLC patients. The combination of clinicopathological TNM staging classification with p300 expression may be useful in identifying patients with increased risk of cancer recurrence to provide them with tailored therapy.

[Study of different pattern of immuno-modulatory mechanism by tonifying kidney and invigorating spleen].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the acting pattern on the immune system by tonifying the Kidney (TK). METHODS: Three composite recipes were used on the 7- and 14-day corticosterone rat model to study the effect of recipes on the different pattern of immuno-modulatory and neuroendocrinological systems. RESULTS: The immune system of Invigorate the Spleen(IS) group was well protected in either 7-day or 14-day experiment, without any effect of IS recipe acting on the neuroendocrine system, it suggested that IS recipe might have direct action on immune system, while TK group with no effect on neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) system in 7-day experiment, but showed the remarkable protective effect of the whole NEI system until 14-day experiment. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that TK recipe is acting on the neuro endocime system first, and then influence the immune system. It means that the action was through down pathway of NEI network.

Cloning and characterization of Ras-GRF2, a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Ras.

Conversion of Ras proteins into an activated GTP-bound state able to bind effector proteins is catalyzed by specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors in response to a large number of extracellular stimuli. Here we report the isolation of mouse cDNAs encoding Ras-GRF2, a multidomain 135-kDa protein containing a COOH-terminal Cdc25-related domain that stimulates release of GDP from Ras but not other GTPases in vitro. Ras-GRF2 bound specifically to immobilized Ras lacking bound nucleotides, suggesting stabilization of the nucleotide-free form of Ras as a mechanism of catalyzing nucleotide exchange. The NH2-terminal region of Ras-GRF2 is predicted to contain features common to various signaling proteins including two pleckstrin homology domains and a Dbl homology region. Ras-GRF2 also contains an IQ motif which was required for its apparent constitutive association with calmodulin in epithelial cells ectopically expressing Ras-GRF2. Transient expression of Ras-GRF2 in kidney epithelial cells stimulated GTP binding by Ras and potentiated calcium ionophore-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1) dependent upon the IQ motif. Calcium influx caused Ras-GRF2 subcellular localization to change from cytosolic to peripheral, suggesting a possible mechanism for controlling Ras-GRF2 interactions with Ras at the plasma membrane. Epithelial cells overexpressing Ras-GRF2 are morphologically transformed and grow in a disorganized manner with minimal intercellular contacts. Northern analysis indicated a 9-kb GRF2 transcript in brain and lung, where p135 Ras-GRF2 is known to be expressed, and RNAs of 12 kb and 2.2 kb were detected in several tissues. Thus, Ras-GRF2 proteins with different domain structures may be widely expressed and couple diverse extracellular signals to Ras activation.

[Effect of yougui yin on the content of monoaminic transmitters and body weight, food and fluid intake in corticosterone-rats].

Great attention has been paid to the relationship between the central monoaminic transmitters and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis recently. This paper reported the content of hypothalamic monoaminic transmitters of rats, which were injected with corticosterone 10 mg/kg subcutaneously for 14 days. The body weight as well as volume of food and fluid intake were measured in the same period. Effect of Yougui Yin (YGY, administrated by gastrogavage) on he cortico-inhibited rats was also observed. Results showed that the contents of hypothalamic monoaminic transmitters such as norepinephrine, Dopamine, 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine, serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid of the rats increased obviously, while the body weight, volume of food and fluid intake decreased significantly day by day. The YGY could improve the above-mentioned indexes significantly. It suggested that: (1) The synthesis and metabolism of the central monoaminic transmitters of rats activated when the HPA axis was inhibited by exogenous glucocorticoid, their body weight lowered, and the volume of food and fluid intake decreased. (2) YGY could improve the inhibited HPA axis, and inhibit the activated central monoaminic transmitters as well as protect the normal regulating function of hypothalamus on food and fluid intake.

A natural vaccine candidate strain against cholera.

E1 Tor Vibrio cholerae (EVC) strains may be classified into two kinds-epidemigenic (EEVC) strains and non-epidemigenic (NEEVC) strains-based on a phage-biotyping system. A large number of EEVC strains have been screened for toxigenic and putative colonization attributes. One such naturally occurring strains (designated IEM101) has been found which is devoid of genes encoding cholera toxin (CT), accessory cholera enterotoxin (ACE), zonula occludens toxin (ZOT), but possesses RS1 sequences and toxin-coregulated pilus A gene (icpA) although icpA is poorly expressed. It expresses type B pili but does not possess type C pili. It is an E1 Tor Ogawa strain and does not cause fluid accumulation in rabbit ilcal loop tests. Active immunization of rabbits with strain IEM101 elicited good protection against challenge with virulent strains of V. cholerae O1. Oral administration caused no side effects in 15 human volunteers, colonized the gut for four to ten days and elicited good immune responses.

[Effect of ming-men mixture on corticosterone-rats' neuro-endocrino-immunological network].

The hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal-thymus(HPAT) axis is an important form of the neuroendocrino-immunological network (NEIN). To study the essential link between Ming-Men, Kidney and the NEIN, the corticosterone (CORT) injected rats was used. The CORT The CORT caused HPAT axis inhibiting model was established and then the regulation of Ming-Men mixture (MMM) was observed. The results showed that the number of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) positive neurones in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, CRF positive neurofibril in in median eminence, anterior pituitary ACTH positive secretory cells decreased markedly in the CORT inhibited rats and the immunohistochemical ABC staining became lighter than the control. We also observed that there was atrophy in adrenal, especially fasculate zone became thinner compared with the control. The thymus atrophied, the number of lymphocytes and thymic corpuscles decreased obviously. The content of ACTH and CORT in plasma decreased, the proliferative reaction of lymphocytes, interleukin-2 and the inductive ability of gamma-IFN reduced. After the MMM was instilled into stomach in experimental group, it was foiund that MMM could improve the inhibition on HPAT axis caused by CORT significantly, P < 0.01. It suggested that MMM possibly was an effective and ideal prescription which could regulate the HPAT axis.

[Effect of the regimen of kidney-tonifying and qi-invigorating on aging changes of glucocorticoid receptor].

The plasma cortisol concentration and the sites of glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) in the peripheral lymphocytes were measured in 32 healthy aged persons and 13 young adults. In animal experiment, GCR of spleen lymphocytic cell was also measured in 18 aged rats and 9 young rats. The results showed that GCR was significantly lower in the aged persons or rats than that in the young while the plasma cortisol level didn't change with aging. So we think that GCR is more sensitive than the plasma cortisol level to reflect the aging change of the adrenal cortex function. After the treatment with the regimen of Kidney-tonifying and Qi-invigorating, the GCR of the aged persons and rats was enhanced, and in this way, the function of the aged adrenal cortex was improved.

[Preliminary evaluation of the combination of Chinese herbal medicine (destagnation) and radiotherapy for esophageal cancer].

From May 1973 to March 1979, a prospective randomized clinical trial on 425 patients with esophageal cancer was conducted. 194 patients were allotted into the destagnation plus radiotherapy group, the other 231 into radiotherapy only group. The result shows that the combination of destagnation and radiotherapy does not give a result superior to radiotherapy alone. However, destagnation does not increase either hematogenous, lymphatic metastasis, perforation or hemorrhea of the esophageal cancer.