A qualitative study on the willingness and influencing factors of master of geriatric nursing specialist postgraduates to volunteer for home respite care for disabled elderly families.

BACKGROUND: As China's population ages, the demand for care for the disabled elderly is increasing, and family caregivers find it challenging to meet the comprehensive care needs of the disabled elderly. Through home respite services, families of the disabled elderly can receive help and support from specialized nursing professionals to ease the burden on family caregivers and provide high-quality services. This study explores the willingness and influencing factors of Master of Geriatric Nursing Specialist postgraduates in China to volunteer to provide home respite services for disabled elderly individuals. METHODS: A qualitative study based on Grounded Theory used Strauss and Corbin's programmatic version. A purposive sampling method was employed to conduct semi-structured interviews with 12 Master of Geriatric Nursing Specialist postgraduates from a tertiary hospital in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. RESULTS: The willingness of Master of Geriatric Nursing Specialist postgraduates to volunteer to provide home respite services for the disabled elderly was established as a core category, which was influenced by three main categories: personal factors, service object factors, and social factors, and nine categories formed from 39 initial concepts were included under the main category. CONCLUSIONS: Influenced by China's traditional cultural background, Master of Geriatric Nursing Specialist postgraduates in China have shown high motivation in volunteering to provide home respite services for the families of the disabled elderly but have been challenged by several challenges from China's healthcare environment and education system. Relevant departments need to adopt a series of policies and measures to increase volunteers' willingness to participate in respite care and promote its development.

Dandelion root extract affects ESCC progression via regulating multiple signal pathways.

Dandelion, a medicinal and edible plant, exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effectiveness of the aqueous dandelion root extract (DRE) on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The in vitro cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis and the in vivo tumor growth were evaluated. The effects of DRE on PI3K/Akt and Ras/Raf/ERK pathways, which are important signaling pathways related to the development and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, were studied. The effects of DRE on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins BCL2 and BAX were also investigated. Meanwhile, the role of a cystathionine-ß-synthase (CBS)/H2S system in ESCC cells and the effects of DRE on the CBS/H2S system were assessed. The results showed that DRE selectively inhibited cell growth, proliferation, migration and invasion and induced cell apoptosis in ESCC cells. Moreover, the oral administration of DRE retarded the growth of tumors in human ESCC xenograft models. The DRE treatment led to a dose-dependent reduction in the levels of PI3K, p-Akt, Ras, Raf and pERK1/2 proteins in ESCC cells. DRE also caused a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein BCL2 and an increase in the pro-apoptotic protein BAX. The data also showed that the CBS/H2S system implicated in the process of ESCC and DRE inhibited the CBS/H2S system. Moreover, the CBS knockdown weakened the cancer cell-inhibiting effectiveness of DRE. Therefore, DRE may affect ESCC progression through the regulation of PI3K/Akt and Ras/Raf/ERK signal pathways as well as the endogenous CBS/H2S system, and consequently, serve as an effective anti-cancer alternative for human ESCC treatment.

The effects of acarbose therapy on reductions of myocardial infarction and all-cause death in T2DM during 10-year multifactorial interventions (The Beijing Community Diabetes Study 24).

To investigate the potential benefits of acarbose therapy on cardiovascular events (CVD) in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in an urban community over 10-year follow-up. The study population of Beijing Community Diabetes Study (BCDS) were type 2 diabetes (T2DM) living in 21 communities in Beijing. All patients received comprehensive intervention in accordance with the Chinese guidelines for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Professors in endocrinology from top tier hospitals regularly visited the communities for consultations, which was a feature of this study. A total of 1797 T2DM in BCDS study had complete screening data, including blood glucose, blood pressure, lipid profiles and acarbose continuous therapy. After 10-year follow-up, the risks of CVD outcomes were assessed according to whether patients had received acarbose therapy or not. All patients were followed-up to assess the long-term effects of the multifactorial interventions. At baseline, compared with the acarbose therapy free in T2DM, there was no significant difference in achieving the joint target control in patients with acarbose therapy. From the beginning of 8th year follow-up, the joint target control rate in patients with acarbose therapy was significantly higher than that of acarbose therapy free. During the 10-year follow-up, a total of 446 endpoint events occurred, including all-cause death, cardiovascular events, cerebrovascular events. The incidences of myocardial infarction (from the 4th year of follow-up) and all-cause death (from the 2nd year of follow-up) in patients who received acarbose therapy were significantly lower than that of acarbose therapy free respectively. In Cox multivariate analyses, there were significant differences in incidences of myocardial infarction and all-cause death between afore two groups during the 10-year follow-up, and the adjusted HRs were 0.50 and 0.52, respectively. After multifactorial interventions, T2DM with acarbose therapy revealed significant reductions of myocardial infarction and all-cause death. The long-term effects of with acarbose therapy on improving joint target control might be one of the main reasons of myocardial infarction and all-cause death reduction.Trial Registration: ChiCTR-TRC-13003978, ChiCTR-OOC-15006090.

Se Regulates the Contractile Ability of Uterine Smooth Musclevia Selenoprotein N, Selenoprotein T, and Selenoprotein Win Mice.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that maintains normal physiological functions in humans and animals. Se plays a vital role in regulating smooth muscle contractions, and selenoprotein N (SelN), selenoprotein T (SelT), and selenoprotein W (SelW) are closely related to the release of Ca2+. The present study analyzed the effects and mechanisms of SelN, SelT, and SelW in uterine smooth muscle contractions in a mouse model fed Se. The mRNA and protein levels in the uterine smooth muscle of mice were detected by qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that Se played an indispensable role in uterine smooth muscle contractions. Increased Se concentration in food increased the release of Ca2+ to a certain extent, causing CaM expression, MLCK expression, and MLC phosphorylation, which can lead to uterine smooth muscle contractions. In contrast, Se deficiency reduced the release of Ca2+ to a certain degree, thereby reducing the contractile ability of uterine smooth muscle. In this study, genes related to SelN, SelT, and SelW expression in uterine smooth muscle cells were investigated. The results showed that the Se concentration had an effect on the expression of SelN, SelT, and SelW in uterine smooth muscle cells. Se influences the release of Ca2+ through SelN, SelT, and SelW, which changes the expression of MLCK and then affects uterine smooth muscle contractions. The three selenoproteins SelN, SelT, and SelW play a very important role in uterine smooth muscle contractions, and the absence of any of these proteins affects the contractility of the uterus.

Biosynthesis of Ascorbic Acid as a Glucose-Induced Photoprotective Process in the Extremophilic Red Alga Galdieria partita.

The extremophilic red alga Galdieria partita is a facultative heterotroph that occupies mostly low-light microhabitats. However, the exceptional detection of abundant populations of G. partita in sunlight-exposed soil raises the possibility that exogenous organic carbon sources protect cells from photo-oxidative damage. The present study aimed to identify the photoprotective process activated by exogenous glucose under photo-oxidative stress. We demonstrated that exogenous glucose mitigated the photo-oxidative damage of cells exposed to 300 µmol photons m-2 s-1 photosynthetic active radiation. Photosynthesis carbon assimilation scarcely contributed to the cell growth in the presence of glucose, but the photosynthetic apparatus was nevertheless maintained and protected by glucose in a concentration-dependent manner. Supplementation of glucose increased expression of the L-gulonolactone oxidase gene essential for ascorbic acid biosynthesis, whereas no enhanced expression of the genes involved in carotenoid or tocopherol biosynthesis was observed. Under the photo-oxidative stress condition, the ascorbic acid content was strongly enhanced by exogenous glucose. We propose that the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid is one of the major photoprotective processes induced by exogenous glucose. The elucidation of how ascorbic acid is involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species provides key insights into the photoprotective mechanism in red algae.

Multifunctional nanotheranostic gold nanocages for photoacoustic imaging guided radio/photodynamic/photothermal synergistic therapy.

In this work, we developed a novel multifunctional nanoplatform based on hyaluronic acid modified Au nanocages (AuNCs-HA). The rational design of AuNCs-HA renders the nanoplatform three functionalities: (1) AuNCs-HA with excellent LSPR peak in the NIR region act as contrast agent for enhanced photoacoustic (PA) imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT); (2) the nanoplatform with high-energy rays (X-ray) absorption and auger electrons generation acts as a radiosensitizer for radiotherapy; (3) good photocatalytic property and large surface area make AuNCs-HA a photosensitive agent for photodynamic therapy (PDT). In vivo results demonstrated that AuNCs-HA presented excellent PA imaging performance after intravenous injection, which provided contour, size, and location information of the tumor. Moreover, because AuNCs-HA could combine radiotherapy and phototherapy together, the tumors treated with AuNCs-HA showed complete growth inhibition, comparing to that with each therapy alone. Taken together, our present study demonstrates that AuNCs-HA is of great potential as a multifunctional nanoplatform for PA imaging-guided radio- and photo-therapy of tumor. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, a commendable theranostic nanoplatform based on hyaluronic acid modified AuNCs (AuNCs-HA) was developed. In our approach, the dilute solution of Gold(III) chloride is slowly dripped into Ag nanocubes solution, then the Au nanocages were obtained by redox reaction, and followed by HA modification. We explored them, simultaneously, as radiosensitizers for RT, photosensitizers for PDT, and therapeutic agents for PTT. Compared to that of each therapies alone, the combination of radio-therapy and photo-therapy results in a considerably improved tumor eliminating effect and efficiently inhibited tumor growth. In addition, AuNCs-HA exhibited remarkably strong PA signals for precise identification of the location, size, and boundary of the tumor, thereby facilitating imaging-guided therapy. In brief, our design of AuNCs-HA represents a general and versatile strategy for building up cancer-targeted nanotheranostics with desired synergistic imaging and therapy functionalities.

HP-ß-CD Functionalized Fe3O4/CNPs-Based Theranostic Nanoplatform for pH/NIR Responsive Drug Release and MR/NIRFL Imaging-Guided Synergetic Chemo/Photothermal Therapy of Tumor.

The combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy has aroused great interest due to its better antitumor effect than either single therapy alone. Herein, we report on the development of hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin functionalized Fe3O4/carbon nanoparticles (HFCNPs) for pH/near-infrared (NIR) responsive drug release, magnetic resonance/NIR fluorescence (MR/NIRFL) imaging-guided combined chemo/photothermal therapy. The high doxorubicin (DOX) loading capacity (61.2%) and controlled drug release by NIR irradiation and weak acid microenvironment render HFCNPs a good vector for DOX delivery and controlled release. Moreover, the MR/NIRFL dual-modal imaging was used to define the tumor location, size, and boundary and to track the tumor accumulation of HFCNPs and their biodistribution. The efficient accumulation and prolonged retention time of the nanoparticles in tumor are beneficial to tumor therapy. Taking advantage of the NIR laser-induced heating and hence promoted drug permeation, remarkable tumor inhibition was realized by synergetic chemo/photothermal therapy. In conclusion, the current work offers a promising approach to the development of smart and efficient multimodal cancer-targeted nanotheranostics.

Indocyanine Green Loaded Magnetic Carbon Nanoparticles for Near Infrared Fluorescence/Magnetic Resonance Dual-Modal Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Tumor.

Malignant tumor incidences have been rapidly rising recently and are becoming a serious threat to human health. Herein, a multifunctional cancer targeted theranostic nanoplatform is developed by in situ growth of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles on carbon nanoparticles, and then loaded with fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG@MCNPs). The loading of ICG on the nanoplatform significantly improves its photostability, and hence facilitates long-term near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging and efficient photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumor. The in vivo NIRF imaging reveals that ICG@MCNPs can be targeted to the tumor site. Moreover, in vivo magnetic resonance imaging also confirmed the efficient accumulation of ICG@MCNPs in the tumor site. Inspiringly, the subsequent PTT of tumor-bearing mice is achieved, as evidenced by the complete ablation of the tumor and the recovery of the physiological indexes to normal levels. Benefitting from its low-cost, simple preparation, and excellent dual-modal imaging and therapy, the ICG@MCNPs-based theranostic nanoplatform holds great promise in tumor-targeted nanomedicine.

Appropriate choice of collision-induced dissociation energy for qualitative analysis of notoginsenosides based on liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry possessesd both the MS(n) ability of ion trap and the excellent resolution of a time-of-flight, and has been widely used to identify drug metabolites and determine trace multi-components for in natural products. Collision energy, one of the most important factors in acquiring MS(n) information, could be set freely in the range of 10%-400%. Herein, notoginsenosides were chosen as model compounds to build a novel methodology for the collision energy optimization. Firstly, the fragmental patterns of the representatives for the authentic standards of protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type notoginsenosides authentic standards were obtained based on accurate MS(2) and MS(3) measurements via liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Then the extracted ion chromatograms of characteristic product ions of notoginsenosides in Panax Notoginseng Extract, which were produced under a series of collision energies and, were compared to screen out the optimum collision energies values for MS(2) and MS(3). The results demonstrated that the qualitative capability of liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry was greatly influenced by collision energies, and 50% of MS(2) collision energy was found to produce the highest collision-induced dissociation efficiency for notoginsenosides. BesidesAddtionally, the highest collision-induced dissociation efficiency appeared when the collision energy was set at 75% in the MS(3) stage.

Gabapentinoid Insensitivity after Repeated Administration is Associated with Down-Regulation of the α(2)δ-1 Subunit in Rats with Central Post-Stroke Pain Hypersensitivity.

The α2δ-1 subunit of the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (VGCC) is a molecular target of gabapentin (GBP), which has been used as a first-line drug for the relief of neuropathic pain. GBP exerts its anti-nociceptive effects by disrupting trafficking of the α2δ-1 subunit to the presynaptic membrane, resulting in decreased neurotransmitter release. We previously showed that GBP has an anti-allodynic effect in the first two weeks; but this is followed by insensitivity in the later stage after repeated administration in a rat model of central post-stroke pain (CPSP) hypersensitivity induced by intra-thalamic hemorrhage. To explore the mechanisms underlying GBP insensitivity, the cellular localization and time-course of expression of the α2δ-1 subunit in both the thalamus and spinal dorsal horn were studied in the same model. We found that the α2δ-1 subunit was mostly localized in neurons, but not astrocytes and microglia. The level of α2δ-1 protein increased in the first two weeks after injury but then decreased in the third week, when GBP insensitivity occurred. Furthermore, the α2δ-1 down-regulation was likely caused by later neuronal loss in the injured thalamus through a mechanism other than apoptosis. In summary, the present results suggest that the GBP receptor α2δ-1 is mainly expressed in thalamic neurons in which it is up-regulated in the early stage of CPSP but this is followed by dramatic down-regulation, which is likely associated with GBP insensitivity after long-term use.

Metal-insulator transition in films of doped semiconductor nanocrystals.

To fully deploy the potential of semiconductor nanocrystal films as low-cost electronic materials, a better understanding of the amount of dopants required to make their conductivity metallic is needed. In bulk semiconductors, the critical concentration of electrons at the metal-insulator transition is described by the Mott criterion. Here, we theoretically derive the critical concentration nc for films of heavily doped nanocrystals devoid of ligands at their surface and in direct contact with each other. In the accompanying experiments, we investigate the conduction mechanism in films of phosphorus-doped, ligand-free silicon nanocrystals. At the largest electron concentration achieved in our samples, which is half the predicted nc, we find that the localization length of hopping electrons is close to three times the nanocrystals diameter, indicating that the film approaches the metal-insulator transition.

Influence of educational attainments on long term glucose control and morbid events in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving integrated care from 15 China urban communities: The Beijing Community Diabetes Study 11.

AIM: To investigate the effects of educational attainment on glucose control and morbid events in patients with type 2 diabetes in Beijing communities. METHODS: In this prospective multi-center study, 2866 type 2 diabetes patients receiving integrated care from 15 Beijing urban communities were investigated. Educational attainment was categorized into three levels: low, medium, and high. After a 42-month management, glucose control parameters and morbid events were analyzed. RESULTS: At baseline, the percentages of patients with good glucose control (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%) in the low, medium and high educational groups were 49.09%, 54.82% and 62.59%, respectively (P<0.001). After the 42-month management, fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c values were the highest in the low educational group (7.51 ± 2.05 mmol/l and 7.20 ± 1.27%, respectively). Percentages of patients with good glucose control in the three groups were 49.6%, 55.83% and 67.23%, respectively, and the incidences of combined morbid events were 4.5%, 2.4% and 1.5%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that educational level was related to the incidence of combined morbid events (medium level, HR=0.572; high level, HR=0.351; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Educational level was associated with long-term glucose control, and seemed to be related to the incidence of combined morbid events in people with type 2 diabetes.

Post-stroke pain hypersensitivity induced by experimental thalamic hemorrhage in rats is region-specific and demonstrates limited efficacy of gabapentin.

Intractable central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is one of the most common sequelae of stroke, but has been inadequately studied to date. In this study, we first determined the relationship between the lesion site and changes in mechanical or thermal pain sensitivity in a rat CPSP model with experimental thalamic hemorrhage produced by unilateral intra-thalamic collagenase IV (ITC) injection. Then, we evaluated the efficacy of gabapentin (GBP), an anticonvulsant that binds the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel α2δ and a commonly used anti-neuropathic pain medication. Histological case-by-case analysis showed that only lesions confined to the medial lemniscus and the ventroposterior lateral/medial nuclei of the thalamus and/or the posterior thalamic nucleus resulted in bilateral mechanical pain hypersensitivity. All of the animals displaying CPSP also had impaired motor coordination, while control rats with intra-thalamic saline developed no central pain or motor deficits. GBP had a dose-related anti-allodynic effect after a single administration (1, 10, or 100 mg/kg) on day 7 post-ITC, with significant effects lasting at least 5 h for the higher doses. However, repeated treatment, once a day for two weeks, resulted in complete loss of effectiveness (drug tolerance) at 10 mg/kg, while effectiveness remained at 100 mg/kg, although the time period of efficacious analgesia was reduced. In addition, GBP did not change the basal pain sensitivity and the motor impairment caused by the ITC lesion, suggesting selective action of GBP on the somatosensory system.

[Clinical application of otopoint-pellet pressure combined with patient controlled intravenous analgesia to lower limb orthopedic operation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of otopoint-pellet pressure (OPP) combined with patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) for lower-limb surgery of orthopedics. METHODS: A total of 120 lower-limb orthopedic operation patients were randomized into OPP + PCIA group (n = 60) and PCIA group (n = 60). The patient's pain degree was evaluated by visual analogue score (VAS). RESULTS: In comparison with the simple PCIA group, VAS levels were significantly lower in the OPP + PCIA group than in the PCIA group 2, 6, 24 and 48 h after operation. The number of patients with post-operative reactions of nausea, vomiting and urinary retention in the OPP+ PCIA group was remarkably lower than that of OPP group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: OPP + PCIA is superior to simple PCIA in post-operative analgesia and reducing post-operative adverse reactions in lower-limb orthopedic operation patients.

Study on international standard multilingual nomenclature of Chinese medicine.

The International Standard Chinese-English Basic Nomenclature of Chinese medicine (ISN) was released in 2007, a nomenclature list consisting of 6 500 Chinese medical terms. ISN was the culmination of several years of collaborative diligent work of over 200 specialists who represent Chinese medicine in 68 countries. The overall goal for devising standard English nomenclature for Chinese medicine is to develop a practical international standard nomenclature for Chinese medical basic terms, to make it compatible with contemporary research and educational standards in the globalized health care service. In this article, provided is an overview of principles and methods for the multilingual translations, the processes behind the particular content of the Chinese-English ISN and an introduction to the ongoing new projects, i.e. the multilingual versions of ISN (International Standards of Chinese-Spanish, Chinese-French and Chinese-Portuguese Basic Nomenclature of Chinese Medicine).

Study on international standard multilingual nomenclature of Chinese medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

The International Standard Chinese-English Basic Nomenclature of Chinese medicine (ISN) was released in 2007, a nomenclature list consisting of 6 500 Chinese medical terms. ISN was the culmination of several years of collaborative diligent work of over 200 specialists who represent Chinese medicine in 68 countries. The overall goal for devising standard English nomenclature for Chinese medicine is to develop a practical international standard nomenclature for Chinese medical basic terms, to make it compatible with contemporary research and educational standards in the globalized health care service. In this article, provided is an overview of principles and methods for the multilingual translations, the processes behind the particular content of the Chinese-English ISN and an introduction to the ongoing new projects, i.e. the multilingual versions of ISN (International Standards of Chinese-Spanish, Chinese-French and Chinese-Portuguese Basic Nomenclature of Chinese Medicine).

Effects of extract from Ginkgo biloba on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in rats.

AIM: To study the effects of extract from Ginkgo biloba (EGb) containing 22% flavonoid and 5% terpenoid on chronic liver injury and liver fibrosis of rats induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)). METHODS: All rats were randomly divided into control group, CCl(4)-treated group, colchicine-treated group and EGb-protected group. Chronic liver injury was induced in experimental groups by subcutaneous injection of CCl(4) and fed with chows premixed with 79.5% corn powder, 20% lard and 0.5% cholesterol (v/v). EGb-protected group was treated with EGb (0.5 g/kg body weight per day) for 7 wk. At the end of wk 8, all the rats were killed. Liver function, liver fibrosis, oxidative stress and expression of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), a-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and type I collagens in liver were determined. In addition, pathology changes of liver tissue were observed under light microscope. RESULTS: The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albumin (Alb) in EGb-protected group were notably improved as compared with the CCl(4)-treated group (P < 0.01). The contents of serum hyaluronic acid (HA), type III procollagen (PCIII), type IV collagen (CIV) and the expression of hepatic tissue TGF-beta1, alpha-SMA and type I collagen in EGb-protected group were significantly lower than those in CCl(4)-treated groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The degrees of liver fibrosis in EGb-protected groups were lower than those in CCl(4)-treated groups (6.58 +/- 1.25 vs 9.52 +/- 2.06, P < 0.05). Compared to the CCl(4)-treated group, the levels of plasma glutathoine peroxidase (Se-GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were strikingly improved also in EGb-protected group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EGb resists oxidative stress and thereby reduces chronic liver injury and liver fibrosis in rats with liver injury induced by CCl(4).

Protection from oxidative damage using Bidens pilosa extracts in normal human erythrocytes.

Bidens pilosa (B. pilosa) is well known in Taiwan as a traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of both the ethanol (EtOH) and ethylacetate/ethanol (EA/EtOH) extracts from the whole B. pilosa plant, to protect normal human erythrocytes against oxidative damage in vitro. It was determined that the oxidative hemolysis and lipid/protein peroxidation of erythrocytes induced by the aqueous peroxyl radical [2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH)] were suppressed by both EtOH (50-150 microg/ml) and EA/EtOH (25-75 microg/ml) extracts of B. pilosa in concentration- and time-dependent manners. B. pilosa extracts also prevented the decline of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the depletion of cytosolic glutathione (GSH) and ATP in erythrocytes. These results imply that B. pilosa may have protective antioxidant properties.

Phenoxodiol, a novel approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women and is the most lethal of the gynecological malignancies. Thle high mortality rate arises from difficulties in the early detection of the disease and the widespread development of chemoresistance. Phenoxodiol, a novel isoflavone derivative, has demonstrated antitumor activity. In addition, it has been shown to induce cell death in chemoresistant epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, suboptimal exposure of these cells to phenoxodiol lowered the IC50 value of numerous chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, the current understanding of the mechanism of action of phenoxodiol, its potential clinical application for the treatment of ovarian cancer and the concept of chemosensitization are discussed.