[Progress in diagnosis and treatment of ovarian metastases in rectal cancer].

Rectal cancer is the most common tumor of digestive tract. For female patients, ovarian metastasis ranks the second place in intraperitoneal organ metastasis. Its symptoms are occult, easily missed and insensitive to systemic treatment, so the prognosis is poor. Surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with rectal ovarian metastases, whether R0 resection is possible or not, and reducing tumor load is associated with better prognosis. With the continuous development of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), tumor reduction can reach the cellular level, which can significantly improve survival. Prophylactic ovariectomy remains a controversial issue in patients at high risk of ovarian metastasis. In this review, we summarize the diagnosis, treatment and prevention strategies of rectal cancer ovarian metastases, hoping to provide some reference for clinical practice.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity between subregions in the thalamus and cortex in migraine without aura.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Migraine is a complex and disabling neurological disorder, the exact neurological mechanisms of which remain unclear. The thalamus is considered to be the hub of the central processing and integration of nociceptive information, as well as the modulation of these processes. METHODS: A total of 48 migraineurs without aura (MWoAs) during the interictal phase and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. We utilized masked independent component analysis and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) to investigate whether MWoAs exhibited abnormal FC between subregions in the thalamus and the cortex regions. RESULTS: The MWoAs showed significantly weaker FC between the anterior dorsal thalamic nucleus and left precuneus. Additionally, MWoAs exhibited significantly reduced FC between the ventral posterior nucleus (VPN) and left precuneus, right inferior parietal lobule (R-IPL) and right middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, the FC Z-scores between the VPN and R-IPL were negatively correlated with pain intensity in MWoAs. The disease duration of patients was negatively correlated with the FC Z-scores between the VPN and R-IPL. CONCLUSION: These altered thalamocortical connectivity patterns may contribute to multisensory integration abnormalities, deficits in pain attention, cognitive evaluation and pain modulation. Pain sensitivity and disease duration are closely tied to abnormal FC between the VPN and R-IPL. Remarkably, recurrent headache attacks might contribute to this maladaptive functional plasticity closely related to pain intensity.

Isolation of swine-derived Lactobacillus plantarum and its synergistic antimicrobial and health-promoting properties with ZnO nanoparticles.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to isolate Lactobacillus from gastrointestinal tract of healthy postweaning piglets and investigate its synergistic antimicrobial and probiotic effects with ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO). METHODS AND RESULTS: Of the 128 isolates, Lactobacillus plantarum BLPL03 was selected based on its excellent acid and bile salt tolerance properties. Lactobacillus plantarum BLPL03 was sensitive to ß-lactams, macrolides, amphenicols and cephalosporins, whereas it displayed the steady resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, quinolones and peptide antibiotics. In vitro analysis of antibacterial activities showed that L. plantarum BLPL03 inhibited the four common food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 CMCC 44828, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 13311, Staphylococcus aureus CMCC 26003 and Listeria monocytogenes CMCC 54007 in synergy with nZnO. Furthermore, the quantitative polymerase chain reaction test demonstrated that the combined administration of L. plantarum BLPL03 fermentation liquor (LFL) and nZnO synergistically elevated the faecal number of Bifidobacterium by 73·19-fold, and reduced the two potential enteropathogenic bacteria Enterobacteriaceae and Clostridium perfringens in mice challenged with Salm. Typhimurium. Finally, dietary supplementation with low dose of nZnO (20 mg kg-1 ) when combined with LFL administration enhanced final body weight, fur appearance and average daily gain, and decreased feed conversion ratio and diarrhoea incidence in weaned piglets. The faecal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus of piglets were dramatically enhanced by 81·96- and 3·15-fold, respectively, after administration of a mixture of nZnO and LFL. Meanwhile, combination of nZnO with LFL resulted in low levels of Bacteroides, Enterococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of nZnO and LFL exhibits potential health-benefit properties for the control of gut microbial composition by their synergistic antimicrobial and probiotic effects. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study may provide a potential nutritional strategy to improve performance and gut health of animals with gut microbiota disorders caused by pathogen infections and weanling, and so on.

Effects of isomaltooligosaccharide and Bacillus supplementation on sow performance, serum metabolites, and serum and placental oxidative status.

This study investigated the effects of isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) and Bacillus supplementation on sow performance, serum metabolites, and serum and placental oxidative status. Multiparous gestating sows (n = 130) with similar body conditions were randomly allocated to five groups (n = 26) receiving a basal diet (CON group) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.5% IMO (IMO group); 0.5% IMO and 0.02% Bacillus subtilis (IMO + S group); 0.5% IMO and 0.02% Bacillus licheniformis (IMO + L group); or 0.5% IMO, 0.02% Bacillus subtilis, and 0.02% Bacillus licheniformis (IMO + S+L group). There were no significant differences in the litter sizes among all dietary groups. The average piglet birth weight was improved in all treatment groups, and the placental efficiency was greater in the IMO + S and IMO + S+L groups than in the CON group (P < 0.05). The IMO + S+L group had increased the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduced the total cholesterol in umbilical venous serum (P <  0.05). Additionally, the malondialdehyde concentrations were greater in umbilical venous serum of piglets in all treatment groups relative to that in the CON piglets (P <  0.05). The placental total antioxidant capacity was increased in the IMO+L and IMO+S+L groups (P <  0.05). Furthermore, the growth hormone concentration in umbilical venous serum was greater (P <  0.05) in all treatment groups. Overall, IMO and Bacillus supplementation during late gestation resulted in a changed metabolism of sows, improved the placental antioxidant capacity, and increased the growth hormone concentrations in umbilical venous serum, which ultimately improved the piglet birth weight and placental efficiency.

The alleviative effects and related mechanisms of taurine supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics in broilers exposed to chronic heat stress.

To investigate the alleviative effects and molecular mechanisms of taurine supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics in broilers exposed to chronic heat stress, 144 male Arbor Acres broilers (28 d old) were randomly distributed to positive control (PC, 22°C, basal diet), heat stress (HS, consistent 32°C, basal diet), or heat stress + taurine (HS + T, consistent 32°C, basal diet + 5.00 g/kg taurine) groups, with 6 cages per group and 8 birds per cage. Chronic heat stress significantly decreased body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake, and increased cloacal temperature and feed conversion ratio (FCR, P < 0.05). Though taurine supplementation tended to decrease the FCR in the HS + T group compared with the HS group after 14 d of heat exposure (P = 0.071), there were no significant alleviative effects of taurine supplementation on the increased cloacal temperature and decreased growth performance in chronic heat-stressed broilers (P > 0.05). After 7 and 14 d of heat exposure, taurine supplementation significantly increased the proportion of breast muscle and hormone-sensitive lipase activity in the abdominal fat (P < 0.05), and decreased the mRNA expressions of muscle atrophy F-box protein (MAFbx) and muscle ring-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) in breast muscle compared with the HS group (P < 0.05). After 7 d of heat exposure, taurine supplementation significantly increased serum non-esterified fatty acid concentration (P < 0.05), and decreased the mRNA expressions of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1c (ACC) and muscular isoform of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (M-CPT1) compared with the HS group (P < 0.05). In addition, the mRNA expressions of M-CPT1 and ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 70 kDa (p70S6K) in the HS + T group were significantly higher than those of the other two groups after 14 d of heat exposure (P < 0.05). In conclusion, taurine supplementation can improve carcass characteristics of chronic heat-stressed broilers by facilitating lipolysis for energy, enhancing protein synthesis, and suppressing protein degradation of the breast muscles.

Sustainable harvest, people and pandas: Assessing a decade of managed wild harvest and trade in Schisandra sphenanthera.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Endemic to China, the distribution of Schisandra sphenanthera Rehder & E.H. Wilson includes giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869) habitats in forests of the Minshan and Qinling Mountains, both inside and outside conservation areas. The fruit is used in indigenous medicines of the Qiang, Tibetan and Yi ethnic minorities of Sichuan. Also used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), indications for use are prescribed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. For continued access and medical use, survival of healthy populations depends on forests. Biodiversity conservation programmes implemented in forests within the panda landscapes that also benefit rural and indigenous communities, link future access to wild medicinal plants with survival of the panda and resilient rural economies. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study aimed at assessing the project activities, institutional-level outcomes and achievements, 10 years on, of the 5-year (2007-2011) UNDP- and WWF- supported EU-China Biodiversity Programme for sustainable, "panda-friendly" schisandra. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study combined analysis of quantitative data such as purchase records coupled with qualitative data obtained from field work, project documents, site-visit reports, certification documents and published articles about the project. RESULTS: At start of project, interested companies were identified to support economic viability of the sustainable wild harvesting and a "panda friendly" pro-conservation model that provided an incentive to maintain habitat outside formal protected areas. Criteria of relevant sustainability standards, the Organic Wild-crop Harvesting Practice Standard and FairWild Standard, were applied while a new standard was drafted, the Giant Panda Friendly Products Standard. The initial pilot project involving 1 village determined feasibility leading to formation of the Pingwu Shuijing TCM Cooperative which, by 2016, scaled out to membership of 22 villages. From the cooperative's first commercial sale of S. sphenanthera Rehder & E.H.Wilson fruits of 0.5 MT in 2009, annual quantities steadily increased up to 30 MT sold in 2017. The cooperative achieved organic certification in 2012. In 2016, governmental authorisation for the certification of Chinese operations implementing the FairWild Standard was granted. In 2017, the Giant Panda Friendly Products Standard became an official Chinese standard with the cooperative becoming the first panda-friendly certified operation in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: A decade after the project first started, there is strong evidence for the pro-conservation micro- and small enterprise model. For example, through the establishment of a TCM cooperative with members in 22 villages engaged in sustainable resource management, harvesting and equitable trade of TCM ingredients with organic and panda-friendly branding. The project benefited from multi-disciplinary collaboration of experts in ethnoecology, TCM, panda biology and habitat, nature conservation, sustainability standards and international trade. Inviting interested companies at the start enabled a transition from a funded-project to annual contracts for sustainably harvested TCM herbal drugs. At end of project (2011), the companies and NGOs remained engaged and motivating for completion of activities started during the project. Major eventual outcomes rooted in the initial project included Chinese government authorisation of the FairWild Standard (2016) and Giant Panda Friendly Products Standard (2017).

[The efficacy comparation of adenoidectomy with acupuncture and tympanonstomy in children secretory otitis media].

Objective:This study aims to the comparative study of AT+A (adenoidectomy with acupuncture) and AT+T (adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube) to monitor and compare the therapeutic effect and prognosis of secretory otitis media in children. The study make a summary and give the clinical suggestions as well.Method:We collected and analyzed 280 outpatients of children secretory otitis media from March 2015 to March 2016.Among them,172 cases took the adenoidectomy with acupuncture and 108 cases took the adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube. This research used the therapeutic effect indicators,middle ear effusion time and one year follow-up to evaluate the pros and cons of two surgery methods in different areas.Result:The patients of both groups had relatively good therapeutic effect which promoted with time. There were no significant difference between AT+A and AT+T in tympanic membrane. While AT+T group acted better than AT+A group in pure tone average and tympanum figure. The middle ear effusion time of AT+T group was significantly shorter than AT+A group. In one year follow-up, there were no difference in hearing loss between two groups.But AT+T group performed better in recurrence rate, infection rate and total rate.Conclusion:Since the adenoidectomy with tympanonstomy tube method has a lot of advantages over adenoidectomy with acupuncture,it's better to use AT+T in severechildren secretory otitis media when situation is available.

[Research on distribution of native places of some doctors from the Qin-Han Dynasties to the Republican Period].

The native places of the famous Chinese medicine doctors listed in the Volume on History of Medicine and Medical Literature of the Great Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine were analyzed and counted, and the political, cultural, social andeconomic factors influencing the regional distributions of the famous Chinese medicine doctors were briefly analysed. Such distributions appear to be obviously regional, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui are the 3 provinces with the largest number of famous Chinese medicine doctors. Meanwhile, the distributions of the famous Chinese medicine doctors are centered on certain cities and counties even within those 3 provinces. From the historical distributions of the famous Chinese medicine doctors, it reveals that the doctors' experiences of rising to fame in the Chinese medicine have relatively close connection to the regional distributions and running within the families of the famous Chinese medicine doctors, the traditional method of transmission from master to disciple in the family should still be paid much attention to in training the students of Chinese medicine in modern times.

[Effects of Prescription Yiqi Huatan Quyu on oxidative stress level and pathological changes in chronic intermittent hypoxia rat liver].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Yiqi Huatan Quyu prescription on oxidative stress and pathological changes in chronic intermittent hypoxia rats liver. Methods: A total of 24 male SD rats aged eight weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups by the random number table: normal control group (NC), chronic intermittent hypoxia group (CIH) and chronic intermittent hypoxia plus Yiqi Huatan Quyu prescription supplement group (Chinese medicine group, CM)(n=8 each). The CIH group and CIHN group were exposed to intermittent hypoxia every day for 8 consecutive weeks. In addition, the CIHN group received Yiqi Huatan Quyu prescription via gavage 30 min before the CIH. Eight weeks later, serums were collected to test alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level. Meanwhile, rat livers were extracted to evaluate malondialdehyde (MDA), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione (GSH) and Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and observe the pathological changes of liver. Results: The levels of serum ALT and AST in the CIH group were significantly higher than those of NC group[(112.1±31.7) vs (41.3±6.6) U/L, (295.4±39.8) vs (104.5±12.3) U/L], the contents of the MDA and NF-κB in the CIH group were notably higher than those of NC group[(7.9±1.1) vs (3.6±0.7) nmol/mgprot, (16.2±3.3) vs (5.7±2.2) ng/L], the activities of T-SOD and GSH in the CIH group were significantly lower than those of control group[(181.6±28.6) vs (304.3±42.9) U/mgprot, (5.5±1.3) vs (14.9±2.4) mg/gprot](all P<0.001). The levels of the serum ALT and AST in CM group were significantly lower than those of CIH group[(52.2±8.6) vs (112.1±31.7) U/L, (148.1±20.4) vs (295.4±39.8) U/L], the contents of liver MDA in CM group was notably lower than those of CIH group[(4.5±0.7) vs (7.9±1.1) nmol/mgprot], the activities of liver T-SOD and GSH in CM group were significantly higher than those of CIH group[(226.9±38.9) vs (181.6±28.6) U/mgprot, (10.3±1.7) vs (5.5±1.3) mg/gprot](all P<0.05). Compared with CIH group, declining tendency was observed from contents of NF-κB in CM group, but there was no statistical difference[(15.8±2.1) vs (16.2±3.3) ng/L, P>0.05]. Pathology observation showed the CIH group had abundant inflammatory cells infiltration in the liver portal area and the inflammatory cells infiltration decreased following Chinese medicine treatments. Conclusion: Yiqi Huatan Quyu prescription has some protection to CIH rat liver, which might mediate by the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammatory mediator.

[Clinical effect of polyvinyl alcohol particles combined with chemoembolization in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma complicated by hepatic arteriovenous shunt and related and prognostic factors].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles combined with chemoembolization using chemotherapeutic agents or chemotherapeutic agents lipiodol emulsion (CALE) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated by hepatic arteriovenous shunt (HAVS) and related prognostic factors. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 133 patients with HCC complicated by HAVS. HAVS was classified into slow-flow HAVS, intermediate-flow HAVS, and high-flow HAVS, which were treated with 300-500µm, 500-710µm, and 710-1000µm PVA particles, respectively. The patients with slow-flow and intermediate-flow HAVS underwent embolization with PVA combined with chemotherapeutic agents followed by CALE, while those with high-flow HAVS underwent the treatment with PVA combined with chemotherapeutic agents alone. The survival time, progression-free survival time, and postoperative complications were followed up and analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate cumulative survival rate and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine prognostic factors. Results: The median overall survival (OS) of 133 patients was 9.1 months, and the 6-, 12-, and 24-month survival rates were 73.7%, 36.2%, and 10.2%, respectively. The median OS of slow-flow group (36 patients), intermediate-flow group (58 patients), and high-flow group (39 patients) were 7.3, 9.1, and 10.8 months, respectively. And the 6- and 12-month survival rates were 69.2%/19.0%, 72.4%/39.2%, and 77.8%/42.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in survival time between the patients with different types of HAVS (χ2= 2.865,P= 0.239). The incidence rates of postoperative gastroesophageal variceal bleeding and acute liver failure were 1.1% and 0.4%, respectively. The results of Cox regression analysis showed that preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level≥400 ng/ml (HR= 2.105,P= 0.006) was an independent risk factor, while multiple embolizations (HR= 0.482,P= 0.011), tumor remission (HR= 0.431,P= 0.041), and multimodality therapy (HR= 0.416,P= 0.004) were independent protective factors. Conclusion: PVA particles combined with chemotherapeutic agents or CALE is safe and effective in the treatment of HCC complicated by HAVS. Patients with multiple embolizations, tumor remission, and multimodality therapy tend to have good prognosis, while those with a high level of alpha-fetoprotein before embolization often have poor prognosis.

Process of Bipolaris sorghicola invasion of host cells.

Target leaf spot is a sorghum leaf disease caused by Bipolaris sorghicola, a species of fungus with a global distribution. In this study, we investigated the process by which B. sorghicola invades cells of barley, onion, Arabidopsis thaliana species, and sorghum. The results showed that within 8 h of coming into contact with host cells, the hyphal ends of B. sorghicola expand and form a uniform infective penetration pegbolt-like structure; a primary infection mycelium can be formed inside host cells within 24 h after contact, which can infect closed cells after 48 h. A mycelium can grow within the gap between cells and form infective hyphae. The pathogen infection process was the same in different host cells. B. sorghicola can affect root cells through soil infection, indicating that it may also have characteristics of soil-borne pathogens.

Acid ceramidase treatment enhances the outcome of autologous chondrocyte implantation in a rat osteochondral defect model.

OBJECTIVE: The overall aim of this study was to evaluate how supplementation of chondrocyte media with recombinant acid ceramidase (rhAC) influenced cartilage repair in a rat osteochondral defect model. METHODS: Primary chondrocytes were grown as monolayers in polystyrene culture dishes with and without rhAC (added once at the time of cell plating) for 7 days, and then seeded onto Bio-Gide® collagen scaffolds and grown for an additional 3 days. The scaffolds were then introduced into osteochondral defects created in Sprague-Dawley rat trochlea by a microdrilling procedure. Analysis was performed 6 weeks post-surgery macroscopically, by micro-CT, histologically, and by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with rhAC led to increased cell numbers and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) production (∼2 and 3-fold, respectively) following 7 days of expansion in vitro. Gene expression of collagen 2, aggrecan and Sox-9 also was significantly elevated. After seeding onto Bio-Gide®, more rhAC treated cells were evident within 4 h. At 6 weeks post-surgery, defects containing rhAC-treated cells exhibited more soft tissue formation at the articular surface, as evidenced by microCT, as well as histological evidence of enhanced cartilage repair. Notably, collagen 2 immunostaining revealed greater surface expression in animals receiving rhAC treated cells as well. Collagen 10 staining was not enhanced. CONCLUSION: The results further demonstrate the positive effects of rhAC treatment on chondrocyte growth and phenotype in vitro, and reveal for the first time the in vivo effects of the treated cells on cartilage repair.

EFFECT OF SEMEN EXTENDER SUPPLEMENTATION WITH TREHALOSE，VITAMIN C AND E ON POST-THAW MIN PIG SPERM QUALITIES.

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation of min pig sperm offers an effective method to protect this valuable genetic resource. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the extender supplementation with some antioxidants is able to improve the quality of post-thawed sperm of min pig. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ejaculated min pig sperm frozen in lactose-egg yolk (LEY) extender supplemented with trehalose, vitamin C and/or water-soluble vitamin E were thawed, and the quality of sperm samples were evaluated. RESULTS: The quality of post-thawed sperm samples was higher in the groups with supplementation than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the addition of 100 mM trehalose and 25 mM water-soluble vitamin E to the freezing extender strongly preserved the quality of the sperm (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Trehalose and water-soluble vitamin E in the freezing extender effectively improved post-thaw qualities of min pig sperm.

Folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake, and risk of preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. However, results from few epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake before conception and during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A birth cohort study was conducted in 2010-2012 at the Gansu Provincial Maternity & Child Care Hospital in Lanzhou, China. A total of 10,041 pregnant women without chronic hypertension or gestational hypertension were enrolled. RESULTS: Compared with nonusers, folic acid supplement users had a reduced risk of preeclampsia (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.87). A significant dose-response of duration of use was observed among women who used folic acid supplemention during pregnancy only (P-trend=0.007). The reduced risk associated with folic acid supplement was similar for mild or severe preeclampsia and for early- or late-onset preeclampsia, although the statistical significant associations were only observed for mild (OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.81) and late-onset (OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.86) preeclampsia. The reduced risk associated with dietary folate intake during pregnancy was only seen for severe preeclampsia (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.87, for the highest quartile of dietary folate intake compared with the lowest). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to confirm the associations.

Disparate results between proliferation rates of surgically excised prostate tumors and an in vitro bioassay using sera from a positive randomized controlled trial.

In vitro bioassay has been used extensively to test the effects of culturing cancer cells in sera from humans participating in dietary interventions, i.e, studies of modified intake of nutrients for the purpose of reducing cancer risk or progression. It has been hypothesized that cell proliferation rates determined by the in vitro bioassay indicate whether modification of dietary intake could decrease cancer cell growth in vivo. It has been suggested, however, that the in vitro bioassay may not correlate with tumor cell proliferation rates in prostate cancer. We investigated the concordance of cell proliferation rates from surgically excised prostate tumor tissue with the in vitro bioassay using sera from matched patients. We used samples from an earlier randomized clinical trial that showed that supplementation with flaxseed significantly inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation rates in vivo as indicated by Ki67 staining in tumor specimens. Proliferation rates of LNCaP, DU145 and PC3 cell lines cultured in 10% human sera from participants in the flaxseed trial were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Spearman's Rho correlation coefficients (ρ) indicated no association between Ki67 staining in prostate tumors and the in vitro bioassay for the three cell lines. These disparate findings suggest that the in vitro bioassay may not provide an accurate assessment of the environment in vivo.

A comparative study of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity modulated irradiation and platinum-based chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prognosis of three subgroups of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Hundred and eighty-one consecutive patients with locoregionally advanced untreated nasopharyngeal carcinoma were retrospectively divided into three subgroups: locally advanced group (T3-4N0-1M0), regionally advanced group (T1-2N2-3M0) and the mixed group (T3-4N2-3M0). They were all treated with definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy. Their prognosis were investigated and compared. Multivariate analysis was applied to identify the independent risk factors of study endpoints. RESULTS: The 3-year locoregional control rates for locally advanced group, regionally advanced group, and the mixed group were 91.5%, 90.6% and 84.3% respectively, no significant difference was observed (P=0.656, P=0.429). The 3-year distant metastasis-free survival rates were 89.6%, 75.7% and 76.3%, respectively. The distant metastasis-free survival rate of the locally advanced group was significantly higher than the other two subgroups (P=0.028, P=0.028). The 3-year progression-free survival rates were 85.5%, 67.9% and 67.1% respectively with significance also favoring the locally advanced group (P=0.043, P=0.023). Nodal stage and the performance status were the independent risk factors of distant metastasis in the observed period. CONCLUSIONS: In the context of intensity-modulated radiotherapy and platinum-based chemotherapy, the locally advanced group had a better prognosis compared with the regionally advanced group and the mixed group. Treatment stratification may be based on nodal stage.

Effect of Portulaca oleracea extracts on growth performance and microbial populations in ceca of broilers.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Portulaca oleracea extracts on growth performance and microbial populations in the ceca of broilers. A total of 120 one-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups. Portulaca oleracea extracts were added to diets at 0.2 and 0.4% (wt/wt; POL-0.2, POL-0.4), respectively. The control (CON) group was administered with no P. oleracea extract supplementation. Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded every 2 wk. On d 28 and 42, the cecal contents were collected and assayed for Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium populations. Additionally, the pH of the ileum and cecum was measured. The results showed that both on d 28 and 42 BW gain of P. oleracea extract supplementation groups was significantly higher, whereas the feed conversion ratio was lower (P < 0.05) compared with CON. On d 28 and 42, significantly (P < 0.05) fewer E. coli were recovered from ceca of broilers provided with the POL-0.2 diet than from broilers provided with the control diet. The quantities of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium of POL-0.2 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than CON. Results showed P. oleracea extracts have no distinct influence on intestinal pH. These data suggest that P. oleracea extract supplementation significantly altered the cecal bacterial community without affecting the intestinal pH.

Cloning and characterization of the calreticulin gene in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer).

Calreticulin (CRT) is a Ca2+-binding molecular chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum. We cloned and characterized the CRT gene in an important marine food fish species Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer). The full-length DNA of the CRT gene was 2194 bp, including a complete open reading frame encoding 420 amino acid residues, a 113 bp 5'-untranslated region and an 818 bp 3'-untranslated region. The CRT gene contained nine exons and eight introns covering a total of 2772 bp genomic DNA from the start to stop codon. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected in introns and an exon in six individuals collected from five different locations. The CRT gene was assigned to linkage group 4 of the linkage map of Asian seabass. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the CRT gene was highly expressed in liver at the age of 1, 3 and 7 months under normal conditions, whereas its expression in liver reduced sharply after 0.5 to 2 h cold challenge at 16°C, and then increased slowly. A preliminary association analysis showed a significant (P < 0.001) association between the SNP6 in the CRT gene and the mortality after cold challenge at 16°C. Our results suggest that the CRT gene is associated with cold tolerance of Asian seabass and further investigation will be necessary to illustrate the underlying mechanisms.

Molecular diversity analysis of eggplant (Solanum melongena) genetic resources.

Eggplant (Solanum melongena), a vegetable that is cultivated worldwide, is of considerable importance to agriculture in China. We analyzed the diversity of this plant using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and RAPD procedures to subdivide 143 Chinese-cultivated eggplants based on coefficient of parentage, genetic diversity index (GDI) and canonical discriminant analysis. ISSR markers were more effective than RAPD markers for detecting genetic diversity, which ranged from 0.10-0.51, slightly lower than what is known from other crops. Our ISSR/RAPD data provide molecular evidence that coincides with morphological-based classification into three varieties and further subdivision into eight groups, except for two groups. Intensive use of elite parents and extensive crossing within groups have resulted in increased coefficient of parentage and proportional contribution but decreased GDI during the past decades. The mean coefficient of parentage and proportional contribution increased from 0.05 to 0.10% and from 3.22 to 6.46% during 1980-1991 and 1992-2003, respectively. The GDI of landraces was 0.21, higher than the 0.09 and 0.08 calculated for the hybrid cultivars released during the two periods. The recent introduction of alien genotypes into eggplant breeding programs may broaden the genetic base.

Hyperbaric oxygen reduces inflammatory response in acute pancreatitis by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation.

AIM: The mechanism of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy for acute pancreatitis has not been fully clarified yet. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of HBO on nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and the inflammatory response in rats with acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP). METHODS: A total of 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (40 in each): control, ANP and ANP + HBO. ANP rat models were established by a retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. HBO treatment was performed at 2.5-fold absolute atmospheric pressure in 90% oxygen for 1, 3, 5, and 7 h. The activation of NF-kappaB and its inhibitor IkappaBalpha in peripheral blood neutrophilic granulocytes was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and Western blot, respectively. The inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and intercellular adhesion molecule 1] in the blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The blood levels of inflammatory cytokines and NF-kappaB activation were significantly increased in ANP rats compared to control rats, but IkappaBalpha activation was suppressed. The levels of the elevated inflammatory cytokines were positively correlated with the changes in NF-kappaB activation. After HBO treatment, the blood levels of inflammatory cytokines and NF-kappaB activation were significantly decreased in the ANP + HBO group in a time-dependent manner, but IkappaBalpha activation was increased. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acute pancreatitis is associated with the upregulation of cytokines in blood as well as upregulation of NF-kappaB levels and downregulation of IkappaBalpha activation in peripheral blood neutrophilic granulocytes. In contrast, HBO plays a role in acute pancreatitis treatment by normalizing these changes.