Toosendanin suppresses oncogenic phenotypes of human gastric carcinoma SGC­7901 cells partly via miR­200a­mediated downregulation of ß-catenin pathway.

Aberrant activation of ß-catenin signaling due to low expression of miR­200a is found in gastric carcinoma (GC) tissues promoting GC evolution. Toosendanin (TSN) has exhibited antitumor effects on various human cancer cells, but its influence on GC is largely unidentified. The potential roles of TSN on GC cells were examined and it was found that TSN inhibited growth, migration, invasion and TGF­ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in SGC­7901 cells which were most sensitive to TSN among various GC cell lines. TSN also inactivated ß-catenin pathway in SGC­7901 cells and the above effects were reversed following induction of ß-catenin overexpression. Moreover, TSN facilitated the level of miR­200a which targets ß-catenin and miR­200a silencing attenuated the antitumor effects of TSN on SGC­7901 cells. Nonetheless, knockdown of miR­200a did not relieve the suppressive effects of TSN on p­AKT, p­ERK and p­GSK3ß which were upstream regulators of ß-catenin. In addition, TSN administration inhibited growth and liver metastasis of orthotopically implanted SGC­7901 tumors in vivo through miR­200a­mediated ß-catenin pathway. Our data suggest that TSN may suppress oncogenic phenotypes of human GC cells partly via miR­200a/ß-catenin axis. Hence, TSN may have a promising chemotherapeutic activity for GC therapy.

[Clinical study of combined treatment of remifemin and paroxetine for perimenopausal depression].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacies and safety of combined treatment of remifemin and paroxetine for perimenopausal depression. METHODS: A total of 120 patients with perimenopausal depression were digital randomly divided into the treatment and control groups (n = 60 each). The treatment group received oral remifemin one tablet twice daily and paroxetine 20 mg once daily for 2 months while the control group oral paroxetine 20 mg once daily for 2 months. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and Kupperman scale were used to assess the therapeutic efficacies. Blood and urine routine, electrocardiography, liver function, kidney function and blood pressure before and after treatment were examined to assess the side effects. RESULTS: For the improvement of perimenopausal depression on HAMD, the total effective rates of the treatment and control groups were 88.3% and 78.3% respectively. The therapeutic efficacy of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After 8-week treatment, Kupperman menopausal indices of the treatment and control groups were 9.89 ± 3.76 and 15.75 ± 5.84 respectively. There was also significant difference (P < 0.01). No significant changes existed in blood routine, urine routine, liver function, kidney function, blood pressure, ECG or blood pressure before and after treatment (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of remifemin and paroxetine for perimenopausal depression can improve the efficacies. It is easily accepted by patients for its higher safety and fewer side-effects. It is worthy of a wider application and further researches.

[Clinical observation on treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis with Chinese herbal medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of Chinese drugs for expelling evil-wind, removing dampness, promoting blood circulation and invigorating yin in treating active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Sixty-seven patients with active RA were randomized into 3 groups, the Group A, B and C. They were made coequal in terms of age, sex and condition of disease and treated respectively with basic treatment (non-steroid anti-inflammation drug combined with immune inhibitor) only, basic treatment + small dose prednisone, and basic treatment + Chinese herbal medicine, all for 8 weeks. The efficacy and adverse effects of treatment were analyzed by scoring. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 20.0% (4/20) in Group A, 810% (17/21) in Group B and 85.7% (18/21) in Group C, the latter two were superior to the former one (P <0.01). Before treatment, comparison of disease activity score (DAS) among the three groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). After treatment, improvements of Ritchie arthritis index (RAI), number of swollen joint, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), general health (GH), and DAS were shown in Group B and C (P <0.05), while in Group A, improvement was only shown in GH (P <0.05). The difference of DAS between pre- and post-treatment was 0.25 +/- 0.77 in Group A, 0.87 +/- 0.60 in Group B and 0.92 +/- 0.59 in Group C, showing statistical significance between Group A vs B and A vs C (P = 0.0000). The total accumulative score of adverse reaction was 3.76 +/- 2.72 in Group C, 9.10 +/- 6.01 in Group A and 14.38 +/- 9.36 in Group B, also showing statistical significance among groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of Chinese and Western medicine for active RA is effective and safe.

[Study on relationship between TCM Syndrome types (Xin-qi and Xin-yang deficiency) and contents of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukins) in patients with congestive heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between TCM Syndromes types, Xin-qi deficiency (XQD) and Xin-yang deficiency (XYD), and contents of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1beta and IL-10 in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). METHODS: Sixty-seven CHF in-patients with Xin-qi deficiency or Xin-yang deficiency syndrome were enrolled, their NYHA (New York Heart Association) cardiac function was assessed, ejection fraction (EF) and E peak/A peak (E/A) ratio were determined by Doppler ultrasonic echocardiograph, and serum TNF-alpha, II-6, IL-1beta and IL-10 were measured by double antibody sandwich ELISA assay. RESULTS: The cardiac function grading in patients of XQD was mostly of I and II grade, while that in patients of XYD was mostly of III and IV grade (by Ridit analysis, P<0.01). The E/A and EF values were higher in patients of XQD than those in patients of XYD (P<0.01). Levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta were higher and IL-10 was lower in patients of XYD than those in patients of XQD (P<0.05 or P<0.01) respectively. CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta and IL-10 probably play an important role in the development process of XQD to XYD, and could be taken as the microcosmic indexes for differentiation of the two syndromes.