Meta-Analysis of Chinese Traditional Medicine Bushen Huoxue Prescription for Endometriosis Treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue prescription (BSHXP) for endometriosis. METHODS: A meta-analysis was performed, and studies were searched from the seven databases from the date of database establishment to April 30, 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that explored the efficacy and safety of BSHXP for patients with endometriosis were included. Two assessors independently reviewed each trial. The Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool was used for quality assessment. RESULTS: In the 13 included studies, the total effectiveness rates of BSHXP were higher than those of Western medicine (RR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.03-2.32; P = 0.04), but the dysmenorrhea alleviation rates of the two treatments did not significantly differ (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.70-2.34; P = 0.42). The pregnancy rates of BSHXP were also higher than those of hormone therapy (RR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.17-3.39; P = 0.01). However, whether BSHXP is more effective than Western medicine in diminishing endometriotic cyst remains unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that BSHXP is effective and safe for endometriosis, but this evidence is inconclusive because of the low methodological quality of the included RCTs. Our findings suggest that BSHXP is an alternative drug for endometriosis, but it should be further examined in future clinical research.

[Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Neiyi Recipe-medicated serum on angiopoiesis of endometriosis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane model].

OBJECTIVE: To compare angiopoiesis ability of eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue isolated from women with endometriosis and endometrium isolated from women without endometriosis (control), and to explore the inhibitory effects of medicated serum of Neiyi Recipe, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine. METHODS: Chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model of endometriosis was established by transplanting endometrium onto CAM. The CAMs were then hatched with blank serum or medicated serum of danazol or Neiyi Recipe, which were prepared in rats by orally administering. The sizes of the transplanted tissue and new vessels around the transplanted tissue were measured. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: There was no difference in the sizes of transplanted tissue among CAM models of ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue isolated from women with endometriosis or control (P>0.05), and more new vessels were found around the ectopic and eutopic endometrial tissue than the endometrial tissue of control (P<0.05). Compared with the controls, the size of the transplanted tissue and positive area of new vessels were significantly inhibited by Neiyi Recipe-medicated serum (P<0.01, P<0.05), and similar changes happened in the danazol groups, except for the size of transplanted tissue from ectopic endometrial tissue (P>0.05). Expression of VEGF was significantly higher in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue than in the control (P<0.01); the level of VEGF obviously reduced in the Neiyi Recipe and danazol groups (P<0.01), but no significant difference was detected between them. CONCLUSION: Endometrium from women with endometriosis stimulates the formation of new vessels by increase the expression of VEGF. Neiyi Recipe-medicated serum significantly decreases the expression of VEGF in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues and thus restrains the formation of new vessels, reduces the blood supply and inhibits growth of ectopic endometrial tissue, which are similar to danazol, but has greater efficacy in suppressing the expression of VEGF.

[A novel single nucleotide polymorphism-based method for quantitative assessment of chimerism after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-PCR based method for quantitative detection of chimerism after allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and to explore its feasibility, accuracy and superiority. METHODS: 18 SNP loci were sereened to identify informative markers for detecting chimerism in each donor/recipient pair before transplantation. Then the chimerism rate of each informative marker was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). The accuracy and sensitivity were verified by multiple proportion dilution and analogy chimerism compared with quantitative detection of short tandem repeat (STR)-PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and fusion gene. RESULTS: (1) The average slope of the 17 time amplications of the internal control plasmid was -3.39, the average intercept was 39.97, correlation coefficients were more than 0.995, which was close to the theoretical level. The intra- and interassay variability was 0.50% and 1.1%, respectively, which were both in the allowed ranges. A linear correlation with artificial mixed chimerism is above 0.99 and a sensitivity of 0.01% proved reproducible. (2) At least one informative marker could be found in over 95% of 40 donor/recipient pairs. The results of the chimerisms derived from SNP-PCR were consistent with that from STR-PCR (96.7%), FISH and fusion gene analasis (P > 0.05); the quantitative results of special fusion gene transcripts were negtive in complete chimerism samples, and positive in mixed chimerism samples. CONCLUSIONS: This new assay which overcome the PCR competition and plateau biases of STR-PCR provides an accurate, reliable and rapid quantitative assessment of mixed chimerism after allo-transplantation. It is highly promising for of clinical application and may take the place of STR-PCR in the conventional chimerisim assessment.

Regulation of aromatase P450 expression by puerarin in endometrial cell line RL95-2.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of puerarin on the aromatase P450 (P450(arom)) mRNA expression and the effects of low-dose puerarin on transcription factors of the P450(arom) gene (P II) 5'-flanking region. METHODS: The effects of puerarin on the P450(arom) mRNA expression were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The 5'-flanking region was amplified by PCR using human genomic cDNA as a template. By means of the restriction sites and sequence confirmation, the PCR product was cloned into reporter vector. Series of sequential deletion reporter constructs were transiently transfected into RL95-2 cells which were treated with or without puerarin. Luciferase activity was measured by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System and Luminoskan Ascent luminometer. Furthermore, by using web-based search program, the most possible cis-acting elements and transcription factors were evaluated. RESULTS: The data demonstrated that low-dose puerarin treatment could decrease P450(arom) expression at mRNA level compared to dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) treatment (P<0.01), and puerarin (10(-7)mol/L) had a time-course effect on P450(arom) mRNA expression, which reached the bottom at 12h (P<0.01). Cells transfected with the -763/+8 bp constructs showed decrease in relative luciferase activity after puerarin (10(-7)mol/L) treatment compared to DMSO treatment (P<0.05), indicating an essential regulatory site between -763 bp and -543 bp responsible for the transcription suppression by puerarin. Furthermore, the most possible transcription factors, which turned out to be AP-1(c-jun/c-fos) at -410/-401 bp were also evaluated. The activity of exogenous AP-1 was reduced after 12 hours of puerarin treatment (P<0.05). The inhibition of c-jun mRNA also showed a time-course effect, which bottomed out at 12h in parallel with that of P450(arom) (P<0.01). The protein level of c-jun was also down-regulated by puerarin (10(-7)mol/L) treatment at 12h. CONCLUSION: The suppression of P450(arom) expression and activity may be associated with the down-regulation of transcription factor AP-1/c-jun. This partially explains the mechanisms whereby puerarin treats endometriosis.

[Transfection of agrin gene on the recovery of muscle function after free neurovascular muscle transfer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of transfection of agrin gene on the recovery of muscle function after a free neurovascular muscle transfer. METHODS: The electrical gene transfection was performed when the gracilis muscle of the SD rat was completed free neurovascular transfer. The experimental group was treated with pCS2+ -agrin, the group with plasmid pCS2+ as the negative control and the group with normal saline as the frank control. The muscle function, expression of neural agrin and the junctional nAChR number was measured after the operation. RESULTS: At 4, 5 and 10 weeks postoperatively, the pCS2+ -agrin group was significantly better than the control groups in muscle function (P < 0.05 ). The immunohistochemical staining showed an increasing deposition of the agrin protein near the endplate at 1 and 5 weeks after the operation, but decreasing remarkably to the level of control groups at 10 weeks postoperatively. The pCS2+ -agrin group was significantly more than the control groups in junctional nAChR number at every points of the time postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Transfection of agrin gene in the transferred muscle may increase the early recovery of muscle function.

[Adenoviral-mediated expression of PTEN cDNA induces apoptosis in endometrial carcinoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the human endometrial carcinoma cells, RL95-2 infected with recombinant Ad-PTEN can steadily produce PTEN protein and enter apoptosis. METHODS: The recombinant adenovirus containing PTEN cDNA was constructed using the method of homologous recombination in bacteria. The viral titer was examined by plaque assay and the expression of PTEN protein was detected by western blot assay. The apoptosis of RL95-2 cells was evaluated as following: flipping of membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) and identification of activating caspase-3 positive cells was determined by flow cytometer (FCM), and furthermore genomic DNA fragmentation was detected by agarose electrophoresis. RESULTS: The recombinant adenovirus encoding PTEN cDNA was successfully constructed, and viral titers of Ad-PTEN were 5 x 10(9) pfu/ml. After infected by Ad-PTEN, the expression of PTEN protein was steady in human RL95-2 cells. After infected by Ad-PTEN for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, the relative cell number of membrane PS flipping were (6.09 +/- 1.01)%, (9.98 +/- 2.17)%, (11.74 +/- 2.65)%, (27.69 +/- 8.67)%, which significantly increased than control group (P < 0.05), the relative cell number of activated caspase-3 positive were (2.6 +/- 0.5)%, (18.0 +/- 4.4)%, (21.8 +/- 5.1)%, (33.7 +/- 9.9)%, respectively, which significantly increased than control group (P < 0.05), and genomic DNA fragmentation was verified also. CONCLUSIONS: The recombinant Ad-PTEN vector is constructed successfully and the expression of specific PTEN is steady in RL95-2 cell line. The expression of PTEN induces RL95-2 cells to apoptosis. PTEN gene may be a novel therapeutic target in endometrial carcinoma.

[Effects of fusion gene encoding the hVEGF165 and fused hirudin on restenosis of injured carotid artery induced by angioplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of fusion gene encoding the hVEGF(165) and fused hirudin on restenosis of injured carotid artery. METHODS: A fusion gene encoding hVEGF(165) and fused hirudin (hVEGF(165)-FH) was constructed and clone into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.0, thus constructing the plasmid VEGF(165)-FH/pcDNA3.0. Its activities to stimulate endothelial cell proliferation and to inhibit thrombosis were identified. Sixteen New Zealand rabbits underwent ligation of external carotid artery and a balloon was inserted into the common carotid artery for 30 minutes so as to construct model of restenosis of injured carotid artery. Then the rabbits were randomly divided into 4 equal groups. In the one-week and 3-week control groups, 400 microg of DNA of the plasmid pcDNA3.0 were transfused into the arterial lumen at the injured part immediately after the angioplasty, and 400 microg of DNA of the plasmid VEGF(165)-FH/pcDNA3.0 were transfused in the 1-week and 3-week experimental groups. One week and 3 weeks after the treatment peripheral blood samples were collected to detect the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and platelet aggregation rate, and then the rabbits underwent angiography to observe the situation of restenosis. Then the rabbits were killed to take out the injured part of artery to undergo pathological examination and Western blotting. RESULTS: The values of APTT, TT, and platelet aggregation rate were not significantly different among the 4 groups. Angiography conducted 1 and 3 weeks later showed that restenosis was significantly mild in the 2 experimental groups in comparison with the 2 control groups, and severe restenosis was seen in the 3-week control group. Western blotting showed that expression of specific fused protein could be found in the 1-week and 3-week experimental group, the amount of the latter group being less than that of the former group; however, no expression of specific fused protein was found in the 2 control groups. Pathological examination showed that the narrowing of lumen 1-week and 3-week experimental groups were 11.50% and 19.75%, both significantly milder than those of the 1-week and 3-week control groups (33.25% and 52.25% respectively, both f P < 0.05). VB staining showed that the (intima/media (I/M) ratio of the 1-week and 3-week experimental groups were 0.12 and 0.35 respectively, both significantly lower than those of the 2 control groups (0.50 and 1.07 respectively, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Accelerating re-endothelialization and inhibiting thrombosis, the fused gene hVEGF(165)-FH effectively prevents restenosis after angioplasty, On the basis of endothelial repair, construction of fused genes with double even multiple targets may be a novel and potential therapeutic approach for restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of human augmenter of liver regeneration.

Human augmenter of liver regeneration has been expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The crystals belong to space group C222, with unit-cell parameters a=51.7 A, b=78.8 A, c=63.7 A. Diffraction data were collected to 2.80 A with a completeness of 99.9% (99.9% for the last shell), a R(sym) value of 0.092(0.236) and an I/sigma(I) value of 6.2(2.7).

Overexpression, Purification and Characterization of Thermostable Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase.

Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase(EC 1.13.11.2) from Bacillus stearothermophilus has been shown to be highly thermostable. In order to obtain sufficient enzyme for its characterization, and to analyze the molecular basis of its intrinsic stability, the gene coding for this enzyme was sub-cloned and overexpressed in E. coli. After heat denaturation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-52 ion-exchange chromatography and phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B hydrophobic chromatography, the enzyme was purified to homogeneity and the yield was 16%. The enzyme is a homotetramer. The molecular weight of each subunit is 36.4 kD as determined by SDS-PAGE. Using the tyrosine difference spectrum method, the extinction coefficient of the enzyme at 279.2 nm is estimated as 89(mmol/L)(-1).cm(-1), the optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme is 60 degrees and 8.0, respectively. The K(m) for catechol of the enzyme is 1.24x10(-5) mol/L, K(cat) is 24 000 min(-1). Acetone competitively inhibited the enzyme activity to catechol, with an inhibition constant K(i) of about 165 mmol/L. The thermostability of the enzyme is reflected by its unaltered catalytic activity over 1 h at 65 degrees. Irreversible thermal denaturation becomes significant between 70-80 degrees. THE pH stability of the enzyme and its resistance toward chemical denaturation such as urea and SDS confirm the intrinsic stability of the enzyme. It was also studied that the effect of different pHs on the molecular structure of the enzyme, using circular dichroism spectra and intrinsic fluorescence analysis.