Exposure assessment to areca alkaloids in the Chinese populations through areca nut chewing.

Chewing areca nuts is popular in China. Areca alkaloids are the major toxic compounds in areca nuts. In this study, the levels of four areca alkaloids (i.e. arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline and guvacine) in 119 areca nut samples were analyzed and 3030 areca nut consumption questionnaires were collected to investigate the exposure to areca alkaloids in the Chinese populations through areca nut chewing. The levels of arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline and guvacine in different areca nut products were 0.46-4.97 mg/g, 0.57-7.51 mg/g, 0.08-1.44 mg/g and 0.03-8.48 mg/g, respectively. Chewing fresh areca fruits was the main source of arecoline and the total areca alkaloids exposure. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of arecoline and the total areca alkaloids for the Chinese populations were 1.126 and 2.625 mg/kg BW/day for average exposure, 4.411 and 9.739 mg/kg BW/day for high exposure (P95th). The EDI varied with age and gender. The young male population (≤ 34 years) had the highest EDI than other populations. Concentrated and focused efforts are required to educate the general public, especially the young male population, about the risks of areca nut chewing to reduce exposure to areca alkaloids of the Chinese population. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-05966-6.

Improving the imaging diagnostic strategy for pulmonary artery masses based on 18F-FDG PET/CT integrated with CTPA.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) for pulmonary artery (PA) masses. METHODS: Of 2889 patients with PA filling defects of PA on CTPA, 79 consecutive patients suspicious for PA malignancy who subsequently underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT were enrolled. All masses were diagnosed on the basis of pathological findings or clinical imaging follow-up. For each mass, morphological CT signs, standardized uptake value (SUVmax and SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) on 18F-FDG PET/CT were used as diagnostic markers. RESULTS: Expansive growth, irregular margin, invasion, CT contrast uptake, and wall eclipse sign were strongly associated with the malignant nature of masses. The coexistence of at least 5 CT signs perfectly identified malignant masses, whereas the detection of no more than 4 CT signs did not accurately discriminate between the natures of masses. Mean SUVmax, SUVmean, MTV, and TLG values were significantly higher in malignant masses compared to those in benign masses. The diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters (SUV, MTV, and TLG) was excellent in detecting malignant masses. Among patients with 3 or 4 pathological CT signs, SUVmax > 3.4 significantly increased the identification of malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: CTPA is a useful imaging modality for diagnosing PA masses, especially when at least 5 abnormal CT signs are identified. Similarly, 18F-FDG PET/CT accurately identified malignant masses and provided additional valuable information on diagnostic uncertainties after CTPA.

Application of DynaCT angiographic reconstruction in balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the feasibility and accuracy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) using DynaCT angiographic reconstruction guidance. METHODS: Thirty-four BPAs (23 CTEPH patients) targeting 175 pulmonary arteries were included. Eleven BPAs (2D group) were guided by DSA two-dimensional angiography. Another twenty-three BPAs (3D group) were guided using DynaCT angiographic reconstruction. The volume rendering (VR) method was used to obtain a three-dimensional image of the blood vessels. This image was used as a reference to continue BPA treatment under the guidance of vascular three-dimensional reconstruction technology. Procedure durations and radiation exposure data were compared between the two groups using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Using the DynaCT angiographic reconstruction technique, more target vessels were treated in a single BPA procedure (5.83 ± 2.33 vs 3.73 ± 1.10 vessels per BPA, p = 0.008) in a shorter operation time (3.58 ± 0.61 vs 4.49 ± 0.91 h, p = 0.002). Overall, the dose area product (DAP) was significantly higher for the 2D group than for the 3D group (13,901.82 ± 5549.69 vs 4682.82 ± 1950.64, p < 0.001). The use of the DynaCT angiographic reconstruction technique to guide BPA required a lower dose of contrast agent (225.22 ± 48.70 vs 292.73 ± 76.82 mL, p = 0.013) and less radiation exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The use of DynaCT angiographic reconstruction guidance in patients undergoing BPA is feasible and accurate. Images of DynaCT angiographic reconstruction may be beneficial for optimizing the operative process in BPA with reduced radiation exposure. KEY POINTS: • BPA guidance by DynaCT angiographic reconstruction is feasible and accurate. • DynaCT angiographic reconstruction may be beneficial for optimizing the operative process. • DynaCT angiographic reconstruction can reduce patient radiation dose due to multi-times of BPA sessions.

Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association for management guidelines of vacuum sealing drainage application in abdominal surgeries-Update and systematic review.

Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) is frequently used in abdominal surgeries. However, relevant guidelines are rare. Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association organized a committee composed of 28 experts across China in July 2017, aiming to provide an evidence-based recommendation for the application of VSD in abdominal surgeries. Eleven questions regarding the use of VSD in abdominal surgeries were addressed: (1) which type of materials should be respectively chosen for the intraperitoneal cavity, retroperitoneal cavity and superficial incisions? (2) Can VSD be preventively used for a high-risk abdominal incision with primary suture? (3) Can VSD be used in severely contaminated/infected abdominal surgical sites? (4) Can VSD be used for temporary abdominal cavity closure under some special conditions such as severe abdominal trauma, infection, liver transplantation and intra-abdominal volume increment in abdominal compartment syndrome? (5) Can VSD be used in abdominal organ inflammation, injury, or postoperative drainage? (6) Can VSD be used in the treatment of intestinal fistula and pancreatic fistula? (7) Can VSD be used in the treatment of intra-abdominal and extra-peritoneal abscess? (8) Can VSD be used in the treatment of abdominal wall wounds, wound cavity, and defects? (9) Does VSD increase the risk of bleeding? (10) Does VSD increase the risk of intestinal wall injury? (11) Does VSD increase the risk of peritoneal adhesion? Focusing on these questions, evidence-based recommendations were given accordingly. VSD was strongly recommended regarding the questions 2-4. Weak recommendations were made regarding questions 1 and 5-11. Proper use of VSD in abdominal surgeries can lower the risk of infection in abdominal incisions with primary suture, treat severely contaminated/infected surgical sites and facilitate temporary abdominal cavity closure.

The outcomes of initial endoscopic transluminal drainage are superior to percutaneous drainage for patients with infected pancreatic necrosis: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: The commonly used minimally invasive methods for patients with infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) are initial endoscopic transluminal drainage (ETD) and percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD), which are followed, if necessary, by endoscopic or surgical necrosectomy. This study intends to explore which of the two minimally invasive treatments leads to a better prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with IPN and an indication for intervention were prospectively enrolled and underwent either initial ETD or PCD followed, if necessary, by endoscopic or surgical necrosectomy. RESULTS: Initial treatment success occurred in 8 of 11 patients after ETD (72.7%) and in 3 of 13 patients after PCD (30.8%) (risk ratio [RR] with ETD, 2.36; 95% CI 0.97-5.77; P = 0.04). After 1 year of follow-up, 72.7% of patients survived with ETD, and 69.2% survived with PCD (RR 1.05; 95% CI 0.63-1.75; P = 0.85). Intestinal fistula seems to have occurred less in the patients who received initial ETD rather than PCD therapy (9.1 vs. 38.5%; RR 0.24; 95% CI 0.03-1.73; P = 0.098). Fewer patients who underwent an initial ETD were transferred to surgery (9.1 vs. 46.2%; RR 0.20; 95% CI 0.03-1.40; P = 0.047). A higher rate of new-onset diabetes (3 cases) or impaired glucose tolerance (1 case) occurred in initial PCD compared to ETD (40 vs. 0%, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: The outcomes of initial endoscopic transluminal drainage are superior to percutaneous drainage for patients with infected pancreatic necrosis (ChiCTR-ONRC-13003653).

Andrographolide sodium bisulphite-induced inactivation of urease: inhibitory potency, kinetics and mechanism.

BACKGROUND: The inhibitory effect of andrographolide sodium bisulphite (ASB) on jack bean urease (JBU) and Helicobacter pylori urease (HPU) was performed to elucidate the inhibitory potency, kinetics and mechanism of inhibition in 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, 2 mM EDTA, 25 °C. METHODS: The ammonia formations, indicator of urease activity, were examined using modified spectrophotometric Berthelot (phenol-hypochlorite) method. The inhibitory effect of ASB was characterized with IC50 values. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots for JBU inhibition of ASB was constructed from the kinetic data. SH-blocking reagents and competitive active site Ni2+ binding inhibitors were employed for mechanism study. Molecular docking technique was used to provide some information on binding conformations as well as confirm the inhibition mode. RESULTS: The IC50 of ASB against JBU and HPU was 3.28±0.13 mM and 3.17±0.34 mM, respectively. The inhibition proved to be competitive and concentration- dependent in a slow-binding progress. The rapid formation of initial ASB-JBU complex with an inhibition constant of Ki=2.86×10(-3) mM was followed by a slow isomerization into the final complex with an overall inhibition constant of Ki*=1.33×10(-4) mM. The protective experiment proved that the urease active site is involved in the binding of ASB. Thiol reagents (L-cysteine and dithiothreithol) strongly protect the enzyme from the loss of enzymatic activity, while boric acid and fluoride show weaker protection, indicating that the active-site sulfhydryl group of JBU was potentially involved in the blocking process. Moreover, inhibition of ASB proved to be reversible since ASB-inactivated JBU could be reactivated by dithiothreitol application. Molecular docking assay suggested that ASB made contacts with the important sulfhydryl group Cys-592 residue and restricted the mobility of the active-site flap. CONCLUSIONS: ASB was a competitive inhibitor targeting thiol groups of urease in a slow-binding manner both reversibly and concentration-dependently, serving as a promising urease inhibitor for the treatment of urease-related diseases.

ECG changes following balloon pulmonary angioplasty in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: This research evaluates the effect of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) on cardiac electrophysiological changes in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). METHODS: Involving a retrospective analysis of 39 CTEPH patients (average age 61 ± 11), who had at least two BPAs and paired ECGs pre- and post-surgery, we examined changes in ECG indicators of right ventricular hypertrophy and their correlation with hemodynamic results. RESULTS: BPA yielded marked improvements in cardiac function and hemodynamics. ECG parameters, specifically the Lewis criteria and Butler-Leggett score, correlated strongly with hemodynamics and were predictive of a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥ 35mmHg. Notably, QRS complex axis normalization was observed in 25 patients, with 14 fully normalizing (range - 30° to + 90°). The qR pattern in V1 vanished in 9 cases, and 75% of the patients in qR pattern in V1 group had QRS complex electrical axis completely returned to normal range. The qR V1 group had higher mPAP and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), and lower cardiac output and index compared to the non-qR V1 group, alongside a higher Butler-Leggett score. CONCLUSIONS: BPA enhances cardiac function and hemodynamics in CTEPH patients, with certain ECG measures such as Lewis criteria and Butler-Leggett score reflecting the severity of hemodynamic impairment. The reversal of QRS axis deviation and the disappearance of the qR pattern in lead V1 may serve as valuable indicators for assessing post-BPA satisfaction in CTEPH patients.

Tetrandrine attenuated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and induced differential proteomic changes in a MCAO mice model using 2-D DIGE.

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke and brings about a big disease burden because of high mortality and disability in China. Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Radix Stephania tetrandra, has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging effects and even regulate astrocyte activation, but the possible role of tetrandrine in ameliorating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury of ischemic stroke remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of tetrandrine on neurological injury and differential proteomic changes induced by transient reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. Male Balb/c mice were divided into sham (n = 30), MCAO + saline as control (n = 30), and MCAO + Tet as tetrandrine-treated (n = 30) groups. Mice in the control and tetrandrine-treated groups underwent 120 min of MCAO following reperfusion. Immediately and 2 h after MCAO, the mice received either normal saline (sham operated and control groups) or tetrandrine (tetrandrine-treated group) intraperitoneally. Neurological defects, brain water content, and infarct volume at 24 h after stoke were used to evaluate neurological injury extent. Treatment with tetrandrine not only mitigated cerebral neurological deficits (P < 0.05) and infarct size (P < 0.01), but also decreased brian edema in the ischemic brain (P < 0.05). Then, fluorescence two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis was used to detect our systematic differential profiling of proteomic changes responding to tetrandrine administration. We validated that the expression of GRP78, DJ-1 and HYOU1 was associated with neuroprotective effect of tetrandrine in MCAO model by Western blotting. These findings indicate a potential neuroprotective role of tetrandrine for ischemic stroke and yield insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms of tetrandrine taking place in ischemic stroke.

Anti-inflammatory property of the ethanol extract of the root and rhizome of Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory property of the ethanol extract of the root and rhizome of Pogostemon cablin (ERP). The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated using four animal models including xylene-induced mouse ear edema, acetic acid-induced mouse vascular permeability, carrageenan-induced mouse pleurisy, and carrageenan-induced mouse hind paw edema. Results indicated that oral administration of ERP (120, 240, and 480 mg/kg) significantly attenuated xylene-induced ear edema, decreased acetic acid-induced capillary permeability, inhibited carrageenan-induced neutrophils recruitment, and reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema, in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathologically, ERP (480 mg/kg) abated inflammatory response of the edema paw. Preliminary mechanism studies demonstrated that ERP decreased the level of MPO and MDA, increased the activities of anti-oxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, and GRd), attenuated the productions of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, PGE2 and NO, and suppressed the activities of COX-2 and iNOS. This work demonstrates that ERP has considerable anti-inflammatory potential, which provided experimental evidences for the traditional application of the root and rhizome of Pogostemon cablin in inflammatory diseases.

Diaqua-bis-(1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ato-κ(2) N (3),O (4))manganese(II).

In the title compound, [Mn(C4H3N2O2)2(H2O)2], the Mn(II) ion is located on a twofold rotation axis and displays a distorted octa-hedral coordination environment, defined by two N,O-bidentate 1H-imidazole-4-carboxyl-ate ligands in the equatorial plane and two water mol-ecules in axial positions. In the crystal, O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into a three-dimensional supra-molecular network. π-π stacking inter-actions between the imidazole rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.5188 (15) and 3.6687 (15) Å] further stabilize the structure.

Percutaneous endovascular biopsy for the diagnosis of pulmonary artery masses: A preliminary study of single-center.

Percutaneous endovascular biopsy (PEB) including forceps biopsy and catheter aspiration has been used to make a pretreatment diagnosis for pulmonary artery (PA) masses. This retrospective study aims to describe the procedure of PEB and compare the diagnostic yield of forceps biopsy and catheter aspiration for a definite diagnosis in patients with PA masses. All consecutive 22 patients (53 ± 14 years), 11 males and 11 females, who underwent PEB for pathologic confirmation between November 2018 and November 2022 were enrolled. All 22 patients performed computed tomography pulmonary angiography or positron emission tomography-computed tomography to confirm the filling defects suspicious for PA malignancy before intervention. And then, all patients underwent PEB successfully without acute or fatal complications, including both forceps biopsy and catheter aspiration in 15 cases, only forceps biopsy in 5 cases, and only catheter aspiration in 2 cases. Histopathological analysis provided a definite diagnosis in all PEBs with a clinical success of 91.0% (20/22). Among them, in 15 patients who underwent both forceps biopsy and aspiration biopsy, the technical success using forceps biopsy was 93.3% (14/15), and aspiration biopsy was 6.7% (1/15), and there was a significant difference in diagnostic accuracy when comparing two techniques. Twenty-one out of 22 PA masses (95.5%) were malignant, of which, the most frequent malignant lesion observed was PA sarcoma (66.7%, 14/21). Benign lesion included one thrombus (4.5%, 1/22). In conclusion, PEB is an effective and safe diagnostic method for differentiating benign and malignant PA masses and could be peformed when PA masses appeared clinically malignant.

Preliminary study on the short-term changes of pulmonary perfusion after a single balloon pulmonary angioplasty in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about immediate responses of blood perfusion to the balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) procedure. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in pulmonary perfusion of balloon-dilated vessels and untreated vessels with before, immediately after a single BPA and at follow-up. DESIGN: Retrospective single-center cohort study. METHODS: Patients who had chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and completed the pulmonary perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging before, immediately after BPA and at follow-up were included. We evaluated the perfusion defects of both-lung, BPA target (balloon dilated) and non-target (untreated) vessel segments according to Begic 3-point scale in each lung segment. RESULTS: Forty patients (40 BPA procedures) were included and were given next BPA after 89 (62-125) days. The hemodynamic parameters including mPAP, PVR, and RAP were significantly improved after a single BPA. Visual scoring results of pulmonary perfusion imaging in 40 BPAs showed the perfusion defect scores of target vessels reduced from 5.6 ± 2.6 to 4.2 ± 2.2 (p < 0.001) immediately after BPA, and then further diminished to 3.1 ± 1.9 (p < 0.001) at follow-up. While in the non-target vessels, the post-BPA perfusion defect scores did not change significantly (13.4 ± 4.7 versus 12.8 ± 4.6, p = 0.182), but tended to decrease at follow-up (12.2 ± 4.2). However, there were 17 BPAs of which the post-BPA perfusion defect scores of non-target vessels increased significantly (p < 0.001), but decreased at follow-up. CONCLUSION: In addition to improving the blood perfusion of target vessels, BPA also has a certain effect on the perfusion of some non-target vessels.

Elevated pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio indicate low survival rate in apatinib-treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A STROBE-compliant article.

This study aimed to analyze the predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to better clarify which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) would benefit most from apatinib after multiline treatment for drug resistance. This observational cohort study involved patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with apatinib between May 2016 to May 2018. The participants in this study had previously been treated with at least two treatment regimens. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional risk models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the pretreatment NLR. A total of 125 patients were reviewed. The median age was 64 years (range, 33-92); and 32.8% of the patients were female. Only 0.8% of the patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) score ≥ 2. In multivariate analysis, pretreatment NLR ≥ 5 had an independent correlation with inferior OS (median 2.07 vs 3.40 months; HR 1.493, 95% CI 1.022-2.182; P = .038) and inferior PFS (median 1.83 vs 2.76 months; HR 1.478, 95% CI 1.015-2.153; P = .042). Elevated pretreatment NLR is associated with shorter OS and PFS in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with apatinib after multiline treatment for drug resistance.

[Detecting and identifying 3 novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in DNA sequence of epidermal growth factor precursor from Buyi and Han individuals].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) distributed in exon 20, 21 and intron 20 of epidermal growth factor precursor gene (preproEGF) of Buyi and Han individuals. METHODS: Eleven primer sets were designed and synthesized for PCR, that genomic DNA of Buyi or Han individual was used as the template, to amplify and sequence respectively the large fragment DNA from preproEGF gene. BLAST programs were applied to compare and identify the SNPs from the sequenced PCR products or amplified DNA fragments. RESULTS: 4.5 kb DNA fragments long over 20th, 21st exon and 20th intron structures of preproEGF gene were got by PCR respectively from genomic DNAs of Buyi and Han individuals. Results of DNA sequencing showed two SNPs in 4. 5 kb fragment of Han individual, of which one was sited at C86380T of preproEGF gene and another positioned at 84580 bp (T/-), while one SNP was observed in Buyi individual, which was located at T84329C of preproEGF gene. GenBank dbSNP database showed that C86380T SNP in 20th intron of preproEGF gene has not been reported yet from Han group and other cohorts except it has been reported from European and Sub-Saharan groups; and also that T84329C SNP has not been reported yet from Buyi group although it has been reported from Han group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that the Han individual is with C86380T SNP located in 20th intron of human preproEGF gene; and that the Buyi individual has the T84329C SNP sited in 20th intron of human preproEGF gene. However, another Han SNP (T/-) positioned at 84580 bp need to be further confirmed.

Online Liquid Microextraction Coupled with HPLC-ABTS for Rapid Screening of Natural Antioxidants: Case Study of Three Different Teas.

In the present study, an online liquid extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (HPLC-ABTS) system for rapid screening of antioxidants in tea samples was proposed. As an example, the tea samples were firstly extracted by online HPLC extractor with mobile phase at 70°C, then the hyphenated HPLC-ABTS was used for the chromatographic separation on a Poroshell EC C18 column by 0.3% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile with a gradient elution at 1.5 mL·min-1, and the UV and antioxidant chromatograms with detection wavelengths at 270 nm and 750 nm were recorded, respectively. The established system integrated the processes of online HPLC sample extraction, HPLC separation and online antioxidants detection, the total analysis time of which was <20 min. The developed method was successfully applied to samples of green tea, oolong tea and black tea. As a result, 11 antioxidants were found in tea samples, including gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, epigallocatechingallate, epicatechingallate, rutin, 1,4,6-trigalloylglucose, quercetin-3-glycoside and kaempferol-3-glucoside. The combined online liquid microextraction and online HPLC-ABTS method is a rapid and green approach for the quality evaluation of tea.

Synergistic antitumor effect of brusatol combined with cisplatin on colorectal cancer cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and life­threatening type of malignant cancer, which is associated with a high mortality rate. Cisplatin (CDDP) is a commonly used chemotherapy drug with significant side effects. Brusatol (BR) is one of the principal chemical compounds isolated from the Chinese herb Bruceae Fructus, which has been reported to markedly inhibit the proliferation of numerous cancer cell lines. The present study aimed to investigate the possible synergistic anticancer effects of CDDP combined with BR on CT­26 cells, and to evaluate the underlying mechanisms of action. The growth inhibitory effects of BR, CDDP, and BR and CDDP cotreatment on CT­26 cells were assessed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry and western blot analysis. The results indicated that compared with single­agent treatment, cotreatment of CT­26 cells with CDDP and BR synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and increased cellular apoptosis. Furthermore, treatment of CT­26 cells with CDDP and BR resulted in a marked increase in the release of cytosolic cytochrome c, decreased expression of procaspase­3 and procaspase­9, and upregulation of the B­cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl­2)­associated X protein/Bcl­2 ratio compared with treatment with BR or CDDP alone. These results strongly suggested that the combination of CDDP and BR was able to produce a synergistic antitumor effect in CRC cells, thus providing a solid foundation for further development of this combination regimen into an effective therapeutic method for CRC.

Preparation and properties of octenyl succinate ß-cyclodextrin and its application as an emulsion stabilizer.

The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize the octenyl succinic-ß-cyclodextrin (OS-ß-CD) and assess its application as a potential emulsion stabilizer. OS-ß-CD was prepared by esterifying ß-CD with OSA under alkaline conditions. The properties of OS-ß-CD were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, 13C and 1H NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), which demonstrated that OS groups had been introduced into the ß-CD molecules and most of OS substitution occurred at the C-6 hydroxyl group of glycosyl units. The properties of emulsions stabilized by ß-CD and OS-ß-CD were evaluated via surface and interface tensiometry, determination of the creaming index and droplet size. The results showed that emulsions stabilized by ß-CD broke just after 24h storage at 25°C. The emulsions prepared by OS-ß-CD with all degree of substitution (DS) possessed a smaller oil droplet size and improved storage stability compared with that of the emulsion generated using ß-CD.

Role of an imbalanced miRNAs axis in pathogenesis of psoriasis: novel perspectives based on review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Specific profile of microRNAs (miRNAs, miR) expressed in psoriasis has been identified in the past few years, while the studies on roles and molecular mechanisms of these miRNAs are still on the way. In our previous study, four specific miRNAs (miR-31, miR-203, hsa-miR-99a and miR-125b) were found to be specifically altered in psoriatic lesions.We therefore conducted a systematic literature review in this study to reveal the role of these miRNAs in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in order to inform future research. METHODS: The related articles indexed in PubMed (MEDLINE) database were searched and analyzed. We identified eligible studies related to the mechanism research of miR-31, miR-203, hsa-miR-99a and miR-125b in psoriasis or psoriatic lesional skin from inception up to July 2016. The experts in the field of miRNAs and Psoriasis were involved in analysis process. RESULTS: Both miR-31 and miR-203 are dramatically upregulated in psoriatic lesions. The former plays the pro-proliferative, pro-differentiative and pro-inflammatory roles and the latter holds the potentials for anti-proliferation, pro-inflammation and pro-differentiation in psoriatic keratinocytes. Conversely, both hsa-miR-99a and miR-125b are significantly downregulated in psoriatic skin. These two miRNAs are able to inhibit proliferation while promote differentiation of psoriatic keratinocytes, and miR-125b can also suppress inflammation in psoriatic lesions. By analyzing the contexts related to these miRNAs, we found that each of them does not act alone but rather work in concert with other miRNAs. The imbalance between miR-31/miR-203and hsa-miR-99a/miR-125b may contribute to the intense proliferation and abnormal differentiation of psoriatic keratinocytes, which is a characteristic of pathogenesis of psoriasis. CONCLUSION: An imbalanced miRNAs axis was for the first time outlined. Apparently, upregulation of miR-31/miR-203 and downregulation of hsa-miR-99a/miR-125b work together in concert to facilitate the development of psoriasis pathogenesis. Further work in this field holds the potentials to open a new way to study psoriasis.

Effect-enhancing and toxicity-reducing activity of usnic acid in ascitic tumor-bearing mice treated with bleomycin.

Usnic acid (UA) can be found in certain lichen species. Growing evidence suggests that UA possesses antitumoral, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Bleomycin (BLM) is widely used in the treatment of malignant ascites, however, it unexpectedly causes pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Researches show that excessive inflammatory response and oxidative stress in lung tissue is conspicuous causes of BLM-induced PF. Here we investigated mechanism underlying the effect-enhancing and toxicity-reducing activity of UA on H22-bearing mice treated with BLM. UA combined with BLM was significantly more effective than BLM alone in inhibiting the tumor growth, arresting the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase, and promoting the cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-8 activities to induce cancer cellular apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with the transcriptional regulation of p53/p21/Cyclin pathway. Furthermore, UA effectively moderated the histopathological changes, reduced the content of MDA, HYP, TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TGF-ß1, and increased the level of SOD when combined with BLM in lung tissues of H22-bearing mice, which was believed to be related to the inhibition on the protein level of p-Smad2/3 and enhancement of Smad7 expression. These findings suggested that UA might be a potential effect-enhancing and toxicity-reducing candidate for BLM in the treatment of malignant ascites.

Efficacy and safety of Re-Du-Ning injection in the treatment of seasonal influenza: results from a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter, oseltamivir-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of RDNI in the treatment of seasonal influenza. RESULTS: 1575 participants were screened and 229 completed the study and had a RT-PCR laboratory confirmation of influenza virus infection. Fever alleviation time was 2 and 6 hours, and fever clearance time was 27 and 47 in RDNI and oseltamivir, with significant difference between two groups. Total scores of influenza symptoms descended more in RDNI than oseltamivir on day 2 and day 3. Single symptom such as fever, aversion to cold, sore throat and nasal obstruction score descended more in RDNI than oseltamivir on different days. 20 subjects used aspirin during the trial, and there was no significant difference between two groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, oseltamivir controlled clinical trial. Patients with a positive influenza rapid test diagnosis were enrolled and randomized to receive RDNI or oseltamivir. Primary outcome was the median fever alleviation and clearance time. Secondary outcomes were total 8 influenza symptom scores, the single influenza symptom score, and the frequency of aspirin usage. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of RDNI was not worse than oseltamivir on the alleviation of influenza symptoms. RDNI was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events noted during the study period.