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Background: Chinese giant salamander protein hydrolysates (CGSPH) are beneficial to human health as a result of their high content of amino acids and peptides. However, the formation of bitter peptides in protein hydrolysates (PHs) would hinder their application in food industry. The ultrasound assisted wet-heating Maillard reaction (MR) is an effective way to improve the flavor of PHs. Thus, the effect of ultrasonic assisted wet-heating MR on the structure and flavor of CGSPH was investigated in the present study., Results: The results indicated that the ultrasound assisted wet-heating MR products (MRPs) exhibited a higher degree of graft and more significant changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of CGSPH compared to traditional wet-heating MRPs. Moreover, ultrasound assisted wet-heating MR could significantly increase the content of small molecule peptides and reduce the content of free amino acids of CGSPH, which resulted in more significant changes in flavor characteristics. The changed in flavor properties after MR (especially ultrasound assisted wet-heating MRPs) were mainly manifested by a significant reduction in bitterness, as well as a significant increase in the content of aromatic aldehyde ester compounds such as furan-2-carbaldehyde, butanal, benzaldehyde, furfural, etc. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound assisted wet-heating MR between CGSPH and xylose could be a promising way to improve the sensory characteristics of CGSPH. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Objective: To explore the effect of the hospital-community-home (HCH) linkage management mode in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN)., Method: A total of 80 patients with type 2 DN hospitalised in the Department of Nephrology of our hospital between July 2021 and June 2022 were recruited and subsequently divided into the observation group and the control group using the random number table method, with 40 patients in each group. The control group received routine health education and discharge guidance. The HCH linkage management model was implemented for the observation group based on routine care. The improvements in compliance behaviour, biochemical parameters of renal function, blood glucose level and self-management ability were compared before the intervention and at 3 and 6 months after the intervention., Results: After the intervention, the scores for compliance behaviour of the observation group were better than those of the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The biochemical indicators of renal function and blood glucose level were significantly lower in the observation group compared with in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the observation group showed a great improvement in self-management ability and cognition of the disease, with significant differences (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The HCH linkage management mode can improve the compliance behaviour of patients with type 2 DN, effectively improve the renal function and blood sugar level of patients, enhance the self-management ability and cognition of the disease and delay the development of the disease., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Chinese giant salamander skin collagen (CGSSC) was successfully conjugated with glucose (Glu)/xylose (Xy) by ultrasound Maillard reaction (MR) in nature deep eutectic solvents (NADES). The effects of ultrasound and reducing sugar types on the degree graft (DG) of MR products (MRPs), as well as the influence of DG on the structure and functional properties of MRPs were investigated. The results indicated that the ultrasound assisted could markedly enhance the MR of CGSSC, and low molecular weight reducing sugars were more reactive in MR. The ultrasound MR significantly changed the microstructure, secondary and tertiary structures of CGSSC. Moreover, the free sulfhydryl content of MRPs were increased, thus enhancing the surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying properties and antioxidant activity, which were positively correlated with DG. These findings provided theoretical insights into the effects of ultrasound assisted and different sugar types on the functional properties of collagen induced by MR., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial regulatory roles in various cellular processes, including gene expression, chromatin remodeling, and protein localization. Dysregulation of lncRNAs has been linked to several diseases, making it essential to understand their functions in disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies. However, traditional experimental methods for studying lncRNA function are time-consuming, expensive, and offer limited insights. In recent years, computational methods have emerged as valuable tools for predicting lncRNA functions and their associations with diseases. However, many existing methods focus on constructing separate networks for lncRNA and disease similarity, resulting in information loss and insufficient processing capacity for isolated nodes. To address this, we developed 'RGLD' by combining Random Walk with restarting (RWR), Graph Neural Network (GNN), and Graph Attention Networks (GAT) to predict lncRNA-disease associations in a heterogeneous network. RGLD achieved an impressive AUC of 0.88, outperforming other methods. It can also predict novel associations between lncRNAs and diseases. RGLD identified HOTAIR, MEG3, and PVT1 as lncRNAs associated with uterine fibroids. Biological experiments directly or indirectly verified the involvement of these three lncRNAs in uterine fibroids, validating the accuracy of RGLD's predictions. Furthermore, we extensively discussed the functions of the target genes regulated by these lncRNAs in uterine fibroids, providing evidence for their role in the development and progression of the disease., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The study aims to explore the relationship between obesity and serum uric acid in adolescents by combining body mass index and waist height ratio., Methods: 475 adolescents in our study were classified as normal weight without central obesity (NW), normal weight but central obesity (NWCO), overweight or obesity without central obesity (OB) and overweight or obesity with central obesity (OBCO). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for hyperuricemia were calculated using a logistic regression model. The dose-response association between obesity indicators and serum uric acid were explored by restricted cubic spline model., Results: The highest serum uric acid level and the OR for hyperuricemia were found in the OBCO group, regardless of sex. After controlling for waist height ratio, the risk of hyperuricemia increased with increasing body mass index in boys and girls. The restricted cubic spline model showed that boys had higher ORs for hyperuricemia at the 25th and 75th percentiles of body mass index than for waist height ratio and girls had a higher OR for hyperuricemia than waist height ratio at the 25th percentile of body mass index., Conclusions: Hyperuricemia in adolescence was not only associated with the overweight or obesity in BMI, but with the combination of overweight or obesity in BMI and central obesity in WHtR. However, in boys and girls, the increased risk of hyperuricemia associated with elevated body mass index was significantly better than that of waist height ratio., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Liu, Wei, Cheng, Chen, Liu, Wu, Hu, Zhao, Li and Chen.)

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationship between the plasma metabolites of adolescent obesity and hypertension and whether metabolite alterations had a mediating effort between adolescent obesity and hypertension., Methods: We applied untargeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) to detect the plasma metabolomic profiles of 105 adolescents. All participants were selected randomly based on a previous cross-sectional study. An orthogonal partial least squares- discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), followed by univariate statistics and enrichment analysis, was used to identify differential metabolites. Using logistic regression for variable selection, an obesity-related metabolite score (OMS, O M S = ∑ k = 1 n β n m e t a b o l i t e   n ) was constructed from the metabolites identified, and hypertension risk was estimated., Results: In our study, based on P< 0.05, variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1.0, and impact value > 0.1, we identified a total of 12 differential metabolites. Significantly altered metabolic pathways were the sphingolipid metabolism, purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine biosynthesis. The logistic regression selection resulted in a four-metabolite score (thymidine, sphingomyelin (SM) d40:1, 4-hydroxyestradiol, and L-lysinamide), which was positively associated with hypertension risk (odds ratio: 7.79; 95% confidence interval: 2.13, 28.47; for the quintile 4 compared with quartile 1 of OMS) after multivariable adjustment., Conclusions: The OMS constructed from four differential metabolites was used to predict the risk of hypertension in adolescents. These findings could provide sensitive biomarkers for the early recognition of hypertension in adolescents with obesity., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wu, Wei, Cheng, Chen, Liu, Liu, Hu, Zhao, Li and Chen.)

Background: The microsurgical treatment of paraclinoid aneurysms can be challenging due to the anatomical structures that surround them., Objective: This study compared the clinical and angiographic outcomes of unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms treated with enterprise (EP) stents and low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) stents., Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical and radiological data from 133 patients with 139 unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms, who received an EP or an LVIS stent between January 2017 and June 2021 at Taizhou People's Hospital, was performed. Immediate postoperative and follow-up angiographic results were analyzed retrospectively using the Raymond-Roy occlusion classification (RROC). Any complications following the procedure and the patients' clinical outcomes were noted., Results: Enterprise stents were used for stent-assisted coiling in 64 patients with 68 aneurysms and LVIS stents were used in 69 patients with 71 aneurysms. Both groups exhibited an increase in the proportion of aneurysms meeting the criteria for RROC class I, but the LVIS group demonstrated a higher rate of aneurysms meeting the class I criteria compared with the EP group, both on immediate postoperative angiography (45.1% vs. 11.8%, p< 0.001) and on follow-up angiography (94.9% vs. 80.6%, p= 0.025). Procedure-related complications were experienced by 9.4% of patients in the EP group (one coil prolapse, two parent artery occlusions, and three thromboembolic events), and 8.7% of patients in the LVIS group (three stent-related thrombosis and three thromboembolic events). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in relation to perioperative complications (p= 0.746) or favorable clinical outcomes (p= 0.492)., Conclusion: A greater proportion of aneurysms in the LVIS group met the criteria for RROC class I compared with the EP group. There is no significant difference in procedural complications or clinical outcomes between EP and LVIS stents. Although no aneurysm recurrence was observed during the short follow-up period, continued monitoring is required.

Aim: To analyze the causes, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of uterine arteriovenous fistula (UAVF)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 13 patients with UAVF admitted to our hospital from October 2016 to April 2019., Results: All patients had a history of intrauterine surgery (curettage for abortion, artificial removal of placenta, hysteroscopy, diagnostic curettage and intrauterine device removal). The main clinical manifestation of UAVF is paroxysmal massive vaginal bleeding; this involved a massive gush of vaginal blood that stopped suddenly. Sonographic images with typical features of UAVF were observed for 12 patients. Pelvic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed as a noninvasive adjuvant examination method for diagnosis. Twelve patients underwent uterine arteriography and a diagnosis of UAVF was confirmed. Then, bilateral uterine artery embolization (UAE) was performed. One patient underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy directly instead of uterine arteriography because of unstable vital signs and one patient underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy 25 weeks after the second UAE. The median time until menstrual recovery was 33 days (range, 20-70 days) after UAE. The median time until normal ultrasound examination results was 10 weeks (range, 2-35 weeks)., Conclusion: Acquired UAVF was associated with a history of previous intrauterine surgery. The ultrasound examination and pelvic contrast-enhanced MRI were noninvasive adjuvant examination method to effectively assist in diagnosis. Uterine arteriography is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of UAVF, and UAE is considered an effective intervention for treating UAVF and maintaining reproductive function with less damage. Hysterectomy is an appropriate option when conservative measures have failed to prevent a life-threatening hemorrhage., (© 2020 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Objective To analyze the risk factors causing postoperative urosepsis in ureter endoscopic lithotripsy without infection preoperatively, in order to make a more effective and safer preventive and therapeutic strategy.Methods From January 2010 to January 2015, 5 ureteral calculus patients undergoing ureter endoscopic lithotripsy with holmium laser were retrospectively enrolled in this clinical study. These patients suffered urosepsis postoperatively confirmed by the clinical presentations and laboratory Results, while they had no infection in their blood and urine preoperatively. Without delay, 5 patients were treated by anti-inflammation and anti-shock.Results The vasopressor drug was stopped gradually after 12-36 hours. The body temperature was recovered to normal in 2 or 3 days, and the blood and urine test Results were not abnormal in 7 days. At last, 5 patients were all cured.Conclusions Stone and operation themselves are potential factors to cause urosepsis after ureter endoscopic lithotripsy. Especially for patients who had not presented infection preoperatively, careful preparation preoperatively, corrective manipulation, low pressure irrigation, drainage and controlling time during operation, and early diagnosis, appropriate treatment postoperatively are the key to cure and prevent urosepsis.

Natural product tea saponin (TS), extracted from the nutshell of camellia (Camellia oleifera Abel, Theaceae), was introduced into intumescent flame retardant formulations as blowing agent and carbon source. The formulations of the flame retardant system were optimized to get the optimum proportion of TS, and intumescent flame retardant coatings containing tea saponin (TS-IFRCs) were then prepared. It was found that TS can significantly affect the combustion behavior and the thermal stability of TS-IFRCs evaluated by cone calorimetry and simultaneous thermal analyzer, respectively. It was shown that TS, degraded to water vapor and carbon at high temperatures, can combine with other components to form a well-developed char layer. The char layer was supposed to inhibit erosion upon exposure to heat and oxygen and enhance the flame retardancy of TS-IFRCs. In addition, the smoke release of TS-IFRCs was also studied, which provided a low amount of smoke production.

Background: In South China (Gejiu City, Yunnan Province), lung cancer incidence and associated mortality rate is the most prevalent and observed forms of cancer. Lung cancer in this area is called Gejiu squamous cell lung carcinoma (GSQCLC). Research has demonstrated that overexpression of miR-21 occurs in many cancers. However, the unique relationship between miR-21 and its target genes in GSQCLC has never been investigated. The molecular mechanism involved in GSQCLC must be compared to other non-small cell lung cancers in order to establish a relation and identify potential therapeutic targets., Methodology/principal Findings: In the current study, we initially found overexpression of miR-21 occurring in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines when compared to the immortalized lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. We also demonstrated that high expression of miR-21 could increase tumor cell proliferation, invasion, viability, and migration in GSQCLC cell line (YTMLC-90) and NSCLC cell line (NCI-H157). Additionally, our results revealed that miR-21 could suppress YTMLC-90 and NCI-H157 cell apoptosis through arresting cell-cycle at G2/M phase. Furthermore, we demonstrated that PTEN, RECK and Bcl-2 are common target genes of miR-21 in NSCLC. Finally, our studies showed that down-regulation of miR-21 could lead to a significant increase in PTEN and RECK and decrease in Bcl-2 at the mRNA and protein level in YTMLC-90 and NCI-H157 cell lines. However, we have not observed any remarkable difference in the levels of miR-21 and its targets in YTMLC-90 cells when compared with NCI-H157 cells., Conclusions/significance: miR-21 simultaneously regulates multiple programs that enhance cell proliferation, apoptosis and tumor invasiveness by targeting PTEN, RECK and Bcl-2 in GSQCLC. Our results demonstrated that miR-21 may play a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of lung squamous cell carcinoma and suppression of miR-21 may be a novel approach for the treatment of lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Busheng Huoxue Capsule (BHC) on the quality of life (QOL) in senile male osteoporosis (OP) patients, and to explore its mechanisms., Methods: Totally 200 senile primary OP patients were randomly assigned to two groups according to random digit table method, 100 in each group. Patients in the treatment group took BHC plus caltrate-D (600 mg CaCO3), while those in the control group took alendronate (70 mg per week) plus caltrate-D. The therapeutic course was 12 months for all. Chinese medical symptom score and quality of life (QUALEFFO-41) score, bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar vertebra (L2 -L4) and left femoral neck were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Serum free testosterone (FT) and estradiol (E2) were also measured., Results: Chinese medical symptom scores and QUALEFFO-41 scores, serum FT and E2 levels increased in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The therapeutic effect was superior in the treatment group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). After treatment the BMD of lumbar vertebra (L2 -L4) and the left femoral neck were somewhat improved (P < 0.05), but with no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: BHC could effectively improve the QOL of senile male OP patients, which might be correlated with elevating the BMD levels and regulating the levels of sex hormones.

Objectives: To establish a rat model of post-stroke depression (PSD), and examine expression of genes encoding corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the hypothalamus of PSD rats., Methods: Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and chronic mild unpredictable stress (CUMS). Open field test and sucrose preference were used to examine depressive-like behaviors. Observed changes in gene expression levels in the hypothalamus of PSD rats were evaluated., Results: MCAO with CUMS resulted in reduction of sucrose preference and locomotor activity. Genes encoding TNF-α, IL-1β and CRF were highly expressed in the hypothalamus of rats subjected to MCAO and CUMS. The antidepressant citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, had inhibitory effects on the expression of the aforementioned genes. We observed a correlation between CRF and IL-1β mRNA levels in the citalopram-treated group of rats., Conclusion: The etiology of PSD is associated with cytokine expression in the hypothalamus and with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. Citalopram administration inhibited the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β transcripts in the hypothalamus, suggesting that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be appropriate for PSD therapy.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and the efficacy and safety of Epley's maneuver in very old patients., Methods: A retrospective review of 29 (16.5%) patients with BPPV out of 176 consecutively admitted patients aged 80 and over presented with a complaint of dizziness was performed., Results: In all 29 patients the BPPV origin was attributed to posterior canal involvement; 24 (82.8%) were idiopathic, 4 with a history of Ménière's disease, and 1 secondary to head trauma; 18 (62.1%) were right-side involved; and 25 (86.2%) were diagnosed previously as vertebral-basilar insufficiency. Cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases and the correlative risk factors were common both in patients with BPPV and those with non-BPPV dizziness. Twenty-one patients underwent Epley's maneuver, all were free of vertigo after treatment, 14 of them after a single session and the remaining 2 to 4 sessions. No significant complications were observed except in one who experienced vomiting during the procedure. Patients who received Epley's maneuver had a higher cure rate and short recovery time than those who did not., Conclusions: BPPV is not uncommon in very old patients with dizziness. Clinicians should have the knowledge to diagnose and treat this condition. Epley's maneuver is safe and effective in very old patients with BPPV.

Aims: To investigate the diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic value of the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) using a three-marker (CK19, hMAM and CEA) RT-PCR assay in patients with early breast cancer., Patients and Methods: Peripheral blood was obtained from 50 patients with early-stage breast cancer before any systemic adjuvant therapy and analyzed for the presence of CK-19, hMAM and CEA mRNA-positive CTCs using an RT-PCR assay. The specificity of the primers used was evaluated in 20 healthy individuals, 24 patients with benign breast disease, and 30 patients with metastatic breast cancer. The detection of CTCs was correlated with clinical outcome., Results: The detection rate of three-marker-positive CTCs in the blood of patients with early breast cancer was 54.0%, significantly higher than in patients with benign breast disease and healthy blood donors (p=0.002 and p=0.000, respectively). The three-marker RT-PCR assay had 58.8% sensitivity in the parallel test and 100% specificity for CTC detection in the serial test, which was higher than the sensitivity and specificity of single-marker assays. For early breast cancer, correlation analysis between detection of three-marker-positive CTCs and clinicopathological characteristics indicated that detection of threemarker-positive CTCs was significantly correlated with elevated serum CEA levels (p=0.001). After three years of follow-up, 13 of the 27 patients with three-marker-positive CTCs in their blood had relapsed and detection of three-marker-positive CTCs was significantly associated with locoregional recurrence and/or distant metastasis (p=0.002). Detection of three-marker-positive CTCs in peripheral blood was an independent risk factor for reduced median relapse-free interval (p=0.000)., Conclusion: The three-marker RT-PCR assay can enhance the sensitivity and specificity of CTC detection compared to singlemarker assay. Detection of three-marker-positive CTCs was associated with relapse and might have important predictive and prognostic implications in early breast cancer.

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), also called fetal liver kinase 1 (FLK1) in mice and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) in humans, is an endothelial cell specific receptor tyrosine kinase that mediates lung cancer angiogenesis. We hypothesized that an active immunotherapy approach targeting FLK1 may inhibit lung cancer growth and metastasis. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated whether immune responses to FLK1 could be elicited in mice by immunization with an orally administered DNA vaccine encoding the extracellular domain (ECD) of FLK1 (pcDNA3.1-FLK1(ECD)) carried by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium. We found that the vaccine was effective at protective antitumor immunity in Lewis lung carcinoma models in mice by breaking immune tolerance to FLK1 self-antigen. Both FLK1-specific humoral and cellular immune responses against endothelial cells can be induced in mice by immunization with pcDNA3.1-FLK1(ECD). Immunization with pcDNA3.1-FLK1(ECD) resulted in tumor suppression and prolonged survival in mice challenged with Lewis lung carcinomas cells. Experimental pulmonary metastases were strongly inhibited in pcDNA3.1-FLK1(ECD) immunized mice challenged with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. Thus, we conclude that the plasmid DNA vaccine encoding the extracellular domain of FLK1 could be an important component of FLK1 DNA vaccine to prevent lung carcinoma recurrence and metastasis after surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of corticoid in combination with an antibiotic in the treatment of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP)., Methods: We used the randomized, double-blind and parallel contrasted method, selected 160 CNP patients via the Stamey test, EPS examination and NIH-CPSI scores, and equally randomized them into an experimental group (with 1 case missing) and a control group. The former received prednisone and levofloxacin for 2 weeks followed by another 2-week administration of levofloxacin only, while the latter were given levofloxacin and placebo in the first 2 weeks and placebo only in the next 2. All the patients were evaluated by NIH-CPSI scores and EPS results and followed up for adverse events after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment., Results: The total NIH-CPSI score, the pain index, voiding index and quality of life (QOL) score in the experimental group were decreased by 9.56 +/- 2.05, 4.59 +/- 1.18, 2.38 +/- 1.24 and 2.59 +/- 2 1.20 after the 2-week treatment, and 11.72 +/- 2.41, 5.51 +/- 1.42, 2.92 +/- 1.17 and 3.33 +/- 1.08 after the 4-week treatment; while those in the control group were reduced by 6.53 +/- 2.70, 3.20 +/- 1.30, 1.40 +/- 1.05 and 1.80 +/- 1.15 after the 2-week treatment, and 8.53 -/+ 2.91, 3.88 +/- 1.44, 2.08 +/- 1.11 and 2.55 +/- 1.33 after the 4-week treatment, with significant differences between the two groups as well as between pre- and post-treatment (P < 0.01), but not between the 2- and 4-week treatment (P > 0.05). Statistically significant differences were also observed in the count of WBCs in EPS between not only pre- and post-treatment, but also the 2- and 4-week treatment (P < 0.01). No serious adverse events were recorded, nor were significant differences in the tolerance to corticoid and placebo., Conclusion: Prednisone in combination with an antibiotic can effectively relieve pain and voiding symptoms, improve QOL and reduce WBC in the EPS of CNP patients, and therefore well deserves to be recommended in clinical application. But its long-term efficacy and tolerance are yet to be further studied.

To explore the inhibitive effect of artemether on glioma growth and angiogenesis in brain tumor bearing SD rat. MTT assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory effect of artemether treatment on C6 glioma cells. Forty SD rats which were subcutaneous planted with SD rat C6 glioma cell to establish SD rat orthotopic glioma model were divided resourcefully into 5 groups. each group was 8 rats. Length-path (a mm) and short-path (b mm) of tumor each rat was measured. Tumor volume was calculated using the following formula: V (mm(3)) = a(2)bpi/6. Microvessel density (MVD) in different therapy groups was significantly lower than that in normal saline control group and brain glioma volume in different therapy groups was significantly smaller than that in normal saline control group. There were remarkably inhibitory effects of artmeter on brain glioma growth and angiogenesis in SD rats and the mechanism that artemether inhibited brain glioma growth might be penetrating the blood-brain barrier and inhibiting angiogenesis.

Objective: To investigate whether antibiotic prophylaxis can reduce the risk of postoperative bacteriuria in patients undergoing transrectal prostatic biopsy (TPB) who have sterile preoperative urine., Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Collaboration Reviews, CMCC, and CNKI were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antibiotic prophylaxis with placebo/blank controls for patients undergoing TPB with preoperative sterile urine. The search strategy was made according to the Collaborative Review Group search strategy. Data were extracted by two reviewers using the designed extraction form. The software RevMan4.2 was used to review management and data analysis., Results: 67 relevant RCTs were found, of which 12 qualified ones were included into the analysis. Antibiotic prophylaxis significantly decreased the rate of bacteriuria within the period 1 week after TPB (corresponding pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% CI was 0.32 (0.23 - 0.46, P < 0.01). The effective antibiotics included quinolones and quinolones combined with nitroimidazole, with the pooled RR and 95% CI of 0.31 (0.18 - 0.53, P < 0.01) and 0.32 (0.17 - 0.60, P = 0.0004) respectively. There was no significant difference in the effect between short treatment course protocol and long course protocol (P = 0.41)., Conclusion: Prophylactic antibiotics can significantly decrease the incidence of post-TPB bacteriuria. A significant decrease in bacteriuria incidence can be achieved with a range of antibiotic agents, including quinolones and-quinolones combined with nitroimidazole. Treatment protocols of any duration are effective.

Two novel ceramides, Candidamide A (1) with a phytosphingolipid structure, and Candidamide B (2) with a tertiary amide structure, together with 12 known compounds (3-14) have been isolated from the bulbs of Zephyranthes candida, The structures of 1 and 2 have been elucidated to be 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-2-(2'-hydroxytetracosanoyl amino)-8-(E)-octadecadiene (1) and (2S,3S,4R,8E,2'R)-2-[N-(2'-hydroxyoctadecanoyl)-N-(1'',2''-dihydroxyethyl)-amino]-8-hexacosene-1,3,4-triol (2) on the basis of spectroscopic evidence including IR, MS, NMR ((1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, DEPT, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC). The known compounds were identified as (2S)-3',7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavan (3), (2S)-4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan (4), (2S)-4',7-dihydroxyflavan (5), 7-hydroxy-3', 4'-methylenedioxyflavan (6), ambrettolide (7), beta-sitostero1 (8), beta-daucosterin (9), rutin (10), pancratistatin (11), lycorine (12), haemanthidine (13), and haemanthamine (14). In the antimicrobial assay, candidamide A (1) and candidamide B (2) displayed moderate activities against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and fungi Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum.

Background & Objective: Mucins, including MUC-1, are generally considered to be products of epithelial tissues and epithelial tumors. Theoretically, MUC-1 mRNA in peripheral blood with interstitial origin indicates metastasis. This study was to explore the feasibility of MUC-1 mRNA as a molecular marker in detecting peripheral blood micro-metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect MUC-1 gene expression in peripheral blood samples from 60 patients with NSCLC, 15 patients with benign pulmonary disease, and 20 healthy subjects. MUC-1 gene expression in K562 and HL-60 cells with non-epithelial origin, and A549 and MCF-7 cells with epithelial origin was also detected by nested RT-PCR., Results: The positive rates of MUC-1 mRNA were 80.0% in NSCLC group, 60.0% in benign pulmonary disease group, and 65.0% in healthy group. MUC-1 mRNA was also detected in K562, HL-60, A549 and MCF-7 cells., Conclusion: MUC-1 mRNA can not be a reliable detection marker for peripheral blood micro-metastasis in NSCLC patients.

Objective: To study on the chemical constituents of Zephyranthes candida., Methods: Compounds were isolated and repeatedly purified by chromatographic techniques on silica gel column. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral methods., Results: Eight compounds were isolated from the whole plant of Zephyranthes candida, and identified as (2S)-3',7-dihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavan (I), beta-sitosterol (II), stigmasta-5,22-dien-3beta-ol (III), stigmasterol (IV), beta-daucosterin (V), Butylisobutyl phthalat (VI), Heptacosane (VII) and Ambrettolide (VIII)., Conclusion: I-XIII are all isolated from this plant for the first time.

Aims: To compare the immunogenicity and anti-tumor effects of gene vaccines encoding domains 1-4 with full length of extracellular region of VEGFR2., Results: Both DNA vaccines decreased VEGF levels and rose specific antibodies; the lymphocyte subsets of vaccinated mice maintained high; tumor latency period and survival time of immunized mice were prolonged; tumor size, weight, MVD and liver metastases were significantly less than the control groups., Methods: Mouse model of CT-26 adenocarcinoma of colon were treated with orally immunized gene vaccine encoding extracellular 1-4 and full length of VEGFR2 respectively. The effect of anti-tumor was evaluated by detecting the tumor volume, mice survival time, intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) and liver metastases. To explore the reasonable mechanism of the oral gene vaccines, the levels of VEGF and anti-VEGFR2 antibody in serum were detected by ELISA, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and subcutaneous tumors were analyzed by flow cytometer and immunohischemistry respectively., Conclusion: Compared with full length of extracellular domain of VEGFR2, extracellular regions 1-4 of VEGFR2 has been sufficient to decrease the serum VEGF level and to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis specifically.

Objective: To establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of baicalin in Xiaoyanling Decoction., Methods: HPLC method was used for determination. A Kromosil C18 column was used. The mobile phase consisted of MeOH-acid water (H(2)O:H(3)PO(4)=53:0.2) 40:60, and the detective wavelength was 277 nm., Results: The content of baicalin in each Xiaoyanling Decoction sample was not less than 0.40 mg/ml (RSD<5%)., Conclusion: The content of baicalin in Xiaoyanling Decoction is high and stable, and it can be used as the quality standard for Xiaoyanling Decoction.

Biliverdin reducatase was purified from pig-kidney to homogeneous form through DEAE 52-cellulose, Sephadex G-100 and Procion red HE 3B-Sepharose 4B column chromatography, The enzyme was estimated to be a monomer with a molecular weight of 66kD by SDS-PAGE. A gel staining in basic-pyridine solution of heme was used to identify purified biliverdin reductase. The enzyme utilized NADPH and NADH as electron donors for the reduction of biliverdin to produce bilirubin. The apparent K(m) values for biliverdin were established to be 1.25 &mgr;M with NADPH and 2.52 &mgr;M with NADH.