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This study was designed to explore cryptanshinone (CPT) extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulating pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cell (LSC) apoptosis and anti-inflammatory mechanism via accelerating microRNA (miR)-211-5p to restrain Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway activation. Obtaining blood samples from pediatric acute myeloid leukemia patients and healthy volunteers and detecting miR-211-5p and JAK2 were performed. Purchase of the human AML cell line KG1a was conducted, and sorting of KG1a cells was to gain LSC. Test of miR-211-5p and JAK2, the phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3 was implemented. Pretreatment of LSCs was with CPT. Variation of miR-211-5p and JAK2 in LSCs was via plasmid transfection to explore their actions in cell advancement with apoptosis and inflammation. Identification of the targeting of miR-211-5p with JAK2 was implemented. In results: MiR-211-5p was declined in endometrial cancer, while JAK2 was elevated; CPT was available to boost LSC apoptosis and restrain the inflammation; elevated miR-211-5p or repressive JAK2 was available to strengthen the acceleration of CPT on LSCs apoptosis and the repression of inflammation; MiR-211-5p targeted JAK2; augmented JAK2 was available to turn around the action of elevated miR-211-5p. We conclude that CPT extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulated pediatric LSC apoptosis and restrained the inflammation via accelerating microRNA (miR)-211-5p to suppress JAK2/STAT3 pathway activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effect of the extracts of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. was investigated on proliferative activity in vitro. The osteoblast-like UMR106 cells was employed as an osteoblast model. The EtOH extract [...]

SnO2 nanowires were prepared in an Au-catalyzed VLS growth process by thermal evaporation. The NO sensing properties of the resistive gas sensor based on the SnO2 nanowires was found to be improved obviously after the SnO2 nanowires were treated by Ar-O2 plasma. The responses of the gas sensors to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ppm NO gas increased from 8.4, 10.6, 12.6, 14.2, 16.1% to 44.2, 91.9, 108.0, 118.1, 157.4% at 100 °C, respectively. The selectivity of the gas sensors to NO gas against NO2, NH3, CH4, H2 and O2 was also enhanced greatly. The characterization by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the enhanced gas sensing properties can be attributed to the rough surfaces, the resultant dangling bond and free lattice sites, and the Sn3O4 grains appearing on the surface of the Ar-O2 plasma treated SnO2 nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To reduce the stemness maintenance ability of endometrial cancer stem cell and increase its sensitivity to chemotherapy by inducing hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) protein deSUMOylation. Methods: Lentiviral plasmid mediated ubiquitin carrier protein 9 (Ubc9) gene silencing was transgened into KLE endometrial carcinoma cells. The expression of Ubc9, small ubiquitin-related modifier 1(SUMO1) and HIF-1α protein was detected by Western blotting. Then tumor stem cells clones were cultured in 96 well plates, and these clone balls diameter were calculated. Cell cycles were determined by flow cytometry. MTT cytotoxicity assay and flow cytometry method were used to test sensitivity of cisplatin to endometrial cancer stem cell. Results: The results of Western blotting showed that Ubc9 gene was silenced well, and the covalent binding state of SUMO-1 and HIF-1α protein levels were significantly decreased ( P <0.05). Ubc9 gene silencing in endometrial cancer cells reduced clone formation rate by (31.61±5.29)% down to (11.42±3.07)%, while the cell cycle shift from G1 to G2. IC50 of cisplatin decreased from 44.37 mg/L to 7.39 mg/L, and the rate of cell apoptosis by (41.59±5.37)% down to (26.22±4.03)%. Conclusion: The stemness maintenance ability of endometrial cancer stem cell can be reduced through deSUMOylation of HIF-1α protein by silencing Ubc9 gene expression, and their sensitivity to chemotherapy be enhanced, which provides a new reference for future gene therapy of endometrial carcinoma.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who experience brain metastases are usually associated with poor prognostic outcomes. This retrospective study proposed to assess whether bevacizumab or gefitinib can be used to improve the effectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in managing patients with brain metastases. A total of 218 NSCLC patients with multiple brain metastases were retrospectively included in this study and were randomly allocated to bevacizumab-gefitinib-WBRT group (n=76), gefitinib-WBRT group (n=77) and WBRT group (n=75). Then, tumor responses were evaluated every 2 months based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0. Karnofsky performance status and neurologic examination were documented every 6 months after the treatment. Compared to the standard WBRT, bevacizumab and gefitinib could significantly enhance response rate (RR) and disease control rate (DCR) of WBRT (P<0.001). At the same time, RR and DCR of patients who received bevacizumab-gefitinib-WBRT were higher than those who received gefitinib-WBRT. The overall survival (OS) rates and progression-free survival (PFS) rates also differed significantly among the bevacizumab-gefitinib-WBRT (48.6 and 29.8%), gefitinib-WBRT (36.7 and 29.6%) and WBRT (9.8 and 14.6%) groups (P<0.05). Although bevacizumab-gefitinib-WBRT was slightly more toxic than gefitinib-WBRT, the toxicity was tolerable. As suggested by prolonged PFS and OS status, bevacizumab substantially improved the overall efficacy of WBRT in the management of patients with NSCLC.

This study investigated the alteration of gene expression profiles in order to gain a deeper understanding into the molecular mechanism involved in different processes of vascular calcification (VC). Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were injected with 300,000 µg/kg vitamin D3 and gavaged with 25 mg/kg nicotine for 8 or 16 weeks to create 8- and 16-week VC calcification groups. Histological analysis and quantification of aortic calcium content were used to determine the severity of vascular calcification. The suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) method was employed to screen for up and downregulated genes in early and later phases of vascular calcification. Changes in calcium and phosphorus levels in tissue were used as markers of vascular calcification. Quantification of aortic calcium content revealed that vascular calcification might regress over time. In the early phase of vascular calcification, many calcification-promoting genes were upregulated, including ossification, oxidation, and inflammatory genes. In contrast, in later phase of vascular calcification, various calcification-inhibitor genes were highly expressed, including pyrophosphoric acid synthesis genes, glutamate signal peptide-related, reduction activity, and apoptosis regulation genes. The relatively higher expression of calcification-inhibitor genes compared to that of calcification-promoting genes might explain the genetic mechanism leading to the regression of vascular calcification. Therefore, this study provides a genomic basis to facilitate understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying vascular calcification regression.

The effect of the extracts of Epimedium brevicornum Maxim. was investigated on proliferative activity in vitro. The osteoblast-like UMR106 cells was employed as an osteoblast model. The EtOH extract and the n-butanol fraction from the crude extract were found to show proliferation stimulating activity. Three flavonoid compounds (icariin, epimedin B and epimedin C) were isolated from this fraction by activity-guided assay, and the effects on cell proliferation were studied. Icariin produced the most significant promoting effect on the proliferation in osteoblast-like UMR106 cells. The results suggested that E. brevicornum Maxim. extracts might have potential activity against osteoporosis, and flavonoids such as icariin might be the active constituents stimulating osteoblasts.

A multiple tracer dilution method measuring total body water (TBW) and extra cellular water (ECW) was used to study body composition. Healthy Chinese were compared to a group of healthy Americans evaluated by similar dilutional methods. Compared to the American subjects, Chinese subjects were less heavy (body weight was 62.1 ± 2.0 kg vs 72.5± 4. 1, P<0.05), leaner (body fat was 19.6 ± 1.8% of body weight vs 25.8 ± 1.9, P<0.005), wetter (total body water was 58.9 ± 1.3% vs 54.3 ± 1.4, P<0.005) and had a greater percentage of body cell mass (50.9 ± 1.7% vs 44.2 ± 1.4, P<0.001). The multidilution method using deuterium oxide and sodium bromide to assess body composition is accurate but expensive and laborious. Therefore, equally precise but more economical bedside methods are needed for routine compositional analysis.

Available lipid emulsions made from soybean or safflower oil are classified as long-chain triglycerides (LCT). In contrast, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) emulsions have different physical properties and are metabolized by other biochemical pathways. To compare the differences between these two fat emulsions, the authors studied 12 surgical patients and 6 volunteers. These subjects were randomly assigned to receive parenteral nutrition with MCT or LCT emulsion. Measurement of arterial and venous concentration differences across the forearm demonstrated that muscle utilization was significantly improved with MCT administration. There was also a trend toward improved nitrogen balance in the MCT group, and less weight loss in the postoperative period also was observed in this group. During the fat clearance test, the serum ketone concentrations were significantly higher in the MCT than the LCT group. The improvement in nitrogen retention may be associated with increasing ketone and insulin levels. Fat emulsions containing 50% MCT are safe for use in parenteral nutrition and may provide an alternate fuel that improves protein metabolism.

Serum copper and zinc were simultaneously determined by ion-exchange chromatography (IC) in 35 normal volunteers and 45 patients with benign diseases or different stage cancers of digestive tract. No significant differences of serum Cu, Zn (both expressed in mumol/L) and Cu/Zn ratio were found among normal volunteers, patients with benign diseases and those with stage I or II cancer. While in the group of stage III and IV cancer patients, the mean of serum Cu (26.5 +/- 1.4 mumol/L) and Cu/Zn ratio (2.25 +/- 0.16) increased significantly (P < 0.01) and that of serum Zn (11.8 +/- 0.5 mumol/L) decreased markedly (P < 0.05). Our results showed that serum Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn ratio was of no help in detecting early stage cancers and in differentiating them from benign diseases but was useful in predicting stages of cancers before operation for a better choice of therapy.

To determine the effects of low-dose recombinant human growth hormone (GH) and hypocaloric nutrition on postoperative convalescence, we performed a placebo-controlled randomized double-blind trial in 18 patients after elective gastrectomy or colectomy. The subjects received parenteral nutrition containing 20 calories/kg per day and 1 g protein/kg per day. Daily injections of drug or placebo were given during the first postoperative week. The nine control subjects lost 3.3 kg (5.9% of preoperative weight) and had a cumulative nitrogen loss of 32.6 +/- 4.2 g nitrogen at eight days. The patients receiving GH lost significantly less weight (1.3 kg) and nitrogen loss was 7.1 +/- 3.1 g at eight days (p less than 0.001). Kinetic studies demonstrated that the anabolic effects of GH were associated with increased protein synthesis, and amino acid flux studies across the forearm revealed increased uptake of amino acid nitrogen in the GH-treated patients. Body compositional analysis revealed that the patients receiving GH maintained their lean body mass despite the major surgical procedure. Analysis of hand grip force showed a 10% loss of strength in the control subjects; with GH the patients maintained their grip force throughout the postoperative period. We conclude that the postoperative catabolic response can be modified with GH and hypocaloric nutrition. These metabolic and physiologic effects should now be studied in a larger number of patients to determine if this approach can reduce morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay for surgical patients.

A morphometric analysis system for gastric dysplasia and well differentiated adenocarcinoma was set up by the techniques of digital image processing and the theory of mathematical morphology. For 100 cases, seven parameters were measured. A trainable statistic classifier in multidimensional space is designed on the basis of large number of samples obtained from the analysis system. And then we have set up an objective quantitative automatic diagnostic system for gastric dysplasia and well differentiated adenocarcinoma.

Amino acid solutions rich in branched chain amino acids (BCAA) are commonly utilized both clinically and in experimental protocols in an attempt to reduce skeletal muscle and whole body protein catabolism. To investigate the effectiveness of BCAA infusion, amino acid formulas containing varying concentrations of BCAA were given during operation in this study to three groups of dogs undergoing a standard laparotomy and retroperitoneal dissection. A fourth group was given saline alone. With the use of previously described hindquarter flux techniques, individual and total amino acid nitrogen exchange rates were measured and utilized in estimating skeletal muscle protein catabolism. Intracellular free amino acid concentrations were measured in percutaneous muscle biopsy samples. Although there was no relationship with the rate of BCAA infusion, there was a significant correlation between the rate of BCAA uptake by muscle and diminished total nitrogen release from hindquarter skeletal muscle after operation. There was also a significant relationship between muscle nitrogen balance and the postoperative change in the muscle concentration of either total amino acids or the single amino acid glutamine. When combined in a single equation, BCAA uptake and the change in muscle free amino acid concentration predict skeletal muscle nitrogen release with an r = 0.86. Thus, the rate of BCAA uptake and the free glutamine or total amino acid concentration in muscle appear to be independent predictors of muscle nitrogen balance. The nitrogen-sparing effect of BCAA in skeletal muscle is unrelated to infusion concentration or rate of infusion.