Apoptotic study on the effect of fluorine and selenium on the human hair follicle in vitro

Objective To investigate the methods of isolating and identifying human adipose derived EPCs.Methods The cells obtained from human lipoaspirates were plated on culture dishes coated with human fibronectin and were cultured in DMEM containing 2% FBS.Cells of passage 2 cultured in EGM-2 （2% FBS） served as the induced cells （experimental group）,with cells cultured in DMEM （2% FBS） as the noninduced cells （control group）.     

Bioactive asterosaponins from the starfish Culcita novaeguineae

Two new sulfated steroidal pentaglycosides （asterosaponins）, novaeguinosides Ⅰ （2） and Ⅱ（3）, along with the known regularoside B （1） were isolated from the starfish Culcita novaeguineae. Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR techniques as well as chemical evidence. The new asterosaponins showed marginal in vitro cytotoxicity against two human tumor cell lines.     

Clinical observation on the treatment of childhood refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with Dihuang Zhixue Capsule (地黄止血胶囊)

Objective： To observe the clinical effect of Dihuang Zhixue Capsule （地黄止血胶囊, DZC, a Chinese preparation for cooling blood and dispelling toxic substances） in the treatment of childhood refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura （RITP）, with cyclosporin A （CsA） used as the control. Methods： Forty-one children of RITP were randomized into the treated group and the control group. The 21 patients in the treated group were orally given 2 to 3 DZC capsules each time, thrice a day and the 20 in the control group were given 3 mg/kg CsA per day, with 3 months as one therapeutic course. The therapeutic efficacy, platelet count and adverse reaction in the two groups were compared at the end of the course. Results： （1） In the treated group, 1 （4.8%） patient was evaluated as cured, 3 （14.3%） as markedly effective, 5 （23.8%） as effective, 5 （23.8%） as improved, 7 （33.3%） as ineffective, with the total effective rate being 66.7%; while in the control group, the corresponding numbers were 0. 2 （10.0%）, 2 （10.0%）, 3 （15.0%）, 13 （65.0%） and 35.0%, respectively, showing statistical significance in difference between the total effective rates of the two groups （ Х^2=4.11, P=0.0426）. （2） As compared with the baseline, the platelet count increased in both groups after 2 months＇ treatment （P〈0.05）. After 3 months＇ treatment, the platelet count was higher in the treated group than in the control group （P〈0.05）. （3） The improvement of hemorrhage in the treated group after 8 weeks＇ treatment was better than that in the control group （P〈0.05）. （4） No apparent adverse reaction was observed in the treated group, while in the control group, hirsutism was shown in 15 cases; gingival hyperplasia in 10; digestive reaction in 5, liver function impairment in 5, hypertension in 2 and renal impairment in 2. Conclusion： The therapeutic efficacy of DZC is better than that of CsA, and DZC shows good compliance but brings no obvious adver     

Prognostic values of serum cystatin C and β2 microglobulin,urinary β2 microglobulin and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase in early acute renal failure after liver transplantation

Background Acute renal failure （ARF） after liver transplantation is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Early therapeutic or preventive intervention is hampered by the lack of early effective prognostic factors. Recent studies indicated that serum levels of cystatin C and β2-microglobulin （β2 MG） as well as urinary β2 MG and N-acetyI-β-D- glucosaminidase （NAG） would increase in patients with early and mild renal impairment. In this study, these factors were detected during the different stages in patients who accepted orthotopic liver transplantation （OLT）, and their feasibilities to predict early ARF after OLT were also analyzed.
Methods Sixty patients with normal blood urea nitrogen （BUN） and serum creatinine （SCr） who received modified piggyback liver transplantation without veno-venous bypass were prospectively studied. Blood samples were drawn from patients for the determination of serum β2 MG（n=60）, SCr （n=60） and serum Cystatin C （n=39） at following 5 intervals： before operation （TO）, 20 minutes before anhepatic phase （T1）, 25 minutes in anhepatic （T2）, 60 minutes after reperfusion （T3） and at the end of operation（T4）. Urinary B2 MG （n=60） and NAG （n=60） were also examined at following 3 intervals： before operation （TO）, 60 minutes after reperfusion （T3） and at the end of operation （T4）. According to the Rimola A criteria of ARF in 24 hours after operation, all the patients were divided into two groups： ARF group and non-ARF group. The data were statistically analyzed to evaluate the feasibiliy of regarding these factors as prognostic factors for early ARF after liver transplantation in patients with normal SCr and BUN before operation.
Results Ten of sixty cases showed ARF（16.7%）. The Logistic regression analysis showed that the levels of serum and urinary β2 MG as well as serum cystatin C before operation were correlated with early ARF after liver transplantation （P 〈0.05）, while only serum lev     

Preparation of Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Selective Isolation and Determination of Kaempferol and Protoapigenone in Macrothelypteris torresiana

Novel uniform-sized magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers （MMIPs） were synthe- sized for selective recognition of active antitumor ingredients of kaempferol （KMF） and protoapi- genone （PA） in Macrothelypteris torresiana （M. torresiana） by surface molecular imprinting tech- nique in this study. Super paramagnetic core-sheU nanoparticles （γ-MPS-SiO2@Fe3O4） were used as seeds, KMF as template molecule, acrylamide （AM） as functional monomer, and N, N＇-methylene bisacrylamide （BisAM） as cross-linker. The prepared MMIPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, Fourier transform infrared spectrum fiT/R）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） and thermo-gravimetric analysis （TGA）, respectively. The recognition capacity of MMIPs was 2.436 times of non-imprinted polymers. The adsorption results based on kinetics and isotherm analysis were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order model （R2=0.9980） and the Langmuir adsorption model （R2=0.9944）. The value of E （6.742 kJ/mol） calculated from the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm model suggested that the physical adsorption via hydrogen-bonding might be predominant. The Scatchard plot showed a single line （R2=0.9172） and demonstrated the homogeneous recognition sites on MMIPs for KMF. The magnetic solid phase extraction （MSPE） based on MMIPs as sorbent was established for fast and selective enrichment of KMF and its structural analogue PA from the crude extract of M. torresiana and then KMF and PA were detected by HPLC-UV. The established method showed good performance and satisfactory results for real sample analysis. It also showed the feasi- bility of MMIPs for selective recognition of active structural analogues from complex herbal extracts.     

Ultrasonographic Characteristics of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the Pancreas

Objective To analyze the clinical and ultrasonographic imaging features of intraductal papillary mutinous neoplasm （1PMN） of the pancreas. Methods Twelve patients with IPMN underwent surgery between May 2005 and December 2008, including 4 （33.3%） with adenoma and 8 （66.7%） with adenocarcinoma. IPMN was classified preoperatively into 3 types based on sonographic findings of different sites： main duct, branch duct, and combined type. All clinical presentations and ultrasonographic findings of those paticnts were reviewed and the correlation be- tween ultrasonographic hndings and histopathological results was analyzed. Results There were 9 men and 3 women with a mean age of 60.1±9.6 years （range, 32-73）. OF all the 12 patients with IPMN, 9 （75.0%） had experienced some symptoms of epigastric discomfort and/or pain as cell as backache; 7 cases were with medical history of acute pancreatitis, 5 cases with diabetes, 4 cases with elevated CA19-9, and 2 cases with steatorrhea. All lesions of IPMN have been revealed by transabdominal ul- trasonography. The mean diameters of the lesions were 1.4±0.8 cm （range, 0.5-2.0） and 6.3±6.0 cm （range, 2.0-20.0） in adenomas and adenocarcinomas, respectively. And the mean diameters of the main duct in adelnomas and adenocarcinomas were 1.0±0.8 cm and 1.6±1.0 cm, respectively. Among the 4 adnomas, 3 （75.0%） cases were classified as branch type based on sonographic findings, and 2 were demonstrated as mural nodules in which no color signals was detected. Among the 8 adenocarcinomas, 5 （62.5%） cases were classifled as main duct type, and 3 （37.5%） as combined type. In 7 of the 8 adcnocarcinomas, mural nodules were detected within the dilated ducts or cysts of the lesions in which color flow signals were detected. Conclusions Transabdominal ultrasonography can reveal the pancreatic cystic lesions of IPMN as well as dilated pancreatic： ducts. Some characteristics should be noticed as suggesting the possibility of malignancy： clinical symptoms of pancreatic insufficiency, large tumor size, and mural nodules with color Doppler flow signals. Transabdominal ultrasonography could be a useful tool to help diagnose and make appropriate management of IPMN.     

Intervention effects of Jianpi Liqi Huoxue Decoction (健脾理气活血汤) on lipid peroxidative liver injury induced by alcohol

Objective： To study the intervention effects of Jianpi Liqi Huoxue Decoction （健脾理气活血汤, JLHD） on lipid peroxidative liver injury induced by alcohol. Methods： The rat alcoholic model of liver disease （ALD） induced by Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet was established. Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups ： the normal group （ n = 5）, the control group （ n = 9）, the model group （ n = 9） and the JLHD group （ n =9）. From the 4th week after modeling, the rats were given JLHD or distilled water by gastrogavage respectively, and the samples of blood and liver tissues were taken out from the rats for determination by the end of the 8th week. The hepatic pathological changes were observed with HE staining; the liver injury related indices, including activity of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in serum, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase （γ-GT） activity and triglyceride （TG） content in liver tissues, as well as the lipid peroxidation related indices, including malonaldehyde （MDA） content and nitric oxide synthase （NOS） activity in liver tissue, serum Fe^2＋ level, and the anti-peroxidation capacity related indices, including superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity, glutathion （GSH） content and reactive oxygen species （anti- ROS） activity in liver tissues were determined. Results： （ 1 ） There were obvious figures of fatty degeneration and inflammatory infiltration in liver tissues of the model group. As compared with the control group, in the model group, the activity of ALT and AST, and Fe^2＋ content in serum, γ-GT and NOS activity, TG and MDA content in liver tissues were significantly higher （ P〈0. 01 ）, while the activity of SOD, GSH and anti-ROS in liver tissues were significantly lower （P〈0.01）. （2） The fatty degeneration and inflammatory infiltration of liver tissues in the JLHD group were significantly lessen as compared with those in the model group; and the abnormalities of all the indexes revealed in the model rats were restored to certain extent in the JLHD group, and especially significant were the levels of ALT activity, MDA content and Fe^2＋ , which were nearly normal. Conclusion： JLHD has significant effects against alcoholic liver injury, the acting mechanism of which is likely to be related with its anti-lipid peroxidative effect.     

Clinical observation on trigonella foenum-graecum L. total saponins in combination with sulfonylureas in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of trigonella foenurn-graecurn L. total saponins （TFGs） in combination with sulfonylureas （SU） in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） not well controlled by SU alone. Methods： Sixty-nine T2DM patients whose blood glucose levels were not well controlled by oral sulfonylureas hypoglycemic drug were randomly assigned to the treated group （46 cases） and the control group （23 cases）, and were given TFGs or placebo three times per day, 6 pills each time for 12 weeks, respectively. Meanwhile, the patients continued taking their original hypoglycemic drugs. The following indexes, including effects on traditional Chinese medicine （TGM） symptoms, fast blood glucose （FBG）, 2-h post-prandial blood glucose （2h PBG）, glycosylated hemoglobin （HbAlc）, clinical symptomatic quantitative scores （CSQS）, body mass index （BMI）, as well as hepatic and renal functions, were observed and compared before and after treatment. Results： The efficacy on TCM symptoms was obviously better in the treated group than that in the control group （P〈0.01）, and there were statistically remarkable decreases in aspect of FBG, 2h PBG, HbAlc and CSQS in the treated group as compared to those in the control group （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）, while no significant difference was found in BMI, hepatic and renal functions between the two groups （P〉0.05）. Conclusion： The combined therapy of TFGs with sulfonylureas hypoglycemic drug could lower the blood glucose level and ameliorate clinical symptoms in the treatment of T2DM, and the therapy was relatively safe.     

Separation and Identification of Flavonoids from Fistular Onion Stalk （Allium fisturosum L. vat. Caespitosum Makio）

The chemical constituents of fistular onion stalk obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction were separated and purified by silica gel and sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography and the preparative TLC method and four flavonoids were obtained. On the basis of the spectral data, they were structurally identified as （＋）-catechin, （-）-epieatechin, astragalin, and 3-O-β-D（2-O-β-D-glu- copyranosyl）-glucopyranosides of kaempferol.     

Dr Margaret Chan takes office as WHO Director-General

Background The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of interleukin （IL）-2, interferon （IFN）-y, IL-4 and IL-10 in a concordant hamster-to-rat cardiac xenotransplantation model. Methods A hamster-to-rat cardiac transplantation was performed using SD rats as recipients of Golden Syrian hamster hearts. A total of 60 SD rats were divided into four groups and treated as follows： control group （n=15）; splenectomy group （n=15）; CsA group （n=15）; CsA ＋ splenectomy group （n=-15）. Levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Sera were harvested at different time points in each group： day 1, and 3 as well as the day the xenograft stopped beating in the control group and CsA group; day 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 in the splenectomy group and CsA＋splenectomy group. The expression of P-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） was examined by immunohistochemical analysis of the xenogralt alter cardiac xenotransplantation. Results Serum levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ were upregulated in untreated （day 3） and splenectomy-treated animals （day 7） compared to CsA ＋ splenectomy treated animals （day 7）. IL-10 was upregulated in long-term survival recipients following splenectomy ＋ CsA. Neither P-selectin nor ICAM-1 expression was detected in long-term survival xenografts. Conclusions Serum IL-2 and IFN-γ were elevated following acute vascular rejection. Serum IL-10 was correlated to immunosuppression and protective effects in long-term survival rats following concordant cardiac xenotransplantation.