Inhibitory effects of β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo

β,β-Dimethylacrylshikonin is one of the most abundant naphthoquinones in the root extracts of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc. (Boraginaceae), which have been reported to have antitumor effects. This study evaluated the antiproliferative activity of β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the MTT assay showed that β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in both dose- and time-dependent manners with its 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50) ) at 48 h being 15.01 ± 0.76 μg/mL. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and Hoechst staining detected the characteristics of cell apoptosis in β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin-treated cells and the apoptotic rates of treated groups were increased in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin could block the cell cycle arrest at G2 phase. Furthermore, β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin down-regulated the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 but up-regulated that of Bax. The cleaved caspase-3 protein was also detected in treated cells. The experiment in vivo showed that β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin significantly suppressed the growth of H(22) transplantable hepatoma, and induced the activation of caspase-3 determined by immunohistochemistry. The results indicate that β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin has significant antitumor effects on hepatocellular carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo.     

Distribution volume ratio of serotonin and dopamine transporters in euthymic patients with a history of major depression - a dual-isotope SPECT study

Serotonin transporter (SERT) and dopamine transporter (DAT) levels differ in patients with major depression who are in a depressed state in comparison with healthy controls. The aim of this study was to examine the distribution volume ratios (DVRs) of SERT and DAT in drug-free and euthymic patients with a history of major depression. Subjects comprised 13 patients with a history of major depression and 26 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The euthymic state of depression was defined as a score of 7 or less on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The DVRs of SERT and DAT were approximated using SPECT, with [(123)I] 2-((2-((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl)thio)-5-iodophenylamine (ADAM) and [(99m)Tc] TRODAT-1 as the ligands, respectively. There were no significant differences in the DVRs of SERT or DAT between healthy subjects and euthymic patients with a history of major depression; hence, the SERT and DAT DVRs may not therefore be trait markers for patients with major depression, which helps us to understand more about the pathophysiology of depression.     

Case report: actinomycosis of the appendix--an unusual cause of acute appendicitis in children

Abdominal actinomycosis in children is a rare disease, which is occasionally found on histologic examination after an operation for acute appendicitis. Because of its nonspecific clinical and radiological signs and symptoms and low prevalence, the diagnosis is hardly ever made before the patient undergoes an operation and tissue is available for pathologic evaluation. When the diagnosis is made, the patient should be treated with the appropriate long-term antibiotics. With antibiotic therapy, the prognosis is favorable.We describe a 13-year-old girl who presented with acute appendicitis and was found to have abdominal actinomycosis after undergoing open appendectomy, which was treated successfully with penicillin and piperacillin-tazobactam.     

Association of sulfonylurea receptor 1 genotype with therapeutic response to gliclazide in type 2 diabetes

To investigate the effects of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) exon 33 (TCC-->GCC, S1369A) polymorphism on responsiveness to gliclazide. About 115 patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with gliclazide for 8 weeks. SUR1 genotypes were tested by Taqman-PCR. After gliclazide treatment, there was association between T/G polymorphism and decrease of HbA1c. G carriers were more sensitive to gliclazide and the decrease of HbA1c was more significant than TT genotype (TT, 0.76%+/-1.70%; TG+GG, 1.60%+/-1.39%, P=0.044). The polymorphism of SUR1S1369A was associated with the therapeutic efficacy of gliclazide.     

低浓度紫杉醇抑制SPCA-1细胞增殖的实验研究

目的研究低浓度紫杉醇(PTX)对非小细胞肺癌SPCA-1细胞增殖、细胞周期和细胞凋亡的影响。方法用不同浓度PTX处理SPCA-1细胞16 h,去除含药培养液继续培养56 h,计数细胞并计算细胞生长抑制率。用0、1.5、3和6 nmol PTX,以及PTX与10μmol/L SP600125联合处理细胞16 h,流式细胞术分析细胞周期和细胞凋亡。结果低浓度PTX可显著抑制SPCA-1细胞增殖,其IC50、IC70和IC90值分别为1.75、3.25和4.50 nmol/L。0、1.5、3和6 nmol/L的PTX分别诱导(0.5±0.36)%、(17.0±0.55)%、(27.0±0.63)%和(21.0±3.02)%细胞发生凋亡,而10μmol/L SP600125使低浓度PTX诱导的细胞凋亡显著下降。低浓度PTX也具有抑制有丝分裂的作用,0、1.5、3和6 nmol/L的PTX分别导致(22.7±1.68)%、(19.4±1.43)%、(26.2±0.97)%和(42.6±3.36)%细胞阻滞于G2/M期。结论低浓度PTX可通过诱导细胞凋亡和有丝分裂阻滞抑制SPCA-1细胞生长,而JNK激酶抑制剂可下调PT...     

Decreasing the effective radiation dose in pediatric craniofacial CT by changing head position

Background

Children are exposed to ionizing radiation during pre- and post-operative evaluation for craniofacial surgery.

Objective

The primary purpose of the study was to decrease effective radiation dose while preserving the diagnostic quality of the study.

Materials and methods

In this prospective study 49 children were positioned during craniofacial CT (CFCT) imaging with their neck fully extended into an exaggerated sniff position, parallel to the CT gantry, to eliminate the majority of the cervical spine and the thyroid gland from radiation exposure. Image-quality and effective radiation dose comparisons were made retrospectively in age-matched controls (n?=?49).

Results

When compared to CT scans reviewed retrospectively, the prospective examinations showed a statistically significant decrease in z-axis length by 16% (P?<?0.0001) and delivered a reduced effective radiation dose by 18% (P?<?0.0001). The subjective diagnostic quality of the exams performed in the prospective arm was maintained despite a slight decrease in the quality of the brain windows. There was statistically significant improvement in the quality of the bone windows and three-dimensional reconstructed images.

Conclusion

Altering the position of the head by extending the neck during pediatric craniofacial CT imaging statistically reduces the effective radiation dose while maintaining the diagnostic quality of the images.     

High-field MRI reveals an acute impact on brain function in survivors of the magnitude 8.0 earthquake in China

Besides the enormous medical and economic consequences, national disasters, such as the Wenchuan 8.0 earthquake, also pose a risk to the mental health of survivors. In this context, a better understanding is needed of how functional brain systems adapt to severe emotional stress. Previous animal studies have demonstrated the importance of limbic, paralimbic, striatal, and prefrontal structures in stress and fear responses. Human studies, which have focused primarily on patients with clinically established posttraumatic stress disorders, have reported abnormalities in similar brain structures. At present, little is known about potential alterations of brain function in trauma survivors shortly after traumatic events. Here, we show alteration of brain function in a cohort of healthy survivors within 25 days after the Wenchuan earthquake by a recently discovered method known as “resting-state” functional MRI. The current investigation demonstrates that regional activity in frontolimbic and striatal areas increased significantly and connectivity among limbic and striatal networks was attenuated in our participants who had recently experienced severe emotional trauma. Trauma victims also had a reduced temporal synchronization within the “default mode” of resting-state brain function, which has been characterized in humans and other species. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that significant alterations in brain function, similar in many ways to those observed in posttraumatic stress disorders, can be seen shortly after major traumatic experiences, highlighting the need for early evaluation and intervention for trauma survivors.