Giganteaside D induces ROS-mediated apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the MAPK pathway

Purpose

Every year, almost one million individuals are diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide and more than 690,000 patients die of it. At present, most therapeutic anti-HCC agents are not effective, which is due to the appearance of chemo-resistance and/or toxic side effects. Therefore, it is imperative to find novel more effective anti-HCC agents. Here, we evaluated the effect of giganteaside D (GD), an oleanolic acid saponin from P. scabiosaefolia, on the growth and apoptosis of HCC cells.

Methods and results

Using MTT and clonogenic assays, we found that GD exhibited a significant growth inhibitory effect on the HCC-derived cell lines HepG2 and Bel-7402. In addition, we found that GD induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in these HCC-derived cells, as indicated by a decreased mitochondrial potential, activation of Caspase-9 and Caspase-3, cleavage of PARP and release of Cytochrome C from the mitochondria. Besides, we found that GD stimulated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that blockage of ROS attenuated the GD-induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Additionally, we found that GD treatment led to a decrease in phosphorylated Erk (p-Erk) and triggered the generation of p-JNK, both components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Inhibition of Erk or JNK by specific inhibitors or siRNAs augmented or attenuated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of GD.

Conclusions

From our results we conclude that GD can induce ROS-mediated apoptosis in HCC-derived cells through the MAPK pathway. This observation may open up avenues to explore the future use of GD as a HCC chemotherapeutic agent.

     

Miscarriage risk for asymptomatic women after a normal first-trimester prenatal visit

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the risk of miscarriage among asymptomatic women after a prenatal visit between 6 and 11 weeks of gestation where proof of fetal viability of a singleton was obtained by office ultrasonography at the same visit. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study performed over 2 years (March 2004-2006) at an antenatal clinic at a large tertiary hospital in Victoria, Australia. Those recruited were 697 asymptomatic women who attended their first antenatal visit between 6 (+2 days) and 11(+6 days) weeks of gestation, where evidence of fetal cardiac activity of a singleton was obtained by office ultrasonography. The main outcome measure was rates of miscarriage, stratified by gestation at presentation. RESULTS: One case was lost to follow-up. The risk of miscarriage among the entire cohort was 11 of 696 (1.6%). The risk fell rapidly with advancing gestation; 9.4% at 6 (completed) weeks of gestation, 4.2% at 7 weeks, 1.5% at 8 weeks, 0.5% at 9 weeks and 0.7% at 10 weeks (chi(2); test for trend P=.001). Most who miscarried received their ultrasound diagnoses many weeks after their visit; five (45%) were diagnosed in the second trimester, and all but one received their ultrasound diagnoses after 10 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSION: For women without symptoms, the risk of miscarriage after attending a first antenatal visit between 6 and 11 weeks is low (1.6% or less), especially if they present at 8 weeks of gestation and beyond. Our data could be used to reassure such women that the probability of progressing to later than 20 weeks of gestation is very good.     

Clinical analysis of synchronous primary neoplasms of the female reproductive tract

OBJECTIVES: In this study, a histopathologic review of synchronous primary neoplasms including gynecologic malignancies is presented, and the possible correlation among discrete tumor subsets, natural history, and survival is evaluated. METHODS: Between the years 2000 and 2005, 20 patients suffering from synchronous primary cancers of gynecologic malignancy were identified. Clinical and pathologic information was obtained from medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Patients with synchronous primary malignancies constituted 0.63% of all genital malignancies. The most frequently observed synchronous neoplasm was ovarian cancer coexistent with endometrial cancer (40%). The mean age of patients suffering from synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancer was 45.2 years. All patients with synchronous primary genital malignancies underwent hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and/or adjuvant therapy. The mean duration of survival was 57 months (S.E.: 10.0; 95% confidence interval: 37-77). CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from primary genital malignancies are sometimes co-afflicted with other primary cancers. Synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancer constitutes the most common of these cases, and is detected at a relatively early age, with generally favorable prognoses.     

顺行髓内钉内固定治疗肱骨干骨折的临床研究

目的探讨顺行髓内钉内固定治疗肱骨干骨折的治疗效果。方法将76例肱骨干骨折患者按手术方式分为髓内钉组(n=38,采用顺行髓内钉内固定)及钢板组(n=38,采用锁定钢板内固定)。记录患者平均手术时间、术中出血量、住院时间、骨折愈合时间,术后并发症的发生情况,采用肩关节Neer评分法和美国肩肘外科医师评分(ASES)法综合评估肩关节功能。结果髓内钉组患者的平均手术时间、术中出血量、住院时间及骨骼愈合时间显著优于钢板组(P<0.05)。髓内钉组、钢板组患者术后并发症发生率分别为10.53%、21.05%,肩肘关节功能的优良率分别为84.21%、65.79%,两组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论顺行髓内钉内固定治疗肱骨干骨折具有固定牢固、肩肘关节功能恢复良好、术后并发症少的优点,值得临床推广。     

儿童代谢综合征血清皮质醇水平和相关因素分析

目的：探讨血清皮质醇（COR）在儿童代谢综合征（MS）发生、发展过程中的意义,找寻其中规律。方法：对96名确诊的肥胖儿童,按照Cook提出MS的标准,根据腰围（WC）、血压（BP）、血脂及血糖将患儿分为MS组和非MS组,收集其临床基本资料,测量人体参数,测定血清COR、血脂,行口服糖耐量试验（OGTT）和胰岛素释放试验,计算胰岛素抵抗指数（HOMA—IR）,并对上述资料进行统计学分析。结果：血清COR水平MS组高于非MS组（P〈0．05）;相关分析提示COR水平与WC、收缩压（SBP）、舒张压（DBP）及MS组分数（nMSc）呈正相关（P〈0．05）,与血浆高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL—C）水平呈负相关（P〈0．05）;回归分析表明WC、SBP、DBP是血清COR的显著影响因素。结论：血清COR与胰岛素抵抗及其他多因素可能共同参与MS发病及进展过程．     

多标签决策树分类在数字医学图像分类中的应用

数字医学图像的分类是数字医学图像挖掘的一个重要内容。传统的医学图像分类一般将图片内容明确归入某一类中,而由于医学图像本身的复杂性,这样分类显然不能满足实际需要。多标签数据的普遍存在性和重要性近些年来逐渐得到关注。它承认真实世界对象的多义性,允许样本同时属于多个类别。对多标签决策树分类算法在医学图像分类中的应用进行了设计,并进行了实验验证。     

集成数据校正的乙烯装置进料数据采集

乙烯装置的模拟需要有准确的裂解炉进料信息,而通过对进料系统的模拟计算可以从较易测得的原料信息得到所需的裂解炉进料信息。通过对某石化企业乙烯装置进料系统进行模拟,根据体系特点集成数据校正以解决流量测量数据的不平衡和不完整的问题,利用数据的空间冗余提高了模拟计算所用数据的准确性和可靠性,并针对体系的特殊性提出了数据校正过程中出现几类负值的处理方法,最后模拟得到所需的裂解炉进料性质数据。     

昼夜节律与睡眠质量的链式中介模型:焦虑特质和睡眠信念态度的作用

目的：探究在大学生群体中昼夜节律类型与睡眠质量之间的关系,并明确焦虑特质和睡眠信念态度在其中所起的中介作用。方法：对某医学院大学生进行线上调查,使用清晨型与夜晚型量表-5项（MEQ-5）特质焦虑量表（STAI-T）、简易睡眠信念和态度量表（DBAS- 16）、匹兹堡睡眠量表指数（PSQI）分别评估大学生的昼夜节律类型、焦虑特质水平、睡眠信念态度以及睡眠质量。采用Pearson相关分析和中介效应分析昼夜节律类型、焦虑特质水平、睡眠信念态度以及睡眠质量之间的关系。结果：共回收问卷238份,有效问卷233份,有效率97.90%。Pearson相关分析指出昼夜节律类型、焦虑特质水平、睡眠信念态度以及睡眠质量四个变量得分两两之间呈显著相关（P<0.01）。以昼夜节律类型为自变量,睡眠质量为因变量,焦虑特质水平、睡眠信念态度为中介变量进行中介效应分析。焦虑特质水平的中介效应量（MEQ → STAI-T → PSQI）占总效应的 30.48%（r=-0.128,95% CI：-0.211至-0.066）,睡眠信念态度得分的中介效应量（MEQ → DBAS → PSQI）占总效应的12.62%（r=-0.053,95% CI：-0.106 至-0.014）;2个中介变量的链式中介效应量（MEQ → STAI → DBAS → PSQI）占总效应的11.19%（r = -0.047,95% CI：-0.085 至-0.022）。结论：大学生的昼夜节律类型能够负向预测其睡眠质量,并且焦虑特质水平与睡眠信念态度在其中起链式中介作用。