Comparison of the efficacy and safety of ciclesonide 160 μg once daily vs. budesonide 400 μg once daily in children with asthma

Ciclesonide is an onsite-activated inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) for the treatment of asthma. This study compared the efficacy, safety and effect on quality of life (QOL) of ciclesonide 160 microg (ex-actuator; nominal dose 200 microg) vs. budesonide 400 microg (nominal dose) in children with asthma. Six hundred and twenty-one children (aged 6-11 yr) with asthma were randomized to receive ciclesonide 160 microg (ex-actuator) once daily (via hydrofluoroalkane metered-dose inhaler and AeroChamber Plus spacer) or budesonide 400 microg once daily (via Turbohaler) both given in the evening for 12 wk. The primary efficacy end-point was change in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Additional measurements included change in daily peak expiratory flow (PEF), change in asthma symptom score sum, change in use of rescue medication, paediatric and caregiver asthma QOL questionnaire [PAQLQ(S) and PACQLQ, respectively] scores, change in body height assessed by stadiometry, change in 24-h urinary cortisol adjusted for creatinine and adverse events. Both ciclesonide and budesonide increased FEV1, morning PEF and PAQLQ(S) and PACQLQ scores, and improved asthma symptom score sums and the need for rescue medication after 12 wk vs. baseline. The non-inferiority of ciclesonide vs. budesonide was demonstrated for the change in FEV1 (95% confidence interval: -75, 10 ml, p = 0.0009, one-sided non-inferiority, per-protocol). In addition, ciclesonide and budesonide showed similar efficacy in improving asthma symptoms, morning PEF, use of rescue medication and QOL. Ciclesonide was superior to budesonide with regard to increases in body height (p = 0.003, two-sided). The effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis was significantly different in favor of ciclesonide treatment (p < 0.001, one-sided). Both ciclesonide and budesonide were well tolerated. Ciclesonide 160 microg once daily and budesonide 400 microg once daily were effective in children with asthma. In addition, in children treated with ciclesonide there was significantly less reduction in body height and suppression of 24-h urinary cortisol excretion compared with children treated with budesonide after 12 wk.     

Proliferation of DU145 prostate cancer cells is inhibited by suppressing insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2

BACKGROUND: Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) is expressed by all human prostate cancer cell lines and dramatically increases in the serum of prostate cancer patients. However, the role of IGFBP-2 in prostatic tumorigenesis is not known. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of IGFBP-2 on the proliferation of DU145 human prostate cancer cells in culture. METHODS: Using cell proliferation assays, we examined the effects of exogenously administered and endogenously modulated levels of IGFBP-2 on the proliferation of DU145 cells. RESULT: Cell growth was stimulated by exogenously administered IGFBP-2, but significantly retarded (P < 0.05) by its neutralizing antibody. Overexpression of IGFBP-2 by transfection also stimulated cell growth, which was significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited in transfectants expressing antisense mRNA to IGFBP-2. Furthermore, the proliferation of IGFBP-2 overexpressing cells was significantly dampened by exogenously administered IGFBP-2 antibody. CONCLUSIONS: IGFBP-2 is an autocrine growth factor for DU145 human prostate cancer cells and cell proliferation can be significantly retarded by neutralizing or inhibiting its synthesis. These findings provide a strong rationale for targeting IGFBP-2 in the testing of novel strategies to treat prostate cancer.     

妊高征患者胰岛素样生长因子水平及对胎儿生长发育的影响

目的：探讨妊娠高血压综合征(妊高征)患者血清胰岛素样生长因子(IGF-1)和胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白-3(IGFBP-3)水平与疾病程度及新生儿出生体重之间的关系。方法：用放射免疫方法测定33例妊高征和32例正常血压妊娠妇女的血清IGF-1、IGFBP-3的水平。结果：重度妊高征组IGF-1显著低于正常组，IGFBP-3在各组间的水平浓度差异均无显著性，但IGF-1与IGFBP-3之间呈正相关。新生儿出生体重随妊高征严重程度的加剧而降低，各组间比较差异有显著性(F=5．453，P=0．002)。结论：妊高征患者的发病及严重程度与IGF-1有明显的关系，IGF-1与胎儿的发育及新生儿出生体重有明显的相关性。     

神经生长因子基因转染联合强化铁营养防治豚鼠爆震性聋的实验研究

Objective To study the protective effects of adenovirus-mediated human beta-nerve growth factor gene (hNGFβ) transfer combined with iron fortified nutrition on blast hearing damage in guinea pigs. Methods Deafness was induced by blast (172dB SPL) in 35 healthy guinea pigs. Seven days after noise exposure, 10 guinea pigs were inoculated with adenovirus-mediated hNGFβ (Ad-hNGFβ) into the perilymphatic space (the gene group), another 10 guinea pigs were given hNGFβ combined with iron fortified nutritional diet (the combination group), still another 10 guinea pigs were inoculated with artificial perilymphatic fluid (APF), and 5 guinea pigs served as control, given neither medicine nor noise exposure. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold shifts were monitored in the guinea pigs before blast exposure and after gene transfer. Changes in cochlear morphology were examined with immunohistochemical and HE staining. Results One week after successful inoculation of hNGFβ, it was noted that Ad-hNGFβ protein was expressed in each turn of the cochlea, and its intensity was almost equal. After gene transfer in the combination group and the gene group, ABR threshold shifts at week 1 and 4 were significantly smaller than those of the APF group. HE staining showed that the number of the spiral ganglion cells in the combination group and the Ad-hNGFβ group was significantly higher than that of the control group after 4 weeks (P<0.01). Conclusions Ad-hNGFβ combined with iron fortified nutritional diet was effective in the prevention and treatment of blast hearing damage of cochlear hair cells.     

Naturally occuring antibodies against nerve growth factor in human and rabbit sera: comparison between control and herpes simplex virus-infected patients

Antibodies against nerve growth factor (NGF) in sera were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), by their isolation after passage of sera through NGF immunoadsorbent columns and by their specificity to bind and immunoprecipitate mouse NGF as well as to stain by immunohistochemical methods cellular sites of NGF synthesis. Increased levels of anti-NGF antibodies were found in sera of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-infected patients but not in HSV-inoculated rabbits. As HSV latency is known to be promoted by NGF in vitro, these results may suggest that anti-NGF antibodies modulate the cytokine function of NGF and thus might play a role in HSV infection. The biological function of circulating antibodies against NGF, in general, is now open to future investigation.     

尿转化生长因子-β1和细胞外基质在慢性肾小球肾病中的变化

目的：探讨尿中转化生长因子-β1（TGF-β1）和细胞外基质（ECM）在各种慢性肾小球肾病患者中的变化及其临床意义。方法：将105例慢性肾小球患者进行临床和病理分组,采用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）分别检测各组的尿TGF-β1水平,同时采用放射免疫分析法（RIA）检测尿中的各种ECM,所有检测值均用尿肌酐（Cr）浓度进行校正。结果：在不同临床分组中,尿TGF-β1/Cr和LN/Cr、PCⅢ/Cr、Ⅳ-C/Cr水平明显高于对照组（P〈0.05）,尿HA/Cr水平则在Ⅲ、Ⅳ组中出现下降。而在不同的病理分组中,肾小球轻微病变（GML）组尿中TGF-β1、ECM与对照组比较无统计学意义,其他各病理分组则出现不同的变化。相关性分析尿TGF-β1/Cr与LN/Cr、PCⅢ/Cr、Ⅳ-C/Cr正相关,与HA/Cr无相关性。结论：通过尿TGF-β1和ECM在慢性肾小球肾病患者中的联合检测,对评价慢性肾小球肾病的进展和预后判断提供一定的临床价值。     

环缩酚肽抑制视网膜表达VEGF及PECAM基因和血管增生

[目的]观察两种环缩酚肽衍生物(Hep-A和Hep-B)对氧诱导的小鼠视网膜表达血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)和细胞黏附分子(PECAM;ICAM-1;VCAM-1)基因的影响及血管增生的变化.[方法]建立氧诱导的血管增殖性视网膜病变模型,12 d开始给小鼠皮下注安慰剂(第1组,n=7)、Hep-A 10 mg/kg(第2组,n=6)或者Hep-B 10 mg/kg(第3组,n=6),每天两次.5 d后取出左侧眼,分离视网膜并抽提RNA,用荧光定量PCR测出上述基因含量,并分别求出每个靶基因与标准基因S16含量的比率;右眼经心脏荧光素灌注后取眼球做视网膜平铺片,用图像分析软件定量计算视网膜新生血管的面积.[结果]视网膜中VEGF/S16的mRNA比率为:第1组(0.554±0.050),第2组(0.355±0.037),第3组(0.287±0.051);PECAM/S16为:第1组(2.050±0.249),第2组(1.228±0.153),第3组(1.027±0.210).经ANOVA分析,第2组和第3组分别与第1组比较,视网膜中VEGF基因表达分别减少36%和48.2%(P=0.001);PECAM基因表达分别减少40.1%(P＜0.05)和49.9%(P＜0.01);而VCAM-1和ICAM-1表达无明显差异.视网膜平片检测视网膜新生血管面积:第1组为(1.06±0.03)mm2/眼,第2组为(0.17±0.01)mm2/眼,第3组为(0.11±0.01)mm2/眼;经ANOVA分析,第2组和第3组分别与第1组比较,视网膜新生血管的面积明显减少(P＜0.001).[结论]两种环缩酚肽衍生物均抑制氧诱导的小鼠视网膜表达VEGF和PECAM基因,并抑制其形成视网膜新生血管.     

胰岛素样生长因子1对新生大鼠缺氧缺血性脑损伤保护机制的研究

目的　建立单侧缺氧缺血性脑损伤 (HIBD)动物模型 ,研究胰岛素样生长因子 1(IGF 1)对HIBD的影响和可能机制。　方法　选择健康 7日龄Wistar大鼠 12 0只 ,建立HIBD模型 ,随机分成假手术组、HIBD组、HIBD后 0 .2mg/kg人基因重组IGF 1干预组 (RH IGF 1组 )、0 .0 6 6mg/kg人基因重组IGF 1干预组 (SRH IGF 1组 )及盐水对照组 (对照组 )。各组按观察时段进一步分为 2 4、4 8、72h组 ,每组 8只。各组于规定时刻观测脑形态学改变、谷氨酸 (Glu)含量、凋亡细胞计数、Bcl 2蛋白表达。　结果　 (1)HIBD 4 8h组Glu(116 2 .2± 10 8.1)mg/kg ,较假手术组(75 0 .9± 5 3.4 )mg/kg明显升高 (P <0 .0 5 ) ;HIBD组凋亡细胞计数 [2 4h :(7.6± 1.9) % ,4 8h(12 .6±1.2 ) % ,72h :(13.8± 0 .9) % ],较假手术组 [2 4h(2 .0± 0 .2 ) % ,4 8h(2 .0± 0 .3) % ,72h(2 .0±0 .2 ) % ]明显增加 (P均 <0 .0 5 )。 (2 )与对照组相比 ,RH IGF 1组脑组织病变减轻 ;干预 4 8h组Glu[SRH IGF 1组 (781.4± 5 4 .2 )mg/kg ,RH IGF 1组 (74 0 .5± 4 6 .6 )mg/kg],较对照组 (112 6 .6± 4 8.0 )mg/kg明显降低 (P均 <0 .0 5 ) ;RH IGF 1组凋亡细胞计数 [2 4h :(3.6± 0 .9) % ,4 8h(8.2± 2 .2 ) % ,72h(9.4± 1.4 ) % ],较对     

成纤维细胞生长因子23在血液透析患者磷和维生素D代谢中的作用

目的 探讨成纤维细胞生长因子23（FGF-23）在维持性血液透析（MHD）患者磷和维生素D代谢中的作用及相关调控机制。 方法 采用酶联免疫分析法（ELISA）对59例MHD患者（血透组）及20例健康志愿者（对照组）进行血清全段FGF-23测定，同时应用放免法测定血清1，25-二羟维生素D（1,25(OH)2VitD）水平。血透组患者测定血清白蛋白（Alb）、血红蛋白（Hb）、血肌酐（Scr）、尿素氮（BUN）、钙（Ca）、磷（P）及全段甲状旁腺激素（iPTH）等指标。 结果 血透组血清FGF-23水平明显高于对照组[（215.23±123.55）比（28.72±11.49） ng/L，P < 0.01]，而血清1,25(OH)2VitD水平明显低于对照组[（13.25±8.73）比（42.24±12.45） μg/L，P < 0.01]。Pearson相关分析显示，血透组血清FGF-23水平与血清P、Scr、Ca、iPTH及透析疗程时间呈正相关（P < 0.05）；与血清1,25(OH)2VitD水平和年龄呈负相关（P < 0.05）；而与性别、血压、血清Alb、Hb、BUN等指标无相关。多元回归分析显示，血清P、Ca、Scr、iPTH和1,25(OH)2VitD是影响血清FGF-23的主要变量，5者组成的模型解释了总变异的约62%（R2=0.623，P < 0.01）。 结论 MHD患者血清全段FGF-23水平明显增高，而1,25(OH)2VitD水平明显降低。FGF-23的调控是由复杂的多种因素共同作用的结果，血清P、Ca、Scr、iPTH和1,25(OH)2VitD是影响血清FGF-23水平的主要调控因子。