Emodin-induced apoptosis through p53-dependent pathway in human hepatoma cells.

Most of the commonly used cytotoxic anticancer drugs have been shown to induce apoptosis in susceptible cells. However, the signaling pathway of their apoptotic effects remains undefined. In this study, the cytotoxic effect of emodin on various human hepatoma cell lines was investigated.

Cytotoxic effects of Coptis chinensis and Epimedium sagittatum extracts and their major constituents (berberine, coptisine and icariin) on hepatoma and leukaemia cell growth.

1. The present study was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of Coptis chinensis and Epimedium sagittatum extracts and their major constituents on hepatoma and leukaemia cells in vitro. 2.

Adverse reactions to chiropractic treatment and their effects on satisfaction and clinical outcomes among patients enrolled in the UCLA Neck Pain Study.

Background: Minor side effects associated with chiropractic are common. However, little is known about their predictors or the effects of reactions on satisfaction and clinical outcomes.

Objective: The objectives of this study are to compare the relative effects of cervical spine manipulation and mobilization on adverse reactions and to estimate the effects of adverse reactions on satisfaction and clinical outcomes among patients with neck pain.

Primary school nurses' knowledge/competence pertaining to childhood asthma and its management prior to and following a National Asthma Education Program in Taiwan.

The main purpose of the National Asthma Education Program was to provide asthma education to school nurses in Taiwan. It was also designed to enhance the knowledge and competence of school nurses in managing the asthmatic problems that children experience while in school. In addition to providing instruction about current asthma management skills, tools, and other relevant information, the program demonstrated the use of the peak flow meter for asthmatic children.

Functional characterization of Narc 1, a novel proteinase related to proteinase K.

The NARC 1 gene encodes a novel proteinase K family proteinase. The domain structure of rat Narc 1 resembles that of the subtilisin-like proprotein convertases (SPCs), except that rNarc 1 lacks the canonical P-domain of SPCs, retaining only the RGD motif as part of what might be a cryptically functioning P-domain. Narc 1 undergoes autocatalytic intramolecular processing at the site LVFAQ/, resulting in the cleavage of its prosegment and the generation of an active proteinase with a broad alkaline pH optimum and no apparent calcium requirement for activity.

In vitro anti-herpes simplex viruses and anti-adenoviruses activity of twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan.

As an effort to search for new antiviral agents from traditional medicine, the hot water (HW) extract of twelve traditionally used medicinal plants in Taiwan was evaluated for their in vitro anti-herpes simplex viruses (HSV; including HSV-1 and HSV-2) and anti-adenoviruses (ADV; including ADV-3, ADV-8 and ADV-11) activities with a XTT-based colorimetric assay. Results showed that the tested HW extracts exhibited anti-HSV and anti-ADV activities at different magnitudes of potency. Among the twelve medicinal plants, Boussingaultia gracilis var.

Use of a water-soluble fullerene derivative as precipitating reagent and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization matrix to selectively detect charged species in aqueous solutions.

A starlike water-soluble fullerene derivative, hexa(sulfonbutyl)fullerene (C60[(CH2)4SO3-]6; HSBF), consisting of a C60 cage covalently bonded with six negatively charged sulfonate arms, was synthesized and used to selectively precipitate positively charged surfactants, amino acids, peptides, and proteins. The affinity of HSBF to the analytes depends on the charge, structure, and hydrophobic characteristics of the analytes. The ion pair precipitate was easily removed from the solution by centrifugation.

Cytotoxicity and anti-hepatitis B virus activities of saikosaponins from Bupleurum species.

Saikosaponins, the main active constituents of Bupleurum spp., have been shown to possess immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-tumor and anti-viral activities. In this study, saikosaponins a, c and d were evaluated for cytotoxicity and anti-hepatitis B virus ( HBV) activities.

Anti-Herpes simplex virus activity of Bidens pilosa and Houttuynia cordata.

The present study evaluated the antiviral activity of Bidens pilosa L. var. minor (Blume) Sherff and Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Decomposition of benzene in air streams by UV/TiO(2) process.

Photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous benzene at room temperature was studied with a fixed-bed annular reactor using titania as the photocatalyst. The effects of humidity, UV light intensity and benzene concentration on the conversion and mineralization of benzene were presented. Experimental results can be adequately described by using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) kinetic model.

Augmented mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in buccal mucosal fibroblasts by arecoline and safrole as a possible pathogenesis for oral submucous fibrosis.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is an oral precancerous condition, and is associated with betel quid (BQ) chewing habits. It is a disorder of excessive deposition of collagen in the connective tissues that results from disruption in the regulation of the equilibrium between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Elevated TIMP-1 protein has been thought to be associated with oral fibrosis, however whether TIMP-1 expression in OSF is modulated at the transcriptional level is still unknown.

Immunomodulatory activities of flavonoids, monoterpenoids, triterpenoids, iridoid glycosides and phenolic compounds of Plantago species.

A number of Plantago spp. especially P. major has long been used in the treatment of diseases such as infection, inflammation and cancer.

In vitro cytotoxic, antiviral and immunomodulatory effects of Plantago major and Plantago asiatica.

Plantago major linn. and P. asiatica Linn.

In vitro antiviral activities of Caesalpinia pulcherrima and its related flavonoids.

The aim of this study was to search for new antiviral agents from Chinese herbal medicine. Pure flavonoids and aqueous extracts of Caesalpinia pulcherrima Swartz were used in experiments to test their influence on a series of viruses, namely herpesviruses (HSV-1, HSV-2) and adenoviruses (ADV-3, ADV-8, ADV-11). The EC50 was defined as the concentration required to achieve 50% protection against virus-induced cytopathic effects, and the selectivity index (SI) was determined as the ratio of CC50 (concentration of 50% cellular cytotoxicity) to EC50.

Predictors of medication prescription in nursing homes.

Objectives: To identify patient characteristics associated with higher numbers of prescribed drugs or risk of receiving one or more inappropriate medications.

Design: A cross-sectional survey using chart reviews.

Participants: A total of 414 long-stay residents of 20 nursing homes in three states

Measurements: Current medication orders, sociodemographic information, and diagnoses and health status information as indicated by the MDS.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor up-regulates RECK to inhibit MMP-2 activation and cancer cell invasion.

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are known to exert antimetastatic and antiangiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. RECK is a membrane-anchored glycoprotein that negatively regulates matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibits tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. In this study, we test the possibility that HDAC inhibitor may increase RECK expression to inhibit MMP activation and cancer cell invasion.

Leaching behavior and chemical stability of copper butyl xanthate complex under acidic conditions.

Although xanthate addition can be used for treating copper-containing wastewater, a better understanding of the leaching toxicity and the stability characteristics of the copper xanthate complexes formed is essential. This work was undertaken to evaluate the leaching behavior of copper xanthate complex precipitates by means of toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) and semi-dynamic leaching test (SDLT) using 1 N acetic acid solution as the leachant. Also, the chemical stability of the copper xanthate complex during extraction has been examined with the studying of variation of chemical structure using UV-vis, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS).

Antileukemic activity of selected natural products in Taiwan.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antileukemic activity of six chemical classes of pure compounds present in commonly used medicinal plants in Taiwan--such as the genus Plantago. Studies were conducted on a series of human leukemia and lymphoma cell lines. Results showed that water soluble compounds (aucubin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid and vanillic acid) exhibited a weak antileukemic activity (IC50: 26-56 microg/ml, SI: 2-11).

Respiratory response to carbon dioxide stimulation during low flow supplemental oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background And Purpose: Oxygen supplementation is the treatment most commonly used to relieve dyspnea in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is a lack of data, however, on the response of the respiratory drive to low flow oxygen in severe stable COPD. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the magnitude of chemoresponsiveness to low flow supplemental oxygen in patients with COPD of variable severity in terms of mouth occlusion pressure at 100 msec (P0.

Involvement of nuclear factor-kappaB in lipoteichoic acid-induced cyclooxygenase-2 expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

We have investigated the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression caused by Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid in RAW 264.7 macrophages. A phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase C (PC-PLC) inhibitor (D-609) and a phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PI-PLC) inhibitor (U-73122) attenuated lipoteichoic acid-induced COX-2 expression, while a phosphatidate phosphohydrolase inhibitor (propranolol) had no effect.

Induction of nitric oxide synthase in RAW 264.7 macrophages by lipoteichoic acid from Staphylococcus aureus: involvement of protein kinase C- and nuclear factor-kB-dependent mechanisms.

This study investigates the signaling pathway involved in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide (NO) release caused by Staphylococcus aureus lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. A phosphatidylcholine-phospholipase C (PC-PLC) inhibitor (D-609) and a phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PI-PLC) inhibitor (U-73122) attenuated LTA-induced iNOS expression and NO release.

Educational diagnosis of self-management behaviors of parents with asthmatic children by triangulation based on PRECEDE-PROCEED model in Taiwan.

This assessment study is an educational and behavioral diagnosis based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model which identifies factors (predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing) that must be changed to initiate and sustain the self-management behaviors of parents with asthmatic children (aged 3-14 years) in the largest children's hospital in northern Taiwan. In the first step, 21 self-management behaviors were induced from the content analysis of qualitative interviews of 16 successful parents. The construct validity of 21 self-management behaviors was established by principal component factor analysis, followed by the rotation method with Varimax and Kaiser normalization.

CT detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in advanced liver cirrhosis: correlation of helical CT and explanted liver.

Objective: The objective of this study was evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of three-phase helical dynamic CT in the detection of hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis.

Materials And Methods: Three-phase helical dynamic CT in 77 patients with advanced liver cirrhosis was evaluated prospectively before orthotopic liver transplantation. The histopathologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinomas in the explanted livers were compared with pretransplantation CT results by one-to-one correlation.

Induction of RECK by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in lung cancer cells.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are known to exert anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic activity both in vitro and in vivo. Block of angiogenesis and metastasis by NSAIDs has been found to be mediated partly via suppression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. However, the molecular mechanism of this inhibitory action has not been well defined.

Resveratrol- induced apoptosis is mediated by p53-dependent pathway in Hep G2 cells.

Resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in many plants, has been reported to possess a wide range of pharmacological properties and is one of the promising chemopreventive agents for cancer. Here, we examined the antiproliferation effect of resveratrol in two human liver cancer cell lines, Hep G2 and Hep 3B. Our results showed that resveratrol inhibited cell growth in p53-positive Hep G2 cells only.