Effects of Percutaneous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Neck Pain in Patients With Cervical Spondylosis.

Context: Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a very common, age-related, chronic, disc-degeneration condition. Alternative medicine has been widely used to treat neck pain in CS. However, no randomized controlled trials have focused on the effects and safety of percutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (PNMES) for neck-pain relief in patients with CS.

YXQ-EQ Induces Apoptosis and Inhibits Signaling Pathways Important for Metastasis in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Cells.

Background/aims: Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies in the world. The 5-year survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is only approximately 15%, with metastasis as the primary cause of death. This study was aimed to investigate cytotoxic effect of external qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ-EQ) toward human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells as well as its effect on signaling pathways promoting migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in A549 cells.

Application value of endoscopic submucosal dissection and endoscopic mucosal resection for treatment of rectal carcinoids.

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the clinical effect and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for treatment of rectal carcinoids.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 42 patients with rectal carcinoids who were hospitalized and subjected to surgical treatment in our hospital from January 2010 to November 2015. The patients were categorized into two groups based on treatment received: ESD (n = 22) and EMR (n = 20).

External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong inhibits activation of Akt, Erk1/2 and NF-ĸB and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.

Background/aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the Western countries. Novel approaches of treatment are needed for CRC. The purpose of the present study was to investigate cytotoxic effect of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ-EQ) on human colorectal cancer cells.

External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong Induces apoptosis and inhibits migration and invasion of estrogen-independent breast cancer cells through suppression of Akt/NF-kB signaling.

The antitumor effects of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQ-EQ) have been widely described over the past three decades. To gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying YXQ-EQ's antitumor effects, in the present study we investigated its effects on growth, migration, invasion and apoptosis of breast cancer cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We show that YXQ-EQ treatment caused a time-dependent reduction in viability, blocked clonogenic growth and induced apoptosis in estrogen-independent breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of liver-selective phosphonic acid thyroid hormone receptor agonists and their prodrugs.

Phosphonic acid (PA) thyroid hormone receptor (TR) agonists were synthesized to exploit the poor distribution of PA-based drugs to extrahepatic tissues and thereby to improve the therapeutic index. Nine PAs showed excellent TR binding affinities (TRbeta(1), K(i) < 10 nM), and most of them demonstrated significant cholesterol lowering effects in a cholesterol-fed rat (CFR) model. Unlike the corresponding carboxylic acid analogue and T(3), PA 22c demonstrated liver-selective effects by inducing maximal mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in rat liver while having no effect in the heart.

Phenolic antioxidants from green tea produced from Camellia taliensis.

The chemical constituents of green tea prepared from the leaves of Camellia taliensis (W. W. Smith) Melchior (Theaceae) were investigated for the first time.

External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells by inhibiting Akt and NF-kappa B pathways.

Long-term clinical observations and ongoing studies have shown antitumor effects of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong (YXQG-EQ) that originated from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of YXQG-EQ, we investigate the effects of YXQG-EQ on growth and apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer PC3 cells. We found that exposure to YXQG-EQ led to G2/M arrest associated with reduced cyclin B1 expression and apoptosis in PC3 cells.

Targeting thyroid hormone receptor-beta agonists to the liver reduces cholesterol and triglycerides and improves the therapeutic index.

Despite efforts spanning four decades, the therapeutic potential of thyroid hormone receptor (TR) agonists as lipid-lowering and anti-obesity agents remains largely unexplored in humans because of dose-limiting cardiac effects and effects on the thyroid hormone axis (THA), muscle metabolism, and bone turnover. TR agonists selective for the TRbeta isoform exhibit modest cardiac sparing in rodents and primates but are unable to lower lipids without inducing TRbeta-mediated suppression of the THA. Herein, we describe a cytochrome P450-activated prodrug of a phosphonate-containing TR agonist that exhibits increased TR activation in the liver relative to extrahepatic tissues and an improved therapeutic index.

Synthesis and characterization of a novel liver-targeted prodrug of cytosine-1-beta-D-arabinofuranoside monophosphate for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Cytotoxic nucleosides have proven to be ineffective for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due, in part, to their inadequate conversion to their active nucleoside triphosphates (NTP) in the liver tumor and high conversion in other tissues. These characteristics lead to poor efficacy, high toxicity, and a drug class associated with an unacceptable therapeutic index. Cyclic 1-aryl-1,3-propanyl phosphate prodrugs selectively release the monophosphate of a nucleoside (NMP) into CYP3A4-expressing cells, such as hepatocytes, while leaving the prodrug intact in plasma and extrahepatic tissues.

External Qi of Yan Xin Qigong differentially regulates the Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways and is cytotoxic to cancer cells but not to normal cells.

Long-term clinical observations and ongoing studies have shown significant antitumor effect of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong which originated from traditional Chinese medicine. In order to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effect of external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong, we have examined its cytotoxic effect on BxPC3 pancreatic cancer cells and its effect on the Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways. We found that external Qi of Yan Xin Qigong dramatically inhibited basal phosphorylation levels of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinases, epidermal growth factor-mediated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity.

A liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the simultaneous quantification of isoniazid and ethambutol in human plasma.

Isoniazid and ethambutol are commonly used in various combination treatments for tuberculosis, and for this reason a rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of these two drugs in human plasma. After a simple protein precipitation using methanol, the analytes and the internal standard metformin were chromatographed on a C18 column and detected by MS/MS. An atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface was chosen to reduce ion suppression from sample matrix components and provide high sensitivity.

Total Synthesis of the Cytotoxic Threo, Trans, Erythro, Cis, Threo Annonaceous Acetogenin Trilobin.

A synthesis of trilobin, a new stereochemical varient of the adjacent bis-tetrahydrofuran subgroup of the Annonaceous acetogenins, is described. The synthesis involves three stereochemically defining carbon-carbon bond-forming steps. The first of these introduces the C23-C24 stereocenters and the left side chain by means of an S(E)2' addition of the nonracemic 11-carbon gamma-oxygenated allylic indium reagent derived from the alpha-oxygenated allylic stannane 4 to a C24-C16 core aldehyde 3.

Total Synthesis of the Nonadjacent Bis-Tetrahydrofuran Annonaceous Acetogenin Squamostatin-D.

A total synthesis of the Annonaceous acetogenin squamostatin-D is described. Key adjacent stereocenters were introduced through enantioselective addition of chiral oxygenated allylic tin and indium reagents to aldehyde subunits. The isolated stereocenter at C12 was constructed through addition of a functionalized organozinc reagent to an aldehyde subunit in the presence of a chiral bis-sulfonamide-titanium catalyst.