Progression-free survival: gaining on overall survival as a gold standard and accelerating drug development.

In clinical trials of oncology drugs, overall survival (OS) is a direct measure of clinical efficacy and is considered the gold standard primary efficacy end point. The purpose of this study was to discuss the difficulties in using OS as a primary efficacy end point in the setting of evolving cancer therapies. We suggest that progression-free survival is an appropriate efficacy end point in many types of cancer, specifically those for which OS is expected to be prolonged and for which subsequent treatments are expected to affect OS.

[Serum adiponectin and free fatty acid profile in essential hypertensive patients with or without metabolic syndrome].

Objective: To observe serum adiponectin, free fatty acid (FFA) profile and other glucose and lipid metabolic parameters in essential hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome (HPMS) or without metabolic syndrome (HP).

Methods: The serum adiponectin was measured with the radioimmunoassay, FFA profile measured with the gas chromatography and mass spectrometer in 72 HPMS, 56 HP and 43 normal control subjects.

Results: Serum adiponectin were significantly lower in HPMS group than those in the HP and control group (P < 0.

Modulation of Notch signaling by antibodies specific for the extracellular negative regulatory region of NOTCH3.

The Notch pathway regulates the development of many tissues and cell types and is involved in a variety of human diseases, making it an attractive potential therapeutic target. This promise has been limited by the absence of potent inhibitors or agonists that are specific for individual human Notch receptors (NOTCH1-4). Using an unbiased functional screening, we identified monoclonal antibodies that specifically inhibit or induce activating proteolytic cleavages in NOTCH3.

Chlorodifluoromethyl phenyl sulfone: a novel non-ozone-depleting substance-based difluorocarbene reagent for O- and N-difluoromethylations.

Chlorodifluoromethyl phenyl sulfone, a previously unknown compound that can be readily prepared from non-ODS-based precursors, was found to act as a robust difluorocarbene reagent for O- and N-difluoromethylations.

[The influence of microtubule intervention drugs on the energy metabolism of myocardial cells after hypoxia].

Objective: To investigate the influence of microtubule intervention drugs on the energy metabolism of myocardial cells after hypoxia.

Methods: The primary passage of cultured myocardial cells from neonatal rats were divided into A (with hypoxia), B (with hypoxia and administration of 10 micromol/ml colchicine), C (with hypoxia and administration of 5 micromol/ml taxol), D (with hypoxia and administration of 10 micromol/ml taxol) and E (with hypoxia and administration of 15 micromol/ml taxol) groups. The creatine kinase (CK) activity and contents of ATP and ADP were assayed with colorimetry and HPLC, respectively, and the vitality of myocardial cells were determined by trypan blue method at 0.

2-Chloro-2,2-difluoroacetophenone: a non-ODS-based difluorocarbene precursor and its use in the difluoromethylation of phenol derivatives.

A novel and non-ODS-based (ODS = ozone-depleting substance) preparation of 2-chloro-2,2-difluoroacetophenone (1) was achieved in high yield by using 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone as the starting material. Compound 1 was found to act as a good difluorocarbene reagent, which readily reacts with a variety of structurally diverse phenol derivatives 4 in the presence of potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate to produce aryl difluoromethyl ethers 5 in good yields. This new and easy-to-handle synthetic methodology offers an environmentally friendly alternative to other Freon- or Halon-based difluoromethylating approaches.

[Study on the influence of hypoxia induced microtubule damage on the opening of mitochondrial permeable transition pore of cardiac myocytes in rat].

Objective: To investigate the influence of hypoxia induced microtubule damage on the opening of mitochondrial permeable transition pore (MPTP)of cardiac myocytes and on the decrease of respiratory function in rat.

Methods: Primary cultured myocardial cells from 30 neonatal rats were randomized as normoxic group (A), hypoxia group (B), normoxia with microtubule destabilizing agent group (C, with treatment of 8 micromol/L colchicines for 30 minutes before normoxia), and hypoxia with microtubule stabilizing agent group (D, with treatment of 10 micromol/L taxol for 30 minutes before hypoxia). beta-tubulin immunofluorescence ,the opening of mitochondria permeability transition pore, and the mitochondrial inner membrane potential were detected at 0.

Cytomegalovirus gB genotype and clinical features in Chinese infants with congenital infections.

Objective: To investigate cytomegalovirus (CMV) glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes and clinical features in Chinese infants with congenital infections.

Methods: Urine samples were obtained from 79 infants with human CMV infection confirmed by quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A fragment of the gB gene was amplified by nested PCR.

[Clinical observation of the effects of FE combined enzymes on the infection of the granulation burn wound during late post burns stage].

Objective: To observe the effects of combined FE enzymes on the infection of the granulation burn wound during late postburn stage in controlling burn wound infection caused by common antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Methods: Thirty patients in our burn ward were enrolled and were randomly divided into A [treated with combined FE enzymes (50 ml dissolved in 0-150 ml normal saline to reach the final concentration of 1-3 U/ml)] and B (treated with gentamicin) groups, with 15 patients in each group. Several layers of gauze, either soaked with combined FE enzyme in A or gentamicin in B group, were used to cover the burn wounds once to twice a day.

Stereoselective nucleophilic monofluoromethylation of N-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines with fluoromethyl phenyl sulfone.

[reaction: see text] Highly stereoselective nucleophilic monofluoromethylation of (R)-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines with fluoromethyl phenyl sulfone was achieved to afford alpha-monofluoromethylamines with a nonchelation-controlled stereoselectivity mode. By using the same chemistry, (R)-(tert-butanesulfinyl)imines bearing a terminal tosylate (OTs) group can be converted to alpha-monofluoromethylated cyclic secondary amines with high stereoselectivity.

Identification and expression of a new type II transmembrane protein in human mast cells.

A cDNA encoding a new type II transmembrane protein has been isolated from human mast cells by subtraction cloning. This cDNA contains an open reading frame of 186 amino acids. RT-PCR analysis showed that this gene is differentially expressed in mast cells.

Nucleotide Sequence of a 4 730 Base Pairs Region of the Spodoptera litura Nucleopolyhedrovirus Genome.

A 4 730 bp region of the Spodoptera litura Nucleopolyhedrovirus genome EcoRI-E fragment was sequenced, in which the odv-e66 gene and other two ORFs, ORF 1086 and the p34 gene, were found. The SpltNPV odv-e66 gene open reading frame was deduced to be 2 079 bp, encoding a protein of 692 amino acids. Unlike odv-e66 genes of AcMNPV and LsNPV, only one transcriptional initiation conserved sequence ATAAG of the late gene was present upstream of the initial codon ATG of SpltNPV odv-e66 gene, and no poly(A) signal was detected at the 3' end of the gene.

Transfection by polyethyleneimine-coated microspheres.

Unlabelled: Polyethyleneimine (PEI) can be used as a DNA delivery mechanism in cell culture and in vivo. Cells can be transfected by using surface-bound PEI, as well as by PEI/DNA microparticles. In the present experiments we extended these observations by preparing microspheres with covalently attached PEI.