Protective effects of friedelin isolated from Azima tetracantha Lam. against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats and possible underlying mechanisms.

The current study was aimed to investigate the gastroprotective effects of friedelin isolated from the hexane extract of leaves of Azima tetracantha. Ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model was used to investigate the gastroprotective effects of friedelin. Antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, gastric vascular permeability, pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis level have been investigated.

Comparison of chemoembolization with and without radiation therapy and sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombosis: a propensity score analysis.

Purpose: To compare efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization with and without radiation therapy (RT) versus sorafenib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT).

Materials And Methods: This single-center retrospective study involved 557 patients with HCC with PVTT who initially received chemoembolization (1997-2002; n = 295), chemoembolization and RT (2003-2008; n = 196), or sorafenib (2009-2012; n = 66) according to eligibility criteria among an initial population of 617. The three groups were divided into three pairs (chemoembolization vs chemoembolization/RT, chemoembolization vs sorafenib, and chemoembolization/RT vs sorafenib), and time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were compared by propensity-score analyses.

Alcohol-induced Hyperlipidemia Is Ameliorated by Orally Administered DWP208, a Sodium Succinate Form of ZYM201.

DWP208 is a sodium succinate form of ZYM-201 which is a triterpenoid glycoside isolated from Sanguisorba officinalis, a medicinal plant prescribed for various diseases, such as duodenal ulcers and bleeding in East Asian counties. We demonstrated that this compound is able to normalize the altered lipid metabolism induced by hyperglycemia and a high fat diet. In this study, we determined whether hyperlipidemic conditions induced with chronically treated alcohol can also be restored by DWP208.

Molecular mechanism of protopanaxadiol saponin fraction-mediated anti-inflammatory actions.

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is a representative traditional herbal medicine with many different pharmacological properties including anticancer, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-diabetes, and anti-inflammatory activities. Only a few studies have explored the molecular mechanism of KRG-mediated anti-inflammatory activity.

Methods: We investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the protopanaxadiol saponin fraction (PPD-SF) of KRG using in vitro and in vivo inflammatory models.

Serotonin transporter availability in thalamic subregions in schizophrenia: a study using 7.0-T MRI with [(11)C]DASB high-resolution PET.

The serotonin transporter (SERT) is an integral protein that provides an index of serotonergic innervation. Until recently, few studies have investigated SERT binding in thalamic subregions in schizophrenia. The purpose of this study was to examine SERT availability in thalamic subdivisions (anterior nucleus, mediodorsal nucleus, and pulvinar) using 7.

In vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of Persicaria chinensis methanolic extract targeting Src/Syk/NF-κB.

Ethnopharmacologic Relevance: Persicaria chinensis L. (Polygonaceae) [also synonym as Polygonum chimnense L.] has been used as Chinese traditional medicine to treat ulcer, eczema, stomach ache, and various inflammatory skin diseases.

Efficacy of Debridement for Early Periprosthetic Joint Infection after Hip Arthroplasty.

Purpose: In early prosthetic joint infection after hip arthroplasty, debridement with prosthesis retention may be performed for implant salvage, but the reported success rates are highly variable. Hence we reviewed the outcome of radical debridement and retention of prosthesis using established diagnostic criteria and surgical procedures in relation to significant variables including clinical characteristics, pathogenicity, and antibiotic treatment.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 20 patients (11 men and 9 women) with early prosthetic joint infection after unilateral hip arthroplasty, treated by radical debridement with retention of prosthesis from January 2000 to May 2011.

Anti-inflammatory activities of Gouania leptostachya methanol extract and its constituent resveratrol.

Gouania leptostachya DC. var. tonkinensis Pitard.

Rate of pulmonary metastasis varies with location of rectal cancer in the patients undergoing curative resection.

Background: Precise understanding of recurrence patterns permits efficient surveillance and effective treatment strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate recurrence patterns after treatment of rectal cancers, specifically with respect to tumor location and chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods: A single-institution, retrospective cohort of 2,086 consecutive rectal cancer patients, was enrolled between January 2000 and December 2007.

Mitochondrial induced and self-monitored intrinsic apoptosis by antitumor theranostic prodrug: in vivo imaging and precise cancer treatment.

Activation of apoptosis, the cell death machinery, in tumor cells by organelle-specific delivery of antitumor theranostic agent is the utmost challenge in cancer therapy. Herein, we developed a highly efficient mitochondria-targeting antitumor theranostic prodrug 7 that contained two molecules of drug 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine and an apoptotic marker ethidium for self-monitoring intrinsic (mitochondrial) apoptosis after its activation in tumor cells. Theranostic 7 was activated by endogenously produced mitochondrial-overexpressed H2O2 and released drug 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine and apoptotic marker ethidium to the tumor cells.

Pancreatic Islet-Like Three-Dimensional Aggregates Derived From Human Embryonic Stem Cells Ameliorate Hyperglycemia in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

We previously reported the in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into pancreatic endoderm. Here we demonstrate that islet-like three-dimensional (3D) aggregates can be derived from the pancreatic endoderm by optimizing our previous protocol. Sequential treatment with Wnt3a, activin A, and noggin induced a transient upregulation of T and MixL1, followed by increased expression of endodermal genes, including FOXA2, SOX17, and CXCR4.

A review on the medicinal potentials of ginseng and ginsenosides on cardiovascular diseases.

Unlabelled: Ginseng is widely used for its promising healing and restorative properties as well as for its possible tonic effect in traditional medicine. Nowadays, many studies focus on purified individual ginsenoside, an important constituent in ginseng, and study its specific mechanism of action instead of whole-plant extracts on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Of the various ginsenosides, purified ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, Rh1, Re, and Rd are the most frequently studied.

Oncologic Outcomes According to Remnant Lymph Node Metastases in Pathologic T0 (ypT0) Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Following Prospective Neoadjuvant Therapy and Surgery.

Background: Some esophageal cancer patients may have residual nodal metastases following pathologic complete response (pCR) of the primary tumor after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). This study examines the prognosis according to lymph node metastases in pathologic T0 patients who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Methods: Prospectively-collected data from patients who underwent protocol-based esophageal resection and reconstruction after neoadjuvant CRT for esophageal SCC from 2000 to 2010 at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, were retrospectively studied.

HIV transmissions by stage and sex role in long-term concurrent sexual partnerships.

Most mathematical models used to examine the role of different stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection unrealistically assume that HIV is transmitted through one-off contacts or that transmission rates are the same between males and females. We sought to examine whether inferences from previous models are robust to the relaxation of those unrealistic assumptions. We developed a model of HIV transmissions through sexual partnerships assuming that (1) sexual partnerships have variable duration, (2) sexual partnerships are concurrent, and (3) the male-to-female transmission rate is higher than the female-to-male transmission rate, with a focus on the third assumption.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus bacmid enabling rapid generation of recombinant virus by in vitro transposition.

A novel recombinant bacmid, bEasyBm, that enables the easy and fast generation of pure recombinant baculovirus without any purification step was constructed. In bEasyBm, attR recombination sites were introduced to facilitate the generation of a recombinant viral genome by in vitro transposition. Moreover, the extracellular RNase gene from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, barnase, was expressed under the control of the Cotesia plutellae bracovirus early promoter to negatively select against the nonrecombinant background.

Effects of total body irradiation-based conditioning on allogeneic stem cell transplantation for pediatric acute leukemia: a single-institution study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of total body irradiation (TBI), as a conditioning regimen prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT), in pediatric acute leukemia patients.

Materials And Methods: From January 2001 to December 2011, 28 patients, aged less than 18 years, were treated with TBI-based conditioning for allo-SCT in our institution. Of the 28 patients, 21 patients were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, 75%) and 7 were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, 25%).

Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus ORF11 is essential for budded-virus production and occlusion-derived-virus envelopment.

Unlabelled: ORF11 (ac11) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved gene with unknown function. To determine the role of ac11 in the baculovirus life cycle, an ac11 knockout mutant of AcMNPV, Ac11KO, was constructed. Northern blot and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) analyses revealed that ac11 is an early gene in the life cycle.

Gastroprotective effect of nymphayol isolated from Nymphaea stellata (Willd.) flowers: contribution of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities.

Gastric ulcer is an illness that affects a great number of people worldwide. The goal of the present research was to assess the anti-ulcerogenic activity of nymphayol (NYM), isolated from Nymphaea stellata, against an ethanol-induced ulcer model in rats. Administration of ethanol elevates the levels of the ulcer index (UI) along with causing tremendous increases in lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and significant decreases in gastric mucus, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2).

Relationship of oestrogen receptor status to depressive symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer patients.

Objective: We investigated the relationship of oestrogen receptor (ER) status to the severity of depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL) impairment in breast cancer patients.

Methods: Seventy-seven breast cancer patients with comorbid depression were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) for depression, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). ER status was determined using immunohistochemical analysis.

Postoperative radiotherapy for gallbladder cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the results of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) and to identify prognostic factors for gallbladder cancer (GBC).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 86 patients with GBC who underwent potentially curative surgical resection and PORT between November 1993 and December 2009. All patients received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy and 61 patients (71%) had concurrent chemotherapy.

Transmission dynamics of oral polio vaccine viruses and vaccine-derived polioviruses on networks.

One drawback of oral polio vaccine (OPV) is the potential reversion to more transmissible, virulent circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs), which may cause outbreaks of paralytic poliomyelitis. Previous modeling studies of the transmission of cVDPVs assume an unrealistic homogeneous mixing of the population and/or ignore that OPV viruses and cVDPVs compete for susceptibles, which we show is a key to understanding the dynamics of the transmission of cVDPVs. We examined the transmission of OPV viruses and cVDPVs on heterogeneous, dynamic contact networks using differential equation-based and individual-based models.

Single walled carbon nanotube-based junction biosensor for detection of Escherichia coli.

Foodborne pathogen detection using biomolecules and nanomaterials may lead to platforms for rapid and simple electronic biosensing. Integration of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and immobilized antibodies into a disposable bio-nano combinatorial junction sensor was fabricated for detection of Escherichia coli K-12. Gold tungsten wires (50 µm diameter) coated with polyethylenimine (PEI) and SWCNTs were aligned to form a crossbar junction, which was functionalized with streptavidin and biotinylated antibodies to allow for enhanced specificity towards targeted microbes.

Oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin versus fluorouracil and leucovorin as adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy (ADORE): an open-label, multicentre, phase 2, randomised controlled trial.

Background: The role of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with rectal cancer is controversial, especially when used after preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy, including fluorouracil and leucovorin, has been widely used; however, the addition of oxaliplatin to fluorouracil and leucovorin (FOLFOX), a standard adjuvant regimen for colon cancer, has not been tested in rectal cancer. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of adjuvant fluorouracil and leucovorin with that of FOLFOX in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Non-surgical treatment versus radical esophagectomy for clinical T1N0M0 esophageal carcinoma: a single-center experience.

Purpose: The role of non-surgical treatments (NS), such as chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy, for clinical T1N0M0 esophageal cancer (cT1N0M0 EC) has not been well delineated. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the feasibility and efficacy of NS and Surgical treatment (S) in cT1N0M0 EC patients.

Methods: The medical records of patients who received treatment for cT1N0M0 EC at Asan Medical Center between 2003 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.

A dosimetric comparison of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and non-coplanar intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer.

Background: To compare dosimetric parameters of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and non-coplanar intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for nasal cavity and paranasal sinus cancer with regard to the coverage of planning target volume (PTV) and the sparing of organs at risk (OAR).

Methods: Ten patients with nasal cavity or paranasal sinus cancer were re-planned by VMAT (two-arc) plan and non-coplanar IMRT (7-, 11-, and 15-beam) plans. Planning objectives were to deliver 60 Gy in 30 fractions to 95% of PTV, with maximum doses (D(max)) of <50 Gy to the optic nerves, optic chiasm, and brainstem, <40 Gy to the eyes and <10 Gy to the lenses.