Osthole-Mediated Inhibition of Neurotoxicity Induced by Ropivacaine via Amplification of the Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Signaling Pathway.

Background: Ropivacaine is widely used for clinical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. However, the neurotoxicity induced by ropivacaine in a concentration- and duration-dependent manner, and it is difficult to prevent neurotoxicity. Osthole inhibits phosphodiesterase-4 activity by binding to its catalytic site to prevent cAMP hydrolysis.

Osthole, a Coumadin Analog from Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson, Ameliorates Nucleus Pulposus-Induced Radicular Inflammatory Pain by Inhibiting the Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase in Rats.

Aim: This study was aimed at assessing the role of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in mechanical allodynia resulting from lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and exploring the osthole's anti-nociceptive effect on ERK activation.

Methods: Radicular pain was generated by applying nucleus pulposus (NP) to the L5 dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Allodynia was measured using Von Frey filaments to calculate the mechanical pain threshold.

Does intraoperative ulinastatin improve postoperative clinical outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: The systematic meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the effects of intraoperative ulinastatin on early-postoperative recovery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: RCTs comparing intraoperative ulinastatin with placebo in cardiac surgery were searched through PubMed, Cochrane databases, Medline, SinoMed, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (1966 to May 20th, 2013). The primary endpoints included hospital mortality, postoperative complication rate, length of stay in intensive care unit, and extubation time.

Modification of rat model of sciatica induced by lumber disc herniation and the anti-inflammatory effect of osthole given by epidural catheterization.

One of the most treatable causes of lower back pain and associated sciatica is lumbar disc herniation (LDH), which is characterized by rupture of the hard outer wall (annulus fibrosis) in a lumbar intervertebral disc. In the current study, we aimed to: (1) develop and characterize a rat model of sciatica induced by LDH, while introducing a novel method of epidural catheterization; (2) use this model to evaluate the effect of osthole on pain due to LDH, and (3) gain insight into the mechanisms through which osthole affects sciatica induced by LDH. The results indicate that our newly developed rat model maintained mechanical allodynia for 28 days without reduction.

Osthole, a herbal compound, alleviates nucleus pulposus-evoked nociceptive responses through the suppression of overexpression of acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) in rat dorsal root ganglion.

Background: Osthole (Ost), a natural coumarin derivative, has been shown to inhibit many pro-inflammatory mediators and block voltage-gated Na+ channels. During inflammation, acidosis is an important pain inducer which activates nociceptors by gating depolarizing cationic channels, such as acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of Ost on nucleus pulposus-evoked nociceptive responses and ASIC3 over-expression in the rat dorsal root ganglion, and to investigate the possible mechanism.

Autologous nucleus pulposus transplantation to lumbar 5 dorsal root ganglion after epineurium dissection in rats: a modified model of non-compressive lumbar herniated intervertebral disc.

Background: Nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs has proinflammatory characteristics that play a key role in neuropathic pain in lumbar herniated intervertebral disc. One of the most commonly used animal models (the traditional model) of non-compressive lumbar herniated intervertebral disc is created by L4-L5 hemilaminectomy and the application of autologous nucleus pulposus to cover the left L4 and L5 nerve roots in rats. However, such procedures have the disadvantages of excessive trauma and low success rate.

[Effects and mechanisms of osthole on sciatica induced by lumber disc herniation].

Objective: To study the effects of osthole on sciatica induced by lumber disc herniation and its mechanisms.

Methods: 54 male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups. Model (M) group (n = 12): Autologous nucleus pulposus was harvested from the tail and applied to the L5 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and epidural space.

Ligand- and protein-based modeling studies of the inhibitors of human cytochrome P450 2D6 and a virtual screening for potential inhibitors from the Chinese herbal medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin,Baikal Skullcap).

We have previously examined the binding patterns of various substrates to human cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) using a series of molecular modeling methods. In this study, we further explored the binding modes of various types of inhibitors to CYP2D6 using a combination of ligand- and protein-based modeling approaches. Firstly, we developed and validated a pharmacophore model for CYP2D6 inhibitors, which consisted of two hydrophobic features and one hydrogen bond acceptor feature.

[Analysis of factors leading to prescheduled analgesic withdrawal in patients with postoperative epidural analgesia].

Objective: To analyze the factors leading to prescheduled analgesic withdrawal in patients with postoperative epidural analgesia.

Methods: A retrospective study of 4876 patients with postoperative epidural analgesia was conducted and the effect of analgesia and incidence of prescheduled analgesic withdrawal were recorded. The factors precipitating the occurrences of analgesic withdrawal and complications were analyzed.

[Antisense hTERT inhibits gene expression and functional activity of telomerase in leukemia cell lines].

Objective: To explore the inhibitory effects of gene expression and functional activity of telomerase in leukemia cell lines by in vitro antisense hTERT treatment.

Methods: An antisense hTERT eukaryotic expression vector was constructed by using gene recombination technique, targeting the 5' end mRNA sequence of the telomerase catalytic subunit. The vector expression in leukemia cell lines (HL60 and K562) was achieved by transfection using the SuperFect transfection reagent (Qiagen).

[Effects of antisense human telomerase reverse-transcript protein subunit (hTERT) gene on biological characteristics of hepatoblastoma cell line in vitro].

Objective: Telomerase, a complex of ribose and nucleoprotein, is a specific marker of tumor, which expresses in 98% infinite cell lines and 90% malignant tumor organizations and whose function is to maintain the length of telomere. Human telomerase reverse-transcript protein subunit (hTERT) is the key element and rate-limiting factor of telomerase activity. Our study was to investigate the effects of antisense hTERT gene on biological characteristics of hepatoblastoma cell line in vitro.

[Antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase inhibits leukemia cell proliferation in vitro].

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) on leukemia cell proliferation in vitro.

Methods: Sense and antisense hTERT eukaryotic expression vectors previously constructed were transfected into leukemia cell line HL(60) using SuperFect transfection reagent (Qiagen) to obtain HL(60)-s and HL(60)-as, and the G418-resistant colonies were identified for the presence of hTERT insert by PCR with T7 and pcDNA3.1/BGH reverse primers.

[The correlation between Kawasaki disease and polymorphisms of Tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 gene promoter].

Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitic syndrome of unknown etiology that preferentially affects coronary artery. It has been suggested that proinflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are key players during acute KD. Recently, the polymorphisms relative to major transcriptional start site of TNF-alpha and IL-10 gene were shown to influence the level of TNF-alpha and IL-10 production in vitro.

[Construction and identification of eukaryotic expression vector for sense and antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase].

Objective: To construct eukaryotic expression vectors for sense and antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), to facilitate further study of the regulation of telomerase activity and gene therapy of malignant tumors.

Methods: According to the published hTERT cDNA sequence in Genbank, a pair of primers containing the sites for given restrictive endonuclease at both ends were designed and synthesized. Reverse transcriptional PCR (RT-PCR) of the total RNA extracted from HeLa cell line was performed, the product of which was cloned into pGEM-T vector by using TA cloning and then subcloned into a highly efficient eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.