Tentative study on radial endobronchial ultrasonography evaluating airway wall thickness before and after bronchial thermoplasty.

Aim: We aimed to observe the clinical practicing value of radial endobronchial ultrasonography evaluating airway wall thickness before and after bronchial thermoplasty.

Methods: We selected two patients who received bronchial thermoplasty in our hospital. We measured the thickness of each segmental airway wall of each patient by radial endobronchial ultrasonography, and observed the difference before and after the therapy.

Scutellaria barbata flavonoids alleviate memory deficits and neuronal injuries induced by composited Aβ in rats.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Scutellaria barbata flavonoids (SBF) on memory impairment and neuronal injury induced by amyloid beta protein 25-35 in combination with aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) and recombinant human transforming growth factor-β1 (RHTGF-β1) (composited Aβ) in rats.

Methods: The composited Aβ-treated model of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like memory impairment and neuronal injury was established in male rats by right intracerebroventricular injection of composited Aβ, and the effects of SBF were assessed using this rat model. Spatial learning and memory of rats were assessed in the Morris water maze, and neuronal injury was assessed by light and electron microscopy with hematoxylin-eosin or uranyl acetate and lead nitrate-sodium citrate staining, respectively.

MicroRNA-21 promotes the proliferation and invasion of neuroblastoma cells through targeting CHL1.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common solid tumors in infants and children. Numerous reports demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the carcinogenesis of neuroblastoma. miR-21 functions as a tumor oncogene in some malignancies.

Early secreted antigen ESAT-6 of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis promotes apoptosis of macrophages via targeting the microRNA155-SOCS1 interaction.

Background: The early secreted antigenic target 6-kDa protein (ESAT-6) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) not only acts as a key player for virulence but also exhibits a strong immunotherapeutic potential against Mtb. However, little is known about the molecular basis for its potential in immunotherapy. The present study was designed to unravel the role of miRNA-155 in ESAT-6-mediated enhancement of host immunity and apoptosis in macrophages.

The correlation between neurosteroids and neurotransmitters with liver yang rising and liver qi stagnation types of premenstrual syndrome.

Background: To investigate neural-reproductive hormonal basis of liver yang rising (LYR), liver qi stagnation (LQS) premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to develop standardized diagnostic criteria for PMS.

Methods: HPLC, HPLC-MC, ELISA and radioimmunoassay were used to compare levels of serum hormones, plasma neurotransmitters and neurosteroids between LYR PMS patients, LQS PMS patients and healthy controls (30 subjects in each group).

Results: Of the measures, all three groups exhibited no significant differences during the follicular phase.

Rapid detection of hepatitis B virus variants associated with lamivudine and adefovir resistance by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification combined with real-time PCR.

Drug-resistant mutations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) are the major obstacles to successful therapy for chronic hepatitis B infection. Although there are many methods for detecting the antiviral drug-resistant mutations of HBV, their applications are restricted because of their shortcomings, such as low sensitivity, the time required, and the high cost. For this study, a multiplex ligation-dependent probe real-time PCR (MLP-RT-PCR) method was developed to simultaneously detect lamivudine (LAM)- and adefovir (ADV)-resistant HBV mutants (those with the mutations rtM204V/I, rtA181V/T, and rtN236T).

Braided thin-walled biodegradable ureteral stent: preliminary evaluation in a canine model.

Objectives: To evaluate a novel designed degradable ureteral stent.

Methods: A total of 24 male Beagles, each with bilateral stents implanted (a biodegradable ureteral 4.5-Fr stent and a standard 4-Fr biostable stent) were divided into four groups.

Chalcones from the flowers of Coreopsis lanceolata and their in vitro antioxidative activity.

Three new chalcones, 3,2'-dihydroxy-4,3'-dimethoxychalcone-4'-glucoside (1), 4'-O-(2'''-O-caffeoyl)2',3',3,4-tetrahydroxychalcone (2), and 2',4',3-trihydroxy-3',4-dimethoxychalcone (3), along with five known phenolics, were isolated from Coreopsis lanceolata flowers. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods including NMR and MS. The three new chalcones showed a good in vitro HepG2 cell protecting effect against tert-butylhydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress.

A preparative method for isolation of fucoxanthin from Eisenia bicyclis by centrifugal partition chromatography.

Introduction: Eisenia bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell (Laminariaceae) is a common brown alga that inhabits around the coast of Korea, Japan and China. It contains fucoxanthin, a major carotenoid of brown algae which shows a variety of pharmaceutical functions.

Objective: The aim of this investigation was the quantification and preparative isolation of fucoxanthin from fresh E.

Pressurized liquid method for fucoxanthin extraction from Eisenia bicyclis (Kjellman) Setchell.

Optimization of extraction conditions for fucoxanthin from brown algae Eisenia bicyclis was investigated through a pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) method and statistical experimental design. The process was optimized by Plackett-Burman design at first step to screen the most important variables in the extraction of fucoxanthin, and subsequently central composite design was applied to attain the optimum conditions of the selected factors for fucoxanthin extraction. Two factors, temperature and ethanol concentration, significantly influenced the extraction efficiency of fucoxanthin at 95% level (P<0.

Preparative separation of chlorogenic acid by centrifugal partition chromatography from highbush blueberry leaves (Vaccinium corymbosum L.).

Introduction: Blueberries (genus Vaccinium) have gained worldwide focus because of the high anthocyanin content of their fruits. In contrast, the leaves of blueberry have not attracted any attention, even though they contain large quantities of chlorogenic acid, a strong antioxidant compound.

Objective: The aim of this investigation was the quantification and preparative isolation of chlorogenic acid (5-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-CQA) from blueberry leaves using a new separation scheme, centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC).

Scutellaria flavonoid supplementation reverses ageing-related cognitive impairment and neuronal changes in aged rats.

Primary Objective: To study the effects of flavonoid, isolated from aerial parts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SSF), on memory impairment, neuronal damage, free radicals and energy metabolite disorders in aged rats.

Methods And Procedures: Approximately 25-month-old rats were used to establish the ageing model. The cognition of the rats was determined using the Morris water maze, neuronal morphology was observed by light/electron microscope, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase were measured by spectrophotometry.

Effect of Scutellaria flavonoids on KCN-induced damages in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells.

Background & Objective: Cerebral hypoxia is known to be involved in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and cerebrovascular dementia. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of flavonoids from aerial part of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SSF) on potassium cyanide (KCN) -induced hypoxic cytotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12, and to understand the probable mechanism.

Methods: The rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12 was subjected to hypoxia by 200 microM KCN for 30 min.