Inhibition of spinal MAPKs by scorpion venom peptide BmK AGAP produces a sensory-specific analgesic effect.

Background Several studies have shown that scorpion venom peptide BmK AGAP has an analgesic activity. Our previous study also demonstrated that intraplantar injection of BmK AGAP ameliorates formalin-induced spontaneous nociceptive behavior. However, the effect of intrathecal injection of BmK AGAP on nociceptive processing is poorly understood.

Effectiveness of a post-emergency department discharge multidisciplinary bundle in reducing acute hospital admissions for the elderly.

Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of the Subacute Ambulatory care for the Functionally challenged and Elderly (SAFE) programme, a post-emergency department (ED) discharge intervention for elderly and functionally challenged patients, in reducing acute hospital admissions.

Methods: This study was a 32-month retrospective quasi-experimental study comparing patients with at least one of six diagnostic classifications who underwent SAFE intervention with those who were eligible but declined and received usual ED care (control). The primary outcomes were rates of first acute hospital admission at 30 and 60 days post-ED discharge.

Ancient Chinese Formula Qiong-Yu-Gao Protects Against Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity Without Reducing Anti-tumor Activity.

Cisplatin is a highly effective anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agent; however, its clinical use is severely limited by serious side effects, of which nephrotoxicity is the most important. In this study, we investigated whether Qiong-Yu-Gao (QYG), a popular traditional Chinese medicinal formula described 840 years ago, exhibits protective effects against cisplatin-induced renal toxicity. Using a mouse model of cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction, we observed that pretreatment with QYG attenuated cisplatin-induced elevations in blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, ameliorated renal tubular lesions, reduced apoptosis, and accelerated tubular cell regeneration.

[Effect of rhGH on JAK2-STAT3 signal pathway after GHR was down-regulated by siRNA in gastric cancer cell].

To investigate the effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on JAK2-STAT3 pathway and the growth of gastric cancer cell lines at different GHR expression status, the eukaryotic expression vector targeting human GHR (pGPU6/GFP/Neo-shGHR and pGPU6/GFP/Neo-scramble) was constructed and transfected into MGC803 cells by Lipofectamine 2000. Stable expressive cell lines were obtained by G418 screening. The expression of GHR was analyzed by Western blotting.

[Establishment of zebrafish osteopenia model induced by dexamethasone].

Zebrafish was selected as model animal, and glucocorticoid dexamethasone was used as a model compound to establish a rapid and high efficient osteopenia model. Zebrafish larvae at 4 days post fertilization (dpf) were exposed to a serial concentrations of dexamethasone solutions, and 0.5% DMSO was selected as the vehicle control group.

Monoclonal antibody: the corner stone of modern biotherapeutics.

Worldwide sales of biologic drugs exceeded 100 billion USD in 2011. About 32% is from therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb). With many blockbuster biopharmaceutical patents expiring over the next decade, there is a great opportunity for biosimilar to enter the worldwide especially emerging market.

[Construction and immunological analysis of a combined multi-epitope vaccine against EGFR/HER2].

A recombinant plasmid pET28a-HBcAg-delta n was constructed, in which three mimic B-epitopes of HER family were inserted into the truncated HBc vector. The fusion protein expressed was purified and used to immunize BALB/c mice to induce antibody against the epitopes. Three mimic epitope genes were inserted into the sequences of amino acid residues 78 and 79 of HBcAg by overlap PCR.