Efficacy and safety of sorafenib in advanced renal cell carcinoma patients: Results from a long-term study.

Sorafenib has been confirmed as an effective drug in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of sorafenib in ethnic Chinese patients with advanced RCC, and to develop optimal treatment strategies for Asian patients. Between May 2006 and August 2011, 30 patients with advanced RCC were treated with sorafenib in the Oncology Center, Tongji Hospital.

Correlation study on expression of GST-π protein in brain tissue and peripheral blood of epilepsy rats induced by pilocarpine.

Previous studies have suggested that glutathione-S-transferase π (GST-π) over-expression in the brain tissue is associated with refractory epilepsy. However, whether the change in GST-π level in the peripheral blood is in line with that in brain tissue remains unknown. This study examined the correlation between GST-π in brain tissue and that in peripheral blood in rat models of pilocarpine-induced refractory epilepsy.

Comparative study on the efficacy of tiotropium bromide inhalation and oral doxofylline treatment of moderate to severe stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study compared the efficacy and safety of tiotropium bromide inhalation powder (spiriva) and doxofylline oral tablet (doxofylline) in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-controlled study involved 127 eligible stable moderate to severe COPD patients treated with inhaled tiotropium dry powder (18 μg/day) or oral doxofylline tablets (0.2 g/time, 2 times a day) for 12 and 24 weeks.

[Clinical investigation of the minimal invasive osteotomy for the treatment of hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion].

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of the minimal invasive osteotomy treatment for hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion deformity.

Methods: From May 2007 to May 2009, Forty-nine feet of 32 patients (a mean age of 57 years old) of hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion deformity were reviewed retrospectively, including 2 males(2 feet) and 30 females (47 feet). All patients were treated by the minimal invasive osteotomy.

[Methodological study on magnetic affinity immunoassay for detecting chloramphenicol].

Aim: To establish a sensitive immunoassay for detection chloramphenicol using magnetic beads as solid phase.

Methods: This assay employs the competitive inhibition, the FITC conjugated with anti-chloramphenicol monoclonal antibodies and the alkaline phosphatase conjugated with chloramphenicol respectively. Magnetic beads were coupled with sheep anti-FITC antibodies as solid phase.

Cumulated Ca2⁺ spike duration underlies Ca2⁺ oscillation frequency-regulated NFκB transcriptional activity.

[Ca(2+)](i) oscillations drive downstream events, like transcription, in a frequency-dependent manner. Why [Ca(2+)](i) oscillation frequency regulates transcription has not been clearly revealed. A variation in [Ca(2+)](i) oscillation frequency apparently leads to a variation in the time duration of cumulated [Ca(2+)](i) elevations or cumulated [Ca(2+)](i) spike duration.

[The hyposensitization of oval cell to antiproliferative effect of transforming growth factor β1 by hepatitis B virus X gene].

Objective: To determine whether hepatitis B virus X (HBX) protein expression affect the oval cells' response to anti-proliferative effect of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) in oval cells.

Methods: Real-time PCR, Western blot analysis were performed to detect the expression of TGFβRII in HBX-transfected oval cells named HBX-EGFP-LE/6, and EGFP-LE/6, LE/6 control cells. In addition, exogenous TGFβ1 was added into all three oval cell lines, MTT assay was preformed to clarify different responses to the anti-proliferative effect of TGFβ1.

[Expression of estrogen sulfotransferase in the mammary gland of hypertrophic breast and its significance].

Objective: To investigate the expression of estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) in the mammary gland of hypertrophic breast and its significance.

Methods: EST expression in the mammary gland was detected by EnVision two step method of immunohistochemistry in 15 cases with normal breasts and 32 cases with hypertrophic breasts, including 19 gland-associated cases and 13 fat-associated cases.

Results: The positive expression rate of EST in mammary gland was 34.

[CT imaging characteristics of incomplete and complete myocardial bridges-mural coronary artery].

Objective: To evaluate the CT imaging characteristics of incomplete and complete myocardial bridges-mural coronary artery (MB-MCA).

Methods: Fifty subjects with dual source coronary CT angiography (DSCTA) evidenced MB were included. The subjects were divided into incomplete MB-MCA and complete MB-MCA groups.

Hypoglycemic effects of intraluminal intestinal electrical stimulation in healthy volunteers.

Background: Intestinal electrical stimulation (IES) has been shown to delay gastric emptying and reduce nutrient absorption in humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of IES using an intraluminal method on postprandial blood glucose.

Methods: An oral glucose tolerance test with 150 g of glucose was performed in 10 healthy volunteers with and without IES (13 pulses/min, 300 ms and 5 mA).

[Dracorhodin perchlorate inhibit high glucose induce serum and glucocorticoid induced protein kinase 1 and fibronectin expression in human mesangial cells].

Objective: To investigate the effect of dracorhodin perchlorate (DP) on inhibiting high glucose-induced serum and glucocorticoid induced protein kinase 1 (SGK1) and fibronectin (FN) expression in human mesangial cells (HMC), and its mechanism of prevention and treatment on renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy (DN) .

Method: The HMC were divided into normal glucose group (NG group, 5.5 mmol x L(-1) D-glucose), normal glucose +low DP group (NG + LDP group, 5.

[The Role of Matrine and Mitogen-Ativated Protein Kinase/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signal Transduction in the Inhibition of the Proliferation and Migration of Human Umbilical Veins Endothelial Cells Induced by Lung Cancer cells.].

Background: Matrine, one of the major alkaloid components of the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora roots, has a wide range of pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory activities, growth inhibition and induction of cell differentiation and apoptosis. Motigen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) has found to be a crucial signaling pathway in endothelial cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Matrine and MAPK/ERK signal transduction in the inhibition of the proliferation and migration of human umbilical veins endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by lung cancer cells.

[Effect of tanshinone II A on the transforming growth factor beta1/Smads signal pathway in rats with hypertensive myocardial hypertrophy].

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of tanshinone II A (TSN) for preventing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by studying the expressions of angiotensin I type 1 receptor (AT1R), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) and intracellular signal protein gene (Smads gene) in the hypertrophic myocardium of hypertensive rat models induced by pressure over-loading.

Methods: SD rat model of LVH was established by abdominal aorta constriction. The model animals were randomly divided into 4 groups 4 weeks after modeling, the untreated model control group (C1), the two tested groups (T1 and T2) treated respectively with high (20 mg/kg) and low (10 mg/kg) dose of TSN II A per day via intraperitoneal injection, and the positive control group (C2) treated with 10 mg/kg of Valsartan per day by gastric perfusion, with 8 animals in each group.

New insights into glutamate ototoxicity in cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons.

Conclusion: Excess glutamate (Glu) exposure (20 mM) in the cochlear perilymph affects the physiological function of outer hair cells (OHCs) within a 2 h period and induces apoptosis in the modiolus spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in an apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF)-dependent manner.

Objectives: To determine whether high-dose Glu affects the function of OHCs and whether it induces AIF- and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in the cochlear SGNs.

Methods: Perilymphatic perfusions of Glu (20 mM) and artificial perilymph (AP) solutions were performed in adult guinea pig cochleae.

Hilar inflammatory pseudotumor mimicking hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Inflammatory pseudotumor of the biliary tract is a benign disease, and is extremely rare. Its diagnosis often depends on pathological examination after operation. The histopathological examination shows inflammatory lesions with a polymorphous infiltration and variable amounts of fibrous tissue.

Time sequence of auditory nerve and spiral ganglion cell degeneration following chronic kanamycin-induced deafness in the guinea pig.

We investigated the time sequence of morphological changes of the spiral ganglion cell (SGC) and auditory nerve (AN) following chronic kanamycin-induced deafness. Guinea pigs were treated with kanamycin by subcutaneous injection at 500 mg/kg per day for 7 days. Histological changes in hair cells, SGCs, Schwann cells and the area of the cross-sectional of the AN with vestibular ganglion (VG) in the internal acoustic meatus were quantified at 1, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 70 days after kanamycin treatment.

[Brain injury in adenosine A1 receptor knock-out mice after pentetrazole kindling and its correlation with COX-2].

Objective: To investigate the brain injury of neurocytes in hippocampus of adenosine A1 receptor knock-out mice during pentetrazole kindling and detect the correlation of brain injury and the expression of COX-2 so as to evaluate the neuroprotective function of adenosine A1 receptor and its mechanism.

Methods: The animals were divided into two groups: wild type group and KO group. The kindling model was established by injection of pentetrazole into abdominal cavity.

[Effects of gambogic acid on the regulation of steroid receptor coactivator-3 in A549 cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of gambogic acid (GA) on the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction in Human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells in vitro, as well as the regulation of steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3) to explore the relationship between them.

Methods: The effect of GA on the growth of A549 cells was studied by MTT assay. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 staining.

Time course of neuronal and synaptic plasticity in dorsal cochlear nucleus of guinea pig following chronic kanamycin-induced deafness.

We investigated the time course of the plasticity in fusiform cell (FC) and at auditory nerve (AN) synapse on FC (AN/FC synapse) following chronic kanamycin-induced deafness. Guinea pigs were treated with kanamycin sulfate by subcutaneous injection at dose of 500 mg/kg/day for 7 days. Ultrastructural changes in FC and AN/FC synapse were observed, and local insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mRNA was quantified using quantitative real time PCR at 1, 7, 14, 28, 70 and 140 days after kanamycin treatment.

Combined treatment with chemokine receptor 5 blocker and cyclosporine induces prolonged graft survival in a mouse model of cardiac transplantation.

Background: Inhibition of chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), a chemokine receptor expressed on activated T cells, is efficacious in modulating inflammation and immunity as well as in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. This study examined the effect and mechanism of CCR5 blockade in combination with cyclosporine in prolonging cardiac allograft survival in mice.

Methods: Hearts from BALB/c mice were transplanted into C57BL/10 recipients.

CCR5 blockade in combination with rapamycin prolongs cardiac allograft survival in mice.

Both chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) blockade and rapamycin (rapa) are effective in modulating transplant immunity and led to prolonged allograft survival, yet a great many grafts were ultimately lost to acute rejection. In this study we examined the inhibition of CCR5 in combination with the treatment with rapa in cardiac transplantation. Fully major histocompatibility complex-mismatched murine cardiac allograft models were randomized to five groups.

[Dracorhodin perchlorate inhibit high glucose-induced connective tissue growth factor formation in human mesangial cells].

Objective: To study the effect of dracorhodin perchlorate on high glucose-induced connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression in human mesangial cells (HMC), and its mechanism of prevention and treatment on renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Method: The HMC were divided into low glucose group (LG group, 5.5 mmol x L(-1) D-glucose), high glucose group (HG Group 25 mmol x L(-1) D-glucose), each group was located with dracorhodin perchlorate (7.

[Effect of silencing myocardin gene expression on differentiation of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells into smooth muscle-like cells induced by PDGF-BB].

Objective: Construction of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) eukaryotic expression vector specific to mouse myocardin gene and study on the role of myocardin-siRNA on differentiation of mouse bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into smooth muscle-like cells induced by PDGF-BB in vitro.

Methods: Mouse MSCs were isolated from bone marrow and cultured with 50 mg/L PDGF-BB and fetal bovine serum (20%). Specific myocardin-siRNA sequence was cloned into a plasmid pGenesil-1.

Gene polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis.

Objective: To study the relationship of -634G/C gene polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) in children.

Methods: One hundred ethnic Han children with HSP, including 50 children with concurrent nephritis (HSPN group) and 50 children without nephritis (HSP without nephritis group), were enrolled. Fifty age-, sex-and ethnics-matched healthy children were used as the control group.

[The expression of aromatase P450 in the mammary gland of hypertrophic breast].

Objective: To investigate the expression of aromatase P450 in the mammary gland of hypertrophic breast.

Methods: The expression of aromatase P450 in the mammary gland was detected by SP immunohistochemistry in 28 cases of hypertrophic breasts and 12 cases of normal volume breasts. The results were analysed by SPSS 13.