[Remediation of Three Oxidants on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Coking Contaminated Soil and Its Response to Indigenous Microorganisms]

To explore the influences of chemical oxidation on the physiological and ecological functions of indigenous microorganisms during contaminated soil remediation, three oxidants, including KMnO4, Na2S2O8, and O3, were selected to investigate their remediation effects on PAHs and the responses to indigenous microorganisms under different liquid-solid ratios, in this study. The results showed that:when the ΣPAHs concentration was 679.1 mg·kg-1 and the dosage of KMnO4 and Na2S2O8 was 1%, the removal efficiency of ΣPAHs reached up to 96.9% and 95.7% under the liquid-solid ratio of 6:1; for the O3 treatment, the removal efficiency of ΣPAHs was the highest(82.3%) at the O3 dosage and the liquid-solid ratio of 72 mg·min-1 and 8:1, respectively. The removal efficiency of low ring(3-4 rings) PAHs was higher than that of high ring(5-6 rings) PAHs under different liquid-solid ratios. The highest removal efficiencies were observed for phenanthrene and acenaphthene, whereas for benzo[a]pyrene, only the KMnO4treatment provided an effective performance, showing the highest removal efficiency of 97.4%. The microbial quantity analysis indicated that the quantity of soil microorganisms in the soil dropped sharply after being treated with KMnO4, decreasing from 108 copies·g-1 to 105 copies·g-1, whereas it changed only slightly after being treated with Na2S2O8 and O3. The community structure analysis showed that Proteobacteria were predominant in the contaminated soil, with the relative abundance of 99.5%. The addition of KMnO4 and Na2S2O8 significantly increased the microbial diversity; in particular, the relative abundance of a variety of microorganisms(such as Ralstonia and Acinetobacter) that can degrade PAHs was remarkably increased. The analysis of microbial metabolic function pathways revealed that chemical oxidation could simultaneously increase the relative abundance of PAHs-degrading bacteria and improve the ability of organic metabolism. Overall, the KMnO4 treatment greatly altered the quantity of microorganisms and the structure of the microbial community and the relative abundance of PAHs-degrading microorganisms at the liquid-solid ratio of 6:1.

[Clinical characteristics of epileptic seizure in neurofibromatosis type 1 in 15 cases]

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of epileptic seizure associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Methods: From January 2017 to July 2023 at Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics, medical records of patients with both NF1 and epileptic seizure were reviewed in this case series study. The clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis were analyzed retrospectively. Results: A total of 15 patients(12 boys and 3 girls) were collected. Café-au-lait macules were observed in all 15 patients. There were 6 patients with neurodevelopmental disorders and the main manifestations were intellectual disability or developmental delay. The age at the first epileptic seizure was 2.5 (1.2, 5.5) years. There were various seizure types, including generalized tonic-clonic seizures in 8 patients, focal motor seizures in 6 patients, epileptic spasm in 4 patients, tonic seizures in 1 patient, absence in 1 patient, generalized myoclonic seizure in 1 patient and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure in 1 patient. Among 14 patients whose brain magnetic resonance imaging results were available, there were abnormal signals in corpus callosum, basal ganglia, thalamus or cerebellum in 6 patients, dilated ventricles of different degrees in 3 patients, blurred gray and white matter boundary in 2 patients, agenesis of corpus callosum in 1 patient and no obvious abnormalities in the other patients. Among 13 epilepsy patients, 8 were seizure-free with 1 or 2 antiseizure medications(ASM), 1 with drug resistant epilepsy was seizure-free after left temporal lobectomy, and the other 4 patients who have received 2 to 9 ASM had persistent seizures. One patient with complex febrile convulsion achieved seizure freedom after oral administration of diazepam on demand. One patient had only 1 unprovoked epileptic seizure and did not have another seizure without taking any ASM. Conclusions: The first epileptic seizure in NF1 patients usually occurs in infancy and early childhood, with the main seizure type of generalized tonic-clonic seizure and focal motor seizure. Some patients have intellectual disability or developmental delay. Most epilepsy patients achieve seizure freedom with ASM.

[A case of intellectual developmental disorder with behavioral abnormalities and craniofacial dysmorphism with or without seizures caused by PHF21A gene variation and review of literature]

Objective: To discuss the clinical and genetic features of intellectual developmental disorder with behavioral abnormalities and craniofacial dysmorphism with or without seizures (IDDBCS). Methods: The clinical and genetic records of a patient who was diagnosed with IDDBCS caused by PHF21A gene variation at Children's Hospital Capital Institute of Pediatrics in 2021 were collected retrospectively. Using " PHF21A gene" as the keyword, relevant articles were searched at CNKI, Wanfang Data and PubMed from establishment of databases to February 2023. Clinical and genetic features of IDDBCS were summarized in the combination of this case. Results: An 8 months of age boy showed overgrowth (height, weight and head circumference were all higher than the 97^th percentile of children of the same age and sex) and language and motor developmental delay after birth, and gradually showed autism-like symptoms like stereotyped behavior and poor eye contact. At 8 months of age, he began to show epileptic seizures, which were in the form of a series of spastic seizures with no reaction to adrenocorticotropic hormone but a good response to vigabatrin. Physical examination showed special craniofacial appearances including a prominent high forehead, sparse eyebrows, broad nasal bridge, and downturned mouth with a tent-shaped upper lip. The patient also manifested hypotonia. Whole exome sequencing showed a de novo heterogeneous variant, PHF21A (NM_001101802.1): c.54+1G>A, and IDDBCS was diagnosed. A total of 6 articles (all English articles) were collected, involving this case and other 14 patients of IDDBCS caused by PHF21A gene variation. Clinical manifestations were intellectual disability or developmental delay (15 patients), craniofacial anomalies (15 patients), behavioral abnormalities (12 patients), seizures (9 patients), and overgrowth (8 patients). The main pathogenic variations were frameshift variations (8 patients). Conclusions: IDDBCS should be considered when patients show nervous developmental abnormalities, craniofacial anomalies, seizures and overgrowth. PHF21A gene variation detection helps to make a definite diagnosis.

Functional differentiation of two general odorant-binding proteins to sex pheromones in Spodoptera frugiperda

A precise chemosensory system can help insects complete various important behavioral responses by accurately identifying different external odorants. Therefore, deeply understanding the mechanism of insect recognition of important odorants will help us develop efficient and environmentally-friendly behavioral inhibitors. Spodoptera frugiperda is a polyphagous pest that feeds on >350 different host plants worldwide and also harms maize production in China. However, the molecular mechanism of the first step for males to use odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) to recognize sex pheromones remains unclear. Here, we obtained 50 OBPs from the S. frugiperda genome, and the expression level of SfruGOBP1 in females was significantly higher than that in males, whereas SfruGOBP2 displayed male-biased expression. Fluorescence competitive binding assays showed that only SfruGOBP2 showed binding affinities for the four sex pheromones of female S. frugiperda. Subsequently, we identified some key amino acid residues that can participate in the interaction between SfruGOBP2 and sex pheromones using molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis methods. These findings will help us explore the interaction mechanism between GOBPs and sex pheromones in moths, and provide important target genes for developing new mating inhibitors of S. frugiperda in the future.

Transcriptome profiling Revealed the potential mechanisms of Shen Lin Bai Zhu San n-butanol extract on DSS induced Colitis in Mice and LC-MS analysis

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disorder in gastrointestinal tract. Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (SLBZS), which has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been widely used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. The isolated fractions of TCM have also been proved to possess an important potential for treating diseases, which are due to their effective components.

PURPOSE

In this study, we examined the possibility that SLBZS and its isolated active fractions may prevent DSS-induced colitis, and investigated the potential mechanisms by regulating genetic profile of colon.

METHODS

Colitis mice were induced by 2.5% DSS for 7 days, and then SLBZS and different SLBZS extracts were administrated to protect the mice for 7 days. Body weight, diarrhea, bleeding in stool, colon length, spleen weight, cytokines of serum and colon and pathology of colon were assessed. The level of Ginsenoside Rg1, Re and Rb1 in different SLBZS extracts and qualitative analysis of n-butanol extract of SLBZS (S-Nb) was performed by HPLC and LC-MS, respectively. And the effects of S-Nb on the transcriptome in colitis were investigated.

RESULTS

Our results showed that SLBZS and S-Nb significantly regained body weight, reduced DAI, splenomegaly and the length of colon and attenuated histological damage of the colon. Meanwhile, SLBZS and S-Nb markedly reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and increased the level of IL-10 in serum and colon. These effects may be associated with the high levels of Ginsenoside Rg1, Re and Rb1 and rich variety of compounds in S-Nb including 6 ginsenosides, glycyrrhizin, L-tryptophan, and so on. Transcriptome analysis revealed that S-Nb selectively regulated 103 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 36 of which were changed in DSS-induced mice. And the genes of Per2, Per3, Npy and Serpina3m were closely related to colitis and also restored by S-Nb with different extent. Remarkably, these DEGs modulated the biological functions of colitis mice, including extracellular region, response to external stimulus, MAPK signaling pathway and arginine and proline metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicated that SLBZS and S-Nb blunted DSS-induced colitis by modulating differentially expression gene profile and biological functions based on their ginsenosides and rich compounds.

[Comparison of the efficacy of irreversible electroporation and conversional resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer]

Objective: To compare the short-term and long-term prognosis of irreversible electroporation(IRE) and conversional resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer(LAPC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 98 LAPC patients who underwent IRE or conversional resection at the Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery,Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from August 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.The study comprised of 53 males and 45 females, with age(M(IQR)) of 57.5(13.5)years old(range:20 to 87 years old). Fifty-three patients received IRE treatment(IRE group) and 45 patients received surgical resection(resection group). The differences of clinical and pathological data between both groups were not significant(all P<0.05). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for quantitative data and the χ² test was used for categorical data.Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and compared using Log-rank test. Results: The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were 5.0(2.4)hours and 50(100) ml in the IRE group,respectively,which were significantly less than those of resection group(7.0(3.3)hours and 400(200)ml,both P<0.05).The hospital stay and hospitalization cost were 9.0(3.0)days and 79 154 (83 738) yuan in the IRE group,respectively,which were also significantly less than those in the resection group(16.0(8.5)days and 109 557(37 795)yuan,both P<0.05).The complication rate of IRE group was significantly lower than that of the resection group(18.8% vs. 55.6%,χ²=14.270,P<0.01).The median overall survival(OS) time of IRE group was 28.9 months(95%CI:23.2 to 34.6 months),with the 1-,2-,and 3-year OS rates of 91.6%,61.7%,and 24.6%,respectively.The median survival of OS of resection group was 27.1 months(95%CI:20.9 to 33.3 months),with the 1-,2-,and 3-year OS rates of 81.8%,53.9%,and 30.3%,respectively.There was no significant difference in OS between the two groups(χ²=0.900,P=0.760).The median progression free survival(PFS) time of IRE group was 18.0 months(95%CI:14.7 to 21.3 months),with the 1-,2-,and 3-year PFS rates of 68.3%,29.7%,and 9.9%,respectively.The median survival of PFS of resection group was 11.1 months(95%CI:6.1 to 16.2 months),with the 1-,2-,and 3-year PFS rates of 45.2%,21.9%,and 14.6%,respectively.There was no significant difference in PFS between the two groups(χ²=1.850,P=0.170). Conclusion: IRE can achieve similar survival for LAPC and may has less complications compared to those with conversion resection.

[Predictive value of prognostic inflammatory and tumor score in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma]

Objective: To compare and analyze the predictive value of different inflammatory factors and tumor markers in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and to develop a new and effective preoperative prognostic scoring system. Methods: 102 and 72 cases with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent radical surgery in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital and the Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University were selected as the experimental group and the validation group, respectively. Clinicopathological and follow-up data were collected. Cox proportional-hazards model was used to analyze the predictive value of different prognostic markers. The relationship between prognostic markers and clinicopathological data was analyzed by rank sum test, χ² or Fisher's exact test. Results: Among the direct inflammatory factors, tumor markers and combined inflammatory factors, prognostic inflammatory index (PII), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 and systemic inflammation score (SIS) were the most significant predictive factors for postoperative survival outcomes in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The prognostic inflammatory and tumor score (PITS) was proposed as a new prognostic scoring system for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. PII and CA19-9 were included into the scoring criteria for prognostic stratification of patients. PITS was an independent predictor of tumor-free survival and overall survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Patients with high-grade PITS had later tumor grade and higher frequency of vascular invasion. Conclusion: PITS is highly effective prognostic scoring system for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In addition, PITS is recommended for preoperative prognostic stratification in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

[Impact of co-infection of streptococcus pneumoniae and pneumococcal vaccination on the clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 19]

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has spread all over the world. Streptococcus pneumoniae as a common pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia shares similar high-risk susceptible populations with COVID-19. Streptococcus pneumoniae co-infection is a key risk factor for severe COVID-19 and death. Pneumococcal vaccination has a beneficial impact on reducing the incidence and mortality of COVID-19. The vaccination rate of streptococcus pneumoniae is still low in China. Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination may be one of effective strategies in the management of COVID-19 for high-risk population such as the elderly and those who have underlying chronic diseases.

[Induction of hepatocellular carcinoma in B6C3 (F1) mice chronicly exposed to trichloroethylene with enhanced acetylation of histone H2AK9ac and SET expression in the liver tissue]

Objective: To establish an animal model of trichloroethylene (TCE) -induced liver cancer following chronic exposure and to understand the changes in SET expression and histone acetylation, potentially serving as a molecular mechanism for TCE-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Methods: B6C3 mice at 6 weeks were treated with TCE at a series of doses (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) by gastric gavage, with corn oil used as the negative control and carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) as the positive control. The serum and liver were sampled for the determination of biochemical indexes and pathological examination after 56 weeks of chemical exposure. Western blot was used to determine the levels of SET, H2AK9ac and HDAC1 expression. Results: The overall survival rate of the mice in various groups was 90.4% (141/156) , with no statistical difference between groups (P>0.05) . Compared with the negative control, the organ coefficient for the liver in the high dose TCE group and the positive control group were significantly increased (P<0.05) . The levels of ALT, AST, LDH and BUN in the all the three TCE groups and the positive control were significantly higher than those in the negative control (P<0.01) . CREA levels in the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg TCE groups were significantly higher than those in the negative control (P<0.05) . Statistical increases in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and the activities of ALT and AST in various doses of TCE-exposed mice as compared with the control were observed (P<0.01) , in a dose-dependent manner. In the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg of TCE treated mice, levels of SET and H2AK9ac were increased (P<0.05) , while HDAC1 was decreased (P<0.05) , Compared to the tissue adjacent to liver cancer, in the 1000 and 2000 mg/kg TCE groups, the levels of SET were increased (P<0.05) , while HDAC1 was decreased (P<0.05) , and H2AK9ac increased in the 2000 mg/kg group. Conclusion: The hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model induced by chronic exposure to trichloroethylene was successfully established, with enhanced SET protein expression and H2AK9ac in the hepatic tissue.

[Combining intraoperative ultrasound-guided irreversible electroporation with chemotherapy for treating locally advanced pancreatic cancer: a clinical report of 64 cases]

Objective: To examine the safety and clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided irreversible electroporation (IRE) using the open surgery approach, after induction chemotherapy, in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) . Methods: The data of 64 LAPC patients who underwent ultrasound-guided IRE using the open surgery approach after induction chemotherapy at Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from August 2015 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The study comprised of 30 males and 34 females, with median age of 58.5 years old (range: 34 to 87 years old) , were included in this study.The tumor was located in the pancreatic head and body/tail in 30 and 34 patients, respectively.The largest recorded tumor size was 6.1 cm (≤4.0 cm: n=35; >4.0 cm: n=29) .To create an electric field around the tumor, Two to six probes were parallelly inserted into each patient's tumor, based on the size of the tumor, at a distance of 2 cm apart through the transverse mesocolon in a caudal-to-cranial direction.According to the numerical sequence of patients undergoing ultrasound-guided IRE, the first 15 cases and following 49 patients were categorized as the primary and secondary treatment group, respectively.T text or χ(2) test was analyzed to the data between two groups.The study endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) , which were investigated using Kaplan-Meier method, and their differences were compared using log-rank test. Results: The overall length of hospital stay was (8.9±2.7) days (range: 5 to 20 days) . Four patients were lost to follow-up.The study follow-up rate was 93.8%, with a median follow-up time of 29.3 months (range: 13.5 to 55.7 months) .The median OS and PFS of the entire cohort was 24.6 months (95% CI: 22.0 to 27.3 months) and 12.0 months (95%CI: 8.8 to 15.2 months) , respectively.One month after IRE, abdominal pain was significantly relieved in 95.3% of the patients (t=-28.55, P<0.01) .The rate of complications in the entire cohort was 20.3% and all were classified as grade B.Of them, pancreatic fistula, incisional infection, and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage were observed in 7, 4, and 2 cases, respectively.The rate of complications for patients in the primary and secondary treatment groups were significantly different (10/15 vs. 6.1%) , respectively (χ(2)=26.01, P<0.01) .Further, two deaths were observed after IRE in the primary treatment group, while none was observed in the secondary treatment group. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided IRE using the open surgery approach after induction chemotherapy is found to be safe and effective in treating patients with LAPC.However, these findings should be validated in prospective randomized trials before wide clinical application.

[Safety analysis of 12 241 infants inoculated in three sites of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis and haemophilus influenzae type b combined vaccine in Chaoyang District of Beijing]

Objective: To observe the adverse reactions of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Acellular Pertussis and Haemophilus Influenzae Type b Combined Vaccine conjugate vaccine at the anterolateral thigh muscle, upper arm deltoid muscle and upper gluteal region. Methods: A total of 12 241 infants who were voluntarily vaccinated DTaP-Hib from April 2015 to April 2019 in Beijing were selected for the study. DTaP-Hib vaccine is recommended for 3, 4, 5 months of age for basic immunization and 18 to 24 months of age to strengthen immunization. Subjects were divided into the groups of lateral thigh muscle, the upper arm deltoid and upper gluteal region according to the actual inoculation sites. Adverse reactions were collected within 30 minutes and 7 days after each does of vaccination at different sites and compared between three groups. The incidence of adverse reactions at the three different inoculation sites was compared by Chi-square test. Results: A total of 12 241 infants and toddlers received combined DTaP-Hib and 35 027 doses of DTaP-Hib were investigated. The number and of lateral thigh muscles, upper arm deltoids and gluteal muscles were 3 461 infants and 11 129 doses, 2 659 infants and 7 957 doses, 6 121 infants and 15 941 doses respectively. A total of 2 489 adverse reactions occurred. The incidence of adverse reactions was 7.11%. The incidence of adverse reactions in deltoid muscle of upper arm was 9.69%（771 doses）, which was higher than that in gluteal muscle (7.58%, 1 211 doses) and anterolateral muscle of thigh (4.56%, 507 doses). The incidence of mild, moderate and severe adverse reactions in the upper arm deltoid group were higher than those in the other two groups. The incidence rates were 4.85% (386 doses), 3.77% (300 doses) and 1.07% (85 doses) respectively. The differences between groups were statistically significant（P<0.001）. The total adverse reactions of the three doses of basic immunization and the fourth dose of enhanced immunization had the same trend in different parts. The incidence of adverse reactions was in the order of the upper arm deltoid injection, upper gluteal injection and lateral thigh muscle injection from high to low. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion: The incidence of adverse reactions of DTaP-Hib vaccination in three different sites was low, which confirmed that the DTaP-Hib vaccination got expected safety regardless of the sites of inoculation. The lateral femoral muscle group had the lowest incidence of adverse reactions, hence it should be preferred as the inoculation site of DTaP-Hib vaccination.

[Analysis of the relationship between the number of lymph nodes examined and prognosis for curatively resected gallbladder carcinoma: a multi-institutional study]

Objective: To examine the role of the number of lymph nodes examined(NLNE) on the prognosis of patients with curatively resected gallbladder carcinoma(GBC). Methods: The clinicopathological data and prognosis of 401 patients with GBC who underwent radical surgery from six institutions of China from January 2013 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 153 males(38.2%) and 248 females(61.8%), with age of (62.0±10.5) years (range: 30-88 years). Fifty-three patients(22.2%) were accompanied by jaundice. All patients underwent radical resection+regional lymphadenectomy.R0 or R1 resection was confirmed by postoperative pathological examination.The different cut-off values of NLNE were determined by the X-tile software, the optimal cut-off values were identified by analyzing the relationship between different cut-off values of NLNE with survival rate. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Univariate and multivariate analysis were implemented respectively using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Among the 401 patients enrolled, 135 cases (33.6%) had lymphatic metastasis, of which 98 cases were in N1 stage(24.4%) and 37 cases were in N2 stage(9.2%).A total of 2 794 NLNE were retrieved, with a median count of 6 (5).The median positive lymph nodes count was 0 (1), and the median positive lymph nodes ratio was 0 (IQR, 0-0.2). Since the 12 and 15 were determined as the cut-off values by X-tile, all patients were divided into three groups of 1-11, 12-15 and ≥16.The 3-year survival rate of the three groups was 45.2%, 74.5%, 12.0% respectively, with statistically significant difference between three groups (χ(2)=10.94, P<0.01). The results of multivariate analysis showed that NLNE was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P<0.05). Further analysis was performed specifically for subgroup of T stages. For T1b patients, the prognosis of the NLNE with 1-7 group was significantly better than that of the ≥8 group(χ(2)=4.610, P<0.05). For T2 patients, the prognosis of the TLNE ≥7 group was significantly better than that of 1 -6 group (χ(2)=4.287, P<0.05). For T3 and T4 patients, the prognosis of the TLNE with 12 - 15 group was significantly better than that of 1 -11 group (χ(2)=5.007, P<0.01) and ≥16 group (χ(2)=10.158, P<0.01). Conclusions: The NLNE is an independent factor affecting the prognosis of patients with GBC.For patients with stage T1b,8 lymph nodes should be retrieved; for patients with stage T2,extensive dissection of more than 6 lymph nodes can significantly improve the prognosis.For advanced patients (stages T3 and T4), extensive dissection with 12-15 lymph nodes is recommended. However, it fails to get more survival benefits by dissecting more than 16 lymph nodes.

[Association between fruit consumption and stroke in adults in Qingdao: a prospective study]

Objective: To understand the fruit consumption of adults of Qingdao and examine the association between fruit consumption and stroke. Methods: We analyzed baseline data and stroke incidence of the participants who were aged 30-79 years and had been enrolled into the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study from Qingdao city. Cox proportional hazards regression model was conducted to estimate the association of fruit consumption with risk of stroke. Results: A total of 35 509 participants were investgated in the baseline survey. Ratio of male to female was 1∶1.27, and the average age was (50.3±10.2) years. Respondents with higher frequency of fruit consumption were younger, more women, with higher education level and higher income (P<0.05). A total of 1 011 new cases of stroke were observed, with a stroke incidence of 387.63/100 000 person-years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that fruit consumption had a protective effect on stroke incidence. Compared to the respondents who never consumed fruit, respondents who consumed fruit more than 4 days per week had a 44% lower risk of stroke incidence (HR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.50-0.62, P<0.05), and the risk reduced by 46% (HR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.46-0.64, P<0.05) and 42% (HR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.52-0.69, P<0.05) in male and female, respectively. Further adjustment for WC, BMI, SBP and random blood glucose did not change the association. Conclusion: Increasing fruit consumption can effectively decrease the risk of stroke. People should increase fruit consumption advisably to set up reasonable and healthy dietary habits.

[Pilot study of the relationship between clinical classification of gallbladder cancer and prognosis: a retrospective multicenter clinical study]

Objectives: To propose a novel clinical classification system of gallbladder cancer, and to investigate the differences of clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis based on patients who underwent radical resection with different types of gallbladder cancer. Methods: The clinical data of 1 059 patients with gallbladder cancer underwent radical resection in 12 institutions in China from January 2013 to December 2017 were retrospectively collected and analyzed.There were 389 males and 670 females, aged (62.0±10.5)years(range:22-88 years).According to the location of tumor and the mode of invasion,the tumors were divided into peritoneal type, hepatic type, hepatic hilum type and mixed type, the surgical procedures were divided into regional radical resection and extended radical resection.The correlation between different types and T stage, N stage, vascular invasion, neural invasion, median survival time and surgical procedures were analyzed.Rates were compared by χ(2) test, survival analysis was carried by Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank test. Results: Regional radical resection was performed in 940 cases,including 81 cases in T1 stage,859 cases in T2-T4 stage,119 cases underwent extended radical resection;R0 resection was achieved in 990 cases(93.5%).The overall median survival time was 28 months.There were 81 patients in Tis-T1 stage and 978 patients in T2-T4 stage.The classification of gallbladder cancer in patients with T2-T4 stage: 345 cases(35.3%)of peritoneal type, 331 cases(33.8%) of hepatic type, 122 cases(12.5%) of hepatic hilum type and 180 cases(18.4%) of mixed type.T stage(χ(2)=288.60,P<0.01),N stage(χ(2)=68.10, P<0.01), vascular invasion(χ(2)=128.70, P<0.01)and neural invasion(χ(2)=54.30, P<0.01)were significantly correlated with the classification.The median survival time of peritoneal type,hepatic type,hepatic hilum type and mixed type was 48 months,21 months,16 months and 11 months,respectively(χ(2)=80.60,P<0.01).There was no significant difference in median survival time between regional radical resection and extended radical resection in the peritoneal type,hepatic type,hepatic hilum type and mixed type(all P>0.05). Conclusion: With application of new clinical classification, different types of gallbladder cancer are proved to be correlated with TNM stage, malignant biological behavior and prognosis, which will facilitate us in preoperative evaluation,surgical planning and prognosis evaluation.

[Genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood]

Objective: To explore the correlation between ATP1A3 genotype and phenotype in children with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC). Methods: This was a retrospective study. The clinical data and peripheral blood DNA of AHC patients were collected in Peking University First Hospital from August 2005 to December 2017. ATP1A3 gene mutations were screened by Sanger sequencing or next generation sequencing (NGS). AHC patients were divided into difference groups according to different hotspot mutations. SPSS 23.0 was used to analyze the correlation between genotype and phenotype. Variance analysis was used to compare the measurement data between groups. Chi square test was used to compare the categorical data between groups. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the unidirectional ordered data between groups. Least-significant difference(LSD) was used to compare the data between two groups. Results: A total of 119 AHC patients were recruited, including 68 males and 51 females. The onset age of 113 (95.0%) patients was within 18 months. There were 119 cases (100.0%) with hemiplegic seizures, 109 cases (91.6%) with abnormal eyeball movements, 104 cases (87.4%) with dystonia, 31 cases (26.1%) with autonomic neurological symptoms, 31 cases (26.1%) with epileptic seizures and 117 cases (98.3%) with long-term developmental delay. In 113 patients (95.0%) with ATP1A3 gene mutations, 111 were de novo mutation and 2 were genetic mutations. A total of 39 mutation types were found, including 37 missense mutations and 2 deletion mutations. Seventeen of them were novel mutations. The three hotspot mutations were D801N (n=34, 30.1%), E815K (n=20, 17.7%) and G947R (n=13, 11.5%). The age of onset of D801N and E815K were earlier than G947R ((3.1±2.1)and (2.3±2.3)vs.(6.4±7.7) months, P=0.004 and 0.003). The age of first hemiplegic events of D801N and E815K were earlier than G947R((6.4±3.1) and (6.8±3.3) vs. (11.4±10.1) months, P=0.004 and 0.016). More patients with E815K mutations presented epilepsy than those with D801N (P=0.003) and G947R (P=0.001). More patients with E815K mutations presented greater motor and intellectual disability than the patients with D801N (P=0.001) and G947R mutations (P=0.001). Conclusions: ATP1A3 gene is the main causative gene of AHC. Three hotspot mutations, D801N, E815K and G947R, were found. Hotspot mutation E815K is associated with the most severe phenotype, which presented an earlier age at the time of the first paroxysmal manifestation and first hemiplegic event, severer developmental delay and a greater proportion of epilepsy.

[A multicenter retrospective study for the prognosis of T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma underwent different surgical procedure]

Objective: To explore the prognosis of patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma underwent different surgical procedure. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 97 patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma came from 8 clinical centers from January 2010 to December 2016 and 794 patients who were admitted to the SEER database of USA from January 1973 to December 2014 were analyzed.There were 891 patients including 254 males and 637 females (1.0∶2.5) with age of (69.5±12.0)years. There were 380 patients who were less than 70 years old, 511 patients who were more than 70 years old. And there were 213 patients with the diameter of tumor less than 20 mm, 270 patients with the diameter of tumor more than 20 mm, 408 patients were unclear. There were 196 patients with well differentiation, 407 patients with moderately differentiation, 173 patients with poorly differentiation, 8 patients with undifferentiated, 107 patients were unclear. In the 891 patients with T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma, there were 562 cases accepted the simple cholecystectomy, 231 cases with simple cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy, and 98 cases with radical cholecystectomy. The time of follow-up were until June 2017. χ(2) test was used to analyze the enumeration data, rank-sum test was used to analyze the measurement data, the analyses of prognostic factors were used Cox proportional hazards model, the survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The results of Cox proportional hazards model indicated, age, differentiation, surgical procedure were the risk factors of prognostic(1.929(1.594-2.336), P<0.01; 1.842(1.404-2.416), P<0.01; 1.216(0.962-1.538), P<0.01). The results of Kaplan Meier test indicated, the overall survival of T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma were (85.5±3.8)months, the overall survival of patients with simple cholecystectomy were (71.3±4.4)months, the overall survival of patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy were(87.6±5.8)months, and the overall survival of patients with radical cholecystectomy were(101.7±9.3)months. The overall survival of patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy and radical cholecystectomy were more than simple cholecystectomy(P<0.05). There were 329 patients with Lymph nodes examined in and after operations(231 patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy, 98 patients with radical cholecystectomy). There were 265 patients with negative lymph node metastasis, the overall survival were(98.3±4.2)months. There were 64 patients with positive lymph node metastasis, the overall survival were(75.5±3.1)months. The overall survival of 38 patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy were(62.7±2.6) months, and 26 patients with radical cholecystectomy were (82.2±3.7)months. The overall survival of patients with radical cholecystectomy were more than cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy(P<0.05). Conclusions: The T1b stage gallbladder carcinoma patients with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy or radical cholecystectomy has improved the prognosis comparing with simple cholecystectomy, significantly. When lymph node metastasis occurs, radical cholecystectomy has improved the prognosis comparing with cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy.

[The survival prediction model of advanced gallbladder cancer based on Bayesian network: a multi-institutional study]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of Bayesian network in predicting survival of patients with advanced gallbladder cancer(GBC)who underwent curative intent surgery. Methods: The clinical data of patients with advanced GBC who underwent curative intent surgery in 9 institutions from January 2010 to December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively.A median survival time model based on a tree augmented naïve Bayes algorithm was established by Bayesia Lab software.The survival time, number of metastatic lymph nodes(NMLN), T stage, pathological grade, margin, jaundice, liver invasion, age, sex and tumor morphology were included in this model.Confusion matrix, the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve were used to evaluate the accuracy of the model.A priori statistical analysis of these 10 variables and a posterior analysis(survival time as the target variable, the remaining factors as the attribute variables)was performed.The importance rankings of each variable was calculated with the polymorphic Birnbaum importance calculation based on the posterior analysis results.The survival probability forecast table was constructed based on the top 4 prognosis factors. The survival curve was drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences in survival curves were compared using the Log-rank test. Results: A total of 316 patients were enrolled, including 109 males and 207 females.The ratio of male to female was 1.0∶1.9, the age was (62.0±10.8)years.There was 298 cases(94.3%) R0 resection and 18 cases(5.7%) R1 resection.T staging: 287 cases(90.8%) T3 and 29 cases(9.2%) T4.The median survival time(MST) was 23.77 months, and the 1, 3, 5-year survival rates were 67.4%, 40.8%, 32.0%, respectively.For the Bayesian model, the number of correctly predicted cases was 121(≤23.77 months) and 115(>23.77 months) respectively, leading to a 74.86% accuracy of this model.The prior probability of survival time was 0.503 2(≤23.77 months) and 0.496 8(>23.77 months), the importance ranking showed that NMLN(0.366 6), margin(0.350 1), T stage(0.319 2) and pathological grade(0.258 9) were the top 4 prognosis factors influencing the postoperative MST.These four factors were taken as observation variables to get the probability of patients in different survival periods.Basing on these results, a survival prediction score system including NMLN, margin, T stage and pathological grade was designed, the median survival time(month) of 4-9 points were 66.8, 42.4, 26.0, 9.0, 7.5 and 2.3, respectively, there was a statistically significant difference in the different points(P<0.01). Conclusions: The survival prediction model of GBC based on Bayesian network has high accuracy.NMLN, margin, T staging and pathological grade are the top 4 risk factors affecting the survival of patients with advanced GBC who underwent curative resection.The survival prediction score system based on these four factors could be used to predict the survival and to guide the decision making of patients with advanced GBC.

Jujube leaf green tea extracts inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating AMPK

Here we evaluated the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity by the Jujube leaf green tea extracts (JLGTE). We showed that JLGTE exerted anti-proliferative, cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activities against HepG2 and primary human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. It was however non-cytotoxic to the normal hepatocytes. JLGTE activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, which was required for its cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Silence of AMPKα1, via targeted short hairpin RNAs or CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, inhibited JLGTE-induced AMPK activation and HepG2 cell apoptosis. Further, in-activation of AMPK by a dominant negative AMPKα1 (T172A) also alleviated JLGTE's cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells. On the other hand, forced-activation of AMPK by introduction of a constitutively-active AMPKα1 (T172D) mimicked JLGTE's actions and led to HepG2 cell apoptosis. These results suggest that JLGTE inhibits human hepatocellular carcinoma cells possibly via activating AMPK.

Metastasis-associated gene 1 expression in human medulloblastoma and its association with invasion and metastasis in medulloblastoma Daoy cell lines

This study aims to investigate the expression of metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1) in human medulloblastoma, and its significance in the invasion and metastasis in a medulloblastoma cell line. Positive expression rate of MTA1 protein in medulloblastoma and adjacent normal tissues collected from 29 medulloblastoma patients was detected by immunohistochemistry assay in vivo. In in vitro experiments, Daoy cells were transfected with MTA1-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA, MTA1-siRNA group), niRNA (MTA1-niRNA group), and plasmid vectors (control group). Transfection efficiency was evaluated by PT-PCR and western blot; cell adhesion, migration, and invasion capacity was assessed by adhesion assays, scratch assays, and transwell chamber invasion assays, respectively. Results indicated that the positive expression rate of MTA1 protein in the medulloblastoma tissues was higher as compared with that of the adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.05). In addition, mRNA and protein expression of MTA1 in the MTA1-siRNA group was lower than that in the control and MTA1- niRNA groups (P < 0.05). Adhesion, migration, and invasion capacity of Daoy cells in the MTA1-siRNA group was inhibited as compared with the control and MTA1-niRNA groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, MTA1 expression was increased in medulloblastoma cells, while MTA1 knockdown in medulloblastoma cells inhibited MTA1 expression. In addition, MTA1 knockdown inhibited the adhesion, migration, and invasive capabilities of medulloblastoma cells. It is possible that MTA1 can serve as a biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.

Incidence of hospitalization and its associated factors in first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong

AIM

This study examined the incidence of hospitalization and its associated factors in patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong.

METHOD

From 2009 to 2011, 360 patients were recruited consecutively as part of a controlled study of an early psychosis intervention service (the Jockey Club Early Psychosis project) in Hong Kong. Demographic and clinical information were obtained from face-to-face interviews and was reconfirmed using medical records. Factors relating to hospitalization during first episode were explored.

RESULTS

The incidence of hospitalization during first-episode psychosis was 57.2%. Patients who were hospitalized had higher antipsychotics chlorpromazine equivalent dosage, higher positive and negative syndrome scale total score, higher Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser others mean score and were more likely to have an acute mode of onset compared with those who were not hospitalized.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalization was common in first-episode psychosis. Future studies are needed to explore possible programmes to prevent hospitalization in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Comparison of antioxidant activities of different parts from snow chrysanthemum (Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.) and identification of their natural antioxidants using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt-based assay

Snow chrysanthemum (Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.), a world-widely well-known flower tea material, has attracted more and more attention because of its beneficial health effects such as antioxidant activity and special flavor. In this study, a high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt (ABTS) based assay was employed for comparison and identification of antioxidants in different samples of snow chrysanthemum. The results showed that snow chrysanthemum flowers possessed the highest while stems presented the lowest antioxidant capacities. Fourteen detected peaks with antioxidant activity were temporarily identified as 3,4',5,6,7-pentahydroxyflavanone-O-hexoside, chlorogenic acid, 2R-3',4',8-trihydroxyflavanone-7-O-glucoside, flavanomarein, flavanocorepsin, flavanokanin, quercetagitin-7-O-glucoside, 3',5,5',7-tetrahydroxyflavanone-O-hexoside, marein, maritimein, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, coreopsin, okanin and acetyl-marein by comparing their UV spectra, retention times and MS data with standards or literature data. Antioxidants existed in snow chrysanthemum are quite different from those reported in Chrysanthemum morifolium, a well-known traditional beverage in China, which indicated that snow chrysanthemum may be a promising herbal tea material with obvious antioxidant activity.

Decoding glycome of Astragalus membranaceus based on pressurized liquid extraction, microwave-assisted hydrolysis and chromatographic analysis

Carbohydrates in herbs are a relatively untapped source of new drugs and health beneficial ingredients. Their analysis has been developed as a novel aspect in quality control and herbal glycomics. In this study, glycome of Astragalus membranaceus was decoded based on optimized pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), microwave-assisted acidic hydrolysis (MAAH) and comprehensive chromatographic approaches. Twelve saccharides including sucrose, galacturonic acid, mannitol, fructose, rhamnose, ribose, arabinose, fucose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose were quantitatively analyzed by GC-MS and HPLC-CAD (charged aerosol detectors). Different columns, including Prevail Carbohydrate ES, XBridge Amide and CARBOSep CHO-820 CA for HPLC-CAD analysis, were compared for evaluation of oligosaccharides. The polysaccharides in water extract of Astragalus membranaceus were characterized by high performance size exclusive chromatography (HPSEC) combined with multiple angle light scattering detection (MALSD) and refractive index detection (RID). The results showed that A. membranaceus contained more than 108.5mgg(-1) free sucrose and small amounts of glucose 9.6-26.0mgg(-1) and fructose 8.7-22.9mgg(-1). While its polymeric carbohydrates were composed of glucose 71.0-162.3mgg(-1), galacturonic acid 52.0-113.4mgg(-1), arabinose 22.8-54.4mgg(-1) and small amounts of galactose, rhamnose, xylose and mannose. CARBOSep CHO-820 CA showed its potential in simultaneously analyzing oligosaccharides and uronic acid, especially only the environment-friendly water mobile phase was used. HPSEC-MALSD-RID showed that there were three different molecular weight distributions of polysaccharides in A. membranaceus and the average molecular weight were 21901.1, 2038.5, and 353.4kDa. Hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis demonstrated that A. membranaceus from different regions showed variations both in free and polymeric carbohydrates, which indicated that carbohydrates should be evaluated for the proper quality control of A. membranaceus. Rha, Ara, Xyl, Man and Gal were found to be the main elements for quality evaluation of polymeric carbohydrates in A. membranaceus by factor analysis. The strategy for decoding the glycome based on chromatographic approaches including GC-MS, HPLC-CAD and HPSEC-MALSD-RID after pressurized liquid extraction and microwave-assisted hydrolysis could be applied for carbohydrates profiling in herbs and beneficial for their quality control.

Effect of sample preparation on components and liver toxicity of Polygonum multiflorum

It was shown that different extracts had significant differences in the toxicity of Polygonum multiflorum. In this study, the effect of sample preparation on components and liver toxicity of different extracts from P. multiflorum were determined. Hepatoxic components were discovered based on biomembrane extraction. Comparative chemistry and toxicology between ethanol and water extracts were also performed. The results showed that ethanol extract had much stronger hepatotoxicity, the content of emodin-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, physcion-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, emodin and physcion was significantly higher in ethanol extract than in water extract, while the human hepatocytes extraction showed that 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, emodin-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, physcion-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, emodin and physcion had interaction with human hepatocytes. The hepatotoxic effect of these components was investigated on human hepatocytes LO2 cells and emodin-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, physcion-8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, emodin and physcion were finally confirmed to be, at least partial, hepatotoxic components. The results showed that sample preparation has significant effect on components in extracts of P. multiflorum especially the components related to hepatotoxicity. Water extract, the conventional administration form of Chinese herbs, is prefer for phytotherapy before well understanding their chemistry and biological activities.

Seasonal variation and source apportionment of organic tracers in PM10 in Chengdu, China

Organic compound tracers including n-alkanes, triterpane, sterane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dicarboxylic acids of airborne particulate matter (PM10) were characterized for samples collected at five sites from July 2010 to March 2011 using GC/MS. Spatial and temporal variations of these organic tracers in PM10 were studied, and their sources were then identified respectively. Average daily concentrations of PM10 varied in different seasons with the trend of PM10 in winter (0.133 mg/m(3)) > autumn (0.120 mg/m(3)) > spring (0.103 mg/m(3)) > summer (0.098 mg/m(3)). Daily concentrations of n-alkanes (C11-C36) ranged from 12.11 to 163.58 ng/m(3) with a mean of 61.99 ng/m(3). The C max and CPI index of n-alkanes indicated that vehicle emissions were the major source in winter, while the contributions of high plant wax emissions became significant in other seasons. It was discovered that the main sources of triterpenoid and steranes were gasoline and diesel engine emissions. Concentrations of ∑15PAHs in PM10 also varied (12.25-58.56 ng/m(3)) in different seasons, and chrysene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(ghi) perylene and fluoranthene were the dominant components. In the four seasons, the concentration of ∑15PAHs was relatively higher at the northern site because of traffic congestion. The main source of airborne PAHs was traffic emissions and coal combustion. Average daily concentrations of dicarboxylic acids (C4-C10) in PM10 ranged from 12.11 to 163.58 ng/m(3), of which azeleic acid was the major compound (0.49-52.04 ng/m(3), average 14.93 ng/m(3)), followed by succinic acid (0.56-19.08 ng/m(3), average 6.84 ng/m(3)). The ratio of C6/C9 showed that the major source in winter was biological, while the contributions of emissions from anthropogenic activities were much higher in summer.

Analysis of DNA methylation patterns and levels in maize hybrids and their parents

Heterosis is the superior performance of heterozygous individuals and has been widely exploited in plant breeding, although the underlying regulatory mechanisms still remain largely elusive. To understand the molecular basis of heterosis in maize, in this study, roots and leaves at the seedling stage and embryos and endosperm tissues 15 days after fertilization of 2 elite hybrids and their parental lines were used to estimate the levels and patterns of cytosine methylation by the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism method. The relative total methylation levels were lower in all the tissues of all hybrids than their corresponding mid-parent values, and the number of demethylation events was higher in the hybrids. These results implied that the decreasing trend and demethylation in hybrids relative to their parents may enable the derepression and possibly expression of many genes that were associated with the phenotypic variation in hybrids. To further analyze the observed methylation pattern changes, a total of 63 differentially displayed DNA fragments were successfully sequenced. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis showed that 11 fragments shared similarity with known functional proteins in maize or other plant species, including metabolism, transposon/retrotransposon, development, stress response, and signal transduction, which indicated that these genes might play a significant role in maize hybrid vigor.

Analysis of DNA methylation patterns and levels in maize hybrids and their parents

Heterosis is the superior performance of heterozygous individuals and has been widely exploited in plant breeding, although the underlying regulatory mechanisms still remain largely elusive. To understand the molecular basis of heterosis in maize, in this study, roots and leaves at the seedling stage and embryos and endosperm tissues 15 days after fertilization of 2 elite hybrids and their parental lines were used to estimate the levels and patterns of cytosine methylation by the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism method. The relative total methylation levels were lower in all the tissues of all hybrids than their corresponding mid-parent values, and the number of demethylation events was higher in the hybrids. These results implied that the decreasing trend and demethylation in hybrids relative to their parents may enable the derepression and possibly expression of many genes that were associated with the phenotypic variation in hybrids. To further analyze the observed methylation pattern changes, a total of 63 differentially displayed DNA fragments were successfully sequenced. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis showed that 11 fragments shared similarity with known functional proteins in maize or other plant species, including metabolism, transposon/retrotransposon, development, stress response, and signal transduction, which indicated that these genes might play a significant role in maize hybrid vigor.

Barriers to tuberculosis care for drug users in two provinces of China: a qualitative study

SETTING

Two compulsory drug rehabilitation centres in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, Southwest China.

OBJECTIVE

To understand barriers to tuberculosis (TB) care among drug users in China, and to provide policy recommendations to improve TB control in the drug-using population.

DESIGN

A qualitative study was designed using in-depth interviews with 147 drug users with TB and 12 key informants. Drug users were purposively selected from two compulsory drug rehabilitation centres and key informants from national and provincial justice administration, local TB control dispensaries and compulsory drug rehabilitation centres.

RESULTS

Lack of health awareness and knowledge was reported as one barrier to TB care among drug users. The majority of the respondents lacked social support and perceived fear and stigma when seeking TB care. More than half of the respondents who had discontinued their anti-tuberculosis treatment reported that this was due to drug use. Limited provision of TB care in the compulsory drug rehabilitation centres and local TB control dispensaries was also reported as one of the barriers to TB care among drug users.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that barriers to TB care for drug users are associated not only with the drug users themselves, but also with the providers and societal factors. Health professionals and policy makers should be aware of these barriers in China.

Abstract P4-01-07: Evaluation of FLT PET-CT as an imaging biomarker of proliferation in primary breast cancer

Background

[18F]flurothymidine (FLT) is proposed as an positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarker of proliferation for breast cancer. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the feasibility of FLT PET-CT as a technique for predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in operable breast cancer and to compare baseline FLT to Ki-67.

Methods

20 patients with primary breast cancer were recruited into this study and 19 received NAC with FEC (n = 6) or FEC-T (n = 13). A baseline FLT PET-CT scan was performed and repeated before the second cycle of chemotherapy. Expression of Ki-67 in the diagnostic biopsy was quantified after being stained by Dako Ki67 MIB-1 antibody and% positive cells scored. From the FLT PET-CT scans standardized uptake value maximum (SUVmax) were calculated.

Results

All 20 patients completed the baseline scan and 17 completed the second scan. Baseline Ki-67 results were available for 19 patients. Median age was 52 years (range 32 to 67), 12 patients were ER/ PR +ve, 6 Her-2 +ve and 6 triple negative.

Mean baseline SUVmax was 7.3 (range 2.92 to 13.87) and 4.62 (range 1.79 to 14.15) post 1 cycle of NAC (range 7 to 14 days), representing a drop of 2.68 (36.3%). Mean baseline Ki-67 was 32.23 (range 2.3 to 68.4). Pearsons correlation showed a significant correlation between pre-chemotherapy Ki-67 and SUVmax of 0.604 (p = 0.006).

7 out of 17 (41%) patients achieved near pCR or pCR (pathological responders) after NAC and all of these had a reduction in SUVmax with a mean percentage value of –36.5% (range -0.5% to -62.5%). 10 out of 17 (59%) patients were non-responders and 8 of these had a reduction in SUVmax with a mean percentage value of -36.2% (range 11.3% to -70.7).

Conclusions

Baseline SUVmax measurements of FLT PET-CT were significantly related to Ki-67 suggesting that it is a proliferation biomarker. However, in this series neither the baseline value or the change in SUVmax after one cycle of NAC were able to predict response as most patients had a sizeable SUVmax reduction.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-01-07.

Routine and dynamic MR imaging study of lobular capillary hemangioma of the nasal cavity with comparison to inverting papilloma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Lobular capillary hemangioma is an uncommon lesion, and its MR imaging appearance has not been fully characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the MR imaging features of nasal lobular capillary hemangioma and contrast its imaging characteristics to inverting papilloma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The MR imaging signals of 32 patients with histopathologically proven nasal lobular capillary hemangiomas and 53 patients with nasal inverted papillomas were retrospectively studied. The findings of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging in 24 lobular capillary hemangiomas and in 53 inverted papillomas were also analyzed. The Monte Carlo exact test was used for comparison of the time-intensity curve patterns of lobular capillary hemangioma and inverted papilloma.

RESULTS

All lobular capillary hemangiomas appeared to be homogeneously isointense to gray matter on T1-weighted images. On T2-weighted images, all lesions showed heterogeneous hyperintensity, and a thin peripheral isointense or hypointense ring was seen in 28 patients. All lesions showed marked enhancement on enhanced images, with the exception of enhancement of the T2 isointense or hypointense ring. Forty-three (81.1%) inverted papillomas had moderate heterogeneous T2 signal intensity, and a characteristic "cerebriform" appearance was detected in 45 (84.91%) of 53 inverted papillomas. The time-intensity curves showed a washout pattern in 18 and a plateau pattern in 6 patients, whereas inverted papillomas showed a washout pattern in 12, a plateau pattern in 35, and a persistent pattern in 6 patients. There was a statistically significant difference as to time-intensity curve pattern between the 2 groups (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperintensity on T2-weighted images, marked enhancement of tumor with a nonenhancing thin peripheral ring, and a washout time-intensity curve pattern are characteristic MR imaging features of nasal lobular capillary hemangiomas.

Complementary laboratory indices for predicting the disease status of patients with hepatitis B virus infection

To identify complementary laboratory indices for determining the disease status of patients with hepatitis B virus. Subjects were divided into six groups: hepatitis B virus carrier, mild chronic hepatitis B, moderate chronic hepatitis B, severe chronic hepatitis B, fulminant hepatitis B and healthy controls. Serum alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were measured by an automatic analyser. The levels of T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3, macrophage inflammatory protein 2, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and inducible nitric oxide synthase were measured by ELISA. T-cell immunoglobulin domain, mucin-domain-containing molecule-3, macrophage inflammatory protein 2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase levels were significantly higher in patients with severe chronic hepatitis B compared with those in patients with mild and moderate chronic hepatitis B or fulminant hepatitis B (P < 0.05). When normal or abnormal alanine aminotransferase was present, significant differences between macrophage inflammatory protein 2 and T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 levels between patients with mild, moderate, severe chronic hepatitis B or fulminant hepatitis B were observed (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin-domain-containing molecule-3 and macrophage inflammatory protein 2 could serve as alanine aminotransferase, direct bilirubin or total bilirubin complementary indices for determining the status of patients with hepatitis B.

Degradation of nitenpyram pesticide in aqueous solution by low-temperature plasma

In order to study the new technique of plasma wastewater treatment, the degradation behaviour ofnitenpyram (NTP) pesticide was investigated in a low-temperature plasma formed during a dielectric barrier discharge process. The reactor was a radial flow sedimentation tank centred around the water inlet. We studied the effect of pesticide concentration and input power of the dielectric barrier discharge, together with the effect of external factors on the degradation of nitenpyram pesticide wastewater such as conductivity and the use of various of catalysts, and the reaction products were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The results showed that NTP could be effectively removed from aqueous solution by low-temperature plasma. Increasing the input power could improve the efficiency of degradation, conforming to a first-order kinetic model. Use of a suitable catalyst clearly improved the degradation process, as also did low conductivity. The pH of NTP was reduced with discharge time.

Abstract P1-06-01: Upregulation of metabolism as a potential resistance mechanism to bevacizumab in primary breast cancer

Background: Recently the FDA has withdrawn the indication for bevacizumab in metastatic breast cancer after several clinical studies failed to demonstrate an overall survival benefit. These studies however did report an increase in response rates to chemotherapy and improvement in progression free survival, suggesting a pattern of response to the drug followed by the development of resistance. We have little knowledge of the molecular mechanisms driving the development of resistance to bevacizumab. To better understand these mechanisms, we have conducted a window of opportunity study using a single cycle of bevacizumab with detailed pharmacodynamic assessments using gene expression arrays and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).

Methods: After ethical approval, 47 newly diagnosed locally advanced breast cancer patients were prospectively enrolled in this trial. Patients received single dose bevacizumab (15mg/ kg) 2 weeks prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent core biopsies for gene expression and immunohistochemistry analysis and DCE-MRI scans before and 2 weeks after bevacizumab. 35 patients who had invasive ductal carcinoma together with good quality MRI scans and core biopsies before and after bevacizumab were included in this analysis. Pharmacokinetic (PK) modelling techniques were used to quantify PK parameters (Ktrans, kep, ve) from the DCE-MRI data. Gene expression profiling was performed using the Affymetrix Human Exon 1.0 ST arrays.

Results: The majority of patients (28/35) showed a significant reduction in vessel permeability and blood flow of at least 30% following bevacizumab, with a mean decrease in the forward transfer constant (P &lt; 0.0001) and the reverse rate constant kep (P &lt; 0.0001). From gene expression and immunohistochemistry analyses, we identified several key metabolism-related genes that are significantly up-regulated after bevacizumab treatment, including pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isozyme 1 (PDK1) (fig.1) and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9). In addition, we found a number of interesting genes that are down-regulated after bevacizumab treatment, including sulfatase-1 (SULF1), and cyclin E1 (CCNE1).

Discussion: This study highlights that the combination of DCE-MRI and gene expression arrays can lead to an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing response and resistance to anti-angiogenic therapy. Heterogeneity of response to bevacizumab was demonstrated, with some tumours showing increases or no change in Ktrans and others marked reductions, which may be of value in early stratification for therapy maintenance. Furthermore, the gene expression analysis showed activation of pathways, which could contribute to the development of resistance. For example, we observed significant up regulation of genes involved in regulating the switch from mitochondrial metabolism to glycolysis, such as PDK1. This suggests that using bevacizumab with the other targeted agents such as Dichloroacetate, a PDK1 inhibitor might be helpful in overcoming the development of resistance and ultimately lead to improved patient survival. Our preclinical studies strongly support this possibility.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-06-01.

Raising Harmonic Variation of Arterial Pulse in Dying Rats

Our previous study revealed that the coefficient of variation of harmonic magnitude (HCV) of radial arterial pulse was significantly raised before the death of cancer patients. In this study, we recorded the caudate arterial pulse of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats that had a fatal dose of urethane injected into their abdomens. Twenty rats were dead within 3 hours after the injection and four survived. We defined the last 100 minutes of each rat's life as the dying process. During the dying process, we found that both the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure dropped steeply during the last 5 minutes. However, all HCVs, except HCV1, climbed steeply before the last 5 minutes. The HCV1 of the dying rats was significantly higher than that of rats that survived, starting from the first minute (P<0.01). The HCV2 of the dying rats was significantly higher than that of the survived rats starting from the 52nd minute (P<0.05). The HCV3 and HCV4 of the dying rats were significantly higher than those of the survived rats until the 70th minute and the 80th minute, respectively (P<0.05). Furthermore, HCV2–HCV4 proceeded with the dying process and increased gradually. We concluded that HCVs, which failed first in the high-frequency components and then in the low-frequency components, could provide physicians with earlier information to prevent the coming failure of circulatory system, and could reflect quantitatively pathological severity and predict patient outcome. The specific Fourier components in the pulse provide more physiological information than systolic and diastolic blood pressures.

P3-14-12: Local Control of Primary Breast Cancer Treated with Radical Radiotherapy Alone after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Introduction: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the local recurrence rates in a cohort of patients who achieved a complete clinical response (cCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and did not have surgery.

Materials and Methods: 148 women who achieved a cCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were identified from a prospectively maintained database (1995-2011) of 667 patients. 122 patients went on to have surgery (either wide local excision or mastectomy) followed by radiotherapy. In 26 patients (median age 49, range 35–72 years; T2-T4, N0-N3, M0), no surgery was performed but all received radical radiotherapy. Surgery was avoided due to either physician or patient choice. Recurrence was defined as first relapse of disease, either local (ipsilateral breast and/or axilla) or distant.

Results: All 26 patients who avoided surgery had neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 20 patients (77%) receiving anthracycline-based (FEC, FAC, ECF), 5 (19%) MMM and 1 (4%) CMF chemotherapy. The median number of cycles was 6 (range 4–8). Chemotherapy was followed by radical external beam radiotherapy to the breast +/− supraclavicular fossa and axilla (median dose delivered, 60Gy in 2Gy fractions). All were identified as operable at diagnosis including 3 patients who had supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. All 26 patients achieved a final cCR in the breast to chemotherapy. 21 patients had imaging with mammography and/or ultrasonography to assess radiological response at the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, of which 19 had a complete response and 2, a partial response. After a median follow-up of 144 months, 10/26 (38%) patients experienced local disease recurrence (2 also had distant recurrence) and 4/26 (15%) patients with distant metastases only. Patients with local recurrence only, went on to have a mastectomy whilst those with distant disease received systemic therapy. There were 10 deaths, 9 of which were breast cancer related (33%).

Conclusions: Local recurrence rates were high in patients achieving a cCR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and who avoided surgery. Our practice has subsequently changed to include clip insertion and surgical excision on completion of chemotherapy. With increasing pathologic complete response rates to more active chemotherapy schedules (including taxanes +/− herceptin), it is being proposed that surgery could be avoided in selected patients. Our study shows that caution should be exercised.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-12.

Abstract PD07-04: Predicting Outcome with Ki67 in Primary Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Setting

Background: The proliferation antigen Ki67 has been shown to be a reliable predictive marker of treatment efficacy in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer but its prognostic significance remains uncertain. This study assesses Ki67 before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in relation to long-term outcome. Methods: 117 patients with primary breast cancer due to undergo NAC were studied (median age 48 years, range 25-78; T2-4, N0-3, M0) and information gathered from a prospectively maintained database. Immunohistochemically derived Ki67 expression was obtained from pretreatment core biopsy and surgical specimens. Their relationship to DFS and OS was analyzed along with known prognostic variables (age, ER/PR/HER2 status, clinical and pathologic T and N stage, grade), NAC regimen, response and adjuvant treatment. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and a log-rank test used to determine significance using a two-tailed p-value of 0.05. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model performed in a stepwise fashion was used to determine the prognostic value of each signifcant variable. Results: 84 patients with matched biopsy and surgical samples were assessable for pre and post NAC Ki67 levels. The majority (90%) received anthracycline based NAC (median number of cycles 6, range 2-6). On univariate analysis, the only significant pretreatment predictive factor for shorter DFS was higher clinical nodal stage (cN) (P&lt;0.001). Posttreatment variables that predicted for worse DFS were: Ki67 at surgery (HR 1.52, p=0.048), pathologic nodal stage (pN) (p=0.001) and grade (p=0.013). On multivariate analysis, pN was the most powerful predictor for DFS (chi-squared test 19.8, 3 df, P&lt;0.001). Univariate analysis of pretherapy factors for OS revealed that Ki67 at biopsy (HR 2.06, p=0.039), cN (HR 4.44, P&lt;0.001) and PR positivity (HR 0.41, p=0.012) were significant. Significant posttreatment variables for OS were Ki67 at surgery (HR 2.01, p=0.006), pN (p=0.001), and grade (p=0.009). PR status and pN remained important predictors of OS on multivariate analyses. Conclusions: The expression of Ki67 is a widely accepted marker of cellular proliferation in breast cancer. Ki67 levels after NAC were a better predictor for long-term outcome than pretherapy Ki67, although nodal status appears to be the most powerful determinant overall. High Ki67 levels post NAC may identify patients with poorer outcomes who are candidates for further systemic therapy.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD07-04.

Abstract P2-02-07: Predicting Response to Bevacizumab Therapy in Primary Breast Cancer Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: Anti-angiogenic therapy holds much promise for the treatment of breast cancer. In practice however, only a subset of patients who receive these drugs demonstrate a significant response to therapy. A key challenge therefore is to elucidate markers that are predictive of response to anti-angiogenic agents such as bevacizumab, and which would enable the selection of patients who would get the most benefit from these expensive therapies.

Materials and Methods: We used high temporal resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to assess tumor vascularity in 20 patients with primary breast cancer. Patients were imaged both before and two weeks after single dose Bevacizumab therapy (15mg/kg). Pharmacokinetic modelling techniques were used to quantify the volume transfer constant Ktrans, the rate constant kep, and the fractional volume of the extra-vascular extracellular space ve. Specifically, we used Tofts model with a population-based arterial input function (modified Fritz-Hansen) to model the contrast agent concentration time courses on a voxel-wise basis. Non-enhancing voxels were detected automatically with the use of a Bayesian noise model, and the corresponding pharmacokinetic parameter values for these voxels were set to zero. The median pharmacokinetic parameter values over the tumor volumes of interest were then computed both pre-and post Bevacizumab. Results: We found marked variation across patients in the baseline level and percentage change in median Ktrans, kep and ve following Bevacizumab. In particular, median Ktrans at baseline ranged form 0.12 to 0.88. Changes in median Ktrans varied from −97% to +19% across all patients, with an average change of −49%. Notably, we found a highly significant negative correlation (r = −0.92, P = 1e-08) between the absolute change in median Ktrans and the median Ktrans at baseline. In particular, tumors with a high median Ktrans at baseline demonstrated the greatest change in Ktrans following Bevacizumab therapy, whereas tumors with low median Ktrans at baseline demonstrated relatively little change in Ktrans. Discussion: Although Ktrans is a complex function of vessel permeability, surface area, and tumor blood flow, it has previously been demonstrated to be a reliable biomarker of response to anti-angiogenic therapy in a number of different cancers. Our results illustrate that therapy-induced changes in Ktrans can be predicted from the value of Ktrans at baseline, and hence DCE-MRI scans may enable the selection of primary breast cancer patients who show the greatest response to single-dose Bevacizumab therapy. Whether this will translate into longer term benefit and improvements in outcome for patients remains to be shown. The relationship between baseline and pre-/post-therapy change in Ktrans with the corresponding changes in gene expression is currently under study in a larger number of patients. Figure available in online version.

Abstract P4-03-03: Lower Vitamin D Levels Are Highly Prevalent in Women with Breast Cancer

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency as measured by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) in women with breast cancer and relate this to age, ethnic group, disease stage, and seasonal variation. Methods: Levels of serum 25-OHD were requested on blood samples collected from 129 female patients with histologically-proven breast cancer (median age 61 years; range, 30-88). Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-OHD less than 12.5 nmol/L, insufficiency as 12.5 to 50 nmol/L, and sufficient levels as greater than 50 nmol/L. The prevalence of inadequate (insufficient or deficient) vitamin D levels and median 25-OHD values were calculated for the cohort as a whole and analysed according to age, ethnicity (Asian (Indian/Pakistani), White and other), disease stage (early versus metastatic), and seasons. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric methods and a significance level set at a two-tailed p-value &lt; 0.05.

Results: Overall 52% of women had inadequate levels of 25-OHD (45% deficient, 7% insufficient; median 29 nmol/L). There was no relationship with age. Lower levels were more common in Asian women (n=56) (64%; 16% deficient, 48% insufficient) compared with white women (n=65) (40%; all insufficient) and other (n=8) (62.5%; all insufficient). 25-OHD levels were significantly lower overall in Asian women in comparison with white women (median 36.5 versus 60 nmol/L; p=0.0002). When disease stage was considered, 54% of women with early breast cancer had inadequate 25-OHD levels (n=103) (7% deficient, 47% insufficient) in comparison with 42% of women with metastatic disease (n=26) (8% deficient, 34% insufficient) although overall levels were not significantly different between groups. There was no seasonal variation in 25-OHD levels.

Conclusion: The prevalence of insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels as assessed by 25-OHD in women with breast cancer, especially in the Asian population, is high. Our findings suggest that all patients with breast cancer should have routine testing of vitamin D status and if appropriate, offered adequate vitamin D supplementation.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-03-03.

Abstract P2-09-28: Integrated Gene Expression and MRI Analysis To Assess Early Therapeutic Response to Bevacizumab in Primary Breast Cancer

Background: Bevacizumab is an approved drug for advanced breast cancer alongside chemotherapy. To date there is no biomarker proven to be effective in patient stratification. To address this, a window of opportunity study was designed where bevacizumab is administered as a short-term first line treatment with a detailed pharmacodynamic assessment to identify the patients who are most likely to benefit from this therapy. This assessment consisted of Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) and gene expression analysis.

Method: This is an on going two-centre, Phase II, non-randomised study. 43 locally advanced breast cancer patients aged &gt;18 years, with performance status 0-1 who have adequate bone marrow, renal and liver functions have been enrolled. A single infusion of bevacizumab (15mg/kg) was given prior to commencement of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. DCE-MRI and core biopsies for exon gene array analysis were performed both at baseline and 2 weeks after bevacizumab. Pharmacokinetic modelling of DCE-MRI was used to quantify the volume transfer constant Ktrans, the rate constant kep, and the fractional volume of the extra-vascular extracellular space ve. The median pharmacokinetic parameter values over the tumour volumes of interest were then computed both pre-and post-bevacizumab.

Results: Our initial gene expression analysis from 21 patients showed a high variability in the response. This was true for both single gene analysis and pathway signatures. In particular the expression fold changes of hypoxia and proliferation signatures after bevacizumab ranged from a minimum of 0.6 fold decrease to a maximum of 4.3 fold increase. Interestingly, fold changes in both these signatures were significantly positively correlated (Spearman rho=0.81, P&lt;0.001). Changes in the proliferation signature were significantly inversely correlated with changes in mean and median ve (rho=-0.57, P&lt;0.01 in both cases). Changes in the hypoxia signature were significantly inversely correlated with changes in mean and median kep (rho=-0.48, p=0.03 and rho=-0.58, p=0.007 respectively). Significantly over-represented pathways amongst genes up-regulated after bevacizumab were T-cell activation, inflammation, PDGF and apoptosis signalling. Discussion: Our initial results provide several potentially important avenues for further research, which may be useful in the identification of new therapeutic approaches. For example, the unexpected correlation of induction of hypoxia and proliferation in the same tumours has important implications for combination therapy. Furthermore, patients whose tumours showed the largest reduction in kep, a measure of vascular leakiness, also showed the greatest increase in hypoxia. In addition, patients who experienced the largest reduction in ve showed the highest fold change in proliferation. Although these results are preliminary and will need to be confirmed at study completion, they illustrate how the integrated analysis of DCE-MRI pharmacokinetic parameters and the corresponding gene expression profiles may enable an improved understanding of the mechanisms governing response and resistance to bevacizumab.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-09-28.

Rapid method for simultaneous determination of flavonoid, saponins and polyacetylenes in folium ginseng and radix ginseng by pressurized liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry

A rapid pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of one flavonoid (panasenoside), nine saponins (ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rf, Rg2, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3 and Rd) and two polyacetylenes (panaxydol and panaxynol) in folium ginseng and radix ginseng was developed. A Prevail C(18) rocket column (33 mm x 7 mm, 3.0 microm) and gradient elution were used during the analysis. Flavonoid was quantified at 355 nm, and saponins and polyacetylenes were determined at 203 nm. The chromatographic peaks of 12 investigated compounds in samples were unambiguously identified by compared their UV spectra and/or MS data with the related reference compounds. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r>0.999) within the test ranges. The intra- and inter-day variations for 12 analytes were less than 1.17% and 2.17%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the investigated compounds in 10 samples of radix ginseng and folium ginseng, respectively. The result showed that PLE combined with rocket column HPLC analysis could provide a rapid method for analysis of compounds in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which is helpful to comprehensive evaluation of quality of radix ginseng and folium ginseng.

In vivo and in vitro ethanol exposure in prenatal rat brain: GABA(B) receptor modulation on dopamine D(1) receptor and protein kinase A

We have investigated the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on GABA(B) receptors (GABA(B)Rs), protein kinase A (PKA), and DA D(1) receptor (DAD(1)R) expressions. GABA(B1)R and GABA(B2)R showed different age-dependent expressions in in vivo fetal rat forebrain from gestational days (GD) 15.5 to 21.5 upon 10% ethanol treatment to mother, with and without baclofen at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight/day. The protein level changes could not be attributed to changes in the level of transcription since GABA(B)R mRNA presented different expression patterns upon in vivo ethanol treatment. Using in vitro cultivated cortical neurons from GD 17.5 fetuses, we also explored the modulatory effects of ethanol on PKA and DAD(1)R through GABA(B)Rs, under 50 microM baclofen and 100 microM phaclofen administrations, with or without 100 mM of ethanol treatment in the culture media. The results showed that 20 min ethanol treatment without baclofen or phaclofen had increasing effects on both the GABA(B)Rs. Further, baclofen and phaclofen administration significantly affected PKA and GABA(B)R levels upon 20 min and 1 h ethanol treatment. In contrast, DAD(1)R showed increasing effects upon ethanol treatment, which was modulated by GABA(B)R's agonist baclofen and antagonist phaclofen. Therefore the present study suggested that the GABA(B)R activity could modulate ethanol's cellular effects, which possibly including PKA and DAD(1)R activities, and may be an underlying cause of ethanol's effects.

Spontaneous formation of highly ordered nanostructures: thermal instability and mode selection in surface-capped polymer films

We demonstrate a controllable formation process of wave-like patterns in thermally unstable surface-capped polymer films on a rigid substrate. Self-ordered wave-like structures over a large area can be created by applying a small lateral tension to the film, whereupon it becomes unstable. A clear mode selection process which includes creation, decay and interference between coexisting waves at different annealing conditions has been observed, which makes it possible to restrain the patterns which are formed finally. Our results provide a clear and new evidence of spinodal behaviour in such a film due to thermal instability. Furthermore, we show that the well-controlled patterns generated in such a process can be used to fabricate nanostructures for various applications.

A rapid method for simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids in Epimedium using pressurized liquid extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography

Herba Epimedii (family Berberidaceae), Yinyanghuo in Chinese, is one of commonly used Chinese medicines. Flavonoids are considered as its active components. In this study, a rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was developed for simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids, including hexandraside E, kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, hexandraside F, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariin, epimedoside C, baohuoside II, caohuoside C, baohuoside VII, sagittatoside A, sagittatoside B, 2''-O-rhamnosyl icariside II and baohuoside I in different species of Epimedium. The analysis was performed on Waters Acquity UPLC system with an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (50 mm x 2.1mm I.D., 1.7 microm) and gradient elution of 50mM acetic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile within 12 min. All calibration curves showed good linearity (R2>0.9997) within test ranges. The LOD and LOQ were lower than 0.13 and 0.52 ng on column, respectively. The R.S.D.s for intra- and inter-day of 15 analytes were less than 5.0% at three levels, and the recoveries were 95.0-103.7%. The validated method was successfully applied to quantitatively analyze 15 flavonoids in different species of Epimedium. The results showed there were great variations among the contents of investigated flavonoids. Hierarchical clustering analysis based on characteristics of 15 investigated compounds peaks in UPLC profiles showed that 37 samples were divided into 3 main clusters, which were in accordance with their flavonoids contents. The simulative mean chromatogram of the high content cluster was generated to compare the samples from different species and/or locations of Epimedium. Four flavonoids including epimedin A, B, C and icariin were selected as markers for quality control of the species of Epimedium used as Yinyanghuo.

Ethanol's effect on intracellular signal pathways in prenatal rat cortical neurons is GABAB1 dependent

To confirm the modulation role of GABA(B) on ethanol' effects, we studied the effects of ethanol on the neuronal intracellular signals, protein kinase A (PKA) and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), by using a system where GABA(B1) receptors were specifically knocked down in the in vitro cultivated cortical neurons. The results showed that the PKA alpha subunit was increased with ethanol treatment, and could be further increased by administering baclofen and phaclofen. By contrast, baclofen and/or phaclofen could decrease ethanol's up-regulation effects on PKA alpha subunit expression in primary cultured cortical neurons in which the GABA(B1) receptor was specifically knocked down using GABA(B1) receptor RNA interference. Furthermore, these effects could lead to changes of phospho (p)-CREB expression, which showed the same expression pattern as PKA. Finally, we observed changes of GABA(B1), PKA, and p-CREB distribution within the same neuronal cells. These results showed that the GABA(B) receptors are critical to ethanol's cellular effects, which occur via modulating the PKA and CREB transcription pathway, and may be an underlying cause of ethanol's effects.

Simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids in Epimedium using pressurized liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography

Herba Epimedii (family Berberidaceae), Yinyanghuo in Chinese, is one of the commonly used Chinese medicines. Flavonoids are considered as its active components. In this study, a reliable pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and HPLC method was developed for simultaneous determination of 15 flavonoids, namely hexandraside E, kaempferol-3-O-rhamnoside, hexandraside F, epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C, icariin, epimedoside C, baohuoside II, caohuoside C, baohuoside VII, sagittatoside A, sagittatoside B, 2''-O-rhamnosyl icariside II and baohuoside I in different species of Epimedium. The analysis was performed by using a Zorbax SB-C18 analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm I.D., 5 microm) at gradient elution of water and acetonitrile with diode-array detection (270 nm). All calibration curves showed good linearity (r(2)>0.9997) within test ranges. The LOD and LOQ were lower than 1.31 ng and 2.62 ng on column, respectively. The RSD for intra- and inter-day of 15 analytes was less than 3.8% at three levels, and the recoveries were 90.5-106.8%. The validated method was successfully applied for the analysis of 15 flavonoids in different species of Epimedium which had great variation on the contents of investigated flavonoids. Hierarchical clustering analysis based on the characteristics of 15 investigated compound peaks in HPLC profiles showed that 26 samples were divided into three main clusters, which were in accordance with their flavonoid contents. Four flavonoids including epimedin A, B, C and icariin were optimized as markers for quality control of the species of Epimedium used as Yinyanghuo.

Determination of purine and pyrimidine bases in natural and cultured Cordyceps using optimum acid hydrolysis followed by high performance liquid chromatography

A method based on optimum acid hydrolysis followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection was developed for quantitative determination of bio-available nucleosides, present as purine and pyrimidine bases including adenine, cytosine, guanine, hypoxanthine, thymine and uracil, in natural and cultured Cordyceps. It was found that the optimum conditions was hydrolyzing Cordyceps sample in eight folds of pure commercial perchloric acid for 1h at 95-100 degrees C. The determination was achieved by using a Zorbax SB-AQ analytical column (250 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm) at gradient elution with diode-array detection. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r2>0.999) within test ranges. The developed method showed good repeatability for the quantification of six investigated nucleobases in Cordyceps with intra- and inter-day variations of less than 9.0 and 9.1%, respectively. The validated method was successfully applied to quantify bio-available nucleosides in natural and cultured Cordyceps, which is helpful to control their quality.