The effects of minimally invasive surgery on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of 30 patients with cerebral hemorrhage were investigated. Difference of the BBB index and serum MBP concentration were assessed in 15 cases of conservative treatment group and 15 cases of minimally invasive surgery group. The BBB index in minimally invasive surgery group was significantly lower than in conservative treatment group (P<0.05), and the BBB index in the two treatment groups was significantly higher than in control group (P<0.01). Serum MBP concentration in minimally invasive surgery group was significantly lower than in conservative treatment group (P<0.05), and that in the two treatment groups was significantly higher than in control group (P<0.01). It was suggested the permeability of BBB in patients with cerebral hemorrhage was increased, and BBB index and serum MBP concentration in patients with cerebral hemorrhage were increased. Minimally invasive surgery can reduce the lesion of cytotoxicity to BBB and cerebral edema.

To compare the therapeutic effects of three different anti-fungal drugs (i.e., terbinafine, fluconazole and intraconazole) in the treatment of experimental vaginitis caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans) in mice, the fungal vaginitis model was established in female ICR mice by intravaginal inoculation of suspension of C. albicans after the animal had been pretreated with estradiol. Mice were divided at random into different groups and then respectively treated with terbinafine, fluconazole and intraconazole given by gastrogavage. The burden of the fungus in the vaginal lavage fluids in the mice of the different groups was measured dynamically at different time points after the beginning of the drug treatment. The fungal burdens in the vaginal lavage fluids taken at different time points from the mice treated with terbinafine were significantly higher than those taken at corresponding time points from mice treated with fluconazole or itraconazole (P<0.01). The fungal burdens in the vaginal lavage fluids taken from mice 1 week after the beginning of the treatment with terbinafine remained at a relatively high level. A dramatic drop in the fungal burden was noted in the vaginal lavage fluids taken on the 2nd day of the treatment from mice treated with itraconazole or fluconazole group and the fungal burden on the 3rd day of the treatment in these mice were at a very low level, suggesting that fluconazole or itraconazole were highly effective for the treatment. However, the difference in the therapeutic effect between the two drugs was not significant (P>0.05). Itraconazole or fluconazole, but not terbinafine, is very effective for the treatment of fungal vaginitis caused by C. albicans in mice.

The expression of silience of death domains (SODD) and its clinical significance and relationship with phospho-NF-κB-p65 proteins in bone marrow cells of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) were explored, and the expression of SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 in Jurkat cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs was detected in order to find a new chemotherapeutic target. The expression of SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 proteins in bone marrow cells was detected by immunohistochemistry in 25 children with ALL. The apoptosis rate was measured by Annexin-V-Fluorescence/PI double-labeling flow cytometry and the expression of SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 proteins determined by Western blotting in the Jurkat cells. It was found that the expression of SODD and active P65 in ALL was significantly higher than that in normal control group (P<0.05). The expression of the SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 proteins in the high-risk (HR) group was significantly higher than that in the standard-risk (SR) group (P<0.05). The Pearson rank correlation analysis revealed that there was a positive correlation between SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 expression (P<0.01, r=0.69). VCR could effectively induce the apoptosis of Jurkat cells, and down-regulate the expression of SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 proteins in a time-dependent manner, but DNR could not down-regulate the expression of SODD effectively. It was concluded that SODD may be closely related to the clinical classification and prognosis of ALL in children. The expression of SODD and phospho-NF-κB-p65 had a definite synergistic relationship with the onset and development of ALL. VCR could down-regulate the expression of SODD and inhibit the NF-κB activation, which could recover the sensibility of apoptosis in leukemic cells.

To investigate the relationship between the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and menstrual cycle, the regulatory effects of 17-β-estradiol (E₂) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on the expression of COX-2 in cervical cancer Hela cells were examined. Cervical cancer specimens were obtained from 47 pre-menopausal patients. The phase of menstrual cycle was determined by case history and HE staining of uterine endometrium. COX-2 was immunohistochemically stained by SABC staining and the staining intensity was determined with computerized image analysis system. Hela cells were incubated with alcohol, E₂, E₂+MPA, MPA for 12, 24 and 48 h respectively. The expression of COX-2 in Hela cells was detected by Western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our results showed that the expression of COX-2 was significantly higher during proliferative phase than secretory phase (P<0.05), but there was no difference in the positive rate between proliferative phase and secretory phase (P>0.05). Incubation with E₂ could significantly enhance the expression of COX-2 continually. On the contrary, E₂+MPA and MPA alone could decrease the expression of COX-2 as compared with the control and E₂ group (P<0.05 and P<0.01 respectively). It is concluded that the expression of COX-2 in cervical cancer of pre-menopausal patients and Hela cells was regulated by estrogen/progestogen.

The hypoxic model to simulate hypoxic microenvironment in solid tumors was established and the effect of hydrocamptothecin (HCPT) on the hypoxia-induced over-expression of HIF-1α and VEGF genes was explored. Human cervical cancer SiHa cells were cultured in vitro under hypoxic conditions (37°C, 5% CO₂, 1% O₂) and treated with different concentrations of HCPT for 24 h. The mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGF and Glut1 in SiHa cells were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. Normoxic control groups were exposed to normoxic conditions for 24 h. Under normoxic conditions, HCPT had no obvious effects on the HIF-1α and VEGF gene expression. Hypoxia induced the up-regulation of HIF-1α protein and downstream VEGF gene, and HCPT showed a dose-dependently inhibitory effect on the hypoxia-induced over-expression of HIF-1α protein and VEGF gene expression in SiHa cells, whereas HCPT had no significant effect on the HIF-1α mRNA expression. No difference in HCPT cytotoxicity was observed between hypoxic groups and normoxic control groups. It was suggested that HCPT could inhibite the expression of HIF-1α protein and downstream VEGF gene in hypoxic SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect was not related with HCPT cytotoxicity.

To investigate the relationship between p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and cell apoptosis during the paclitaxel resistance of ovarian carcinoma cell lines, flow cytometry (FCM) and PI staining were employed to determine the effect of p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 on the apoptosis of A2780/Taxol cells, a drug-resistant human ovarian carcinoma cell line. p38MAPK protein expression in SB203580-treated cells was immunochemically measured. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀) of paclitaxel on A2780/Taxol cells was determined by MTT assay. MDR-1 mRNA, and expression of p38MAPK and phospho-p53 protein were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The apoptosis rate of A2780/Taxol cells was (19.7±1.04)% 24 h after SB203580 treatment. A significant difference in apoptosis rate was found among experiment group, control group and untreated group (P<0.05). The relative reversal rate of A2780/Taxol cells to paclitaxel was (57.18±2.01)%. As compared with the control group and the untreated group, p38MAPK protein and MDR-1 mRNA in SB203580-treated cells was substantially decreased. The expression of p53 protein was significantly increased. It is concluded that p38MAPK pathway is related to paclitaxel resistance of ovarian carcinoma, and blockade of this pathway can promote the apoptosis of the drug-resistant cells and reverse the drug-resistance. Moreover, p38MAPK-mediated apoptosis in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian carcinoma cells depends on the activation of p53.