Optimal Sequence of Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin-Based Regimens in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Population-Based Observational Study

The optimal sequence of irinotecan and oxaliplatin-based regimens for metastatic colorectal cancer remains unclear. We conducted a population-based observational study by retrospectively reviewing records from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database to explore this issue. Patients aged ≥20 years with metastatic colorectal cancer newly diagnosed between 2004 and 2008 (n = 9490) were enrolled in current study. Among these 9490 patients, 3895 patients (41.04%) did not receive any chemotherapy within the first three months after catastrophic illness registration. Patients who received best supportive care were older and had higher Charlson comorbidity indexes and incidences of comorbidities than those who received irinotecan-based regimens, oxaliplatin-based regimens, and 5-fluorouracil/capecitabine alone. Patients who received irinotecan followed by oxaliplatin-based regimens and those who received the reverse sequence were further stratified into arm A (n = 542) and arm B (n = 1156), respectively. The median first time to next treatment was not significantly different between arm A and arm B (210 days vs. 196 days; p = 0.17). However, the median second time to next treatment was longer in arm A than in arm B (155 days vs. 123 days; p = 0.006), which translated into a better overall survival (487 days vs. 454 days; p = 0.02). The crossover rate was higher in arm A than in arm B (47.84% vs. 41.61%; p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that overall survival was comparable between the two chemotherapy sequences (p = 0.27). Our study suggested that irinotecan followed by oxaliplatin-based regimens might be a better chemotherapy treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer than the reverse sequence given the higher crossover rate and potential overall survival benefit.     

脏器微血管对荧光素钠通透性的实验方法

大鼠颈动脉注射１％ＦｌＮａ,荧光显微镜下活体观察肠系膜微血管血流状态及ＦｌＮａ的渗出情况,并在不同时间点经股动脉采血,测定血浆内ＦｌＮａ浓度随时间的变化,利用组织匀浆测定不同脏器中ＦｌＮａ的分布,再辅以冰冻切片进行观察。活体观察发现,ＦｌＮａ注入体内后,经微血管迅速向周围组织渗出,最后汇集于淋巴管,血浆及组织匀浆ＦｌＮａ浓度的测定表明,ＦｌＮａ浓度随时间的变化呈指数衰减,各脏器ＦｌＮａ的分布极不相同。冰冻切片也显示了同样的分布差别。这些结果表明,我们所建立的方法可直观、定量地反映ＦｌＮａ在微血管的通透情况。     

生态环境脆弱带ECOTONE的基础判定

ECOTONE为国际生态界最近重新定义的基本概念之一。本文在诠释生态环境脆弱带的定义之后,对其实质及其空间属性作了较全面的逻辑归纳。在进一步研究的基础上,对于生态环境脆弱带作出了独立的函数表达,并且就生态环境脆弱带的宽度指标、重迭度指标、脆弱度指标、综合性指标,提出了较严格的表述形式。它们吸收了生态界面理论,并把系统生态学中的非稳定性理论,广延为辨识“全球变化”的基本手段,从而在生态学理论与应用两个方面,体现了研究的意义和价值。     

同型半胱氨酸对大鼠血管平滑肌细胞增殖的作用

血中同型半胱氨酸（ｈｏｍｏｃｙｓｔｅｉｎｅ,ＨＣＹ）浓度的升高已成为动脉粥样硬化发生的一个独立危险因子．为进一步阐明ＨＣＹ促进血管平滑肌细胞（ｖａｓｃｕｌａｒｓｍｏｏｔｈｍｕｓｃｌｅｃｅｌｓ,ＶＳＭＣｓ）增殖,从而引起动脉粥样硬化发生的机理．本实验采用细胞计数、３Ｈ－ＴｄＲ参入、细胞周期分析、Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ杂交方法证明,一定剂量的ＨＣＹ可促进离体培养的ＷＫＹ大鼠血管平滑肌细胞增殖,使其ＤＮＡ合成增加,细胞周期中Ｓ期细胞所占比例增加４３％,并促进ｃ－ｍｙｃ与ｃ－ｆｏｓ原癌基因ｍＲＮＡ表达增加．提示ＨＣＹ可能通过促进ＶＳＭＣｓ增殖而诱发动脉粥样硬化     

微生物1,3-1,4-β-葡聚糖酶蛋白质改造及工业应用研究进展

1,3-1,4-β-葡聚糖酶(E.C.3.2.1.73)是一种重要的工业用酶,其可以通过特异性切割毗邻β-1,3-糖苷键的β-1,4-糖苷键将β-葡聚糖或地衣多糖降解为纤维三糖和纤维四糖。微生物β-葡聚糖酶属于糖苷水解酶家族16,其三维结构为卷心蛋糕状的逆向β-片层结构。文中综述了近些年来β-葡聚糖酶在工业上的应用情况及酶蛋白质工程改造的研究进展,并对其研究前景进行了展望。     

麻疯树脂酶全长基因克隆、表达及其蛋白质结构预测

脂酶(Lipase,EC3.1.1.3)是普遍应用于皮革、饲料及生物柴油工业的工业酶制剂,具有广泛的应用价值。目前对植物来源的脂酶研究较少。本研究用在生物柴油中具有应用前景的油料植物——麻疯树(Jatrophacurcas)作为研究对象,克隆了该物种的脂酶基因(JcLIP)。通过多序列比对并结合物种的亲缘关系设计了具有较高特异性的简并引物,通过使用RT-PCR和RACE技术,最终获得了麻疯树脂酶基因的全长序列并成功地在大肠杆菌中表达,酶活测定结果表明,麻疯树脂酶在大肠杆菌中表达在包涵体中,但是能产生具有活力的蛋白质,酶活约为0.8U.mL-1。结构预测和比较表明,JcLIP蛋白质具有脂酶的结构核心和催化活性中心,而在非核心区具有较毛霉脂酶更多的插入和随机卷曲,这可能是决定二者之间酶活差异的重要原因。