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Background: The purposes of this study were to measure both the mRNA and protein expression levels of high-temperature requirement serine peptidase 1 (HtrA1) in human esophageal cancer tissues and their adjacent, comparatively normal esophageal tissues., Methods: The expression levels of HtrA1 mRNA and protein in both tissue types were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) and Western blotting. The clinical and pathological correlation between HtrA1 expression levels and the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer was analyzed., Results: The expression levels of HtrA1 mRNA and protein in esophageal carcinoma were significantly lower than the levels expressed in their adjacent normal esophageal tissue (p < 0.05). The more highly undifferentiated esophageal tumor cells expressed lower HtrA1 mRNA and protein expression levels (p < 0.05). Patients with tumors in early pathological stages (I-II) had significantly higher HtrA1 mRNA and protein expression levels than did patients with tumors in mid-to-late pathological stages (III-IV) (p < 0.05). Patients with positive lymph node metastasis had significantly lower HtrA1 mRNA and protein expression levels than did patients with lymph node-negative disease (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: HtrA1 expression is associated with the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer.

The chemical constituents of Chinese red ginseng (Panax ginseng) were investigated. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by silca gel, ODS, and Sephedex LH-20, column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectra data. Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as: notoginsenoside R2 (1), 20(S) -ginsenoside Rg3 (2), 20(R) -ginsenoside Rg3 (3), 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rg2 (4), 20(R) -ginsenosideRg2 (5), 20 (S)-ginsenoside Rh1 (6), 20(R) -ginsenoside Rh1 (7), ginsenoside Rh4 (8), -Ro (9), -Rb1 (10), -Rg1 (11), Re-(12), Rf (13), maltol (14). Compounds 1, 4, 6, were obtained from red ginseng for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3, 4 and 5-7 were enantiomers respectively, enantiomers 6 and 7 were isolated as monomer for the first time.

We demonstrated that the individual graphene oxide sheets can be readily reduced under a mild condition using L-ascorbic acid (L-AA). This simple approach should find practical applications in large scale production of water soluble graphene.