The action of L-arginine is mainly dependent on its end-product, nitric oxide (NO). The L-arginine/NO pathway has been confirmed to play an important role in tumor development. Recent findings indicate that NO derived from L-arginine could influence angiogenesis factors, vascular permeability, perivascular-cell recruitment and vessel remodeling and maturation. Additionally, the Larginine/ NO pathway could activate a broad array of genes that are functionally involved in proliferation, metastasis and apoptosis. Interestingly, this pathway plays roles in both tumorigensis and tumor killing. The role of the L-arginine/NO pathway in tumor therapy has been well-studied. Members of this pathway have been reported to be promising therapeutic molecules in tumor therapy. This review article summarizes research data on the roles of the L-arginine/NO pathway in cancer biology and cancer therapy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to study the effects of resveratrol on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)-induced brain injury. Methods: Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: sham operation, SAP, resveratrol-treated (RES), and dexamethasone-treated. Each group was evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 hours. Levels of serum myelin basic protein and zonula occludens 1 (Zo-1) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The brain and pancreatic tissues were examined using electron microscopy. Expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 were observed using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. Cytochrome c was detected using Western blotting alone. Results: Myelin basic protein and Zo-1 levels of the RES group were lower than the SAP group at all time points (P < 0.05). The RES group had significantly improved pathologic brain, increase in Bcl-2 expression, and decrease in Bax and caspases-3 expressions compared with the SAP group. Conclusions: The degradation of Zo-1 is involved in the pathophysiology of brain injury in SAP; MBP can be used as a marker of brain injury in SAP. The protective effect of resveratrol might be associated with the up-regulation of Bcl-2 and down-regulation of Bax and caspase-3.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) develops in 15-20% of patients with acute pancreatitis. The management of SAP is a challenging task owing to the fact that it can lead to morbid conditions like multiple organ failure and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, if left untreated. Resveratrol, a drug used in Chinese traditional medicine has shown potential to treat many symptoms of SAP due to its multiple physiological actions. It possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, both of which are essential in SAP. NF-kappaB activation is a major source of pro-inflammatory mediators in SAP. Administration of resveratrol can inhibit NF-kappaB activity as well as reduce the concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1. It can also scavenge reactive oxygen species that are capable of extensive tissue damage. Furthermore, resveratrol also exhibits anti-apoptotic properties via regulation of apoptotic mediators such as Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. It also plays a role in calcium regulation and alleviates SAP-induced histopathological distortions in the pancreas. These multi-faceted results support the use of resveratrol in SAP and mandate the need for extensive research on this molecule.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of life among adult liver transplantation patients and to explore the relationship between social support and quality of life in patients. Methods: This descriptive study contain 105 patients who underwent liver transplantation. The general information questionnaire, social support rating scale (SSRS), and post-liver transplant quality of life questionnaire (pLTQ) were used. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0 software, and independent t test, ANOVA, Pearson and correlation analysis were implemented. Results: The total score of social support in adult liver transplant patients was 45.35 ± 7.31, including subjective support dimension (26.84 ± 4.13), objective support (11.42 ± 3.40), and utilization of social support (7.09 ± 2.12). The total score of quality of life in adult liver transplant patients was 138.08 ± 26.31, including anxious (37.23 ± 9.86), physical function (26.60 ± 5.51), emotional function (21.23 ± 4.35), financial (12.59 ± 4.80), healthcare (24.89 ± 5.27), and complications (15.55 ± 3.38). The total score of social support was positively correlated with the total score of quality of life (r = 0.313), anxious (r = 0.299), physical function (r = 0.255), emotional function (r = 0.215), healthcare (r = 214), and complications (r = 217). Objective support was positively correlated with total score of quality of life (r = 0.246), anxious (r = 0.209), emotional function (r = 0.210) and complications (r = 0.293). Subjective support was positively correlated with total score of quality of life (r = 0.361), anxious (r = 0.404), physical function (r = 0.305), economy (r = 0.281), healthcare (r = 0.199), and complications (r = 0.238). Conclusions: There is a positive correlation between social support and quality of life after adult liver transplantation.