Clinical application of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)is an autoimmune inflammatory disease involving multiple orbital tissues with a variety of clinical manifestations, which has serious effects on the life quality of patients.Interventions of TAO mainly include medical treatment to stabilize thyroid function, reduce inflammation and regulate immune function, as well as surgical treatment to relieve ocular symptoms. Botulinum toxin type A can paralyze muscles by blocking nerve impulse conduction at the neuromuscular junction, which is of certain therapeutic value for restrictive strabismus due to extraocular muscle involvement and upper eyelid retraction due to involvements of levator palpebrae superioris and Müller's muscle in TAO patients, especially when they have surgical contraindications, lack surgical opportunity, or refuse surgery. This paper reviews the application of botulinum toxin type A in the treatment of TAO, focusing on its pharmacological mechanism, dosage, effectiveness, and possible complications when treating restrictive strabismus and upper eyelid retraction, and discussing potential therapeutic values of botulinum toxin type A for intraocular pressure elevation, glabellar frown lines and dry eye caused by extraocular muscle compression in TAO patients, in order to provide a reference for clinical intervention.

The Chinese herbal prescription JieZe-1 inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by herpes simplex virus-2 infection in vitro / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#JieZe-1 (JZ-1), a Chinese herbal prescription, has an obvious effect on genital herpes, which is mainly caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Our study aimed to address whether HSV-2 induces pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells and to investigate the anti-HSV-2 activity of JZ-1 and the effect of JZ-1 on caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis.@*METHODS@#HSV-2-infected VK2/E6E7 cells and culture supernate were harvested at different time points after the infection. Cells were co-treated with HSV-2 and penciclovir (0.078125 mg/mL) or caspase-1 inhibitor VX-765 (24 h pretreatment with 100 μmol/L) or JZ-1 (0.078125-50 mg/mL). Cell counting kit-8 assay and viral load analysis were used to evaluate the antiviral activity of JZ-1. Inflammasome activation and pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells were analyzed using microscopy, Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide staining, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, gene and protein expression, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.@*RESULTS@#HSV-2 induced pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells, with the most significant increase observed 24 h after the infection. JZ-1 effectively inhibited HSV-2 (the 50% inhibitory concentration = 1.709 mg/mL), with the 6.25 mg/mL dose showing the highest efficacy (95.76%). JZ-1 (6.25 mg/mL) suppressed pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells. It downregulated the inflammasome activation and pyroptosis via inhibiting the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (P < 0.001) and interferon-γ-inducible protein 16 (P < 0.001), and their interactions with apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain, and reducing cleaved caspase-1 p20 (P < 0.01), gasdermin D-N (P < 0.01), interleukin (IL)-1β (P < 0.001), and IL-18 levels (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#JZ-1 exerts an excellent anti-HSV-2 effect in VK2/E6E7 cells, and it inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by HSV-2 infection. These data enrich our understanding of the pathologic basis of HSV-2 infection and provide experimental evidence for the anti-HSV-2 activity of JZ-1. Please cite this article as: Liu T, Shao QQ, Wang WJ, Liu TL, Jin XM, Xu LJ, Huang GY, Chen Z. The Chinese herbal prescription JieZe-1 inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by herpes simplex virus-2 infection in vitro. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(3): 277-288.

Correlation of serum lipids levels of Alzheimer's disease patients with sex, age and apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To explore the correlation of serum lipids levels of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with sex, age and apolipoprotein E (Apo E) gene polymorphism. Methods: The retrospective study method was used, and 407 AD patients (142 males and 265 females, aged 52-91 years) were selected from Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2015 to August 2021 as the research target, and 894 healthy persons (339 males and 555 females, aged 52-94 years) who did body examination were selected as the control group. The AD patients were divided into four age groups according to the age interval of 10 years, including 85 aged 50-59 years, 163 aged 60-69 years, 119 aged 70-79 years, and 40 aged more than 80 years. The serum lipids levels were detected by biochemical analyzer, including triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHO), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoproteinA1(Apo A1) and apolipoprotein B (Apo B). ApoE gene polymorphism were detected by PCR fluorescent probe method. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to compare the serum lipids levels in each group. Results: The levels of serum CHO and LDL-C were 3.30(1.41,4.82) mmol/L and 1.76(1.39,2.78) mmol/L in AD patients, and 4.84(4.24, 5.56) mmol/L and 2.91(2.36, 3.57) mmol/L in control group, and the levels of serum CHO and LDL-C of AD patients were significantly lower than control group (Z=-15.172,Z=-14.583 , P<0.001, P<0.001). The levels of serum HDL-C and Apo B were 1.84(1.30, 3.88) mmol/L and 1.17(0.85, 1.57) g/L in AD patients, and 1.39(1.18, 1.64) mmol/L and 0.93(0.81, 1.09) g/L in control group, and the levels of serum HDL-C and Apo-B of AD patients were significantly higher than control group (Z=-12.249 , Z=-9.706 , P<0.001, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in TG and Apo A1 between 2 groups (Z=-1.577 , Z=-0.408 , P=0.115, P=0.683). The levels of TG, CHO, LDL-C in female AD patients were significantly higher than male patients (Z=-2.737 , Z=-3.963 , Z=-4.417, P=0.006, P<0.001, P<0.001). There were significant differences in TG, CHO, HDL-C, LDL-C, Apo A1 and Apo B among AD patients of all age groups (Z=11.263 , Z=10.060 , Z=40.246 , Z=10.451 , Z=24.315 , Z=19.922 , P=0.010 , P=0.018 , P<0.001 , P=0.015 , P<0.001 , P<0.001). The serum CHO and LDL-C levels were positively correlated with age (rs=0.160, rs=0.174, P=0.001, P<0.001), and HDL-C, Apo A1 and Apo B levels were negatively correlated with age (rs=-0.312, rs=-0.272, rs=-0.146, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.003), and there was no correlation between TG level and age in AD patients (rs=0.086, P=0.082). There were 3 cases (3.33%) of E2, 43 cases of E3 (47.78%) and 44 cases of E4 (48.89%) in AD patients, and 22 cases (12.72%) of E2, 117 cases of E3 (67.63%) and 34 cases of E4 (19.65%) in control group. There was significant difference in Apo E genotype distribution between AD patients and control group (χ²=26.381 , P<0.001). Apo E4 was the most common genotype in AD patients, and the proportion was 48.89%. Except for Apo A1(Z=7.821 , P=0.020), there was no significant difference in TG, CHO, HDL-C, LDL-C and Apo B levels among all patients with different genotypes (Z=3.732 , Z=1.677 , Z=1.455 , Z=1.619 , Z=2.202 , P=0.155, P=0.432, P=0.483, P=0.445, P=0.333). Conclusion: The levels of CHO and LDL-C decreased while the levels of HDL-C and Apo B increased in AD patients. The dyslipidemia in AD patients might be correlated with age, but not sex and Apo E genotypes.

Advance in Genetic Mechanism of Primary Progressive Aphasia (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a common neurodegenerative speech disease. Earlier studies on PPA merely observed preliminary pathogenic factors at the brain level. Based on genetic technology, almost 20% to 30% patients with autosomal dominant inheritance reveals that this deficit is closely relevant to gene mutation. C9 gene mutation is the primary factor related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, which is attributed to the main causes of PPA. Repeating expansion of C9 gene may influence the expression of C9 gene, block the combination of RNA and protein, and destroy RNA function.

Association of liver stiffness measurement and serum biochemical parameters with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the association of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and serum biochemical parameters with hepatic steatosis, liver inflammation, and liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). MethodsA total of 520 patients with NASH who were treated in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2007 to December 2018 were enrolled, and according to body mass index (BMI) with a cut-off value of 28 kg/m2, the patients were divided into obese group with 151 patients and non-obese group with 369 patients. All patients underwent liver biopsy, and LSM was measured within 3 days before biopsy. Serum biochemical parameters and general clinical data were collected before liver biopsy, and the noninvasive indices aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) were calculated. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous between groups, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous between groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. A Spearman rank correlation analysis was also performed. ResultsAlanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, LSM, controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), spleen length, and APRI gradually increased with the increase in BMI (all P＜0.05). The Spearman correlation analysis showed that LSM, ALT, BMI, and CAP were positively correlated with the degree of hepatic steatosis (r=0.263, 0.327, 0.184, and 0.452, all P＜0.05); LSM, ALT, and CAP were positively correlated with the degree of liver inflammation (r=0.357, 0.278, and 0.121, all P＜0.05); LSM, ALT, BMI, and CAP were positively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis (r=0.500, 0.216, 0.248, and 0.101, all P＜0.05); age was negatively correlated with the degree of hepatic steatosis, liver inflammation, and liver fibrosis (r=-0.344, -0.129, and -0.163, all P＜0.05). ConclusionLSM, CAP, ALT, and age are significantly correlated with the degree of liver inflammation, liver fibrosis, and hepatic steatosis in NASH patients, and therefore, they can be used in noninvasive diagnostic and predictive models to access the severity of liver injury.

Effects of ghrelin on mice of obesity and insulin resistance / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveThe effect of ghrelin on glucose metabolism is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the effects of long-term application of acyl ghrelin (AG) and des-acyl ghrelin (DAG) on insulin resistance and serum inflammatory factor levels by establishing a mouse model of obesity, induced by a high-fat diet.MethodsThirty two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, 8 in each group. Except for the control group, the high fat diet group (HFD), HFD+AG group and HFD+DAG group were given a high-fat diet to induce obesity in mice. Control group: standard feed and an intraperitoneal injection of 10mL isotonic saline were given every day. HFD: high-fat feed and an intraperitoneal injection of 10mL isotonic saline were given every day. HFD+AG group: high-fat diet was fed with 0.8mg AG; HFD+DAG group: high-fat diet was fed with 0.8mg DAG. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed 16 weeks later. The blood glucose was collected from the tail veins at 0min, 30min, 60min and 120min after injection, respectively, the fluctuation curve was drawn, the area under the curve was calculated, and then the epididymal fat index was weighted. Fasting insulin, interleukin 6 (IL6) and TNFα levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then the insulin resistance index (HOMA IR) was compared.ResultsAfter 6 weeks of feeding, the weight of the mice in HFD was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After 14 and 12 weeks of administration, the mice in the HFD+AG group and the HFD+DAG group had a significant weight loss (P<0.05). The fat mass of the epididymis in the HFD+DAG group [(0.92±0.32)g] was significantly lower than that of the HFD group [(1.08±0.11)g] (P<0.05); the fasting insulin level was significantly lower, too (P<0.05). The insulin resistance index (4.94±1.27, 4.08±1.35), IL6 [(34.82±6.23), (36.90±5.27)pg/mL] and TNFα levels [(73.01±7.75), (69.39±8.43)pg/mL] in the HFD+AG group and HFD+DAG group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group [(81.70±7.53), (45.85±6.41) pg/mL, (81.70±7.53)pg/mL], with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The serum levels of IL 6 and TNFα in the HFD group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05).ConclusionLong-term application of AG and DAG could improve the insulin resistance and reduce the inflammation level of the mice induced by a high-fat diet. DAG can also decrease the visceral fat in mice.

Embryo-fetal developmental toxicity and toxicokinetics of carenoprazan hydrochloride in rabbits / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate the embryo-fetal developmental toxicity (EFDT) of careno?prazan hydrochloride (KFP-H008) in rabbits. METHODS Pregnant rabbits were given by gavage KFP-H008 at 5, 15 and 50 mg·kg-1 during the organogenetic period (gestation days 6-18, GD 6-18). Rabbits in positive control group were treated with cyclophosphamide (CP) 10 mg·kg-1 by iv. Maternal body mass and food consumption during gestation were recorded. Pregnant dams were euthanized on GD 29. The numbers of live/dead fetuses, resorptions, implantations, corpora lutea, and gravid uterus mass, placenta mass, fetal gender ratios, body mass, and skeletal development were evaluated. Moreover, the toxicokinetic parameters including AUC and C0-t, and tissue distributions were determined. RESULTS From GD 13, the maternal body mass and the food consumption in KFP-H00815 and 50 mg · kg-1 groups were lower than in the normal control group (P<0.05). Also, the reduced fetal crown rump length and mass, skeletal malformations/variations were observed in KFP-H00815 and 50 mg · kg-1 groups (P<0.05). KFP-H008 was rapidly eliminated, and became undetectable in the maternal plasma after a single administration. Following multiple KFP-H00850 mg · kg-1 treatment, both KFP-H008 and its metabolites were detectable in various tissues of the maternal and fetus, which might be the evidence for carenoprazan-induced developmental toxicity. In KFP-H00815 mg · kg-1 group, KFP-H008 and its metabolites were undetectable in most of maternal and fetal tissues. CONCLUSION The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of KFP-H008 for maternal and fetal rabbits is about 5 mg·kg-1.

Voltage-gated sodium channel and painful diabetic neuropathy / 中国医师杂志

Sodium channel provides a new idea for the study of painful diabetic neuropathy.Based on the research status of sodium channel and painful diabetic neuropathy at home and abroad,five sodium channels with high correlation with diabetic painful neuropathy were selected,and the characteristics of these sodium channels were summarized.The expression status of sodium channel in diabetic painful neuropathy model was summarized,and the role of sodium channel in the pathogenesis of diabetic painful neuropathy was summarized.The relationship between sodium channel and diabetic painful neuropathy was analyzed,as well as the difficulties facing the current research,in order to provide references for the research and application of sodium channel in the treatment of diabetic painful neuropathy.

Research on quality standards of standard decoction of Fructus Corni piece / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to develop the quality standards of Fructus Corni piece standard decoction. Morroniside and loganin were considered as index components. The content determination method of morroniside and loganin were developed. The fingerprint analysis method was also established. The standard decoctions of 15 batches of Fructus Corni pieces from Henan, Zhejiang, and Shaanxi were analyzed. The similarity values of fingerprint were all above 0.99. The transfer rates of morroniside were all higher than 100%. The quality evaluation indices of standard decoction were discussed. The transfer rate of an index component was not easy to be measured accurately and its concept was not rigorous. Therefore, index component yield was suggested as an evaluation index of standard decoction. Two methods for setting quality standards of standard decoctions, which were the ■ method and the ■ method, were compared. It was found that the standard range of ■ method was wider and more suitable for smaller sample size of standard decoction. The quality standards of Fructus Corni standard decoction were as follows, dry matter extraction ratio 37.48%-69.60%; morroniside yield 8.719-16.19 mg·g~(-1) piece; loganin yield 4.342-8.064 mg·g~(-1) piece.

Recent studies on the correlation of vitamin B12 and diabetes / 医学研究生学报

Vitamin B12 (VitB12) is one of the essential vitamins in humans and is involved in DNA synthesis and cellular metabolism. Many studies have shown that the lack of VitB12 is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetes and its complications. Therefore, regular testing and reasonable supplementation of VitB12 can help prevent diabetes complications. The article reviews the relationship between VitB12 and diabetes as well as the application of VitB12 in diabetic patients.

Experimental factors affecting recovery of puerarin in microdialysis / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVE@#: To analyze experimental factors affecting recovery of puerarin in microdialysis.@*METHODS@#: Puerarin concentration in microdialysate samples was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The methods of direct dialysis, retrodialysis and the zero-net flux were used to calculate recovery, respectively. The effects of perfusate composition, the analyte concentration, perfusate flow rate, medium temperature and stir rates of the dialysis medium on recovery were investigated.@*RESULTS@#: There were significant differences in the recovery values among direct dialysis, retrodialysis and zero-net flux methods. The recovery for 0.9% NaCl solution, Ringer's solution, PBS and anticoagulant dextrose solution as perfusate fluid were (71.25±2.36)%,(73.48±1.41)%,(68.50±2.43)% and (74.98±1.16)%, respectively. The composition of perfusate fluid had significant influence on the recovery(<0.01). At the same flow rate, recovery was independent of the analyte concentration. At the same concentration, the recovery was decrease with the increasing flow rate in an exponential relationship. The recovery increased with the raising temperature and stir rate of the dialysis medium, and the recovery remained stable when the stir rate reached above 200 rpm.@*CONCLUSIONS@#: A study method for recovery of puerarin in microdialysis has been established, and the recovery of puerarin is affected by calculating methods, perfusate fluids, flow rate, medium temperature and stir rate, but not affected by analyte concentrations.

Embryo-fetal development toxicity of carenoprazan hydrochloride / 中国药科大学学报

@#Carenoprazan has the similar structure and mechanism with the potassium-competitive blocker vonoprazan. Howerver, its safety during the pregnancy remains uncertain. To study the embryo-fetal development toxicity and toxicokinetics of carenoprazan hydrochloride via oral administration, time-mated Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, treated with normal saline, cyclophosphamide for injection(3. 8 mg/kg), and carenoprazan hydrochloride(20, 60, 200 mg/kg), respectively. Administrated orally from gestation day(GD)6 - 15. At the termination(GD 20), pregnant dams were sacrificed, and concentrations of carenoprazan hydrochloride as well as its metabolite in plasma and issues of both maternal and fetus were examined. As a result, the body weight gain of maternal in both high(200 mg/kg)and medium(60 mg/kg)dose as well as the food consumption of high-dose were decreased during GD 10-16. At the high dose group, decrease of crown rump length of fetuses were significant. Also, skeletal malformation/variations of fetus increased obviously at both high- and medium- dosage. The toxcicokinetics of carenoprazan hydrochloride are linear after single treatment between 20-200 mg/kg. The placental barrier was penetrated by carenoprazan hydrochloride and metabolite, and the distribution of metabolite in organs were similar in both maternal and fetus, with the highest concentration in livers. Therefore might resulted in the development toxicity. The No Observed Adverse Effect Level(NOAEL)of carenoprazan hydrochloride for both maternal and fetal was 20 mg/kg.

Direct acting antiviral agent for Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b infection——a real world experience / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) treatment in Chinese chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients with genotype (GT) 1b HCV infection in a real world setting .Methods The consecutive GT1b CHC Chinese patients treated with sofosbuvir (SOF) plus daclatasvir (DCV) (n＝62) or SOF plus ledipasvir (LDV) (n＝171) were enrolled from July 2014 to December 2016 at 302 Military Hospital of China .The treatment duration for all the patients was 12 weeks .All the clinical parameters were measured at baseline and then 4-weekly till 12 weeks after the end-of-treatment (EOT ).Baseline clinical characteristics ,treatment efficacy ,safety and tolerance were compared .Serum HCV RNA concentration was detected by means of COBAS TaqMan assay with a lower detection limit of 15 IU/mL ,and liver stiffness was measured using FibroScan?.Sustained virologic response (SVR) was defined as HCV RNA under the lower limit of quantification 12 weeks after EOT (SVR12).Students′t-test ,pearson χ2 test ,Spearman rank correlation analysis and Fisher exact test were used for comparison between groups when appropriate .Results Among 233 patients ,173 cases had baseline HCV RNA level ≥ 6 .0 lg IU/mL and 97 cases hade liver stiffness measurement (LSM )≥17.5 kPa.The baseline liver inflamation ,liver fibrosis ,and HCV RNA load of patients in the two groups were not significantly different (all P＞0 .05).The HCV RNA of all the 233 patients was undetectable at the end of 12-week treatment ,while 2 patients relapsed after 12 weeks of EOT with the overall SVR12 of 99.1% .HCV RNA decline was significantly faster in patients with lower LSM than those with higher LSM (ρ＝0 .233 ,P＝0 .001) ,and SVR12 was higher in those with lower LSM .In terms of other clinical characteristics of SOF+DCV and SOF+LVD groups ,alanine transaminase declined from (68 .0 ± 60 .1) and (70 .1 ± 56 .1) U/L to (21 .1 ± 10 .9) U/L and (15 .3 ± 9 .5) U/L ,respectively ,total bilirubin declined from (21 .3 ± 17 .3) and (18 .2 ± 14 .0) μmol/L to (13 .2 ± 6 .7) and (10 .2 ± 4 .6) μmol/L , respectively ,AFP declined from 19 .6 (10 .6 ,62 .3) and 15 .0 (12 .0 ,25 .0) μg/L to 6 .5(4 .5 ,18 .7) and 7 .8(5 .3 ,15 .4) μg/L ,respectively ,LSM declined from 17 .6 (8 .9 ,25 .4) and 15 .7 (7 .8 ,23 .9) kPa to 13.9(6 .5 ,21 .4) and 9 .1(5 .6 ,19 .9) kPa ,respectively ,serum album elevated form (37 .5 ± 5 .8) and (38 .7 ± 5 .5) g/L to (41 .3 ± 4 .7) and (42 .8 ± 5 .1) g/L ,respectively ,platelet elevated from (120.9 ± 78 . 2)×109/L and (136 .6 ± 65 .8 )× 109/L to (139 .5 ± 71.8 )× 109/L and (149 .7 ± 71.4 )× 109/L , respectively .Reports of adverse events were low in both groups .Conclusions Both SOF + DCV and SOF/LDV therapy are highly effective with ＞ 98% of SVR12 and reduce LSM value significantly with good safety for CHC GT1b Chinese patients .

Effects of rhein on insulin signaling pathway and its negative regulatory protein protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B / 医学研究生学报

Objective Recent studies have shown that rhein could improve glucose metabolism,while the specific mechanism is not yet clear，the aim of this study is to explore the effects of rhein on the insulin signaling pathway in C2C12 cells.Methods To measure the optimum substrate and optimum enzyme concentrations of rhein and the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B(PTP1B)and calculate the half maximal inhibitory concentration of rhein on PTP1B(IC50). Differentiated and maturated C2C12 myotubes were divided into two groups, the rhein group and the control group. The rhein groups were treated with different rhein concentrations(0.1,1, 10,100 μmol/L) , the positive control group was given 10 nmol/L insulin stimulation for 0.5 hours and the blank control group was treated with equal volume solvent. Related proteins in the insulin signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting and PTP-1B activity was measured by immunoprecipitation.Results The IC50 of rhein to PTP1B was 80.5 μmol/L,and when C2C12 myotubes were treated with 100 μmol/L rhein, the activity of PTP1B decreased significantly. Compared with the blank control group, the rhein groups' phosphorylation levels in insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrates were enhanced and the levels of GLUT4 were obviously improved in C2C12 cells. Moreover, the protein levels of insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrates were not affected significantly.Conclusion Rhein could reduce the activity of PTP1B and enhance insulin signaling transduction. Therefore，we speculated that the enhancement of insulin signaling may be related to the decrease of PTP1B activity in skeletal muscle cells.

Establishment pharmacological research platform for "Concurrent treatment of the brain and heart" and its application on dissecting mechanism of Danhong injection / 中国中药杂志

The Concurrent treatment of the brain and heart (CTBH) theory is proposed based on traditional Chinese medical theory and clinical practice. In this study, a framework for the pharmacological research platform was established to investigate the principles of concurrent treatment of the brain and heart. The platform for CTBH includes several key techniques for network modeling, discovery of active substances, dissecting mechanism of action and investigation of pharmacokinetic property of TCM. Taking network modeling of CTBH as an example, using database search, literature mining, network construction and module analysis, the that network modules closely associated with the pathological progress of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were identified, while further functional enrichment analysis of these modules indicated that the key biological processes included oxidative stress, metabolism and inflammation. GSK3B, NOTCH1, CDK4 were identified as key nodes in these network modules. The above-mentioned platform was applied to construct component-biomolecules network of Danhong injection for the identification of common targets and pathways. Among them, GSK3B had the highest correlation with the composition of Danhong injection in the network, and the biological function of whose cluster was related to cell oxidative stress. Based upon results of network analysis, validation experiments suggested that Danhong injection significantly improved the survival rate of oxidative injured myocardial cells and nerve cells, and the protective effect was related to the increase of phosphorylated GSK3β protein expression. Moreover, extracts of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Carthami Flos exerted the synergisticcytoprotective effect. The results indicated that the mechanism of treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases of Danhong injection could be studied through network modeling and other methods. In summary, the proposed pharmacological platform provided a feasible way for revealing the mechanism of CTBH by using modern scientific methods.

Identification of Y-chromosomal Genetic Types for the Soldier's Remains from Huaihai Campaign / 法医学杂志

Objective To identify the Y-chromosomal genetic types for the soldier's remains from Huaihai Campaign,and to offer a clue for search of their paternal relatives.Methods DNA of the remains were extracted by the ancient DNA extraction method.Yfiler kit was used for the multiplex amplification of 17 Y-STR loci.The haplogroups of the samples were speculated.Detailed genotyping of the selected Y-SNP was performed based on the latest Y-chromosome phylogenetic tree.Haplotype-sharing analysis was done based on the data of Y-SNP and Y-STR,the closest modern individual information to the genetic relationship of remains was gained.Results A total of 8 Y-STR haplotypes were observed on 17 Y-STR loci of 8 male individuals.Furthermore,6 Y-SNP haplogroups were identified,which were O2a1-M95+,O1a1-P203+,O3*-M122+/M234-,D1-M15+,C3*-ST and R1a1-M17+.Conclusion Identification of Y-chromosomal genetic types for the soldier's remains from Huaihai Campaign shows a reference value on inferring the geographical origins of old materials.

Effect of Schisandra chinensis on interleukins, glucose metabolism, and pituitary-adrenal and gonadal axis in rats under strenuous swimming exercise / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) Schisandra chinensis on interleukin (IL), glucose metabolism, and pituitary-adrenal and gonadal axis of rats after strenuous navigation and exercise.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 45 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into the quiet control group, the stress group, and the CM group (15 in each group). The CM group received 2.5 g/kg of Schisandra chinensis twice per day for one week before modeling. Except the quiet controls, rats were trained using the Bedford mode for 10 days. On the 11th day, they performed 3 h of stressful experimental navigation and 3 h of strenuous treadmill exercise. The levels of serum testosterone (T), cortisol (CORT), luteinizing hormone (LH), IL-1, IL-2, and IL-6 were tested by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The adrenal cortex ultrastructure was observed using electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the quiet control group, after navigation and strenuous exercise, blood glucose was increased, and T level was decreased in the stress group (both P<0.01). The blood glucose, CORT, IL-1 and IL-2 levels were significantly reduced in the CM group (P<0.05 or P<0.01) as compared with the stress group. Electron microscopy revealed that the rats in the CM group had a smaller decrease in adrenal intracellular lipid droplets and higher levels of apoptosis than those in the stress group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Schisandra chinensis can reduce serum CORT and blood glucose levels in stressed rats. It appears to protect the cell structure of the adrenal cortex, and offset the negative effects of psychological stress and strenuous exercise related to immune dysfunction. Schisandra chinensis plays a regulatory role in immune function, and can decrease the influence of stress in rats.</p>

Analysis of the Utilization of Essential Medicines in Outpatient Department of a Women & Children’s Hospi-tal during 2012-2013 / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To know the utilization of essential medicines in outpatient department of Sichuan Shuangliu Maternal and Child-care Hospital,and provide reference for the rational drug use. METHODS:The types,names,formulations,consump-tion sum and utilization of essential medicines in the outpatient department of the hospital from 2012 to 2013 were statistically ana-lyzed and ranked. The affordability of top 10 drugs in the list of DDDs was evaluated. RESULTS:Compared with 2012,the con-sumption sum proportion of essential medicines in the outpatient department of the hospital in 2013 was increased by 5.80%. The top 10 essential medicines in the list of consumption sum were mainly anti-microbial drugs,anti-anemia drugs and Chinese patent medicines. The relative daily wages of Kangfuxin solution and Amoxillin and clavulanate potassium tablets were respectively 2.12 d and 2.05 d,with poor affordability,and in 2012,they ranked the 5th and 8th in the list of DDDs;the relative daily wages of Xiao-er changweikang granule and Xingpi yanger granule were respectively 2.28 d and 2.14 d,with poor affordability,and in 2013, they ranked the 8th and 10th in the list of DDDs. CONCLUSIONS:The utilization of essential medicines in the hospital is basical-ly good,with a trend of increasing. However,the similar essential medicines with lower prices should be considered when essential medicines are used in the clinic.