Effect of Allicin on Learning and Memory Ability of Vascular Dementia Rats and Its Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of allicin （ALL） on learning and memory ability of rats with vascular dementia （VD） and the possible mechanism. Method:The VD rats induced by modified bilateral common carotid artery occlusion （BCCAO） were randomly divided into the VD group， low- and high-dose ALL （ALL-L and ALL-H） groups， and the sham operation （S） group， with 15 rats in each group. In the ALL-L and ALL-H groups， ALL was injected into the femoral vein at 5 mg·kg^-1 and 20 mg·kg^-1， respectively， while the same volume of normal saline was injected in the S and VD groups， once a day， for two successive weeks. Morris water maze （MWM） was used to test the learning and memory ability of rats. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was conducted to observe the pathological changes in hippocampal tissue， followed by the detection of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-<italic>α</italic> （TNF-<italic>α</italic>）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and IL-1<italic>β</italic> as well as oxidative stress indexes malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in rat hippocampus. The apoptosis of hippocampal cells was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP Nick end Labeling（TUNEL） assay. The expression levels of apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， microtubule-associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ （LC3Ⅱ）， LC3Ⅰ， and the mammalian homolog of yeast ATG6 （Beclin 1） in hippocampus were determined by Western blot. Result:The comparison with the VD group revealed that the learning and memory abilities of rats in the ALL-H and ALL-L groups were significantly improved （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The TNF-<italic>α</italic>， IL-6， IL-1<italic>β</italic>， and MDA levels in hippocampus were lowered （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， whereas the SOD and GSH-Px activities were enhanced （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The apoptosis rates were declined （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， with an even lower rate noticed in the ALL-H group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The expression levels of Caspase-3， Bax， LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ ratio， and Beclin-1 in the ALL-H and ALL-L groups were significantly down-regulated in contrast to those in the VD group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）， while that of Bcl-2 was up-regulated （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The ALL-H group exhibited better performances than the ALL-L group （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:ALL could improve the learning and memory ability of VD rats to some extent， which may be attributed to its inhibition against inflammatory reaction， oxidative stress， and neuronal apoptosis and autophagy.

Effect of capparis spinosa total alkaloid on proliferation and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in an intervertebral disc degeneration rat model / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Capparis spinosa total alkaloids (CSTA) have certain effects on cell growth and extracellular matrix synthesis. The aging and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells are one of the main pathologies of intervertebral disc degeneration. Therefore, it is assumed that CSTA may have certain effect on the degeneration of the intervertebral disc. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of CSTA on intervertebral disc degeneration rat model and nucleus pulposus cells. METHODS: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham, model, CSTA-H, and CSTA-L groups with eight in each group. Rat models of intervertebral disc degeneration were made in the model group, CSTA-L group and CSTA-H group. The CSTA-L and CSTA-H groups were given intragastric administration of CSTA 225 mg/kg/d and 450 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks respectively. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the intervertebral disc. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to detect the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan. Nucleus pulposus cells from the intervertebral disc of another two Sprague-Dawley rats were separated, cultured and divided into a control group, an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) group and an administration group (OGD+CSTA 10 mg/L). After being cultured for 24 hours, the morphology of nucleus pulposus cells was observed, the cell proliferation ability was detected by cell counting kit-8, the cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan were detected by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Compared with the sham group, the intervertebral disc tissue of the model group showed fiber ring fissures, aggregation and shrinking of nucleus pulposus cells, and different improvements were found in the CSTA-L and CSTA-H groups. (2) The expression levels of type II collagen and aggrecan in the model group were significantly lower than those in the sham, CSTA-L and CSTA-H groups (P < 0.05). (3) Compared with the control group, the cells in the OGD group showed irregular morphology and death status, whereas the cell morphology in the administration group was improved. (4) Compared with the control group, nucleus pulposus cells in the OGD group showed lower proliferation, higher apoptotic rate, and lower levels of type II collagen and aggrecan (P < 0.05). Compared with the OGD group, nucleus pulposus cells in the administration group showed faster proliferation, lower apoptotic rate, and higher levels of type II collagen and aggrecan. To conclude, CSTA can improve intervertebral disc degeneration by promoting proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells as well as inhibiting the degradation of extracellular matrix.

Drug syndrome of ephedra based on its property and pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

Ephedra is a classic herb in traditional Chinese medicine( TCM). The new effects of ephedra were gradually found,and the contraindications of the drug were broken in later ages. Because the principles of expanded application were not well elucidated,it is difficult to use in the clinical flexibility. Based on the characteristics of ephedra and its classic clinical application,the authors summarized the possible principles of clinical application of ephedra and the drug property and pharmacological characteristics of ephedra.Studies showed that ephedrine substances are an important material basis for the efficacy of ephedra,and its adrenergic action is the pharmacological basis of its efficacy. It is the key to grasp the autonomic function and the interaction between sympathetic/adrenal medulla and adrenal cortex for the clinical application of ephedra. The authors discussed the principles of clinical application of ephedra and the effects of processing of ephedra. Finally,the authors put forward the basic research process of clinical application of drugs,and provide ideas for the inheritance and further development of TCM experience.

Quality Measurement and Improvement Study of Surgical Coronary Revascularization: Medication Adherence (MISSION-2) / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Secondary preventive therapies play a key role in the prevention of adverse outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). However, medication adherence after CABG is often poor, and conventional interventions for improving adherence have limited success. With increasing penetration of smartphones, health-related smartphone applications might provide an opportunity to improve adherence. Carefully designed trials are needed to provide reliable evidence for the use of these applications in patients after CABG.@*Methods@#The Measurement and Improvement Studies of Surgical Coronary Revascularization: Medication Adherence (MISSION-2) study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial, aiming to randomize 1000 CABG patients to the intervention or control groups in a 1:1 ratio. We developed the multifaceted, patient-centered, smartphone-based Heart Health Application to encourage medication adherence in the intervention group through a health self-management program initiated during hospital admission for CABG. The application integrated daily scheduled reminders to take the discharge medications, cardiac educational materials, a dynamic dashboard to review cardiovascular risk factors and secondary prevention targets, and weekly questionnaires with interactive feedback. The primary outcome was secondary preventive medication adherence measured by the Chinese version of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale at 6 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, cardiovascular rehospitalization, and a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization.@*Discussion@#Findings will not only provide evidence regarding the feasibility and effectiveness of the described intervention for improving adherence to CABG secondary preventive therapies but also explore a model for outpatient health self-management that could be translated to various chronic diseases and widely disseminated across resource-limited settings.@*Trial Registration@#https://clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02432469).

Risk Predictors of New-onset Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting / 中国循环杂志

Objectives: This study aims to determine the risk factors of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to provide evidences for the prevention and treatment of new-onset AF after CABG. Methods: Between January 2015 and May 2016, a total of 602 patients who underwent CABG in our department were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the AF group and the non-AF group, according to the occurrence of post-operative AF. A comparative analysis was performed on the general characteristics and perioperative data of the patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis was used to identify the predictors of new-onset AF after CABG. Results: 128 patients developed AF post CABG. Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in AF group than that in non-AF group (P<0.05), while the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left atrium diameter (LAD) were significantly larger in AF group than in non-AF group (all P<0.05). Moreover, mechanical ventilation time and ICU stay were significantly longer in AF group than in non-AF group (both P<0.05). Logistic univariate analyses showed that a history of hyperlipidemia (OR=1.738, P=0.019), higher left atrium diameter (OR=1.097, P=0.001), higher NYHA classes (OR=1.689, P=0.004), and use of nitrates (OR=2.196,P=0.030) were associated with new-onset AF after CABG. After adjusting for age and gender, multivariate analyses showed that higher NYHA classes (OR=1.597, P=0.007) and LAD enlargement (OR=1.113, P=0.0001) remained as independent risk factors for new-onset AF after CABG. Conclusions: Higher NYHA classes and LAD enlargement are independent risk factors for new-onset AF after CABG.

Antimicrobial resistance features and molecular typing of clinically isola-ted m ethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To study antimicrobial resistance and genotyping of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus au-reus(MRSA). Methods A total of 967 no-repetitive strains of Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus)isolated from a hospital between January 2014 and November 2015 were collected,antimicrobial susceptibility testing,mecA gene,and Panton-Valentine leukocidin gene(PVL gene)were detected;staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec(SCCmec)typing,multilocus sequence typing(MLST),S.aureus protein A(spa)gene typing,and S.aureus ac-cessory gene regulator(agr)typing were performed with multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results Of 967 strains of S.aureus,210(21.72%)were MRSA;detection rate of MRSA from sputum specimen was higher than that of skin and soft tissue specimen(68.09% vs 1 1.83% ,P<0.05);vancomycin- and linezolid-resistant S.aureus strains were not found,susceptibility rates of MRSA to gentamicin,tetracycline,erythromycin,clindamycin,levo-floxacin,ciprofloxacin,moxifloxacin,nitrofurantoin,and rifampicin were all lower than those of methicillin-sensi-tive Staphylococcus aureus(MSSA),differences were all statistically significant(all P<0.05);antimicrobial sus-ceptibility rate of MRSA to compound sulfamethoxazole was higher than MSSA,difference was significant(P<0.05). Susceptibility rates of MRSA isolated from skin and soft tissue to gentamicin,levofloxacin,ciprofloxacin,moxifloxacin,and rifampicin were 86.90% -95.24%,while MRSA isolated from sputum were only 1.56% -15.63%.Of 967 strains of S.aureus,210 harbored mecA gene,10 harbored PVL gene,8(3.81%)of 210 MRSA strains weren't typed. The main types of MLST,SCCmec,spa,and agr were ST 239(n= 177 strains),type Ⅲ(n= 177 strains),t 030(n= 177 strains),and typeⅠ(n= 196 strains)respectively.Conclusion The main epidemic clone of MRSA strain in this hospital is ST239-MRSA-SCCmec III-t030,antimicrobial resistance is serious,monitoring on drug-resistant strains in hospital should be strengthened.

Vitrectomy combined with inferior scleral buckling for a special kind of retinal detachment / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To evaluate the efficiency of vitrectomy combined with inferior scleral buckling for a special kind of retinal detachment. METHODS: Nineteen eyes of special retinal detachment had following features: 1 ) the course was more than 6mo;2) there were at least one hole located in the 5 : 00 - 7 : 00 of the marginal retina; 3 ) the detachment range of retina more than 270 degrees and retinal proliferation in retinal detachment. The 19 eyes who received vitrectomy combined with inferior scleral buckling, retinal anatomic reattachment and visual function recovery was observed. RESULTS: Among these 19 eyes, all eyes retinal anatomic reattachment and best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) was improved in various degrees. The BCVA was 0. 01-0. 1 in 5 eyes, 0. 12-0. 3 in 9 eyes, and ≥0. 4 in 5 eyes. CONCLUSION: It is an effective method to vitrectomy combined with inferior scleral buckling for the special kind of retinal detachment which has following features:1) the course was more than 6mo;2) there were at least one hole located in the 5:00-7:00 of the marginal retina;3 ) the detachment range of retina more than 270 degrees and retinal proliferation of cable in retinal detachment.

Preparation of paeonol transdermal delivery systems based on proniosomes-based ointment and its pharmacokinetics characters / 中国中药杂志

The paeonol proniosomes ointment and ordinary ointment were administered to rats. Physiological saline served as perfused solution. The perfusion rate was 5 mL x L(-1) and the microdialysis samples were collected every 20 min intervals. The paeonol concentration in perfused solution was determined by HPLC. Investigation of the pharmacokinetics of paeonol proniosomes ointment and ordinary ointment by the skin-blood synchronous microdialysis coupled with HPLC is reported in this study. The results show that the recovery was (54.80 +/- 1.50)% in vitro and (54.58 +/- 4.61)% in vivo. The results showed that paeonol proniosomes ointment significantly raised the drug concentrations in skin more than the paeonol ordinary ointment. The paeono proniosomes ointment has less drugs into the blood as the ordinary ointments in blood, but its blood drug concentrations were steadier. The paeonol proniosomes ointment may be developed into a new preparation.

Special impact of supramolecular chemistry on Chinese medicine theories / 中国中药杂志

The paper aimed to elucidate the specific impact of supramolecular chemistry on the Chinese medicine theories (CMT) in their modernization, after had summarized up the research status of supramolecular chemistry and analyzed the possible supramolecular forms of Chinese medicine (CM), as well as considered the problems in modernization of CM theories. On comparison of the classical chemistry that delt with chemical bonds among atoms, the supramolecular chemistry was rather concerned with varietes of weak noncovalent bonds intermolecules, and reflected the macro-apparent chemical properties of each molecules, and was the most appropriate chemical theories to explain the CMT and microcosmic materials. The molecules in the human body and Chinese material medica (CMM) formed supramolecules by way of self-assembly, self-organization, self-recognition and self-replication, with themselves or with complexation, composition, chelation, inclusion, neutralization etc. Meridian and Zang-fu viscera in CMT might be a space channel structure continuously consisted of unique molecules cavity that was imprinted with the supramolecularly template inside and outside of cells, through which the molecules in CMM interacted with the meridian and Zang-fu viscera. When small molecules in human body imprinted with macromolecules in meridian and Zang-fu viscera, in other words, they migrated along within imprinting channels of meridian and Zang-fu viscera on behavior of "Qi chromatography" impulsed by the heart beat, finally showed up on macroscopic the anisotropy of tissue and organ, as described namely as visceral manifestation in Chinese medical science. When small molecules in CMM interacted with imprinting channel on meridian and Zang-fu viscera, the natural properties and efficacy regularities of CMM was reflected on macroscopic. Therefore, the special representation forms of basic CMT is based on the macroscopic expression of "Qi chromatography" abided by imprinting effect regularities, and on whether the imprinted template of small molecules matched with cavity template of macromolecules in meridian and Zang-fu viscera, only is the adequate representation of supramolecular chemistry for them. The CMM materials is the mixture including single molecules and supramolecules. The compatibility for CM prescriptions can significantly change the function rules. Therefore in the study of basic CMT, we should pay special attention to the laws of supramolecular chemistry. It is the most essential differences of the CMT from the modern medicine which established by the laws of single molecular theories.

Clinical manifestations and gene mutations of a Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the method for early diagnosis and pathogenesis of MYH9-related syndrome through analysis of the clinical manifestation and gene mutation of a Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peripheral blood samples were collected from a three-generation Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome (11 individuals, including 3 patients) and 100 healthy individuals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing of DNA were performed to analyze mutations of MYH9 gene.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thrombocytopenia, increased volume of platelet, and granulocyte inclusion bodies were found in the patients with MYH9-related syndrome via a peripheral blood test. A missense mutation of a base pair (G-A) in exon 30 was revealed by PCR amplification and direct sequencing of MYH9 of the proband. That lead to Asp-Asn substitution at position 1424 (D1424N mutation). The mutation was the same as in other patients with MYH9-related syndrome. It was not found in healthy people from the Chinese family or in the other 100 healthy individuals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Patients with MYH9-related syndrome show diverse symptoms. Mutation of MYH9 gene may be the molecular mechanism of MYH9-related syndrome, and D1424N mutation of MYH9 has not been reported in Chinese people. Early diagnosis of MYH9-related syndrome can be carried out by investigating family history and making early examinations.</p>