Taste masking pharmaceutical excipients and their applications / 药学学报

The taste of drugs has an important impact on the compliance of patients, but most of the active drug ingredients have an uncomfortable taste, especially traditional Chinese medicine. Through a variety of pharmaceutical excipients with taste masking properties combined with corresponding technologies can improve the taste of drugs and the characteristics of other dosage forms, so as to improve patient compliance. Here, we mainly summarize the auxiliary materials used for taste masking, explain the mechanism of taste masking from the point of view of excipients and introduces related uses, so as to provide reference for further research on taste masking of pediatric preparations.

The Crystal Structure and Molecular Docking of CYP76AH3 in the Tanshinone Biosynthesis Pathway / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Salvia miltiorrhiza is widely used in the treatment of the angina pectoris, coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction. CYP76AH3 is the key P450 enzyme, locating at the branch point of the tanshinone synthesis pathway. The crystal structural study and key amino acid analysis are of great significance for synthetic biology study on tanshinone. But it is always a challenge for scientists to carry out protein purification, crystallization and crystal structural studies on transmembrane type Ⅱ P450 enzymes. In this study, the prokaryotic expression plasmid was generated, and the high-purity target protein was purified. CYP76AH3 was successfully crystallized, and the crystal structure was solved.After docking range was determined by Cavityplus analysis, molecular docking with Discovery Studio was conducted. The docking result indicated that Gly298 and Asp294 had hydrogen bond interaction with the substrate, while Phe479, Leu367 and Leu293 had hydrophobic interaction with the substrate.In addition, the effect of mutations at the key amino acids on the protein structure stability was predicted throung point mutation simulation. This study would provide a target for protein engineering of CYP76AH3 and lay a foundation for the study of synthesis biology on tanshinones.

Outcome-based education combined with inquiry-based teaching model in experimental teaching of medical microbiology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In this study,a new medical microbiology experiment teaching system,which was based on outcome-based education combined with inquiry-based teaching model,was developed and evaluated.According to the professional requirements of doctors,the objectives of emotion and comprehensive experimental ability were added,and the requirement for experimental operation skills was raised.In accordance with the concept of inquiry-based teaching,experimental contents were reorganized,and practical operation contents and comprehensive analytical experiments were increased to facilitate students' abilities of independent thinking and innovation.In addition,the proportion of microbiology laboratory examination was increased,experimental skill examination was focused,the assessment method was reformed,and extracurricular interest groups were established to deepen the learning.The teaching effect was evaluated by questionnaire,performance and follow-up survey.The result showed that the new model increased the students' course scores,improved their capability in innovation,academic writing and clinical working,and strengthened the weakness of traditional teaching in application and exploration,providing a new idea for the reform in medical microbiology experiment teaching.

Outcome-based education combined with inquiry-based teaching model in experimental teaching of medical microbiology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In this study, a new medical microbiology experiment teaching system, which was based on outcome-based education combined with inquiry-based teaching model, was developed and evaluated. According to the professional requirements of doctors, the objectives of emotion and comprehensive experimental ability were added, and the requirement for experimental operation skills was raised. In accordance with the concept of inquiry-based teaching, experimental contents were reorganized, and practical operation contents and comprehensive analytical experiments were increased to facilitate students' abilities of independent thinking and innovation. In addition, the proportion of microbiology laboratory examination was increased, experimental skill examination was focused, the assessment method was reformed, and extracurricular interest groups were established to deepen the learning. The teaching effect was evaluated by questionnaire, performance and follow-up survey. The result showed that the new model increased the students' course scores, improved their capability in innovation, academic writing and clinical working, and strengthened the weakness of traditional teaching in application and exploration, providing a new idea for the reform in medical microbiology experiment teaching.

Prokaryotic expression， purification and crystallization of CYP71AV1, key enzyme in artemisinin biosynthesis / 中国中药杂志

Malaria is a worldwide epidemic that extensively endangers health of human beings. Before artemisinin was developed to treat with malaria, about 400 million person-time of malaria infections and at least 1 million deaths from malaria were reported in the world every year. Thus malaria has been listed as one of the world's three major death diseases by the WHO. The discovery of artemisinin by Chinese scientists created a novel therapy approach to treat with malaria effectively. Amorpha-4,11-diene oxidase is a plant cytochrome P450 enzymes, i.e. CYP71AV1, which catalyzes each of the three oxidation steps from amorpha-4,11-diene to form artemisinic acid, the intermediate of artemisinin. CYP71AV1 is the key enzyme in artemisinin biosynthesis. By constructing the prokaryotic expression vector pCWOri(+)-CYP71AV1, functional expression and purification of complementary CYP71AV1 were performed. The enzyme activity was monitored by CO differential spectrum assay and the heme-based activity analysis. The preliminary crystallization condition was obtained by crystallization screening. These studies provide basis for resolving the crystal structure of CYP71AV1 and for producing artemisinin in large scale through biosynthetic biology approach, and will provide references for over expression, purification and crystallization of other plant P450 enzymes.

Detection of the Urinary Biomarkers PYD, CTX-II, and DPD in Patients with Kashin-Beck Disease in the Qinghai Province of China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is an endemic degenerative osteoarthropathy of uncertain etiology. The aim of our study was to identify changes in C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II), pyridinoline (PYD), and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) among KBD patients. 54 KBD patients and 78 healthy controls were included this study. Urinary samples were collected and measured by ELISA. The median quantities of PYD, CTX-II, and DPD of KBD patients were 1107.73 ng/μmol.cre, 695.11 ng/μmol.cre, and 1342.34 pml/μmol.cre, while the median quantities of healthy controls were 805.59 ng/μmol.cre, 546.47 ng/μmol.cre, and 718.15 pml/μmol.cre, respectively. The differences between KBD patients and healthy controls were statistically significant (Z = 4.405, 3.653, and 3.724; P < 0.001). The higher levels of PYD, CTX-II, and DPD detected in KBD patients indicate that they could be used as biomarkers of KBD.

Autophagy: Divergent effects on disease / 第二军医大学学报

Autophagy, or cellular self-eating, is a cellular pathway involving the engulfment of intracellular organelles or pathogens, leading to protein and organelle degradation, elimination of pathogens or energy recycling. The two important steps of autophagy, the discovery of autophagosome formation and organelle degradation in lysosome, have won the 2016 and 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, respectively, which indicates the great significance of autophagy. The primordial and vital function of autophagy is preserved in all eukaryotic organisms, from yeast to humans. Autophagic dysfunction can result in diverse pathologicd changes, and is closely associated with microbial infection, cancer, neurodegeneration and ischemic diseases. Moreover, autophagy plays complicated and even divergent roles in different types of diseases, cells, conditions and pathological processes.

Correlation Between TCM Syndromes of Patients with Gastric Carcinoma and Level of Serum sE-cad / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To explore the correlation between the syndromes of patients with gastric carcinoma and level of serum sE-cad. Methods Totally 190 cases of different syndromes of patients with gastric carcinoma were collected, and serum level of sE-cad was measured by ELISA. The correlation between the syndromes of gastric cancer and level of serum sE-cad was analyzed by SPSS16.0 software. Results The level of serum sE-cad of interior retention of blood stasis syndrome was significant different with that of deficiency syndrome of spleen and stomach, yin impairment syndrome due to stomach heat, deficiency syndrome of both qi and yin (P<0.05). Besides, this result was the same as the results of gender stratification analysis in men. The difference in serum level of sE-cad in the type of deficiency syndrome of spleen and stomach was significant different with that of deficiency syndrome of both qi and yin in women (P<0.05). Conclusion Level of serum sE-cad was correlated with syndrome type of patients with gastric carcinoma.

Cell continuous extraction-HPLC determination biological affinity of 8 bufadienolides on MGC-803 cells and their correlation with anti-tumor activities / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the bioaffinity between 8 bufadienolides(Bu) and tumor cells and analyze the correlation between the bioaffinity and the anti-tumor activities of Bu.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Mix and cultivate the chloroform extract of Chansu and MGC-803. Measure the content of 8 Bu in supernatant and cells using HPLC and calculate their affinity rate.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The coefficient correlation between the decrease of Bu in cell supernatant after affinity and its MGC-803 restrictive activities, and between the cotent percentage of the free Bu in free cells with its MGC-803 restrictive activities, and between the difference between the decrease and the percentage and its MGC-803 restrictive activities is r = 0.82 (P < 0.05), r = -0.04 and r = 0.83 (P < 0.05) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Eight Bu have different levels of affinity with MGC-803 which correlate with their anti-tumor activities.</p>

Mechanisms of proliferative inhibition by maimendong & qianjinweijing decoction in A549 cells / 中国肺癌杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>Traditional Chinese medicine is an approach for malignant tumor treatment with Chinese characteristics. The aim of this study is to investigate the inhibitory effects of Maimendong & qianjinweijing decoction extract on A549 human lung cancer cell line proliferation and explored its probable molecular mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A549 cells were treated with drugs in different does and time. The effects on the proliferation of A549 cells were detected by MTT assay and clonogenic assay in vitro. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Morphological changes of the apoptosis of cancer cells were observed by Hochest 33258 staining. Western blot was performed to detect apoptosis-related gene expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ethyl acetate extract inhibited the growth of A549 cells but not in HFL-1 cells. Compared with controls, administration of 10 microg/mLethyl acetate extract resulted in 73.86% decrease in colony formation (P < 0.01), apoptotic rates of 33.86% (P < 0.01), and morphological changes of apoptosis in A549 cells. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein EGFR and ERK were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ethyl acetate extract might inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in A549 cells via downregulation of EGFR/ERK signal transduction pathway. Therefore, ethyl acetate extract should be further separated in order to identify the material fundamentals on anti-cancer effect.</p>

Detection of differentially expressed genes in oral lichen planus / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the differentially expressed genes in oral lichen planus(OLP) by cDNA microarray.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The PCR products of 4000 genes were spotted on chemical material coated glass plates in array. The total RNAs were isolated from OLP and normal oral mucosa tissue and were purified to mRNA. Both the mRNA were reversely transcribed to cDNA with the incorporations of fluorescent dUTP, for preparing the hybridization probes. The mixed probes were then hybridized to the cDNA microarray. Microarray was scanned for the fluorescent signals and showed the differences between the two samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of 122 genes were up regulated while the expressions of 91 genes were down regulated in OLP among the 4000 target genes. The up-regulated genes were mainly the ones of immunity related genes, metabolize related genes, oncogene, cytokine and cell signal transduction protein. The down-regulated genes were mainly the ones of DNA binding and transcription factors, cell signal transduction protein, immunity related genes, metabolize related genes, and cytokine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Two hundred and thirteen differentially expressed genes with different functions were revealed in OLP, which may play some roles in the progression of OLP.</p>