Ocular manifestations of multiple sclerosis in patients from three countries: A Web-based survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the epidemiological characteristics, ophthalmological manifestations, and different therapeutic options available for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in China, Spain, and Cuba. METHODS: A self-designed questionnaire was used to conduct a comparable descriptive cross-sectional study on patients with MS. The survey included patients' demographic data, ocular manifestations related to MS, and treatment methodology followed in the three countries. The online survey was designed using the Wenjuanxing survey platform, and a survey link was circulated through WhatsApp, WeChat, and emails. Quantitative data were expressed as mean and standard deviation, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used for non-parametric variables. Qualitative data were expressed as numerical and percentage. The chi-square test (χ2) was used to compare the group's response categories. The statistical difference was considered significant when p < 0.05. RESULTS: The female-to-male ratio in all the three countries was 2-3:1, and relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) was the most frequent in all three countries. Vision loss was slow and progressive in half of the patients from the three countries, with no significant differences (p = 0.524). A higher percentage of steroid treatment was observed in Chinese patients in comparison with the patients from other two countries (p < 0.001), and a similar trend was seen in the use of traditional medicines. Almost one-third of patients who did not receive any treatment recovered spontaneously in all the three countries (p = 0.097). CONCLUSIONS: MS occurs more frequently in the relapsing-remitting clinical form and there is a clear female predominance. The first ocular crisis or clinical debut of MS is characterized by slow and progressive visual impairment, increasing and adding to other ocular manifestations during its evolutionary course. Spontaneous recovery of vision after an attack of optic neuritis in the course of MS is possible.

Knockdown of lncRNA CCAT1 Inhibits the Progression of Colorectal Cancer via hsa-miR-4679 Mediating the Downregulation of GNG10.

Great concerns have raised crucial roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) on colorectal cancer progression due to the increasing number of studies in cancer development. Previous studies reveal that lncRNA CCAT1 plays an important role in the progression of a variety of cancers. However, the role of lncRNA CCAT1 in colorectal cancer is still unclear. In this study, we found that in both colorectal tissues and cell lines the level of lncRNA CCAT1 was increased. Downregulation of lncRNA CCAT1 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cell lines and promoted apoptosis. We then found that hsa-miR-4679 could bind to lncRNA CCAT1 directly, and with further functional analyses, we confirmed that lncRNA CCAT1 sponged hsa-miR-4679 to promote the progression of colorectal cancer. Next, we found that hsa-miR-4679 was directly bound to 3'UTR of GNG10 (guanine nucleotide-binding protein, gamma 10). GNG10 overexpression promoted the progression of colorectal cancer, and this phenotype could be reversed by miR-4679 mimics. At last, we knocked down CCAT1 in vivo and found that sh-CCAT1 reduced the tumor size and the number of proliferating cells. In summary, our findings revealed that lncRNA CCAT1 facilitated colorectal cancer progression via the hsa-miR-4679/GNG10 axis and provided new potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer.

Progress in methodology of establishing physiologically based pharmacokinetic models / 药学学报

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (PBPK), a mechanistic mathematic model, which can simulate the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs, is being more widely used in pharmaceutical research and development areas. This article reviews primarily the recent advances in the procedure of establishing a PBPK model, including specifying of the PBPK model structure, specification of the tissue model, writing of equations, set of model parameters, simulation and evaluation. Application significance, major challenges and future developments of PBPK model in pharmaceutical areas are also discussed.

[Synthesis and spectral characterization of boron complexes of bis-schiff base from acylpyrazolone].

Three novel bis-schiff base complexes [B(PMaFP)2en]Ac, [B(PMaFP)2pen]Ac and [B(PMTHP)2en]Ac have been synthesized, where (HPMalphaFP)2 en = N,N'-bis [(1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-oxo-4-pyrazolinyl) alpha-furylmethylidyne] ethylenediimine, (HPMalphaFP)2pen = N,N'-bis[(1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-oxo-4-pyrazolinyl) alpha-furylmethylidyne]-o-phenylenediimine and (HPMTHP)2en = N,N'-bis[(1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-oxo-4-pyrazolinyl)-2-thenoylmethylidyne] ethylenediimine. They were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and molar conductance measurements. The results show that the bis-schiff base is a quadridentate ligand and boron is four-coordinated in the complexes.

[Synthesis and spectral characterization of U(VI) and Th(IV) complexes of thenoylpyrazolone-ethylenediamine].

Two novel bis-schiff base complexes [UO2 (PMTHP)2en] and [Th(PMTHP)2en(NO3)2] have been synthesized, where (PMTHP)2en = N,N'-bis[(1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-oxo-5-pyrazolinyl)- 2-thenoylmethylidyne] ethylenediamine, and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and molar conductance measurements. The results show that the bis-schiff base is a quadridentate ligand and the nitrate a bidentate ligand, and the uranyl and thorium ions exhibit coordination of six and eight in the complexes, respectively.