Hsp90-associated DNA replication checkpoint protein and proteasome-subunit components are involved in the age-related macular degeneration / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. However, the mechanisms involved in the development and progression of AMD are poorly delineated. We aimed to explore the critical genes involved in the progression of AMD.@*METHODS@#The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in AMD retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)/choroid tissues were identified using the microarray datasets GSE99248 and GSE125564, which were downloaded from the gene expression omnibus database. The overlapping DEGs from the two datasets were screened to identify DEG-related biological pathways using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. The hub genes were identified from these DEGs through protein-protein interaction network analyses. The expression levels of hub genes were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction following the induction of senescence in ARPE-19 with FK866. Following the identification of AMD-related key genes, the potential small molecule compounds targeting the key genes were predicted by PharmacoDB. Finally, a microRNA-gene interaction network was constructed.@*RESULTS@#Microarray analyses identified 174 DEGs in the AMD RPE compared to the healthy RPE samples. These DEGs were primarily enriched in the pathways involved in the regulation of DNA replication, cell cycle, and proteasome-mediated protein polyubiquitination. Among the top ten hub genes, HSP90AA1, CHEK1, PSMA4, PSMD4, and PSMD8 were upregulated in the senescent ARPE-19 cells. Additionally, the drugs targeting HSP90AA1, CHEK1, and PSMA4 were identified. We hypothesize that Hsa-miR-16-5p might target four out of the five key DEGs in the AMD RPE.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Based on our findings, HSP90AA1 is likely to be a central gene controlling the DNA replication and proteasome-mediated polyubiquitination during the RPE senescence observed in the progression of AMD. Targeting HSP90AA1, CHEK1, PSMA4, PSMD4, and/or PSMD8 genes through specific miRNAs or small molecules might potentially alleviate the progression of AMD through attenuating RPE senescence.

Expression of hUTP14a in non-small cell lung cancer / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#Human U three protein 14a (hUTP14a) facilitates tumorigenesis through promoting p53 and Rb degradation as well as enhancing c-Myc oncogenic activity. Moreover, hUTP14a expression is up-regulated in human hepatocellular cancer and colorectal cancer tissues. In this study, the expression of hUTP14a in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining (IHC). The relationship between hUTP14a expression levels and the clinical characteristics of the NSCLC patients were analyzed.@*METHODS@#Lung cancer tissues and the adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected from 123 cases of NSCLC patients including 53 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 70 cases of adenocarcinoma (ADC), who had accepted surgical resection at Peking University Third Hospital from May 2003 to April 2006. The expression level of hUTP14a was determined by IHC in human NSCLC tissues and the adjacent non-cancerous tissues. The associations between hUTP14a expression and the clinical pathological variables including gender, age, tumor size, histological type, differentiation degree and clinical pathological stage were analyzed using the Pearson's χ2 test.@*RESULTS@#The expression rate of hUTP14a in NSCLC tissues was significantly higher than that in the non-cancerous tissues (37.4% vs. 0, P<0.001). The expressions of hUTP14a in lung ADC and SCC were 48.6% and 20.6%, respectively. The expression rate of hUTP14a in both lung ADC and SCC was significantly higher than that in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P<0.001). In addition, the expression rate of hUTP14a in lung ADC was significantly higher than that in SCC (χ2=8.66, P=0.003). Furthermore, the expression rate of hUTP14a in the late pTNM stage of SCC was significantly higher than that in the early pTNM stage of SCC while hUTP14a expression level was not associated with pTNM stage of ADC. No correlation was found between hUTP14a expression and the other clinical pathologic features of the patients.@*CONCLUSION@#Expression of hUTP14a was up-regulated in NSCLC tissues and was correlated with pTNM stage of SCC, suggesting that hUTP14a might possess a potential as a candidate marker for the early diagnosis screening of NSCLC.

Investigation of elite clinical post-graduation medical education / 基础医学与临床

The clinical medical post-doctoral project is an elite post-graduation national project supported by Min-istry of Human Resources and Social Security and Health and Family Planning Commission .It is a new investiga-tion for elite medical education in new era.During the first academic year of launching this project in Peking Union Medical College Hospital ( PUMCH) , the department of internal medicine has continuously modified and developed the implementation of this project, including the setting of courses, teaching process, evaluation and feedback, basing on the feedback collecting from multiple dimensions during the process .These actions have boosted this project to be outstanding on the basis of the regular training program of residents , which has been es-tablished in the internal medicine department of PUMCH , and made it as an elite post-graduation medical educa-tion project.The process and experience of this project could provide reference for the implementation of similar projects in other teaching hospitals .

Competency based progressive evaluation and feedback system in internal medicine standard resident training in Peking Union Medical College Hospital / 基础医学与临床

Objective To establish a new competency based evaluation and feedback system, which can evaluate real-time how the residents perform and get feedbacks for improvement .Methods Based on the situation and re-quirements of standard resident training in China , and learn from experiences of other countries, we designed a new progressive evaluation and feedback system, and use the system to evaluation 6 clinic post-doctors in internal medicine department who graduate in 2016.Results This evaluation and feedback system not only reflect a total score of each resident evaluated, but also show advantages and weakness in each competency.Conclusions To implement this progressive evaluation and feedback system into the process of standard resident training can provide a feasible way to formatively and progressively evaluation residents and help them to improve , which is of critical importance.

Absorption characteristics of the total alkaloids from Mahonia bealei in an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion assay / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To investigate the absorption characteristics of the total alkaloids from Mahoniae Caulis (TAMC) through the administration of monterpene absorption enhancers or protein inhibitors.@*METHOD@#The absorption behavior was investigated in an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion (SPIP) assay in rats.@*RESULTS@#The intestinal absorption of TAMC was much more than that of a single compound or a mixture of compounds (jatrorrhizine, palmatine, and berberine). Promotion of absorption by the bicyclic monoterpenoids (borneol or camphor) was higher than by the monocyclic monoterpenes (menthol or menthone), and promotion by compounds with a hydroxyl group (borneol or menthol) was higher than those with a carbonyl group (camphor or menthone). The apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of TAMC was increased to 1.8-fold by verapamil, while it was reduced to one half by thiamine. The absorption rate constant (Ka) and Papp of TAMC were unchanged by probenecid and pantoprazole.@*CONCLUSION@#The intestinal absorption characteristics of TAMC might be passive transport, and the intestinum tenue was the best absorptive site. In addition, TAMC might be likely a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and organic cation transporters (OCT), rather than multidrug resistance protein (MRP) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). Compared with a single compound and a mixture of compounds, TAMC was able to be absorbed in the blood circulation effectively.

Isolation, structure characterization and quantification of related impurities in asperosaponin VI / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To study the related impurities in asperosaponin VI bulk drug and to develop a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the determination of asperosaponin VI and its related impurities.@*METHODS@#The related impurities were detected in asperosaponin VI bulk drug by a newly developed HPLC method, obtained by ODS column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC methods, and the structures were elucidated by TOF-MS, IR, and NMR techniques. The HPLC method was validated according to ICH guidelines for asperosaponin VI and its related impurities.@*RESULTS@#Seven related impurities (Imp 1-7) were isolated from asperosaponin VI bulk drug. Impurity 3 was found to be a mixture of two epimers, and was first reported in the paper. The validation results showed good sensitivity, specificity, linearity (r(2) ≥ 0.997 9), precision (RSD < 5.0%), accuracy (recoveries in the range of 94.61%-106.51%) and robustness.@*CONCLUSION@#The developed HPLC method is suitable for the quality control of asperosaponin VI bulk drug.

Impacts of bicyclo-monoterpene enhancers on transdermal delivery of ligustrazine / 药学学报

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of bicyclo-monoterpene promoters (i.e., borneol and camphor) on the in vitro permeation of ligustrazine (LGT) through the hairless porcine dorsal skin. Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transdermal delivery kinetics in vitro were performed to investigate the effect of the promoters on the biophysical changes to the stratum corneum (SC), the surface changes to porcine skin and the in vitro percutaneous fluxes of ligustrazine through procine skin. FT-IR results revealed that the peak shift and the decrease in the peak area with borneol were higher than those with camphor. SEM studies demonstrated that the morphological change to SC was related to the chosen enhancer. It was observed that the SC lipid extraction with borneol and camphor led to disruption of the SC and the scutella desquamation. Apparent density (AD) was utilized to describe the desquamation extent of the scutella. Percutaneous fluxes of ligustrazine through porcine skin were evaluated in vitro by the Franz-type diffusion cells. Use of borneol led to greater penetration of ligustrazine across porcine skin. It was shown that the permeation enhancement mechanism of bicyclo-monoterpenes to ligustrazine included extracting and disordering lipids which involved the shift changes in C-H stretching and H-bonding action between enhancers and cermaide. The penetration capability of the hydroxy groups in bicyclo-monoterpenes was better than that of the ketone groups.

Effects of D-limonene and L-limonene on transdermal absorption of ligustrazine hydrochloride / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the effects and permeation mechanism of D-limonene and L-limonene on transdermal delivery of ligustrazine hydrochloride (LH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transdermal flux of LH through porcine skin was determined in vitro by Franz-type diffusion cells. The peak shift and peak areas of C-H stretching vibration absorption were estimated by Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR). Morphological changes in the stratum corneum (SC) treated with enhancers were observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and apparent density, a new concept, was proposed to estimate the desquamated extent of SC for the first time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no statistic difference (P > 0.05) between the transdermal fluxs of the enantiomer enhancers which were higher than those of control and azone. But the lag time of L-limonene was 2.55 times than that of D-limonene. The FTIR results revealed that the shift and decreased peak area of C-H stretching vibrations in the SC lipids were dependent on the enhancers. The enantiomers permeation enhancers, D-limonene and L-limonene, were able to perturb and extract the SC lipids to different extent. The disordering and extracting lipids activity of L-limonene was stronger than that of D-limonene. SEM studies demonstrated that the extraction of lipids was depended on the selected penetration promoters.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>D-limonene was the most effective enhancer which had the greater transdermal flux of LH and the least lag time. The results showed that the permeation enhancement mechanism of the enantiomer enhancers to LH was multiple ones including disordering and extracting the SC lipids and probably including stereoselective mechanism.</p>