Inhibitory Effect of Jinkui Shenqi Pills on Glucocorticoid-Enhanced Axial Length Elongation in Experimentally Myopic Guinea Pigs.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the underlying mechanism of inhibition by Jinkui Shenqi Pills (JKSQP) on glucocorticoid-enhanced axial length elongation in experimental lens-induced myopia (LIM) guinea pigs. METHODS: Sixty 2-week old male guinea pigs were randomly divided into 4 groups with 15 guinea pigs in each group, according to the random numbers generated by SPSS software: control, LIM, saline and JKSQP groups. The control group includes animals with no treatment, while the guinea pigs in the other 3 groups received lens-induced myopization on the right eyes throughout the experiment (for 8 weeks). The saline and JKSQP groups were given daily intraperitoneal injections of 10 mg/kg hydrocortisone for 2 consecutive weeks at the same time, and then orally administered either saline or JKSQP [13.5 g/(kg•d) for 6 consecutive weeks. Body weight, anal temperature and animal appearance were observed and recorded to evaluate the GC-associated symptoms. The ocular parameters, including refraction and axial length, were measured by streak retinoscopy and A-scan ultrasonography, respectively. The levels of plasma hormones associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), including free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, estradiol and testosterone, were measured by radioimmunoassay, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the mRNA and protein expressions of retinal amphiregulin (AREG) was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: JKSQP effectively increased body weight and anal temperature, improved animal appearance and suppressed axial length elongation in glucocorticoid-enhanced myopic guinea pigs with normalization of 4 HPAA-associated plasma hormones (all P<0.05). The plasma level of cAMP was significantly increased, whereas the plasma level of cGMP and the mRNA and protein expressions of retinal AREG were decreased after treatment with JKSQP (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: JKSQP exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on axial length elongation with decreased expression of AREG in the retina, and normalized 4 HPAA-associated plasma hormones and the expression of cAMP and cGMP in GC-enhanced myopic guinea pigs.

Pharmaceutical nanoformulation strategies to spatiotemporally manipulate oxidative stress for improving cancer therapies - exemplified by polyunsaturated fatty acids and other ROS-modulating agents.

Chronic oxidative stress and inflammation promote tumorigenesis and tumor progression, while certain chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation are applied to produce free radicals against cancer cells. To reduce tumor-promoting oxidative stress and protect normal tissue from chemotherapy and radiation-associated toxicity, dietary antioxidants, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), have been combined with cancer therapies. However, the results of clinical studies are mixed with little to no benefit to therapeutic effect, and even exacerbated adverse effects. PUFA can function as a double-edged sword as an anti- or pro-oxidant depending on when and where it appears. Recent publications indicate that nano-formulations can enhance therapeutic benefit of PUFA and other free-radical generating cytotoxic drugs during chemotherapy by controlling oxidative stress within a nanoscale vicinity. This article critically evaluates the concurrent use of dietary omega-3 PUFA as an adjuvant to cancer therapies, reviews the findings in studies using nanoparticle formulations, and delineates the importance of spatiotemporal manipulation of oxidative stress by pharmaceutical nanotechnology for improving outcomes with cancer therapies using various examples. We hope this review will shed light on rational design of nano-formulations to turn harmful pathological oxidative stress into useful pharmacological modalities by manipulating the location and timing of free-radical generation.

[Towards Academician Wang Qi's academic thought and medication philosophy in the treatment of secondary erectile dysfunction].

Professor Wang Qi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the founder of andrology of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been engaged in theoretical and clinical researches on andrology of TCM for many years. Erudite and well-experienced, he advanced the idea of "treating impotence from the liver" and unique theories of TCM therapies for male diseases, with ingenuity and originality in clinical medication, proficient in using small and precise prescriptions to achieve high efficacy. This article summarizes and discusses the authors' experience in Professor Wang Qi's clinic learning from him his academic thought and medication philosophy in the treatment of secondary ED.

Mathematical model for treatment of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Based on the mechanism of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia treatment methods (light, exchange blood and drugs), three types of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia treatment mathematical models are established, and the expressions of the model solutions are given in this paper. By applying clinical test data and numerical approximation algorithm, the relevant parameters in the model can be estimated. According to the standards of "Expert Consensus", two treatment plans are designed, which are 1) the combined transfusion and phototherapy treatment plan and 2) the combined treatment plan of drugs, transfusion and phototherapy. The results of the program operation are numerically simulated and compared with the treatment data of clinical cases. It is found that the coincidence effect is important, which verified the rationality of the model. The model results can track and predict the changes of bilirubin levels in real-time, which provides a theoretical basis for the clinical design of treatment plans.

[Effect of moxibustion combined with Guifu Yuhe decoction on the conversion score of idiopathic constitution, serum total lgE and blood EOS in the patients with allergic acne].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of moxibustion combined with Guifu Yuhe decoction on allergic acne and the influence on immunologic function in the patients. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with allergic acne were rando-mized into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases).Thirty healthy employees were in the healthy group. In the control group, Guifu Yuhe decoction was prescribed for oral administration, while in the observation group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, moxibustion was exerted at Dazhui (GV14) and Shenque (GV8). The treatment duration was 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, serum IgE, blood EOS, CD4+T cell, CD8+ T cell and CD4+T/CD8+T, as well as the conversion score of idiopathic constitution and the symptom score were compared in the patients of two groups. The clinical therapeutic effect was observed in the two groups. RESULTS: Before treatment, compared with the healthy group, IgE and EOS, CD4+T cell and CD8+T cell all increased (P<0.05), and CD4+T/CD8+T decreased in the two groups (P<0.05). After treatment, IgE, EOS and CD4+T cell and CD8+T cell decreased (P<0.05), and CD4+T/CD8+T increased (P<0.05) in the intra-group comparison in the patients. The changes of IgE, EOS, CD4+T cell and CD8+T cell in the observation group were more larger than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the conversion score of body constitution and symptom score all decreased in either group (P<0.05) and the scores in the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P< 0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group (29/30, 96.7%) was higher than that of the control group (22/30, 73.3%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion combined with Guifu Yuhe decoction can significantly improve immune function and body constitution of the patients with allergic acne, which may be related to rectifying idiopathic constitution, improving in lymphocyte subsets dysfunction and inhibiting allergic reaction.

Dose Effects of Orally Administered Spirulina Suspension on Colonic Microbiota in Healthy Mice.

Oral supplemented nutraceuticals derived from food sources are surmised to improve the human health through interaction with the gastrointestinal bacteria. However, the lack of fundamental quality control and authoritative consensus (e.g., formulation, route of administration, dose, and dosage regimen) of these non-medical yet bioactive compounds are one of the main practical issues resulting in inconsistent individual responsiveness and confounded clinical outcomes of consuming nutraceuticals. Herein, we studied the dose effects of widely used food supplement, microalgae spirulina (Arthrospira platensis), on the colonic microbiota and physiological responses in healthy male Balb/c mice. Based on the analysis of 16s rDNA sequencing, compared to the saline-treated group, oral administration of spirulina once daily for 24 consecutive days altered the diversity, structure, and composition of colonic microbial community at the genus level. More importantly, the abundance of microbial taxa was markedly differentiated at the low (1.5 g/kg) and high (3.0 g/kg) dose of spirulina, among which the relative abundance of Clostridium XIVa, Desulfovibrio, Eubacterium, Barnesiella, Bacteroides, and Flavonifractor were modulated at various degrees. Evaluation of serum biomarkers in mice at the end of spirulina intervention showed reduced the oxidative stress and the blood lipid levels and increased the level of appetite controlling hormone leptin in a dose-response manner, which exhibited the significant correlation with differentially abundant microbiota taxa in the cecum. These findings provide direct evidences of dose-related modulation of gut microbiota and physiological states by spirulina, engendering its future mechanistic investigation of spirulina as potential sources of prebiotics for beneficial health effects via the interaction with gut microbiota.