Disruption of MAP7D1 Gene Function Increases the Risk of Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure.

Doxorubicin is a cornerstone chemotherapeutic drug widely used to treat various cancers; its dose-dependent cardiomyopathy, however, is one of the leading causes of treatment-associated mortality in cancer survivors. Patients' threshold doses leading to doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC) and heart failure are highly variable, mostly due to genetic variations in individuals' genomes. However, genetic susceptibility to DIC remains largely unidentified. Here, we combined a genetic approach in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) animal model with a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in humans to identify genetic susceptibility to DIC and heart failure. We firstly reported the cardiac and skeletal muscle-specific expression and sarcomeric localization of the microtubule-associated protein 7 domain-containing protein 1b (Map7d1b) in zebrafish, followed by expression validation in mice. We then revealed that disruption of the map7d1b gene function exaggerated DIC effects in adult zebrafish. Mechanistically, the exacerbated DIC are likely conveyed by impaired autophagic degradation and elevated protein aggregation. Lastly, we identified 2 MAP7D1 gene variants associated with cardiac functional decline and heart failure in cancer patients who received doxorubicin therapy. Together, this study identifies MAP7D1 as a clinically relevant susceptibility gene to DIC and heart failure, providing useful information to stratify cancer patients with a high risk of incurring severe cardiomyopathy and heart failure after receiving chemotherapy.

Toward Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine: Status Quo, Opportunities and Challenges.

How to test the treatments of Chinese medicine (CM) and make them more widely accepted by practitioners of Western medicine and the international healthcare community is a major concern for practitioners and researchers of CM. For centuries, various approaches have been used to identify and measure the efficacy and safety of CM. However, the high-quality evidence related to CM that produced in China is still rare. Over the recent years, evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been increasingly applied to CM, strengthening its theoretical basis. This paper reviews the past and present state of CM, analyzes the status quo, challenges and opportunities of basic research, clinical trials, systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines and clinical pathways and evidence-based education developed or conducted in China, pointing out how EBM can help to make CM more widely used and recognized worldwide.

[Determination of endogenous amino acids in brain tissues after cerebral ischemia by RRLC-QQQ].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method to determine underivatized endogenous amino acids in brain tissues after cerebral ischemia based on RRLC-QQQ. METHOD: Diamonsil chromatographic column C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) was adopted to determine 12 amino acids in 15 min, with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid for gradient elution. The flow rate was set at 0.5 mL x min(-1). With ESI as the ion source, positive ion scanning mode was adopted for multi-reaction monitoring. RESULT: Each amino acid standard curve (AAs) showed good linear relationship within the detection range (r > 0.996), with the limit of detection of less than 11%, the limit of quantitation of less than 3.09 microg x L(-1). The RSD of intra- and inter-day precisions at high, middle and low concentrations were less than 11%. CONCLUSION: The determination results of actual samples showed that compared with the levels of AAs of the sham operation group, all of the remaining amino acids apart from N-acetyl-aspartate increased in brain tissues. Some amino acids showed significant changes in a time-dependent manner after the operation. The method is so simple, rapid and sensitive that it can be used for finding biological metabolite markers of cerebral ischemia, and exploring cerebral ischemia molecular mechanisms and synergistic mechanism of combined administration of multi-component traditional Chinese medicines.

[Safety and immunogenicity of rabies vaccine (chick embryo cell) for human use produced in Germany and India].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of Rabipur produced in India. METHODS: A random and single-blind study was conducted to compare the safety, effect and sero conversion rates. Rabipur produced in Germany used as control group. RESULTS: The results showed that they were no severe systemic and local reaction occurred in trial group (Rabipur produced in India). The difference between trial group and control group was not significant. 14 day and 45 days after the first dose, the seroconversion rates of the two groups were 100%. 14 day and 45 days after the first dose, GMC of the two groups increased obviously and highly beyond 0.5TU/ml. CONCLUSION: Rabipur produced in India has excellent safety and immunogenicity. Trial Registration National Food Drugs Surveillance Administrative Bureau, "Medicine Clinical Experiment Written directive from a superior" 2005L04184.

[Study on safety and immunogenicity of group A/C meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of group A/C meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. METHODS: The double-blind, randomized, parellel controlled, single central clinical trial was carried out to evaluat safety and immunogenicity of MCV-A/C. RESULTS: 4-fold rise rate of antibody to group A, C and A/C were more than 90 percent after MCV. The GMTs of antibody serogroup A and C were more than 1:150 in four trial groups aged 3-5 months, 6-23 months, 2-15 years and 16-30 years, for which the susceptive subjects seroprotected. There were no significant differences between MCV and the control group in the systemic and local reactions rates. The systemic and local reactions rates after the first, second and third dose of MCV were low. And no severe systemic and local reactions. CONCLUSION: Group A/C MCV was safe and immunogenic for the population > or =3 months old. Registration National Food drugs Surveillance administrative bureau, Medicine Clinical Experiment Written Directive from a superior" number:2006L04776.