Advances in two-photon absorption photodynamic therapy of glioma based on porphyrin-based metal-organicframework composites.

Gliomas of the brain are characterised by high aggressiveness, high postoperative recurrence rate, high morbidity and mortality, posing a great challenge to clinical treatment. Traditional treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy; they also have significant associated side effects, leading to difficulties in tumour resection and recurrence. Photodynamic therapy has been shown to be a promising new strategy to help treat malignant tumours of the brain. It irradiates the tumour site at a specific wavelength to activate a photosensitiser, which selectively accumulates at the tumour site, triggering a photochemical reaction that destroys the tumour cells. It has the advantages of being minimally invasive, highly targeted and with few adverse reactions, and is expected to be well used in anti-tumour therapy. However, the therapeutic effect of traditional PDT is limited by the weak tissue penetration ability of photosensitiser, hypoxia and immunosuppression in the tumour microenvironment. This paper reviews the current research status on the therapeutic principle of photodynamic therapy in glioma and the mechanism of tumour cell injury, and also analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the current application in glioma treatment, and clarifies the analysis of ideas to improve the tissue penetration ability of photosensitizers. It aims to provide a feasible direction for the improvement of photodynamic therapy for glioma and a reference for the clinical treatment of deep brain tumours.

Analysis of medication and glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes under chronic disease management in Xi'an pharmacies / 药物流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the medication and blood glucose control of type 2 diabetes patients under chronic diseases management in Xi'an chain pharmacies,and provides reference for improving the management policy of diabetes at grassroots level.Methods A number of chain pharmacies in the sixth district of Xi'an were selected by random sampling method,and on-site interviews were conducted by questionnaire survey to patients with type 2 diabetes under the management of chronic diseases.The basic information of patients,medication status(medication plan,drug adherence,etc.),diabetes-related conditions(blood glucose status,family history,course and complications,etc.)were collected.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relevant factors of blood glucose control in patients.Results A total of 403 patients were surveyed,the largest number of patients use oral hypoglycemic drugs alone(53.4％),followed by insulin medication(including insulin only and insulin in combination with oral hypoglycemic drugs)(35.7％),and the differences between disease course and glycemic control among patients with different drug regimens were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Only 43.7％of patients had good medication compliance.In addition,the patient's fast plasma glucose compliance rate was only 39.2％.The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that good medication compliance(OR=1.744,95％CI 1.104 to 2.754,P=0.017)were independent influencing factors for achieving glycemic control.Conclusion The medication compliance of type 2 diabetes patients with poor blood glucose control in chronic disease management of chain pharmacies in Xi'an needs to be strengthened.Pharmacies should emphasize and give full play to the professional and service advantages of pharmacists to realize the functional role of pharmacies and strengthen diabetes management.

Porphyromonas gingivalis bacteremia increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier via the Mfsd2a/Caveolin-1 mediated transcytosis pathway / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Bacteremia induced by periodontal infection is an important factor for periodontitis to threaten general health. P. gingivalis DNA/virulence factors have been found in the brain tissues from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential for keeping toxic substances from entering brain tissues. However, the effect of P. gingivalis bacteremia on BBB permeability and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, rats were injected by tail vein with P. gingivalis three times a week for eight weeks to induce bacteremia. An in vitro BBB model infected with P. gingivalis was also established. We found that the infiltration of Evans blue dye and Albumin protein deposition in the rat brain tissues were increased in the rat brain tissues with P. gingivalis bacteremia and P. gingivalis could pass through the in vitro BBB model. Caveolae were detected after P. gingivalis infection in BMECs both in vivo and in vitro. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) expression was enhanced after P. gingivalis infection. Downregulation of Cav-1 rescued P. gingivalis-enhanced BMECs permeability. We further found P. gingivalis-gingipain could be colocalized with Cav-1 and the strong hydrogen bonding between Cav-1 and arg-specific-gingipain (RgpA) were detected. Moreover, P. gingivalis significantly inhibited the major facilitator superfamily domain containing 2a (Mfsd2a) expression. Mfsd2a overexpression reversed P. gingivalis-increased BMECs permeability and Cav-1 expression. These results revealed that Mfsd2a/Cav-1 mediated transcytosis is a key pathway governing BBB BMECs permeability induced by P. gingivalis, which may contribute to P. gingivalis/virulence factors entrance and the subsequent neurological impairments.

A Hybrid Assembly with Nickel Poly-Pyridine Polymer on CdS Quantum Dots for Photo-Reducing CO2 into Syngas with Controlled H2 /CO Ratios.

A hybrid photocatalytic assembly with Ni poly-pyridine polymers binding on CdS quantum dots was developed via thiophene immobilization. The fabricated hybrid assembly facilitated efficient charge separation, and each component endowed great synergy. As a result, a high syngas production rate was achieved over 5500 µmol gcat -1 h-1 from photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible-light irradiation, accompanied by an adjustable H2 /CO ratio ranging from 4 : 1 to 1 : 3. A novel hybrid assembly was described for syngas synthesis with boosted activity and controlled selectivity, which provides a profile to ingeniously understand molecular-level design for photocatalysts.

Fc gamma receptor IIb in tumor-associated macrophages and dendritic cells drives poor prognosis of recurrent glioblastoma through immune-associated signaling pathways.

Background: Among central nervous system tumors, glioblastoma (GBM) is considered to be the most destructive malignancy. Recurrence is one of the most fatal aspects of GBM. However, the driver molecules that trigger GBM recurrence are currently unclear. Methods: The mRNA expression data and clinical information of GBM and normal tissues were collected from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and REpository for Molecular BRAin Neoplasia DaTa (REMBRANDT) cohorts. The DESeq2 R package was used to identify the differentially expressed genes between primary and recurrent GBM. ClueGO, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Biological Process in Gene ontology (GO-BP), and the Protein ANalysis THrough Evolutionary Relationships (PANTHER) pathway analyses were performed to explore the enriched signaling pathways in upregulated DEGs in recurrent GBM. A gene list that contained potential oncogenes that showed a significant negative correlation with patient survival from The Cancer Genome Atlas was used to further screen driver candidates for recurrent GBM. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to investigate the risk score for the mRNA expression of the candidates. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) analyses were used to determine the cell type-specific distribution of Fc gamma receptor II b (FcγRIIb) in GBM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to confirm the FcγRIIb-positive cell populations in primary and paired recurrent GBM. Results: Through DEG analysis and overlap analysis, a total of 10 genes that are upregulated in recurrent GBM were screened. Using validation databases, FcγRIIb was identified from the 10 candidates that may serve as a driver for recurrent GBM. FCGR2B expression, not mutation, further showed a highly negative correlation with the poor prognosis of patients with recurrent GBM. Furthermore, scRNA-Seq analyses revealed that tumor-associated macrophage- and dendritic cell-specific FCGR2B was expressed. Moreover, FcγRIIb also showed a strong positive correlation coefficient with major immune-associated signaling pathways. In clinical specimens, FcγRIIb-positive cell populations were higher in recurrent GBM than in primary GBM. Conclusion: This study provides novel insights into the role of FcγRIIb in recurrent GBM and a promising strategy for treatment as an immune therapeutic target.

Effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis injected through tail vein on the expressions of biomarkers in neural stem cells and neurons of wild-type rats hippocampus / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objectives: To study the effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) injected through tail vein on the molecular expression levels of biomarkers of neural stem cells (NSC) and neurons in the hippocampus of wild-type adult rats, and the effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. Methods: Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups based on the table of random numbers (n=6 in each group). In low-intensity group and high-intensity group, rats were injected intravenously through tail vein with 200 μl Pg ATCC33277 [1.0×103 and 1.0×108 colony forming unit (CFU), respectively] 3 times per week for 8 weeks. In the sham group, 200 μl of phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was given instead. Behavioral tests: the navigation and the exploration tests using Morris water maze (MWM) were applied to evaluate learning and memory ability of rats. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect cells positively expressing nestin, doublecortin (DCX) and neuronal nuclei (NeuN) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of rats in each group. Western blotting was used to evaluate the expression levels of nestin, DCX and NeuN in rat hippocampus. Results: Learning and memory abilities: on day 5 of navigation test, the lagency time was 22.83 (16.00, 38.34) s in the high-intensity group, significantly longer than the sham group [5.59 (5.41, 6.17) s] (t=-11.17, P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the low-intensity group [9.85 (8.75, 21.01) s] and the sham group (t=-6.83, P=0.080). Results in the exploration test showed that, in the high-intensity group, the number of fime crossing over the previous platform area within 60 s was 1.50 (1.00, 2.00), significantly less than the sham group [4.00 (2.75, 4.00)] (t=9.75, P=0.003); no significant differences between the low-intensity group [2.50 (2.00, 3.00)] and the sham one (t=4.50, P=0.382). Immunohistochemistry showed that the nestin+ cell density in the low-intensity group [(35.36±4.32) cell/mm2] and high-intensity group [(26.51±5.89) cell/mm2] were significantly lower than the sham group [(59.58±14.15) cell/mm2] (t=24.21, P=0.018; t=33.07, P=0.005); as for the mean absorbance of DCX+ cells, the low-intensity group (0.007±0.002) and the high-intensity group (0.006±0.002) were significantly lower than the sham group (0.011±0.001) (t=0.004, P=0.018; t=0.006, P=0.005); compared with the sham group [(1.13±0.14)×103 cell/mm2], the density of NeuN+ neurons in the high-intensity group [(0.75±0.08)×103 cell/mm2] was significantly reduced (t=0.38, P=0.017), and was not significantly changed in the low-intensity group [(0.88±0.19)×103 cell/mm2] (t=0.25, P=0.075). Western blotting results showed that, compared with the sham group, the expression levels of nestin, DCX, and NeuN were significantly reduced in the high-intensity group (t=0.74, P<0.001; t=0.18, P=0.014; t=0.35, P=0.008), but were not statistically changed in the low-intensity group (t=0.18, P=0.108; t=0.08, P=0.172; t=0.19, P=0.077). Conclusions: Pg injected through tail vein may reduce learning and memory abilities of wild-type rats, and may reduce the number of nestin, DCX, and NeuN-positive cells, and the protein expression levels of the above molecules in the hippocampus.

Interleukin-34 Synovial Fluid Was Associated with Knee Osteoarthritis Severity: A Cross-Sectional Study in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients in Different Radiographic Stages.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). Interleukin-34 (IL-34) is a well-known proinflammatory cytokine. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to detect IL-34 levels in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with OA and to investigate their correlation with radiographic and symptomatic severity. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-two OA patients and 69 controls were recruited. IL-34 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Radiographic and symptomatic severity of OA was reflected by Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grades and Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, respectively. RESULTS: SF IL-34 levels were independently associated with the KL grade (B = 0.273, 95% CI: 0.150-0.395; P < 0.001). SF IL-34 levels were significantly correlated with WOMAC scores (r = 0.265, 95% CI: 0.123-0.399; P < 0.001). The correlation between SF IL-34 levels and WOMAC scores was still significant after adjusting for confounding factors (B = 0.020, 95% CI: 0.001-0.038; P = 0.035) in OA patients. CONCLUSIONS: We found that IL-34 levels in SF were significantly associated with the radiographic and symptomatic severity of knee OA.

Research progress and application prospect of bain microdialysis in neuropsychiatric diseases / 医学研究生学报

Brain microdialysis (BMD) is a technique for continuous, on-line and real-time quantitative analysis for collected samples and it has been widely used in the quantitative detection of neurotransmitters in the brain in recent years. BMD has broad prospects in the research of neuropsychiatric diseases, but it is limited in studies because of its complicated operation, high cost, long time consuming, individual difference and poor reproducibility of the probe. Optimizing experimental design and developing multilocus microdialysis are main directions of research. Monitoring the changes of the metabolic state of the brain microenvironment in the neuropsychiatric diseases is another prospect of BMD. This article reviews the principle, characteristics and key points of brain microdialysis, along with the relationship between neurotransmitters and neuropsychiatric diseases, and the progress of microdialysis in neuropsychiatric diseases.

[Robotic surgery versus conventional open chest surgery for heart tumor: a propensity score matching analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare conventional open chest surgery and robotic surgery for their efficacy, short?term outcomes and patient selection in the treatment of heart tumors. Method The clinical data were collected from 225 patients (a total of 228 operations) who underwent cardiac neoplasm resection in our hospital between January, 1993 and April, 2016. A propensity score matching (PSM) was established according to the vital baseline data of the patients receiving conventional open chest surgery (n=125) and robotic surgery (n=60) after screening. The patients were matched for propensity into 60 pairs, and the efficacy, short?term outcomes and patient selection were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Before PSM, the patients in conventional surgery group had significantly greater tumor size (P<0.001) and a higher proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class III and IV (P<0.001). The patients' baseline data were nearly balanced (P=0.982) between the two groups after matching. No significant differences were found between the two groups in cardiopulmonary bypass time (P=0.256), crossclamp time (P=0.862), in?hospital mortality (P=1.000), arrhythmia (P=1.000), delayed mechanical ventilation (>24 h; P=0.209), thoracic complications (P=0.611) or systemic embolism (P=1.000). The survival rates were 100% in both groups in the 6?month follow?up after the operation, and no significant difference was found between the two groups in the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events within 6 months (P=0.438). CONCLUSION: Robotic heart tumor resection has a favorable efficacy with a good short?term prognosis, and can serve as an alternative for treatment of solitary lesions in low?risk patients receiving operations for the first time.

Protective role of Pollen Typhae total flavone against the palmitic acid-induced impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion involving GPR40 signaling in INS-1 cells.

Prolonged elevated levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) contribute to the impairment of insulin secretion function of pancreatic ß cells, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, which is partly attributed to the dysfunction of G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) signaling. Pollen Typhae total flavone (PTF), an extract from a Chinese herbal medicine named Pollen Typhae, has been reported to effectively treat type 2 diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, palmitic acid (PA), a saturated fatty acid, severely impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in a time-dependent manner in INS-1 cells, and PTF treatment prevented the impairment in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, PTF improved insulin secretion function in rats presenting with type 2 diabetes induced by a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin. Furthermore, PA exposure for 24 h decreased the protein expression of GPR40, phospholipase C (PLC)ß1, PLCß3, and protein kinase C (PKC), and inhibited the activity of PLC and PKC stimulated by GW9508, a GPR40 agonist. In addition, PTF enhanced the protein expression of GPR40 and to a certain extent strengthened the protein expression of PKC, increased cellular levels of triphosphoinositide (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG), and promoted GW9508-stimulated activity of PLC and PKC reduced by PA in INS-1 cells, which were blocked by PLC inhibitor U-73122 and PKC inhibitor staurosporine, respectively. Additionally, the improvement in PA-induced impairment of GSIS by PTF in INS-1 cells was restrained by U-73122, staurosporine, and calcium channel inhibitor nifedipine, respectively. The results indicate that PTF exerts a protective role against PA-induced impairment of GSIS involving GPR40 signaling in INS-1 cells.

Saikosaponin A Alleviates Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through Downregulation of DAT and Enhancing BDNF Expression in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats.

The disturbed dopamine availability and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression are due in part to be associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, we investigated the therapeutical effect of saikosaponin a (SSa) isolated from Bupleurum Chinese DC, against spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model of ADHD. Methylphenidate and SSa were orally administered for 3 weeks. Activity was assessed by open-field test and Morris water maze test. Dopamine (DA) and BDNF were determined in specific brain regions. The mRNA or protein expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine transporter (DAT), and vesicles monoamine transporter (VMAT) was also studied. Both MPH and SSa reduced hyperactivity and improved the spatial learning memory deficit in SHRs. An increased DA concentration in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum was also observed after treating with the SSa. The increased DA concentration may partially be attributed to the decreased mRNA and protein expression of DAT in PFC while SSa exhibited no significant effects on the mRNA expression of TH and VMAT in PFC of SHRs. In addition, BDNF expression in SHRs was also increased after treating with SSa or MPH. The obtained result suggested that SSa may be a potential drug for treating ADHD.

Robotic surgery versus conventional open chest surgery for heart tumor: a propensity score matching analysis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare conventional open chest surgery and robotic surgery for their efficacy, short?term outcomes and patient selection in the treatment of heart tumors. Method The clinical data were collected from 225 patients (a total of 228 operations) who underwent cardiac neoplasm resection in our hospital between January, 1993 and April, 2016. A propensity score matching (PSM) was established according to the vital baseline data of the patients receiving conventional open chest surgery (n=125) and robotic surgery (n=60) after screening. The patients were matched for propensity into 60 pairs, and the efficacy, short?term outcomes and patient selection were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Before PSM, the patients in conventional surgery group had significantly greater tumor size (P<0.001) and a higher proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class III and IV (P<0.001). The patients' baseline data were nearly balanced (P=0.982) between the two groups after matching. No significant differences were found between the two groups in cardiopulmonary bypass time (P=0.256), crossclamp time (P=0.862), in?hospital mortality (P=1.000), arrhythmia (P=1.000), delayed mechanical ventilation (>24 h; P=0.209), thoracic complications (P=0.611) or systemic embolism (P=1.000). The survival rates were 100% in both groups in the 6?month follow?up after the operation, and no significant difference was found between the two groups in the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events within 6 months (P=0.438).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Robotic heart tumor resection has a favorable efficacy with a good short?term prognosis, and can serve as an alternative for treatment of solitary lesions in low?risk patients receiving operations for the first time.</p>

[Effects of cotton straw returning on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potas-sium contents in soil aggregates]. / 棉花秸秆还田对土壤团聚体有机碳及氮磷钾含量的影响.

To clarify the effects of cotton straw returning on the composition and contents of nu-trients in different particle sizes of aggregates, two treatments with or without cotton straw returning were tested in continuous three years. After three years straw treatments, we collected undisturbed soil within 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers, and to measure the composition, soil organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents in different particle sizes of aggregates classified using dry sieving. Returning cotton straw into the field significantly increased particle contents of 2-5 mm and >5 mm aggregates in 0-5 cm soil layer, while the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregates was decreased. Cotton straw returning significantly improved soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and potassium contents by 19.2%, 14.2% and 17.3%, respectively, compared to no returning control. In 5-10 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning increased the contents of 2-5 mm and >5 mm aggregates, reduced the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregate, but significantly increased contents of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen and potassium by 19.6%, 12.6% and 23.4%, compared to no straw returning control. In 10-20 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning significantly reduced the content of <0.25 mm micro-aggregates, and significantly enhanced soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and potassium contents by 8.4%, 10.9% and 11.5%, compared to the control. However, in 20-30 cm soil layer, cotton straw returning only increased soil available potassium content by 12.0%, while there were no significant changes in particle size, organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents. We concluded that cotton straw returning could significantly improve the structure of surface soil by increasing the number of macro-aggregates, contents of organic carbon, available nitrogen and potassium in aggregates, while decreasing micro-aggregate content. The enhancement of the contribution of macro-aggregates to soil fertility by returning cotton straw could improve soil physical structure, fertility and then increase cotton yield.

Serum microRNA-195 is down-regulated in breast cancer: a potential marker for the diagnosis of breast cancer.

MicroRNA-195 (miR-195) is a tumor suppressor that plays an important role in tumorigenesis. There are few studies on miR-195 expression in breast cancer patients and the results have been inconsistent; therefore, this study examined miR-195 expression in the serum of BC patients. Samples from 102 normal subjects and 210 subjects with BC who had detailed clinical follow-up information available were selected. An internal reference (miR-16) and serum miR-195 were amplified and quantitatively detected by SYBR green-based real-time RT-PCR. We analyzed the differences in miR-195 levels between BC and healthy cases and the relationships between the miR-195 level and TNM stage and other clinicopathological parameters. In addition, changes in miR-195 levels were examined for 21 BC cases using paired samples before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. miR-195 was downregulated in BC compared with control samples (P = 0.000, Mann-Whitney U test). The sensitivity and specificity of miR-195 in the diagnosis of BC were 69.0 and 89.2 %, respectively; whereas, the sensitivities of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153) were only 15.08 and 21.1 %, respectively. Remarkably, serum miR-195 had higher sensitivity, 73.97 % (108/146), as a tumor marker in the diagnosis of early stage BC [ductal carcinoma in situ, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) I, II] compared with the conventional tumor markers CA153 and CEA (12.41 and 7.59 %). Moreover, compared with CEA and CA153, miR-195 had a higher sensitivity for detecting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and significantly increased, more than twofold, after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.025, paired t test) in 52.381 % (11/21) of BC cases. However, there were no significant relationships between miR-195 expression and other clinicopathological parameters (TNM stage/pathotype/ER/PR/lymph node status). Our data indicate serum miR-195 is a promising tumor marker for BC diagnosis and general screening, especially for early stage BC. The high sensitivity of miR-195 to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may lay the foundation for future studies on the use of miRNA-based methods for monitoring BC treatment and therapy.

Effects of Tan Ⅱ A on expressions of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To study the effects of Tan Ⅱ A on expressions of interleukin-1β(IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in brain tissues of neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).Methods The PVL models were established by means of bilateral general cervical artery ligation followed by 0.5 h 80 mL/L oxygen and 920 mL/L nitrogen mixture exposure in 2-day rats,and then these rats were randomly divided into the model control group,the lowdose group treated with Ta Ⅱ A at 7.5 mg/(kg · d) and the high-dose group treated with Ta Ⅱ A at 15.0 mgg/(kg · d),meanwhile the false operation group was established.The rats were killed 1 hour after administration on the third day,and the brain tissues pathological changes were detected by way of HE dyeing analysis.At the same time,the expressions of IL-1β and IL-6 in brain tissues were analyzed by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results HE staining showed that the cells around the lateral ventricle were disarranged,as white matter appeared sparse as cribriform and ischemic changed significantly in the rats of model control group.Compared with the model control group,the ischemia of brain tissue in the low-dose group improved.Ischemia of the high-dose Tan Ⅱ A group improved more significantly than the low-dose group.ELISA results showed that the expressions of IL-1β and IL-6 in the PVL rats were significantly higher than the false operation group (all P ＜ 0.01),both of which were statistically decreased in the high-dose and the low-dose Tan Ⅱ A groups (all P ＜ 0.05) ; and there was no significant difference between the lowdose group and the high-dose group (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Tan Ⅱ A has the function of improving the state of ischemia and decreasing the expressions of IL-1 β and IL-6 in tissues of PVL rats,thus it can relieve cerebral white matter lesions of neonatal rats.

GPR40: a therapeutic target for mediating insulin secretion (review).

G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), known as free fatty acid receptor 1, is mainly expressed in pancreatic ß-cells and activated by medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Increasing evidence indicates that the activation of GPR40 in cells causes insulin secretion, and GPR40 has become an attractive therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Recently, certain novel GPR40 agonists have been identified that regulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, leading to the development of new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this review, we focus on progress in the physiological role of GPR40 and potential drugs targeting GPR40 over the past decade.

Yidiyin, a Chinese herbal decoction, improves erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients and rats through the NO-cGMP pathway.

The nitric-oxide (NO)-cyclic-guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway plays a key role in penile erection. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a complication in male diabetic patients that impacts their quality of 1ife. Recently, Yidiyin, a Chinese herbal decoction, is used to treat diabetic ED, but convincing evidence is lacking, and the potential mechanisms remain uncertain. In the study, diabetic ED patients had low scores on international index of erectile function-5 (IIEF-5), and administration of Yidiyin and hypoglycemic drugs for 16 weeks ameliorated patients' scores on IIEF-5 more than the hypoglycemic drug alone. Moreover, streptozotocin-induced diabetes severely impaired rats' erectile function and the activity of the NO-cGMP pathway in the corpora cavernosum, and treatment with Yidiyin for 4 weeks obviously increased the rats' erectile function, remarkably enhanced the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and elevated the contents of NO and cGMP. Our findings indicate that Yidiyin improves diabetic ED probably by enhancing the NO-cGMP pathway.

[Effects of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe on serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe (JBR) on inflammatory cytokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and explore its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS Sixty-four patients with T2DM were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 34) and the control group (n = 30). Education course, dietary treatment and conventional hypoglycemic agent were given to both groups, and JBR, mainly composed of Cibot Rhizome, Radix Dipsaci, Glossy Privet Fruit; Ecliptae Herba, Radicis Lycii, Radix Astragali, Rehmannia Dride Rhizome, etc., was given additionally to patients in the treated group, one dose a day for 4 weeks by boiled water and taking in two times. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured, and insulin sensitive index (ISI) and clinical TCM symptom score were calculated before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the clinical symptom score dropped in both groups (P < 0.01), and it was lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.01). At the same time, serum levels of FINS, CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 decreased and ISI increased significantly, the effect showed in the treated group was also superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: JBR, which could tonify Pi and Shen, nourish Yin and clear away heat, can improve insulin resistance and alleviate clinical symptoms of T2DM patients, the mechanism may be related with its actions in regulating the production of inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting inflammatory reac-

Effects of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe on serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>UNLABELLED</b>OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe (JBR) on inflammatory cytokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and explore its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS Sixty-four patients with T2DM were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 34) and the control group (n = 30). Education course, dietary treatment and conventional hypoglycemic agent were given to both groups, and JBR, mainly composed of Cibot Rhizome, Radix Dipsaci, Glossy Privet Fruit; Ecliptae Herba, Radicis Lycii, Radix Astragali, Rehmannia Dride Rhizome, etc., was given additionally to patients in the treated group, one dose a day for 4 weeks by boiled water and taking in two times. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured, and insulin sensitive index (ISI) and clinical TCM symptom score were calculated before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the clinical symptom score dropped in both groups (P < 0.01), and it was lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.01). At the same time, serum levels of FINS, CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 decreased and ISI increased significantly, the effect showed in the treated group was also superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>JBR, which could tonify Pi and Shen, nourish Yin and clear away heat, can improve insulin resistance and alleviate clinical symptoms of T2DM patients, the mechanism may be related with its actions in regulating the production of inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting inflammatory reac-</p>