[The occurrence, precaution and treatment strategies of postoperative fecal incontinence in rectal and anal diseases].

In the surgical treatment of hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, rectal cancer, anal fissures, or anal fistulas, inadvertent damage to the nerves or muscles responsible for bowel control may potentially lead to varying degrees of fecal incontinence (FI). Surgeons need to conduct preoperative assessments based on the patient's individual condition to select an appropriate surgical plan, aiming to minimize the incidence of postoperative FI and improve the patient's postoperative quality of life as much as possible while effectively treating the disease. Additionally, the proficiency of the surgeon's skills, appropriate preoperative dietary adjustments for the patient, regular bowel habits, and exercises targeting the pelvic floor muscles all contribute to reducing the incidence of postoperative FI in patients. For patients who have already developed FI after surgery, on the basis of suitable diet, regular bowel habits, and medication, clinical practitioners can adopt such methods as biofeedback, pelvic floor muscle exercise, sacral nerve stimulation, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, acupuncture, injectable bulking agents, anal or vaginal inserts, transanal irrigation, surgical interventions, psychological support, etc., to individualized treatment for patients' conditions. This article, combining the literature, summarizes the current status of common diseases that may lead to postoperative FI. It elaborates on strategies for the prevention and treatment of postoperative FI, aiming to serve as a reference for peers in the field.

[The concept of traditional chinese medicine:history, theory and empirical research].

The concept of traditional Chinese medicine has different connotations and extensions in different historical periods. This paper examines the formation and development of the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in the perspective of history, theory and empirical research, and explores the internal connection among different medical systems and between medicine and other disciplines. It attempts to re-define the connotation and extension of the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in the context of the new era, provide references for building the medical community of the Chinese nation and promote the standardization of Chinese medicine terminology, advance the cross-disciplinary construction and establishing a new medical system with the characteristics of openness and tolerance, in order to provide the solution, wisdom and power of traditional Chinese medicine for global health in the process of building a community of human health.

[Foreign medicinal materials in Bencao Tujing].

Bencao Tujing(, Illustration of Materia Medica) presents the exchange and application of foreign medicine in the middle period of the Northern Song Dynasty. The description Bencao Tujing records foreign medicinal materials from 29 extraterritorial countries, and also recorded some foreign medicinal materials from wide areas such as the Silk Road, the Maritime Silk Road and minority areas. Bencao Tujing systematically recorded foreign varieties before the Song Dynasty which used domestic resources in the Song Dynasty; it also recorded a large number of varieties of domestic and foreign resources, including genuine medicinal materials from abroad. The paintings of some foreign varieties in Bencao Tujing were basically true. However, some figures of foreign medicinal variety have conjecture elements, and some foreign medicinal materials have detailed traits described but no corresponding figures. The book also truthfully recorded that some samples of foreign medicinal materials have not been investigated. Through the Bencao Tujing, it can be deduced that foreign medicinal materials have been integrated into the daily life of the Song Dynasty, and the court of the Song Dynasty paid great attention to the investigation of foreign medicinal materials. Bencao Tujing systematically summarized foreign medicinal materials which were introduced before the Northern Song Dynasty, and provided precious historical materials for studying foreign medicinal materials in the Song Dynasty.

Long noncoding RNA DLX6-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-577 to promote malignant development of colorectal cancer.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "Long noncoding RNA DLX6-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-577 to promote malignant development of colorectal cancer, by F.-R. Zhou, Z.-P. Pan, F. Shen, L.-Q. Huang, J.-H. Cui, K. Cai, X.-L. Guo, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (9): 3742-3748-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201905_17800-PMID: 31115000" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17800.

Long noncoding RNA DLX6-AS1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-577 to promote malignant development of colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Recent researches have proved that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the exact role of lncRNA DLX6-AS1 in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), and to explore the possible mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: DLX6-AS1 expression in CRC tissues was detected by Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Function assays were conducted to detect the effect of DLX6-AS1 on the proliferation and metastasis of CRC in vitro. Furthermore, luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay (RIP) were used to explore the underlying mechanism of DLX6-AS1. RESULTS: DLX6-AS1 expression in CRC samples was significantly higher than that of adjacent tissues. Loss of DLX6-AS1 markedly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Furthermore, luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay showed that DLX6-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA via sponging miR-577 in CRC. CONCLUSIONS: DLX6-AS1 could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC by sponging miR-577, which might offer a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Effects of force-feeding on immunology, digestive function and oxidative stress in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa of Pekin ducks.

Force-feeding was considered as a traditional high-efficiency approach to improve growth performance and accelerate fat deposition of Pekin ducks. However, force-feeding is a serious violation of international advocacy on animal welfare, because it can induce serious injuries to animals, such as damages to the digestive tract, effects on immunity and even severe oxidative stress. Therefore, it is urgent to stop force-feeding. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of force feeding on immune function, digestive function and oxidative stress in the mucosa of duodenum and jejunum of Pekin ducks. A total of 500 ducks were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was allowed to feed freely on a basal diet. The experimental group was force-fed by inserting a plastic feeding tube 8 to 10 inches long down the esophagus for 6 days. Compared with the control group, there was a significant (P<0.05) increase in serum diamine oxidase, d-lactic acid, endotoxin and corticosterone levels in the force-feeding group. The crypt depth in duodenum and jejunum showed significant differences (P<0.05) between the two groups and the intestinal villus epithelium cell was severely damaged in force-feeding group. Similarly, the activities of digestive enzymes as well as the levels of immune function in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa in the force-feeding group were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05). However, there was a significant decrease in the superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase levels with a marked increase in malondialdehyde level in duodenal and jejunal mucosa (P<0.05). In summary, at the end of the fattening period with force-feeding for 6 days, Pekin ducks experienced an adverse effect on the integrity of their duodenal and jejunal mucosa epithelium cell as well as their immune function and antioxidant capacity of Pekin ducks but also had improvement in digestive enzyme activities.

An odorant receptor mediates the attractiveness of cis-jasmone to Campoletis chlorideae, the endoparasitoid of Helicoverpa armigera.

Parasitic wasps rely on olfaction to locate their hosts in complex chemical environments. Odorant receptors (ORs) function together with well-conserved odorant coreceptors (ORcos) to determine the sensitivity and specificity of olfactory reception. Campoletis chlorideae (Hymenoptera: Ichneunmonidae) is a solitary larval endoparasitoid of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, and some other noctuid species. To understand the molecular basis of C. chlorideae's olfactory reception, we sequenced the transcriptome of adult male and female heads (including antennae) and identified 211 OR transcripts, with 95 being putatively full length. The tissue expression profiles, as assessed by reverse-transcription PCR, showed that seven ORs were expressed only or more highly in female antennae. Their functions were analysed using the Xenopu slaevis oocyte expression system and two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings. CchlOR62 was tuned to cis-jasmone, which was attractive to female C. chlorideae adults and H. armigera larvae in the subsequent behavioural assays. Further bioassays using caged plants showed that the parasitism rate of H. armigera larvae by C. chlorideae on cis-jasmone-treated tobacco plants was higher than on the control plants. Thus, cis-jasmone appears to be an important infochemical involved in the interactions of plants, H. armigera and C. chlorideae, and CchlOR62 mediates the attractiveness of cis-jasmone to C. chlorideae.

[Textual criticism and discrimination on the naming of"Five-abstention Soup of Medical Professional"from the Han-tomb of the Marquis of Haihun].

A lacquer vessel with the inscription of Yi gong wu jin tang (Five-abstention Soup of Medical Profession) has been unearthed from the Han-tomb of Marquis of Haihun, in which"Five abstentions"is related to the incantations and abstention therapies prevalent in the Qin and Han Dynasties. The"Five-abstention Law"is the five rituals and methods during the process of practicing incantations and abstentions therapies including"keeping one's thinking (cun si)","holding the breath(bi qi)","twirling eyes (nian mu)","stepping after Yu's sample (yu bu)"and"incanting and blessing (zhou zhu)". The"Five-abstention Law"uses the medium"soup"to achieve the purpose of treatment."Soup"refers either to"decoction"or to"magic water". The lacquer vessel with the inscription"Five-abstention Soup of Medical professional"could be an instrument for implementing the process of practising the"Five-abstention Law", reflecting the historical facts that Liu He, the Marquis Haihun did accept the incantations and abstention therapies.

Confirmation of soybean plastid rRNAs by formaldehyde denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis.

Owing to their prokaryotic origin, plastid rRNAs are mainly 23s/16s/5s rRNAs. We present a novel plant RNA isolation method in this paper. Also, not only the eukaryotic 28s (26s, 25s)/18s rRNAs but the prokaryotic 26s/23s rRNAs as well were demonstrated in a single sample for the first time by formaldehyde denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis.

Aldehyde reductase activity in the antennae of Helicoverpa armigera.

In the present study, we identified two aldehyde reductase activities in the antennae of Helicoverpa species, NADH and NADPH-dependent activity. We expressed one of these proteins of H. armigera, aldo-keto reductase (AKR), which bears 56% identity to bovine aldose reductase, displays a NADPH-dependent activity and is mainly expressed in the antennae of adults. Whole-mount immunostaining showed that the enzyme is concentrated in the cells at the base of chemosensilla and in the nerves. The enzyme activity of H. armigera AKR is markedly different from those of mammalian enzymes. The best substrates are linear aliphatic aldehydes of 8-10 carbon atoms, but not hydroxyaldehydes. Both pheromone components of H. armigera, which are unsaturated aldehydes of 16 carbons, are very poor substrates. Unlike mammalian AKRs, the H. armigera enzyme is weakly affected by common inhibitors and exhibits a different behaviour from the action of thiols. A model of the enzyme suggests that the four cysteines are in their reduced form, as are the seven cysteines of mammalian enzymes. The occurrence of orthologous proteins in other insect species, that do not use aldehydes as pheromones, excludes the possibility of classifying this enzyme among the pheromone-degrading enzymes, as has been previously described in other insect species.

A generic plant RNA isolation method suitable for RNA-Seq and suppression subtractive hybridization.

A recently developed revolutionary approach to transcriptomics, RNA-Seq, and suppression subtractive hybridization are powerful tools for gene expression research. However, currently, the difficulty of isolating high-quality RNAs from plant tissues bearing abundant complex polysaccharides, polyphenolics, and secondary metabolites is a serious problem that not only limits the application of these technologies but also hinders studies dealing with RNA in general. We have developed a consistent protocol to prepare highly intact and pure RNAs from tissues of a variety of field-grown plant species, with high yields, in 2 to 3 h. Additionally, this method can be readily applied to mammalian, yeast, and bacterial cells.

Correlation between endothelial dysfunction, Rho-associated protein kinase activity, C-reactive protein and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in male patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association between obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) activity, and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in male patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with symptoms suggestive of OSAS were recruited and divided into non-OSAS (n = 18) and OSAS (n = 32) groups. FMD was measured in the brachial artery; blood samples were taken to measure ROCK activity and CRP concentrations. RESULTS: ROCK activity and CRP concentrations were significantly higher, and FMD was significantly lower, in the OSAS group than in the non-OSAS group. There was a correlation between ROCK activity and FMD. In stepwise multiple regression analyses, the proportion of sleep time spent with an oxygen saturation < 90% was a significant determinant of ROCK activity, while body mass index was the only significant determinant of CRP concentration. The oxygen desaturation index was a significant determinant of FMD. CONCLUSIONS: OSAS increased ROCK activity and was a major determinant of endothelial dysfunction.

Topiramate as an adjunctive treatment for refractory partial epilepsy in the elderly.

This double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive topiramate in 86 elderly Chinese patients with refractory partial epilepsy. Patients who had at least four seizures per 4 weeks during an 8-week baseline period, despite medication with up to three standard antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), were randomly assigned to receive topiramate (n = 46) or placebo (n = 40). Topiramate dosages were titrated (target dose 200 mg/day orally) for 8 weeks and maintained at stable levels for another 12 weeks; concomitant AEDs continued at original dosages. All patients completed the study: 47.8% in the topiramate group and 7.5% on placebo reached ≥ 50% reduction in complex partial seizures. In the topiramate group, the most common adverse events were dizziness, somnolence, fatigue, headache and difficulty with memory; most events were transient and mild or moderate in severity. It was concluded that 200 mg/day topiramate was effective and well-tolerated in elderly patients with refractory partial epilepsy.

Cloning and characterization of a pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase from silkworm, Bombyx mori.

A cDNA encoding Pyridoxine 5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) from Bombyx mori was cloned and characterized (GenBank accession number: DQ452398). The cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 257 amino acid residues. The recombinant enzyme purified from Escherichia coli exhibited maximal activity at pH 9.0, and the K(m) values for the substrates of pyridoxine 5'-phosphate and pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate were determined as 0.65 and 1.15 micromol/l. It was found that B. mori PNPO shares 51.44% homology with humans, but several function-related, key amino acid residues in B. mori PNPO are different from the human and E. Coli gene. B. mori has a single copy of the PNPO gene, which spans a 3.5 kb region and contains five exons and four introns. B. mori PNPO is a homodimer, with each monomer containing nine antiparallel beta-strands and five alpha-helical segments. The secondary structure was deduced from computational study.

Recent developments in the use of adenoviruses and immunotoxins in cancer gene therapy.

Despite setbacks in the past and apparent hurdles ahead, gene therapy is advancing toward reality. The past several years have witnessed this new field of biomedicine developing rapidly both in breadth and depth, especially for the treatment of cancer, thanks largely to the better understanding of molecular and genetic basis of oncogenesis and the development of new and improved vectors and technologies for gene delivery and targeting. This article is intended to provide a brief review of recent advances in cancer gene therapy using adenoviruses, both as vectors and as oncolytic agents, and some of the recent progress in the development of immunotoxins for use in cancer gene therapy.

Two new triterpenoid saponins from Sarcandra glabra.

Two new triterpenoid saponins, named sarcandroside A and B, have been isolated from Sarcandra glabra (Thunb) Nakai. Their structures have been established as 3beta,19alpha,20beta-trihydroxyurs-11,13 (18)-diene-28,20beta-lactone-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 3)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-xylopyranoside (1) and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1 --> 3)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-pomolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (2) by means of spectral and chemical methods.

Proteomic analysis of human tears: defensin expression after ocular surface surgery.

Human tear protein profiles were monitored by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry ProteinChip technology (SELDI-TOF ProteinChip) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Tears were collected from 21 patients scheduled for surgery to remove an ocular surface neoplasm prior to surgery (day 0) and on days 1, 3, and 30 postoperatively. Using this proteomic approach, we verified that three human alpha-defensins (HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3) were significantly up-regulated in their expression after surgery and that their levels decreased to approximately normal by day 30 by which time healing was complete. Further confirmation of the identity of the alpha-defensins in human tears was made by LC purification, trypsin digestion, and ESI-MS/MS analysis of their tryptic digests. The concentrations of HNP-1 and HNP-2 were determined and shown to be markedly increased after ocular surface surgery. The results of the study suggest that human alpha-defensins HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3 are up-regulated after surgery, and may in addition to their antimicrobial properties have an important role in wound healing.

Microgravimetric DNA sensor based on quartz crystal microbalance: comparison of oligonucleotide immobilization methods and the application in genetic diagnosis.

We report on the study of immobilization DNA probes onto quartz crystal oscillators by self-assembly technique to form variety types of mono- and multi-layered sensing films towards the realization of DNA diagnostic devices. A 18-mer DNA probe complementary to the site of genetic beta-thalassaemia mutations was immobilized on the electrodes of QCM by covalent bonding or electrostatic adsorption on polyelectrolyte films to form mono- or multi-layered sensing films by self-assembled process. Hybridization was induced by exposure of the QCMs immobilized with DNA probe to a test solution containing the target nucleic acid sequences. The kinetics of DNA probe immobilization and hybridization with the fabricated DNA sensors were studied via in-situ frequency changes. The characteristics of QCM sensors containing mono- or multi-layered DNA probe constructed by direct chemical bonding, avidin-biotin interaction or electrostatic adsorption on polyelectrolyte films were compared. Results indicated that the DNA sensing films fabricated by immobilization of biotinylated DNA probe to avidin provide fast sensor response and high hybridization efficiencies. The effects of ionic strength of the buffer solution and the concentration of target nucleic acid used in hybridization were also studied. The fabricated DNA biosensor was used to detect a set of real samples. We conclude that the microgravimetric DNA sensor with its direct detection of amplified products provide a rapid, low cost and convenient diagnostic method for genetic disease.