Discussion on the Evolution of the Traditional Preparation Process of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata / 广州中医药大学学报

This article discussed the evolution of the traditional preparation process of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata.The production methods for Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata in Song Dynasty include cake-making of Pinelliae Rhizoma together with ginger juice and fermentation after cake-making,and the former method of cake-making was the mainstream.The process technology in Jin and Yuan Dynasties inherited from that in Song Dynasty,and the application of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata had certain limitations.The medical practitioners of Ming Dynasty elucidated the mechanism of processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata,and proposed the view of"sliced Pinelliae Rhizoma being potent while fermented Pinelliae Rhizoma being mild".In the Ming Dynasty,LI Shi-Zhen defined the cake-making process and fermentation process for Pinelliae Rhizoma,and HAN Mao's Han Shi Yi Tong(Han's Clear View of Medicine)contained five prescriptions for the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata,which had the epoch-making signficance in the expansion of prescriptions for the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata.In the Qing Dynasty,HAN Fei-Xia's ten methods for making Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata were summarized on the basis of the methods recorded in Han Shi Yi Tong,and at that time,the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata and the preparation of Massa Medicata Fermentata interacted with each other.After the founding of the People's Republic of China,the local experience in the preparation of Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata was deeply influenced by the methods in the Qing Dynasty,and the local preparation technical standards gradually became the same.Moreover,this article also explored the issues of the importance of"Pinelliae Rhizoma"and"ingredients for fermentation",the pre-treatment of Pinelliae Rhizoma,the distinction between cake-making process and fermentation process for Pinelliae Rhizoma,the amount of flour added as well as the timing of adding,the addition of Massa Medicata Fermentata powder,the role of Alum in Pinelliae Rhizoma Fermentata and so on.

Impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure on all-cause mortality / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and pulse pressure (PP) on all-cause mortality. Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study. Individuals participated in the Kailuan Study and completed baPWV measurements between 2010 and 2016 were included in this study. After stratifying by sex, 75th percentile baPWV and PP values for different age group were calculated at five years interval. BaPWV and PP values below the 75th percentile were defined as normal, and those above or equal to the 75th percentile were defined as increased. The participants were allocated to four groups according to their PP and baPWV status: normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the impact of individual and combined assessment of baPWV and PP on all-cause mortality events. Results: A total of 39 339 participants were enrolled in this study, aged (49.3±12.8) years, of which 28 731 (73.03%) were males. There were 23 268, 6 025, 6 210 and 3 836 cases in the normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group, respectively. The average follow-up duration was (4.98±2.53) years. During the follow-up period, all-cause mortality occurred in 998 individuals. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed increased risk of all-cause mortality in the high baPWV/normal PP group (HR=1.27, 95%CI 1.07-1.50), and in the high baPWV/PP group (HR=1.33, 95%CI 1.08-1.65) compared to the normal baPWV/PP group. Increased pulse pressure alone had no impcat on all-cause death (HR=1.06, 95%CI 0.87-1.29). Conclusions: The risk of all-cause mortality significantly increases with increased age-and sex-specific baPWV and PP values. BaPWV may be a better predictor of all-cause mortality than PP in this cohort.

Study on chemical constituents of Shensong Yangxin Capsule based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the chemical composition of Shensong Yangxin Capsule, a novel ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was employed to establish a method that could identify the ingredients systematically and rapidly. Methods: The information of accurate mass and multistage fragment ions was obtained by the novel UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap technology. Chemical constituents were characterized by comparing the relative retention time and the mass data of the reference substance, meanwhile consulting the reference literature or the Mass Bank, Chemical Book network database. Results: A total of 54 compounds were finally identified in this research, including the phenolic acids, flavones, terpenoids, anthraquinones, alkaloids and others. Conclusion: A method was established in this study to identify various chemical constituents of Shensong Yangxin Capsule systematically, rapidly and accurately. The identified chemical components mostly cover the main constituents of each medicinal material in the formula. Our work will lay a scientific foundation for the bioactive components screening, quality control improvement and further clinical application of this herbal formulation.

Research progress in Parkinson's disease and constipation / 中国实用内科杂志

Pakinson's disease(PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a variaty of motor and nonmotor symptoms.Constipation is a common non-motor symptom of PD.Constipation can occur in early PD or before typical motor symptoms of Pakinson's disease.Constipation affects the life quality of patients with PD.At present, the correlation and mechanism of constipation in patients with PD are not clear, and many studies have discussed its effective treatment.In this review, we summarize current researches in correlation, mechanism and treatment of constipation in PD.

Main chemical constituents research of Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS / 中草药

Objective To recognize the chemical profile of Qishen Yiqi Dropping Pills (QYDP) comprehensively, systematically and rapidly; ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was employed to identify the main chemical composition of this preparation. Methods A gradient elution for separation was achieved through ACQUITY UPLC® BEH C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) with acetonitrile-water (containing 0.1% formic acid) as the mobile phase. Then, the novel Q-Orbitrap MS technology was employed to detect the information of accurate mass and multistage fragment ions. Chemical constituents were characterized by comparing their relative retention time and mass data with that of the reference substance, meanwhile the reference literature, Mass Bank database, and Chemical Book network database were also consulted. Results A total of 53 ingredients were finally identified in this study, including 14 organic acids, 10 flavones, 10 authraquinones, 2 saponins, 7 amino acids, and 10 others. Conclusion An efficient method was established in this work to identify the main chemical ingredients of QYDP rapidly and accurately; Meanwhile, this research will lay a scientific foundation for the further research on pharmacodynamic material basis, quality control, and clinical application of this medicine.

Therapeutic effect of improved macular hole surgery / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

· AIM:To compared the therapeutic effect of improved macular hole surgery to traditional macular hole surgery for idiopathic macular hole (IMH).· METHODS:From April 2014 to June 2017,28 eyes of 28 IMH patients who were treated in our hospital were selected consecutively and received surgical treatment independently performed by the same physician in our hospital.The patients were divided into A (traditional group) and B (improvement group) groups.All 13 cases in Group A were treated with traditional vitrectomy internal limiting membrane peeling and C3 F8 tamponade,while all 15 cases in Group B were treated with improved indocyanine green-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling combined with macular hole reconstruction and air tamponade.All patients were reviewed at 1wk,1,3,and 6mo after surgery.The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before and after the operation,operation time,closure rate of the macular hole during the last review and prone time were compared between the two groups of patients.· RESULTS:There was no significant difference in closure rate between the two groups (P＞ 0.05).Postoperative BCVA increased in both groups compared with preoperatively and the differences were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).But there was no significant difference on BCVA between the two groups both preoperatively and postoperatively (P ＞ 0.05).The operation time in Group B was significantly shorter than that in Group A (P＜0.05).Prone time in Group B was significantly shorter than that in Group A,the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).· CONCLUSION:This study shows that compared with the traditional group,the improved indocyanine green-assisted peeling of internal limiting membrane combined with macular hole reconstruction and air tamponade can achieve similarly high closure rates while the operation procedure was simplified and the operation time was shortened.Reduced number of instruments into and out of the incision can reduce the incidence of complications.The postoperative patient's prone time is significantly shortened,with high comfort and good compliance.

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B cirrhosis patients given treatment with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: With the continuous development of mesenchymal stem cell therapy, it has been reported that stem cell therapy is likely to cause the occurrence and development of tumors. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential risks of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis after receiving human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) transplantation. METHODS: The study collected the information of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis treated with hUC-MSCs, admitted at the Infectious Disease Department of the 105thHospital of PLA from January 2011 to December 2013. The following investigation lasted 36 months. The follow-up was terminated at the time of diagnostic confirmation. The risk factors that may affect the occurrence of HCC were analyzed by univariate Logistic and multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A total of 386 patients were followed up, including 171 patients who received hUC-MSCs transplantation as the observation group and 215 patients only given general internal medicine treatment as the control group. (2) At the follow-up of 12 months, the incidence of HCC in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). At the follow-up of 36 months, the incidence of HCC was 11.7% in the observation group and 9.8% in the control group (P > 0.05). (3) Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the HCC patients had higher age, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), alpha-fetoprotein variants (AFP-L3), AFP-L3 ratio (AFP-L3%), and Golgi glycoprotein 73 (GP73) than those with no HCC in both control and observation groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate unconditional Logistic regression analysis showed that only APF-L3% was an independent risk factor for HCC in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis undergoing hUC-MSCs transplantation. Overall, hUC-MSCs transplantation does not increase the HCC incidence in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis within 3 years, but it may lead to an early onset of HCC. AFP-L3% can be used as an early predictor of HCC in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis undergoing hUC-MSCs transplantation.

Clinical Value of Extravascular Lung Water Monitoring for Rapid Recovery in Pediatric Patients After Complete Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot / 中国循环杂志

Objective: To explore the clinical value of extravascular lung water monitoring for rapid recovery in pediatric patients after complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Methods: A total of 43 pediatric patients received complete repair of TOF were studied. The pulse contour cardiac index (PCCI), global end diastolic volume index (GEDI), stroke volume variation (SVV), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), global ejection fraction (GEF), maximum of pressure increase in aorta (dPmax), extravascular lung water index (EVWI) and pulmonary vascular permeability index (PVPI) were recorded by pulse-indicated continuous cardiac output (PICCO) monitoring at immediately enter pediatric ICU (PICU) and 6h, 12h, 18h, 24h post-operation. Meanwhile, the heart rate, blood pressure, central venous pressure (CVP), left atrium pressure (LAP) and balance of liquid were monitored; mechanical ventilation time, PICU stay time, re-intubation,re-occlusion of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) and other complications were recorded. Based on post-operative mechanical ventilation time, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Rapid recovery (R) group, patients with mechanical ventilation≤24h, n=29 and Delayed recovery (D) group, patients with mechanical ventilation>24h, n=14. Results: Compared with group D, group R had the shorter mechanical ventilation time (14.2±8.0) h vs (86.3±44.5) h and PICU stay time (2.5±1.7) days vs (5.3±3.6) days, both P<0.05; decreased PVPI at immediately enter PICU and 6h, 12h, 18h, 24h post-operation as (4.9±1.3 vs 6.4±1.5),(5.1±1.8 vs 6.5±1.3),(4.8±2.0 vs 6.5±1.6),(4.4±1.1vs 6.9±1.8), (4.4±2.5 vs 6.5±2.2) respectively, all P<0.05; Lower ELWI at 12h and 18h post-operation as(20.9±6.1) ml/kg vs (26.8±5.7) ml/kg and(19.1±5.5) ml/kg vs (26.7±5.5)ml/kg, both P<0.05. Group R had no patient received re-occlusion of MAPCAs after operation, while Group D had 3. No death, no catheter-related complication occurred in either group. Conclusion: MAPCAs may increase extravascular lung water, pulmonary vascular permeability and cause lung perfusion, therefore affect the early recovery of complete repair of pediatric TOF. PICCO monitoring may conduct bedside quantitative observation of lung perfusion, combining with ELWI and PVPI, clinicians may identify and manage MAPCAs as necessity for rapid recovery in relevant patients.

Non-fastidous antibiotic-resistance bacteria pollution in tap water / 军事医学

Objective To study the non-fastidous antibiotic-resistance bacteria pollution in tap water from a neighborhood in Tianjin.Methods Tap water samples were collected and bacteria were isolated by R2A agar,and 16S rRNA gene sequence for the identification of bacteria isolates was used.Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.Results Among the 39 non-fastidous bacteria isolates,the resistance rate of antibioticresistance bacteria was 79.49％,including Enterococcus,Staphylococcus,Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas.Some bacteria (28.21％) showed resistance against only one antibiotic.The others (51.28％) were multiple resistant bacteria.Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole resistance was most prevalent (53.85％),and sulfamethoxazole resistance was also widely distributed (28.21％).Conclusion Tap water from this neighborhood is heavily polluted by non-fastidous antibioticresistantance bacteria,which deserves more attention.

Progress of benign essential blepharospasm / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia of the orbicularis oculi muscles, producing excessive eye closure. The etiology and pathogenesis is still unclear now. lt is usually appearing in adult period and predominant in females. The symptoms are typically triggered by stress, fatigue, intense light or individual factors. At advanced stages patients develop functional blindness. At present the main treatments include: botulinum toxin ( BTX ) , surgical procedures, systemic and ocular drugs and traditional Chinese medicine treatment. BTX administration has been an effective treatment. Surgical procedures have good effect but should be limited to the rare patients that do not respond to botulinum toxin treatment. A great variety of drugs have poor results. Chinese medicine has a certain therapeutic effect. Transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve symptoms. The epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment system were reviewed in this paper.

Advances in study of Survivin inhibitors / 药学学报

Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins family, is considered to be an important target of anticancer treatment for its key role in the control of cell division and cell apoptosis. Currently, only a few Survivin inhibitors have been developed, and most of them reduce Survivin level by interacting with other biomolecules instead of directly interacting with Survivin protein. This review summarizes the structure of Survivin protein, the mechanism of action and research progress of Survivin inhibitors, which may has a great significance in the study of selective Survivin inhibitors in the future.

A 5-year retrospective clinical study of perinatal cytomegalovirus infection / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the incidence, clinical features, and treatment of perinatal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, as well as the factors affecting the therapeutic effect of ganciclovir.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical data of 237 infants who were hospitalized and diagnosed with perinatal CMV infection from 2008 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The clinical features of infants with perinatal CMV infection and the proportion of such infants in all hospitalized infants showed no significant differences across the five years. In most infants, two or more systems were involved, and CMV hepatitis plus CMV pneumonia was most common (43.1%). The results of pathogen detection showed that the percentage of the infants with positive blood CMV-IgM and blood/urine CMV-DNA was 3.8%, while 90.3% of all infants had positive blood CMV-IgM alone and 5.9% had positive blood/urine CMV-DNA alone. A total of 197 infants were treated with ganciclovir, and the cure rate was 88.3%. An abnormal history of pregnancy (OR=6.191, 95% CI: 1.597-24.002) and liver involvement before medication (OR=3.705, 95% CI: 1.537-8.931) were the independent risk factors affecting the therapeutic effect of ganciclovir in infants with perinatal CMV infection.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The epidemiological characteristics of perinatal CMV infection have remained generally stable for the last 5 years. CMV often involves several organs or systems, especially the liver and lung. Ganciclovir has a significant efficacy in the treatment of perinatal CMV infection, and an abnormal history of pregnancy and liver involvement before medication can increase the risk of ganciclovir resistance in infants with perinatal CMV infection.</p>

Expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB in ulcerative colitis / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

This study was aimed to investigate the expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB in ulcerative colitis (UC) tissues and the implications of their expressions in the pathogenesis of UC. The expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB were detected by immunohistochemistry, and those of p120ctn and NF-κB by Western blotting in 23 cases of UC and 17 cases of normal colonic tissues. The relationship between the expression of E-cadherin or NF-κB and that of p120ctn was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. The results showed that in UC and normal colonic groups, the abnormal expression rate of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin, and NF-κB was 52.2% vs. 0 (P<0.05), 73.9% vs. 23.5% (P<0.05), 65.2% vs. 17.6% (P<0.05) and 78.4% vs. 23.5% (P<0.05), respectively. p120ctn expression was positively correlated with E-cadherin expression (r=0.404, P<0.05), but negatively with nuclear NF-κB expression (r= - 0.347, P<0.05). Western blotting showed that as compared with the normal controls, the p120ctn protein level was significantly decreased (P<0.05), whereas the NF-κB protein level was increased (P<0.05) in UC tissues. It was concluded that in the colonic tissues of UC patients, the expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn and β-catenin are decreased, suggesting the mucosal barrier is impaired in UC. Moreover, NF-κB is increased and activated in the UC tissues, resulting in the inflammation in UC. p120ctn may influence the UC development through modulating intercellular adhesion and inflammatory response.

Essentials of pharmacophylogeny: knowledge pedigree, epistemology and paradigm shift / 中国中药杂志

Chinese materia medica resource (CMM resource) is the foundation of the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In the study of sustainable utilization of CMM resource, adopting innovative theory and method to find new CMM resource is one of hotspots and always highlighted. Pharmacophylogeny interrogates the phylogenetic relationship of medicinal organisms (especially medicinal plants), as well as the intrinsic correlation of morphological taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, chemical constituents, and therapeutic efficacy (ethnopharmacology and pharmacological activity). This new discipline may have the power to change the way we utilize medicinal plant resources and develop plant-based drugs. Phylogenomics is the crossing of evolutionary biology and genomics, in which genome data are utilized for evolutionary reconstructions. Phylogenomics can be integrated into the flow chart of drug discovery and development, and extends the field of pharmacophylogeny at the omic level, thus the concept of pharmacophylogenomics could be redefined in the context of plant pharmaceutical resources. This contribution gives a brief discourse of knowledge pedigree of pharmacophylogeny, epistemology and paradigm shift, highlighting the theoretical and practical values of pharmacophylogenomics. Many medicinally important tribes and genera, such as Clematis, Pulsatilla, Anemone, Cimicifugeae, Nigella, Delphinieae, Adonideae, Aquilegia, Thalictrum, and Coptis, belong to Ranunculaceae family. Compared to other plant families, Ranunculaceae has the most species that are recorded in China Pharmacopoeia (CP) 2010. However, many Ranunculaceae species, e. g., those that are closely related to CP species, as well as those endemic to China, have not been investigated in depth, and their phylogenetic relationship and potential in medicinal use remain elusive. As such, it is proposed to select Ranunculaceae to exemplify the utility of pharmacophylogenomics and to elaborate the new concept empirically. It is argued that phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship of medicinally important tribes and genera within Ranunculaceae could be elucidated at the genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels, from which the intrinsic correlation between medicinal plant genotype and metabolic phenotype, and between genetic diversity and chemodivesity of closely related taxa, could be revealed. This proof-of-concept study regards pharmacophylogenomics as the updated version of pharmacophylogeny and would enrich the intension and spread the extension of pharmacophylogeny. The interdisciplinary knowledge and techniques will be integrated in the proposed study to promote development of CMM resource discipline and to boost sustainable development of Chinese medicinal plant resources.

Expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB in ulcerative colitis / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

This study was aimed to investigate the expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB in ulcerative colitis (UC) tissues and the implications of their expressions in the pathogenesis of UC. The expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin and NF-κB were detected by immunohistochemistry, and those of p120ctn and NF-κB by Western blotting in 23 cases of UC and 17 cases of normal colonic tissues. The relationship between the expression of E-cadherin or NF-κB and that of p120ctn was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis. The results showed that in UC and normal colonic groups, the abnormal expression rate of E-cadherin, p120ctn, β-catenin, and NF-κB was 52.2% vs. 0 (P<0.05), 73.9% vs. 23.5% (P<0.05), 65.2% vs. 17.6% (P<0.05) and 78.4% vs. 23.5% (P<0.05), respectively. p120ctn expression was positively correlated with E-cadherin expression (r=0.404, P<0.05), but negatively with nuclear NF-κB expression (r= - 0.347, P<0.05). Western blotting showed that as compared with the normal controls, the p120ctn protein level was significantly decreased (P<0.05), whereas the NF-κB protein level was increased (P<0.05) in UC tissues. It was concluded that in the colonic tissues of UC patients, the expressions of E-cadherin, p120ctn and β-catenin are decreased, suggesting the mucosal barrier is impaired in UC. Moreover, NF-κB is increased and activated in the UC tissues, resulting in the inflammation in UC. p120ctn may influence the UC development through modulating intercellular adhesion and inflammatory response.

Changes of Fas, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein in rat brain during morphine addiction / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To investigate the changes of apoptosis-related proteins Fas, Caspase-3 andBd-2 expression in rat brain during morphine addiction. Methods A total of 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 190-210 g, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 16): chronic morphine-dependent group, chronic morphine-abstinent group and control group. The rats in dependent group and abstinent group were chronically treated with morphine for 13 days to establish morphine dependent model. In the abstinent group, the withdrawal syndromes were induced with intraperitoneal injection of naloxone 5 mg/kg for 30 min. The control group was injected with normal saline. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis were used to examine the expression of Fas, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins. Results Compared with the control group, the other two groups had significantly increased expression of Fas and Caspase-3 (P<0.01) and significantly decreased expresssion of Bcl-2 (P<0.01) in the hippocampal synapse. Conclusion It is demonstrated that long term use of morphine can promote abnormal neuronal apoptosis in rat brain by enhancing the expression of pro-apoptotic Fas, Caspase-3 and decreasing the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, which might be one of the mechanisms for opiate-induced neuronal damage.

Changes of Fas, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein in rat brain during morphine addiction / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To investigate the changes of apoptosis-related proteins Fas, Caspase-3 andBd-2 expression in rat brain during morphine addiction. Methods A total of 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 190-210 g, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 16): chronic morphine-dependent group, chronic morphine-abstinent group and control group. The rats in dependent group and abstinent group were chronically treated with morphine for 13 days to establish morphine dependent model. In the abstinent group, the withdrawal syndromes were induced with intraperitoneal injection of naloxone 5 mg/kg for 30 min. The control group was injected with normal saline. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis were used to examine the expression of Fas, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins. Results Compared with the control group, the other two groups had significantly increased expression of Fas and Caspase-3 (P<0.01) and significantly decreased expresssion of Bcl-2 (P<0.01) in the hippocampal synapse. Conclusion It is demonstrated that long term use of morphine can promote abnormal neuronal apoptosis in rat brain by enhancing the expression of pro-apoptotic Fas, Caspase-3 and decreasing the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, which might be one of the mechanisms for opiate-induced neuronal damage.

High-density lipoprotein associated factors apoA-I and serum amyloid A in Chinese non-diabetic patients with coronary heart disease / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are a strong, independent inverse predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this cross-sectional study we investigated the interrelationships between HDL-C and HDL related factors apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and serum amyloid A (SAA) and the presence and extent of CHD in a population of Chinese patients with CHD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients took part in this study. Demographic data were obtained from hospital records. Serum chemical concentrations were measured by standard laboratory methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentrations of high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (median: 1.85 mg/L) and SAA (median: 9.40 mg/L) were significantly higher in the CHD group (P < 0.05), while concentrations of HDL-C ((1.03 +/- 0.25) mmol/L) and apoA-I ((604.59 +/- 105.79) mmol/L) were significantly lower than those in the non-CHD group (P < 0.05). The concentrations of apoA-I decreased with the increase in vascular damage, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. However, the concentrations of hsCRP and SAA increased with the increase in vascular damage. The unadjusted odd ratios (ORs) (CI) for apoA-I and SAA of the presence of CHD were 0.093 (0.990 - 0.997) (P = 0.00) and 2.571 (1.029 - 6.424) (P < 0.05), respectively. The association between elevated SAA and the presence of CHD was lost after adjusting for lipid status parameter concentrations. The associations between apoA-I, SAA and the extent of CHD remained strong, regardless of confounding variables.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Increased concentrations of SAA represent the inflammatory marker of the extent of coronary stenosis in patients with CHD. In contrast to SAA, the level of apoA-I was also associated with the presence of CHD, indicating that apoA-I was not only a marker of CHD presence but also a quantitative indicator of CHD extent. In short, determining the change apolipoprotein content within HDL particle is a more accurate and effective method to evaluate the impact of HDL on CHD.</p>

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene I/D genotype affected metoprolol-induced reduction in 24-hour average heart rate / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Genetic factors can influence antihypertensive response to metoprolol, and many studies focused on the relationship between the genotype in beta1-adrenergic receptor and blood pressure (BP), little was known about the association of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotype with the therapeutic result of metoprolol. The present study aimed to investigate whether the ACE gene insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism is related to the response to metoprolol in Chinese Han hypertensive patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-six patients with essential hypertension received metoprolol (100 mg once daily) as monotherapy for 8 weeks. Twenty-four hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and dynamic electrocardiogram were performed before and after treatment. Genotyping analysis was performed using PCR. The association of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism with variations in BP and heart rate (HR) was observed after the 8-week treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients with ACE gene II polymorphism showed greater reduction in 24-hour average HR than those with ID or DD polymorphisms (P = 0.045), no effect of this genotype on the reduction in seating HR or in BP was observed. After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, BP and HR at baseline, the ACE gene I/D polymorphism was still an independent predictor for variations in 24-hour average HR.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The II polymorphism in ACE gene could be a candidate predictor for greater reduction in 24-hour average HR in Chinese Han hypertensive patients treated by metoprolol. Greater benefits would be obtained by patients with II polymorphism from the treatment with metoprolol. Larger studies are warranted to validate this finding.</p>

Expressions of Ep-CAM and cyclin D1 and their clinical significance in gallbladder carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of Ep-CAM and cyclin D1 and their correlation with the clinicopathological factors and prognosis in gallbladder carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ep-CAM and cyclin D1 expressions were detected by PV6000 immunohistochemical staining in 60 gallbladder carcinoma and 15 para-cancerous mucosa specimens.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ep-CAM and cyclin D1 expressions were detected in 56.7% and 48.3% of the cancer tissues, respectively, significantly higher than those in the normal mucosa (P < 0.05). Ep-CAM expression was not correlated with clinicopathological data, however cyclin D1 expression was correlated with pathological differentiation and necrosis (P < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that patients with positive Ep-CAM or cyclin D1 expression had a shorter survival time than that in the patients without (P < 0.05). Moreover, Ep-CAM and cyclin D1 expressions were positively correlated with each other (r = 0.307, P = 0.017).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ep-CAM or cyclin D1 expression is a unfavorable prognostic factor in gallbladder carcinoma.</p>