Objective To explore the protective effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) serum onβ-amyloid protein (Aβ) induced primary rat hippcampal neurons. Methods The rat models of Alzheimer's disease were established by intracerebral injection of Aβ1-40. After treated them with EA, the serum was harvested. Primary cultured hippocampal neurons were treated with Aβ25-35 to establish neuronal damage model in vitro, and divided into normal group, model group and EA serum group. The proliferation of neurons was detected by MTT test. Neuronal apoptosis was examined by TUNEL staining, and expression of cysteine aspartic acid proteases-3 (Caspase-3) was detected by immunocytochemical staining. Results MTT test showed that the cell viability was significantly decreased after treated with Aβ. While compared with the model group, cell proliferation of EA serum group was significantly enhanced (P<0.01). TUNEL staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells in EA serum group decreased significantly compared with the model group (P<0.01). After 48 h of Aβ treatment, Caspase-3 expression levels were significantly elevated. However, compared with the model group, the number of Caspase-3 positive cells in EA serum group was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Conclusion The EA serum could promote the proliferation of hippocampal neurons, reduce the expression of Caspase-3, counteract the neurotoxicity of β-amyloid protein, and reduce neuronal apoptosis.

Objective To investigate the relationship between pulmonary arterial ( PA) enlargement and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods From December 2012 to June 2016,78 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD in the Eighth People＇s Hospital of Qingdao were selected. According to pulmonary CT findings,they were divided into two groups : PA enlargement group (38 cases) was PA＞3.0cm,normal PA group(40 cases) was PA≤3.0cm.FEV1and FVC of stable phase were compared.Results The FEV1of men in the A enlargement group was (1.08 ±0.44)L,that in the normal PA group was (1.44 ±0.66)L,the difference was statistically significant (t＝2.27,P＝0.028).The FEV1of women in the PA enlargement group was (0.90 ±0.41)L,which in the normal PA group was (1.35 ±0.58)L,the difference was statistically significant (t＝2.28,P＝0.026).Correlation analysis showed that the diameter of PA was negatively related with FEV 1/FVC(r＝-0.509,P＝0.001),PA enlargement was related with lung function decline.Conclusion COPD patients with PA enlargement are more associated with accelerated loss of lung function and should be treated early.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel type of non-coding RNA with covalently closed loops which plays an important role in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes. In this paper, the relationship between circRNA and type 2 diabetes in terms of the regulation of pancreatic β-cell function by circRNA and the metabolic activity of heart, kidney and other organs is reviewed, and the possibility of circRNA as a clinical diagnostic marker for type 2 diabetes and its complications is emphasized, hoping to provide reference and clues for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To determine the effects of ginsenoside rg3 on the body weight of C57BL/6J obese mice and to investigate its underlying weight loss mechanisms with a focus on white fat browning-related factors. Methods: Eight-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 successive weeks to construct the obese model. C57BL/6J male mice were fed a standard chow diet to construct normal control group. After 8 weeks of intervention with ginsenoside rg3, the food intake, body weight, body fat mass, blood sugar, and lipid profiles of the mice in each group were detected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histological morphology of the adipose tissues. Real-time poly-merase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) were applied to detect the gene and protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gama (PPARγ), Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator -1alpha (PGC-1α), PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1).Results: Compared to normal control group mice, the body weight, food intake, body fat composition, and blood lipid levels of model group mice increased significantly. After 8 weeks of intervention with ginsenoside rg3, body weight, body fat composition, food intake, and blood lipid profiles decreased. HE staining showed that ginsenoside rg3 can improve white adipocyte hypertrophy to a certain extent. RT-PCR and WB demonstrated that ginsenoside rg3 can increase the mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ, PGC-1α, PRDM16, and UCP-1 in the adipose tissues of obese mice. Conclusion: The weight reduction effect of ginsenoside rg3 may be related to the promotion of white fat browning.

Objective The equilibrium solubility and oil-water partition coefficient of caffeic acid in different pH environments were determined,and its biopharmaceutical classification system(BCS)classification was speculated.The dissolution curve of caffeic acid tablets was determined,and the above parameters were substituted into the rat PBPK model for modeling.Gastroplus software was used to predict the in vitro and in vivo correlation of caffeic acid tablets.Methods Quantitative analysis of caffeic acid was performed by a high-performance liquid chromatography in this research,the chromatographic column was Agilent Eclipse Plus C18(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 &mu;m),the mobile phase was 0.32%glacial acetic acid solution-methanol(70∶30),the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1,the detection wavelength was 323 nm,the column temperature was 25℃,the injection volume was 10 &mu;L.The equilibrium solubility,solubility volume(DSV)and oil-water partition coefficient(P)of caffeic acid in different pH buffers were measured by the shake flask method and n-octanol-water system,and its BCS classification was speculated.The dissolution curves of caffeic acid tablets in water,pH1.2,pH4.5 and pH6.8 were determined.The Z-Factor values of these dissolution curves were analyzed using Gastroplus software.The relevant parameters were substituted into the physiological pharmacokinetic(PBPK)model of rats to simulate the in vivo pharmacokinetic(PK)curve of rats.Compared with the measured PK curve that was reported previously,the correlation between in vivo and in vitro was speculated.Results The equilibrium solubility of caffeic acid in pH1.2,pH4.5 and pH6.8 were 0.676,1.266 and 4.624 mg·L-1,and the DSV were 443 787,236 967 and 64 879 mL,which showed that caffeic acid was an insoluble drug which had a strong pH dependence in dissolution;The oil-water partition coefficients(P)of caffeic acid in water,pH1.2 buffer,pH4.5 buffer and pH6.8 buffer were 4.33(logP=0.64),28.87(logP=1.46),19.77(logP=1.30)and 0.28(logP=-0.56),which indicated that caffeic acid was a BCS Ⅱ drug with high permeability.The results of the Cmax,tmax and AUC of caffeic acid in rats obtained by a software simulation was 0.358 &mu;g·mL-1,0.39 h and 0.320 &mu;g·h-1·mL-1,which was basically matched with the results[Cmax∶(0.250±0.037)&mu;g·mL-1、tmax∶(0.33±0.12)h、AUC∶(0.303±0.024)&mu;g·h-1·mL-1]that reported previously,so was the PK curves.Conclusion Caffeic acid is a drug with low solubility and high permeability.It is speculated that caffeic acid is a BCS Ⅱ drug,and its tablets show a high correlation in vivo and in vitro in rats.