Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of STAT3 gene silencing on the growth of xenografts in human pancreatic cancer SW1990 cells in nude mice.Methods The expression vector inserted with shRNA targeting at STAT3 gene was constructed and was stably transfected into SW1990 cells (SW1990-RNAi group).SW1990 cells transfected with negative control shRNA expression vector (SW1990-Con group) and parent SW1990 (SW1990 group) were used as controls.STAT3,VEGF,MMP-2 protein expressions in these groups were determined by using Western blot.The subcutaneous xenografts models were established in nude mice,and the growth of xenografts was observed,CD34 expressions were determined by immunohistochemistry and MVD was measured.Results The expression of STAT3 protein was 84.69 ± 9.31,82.00 ± 7.76,7.93 ± 1.24,repectively,in SW1990 group,SW1990-Con group,SW1990-RNAi group,and the expression of VEGF protein was 82.94 ± 8.97,80.86 ± 10.28,39.04 ± 6.23,respectively,and the expression of MMP-2 protein was 40.88 ± 5.09,38.26 ± 5.71,12.54 ± 2.15,respectively.The expression in SW1990-RNAi group was significantly lower than those in other 2 groups (P ＜ 0.05),while the expression of all three proteins between SW1990-Con group and SW1990 group was not significantly different.The weight of the xenografts in SW1990 group,SW1990-Con group,SW1990-RNAi group was (2.2 ± 0.4),(2.2 ± 0.3),(0.5 ± 0.3) g,respectively ; the MVD of the xenografts was (20.35 ± 2.41),(18.79 ± 1.94),(9.62 ± 1.06) per high power field,respectively,and the number in SW1990-RNAi group was significantly lower than those in other 2 groups (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01),while the difference between SW1990-Con group and SW1990 group were not significant.Conclusions Inhibition of STAT3 gene expression can significantly slow the growth of SW1990 xenografts in nude mice,and the mechanism may be related with down-regulation of VEGF and MMP-2 expression and inhibition of the angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer.

AIM:To put forward the suggestions for standardizing the pharmacoeconomic research.METHODS:The background of formulation and main points of Canadian Guidelines for the Pharmacoeconomic Evaluation were introduced and its recent development was described.At the same time,we put forward our tentative plan about establishing Chinese guidelines for the pharmacoeconomic evaluation.RESULTS ＆ CONCLUSION:A series of guidelines for the pharmacoeconomic evaluation should be established,which is approved by departments of social safeguard,drug supervision and public health administration,to standardize the pharmacoeconomic research.The goverment should make corresponding policy publicized and make pharmacoeconomic evaluation connect with drug price,clinically rational drug use,catalog of classified management of drugs and catalog of drugs in medical insurance.A pharmacoeconomic framework,which conforms China's national conditions and is controlled by goverment,will established.

Objective To explore the effect of Kruppel like factor 4 (KLF4) on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and invasion ability of pancreatic cancer.Methods The expression of KLF4 in 70 pancreatic cancer tissues and 10 normal pancreatic tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry,and the correlations between KLF4 expression and pathological characteristics were analyzed.Small hairpin RNA targeting KLF4 (sh-KLF4) and negative control shRNA were constructed.After the transfection of shRNA,qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of KLF4,E-cadherin and vimentin,and cell scratch-wound assay and transwell assay were utilized to determine the ability of invasion and metastasis.Results KLF4 expression (47.1％) was lower in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with normal pancreatic tissues (80.0％),and negatively correlated with cell differentiation,tumor stage and distant metastasis.Down-regulated KLF4 expression in PANC1 cell caused decreased mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin (F =25.71,P =0.0011) and increased mRNA and protein expression of vimentin (F =24.95,P=0.0012).Knockdown of KLF4 in PANC1 cell promoted the transition from epithelial morphology to mesenchymal morphology,and enhanced the healing ability (F =47.82,P ＜ 0.001),migration (F =53.68,P=0.0001) and invasion (F=27.65,P=0.0009).Conclusions Knockdown of KLF4 can promote EMT and enhance the invasion ability of pancreatic cancer.

Background::Heterotaxy (HTX) is a thoracoabdominal organ anomaly syndrome and commonly accompanied by congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to analyze rare copy number variations (CNVs) in a HTX/CHD cohort and to examine the potential mechanisms contributing to HTX/CHD.Methods::Chromosome microarray analysis was used to identify rare CNVs in a cohort of 120 unrelated HTX/CHD patients, and available samples from parents were used to confirm the inheritance pattern. Potential candidate genes in CNVs region were prioritized via the DECIPHER database, and PNPLA4 was identified as the leading candidate gene. To validate, we generated PNPLA4-overexpressing human induced pluripotent stem cell lines as well as pnpla4-overexpressing zebrafish model, followed by a series of transcriptomic, biochemical and cellular analyses. Results::Seventeen rare CNVs were identified in 15 of the 120 HTX/CHD patients (12.5%). Xp22.31 duplication was one of the inherited CNVs identified in this HTX/CHD cohort, and PNPLA4 in the Xp22.31 was a candidate gene associated with HTX/CHD. PNPLA4 is expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm, which is known to be critical for left/right embryonic patterning as well as cardiomyocyte differentiation, and in the neural crest cell lineage. Through a series of in vivo and in vitro analyses at the molecular and cellular levels, we revealed that the biological function of PNPLA4 is importantly involved in the primary cilia formation and function via its regulation of energy metabolism and mitochondria-mediated ATP production. Conclusions::Our findings demonstrated a significant association between CNVs and HTX/CHD. Our data strongly suggested that an increased genetic dose of PNPLA4 due to Xp22.31 duplication is a disease-causing risk factor for HTX/CHD.

Ulcerative colitis （UC） is a disease that affects the mucosal and submucosal layers of the colon and is characterized by inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. The incidence of UC is increasing year by year， and it is complex and refractory， severely impacting the physical and mental health of patients. The pathological mechanism of this disease is complex， with immune responses and uncontrollable inflammatory reactions in the intestine being important physiopathologic mechanisms. Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， as a transmembrane signaling receptor， plays a key role in mediating immune responses and inflammatory reactions in the development of UC. Currently， the treatment of UC mainly relies on salicylic acids， glucocorticoids， and other agents to reduce intestinal inflammation. While these drugs can partially inhibit the progression of the disease， they often come with significant adverse effects and the potential for relapse upon discontinuation. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） offers multiple pathways， effects， and targets for regulating the TLR4 pathway， suppressing inflammatory responses， and effectively intervening in the progression of UC. This approach has become a hot topic in the prevention and treatment of UC. Numerous studies have shown that TCM treatment of UC has unique advantages. TCM can enhance immune defenses， suppress inflammatory responses， promote intestinal mucosal healing， and maintain the balance of the intestinal microbiota by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway， thereby effectively treating UC， with substantial progress achieved. However， there is currently a lack of comprehensive reviews on the role of TCM in regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway for the treatment of UC. Therefore， this article systematically summarized the relationship between the TLR4 signaling pathway and UC， as well as the role of TCM in this context， by reviewing relevant literature from recent years， aiming to provide new insights into the potential treatment and new drug development for UC.

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） is a chronic intestinal disease characterized by abdominal pain and increased water content in stool. The pathological mechanism of this disease is complex and attributed to many factors， where the impairment of intestinal mucosal barrier is pivotal in the pathogenesis of IBS-D. The intercellular tight junction （TJ）in intestinal mucosa is mainly composed of Occludin，Claudins， and zonula occludens （ZOs），which is an important component of mechanical barrier and can significantly affect mucosal function. Since modern medicine holds that the pathogenesis of this disease is not fully revealed，symptomatic treatment is the first choice in clinical practice even though the outcomes are not satisfactory. According to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM），the epithelial barrier function in intestinal mucosa corresponds to the TCM theory of "the spleen acts as the guard". Many studies have reported that the active components of Chinese medicine and compound prescriptions can restore the intestinal epithelial barrier function of IBS-D rats by regulating TJ protein，reduce its permeability， and inhibit intestinal water and electrolyte exudation，thereby improving symptoms. This study reviewed the relationship of IBS-D with TJ and its key target proteins to clarify the key role of TJ in the pathophysiology of IBS-D and summarized the TCM treatment of IBS-D through the target regulation of TJ， with the purpose to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of IBS-D and further drug development.

Ulcerative colitis （UC）， a disease that affects the colon or rectum， is characterized by long-term recurrent inflammation and eventually leads to ulcers in the inner wall of the intestine. The disease has a high incidence and is difficult to be cured， which causes severe physical and mental discomfort and economic burden to the patients. Therefore， it is urgent to develop new therapies with high cure rate and low side effect. The pathological mechanism of UC is complex and involves multiple factors. The intestinal mucosal barrier damage is the main pathological basis of UC， which is a hot topic and a new research direction. Intestinal tight junction （TJ）， as the structural basis of the intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier， can actively regulate mucosal function and play a key role in the pathogenesis of UC. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate TJ protein via multiple pathways and multiple targets， repair the intestinal mucosal barrier， and thus block the progression of UC. Studies have demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicines and their components， Chinese medicine compound prescriptions， and Chinese medicine preparations can treat UC by regulating TJ protein to maintain the function and reduce the permeability of intestinal epithelium， providing a new therapeutic strategy for UC. Although TCM has unique advantages that western medicine cannot replace by mediating TJ protein expression in UC， a comprehensive review of this field remains to be carried out. Focusing on the status of UC and TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment， we retrieved relevant articles with ''ulcerative colitis''， ''tight junction''， and ''Chinese medicine'' as the keywords， and summarized the relationship of TJ and its key target proteins with UC to clarify the critical role of TJ in UC pathophysiology. Furthermore， we summarized the Chinese medicines regulating TJ in the treatment of UC in recent years， aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the development of drugs for this disease.

Ulcerative colitis （UC） mainly occurs in the colon and rectum， with complex pathological mechanism. The occurrence of ulcerative colitis is associated with the uncontrollable inflammatory response of the intestine. The Western medicine therapy of UC mainly uses glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants to reduce intestinal inflammation. While blocking the progress of UC to a certain extent， it causes severe adverse reactions. More and more studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has obvious advantages in the prevention and treatment of UC and can significantly reduce the recurrence of the disease. Pyroptosis， a novel form of cell death， can destroy cell structure， release intracellular pro-inflammatory substances， and mediate intestinal immune response in UC. TCM can promote pyroptosis （removing excess） or inhibit pyroptosis （replenishing deficiency）， which is consistent with the regulation of Yin and Yang. TCM plays a role in the treatment of UC mainly by inhibiting pyroptosis （replenishing deficiency） and reducing intestinal immune response. In recent years， a large number of studies have been carried out to decipher the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of UC via NOD-like receptor protein domain 3 （NLRP3）-mediated pyroptosis pathway. The results have demonstrated that NLRP3 pathway is the key target of TCM in the treatment of UC. However， a comprehensive summary remains to be carried out on the inhibition of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis pathway by TCM in the treatment of UC. Therefore， we retrieved the articles in this field in recent years with the keywords "pyroptosis"， "NLRP3"， "ulcerative colitis"， and "Chinese medicine". The Chinese medicines regulating NLRP3 pathway mainly have the functions of clearing heat and drying dampness， harmonizing Qi and blood， moving Qi and dredging fu-organs， and invigorating spleen and removing dampness. The findings can help researchers to fully understand the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of UC via the NLRP3 pathway and provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of UC and further drug development.

Gastric cancer （GC） is a digestive tract tumor that occurs in the epithelial tissues of the gastric mucosa， seriously affecting the life and health of patients， and its mortality rate ranks the third among malignancies. Although medical technology has made great progress in recent years， the progression of GC still cannot be effectively controlled by surgery， chemotherapy， and targeted therapy. The pathogenesis of GC is extremely complex and is closely related to the tumor microenvironment， chronic inflammation， and immune escape， among which the reduction of tumor cell apoptosis is one of the important mechanisms for the occurrence and development of GC. Apoptosis refers to the process of spontaneous termination of cell life caused by genes under specific physiological or pathological conditions， which is of great significance for maintaining the stability of the internal environment. Researchers have found that in the GC state， mitochondrial endogenous apoptosis， endoplasmic reticulum stress， external death receptors， and other apoptosis pathways are regulated by multiple signaling pathways and genes， which together lead to the decline of GC cell apoptosis rate and thus promote the progression of GC. Chinese medicine is advantageous and characterized by multiple components， multiple targets， synergistic effect， and few adverse reactions. A large number of studies have shown that polysaccharide components， as effective components of Chinese medicine， have biological activities such as cancer inhibition， blood sugar control， anti-inflammation， antioxidant damage， and anti-virus， and can effectively inhibit the deterioration of GC by inducing cell apoptosis， gradually becoming a hot spot in GC drug research and development. However， systematic reviews on the apoptosis of GC induced by Chinese medicine polysaccharides are rarely reported. Therefore， this paper analyzed and summarized the studies of Chinese medicine polysaccharides in promoting apoptosis and interfering with GC， in order to provide a theoretical basis for the basic research， new drug development， and clinical application of Chinese medicine polysaccharides in the intervention of GC.

Ulcerative colitis（UC）is a disease characterized by chronic persistent inflammation of the colorectal mucosa. Its complex pathological mechanism is related to immune inflammation and enhanced apoptotic activity. The Janus kinase（JAK）/signal transducer and activator of transcription（STAT）is an important regulatory pathway in the body's physiological function, which can regulate the release of intestinal pro-inflammatory factors and induce apoptosis, resulting in colon tissue damage. In the condition of UC, the biological activities and expression levels of JAK and STAT increased, and the tissue inflammatory response and apoptosis rate increased, which led to the destruction of intestinal mucosal tissues. At present, in the treatment of UC, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants are mainly employed to reduce intestinal inflammation. Although they can block the progress of UC to some extent, the adverse reactions are severe. A large number of studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） has significant advantages in the prevention and treatment of UC and can significantly reduce the recurrence rate of this disease. In recent years, plenty of studies have been carried out to explore the role of TCM in the treatment of UC by regulating the JAK/STAT pathway. The results have shown that the JAK/STAT pathway is the key target pathway of TCM in the treatment of UC. Based on the etiology and pathogenesis of deficiency and excess, TCM regulates the JAK/STAT pathway by clearing heat, drying dampness, cooling and activating blood, invigorating the spleen, warming the kidney, and performing both tonification and elimination to maintain the balance between pro-inflammatory factors and anti-inflammatory factors, weaken colonic inflammatory response, inhibit apoptosis, and play a role in the treatment of UC. The present study analyzed the mechanism and effect of TCM in intervening in UC by targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway and summarized the molecular mechanisms of different cytokines such as interleukin-6（IL-6）, IL-10, IL-23, microRNA（miRNA）-146a, and suppressors of cytokine signaling 2/3（SOCS2/3） on many family subtypes of the JAK/STAT signaling pathway to facilitate the comprehensive understanding of researchers on the mechanism of TCM on the JAK/STAT pathway in UC, which is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of UC and further drug development.