Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most serious public health problems,while the detailed mechanisms underlying its pathology remain obscure.MicroRNAs (miRNAs),which are single-stranded noncoding RNAs,are considered to be involved in various pathological processes,especially in T2DM.MiRNA has become a noval player in insulin resistance,islet dysfunction,and even in the diabetes related complications.

It is evident that metabolic memory,whereby diabetic complications continue to develop and progress in individuals who returned to normal glycemic control after a period of transient hyperglycemia,has long lasting effects.Recent studies suggest that “metabolic memory” may be due to epigenetic changes in target oells.Understanding the molecular changes in chromatin structure and the functional relationship with altered signaling pathways is now considered to represent an important conceptual challenge to explain diabetes and the phenomenon of metabolic memory.Emerging evidences indicate that critical gene-activating epigenetic changes may confer future cell memories. Many experimental evidences show that histone acetyltransferases (HATs), histone deacetylases (HDACs),histone methyltransferases (HMTs),histone lysine demethylases (KDMs),and microRNAs play important roles in the epigenetic changes of several key genes related to diabetic complications. Transient hyperglycemia promotes gene-activating epigenetic changes and signaling events critical in the development and progression of diabetic vascular complications.Further characterisation of these glucose-induced epigenetic events and the identification of key enzymes involved will help us to develop new therapeutic strategies for diabetes and its complications.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding RNA molecules.They regulate negatively the expression of target genes at post-transcriptional stages by means of affecting the stability of target mRNA or interfering with the transcriptional process.Recently,there is evidence demonstrating that miRNAs play important roles in the gene expressions of thyrotoxic heart diseases.Elevated levels of thyroid hormones profoundly influence the cardiovascular system through the renin-angiotensin system (RAS).As a principal active component of RAS,angiotensin Ⅱ receptor 1 (AT1 R) interacts with miRNAs in promoting or extenuating the progress of thyrotoxic heart disease.In this article,the roles of AT1R-associated miRNAs,miR-21,miR-155,miR-208a/b,and miR-499 in thyrotoxic heart disease were reviewed.

Objective To evaluate recurrent laryngeal nerves exposure during thyroid resection. Methods Nineteen case-control clinical trials were collected from relevant studies published in different Chinese databases, and 9269 cases were collected for analysis OR (odds ratios). 95% confidence intervals using the Mantel-Haenszel method for a fixed-effects model, and the Mantel-Haenszel method for a random-effects model were summarized. Both fixed effect model and random effect model were applied to analyze the results and heterogeneity. Results The injury rate of the recurrent laryngeal nerves was significantly lower in exposure group ( OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.16～0.54, P

Cultured primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were divided into 4 groups:normal control( NG ),persistent high glucose ( HG ),hyperglycemia group ( TG ),and mannitol control ( MA )groups.After 1,4,and 7 days of culture,cells were collected.Cell proliferation,cell apoptosis,ROS,SOD,MDA,and NO level,eNOS mRNA and protein level were measured.Endothelial cell proliferation was inhibited in HG,TG,and MA groups compared with NG group.Hyperglycemia memory induced apoptosis of endothelial cells,increased ROS and MDA generation,and down-regulated intracellular SOD level,findings similar to those in HG group.After 24 h of culturing,eNOS expression and NO generation in both HG and TG groups were higher than those in NG group.However,after 7 days of culturing,eNOS expression and NO generation in both HG and TG groups were lower than those in NG group.These results suggest that in hyperglycemia memory cell model,transient hyperglysemia may lead to persistent imbalance in oxidative stress and reduce endothelium-derived relaxing factor NO level,indicating that hyperglycemia memory may play an important role in persistent vascular endothelial cell injury.

Wistar rats(n=24) were divided into normal control group(NC), food restriction group(FR), and catch-up group(RN). Serum glucose,lipids, gastrin, the ratio of visceral fat to body fat, adipocyte CCK2R mRNA and protein levels were determined. Compared with NC group, FR rats had lower serum gastrin and visceral fat formation. The adipocyte CCK2R mRNA and protein levels of FR rats were lower than those of NC rats. Serum gastrin level of RN rats was higher than those of FR and NC rats(P＜0.05). The ratio of visceral fat to body fat in RN rats increased compared with FR rats and was close to that of NC rats. The adipocyte CCK2R mRNA and protein levels of RN rats were higher than those of FR and NC rats. Gastrin and its receptor pathway possibly play a role in the mechanism of visceral fat accumulation in catch-up rats.

Objective To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C(VEGF-C) and matrix metalloproteinase-7(MMP-7) in gastric carcinoma and their correlation with tumor invasion and(metastasis).Methods Streptavidin peroxidase immunohistochemistry technique(SP)was used to detect the(expression) of VEGF-C and MMP-7 in 60 gastric carcinoma specimens,60 specimens of gastric mucosa(adjacent) to carcinoma,and 30 regional lymph node specimens.Results The positive expression rate of VEGF-C,MMP-7 in gastric carcinoma was markedly higher than that in normal gastric mucosa and gastric mucosa adjacent to carcinoma.The positive expression rates of VEGF-C and MMP-7 in metastatic regional lymph nodes were significantly higher than that in non-metastatic regional lymph nodes(P

Objective To evaluate the preventive effects of Haishe capsules on the conversion of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) to Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods Patients (n=120) with aMCI from our department were recruited and randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group (n=60 in each group).The treatment group was given 0.9 gram of Haishe capsules three times a day while the control group received no drug treatment.Data on the conversion ratio,memory and cognitive function were comparedbetween the groups in a 24-months follow-up.Results By the end of the study,12 patients in the treatment group and 15 in the control group dropped out.Valid data for 93 patients were available for statistical analysis (48 in the treatment group and 45 in the control group).The number of aMCI patients who converted to AD was 6,with a conversion ratio of 12.5％ (6/48);and the number of patients who went through conversion in the control group was 13,with a conversion ratio of 28.8％ (13/45).The difference in conversion between the two groups was statistically significant (x2 =3.83,P＜0.05).After 24 months,MMSE scores for the treatment group (25.52± 1.07) had no significant change compared with baseline levels,while MMSE scores for the control group decreased significantly(24.75--1.49) and were markedly lower than thosefor the treatment group (t=2.85,P＜0.05).MoCA scores for the treatment group (19.39 ±2.01) did not show decline until the end of the study,while those for the control group started to decrease about half way through the study and were lower than scores for the treatment group (t =2.41,P＜0.05).Compared with baseline levels,ADAS-Cogscores for the treatment group (7.62± 1.06) did not increase significantly during the course of the study.ADAS-Cogscores forthe control group were higher at both half way (7.70±0.75) and the end of the study (8.18±0.80)than base line levels,and there was a statistically significant difference in end-of-study ADAS-Cog scores between the two groups(t =-2.6,P＜ 0.05).Conclusions Haishe capsules not only effectively maintain memory and cognitive function,but also delay the conversion from aMCI to AD.

Abstract: Stem cells, which are a type of primitive cells with multipotent differentiation potential and self-renewal ability, have the potential to regenerate various tissues and organs. Stem cell drug development is a frontier research field in life sciences. Extensive clinical trials involving stem cells have been conducted for different complicated diseases. Some stem cells have been approved as drugs for some indications, indicating their broad industrial prospects. This review introduces the progress of stem cell drugs around the world, especially in China, and discusses the main problems in the industrialization of stem cell drugs, such as their effectiveness, quality control and safety, so as to provide some reference and insight for the development and rapid industrialization of stem cell drugs.

Objective To explore the effectiveness of the Five Elements Music Therapy(FEMT)in relieving stress in participants with different cultural backgrounds,and to compare the differences between the FEMT and the Western Art Music Therapy(WAMT)in stress relief.Methods This was a comparative pilot randomized pre-post repeated measures study,37 subjects were allocated with 2 dropped out,with an inclusion-ended sample of 35 subjects,23 from Canada and 12 from China.After informed consent,all subjects were randomly assigned to listening to either Five Elements Music or Western Art Music at home for 30 minutes,twice a week for four weeks.Participants were asked to use headphones,measure their pulse rate before and after each session,and fill out five questionnaires,including a background and demographic survey(reporting age,gender,education,cultural background,listening experience).Self-assessment of stress(pre-post after each session),General Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale(HADS,weekly after 2nd session),Perceived Stress Survey(PSS,weekly after 2nd session),the Music Therapy Intervention Survey(MTIS,pre-post each session).Results ①There was a significant decrease in self-assessed stress scores after the second session in the FEMT compared with the WAMT group(t=-2.057,P=0.046).②In both groups,there was a significant decrease in stress scores pre-post treatment in each group(WAMT t=5.026;FEMT T=7.645,P=0.000).③There was no significant difference between the two groups in post-intervention HADS scores(P>0.05);In the Chinese sample,there was a significant difference in HADS scores after the eighth session in both FEMT and WAMT groups(t=-3.862,P=0.003),and a statistically significant difference in HADS pre-post intervention in the FEMT((t=5.117,P=0.004).There was a significant difference in MTIS pre-post treatment in the WAMT(t=-2.572,P=0.023),but in not the FEMT group(t= 1.331,P=0.207).Conclusion This pilot trial explores a safe and feasible self-administered music therapy approach for stress in two distinct cultural groups,and for the first time provides preliminary comparison and evidence of effectiveness of FEMT and WAMT in alleviating stress and anxiety.Further investigation with bigger randomized samples is needed to elucidate the effects of different kinds of music and cultural groups on stress and anxiety levels.