OBJECTIVE:To put forward policy suggestions on the selection and revision of National Essential Drug List (NEDL) in China. METHODS: The selection principles, criteria and procedures of WHO Model List of Essential Medicines and Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Directory which was commonly regarded as Essential Drug List of Australia were analyzed to provide reference for the selection and revision of NEDL in China. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: The selection and revision of NEDL which were strongly supported by related policies demand active participation of all social sectors, open and transparent working procedures, scientific and operational methods for selection and revision, authoritative monitoring and aftereffect evaluation system.

Objective To explore the clinical significance of lymph node micrometastases in stage Ⅱ rectal cancer patients. Methods Forty-two patients with rectal cancer underwent total mesorectal exci-sion between January 2000 and August 2001 were included, 484 lymph nodes were studied in paraffin blocks that had previously been considered free by conventional histopathological examination. These lymph nodes were submitted to immunohistochemical analysis using cytokeratin 20 (CK20) monoclonal antibodies to identify micrometastases. Five-year follow-up information was obtained on these patients. Observed survival rates and assessed respectively in the patients with and without micrometastases. Results Micrometastases were detected in 33 lymph nodes (6.8% ,33/484) of 15 cases (35.7%, 15/42). The five-year survival rate was 40.0% in the patients with micrometastases, whereas in the patients without micrometastases, the survival rate was 92.6%(P = 0.000,by the Log-rank test). By multivariate Cox regression analysis, lymph node mi-cromctastases was closely correlated with post-operative recurrence or metastases, the value of RR was 11.435. Conclusions Detection of micrometastases is an important prognostic tool in stage Ⅱ rectal can-cer. In this study, lymph nodes micrometastases is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. These patients maybe get benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

To enhance the scientific and fair evaluation about proprietary Chinese medicines containing toxic herbs during the switch process of non-prescription drugs, and to ensure those medicines to be used safely by the public in their self-medication. Combined with current research status of toxic herbs, the experience and knowledge accumulated in the practical work of selection and switch of OTC Chinese medicines for years, thinking about the feasible standards about evaluation and management of proprietary Chinese medicines containing toxic herbs at this stage. Initially established ideas and methods about evaluation of proprietary Chinese medicines containing toxic herbs during the switch process of non-prescription drugs. Basically solved the main problem currently faced by toxic herbs during the OTC switch process of proprietary Chinese medicines, effectively promoted the work on OTC switch, and had the important significance in making consumers use non-prescription drugs conveniently and safely.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; methods ; Nonprescription Drugs ; adverse effects ; classification ; Plants, Toxic ; adverse effects ; classification ; Quality Control ; Research ; statistics & numerical data

Objective The intention of this thesis is to present the nervous system symptoms of rare diseases with a view to raising researchers′awareness of these symptoms,providing one of bases for other relevant researches in the future. Methods Based on the classification in Orphanet database,rare neurological diseases are picked out and put into different groups.The diseases with the same neurological symptoms and signs are in the same group. Then,differences and similarities of the diseases in the same group are analyzed. Results 57 kinds of rare neurological diseases are sorted out from rare diseases list and account for 31.49% of total diseases in the list.These diseases are characterized by aspecific,complex and interlaced neurological abnormalities.Specifically, the above-mentioned neurological abnormalities include 10 kinds of neurological symptoms and signs like peripheral neuropathy,epilepsy,and neuromuscular diseases.Conclusions Rare diseases,in most cases,are featured with complex neurological abnormalities,which presents great challenges for identification and diagnosis.In view of this fact,it is helpful to analyze the connection between rare diseases and their symptoms by adopting the classification in Orphanet database,which is beneficial for promoting identification on neurological symptoms and signs of rare diseases.

Objective:To investigate whether it is by regulating interleukin 1β ( IL-1β) gene expression that androgen receptor (AR) in macrophages affects hyperphosphate-induced vascular smooth muscle cell calcification. Methods:The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiment was used to determine whether AR was bound to the androgen receptor element (ARE) sequence of IL-1β promoter in THP-1 cells. Whether the AR regulated IL-1β gene expression was detected by luciferase assay experiments. AR of THP-1 cells was silenced and transfected by lentivirus with vector or shRNA. Flow cytometry was used to select positive transfected cells THP-1ARsc (control) and THP-1ARsi (AR silencing) with fluorescent markers. Western blotting was used to detect AR protein levels of THP-1ARsc (control) and THP-1ARsi cells (AR silencing in monocytes). Macrophages MФARsc (control) or MФARsi (AR silencing) were induced by 50 ng/ml phorbol ester. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect IL-1β expression levels of MФARsc or MФARsi conditioned medium. The human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) were cultured in MФARsc or MФARsi conditioned medium with phosphate (2.5 mmol/L final concentration of sodium dihydrogen phosphate), and Alizarin red S staining was used to analyze HASMC calcification degree. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of RUNX2 (osteoblast marker) and SM22α (HASMC marker), and neutralization assay was performed to test IL-1β-mediating effect of macrophages AR on HASMC calcification. Results:AR was bound to ARE sequence of IL-1β promoter and regulated IL-1β gene expression. The expression level of IL-1β protein in conditioned medium of MФARsi cells decreased significantly compared to MФARsc cells ( P<0.001). Compared with MФARsc conditioned medium group, HASMC calcium deposition in MФARsi conditioned medium group decreased significantly, RUNX2 protein decreased and SM22α protein increased (all P<0.05). The degree of HASMC calcification in the MФARsi conditioned medium+IgG antibody group decreased than that in the MФARsc conditioned medium+IgG antibody group significantly, and the degree of HASMC calcification in the MФARsc conditioned medium+IL-1β antibody group decreased significantly than that in the MФARsc conditioned medium+IgG antibody group; while the degree of HASMC calcification in the MФARsi conditioned medium+IgG antibody group and MФARsi conditioned medium+IL-1β antibody group decreased than that in the MФARsc conditioned medium+IL-1β antibody group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Macrophage AR regulates IL-1β expression by binding to ARE sequence within IL-1β promoter, and IL-1β mediates the effect of macrophage AR on hyperphosphate-induced HASMC calcification.