Current cancer therapies, including chemotherapies and radiotherapies, can induce toxic side effects to normal tissues with low specificity to cancer cells and usually have limited efficacy as results of drug resistance. Phototherapies kill cancer cells under irradiation of light, preferably near-infrared light with high tissue penetration, and would normally show little toxic effect in the dark. Over the past decade, nanomaterial-based phototherapies have made tremendous progress worldwide. These therapies show remarkable results against cancer in many preclinical studies. This study reviews the recent achievements in the use of functional nanomaterials for photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and photo-controlled therapeutic platforms and discusses future prospects and challenges in this field.

Objective To observe the effect of scalp needling at different time points on focal cerebral microcirculation in rats with focal ischemia and reperfusion ( I-R). Methods One hundred SD rats were randomized into normal group, sham operation group, model group and scalp needling group. The model group and scalp needling group were divided I-R 12, 24, 48 and 72 h subgroups according to the time of ischemia and reperfusion, 10 rats in each subgroup. The normal group had no oper ation, sham operation only had the operation for vessel isolation, and model group and scalp needling group received middle cerebral artery occlusion with thread. Scalp needling group also had electro-acupuncture on scalp points along vertex and temple anterior linea oblique and posterior linea oblique. And then we observed the neurological severity scores (NSS) and detected the cerebral blood flow ( CBF) in the focal ischemic brain with laser Doppler blood stream meter before I-R and 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after I-R. Immunofluorescence method was used for counting the focal ischemic cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, and then the correlation of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells count with the cerebral blood flow volume was evaluated with Pearson correlation analysis. Results NSS in scalp needling group was lower than that in the model group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Before I-R, the difference of CBF among the three groups was insignificant ( P>0.05). Except for reperfusion for 24 hours, CBF in scalp needling group was higher than that in the model group at different time points ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Microvascular endothelial cells count in scalp needling group was higher than that in the model group after reperfusion for 24, 48 and 72 hours ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). In the model group and scalp needling group, cerebral blood flow volume was positively correlated with microvascular endothelial cells count. Conclusion Scalp needling shows obvious effect on improving the microcirculation, increasing CBF and cerebral microvascular endothelial cells count, and promoting the recovery of ischemic tissues of rats after I-R.

In the present study, an ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOFMS) based on chemical profiling approach to evaluate chemical constitution between mixed decoction and co-decoction of monkshood-pinellia combination of the eighteen incompatible medications (Shi Ba Fan) was proposed. Two different kinds of decoctions, namely monkshood-pinellia co-decoction: water extract of the two herbs together, and monkshood-pinellia mixed decoction: water extract of each individual herbs mixed together, were prepared. Batches of these two kinds of decoction samples were subjected to UPLC/Q-TOFMS analysis, the datasets were processed with MassLynx 4.1 to holistically compare the difference between these two kinds of decoction samples. The most changed components during decocting were analyzed. Using the proposed approach, global chemical difference was found between co-decoction and mixed decoction, mesaconitine, aconitine and hypaconitine were identified as the most changed components (changed most significantly) during decocting. Result shows significant difference between two kinds of decoction samples, and the significant differences are probably related to the incompatibility of monkshood and pinellia.

Community rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease is of great significance. Exercise therapy of cardiovascular disease in communities is necessary and feasible. At present, the main problems China faced to carry out community exercise therapy of cardiovascular disease include: cardiovascular patients with a weak sense of community exercise therapy, lack of professional rehabilitation personnel, inadequate community-based exercise therapy practice and lack of community rehabilitation funding. To solve above problems, we should strengthen the community exercise therapy practice of cardiovascular disease, and promote the cooperation between community rehabilitation and hospital rehabilitation. In all, comprehensive efforts should be made in order to solve the problems.

The effects of magnolol (Mag) on hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia, hepatic oxidative stress and cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) activity of diabetic rats induced by high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) were studied. After oral administration of Mag (25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) for continuous 10 weeks, the blood glucose and lipids (TC, TG and LDL-C) levels, as well as the hepatic CYP2E1 activity and MDA content of diabetic rats, decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), whereas the oral glucose tolerance and hepatic antioxidant enzymatic activities (CAT and GSH-Px) of diabetic rats, increased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The results indicated that Mag was effective against the hepatic oxidative damage, hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia of diabetic rats induced by HFD and STZ, and the inhibition of Mag on hepatic CYP2E1 activity could be an important mechanism of Mag against hepatic insulin resistance and oxidative damage.
Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Diet, High-Fat ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lignans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liver ; metabolism ; Magnolia ; chemistry ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Streptozocin ; Triglycerides ; blood

AIM: To observe the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor 1 (VEGF-1) in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and VEGF-1 gene expression in lung tissue in rats with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and treated with heparin. METHODS: Twenty four male adult SD rats were randomly divided into three groups (8 rats each): a control group (group A), a group with hypoxia for 4 weeks (group B) and a group with hypoxia for 4 weeks and injected with heparin to abdominal cavity simultaneously (group C). Mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) and vessel morphometry were measured. The morphology of pulmonary artery was observed by HE staining. The expression of VEGF-1 protein in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells was determined by immunohistochemistry. The level of VEGF-1 mRNA in lung tissue was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: mPAP, RVHI, pulmonary artery remodeling parameters, VEGF-1 protein expression in pulmonary arterial endothelial cells and VEGF-1 gene expression in lung tissue of the three groups from high to low were group B, group C and group A. It was statistically significant when compared between either two groups of the three (P<0.01). Linear correlation analysis showed that VEGF-1 protein was positively correlated with pulmonary artery remodeling parameters (r=0.974, P<0.01), and VEGF-1 mRNA was positively correlated with VEGF-1 protein (VEGF 120 mRNA, r=0.919, P<0.01; VEGF164 mRNA, r=0.896, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Heparin may down-regulate the expression of VEGF-1 at the levels of transcription and translation, resulting in the inhibitory effect on rats with hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics, the antenatal management, the outcome and prognosis of chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD) complicating pregnancy. Methods Retrospectively analyze the clinical data of eleven patients with CMPD complicating pregnancy hospitalized in Peking University People' s Hospital from 2000 to 2009, including five patients with essential thrombocythemia, one with primary myelofibrosis and five with chronic myeloid leukemia. Results (1)Five pregnancies had periodic antenatal care and laboratory monitorings like full blood count. Reasonable anti-coagulation therapy was given to prevent the complications. One patient with PMF diagnosed before conception had her first pregnancy ended with mild pre-eclampsia and intrauterine death at the gestational age of 32 weeks. During the first trimester of her second pregnancy two years later, the test for anti-β2 glycoprotein antibody was positive. She received low-dose aspirin and low-molecular-weight heparin as anticoagulants. An uneventful course was obtained and she delivered a healthy term infant. (2) Five pregnancies had occasional antenatal examination, including two patients with ET and three patients with CML One patient with ET developed severe pre-eclampsia at the gestational age of 25 weeks. Umbilical artery Doppler showed reversed end-diastolic velocity. The management with anti-convulsants, antihypertensives and anti-coagulants showed no effect. An emergency cesarean section had to be performed because of the aggressive hypertension and placental abruption, with still birth as a result. Two pregnancies never had an antenatal care. Both of them were admitted on labor and the diagnoses of CML were made. (3)Four pregnancies developed oligohydramnios and three developed preelampsia(two severe pre-eclampsia and one mild pre-eclampsia). There was no other hemorrhage and thrombosis event. (4) Eight pregnancies reached full-term with four cesarean sections and four vaginal births. Two preterm cesarean sections were performed because of a progressive oligohydramnios. The ten live neonates weighed 1820 - 3600 g. All were appropriate for gestational age, except one fetal growth retardation (FGR) developed in one patient with severe pre-eclampsia. (5) As for the CMPD, the eleven patients were all in stable conditions. Three patients with CML received hydroxyurea in the third trimester, four with ET and one with CML had plateletpheresis before delivery with favorable effect. All patients were uneventful postpartum, except one with CML who died in 5 months after childbirth. Conclusions The pregnancy outcomes for patients with CMPD are mostly good. However, antenatal care should pay more attention to the complications such as thromboembolic accidents, pre-eclampsia, still birth and fetal growth retardation. Management including reasonable anticoagulation therapy should be considered, which may help improve the prognosis.

Objective To evaluate the value of ultrasound in diagnosing fetal adrenal cystic lesions. Methods Twenty one hospitalized fetuses with adrenal cystic lesions were retrospectively studied. All fetuses were followed up by ultrasound during neonatal period, and all lesions were finally confirmed by pathology after operation or ultrasound-guided biopsy. Results In 21 cases of fetal cystic lesions, the ultrasonic characteristics of 15 cases were anechoic and 6 cases were flake and mixed echoic. Nevertheless, the characteristics of these lesions were changed in neonatal period, 10 cases were presented anechoic and 11 cases were presented mixed echoic. The pathologic results: I0 cases were simple cysts, 5 cases were cysts with hemorrhage and the other 6 cases were spontaneous hemorrhage of adrenal glands. Conclusions The ultrasonic characteristics of adrenal cystic lesions in the stage of pregnancy can provide useful diagnostic information for clinic practice.

Objective Too investigate the application value of procalcitonin(PCT)and high sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)in early diagnosis of neonatal septicemia and disease condition assessment.Methods 48 patients with neonatal septicemia treated in the hospital from November 2011 to May 2013 were collected.The data of PCT,hs-CRP and blood culture were recorded and performed the comparative analysis with the serum PCT,hs-CRP detection results in contemporaneous 48 neonates without septicemia.Results The serum PCT and hs-CRP was 93.75% and 10.42% in the neonates with septicemia,which were signifi-cantly higher than 79.17% and 50% in the neonates without septicemia(P <0.05),the positive rate had statistical difference be-tween the two groups.Conclusion PCT and hs-CRP have remarkable change in the early stage of neonatal sepsis,the combination detection of serum PCT and hs-CRP can be used as the indicators for early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis,moreover the sensitivity and specificity of PCT for diagnosing neonatal septicemia are higher the those of hs-CRP,their combined detection can provide fast and accurate diagnostic basis for clinic.

OJECTIVETo explore whether different acupuncture signals were afferent to the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) neuron and to find out their corresponding effect features through observing the effect of spontaneous discharge of cerebellar FN neuron by needling at different acupoints.

METHODSTotally 120 male SD rats were anesthetized by 20% urethane and their right cerebellar FN were positioned (AP 11. 6 mm, RL 1. 0 mm, H 5. 6 mm). Extracelluar discharge was recorded by glass microelectrode (AP: -11. 6 mm, R: 1. 0 mm, H: 5.7 -7. 0 mm), using extracellular microelectrode recording method, recording the spontaneous discharge of cerebellar FN neurons as a baseline. Random order of needling at zusanli (ST36), quchi (Lil1), weishu (BL21), and zhongwan (CV12) were compared with the baseline before each acupuncture. Their effects on the discharge of cerebellar FN neurons were observed and compared with baselines.

RESULTSThe frequency of FN neuronal discharge could be elevated by needling at zusanli (ST36), quchi (LiI), weishu (BL21), and zhongwan (CV12) (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). The response rate of needling at Zhongwan (CV12, 56. 00%) was higher than that of needling at Zusanli (ST36), Quchi (Ll1), and Weishu (BL21) (35. 00%, 34. 62%, 36. 63%, respectively) with statistical difference (P <0. 05). The response rate of needling at zhongwan (CV12) was obviously higher than that of needing at other points (F = 2. 101, P < 0. 05).

CONCLUSIONSNeedling at zusanli (ST36 ), quchi (Lil), weishu (BL21), and zhongwan (CV12) could elevate the spontaneous discharge frequency of cerebellar FN neurons. Needling at Zhongwan (CV12) had advantageous roles in regulating cerebellar FN.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Cerebellar Nuclei ; physiology ; Male ; Microelectrodes ; Neurons ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley