italic>Cannabis sativa, one of the ancient medicinal plants, has been used to alleviate pain and seizures. However, cannabinoids are often addictive, which limits their clinical use. Cannabidiol (CBD) as a non-psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, has much weaker adverse effects than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and therefore has received widespread attention. CBD has been found to ameliorate a variety of neuropsychiatric diseases, but the precise mechanism(s) of action are still unclear. Due to its low affinity for classical cannabinoid receptors current studies are focusing on other targets outside the endocannabinoid system. In the present review we mainly summarize the effects and molecular mechanisms of CBD in neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, neuropathic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Adult ; Carbamazepine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Eruptions ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Tinnitus ; drug therapy

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Periarthritis ; therapy ; Punctures ; Treatment Outcome

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia ; diagnosis ; immunology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; immunology ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adult ; Facial Hemiatrophy ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo study the diagnostic value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.

METHODSTwenty healthy volunteers and fifty patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy underwent DTI in the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Ningbo University from January 2014 to April 2015. Healthy volunteers served as controls. Fifty patients were divided into three groups (group A , B, C) according to cervical MRI scan standard. Group A (17 cases) had only the dura mater spinalis compressed; Group B (23 cases) showed the cervical spinal cord compressed, but no high signal in it; Group C (10 cases) had the cervical spinal cord compressed with high signal in the same level. The average apparent diffusion coefficients(ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA)values in these examinee were analyzed and all subjects were performed fiber tracking.

RESULTSThere was no statistically significant differences in ADC and FA values in C2/C3, C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6, C6/C7 of control group (P>0.05). The average ADC and FA values in control group were (0.875 +/- 0.096) x10(3) mm2/s and 0.720 +/- 0.051, respectively; compared with group A,there was no statistically significant difference; compared with group B and C, there was significant difference; comparison among group A, B, C, there was significant differences.

CONCLUSIONDTI can early and accurately quantify the changes of microstructure in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Fiber tracking can show the damage range of spinal cord lesions.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cervical Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Spondylosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the mechanism of pioglitazone preventing diabetes and the role of nuclear factor of actived T cells (NFAT) on non-obese diabetic(NOD) mice .Methods (1)Female NOD mice at 4 weeks of age were randomly divided into pioglitazone group(n=21) and control group(n=21) .The accumulative diabetes incidence was followed-up to 30 weeks of age in each group of NOD mice .(2)Pancreas were removed from NOD mice at 12 weeks of age in each group(n=15) to score insulitis se-verity by routine HE staining .IL-4 ,IFN-γand peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ(PPARγ) mRNA levels in spleens were tested by RT-PCR .IL-4 and IFN-γlevels in sera ,the activity of PPARγand NFATc1 nuclear protein in spleens were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) .Results (1) At 15 weeks of age ,the diabetes incidence was 4 .76% in pioglitazone group ,and 33 .33% in control group(P<0 .05) .At 30 weeks of age ,the diabetes incidence was 57 .14% in pioglitazone group ,and 76 .19% in control group(P>0 .05) .(2) At 12 weeks of age ,the insulitis score in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group[(1 .79 ± 0 .75) vs .(2 .38 ± 0 .66) ,P<0 .05] .(3) IFN-γ mRNA level in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group[(0 .16 ± 0 .07) vs .(0 .53 ± 0 .26) ,P<0 .05] ,and PPARγmRNA level in pioglitazone group was higher than that in control group(0 .91 vs .0 .25 ,P<0 .05) .(4)IFN-γ level in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group [(561 .05 ± 78 .61)pg/mL vs .(666 .43 ± 28 .42)pg/mL ,P<0 .05] .(5)At 12 weeks of age ,the spleen PPARγnuclear protein activity in pioglitazone group was higher than that in control group [(0 .05 ± 0 .01) vs .(0 .02 ± 0 .01) ,P<0 .05)] ,and NFATc1 nuclear protein activity was low-er than that in control group[(0 .23 ± 0 .04) vs .(0 .33 ± 0 .04) ,P<0 .05] .Conclusion Pioglitazone could activate PPARγ nuclear protein ,inhibit activity of NFATc1 nuclear protein ,downregulate IFN-γ,diminish Th cells deviating to Th1 ,and sequently prevents insulitis and diabetes onset in NOD mice .

Objective To investigate the mechanism of preventing islet β-cell apoptosis in NOD mice with pioglitazone.Methods Female NOD mice at 4 weeks of age were divided into pioglitazone group ( n =21,0.02％pioglitazone was added into the feed ) and control group ( n =21,fed with regular diet).The accumulative incidence of diabetes was followed-up to 52 weeks of age in each group of NOD mice.Pancreas was removed from NOD mice at 12 weeks of age in each group ( n =15 ) to score severity of insulitis by routine H-E staining.The apoptotic β-cells in islets were observed with double-labeling technique of TUNEL in situ combined with standard sensitive avidin-biotin complex (sABC) immunohistochemical method.The spleens were taken for cell culture; IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in sera and supernatants of cultured splenocyte,the activity of PPARγ and NF-κB nuclear proteins in cultured splenocyte were measured by ELISA.Results (1)At 30 and 52 weeks of age,the respective incidences of diabetes were 57.1％ and 76.2％ in pioglitazone group,and 76.2％ and 90.5％ in control group ( all P＞0.05 ).At 15 weeks of age,the incidence became 4.8％ in pioglitazone group,and 33.3 ％ in control group ( P =0.045 ).( 2 ) At 12 weeks of age,the percentages of non infiltrated islet and peri-insulitis islet in pioglitazone group were higher than those in control group ( 14.73％ vs 5.69％,P＜0.01 ; and 26.02％ vs 15.72％,P＜0.01 ),and that of intraislet insulitis was lower than that in control group ( 59.25％ vs 78.59％,P＜0.01 ).The percentage of apoptotic β-cell in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group( 6.17％ ±3.62％ vs 10.62％ ±4.43％,P=0.008 ).(3) In sera,IFN-γ level in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group [( 561.05±78.61 ) vs ( 666.43 ± 28.42 ) pg/ml,P =0.045].In cultured splenocyte supernatant,the level of IFN-γ in pioglitazone group was lower than that in control group[(605.84+65.60) vs (692.20+44.98) pg/ml,P=0.041].(4) In cultured splenocyte,PPARγ nuclear protein activity in pioglitazone group was higher than that in control group ( 0.06 ± 0.01 vs 0.03 ± 0.01,P =0.013 ),and NF-κB nuclear protein activity was lower than that in control group ( 0.03 ± 0.01 vs 0.08± 0.01,P =0.001 ).Conclusions Pioglitazone activates PPARγ nuclear protein,inhibits activity of NF-κB nuclear protein,downregulates IFN-γ,diminishes differeutiation of Th cells to Th1,and subsequently prevents insulitis and β-cell apoptosis in NOD mice.

Based on the structure and function of acupoint and in association of the definition and principle of sensor, the acupoint is the sensitive element, being sensitive to the physical stimulation with acupuncture and moxibustion and sensitively responded to the disorders; the acupoint is the sensing element, transforming the changes of the acupoint information via the complicated internet conduction, integration and regulation, so as to generate the effects on organic body; the acupoint is the conversion element, transforming every irritation into the bioelectric signal or optical signal so that the organic body could recognize it. Therefore, the acupoint is regarded as the sensor of information in the organic body.
Acupuncture Points ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Humans ; Meridians

With the advance of drug development and research techniques, the drug metabolic processes and mechanism can be more deeply achieved. As the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics process are mediated by drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters, study of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters has become an important part for drug development. The traditional immunoassays with low sensitivity and poor specificity can not reflect the accurate expression level of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters. We now give a brief review on the quantitative study of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters by mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach.
Enzymes ; chemistry ; Humans ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Mass Spectrometry ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; chemistry ; Pharmacokinetics ; Proteomics