Acute Coronary Syndrome ; blood ; Aged ; Cell Membrane ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thromboplastin ; metabolism

Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays an important role in the proliferation, growth, invasion, and metastasis of human cancers. Moreover, β-catenin/T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) interaction regulates the transcription of the key oncogenes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, β-catenin/TCF4 interaction would be a promising therapeutic target for the development of highly selective anticancer agents. At present, most ongoing small-molecule inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction, including PKF222-815, iCRT3/5/14, LF3, and sanguinarine, have been developed in preclinical studies for human cancer therapeutics. In this review, we summarized the research advances of up-to date inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction, including the molecular structure and cellular functions of β-catenin in canonical Wnt signaling pathway. This review holds a hopeful avenue for the development of novel and highly selective Wnt inhibitors targeting β-catenin/TCF4 interaction for future anticancer strategy.

OBJECTIVETo establish discriminant functions of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) by studying it from quantitative diagnosis angle, hoping to reduce interference of subjective factors in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

METHODSA Chinese medical clinical epidemiological survey was carried out in 439 IBS-D patients using Clinical Information Collection Table of IBS. Initial syndromes were obtained by cluster analysis. They were analyzed using step-by-step discrimination by taking information of four Chinese medical diagnostic methods and serum brain-gut peptides (BGP) as variables.

RESULTSClustering results were Gan stagnation Pi deficiency syndrome (GSPDS), Pi-Wei weakness syndrome (PWWS), Gan stagnation qi stasis syndrome (GSQSS), Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome (PSYDS), Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS), cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome (CDDPS). Of them, GSPDS was mostly often seen with effective percentage of 34. 2%, while CDDPS was the least often seen with effective percentage of 5.5%. A total of 5 discriminant functions for GSPDS, PWWS, GSQSS, PSYDS, and PWDHS were obtained by step-by-step dis- crimination method. The retrospective misjudgment rate was 4.1% (16/390), while the cross-validation misjudgment rate was 15.4% (60/390).

CONCLUSIONThe establishment of discriminant functions is of value in objectively diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

Alarmins ; Brain ; Cluster Analysis ; Diarrhea ; classification ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; classification ; diagnosis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Qi ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Yang Deficiency

In order to evaluate the characteristic of porous starch (PS) as the solid dispersions carrier of the total Epimedium flavonoids (TEF), the PS was used. The dissolution of icariin was selected as an indicator to analyze the differences of dissolution between TEF and its solid dispersion. TEF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Solid dispersion was irregular block and no powder characteristics of TEF and PS could be seen in SEM, DSC and XRD analysis suggested that TEF may be present in solid dispersion as amorphous substance. The dissolution rate of icariin has been improved significantly when the proportion of TEF and PS was 1:2. PS as a traditional solid dispersion carrier is worthy of further study.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Porosity ; Solubility ; Starch ; chemistry ; X-Ray Diffraction

To evaluate the properties of solidifying volatile oil with graphene oxide, clove oil and zedoary turmeric oil were solidified by graphene oxide. The amount of graphene oxide was optimized with the eugenol yield and curcumol yield as criteria. Curing powder was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of graphene oxide on dissolution in vitro and thermal stability of active components were studied. The optimum solidification ratio of graphene oxide to volatile oil was 1:1. Dissolution rate of active components had rare influence while their thermal stability improved after volatile oil was solidified. Solidifying herbal volatile oil with graphene oxide deserves further study.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Clove Oil ; chemistry ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Eugenol ; Graphite ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; Oxides ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Powders ; Sesquiterpenes

Background Monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) is a food flavour enhancer and its potential harmfulness to the heart remains controversial.We investigated whether MSG could induce cardiac arrhythmias and apoptosis via the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor.Methods Myocardial infarction (MI) was created by ligating the coronary artery and ventricular arrhythmias were monitored by electrocardiogram in the rat in vivo.Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were isolated and cultured.Cell viability was estimated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo(-z-yl)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay.Calcium mobilization was monitored by confocal microscopy.Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was evaluated by acridine orange staining,flow cytometry,DNA laddering,reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting.Results MSG (i.v.) decreased the heart rate at 0.5 g/kg and serious bradycardia at 1.5 g/kg,but could not induce ventricular tachyarrhythmias in normal rats in vivo.In rats with acute MI in vivo,however,MSG (1.5 g/kg,i.v.) induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias and these arrhythmias could be prevented by blocking the AMPA and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.Selectively activating the AMPA or NMDA receptor induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias in MI rats.At the cellular level,AMPA induced calcium mobilization,oxidative stress,mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes,especially when the AMPA receptor desensitization were blocked by cyclothiazide.The above toxic cellular effects of AMPA were abolished by AMPA receptor blockade or by H2O2 scavengers.Conclusions MSG induces bradycardia in normal rats,but triggers lethal tachyarrhythmias in myocardial infarcted rats probably by hindering AMPA receptors.AMPA receptor overstimulation also induces cardiomyocyte apoptosis,which may facilitate arrhythmia.

AIM: This study was designed to explore the effects of short-term and long-term pretreatment of diammonium glycyrrhizinate (GLN) on the pharmacokinetics of entecavir (ETV) in rats. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomized into short-term and long-term experimental groups, respectively. In the short-term experiment, the control group received saline, the low dose group received GLN 13.5 mg·kg(-1) and the high dose group received GLN 40.5 mg·kg(-1). ETV (0.09 mg·kg(-1)) was given i.g. 0.5 h after saline/GLN administration. For the long-term experiment, rats were allocated into two experimental designs. The control group received saline/ETV (0.09 mg·kg(-1)), the low dose group received GLN 13.5 mg·kg(-1)/ETV 0.09 mg·kg(-1) + GLN 13.5 mg·kg(-1), while the high dose group received GLN 40.5 mg·kg(-1)/ETV 0.09 mg·kg(-1) + GLN 40.5 mg·kg(-1); all administration was continued for 15 days. On the 16(th) day, 0.09 mg·kg(-1) ETV was administrated to all groups. Blood samples were obtained at different time points after ETV administration to determine plasma ETV concentrations. RESULTS: Pretreatment with glycyrrhizin resulted in no significant alterations in the main pharmacokinetic parameters of ETV in the short-term and long-term administration experiments. CONCLUSION Diammonium glycyrrhizinate has no effect on ETV pharmacokinetics in rats.
Animals ; Drug Interactions ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Guanine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Rickettsia Infections ; epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

AIM: To observe the change of subunit of NADPH oxidation enzyme complex nox - 1 protein in cardiocyte hypoxia - reoxygenation injury and the role of cardiotrophin -1.METHODS: Cardiomyocytes from the hearts of 1 -3 d old neonatal rats were prepared by a modified method. Five groups were included in the study: control; hypoxia/ reoxygenation; hypoxia/reoxygenation + CT - 1; CT - 1 + hypoxia/reoxygenation + LY294002 (PIK3/Akt inhibitor) ; CT -1 + hypoxia/reoxygenation + PD98059 (ERK inhibitor) ; CT - 1 + hypoxia/reoxygenation + DMSO. The concentration of CT -1 was 10 μg/L. The survival rate of myocytes was evaluated by MTS method. Apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition pore ( △ψm) and reactive oxygen species ( ROS) were detected by flow cytometry. Nox - 1 protein was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS: Apoptosis of cardiomyocytes and the level of ROS (19.7% ±1.4% vs 2.1% ± 0.5% , 14.07% ± 1.25% vs 3.54% ± 0.86% , P < 0.05 ) increased markedly after hypoxia/reoxygenation, but cardio-myocyte survival rate and the level of△ψm (40.55% ±4.25% vs 86.28% ±7.15% , P <0.01) decreased significantly. The expression of nox - 1 protein was upregulated markedly. With CT - 1 intervention, cardiomyocyte survival rate increased markedly, apoptosis, both ROS and expression of nox - 1 protein reduced significantly. The level of△ψm increased obviously. The effect of CT - 1 was inhibited by LY294002.No significant effect was observed on cells survival in DMSO group, which confirmed that LY294002 was specifically involved in blocking the protective effect of CT - 1.CONCLUSION : The expression of subunit of NADPH oxidation enzyme complex nox - 1 protein is upregulated markedly in cardiocyte hypoxia - reoxygenation injury.CT - 1 protects cardiac cells against hypoxia - reoxygenation injury by downregulating the expression of nox -1 protein to decrease the level of ROS.