Objective To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of donepezil in treating patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods Totally 86 patients with AD were randomly divided into control group(n =43)and treatment group(n =43).The control grou,p received conventional therapy with aniracetam,nimoldipine and ginkgo tablet,while the study group was administrated with donepezil(10 mg/d)on the basis of conventional therapy.The improvements of recognitive ability,mental state,activities of daily life were graded by mini-mental state examination (MMSE),Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cog(ADAS-cog),activity of daily living(ADL)and global deterioration scale(GDS).The scores were compared between the groups before the treatment and 3,6,12,18,24,30,36,42,48,54,60,66 and 72 months after the treatment,respectively.Results The scores of MMSE,ADAS-cog and GDS after 3 months and ADL score after 6 months (t=2.361,-2.198,-1.790,-2.420,P＜0.05 or P＜0.01)were improved in treatment group than in control group with the best effects at 12 months(all P＜0.01)and the scores continued to decrease after 36 months.At 72 months,the score improvements in treatment group were 7.5 for MMSE,20.3 for ADAS-cog,19.5 for ADL,and 1.4 for GDS as compared with control group(all P ＜0.01).In contrast to pretreatment,there were statistically significant differences in the scores of MMSE,ADAS-cog and GDS at 3,6,12,18 and 24 months,and in the score of ADL at 6,12,18,24 and 30 months after treatment(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The differences in the scores of ADAS-cog and GDS after 24 months as well as MMSE and ADL after 30 months were not found(P＞0.05)between pre-treatment and post-treatment.Conclusions Donepezil might be long term effective and safe in slowing down the recognitive and overall function deterioration of AD.

Objective To compare sleep electroencephalogram-modulated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (SEM-rTMS) with routine repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (R-rTMS) in the treatment of primary insomnia. Methods One hundred and twenty six patients with insomnia were divided randomly into a SEM-rTMS group (44 cases) , a R-rTMS group (42 cases) and a sham rTMS group (40 cases). Each case was treated with rTMS for 30 min once a day for 10 d under double blinding of the patient and therapist. The clinical effect was observed along with Krakow sleep scores, electroencephalograms and blood pressure before and after a 10-day course of therapy and 30 days later. Results During rTMS treatment, some patients reported feeling sleepy, and this was confirmed by their EEGs at the time. After the entire course of therapy, 80% of the SEM-rTMS group and 45% of the R-rTMS group showed improvements, a significant difference. At the 30th day after therapy, the effect in the SEM-rTMS group was still significantly better than in the R-rTMS group. There were no obvious side effects in any group throughout the whole observation period. Conclusions SEM-rTMS is more effective and more reliable than R-rTMS. SEM-rTMS is safe to use with primary insomnia patients.

To explore the effect of high glucose on the NF-κB/IκB signal pathway in cultured rat glomerular mesangial cells. The results showed that high glucose increased the degradation of IκB-α and the translocation to nucleus of NF-κB. These changes could be reverted mostly by MG132, a proteasome inhibitor. It suggests that the activation of the NF-κB signal pathway by high glucose concentration may probably be via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the extraction technique for Sidiming capsules.METHODS:The technical conditions for the water decoction and the alcohol precipitation were optimized respectively by the orthogonal experiment design L9(34)with hydrosoluble extract used as the index for the water decoction and the catalpol extract for alcohol precipitation.The content of Catalpol was determined by HPLC.RESULTS:The optimum conditions were as follows:decocting the crude drugs twice with 8-fold water,1 h each time.The physic liquor extracted by water was filtered,mixed and concentrated to 1.0 g?mL-1(crude drug),and then precipitated by 75% concentration of alcohol for 24 h.Then the physic liquor was filtered,concentrated and dried by microwave vacuum concentration dryer to obtain the dry ointment.CONCLUSION:The optimum extraction procedure is stable and reliable,and it can be used as the optimal extraction procedure of Sidiming capsules.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of anesthesia with different doses of dexmedetomidine combined with propofol and remifentanil in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.Methods Ninety ASA Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients of both sexes,aged 18-64 yr,weighing 45-80 kg,undergoing abdominal surgery,were randomly assigned into 3 groups ( n =30 each):control group (group C ),dexmedetomidine 0.25 μg· kg-1 · h-1 group ( group D1 ) and dexmedetomidine 0.50 μg· kg-1·h-1 group (group D2 ).Dexmedetomidine was infused at a rate of 0.25 μg·kg-1 ·h-1 and 0.50 μg·kg-1 ·h-1 in groups D1 and D2 respectively until extubation after a loading dose of 0.5 μg/kg over 15 min.In group C,normal saline was infused intravenously at a rate of 10 ml/h.Anesthesia was induced with TCI of propofol with the target plasma concentration (Cp) of 1.0 μg/ml,iv injection of cisatracurium 0.2 mg/kg and TCI of remifentanil with Cp of 3 ng/ml.The patients were tracheal intubated and mechanically ventilated.PETCO2 was maintained 35-40 mm Hg and SpO2 was maintained ≥95％.Anesthesia was maintained with TCI of remifentanil with the target Cp of 5 ng/ml,iv infusion of cisatracurium 0.1 mg· kg-1 · h-1 and TCI of propofol.The target Cp of propofol was increased to maintain Narcotrend index of 37-46.The amount of remifentanil,cisatracurium and propofol consumed,extubation time and eye-opening time,complications during operation and during recovery from anesthesia were recorded.Results There was no significant difference in the amount of remifentanil and cisatracurium consumed and extubation time among the three groups ( P ＞ 0.05).Compared with group C,the eye-opening time was significantly prolonged,the incidence of hypertension and tachycardia during operation,and restlessness,vomitting,hypertension,and tachycardia during recovery from anesthesia was significantly decreased in groups D1 and D2,and the amount of propofol consumed was significantly decreased in group D2 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group D1,the eye-opening time was significantly prolonged,the incidence of hypertension during operation,and restlessness,hypertension,and tachycardia during recovery from anesthesia was significantly decreased in group D2 ( P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion When combined with propofol and remifentanil,dexmedetomidine infused at a rate of 0.50 μg·kg-1 · h-1 can provide satisfactory efficacy for abdominal surgery.

Objective:To investigate the correlation of sleep disorders(SD)with serum levels of amyloid β-proteins(Aβ 1-42)and tau phosphorylated at threonine(P-Tau 181)in patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD). Methods:A total of 126 patients with mild and moderate AD who met the inclusion criteria in the memory clinic, sleep clinic and geriatrics department of Jianghan Oilfield General Hospital affiliated to Yangtze University from February 2017 to January 2020 were included.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)was used to evaluate sleep quality.Patients with PSQI scores ≥7 were included in the AD group with sleep disorders(AD-SD group), and patients with PSQI scores <7 were included in the AD group without sleep disorders(AD-NSD group). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA), Global Deterioration Scale(GDS), Clinical Dementia Rating(CDR), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HRSD)and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAM-A)were used to evaluate cognitive and psychosocial symptoms.During the same time, biological markers such as serum Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40 and P-Tau 181 were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Patients in the two groups received donepezil as an anti-dementia therapy, while the AD-SD group was treated additionally with a targeted sleep intervention.All patients underwent neuropsychological assessment and biochemical tests at enrollment and at the end of the 6th month, and results from all parameters at baseline and at the end of the 6th month were compared.At the end of the six-month treatment, patients in the AD-SD group were further divided into the recovery AD-SD sub-group and the no-recovery AD-SD sub-group based on the extent of sleep improvement. Results:Of the 126 AD patients, 93(73.8%)had sleep disorders.There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in gender, age, onset age, educational level, course of disease, CDR, GDS, MoCA, Aβ 1-40 or Aβ 1-42/Aβ 1-40(all P>0.05). The scores of PSQI, HRSD and HAM-A and serum levels of Aβ 1-42 and p-Tau 181 showed statistically significant differences between the AD-ND and AD-NSD groups( P<0.05 or P<0.01). At the end of the 6th month, the scores of PSQI, GDS, HRSD and HAM-A and levels of Aβ 1-42, Aβ 1-40, and P-Tau 181 also showed statistically significant differences between the AD-ND and AD-NSD groups( P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in results from other parameters( P>0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that PSQI was correlated with HRSD( r=0.271, P=0.009), HAM-A( r=0.479, P=0.000), Aβ 1-42( r=0.470, P=0.000), Aβ 1-42/ Aβ 1-40( r=0.479, P=0.000)and P-Tau 181( r=0.371, P=0.000)in the AD-SD group at baseline.Multivariate Logistic regression model showed that serum Aβ 1-42 and P-Tau 181 levels and HRSD had predictive effects on changes in sleep quality in AD patients( OR=1.897, 1.269 and 1.889, P=0.000, 0.003 and 0.000). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves for Aβ 1-42, P-Tau 181 and HRSD were 0.926(95% CI: 0.860-0.991), 0.837(95% CI: 0.746-0.927)and 0.854(95% CI: 0.776-0.932), respectively. Conclusions:Sleep quality is correlated with serum Aβ 1-42and P-Tau 181 levels in AD patients.Elevated serum levels of Aβ 1-42 and P-Tau 181 and high HRSD scores are important predictors of SD in AD patients and may be used as indexes for clinical treatment efficacy.

AIM:To investigate the inhibitory effect of PDE4 inhibitor rolipram on the releases of inflammatory cytokines in mouse macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) induced by myeloid-related protein 8/14 (MRP8/14), and to explore the role of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in this process.METHODS:RAW264.7 cells were treated with MRP8/14.The inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 were determined by LiquiChip and qPCR.In contrast, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with rolipram prior to MRP8/14 exposure.After MRP8/14 challenge, the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 were determined by LiquiChip and qPCR.Moreover, the phosphorylation level of NF-κB P65 was determined by Western blot.The nuclear translocation of NF-κB P65 in RAW264.7 cells was detected by indirect immunofluorescence.RESULTS:The results of LiquiChip and qPCR showed that MRP8/14 enhanced the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 (P<0.01),while pretreatment with rolipram markedly down-regulated the level of inflammatory cytokines induced by MRP8/14 (P<0.05).Meanwhile, MRP8/14 significantly activated the phosphorylation of NF-κB P65, and the protein expression of p65 in the nucleus was increased,while pretreatment with rolipram suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB P65 induced by MRP8/14.CONCLUSION:Rolipram may significantly reduce the releases of the inflammatory cytokines induced by MRP8/14 through the NF-κB signaling.

AIM:To explore the effects of stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) on the proliferation, migration and the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells.METHODS:The expression levels of STC2 in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and normal liver cells were assessed by Western blot.Colony formation assay was used to test the effect of STC2 on the proliferation of HepG2 cells.The effects of STC2 on the expression of proliferation-related molecules at mRNA and protein levels were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot.The effect of STC2 on the migration ability was measured by Transwell assay.The mRNA and protein levels of vimentin and E-cadherin in STC2-overexpressing and-silencing cell lines were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with the normal liver cell line, the protein expression of STC2 was up-regulated in the hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines.The results of colony formation assay indicated that STC2 promoted the proliferation of HepG2 cells.STC2 significantly regulated the proliferation-related gene expression, such as cyclin D1.The results of Transwell assay showed that STC2 enhanced the migration ability of the HepG2 cells and influenced the EMT process.CONCLUSION:STC2 promotes the proliferation of HepG2 cells and affects the expression of proliferation-related genes.STC2 influences the process of EMT and promotes the migration of HepG2 cells.

AIM:To explore the mitochondrial pathway in the apoptosis of PC3 cells induced by PXD101 (also named as belinostat).METHODS:PC3 cells were treated with PXD101 at different doses or stimulated with PXD101 for different time.The effect of PXD101 on the viability of PC3 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay.The apoptotic rates and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were analyzed by flow cytometry.The protein levels of Bcl-2, Bax and cytochrome C (Cyt C) were determined by Western blot.The caspase-3 activity were tested by caspase-3 activity assay kit.RESULTS:The viability of the PC3 cells was inhibited by PXD101 in a dose-and time-dependent manner.Flow cytometric analysis showed that the apoptotic rates were increased in the cells treated with PXD101 (P<0.01).At the same time, PXD101 induced the decreases in MMP and Bcl-2, the release of Cyt C, and the increase in caspase-3 activity.CONCLUSION:PXD101 induces the apoptosis of human prostate cancer cell line PC3 by mitochondrial signal pathway.

Objective To develop a CAD system for breast augmentation in order to improve the effect and raise patients' satisfaction.Methods 3D data of breast were collected by computer-aided projecting fringe measurement,and a CAD software system for breast surface 3D reconstruction and breast augmentation was developed under AutoCAD.Results A CAD system for breast augmentation was developed.Conclusion The system,which can provide a visual direction for the design of breast augmentation,has many advantages such as non-contact,speediness,accuracy,direct-view,etc.