Autophagy is an active research area in the biomedical field as its role has been identified in many physiological and pathological processes. Accordingly, there is a growing demand to identify, quantify and manipulate the process accurately. Meanwhile, there is great interest in identifying compounds that modulate autophagy because they may have applications in the treatment of a variety of autophagy-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status of autophagy screening systems to facilitate identification of autophagy modulators.
Autophagy ; Humans

Autophagy is an active research area in the biomedical field as its role has been identified in many physiological and pathological processes. Accordingly, there is a growing demand to identify, quantify and manipulate the process accurately. Meanwhile, there is great interest in identifying compounds that modulate autophagy because they may have applications in the treatment of a variety of autophagy-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the current status of autophagy screening systems to facilitate identification of autophagy modulators.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Qingpeng ointment in the treatment of chronic eczema.MethodsTotally,95 patients with chronic eczema were enrolled and divided into 3 groups to receive topical Qingpeng ointment (n =33),0.2％ hydrocortisone cream (n =32),10％ urea ointment (n =30) respectively twice a day for 4 weeks.All the patients were followed up once a week for the evaluation of therapeutic and side effects.ResultsAfter 4-week treatment,the response rate was 78.8％,84.4％ and 46.7％ in the Qingpeng ointment-,hydrocortisone cream- and urea ointment-treated patients respectively.Significant differences were observed in the response rate between the Qingpeng ointment- and urea ointment-treated patients (P ＜ 0.05 ),but not between the hydrocortisone cream- and Qingpeng ointment-treated patients (P ＞0.05).Skin flushing with a sensation of burning was observed at the application sites of 2 patients treated with Qingpeng ointment,and tingling sensation at the application sites was reported in 1 patient treated with hydrocortisone cream.All of these adverse reactions were tolerable and had no influence on the treatment.Conclusion Topical Qingpeng ointment is effective and safe for the treatment of chronic eczema.

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect and relevant mechanism of shuxuening Injection (SI) in treating patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODSTotally 91 patients with active UC were randomly assigned to 2 groups, 44 in the control group and 47 in the treatment group. Patients in the control group received routine treatment, while patients in the treatment group additionally received intravenous injection of SI (15 mL), twice daily for 14 days in total. Colonoscopy was performed before and after treatment. The therapeutic effect was assessed by Mayo scoring system and the grading of activities evaluated by Baron endoscope. Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The activity of SOD was detected by xanthine oxidase method. The content of MDA was detected by thiobarbituricacid (TBA). Besides, 20 healthy subjects were recruited as the healthy control group.

RESULTSTotally 82 patients completed the study (40 in the control group and 42 in the treatment group). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, SOD, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading between the two groups before treatment (P >0. 05). Compared with the healthy control group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA significantly increased (P <0.01), and the serum SOD level decreased (P < 0. 05) in the treatment grup and the control group before treatment. Compared with before treatment in the same group, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased in the treatment group and the control group after treatment (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Compared with the control group after treatment, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, MDA, the Mayo score and endoscope grading all decreased (P <0.01, P <0.05), the serum SOD level increased (P <0.05) in the treatment group after treatment. The serum SOD level was obviously negative correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r = -0. 621, -0.638, -0. 509, -0.787, P <0.01). The serum MDA level was obviously positive correlated with serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, Mayo score, and endoscope score (r =0.711, 0. 882, 0. 525, 0. 639, P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSI could improve inflammatory injury and clinical symptoms of patients with active UC, and its mechanism might be associated with antioxidant and scavenging oxygen free radicals.

Colitis, Ulcerative ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Objective To investigate the effects of oral calcitriol pulse therapy combined with resin adsorption in treatment of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.Methods Thirty-two hemodialysis patinents were randomly divided into three groups:oral calcitriol pulse therapy(CP group,12 cases),oral calcitriol pulse therapy combined with resin adsorption group(CP+RA group,10 cases),and resin adsorption group(RA group,10 cases).Serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone(iPTH),albumin,urea,creatinine,hemoglobin levels were detected before treatment and 1,2,3 months after treatment respectively.Serum calcium and phosphorus levels were also detected every half a month.Results The clearance rate of resin adsorption Was decreased significantly every time(P<0.05).Serum iPTH in CP+RA group decreased significantly 2 months after treatment.Serum iPTH3 months after treatment in CP+RA group[(598.50 ±317.45)ng/L]was less than that in CP group[(1008.67±436.85)ng/L]and RA group[(1464.60±411.27)ns/L](P<0.05).Conclusion Oral calcitriol pulse therapy combined with resin adsorption can clear iPTH safely and effectively.

The lacquer figure with meridian-points marked of the western Han dynasty, unearthed in Tianhui town, Jinniu district, Chengdu in 2012, has been the earliest and the most complete human figure of meridian-acupoints in China so far. There were over ten courses of meridians, and over 100 visible acupoints as well as multiple intaglio inscriptions. All of them are valuable in academic study. The writers introduced the lacquer figure un- earthed in Laoguanshan in terms of the briefs and characteristics of meridian and acupoint distributions, which give the references to the future studies.
Acupuncture ; history ; instrumentation ; Acupuncture Points ; China ; History, Ancient ; Human Body ; Humans ; Meridians

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion for pancreatic cancer with liver metastases (PCLM).

METHODSWe retrospectively selected 292 patients with PCLM who were treated by Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2001 to December 2010. All patients were assigned to the Western medicine treatment group (157 cases) and the integrative medicine treatment group (135 cases). Patients in the Western medicine treatment group were treated with gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy, and partial of them received regional arterial perfusion. Those in the integrative medicine treatment group additionally took Chinese herbs of clearing heat and eliminating mass for at least 4 weeks. The median survival time (MST) , adverse reactions and the incidence of complications were observed.

RESULTSThere was no statistical significance in general data between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in MST between the two groups (4.8 months vs 5.5 months, P < 0.05). No death occurred during chemotherapy or regional arterial perfusion. All toxic or adverse reactions were tolerable.

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion was effective and safe, and it could be optimally selected as palliative therapy for PCLM.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: To investigate the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) on the morphology and function of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in guinea pigs with optic nerve transection. Methods: Seventy-five albino guinea pigs were randomly divided into five groups: normal control group, sham-operated group, untreated group, normal saline group and EGb 761 group. No operation was performed in the normal control group. Optic nerve was merely exposed in the sham-operated group, but transected at 1.0 mm from posterior pole of the eye ball in the untreated, normal saline and EGb 761 groups. Guinea pigs in the EGb 761 group or the normal saline group received daily intraperitoneal injection of EGb 761 (100 mg/kg) or corresponding volume of normal saline from 7 days before experiment to 28 days after experiment. Three guinea pigs in each group were sacrificed for apoptosis assay (TUNEL method) of RGC. Pattern electoretinograms (PERGs) were recorded 14 and 28 days after transection, respectively. At the end of the examination, six guinea pigs were killed for histological examination and RGC count. Results: No TUNEL-positive cells were observed in the normal control, sham-operated and EGb 761 groups, but there were TUNEL-positive cells in the untreated group and the normal saline group. The numbers of RGCs in the untreated and normal saline groups were less than those in the normal control and sham-operated groups at 14 days or 28 days (P<0.05). Although the number of RGCs in the EGb 761 group was less than those in the normal control and sham-operated groups (P<0.05), it was more than those in the untreated and normal saline groups (P<0.05). N(95) amplitude in EGb 761 group was higher than those in the untreated and normal saline groups (P<0.05) and close to those in the normal control and sham-operated groups (P>0.05) at 14 days or 28 days. The number of RGCs was positive correlated to N(95) amplitude (r=0.859, P=0.001 5). Conclusion: EGb 761 can inhibit the apoptosis of RGCs in guinea pigs after optic nerve transection, thus protect the morphology and function of RGCs.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of fibrinolytic therapy on renal function in patients with IgA nephropathy. Methods The clinical data of 84 patients with idiopathic IgA nephropathy were analyzed in a retrospective cohort study. According to different drugs of fibrinolytic therapy, the patients were divided into three groups including control group(n=23), urokinase group (n=32) and fibrinogenase group (n=29). Twenty-four-hour urine protein excretion, serum albumin, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), prothrombin time and fibrinogen level between the three groups after 6-month and 1-year treatments were compared. Results Compared to the group before treatment, the urine protein excretions were decreased in all 3 groups with 6-month and 1-year treatments (P<0.01). The urine protein excretion in the urokinase group with 6-month and 1-year treatments were lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The urine protein excretion in the fibrinogenase group with 1-year treatment were lower that in the control group (P<0.05). After 1-year treatment, the eGFR in urokinase group was significantly increased compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Fibrinolytic therapy can decrease the 24-hour urine protein excretion and improve the renal fuction in those patients with idiopathic IgA nephropathy independent of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents.

Objective To assess the efficacy of urethroplasty by using the mucosa of diverticulum as the distal urethral for the recurrence of urethral stricture.Methods We reviewed our experience about 6 cases from Jan.2007 to Oct.2012,including 5 hypospadias and 1 epispadias.The mean age of the patients was 28 ± 16 (12-45)month,range 12 to 45 months.The patients presenting urethral diverticulum should last for 6 months after urethroplasty,which should last for 6 months.The preoperative mean urinary flow rate was 5.1 ± 1.4 (range 3.1 to 7.3) ml/s.All the patients took the retrograde urethrography and cystoscopy to confirm the position and length of urethrostenosis.The positions of urethrostenosis were at the penis coronary in 5 cases and glans penis in 1 case.The mean length of stricture was 13.3 ±4.2(range 8.8 to 20.5) mm.The mean length of diverticulum was 37.5 ± 15.3 (range 21.8 to 55.2) mm.All patients received the urethral reconstruction by using the pedicel diverticulum mucosa.After resecting the stenosis urethra and exposed the whole diverticulum,we opened the diverticulum laterally and halved it.One was used for tabularized urethroplasty in situ,the other was flipped to the distal urethral as pedicel flap to remedy the defect of the urethral.Results Totally 6 cases received the procedure.The mean operating time was 133 ± 48 (range 84 to 192) min.Postoperatively,urethral catheter was remained 2 weeks.All the patients can urinate smoothly after removing the catheter.The postoperative mean urinary flow rate was 10o 9 ± 3.3 (range 6.3 to 15.9) ml/s.The mean follow-up time was 2.2 yrs(range 1 to 4 years).At the end point of follow-up,all patients had not experienced a recurrent diverticulum or stricture at the anastomotic site.Urethrocutaneous fistula in the coronary glan was reported in 2 patients,which were finally cured after 2nd repair.No complication was found in other 4 patients.Conclusions Urethroplasty by flipping the mucosa of diverticulum takes full advantage of urinary mucosa that already existing,which can be very useful in those patients who are lack of foreskin.This approach can also reduce the patient's pain by completing the urethroplasty in situ and avoiding staging operation.But up till now,it can only be applied to the urethral diverticulum secondary to urethrostenosis.It also demands flip flap skilled.And the long-term effects and complications still remain to be seen.