In order to lower the purchasing prices of drugs, prevent unhealthy tendencies that might arise in the process of drug circulation in the hospital, and reduce the financial burdens of patients, our hospital started from March 1997 the practice of purchasing drugs through open tender. The measures adopted include: ①establishment of a leading group in charge of drug purchases and a drug purchasing group; ②formulation and earnest implementation of the system of purchasing drugs through open tender, making “five checks”; ③standardization of the scope of routine drugs used in the hospital; and ④adherence to the system of examination and approval by the Drug Management Committee when introduction of new drugs is being considered. Since the adoption of the system of purchasing drugs through tender, the purc hasing prices of drugs have on the average dropped 14.7% and the drug expenses for single entity diseases have been lowered.

Abstract: The first-line drug artemisinin is widely used against malaria. Commercially available artemisinin is extracted from plants. However, the lack of sufficient raw material, artemisinin and the cost associated with the drug's manufacture have limited the supply of ACT to most malaria sufferers in the Developing World. As such, it is important to develop a low cost, fine to environment and high-quality method to supply sufficient and reliable quantities of artemisinin in the future. The field of synthetic biology, which utilizes cell factories to manipulate microbial metabolism to enhance the production of artemisinin and its intermediates, has a particularly strong impact by providing new platforms for chemical production. After a brief introduction of the artemisinin biosynthetic pathway, the present review focuses on the introduction of artemisinin biosynthetic genes, such as the genes encoding amorpha-4, 11-diene monooxygenase, NADPH: cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase, artemisinic aldehyde delta 11(13) reductase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. The review also addresses general considerations for potential contributions of synthetic biology to artemisinin production, with an emphasis on factors influencing interest compounds production in chassis cells.

ObjectiveTo study the anti-inflammatory effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Changweishu on sepsis patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction and its protective effect on intestinal mechanical barrier.Methods A prospective research method was conducted. Fifty sepsis patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction admitted into Department of Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU) of Hebei Provincial TCM Hospital from October 2013 to June 2015 were enrolled, and they were divided into a conventional treatment of western medicine control group and a TCM Changweishu group according to the random number table method, 25 cases in each group. The conventional western medicine treatment was given to both groups, and in TCM Changweishu group, additionally Changweishu 1 dose per day, a mixture of following ingredients constituting one dose without decoction, was applied, including: rhubarb 9 g, dandelion 20 g, green tangerine peel 15 g, angelica sinensis radix 15 g, red and white peony each 12 g, rhizome ligusticum 9 g, agrimony 20 g, coptidis rhizoma 6 g, rhizoma pinelliae 6 g, fructus trichosanthis 15 g, garden burnet root 20 g, poria 20 g, and taken once 1/2 dose in the morning and once 1/2 dose in the evening by oral or nasal feeding. After treatment for 7 days, the level changes of inflammatory factors of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) and gastrointestinal dysfunction indexes of diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid in the two groups were observed.Results After treatment, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, HMGB-1, DAO, D-lactic acid in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment [the western medicine control group: TNF-α (A value) 10.89±1.65 vs. 50.30± 1.58, IL-6 (A value) 7.35±1.85 vs. 12.66 ± 1.43, HMGB1 (A value) 5.28 ±1.64 vs. 6.23±0.95, DAO (A value) 5.87±0.59 vs. 6.67±0.49, D-lactic acid (A value) was 2.63±0.17 vs. 4.58±0.16; TCM changweishu group: TNF -α (A value) 5.38±1.19 vs. 51.23±2.34, IL-6 (A value) 5.54±1.26 vs. 13.24±1.78, HMGB1 (A value) 3.69±1.09 vs. 6.14±1.42, DAO (A value) was 3.39± 0.40 vs. 6.70±0.34, D-lactic acid (A value) 1.95±0.13 vs. 4.63±0.11, allP < 0.05]. After treatment, the degrees of decline in indexes of TCM Changweishu group were more obvious than those in western medicine control group [TNF-α(A value) 5.38±1.19 vs. 10.89±1.65, IL-6 (A value) 5.54±1.26 vs. 7.35±1.85, HMGB1 (A value) 3.69 ±1.09 vs.5.28±1.64, DAO (A value) 3.93±0.40 vs. 5.87±0.59, D-lactic acid (A value) 1.95±0.13 vs. 2.63±0.17, allP <0.05].Conclusions TCM Changweishu has protective effect on sepsis patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction, and its mechanisms are the amelioration of damage in intestinal tract mechanical barrier, decrease of permeability of intestinal mucosa and inhibition of levels of inflammatory factors.

Objective To investigate certain risk factors for postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) in elderly patients with coronary heart disease after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB)surgery in order to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of AF after OPCAB.Methods A total of 139 elderly patients with coronary heart disease who had undergone OPCAB surgery in our hospital were collected as research subjects and divided into the AF group and the nonAF group according to the occurrence of AF after operation.The patients' general information and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Risk factors for AF after OPCAB surgery in elderly patients with coronary heart disease were investigated.Results The incidence of AF after OPCAB was 15.8％ in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.There were no statistical differences in gender,history of diabetes,history of myocardial infarction,preoperative β-blocker usage,number of coronary artery lesions,or operation time between the AF group and the non-AF group (P＞0.05).The percentage of patients who were of older age (t=9.960) or had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40％ (x2=4.942),a left atrial diameter ≥40 mm (x2 =4.491),a history of hypertension (x2 =12.357),dopamine medication after operation (x2 =8.511),or a bypass vessel count≥ 3 (x2 =5.385) was higher in the AF group than in the non-AF group (all P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that age,history of hypertension,dopamine medication after operation,left atrial diameter and bypass vessel count were the risk factors for AF after OPCAB surgery in elderly patients with coronary heart disease (OR 3.080,2.435,2.465,3.593,and 1.921,respectively,P＜0.05 for all).Conclusions The incidence of AF after OPCAB is high in elderly patients with coronary heart disease and is affected by many risk factors.These risk factors should be assessed before surgery so that appropriate prevention measures can be taken.

Peptide cyclization, a pivotal approach to modifying linear precursors of proteins and pepticles, has been used to enhance their biological activities and serum stabilities. Recently, sortase A (SrtA) from Staphyloccus aureus becomes a promising new technology for efficiently incorporating site specific modifications into proteins, conjugating the cell surface and cyclizing the linear peptides. In this study, we constructed two recombinant expression systems, one with chitin binding domain and the other with six-histidine tag and chitin binding domain on the N-terminal of SrtA, separately. The results of enzymatic kinetics indicate that the two recombinant tags do not impair the transpeptidase activity of SrtA compared with the standard reaction reported under the same reaction condition. The two synthesized peptides with N-ternimal three glycines and C-terminal penta-amino acid motif, LPETG, were cyclized using immobilized and recycled SrtA. The SrtA-based cyclization promises to represent a simple method for easy and efficient enzymatic synthesis of large cyclic peptides.

Objectlve investigate the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) on polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) during perioperative period in the development of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).Methods Twenty patients (18 male and 2 female, aged 33-58 yr and weighing 52-73 kg) with ASA Ⅲ or Ⅳ (NYHA Ⅱ or Ⅲ )undergoing OLT were studied. Blood samples were collected from the central vein for determination of TLR2 expression on PMN and plasma TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 concentrations before induction of anesthesia (T1, baseline), at 25 min of anhepatic phase (T2), 3 h (T3) and 24 h after beginning of reperfusion of the allograft (T4). The expression of TLR2 was measured by flow cytometry and the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). The patients were divided into SIRS and non-SIRS group depending on whether the patients developed SIRS or not within 7 days after operation. The diagnosis of SIRS was based on the criteria laid down by ACCP and SCCM in 1992.Results Ten patients developed SIRS within 7 days after operation. There was no significant difference in Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores between the two groups. Compared with non-SIRS group, the TLR2 expression on PMN and the serum IL-1β concentration were significantly increased at T4 and the serum IL-8 concentration was significantly increased at T3 in SIRS group.There was positive correlation between serum TNF-α concentration and TLR2 expression on PMN in SIRS group ( r= 0.607, P ＜0.05).Conclusion The expression of TLR2 on PMN increases significantly at 24 h after beginning of reperfusion of allograft and may play an important role in the development of postoperative SIRS.

The synthetic biology matures to promote the heterologous biosynthesis of the well-known drug paclitaxel that is one of the most important and active chemotherapeutic agents for the first-line clinical treatment of cancer. This review focuses on the construction and regulation of the biosynthetic pathway of paclitaxel intermediates in both Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In particular, the review also features the early efforts to design and overproduce taxadiene and the bottleneck of scale fermentation for producing the intermediates.

Objective To study the expression of Survivin and COX-2 in ampullary carcinoma and their clinical significance.MethodsThe expression of Survivin and COX-2 proteins were tested by EnVision immunohistochemistry in 40 cases of ampullary carcinomas,and 8 cases of normal ampulla of vater as the controls.ResultsThe positive rate of Survivin in ampullary carcinonas was significantly higher than that of the controls(82.5％ vs 0,P ＜ 0.01 ). The expression of Survivin in ampullary carcinoma was correlated with duodenal invasion,pancreatic invasion and lymph node metastasis ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Significant difference was also observed in the expression rate of COX-2 between the patients with ampullary carcinoma and the normal controls (67.5％ vs 0,P ＜ 0.01 ).The expression of COX-2 in ampullary carcinoma was correlated with duodenal invasion,pancreatic invasion and lymph node metastasis (P ＜ 0.05). Significantly positive correlation was found between the expression of Survivin and COX-2 by using spearman correlation analysis ( r =0.383,P =0.015).ConclusionThe specific up-regulation of COX-2 gene and Survivin gene may play an important role in the genesis and development of ampullary carcinoma.COX-2 and Survivin may be used as early diagnosis markers and potential therapeutic targets in ampullary carcinoma.

Human enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major etiological agents for the hand, foot, and month disease (HFMD) and is causing frequent, widespread occurrence in the mainland of China. The single positive-stranded RNA genome of EV71 is translated into a single polyprotein which is autocleavaged into structural and nonstructural proteins. The functions of many nonstructural proteins characterized in the life cycle of virus are potential targets for blocking viral replication. This article reviews the studies of the structures and functions of nonstructural proteins of EV71 and the anti-enterovirus 71 drugs targeting on these nonstructural proteins.

Objective To investigate the usefulness of different-b-value diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with early cerebral infarction and obtain the optimal b value of early cerebral infarction.Methods DWI at b-value of 1,000,2,000,and 3,000 s/mm2 was performed for 40 patients within 72 h after the onset of stroke using a GE Signa HDx 3.0T MRI scanner.Post-processing was done by the DWI specific software Function Tool to gain signal intensity and mean apparent diffusion coefficient in the lesions center and the contralateral normal brain tissue,respectively.The sensitivity of conventional MRI and different-b-value DWI was calculated in the diagnosis of early cerebral infarction.Results In 40 patients with early cerebral infarction,the sensitivity of b-values of 1,000,2,000,and 3,000 s/mm2 (DWIb=1 000,DWIb=2 000,DWIb=3 000) and conventional MRI in the diagnosis of early cerebral infarction were 100％,97.5％,97.5％,72.5％,respectively.With b value increased,signal intensity and ADC value declined.Under the condition of different b values,signal intensity and ADC value were statistically significant in region of interest (P＜0.05).Conclusion DWI is superior to conventional MRI scan in monitoring early cerebral infarction.With the increase of b value,the sensitivity is the higher to hyperacute cerebral infarction,the signal contrast is obvious,while signal to noise ratio of the image reduces.It is suggested that brain tissue contrast and the sensitivity to the new cerebral infarction is more predictable on b value =1,000 DWI than on the other DWIs.