Objective To study the change of endothelial function during myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits and the effect of Rasuvastatin. Method Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were randomLy divided into two groups: ischemia/reporfusian injury group (control group) and Resuvastatin group(drug group). The myocar-dial ischemia-reperfusion model was established by occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery for 40 min-utes evidenced by the elevation of the ST segment≥0.2 my on ECG waveform, and after release of ooclusion, the ST segment of ECG retttmed to 1/2 or more of the normal wavefonn, which was the evidence of successful reperfu-sion. The rabbit serum nitric oxide (NO) and plasma endothelia-1 (ET-1) content were assayed before occlusion, 40 minutes, 60 minutes and 180 minutes after reperfusion. SPSS11.5 software was used for ANOVA(Repested Measurement designs). P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results There were no significant differences in serum NO and plasma ET-1 between two groups bsfore isehemia, but 40 minutes, 60 minutes and 180 minutes after reperfusion, the levels of serum NO in drug group were higher than those in control group [(82.000±13.825), (63.375±17.541), (50.250±18.987)μmol/L vs. (63.125±18.962), (43.500± 16.518), (29.625±14.162) μmol/L, P<0.05], and the levels of plasma ET-1 content in drug group were lower than those in the control group [(282.541±38.928), (315.152±55.263), (377.795±60.427) pg/mL vs. (331.785±35.341),(375.914±5.204),(459.829±70.110) pg/mL, P<0.05]. Conclusions By the means of increasing serum NO and decreasing plasma ET-1, rosuvastatin can improve the endothelial function in rabbits with isehemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective: In China, doctors at TCM hospitals and clinics often divide patients with a Western medicine (WM) disease into several syndrome classes from the TCM perspective and treat patients in different classes using different principles. A key problem is how to carry out the classification properly. We propose an evidence-based ap-proach for solving the problem where evidence is obtained by analyzing unlabeled symptom data using latent tree models.Method: In previous work, we have shown how latent tree analysis of symptom data can be used to identify TCM syndrome classes among patients with a WM disease. In the paper, we investigate how to establish classification rules for distinguishing between the classes.Results: We have applied the method to a data set about Vascular Mild Cognitive Impairment that involves 93 symptoms and 803 patients. Nine syndrome types are identified, along with the corresponding classification rules. Conclusions: An evidence-based approach to the TCM patient classification prob-lem has been developed. The approach can be used to answer the following questions about a WM disease: What TCM syndrome classes are there? What are the sizes of the classes? What are the statistical characteristics of each class? How can one differentiate between the different classes?

BACKGROUND: Blood platelet is active commonly appeared in both acute and recovery stages in ischemic cerebral apoplexy. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are closely correlated with the blood platelet function.OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of compound danshen drop on clinical prevention and treatment of transient cerebral ischemic attack (TIA) and the influence on serum cAMP and cGMP.DESIGN: Randomized control experiment.SETTING: Department of Neurology of Binzhou Medical College affiliatedHospitalPARTICIPANTS: Totally 180 TIA patients participated in the experiment in volunteer in the clinic of Neurological Department of Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College from September 2000 to April 2001. Based on randomized number scale, 3 groups were divided according to dosages of compound danshen drop. In 10 drops/d group, there were 60 cases, of which 35 cases were male and 25 cases female, aged varied from 50 to 70 years, averagely (54.3±7.2) years old. In 20 drops/d group, there were 60 cases, of which, 32 cases were male and 28 cases female, aged varied from 49 to 62 years, averagely (55.7±5.1) years old. In 30 drops/d group, there were 60 cases, of which, 33 cases were male and 27 cases female, aged varied from 52 to 69 years, averagely (54.9±5.5) years old.METHODS: In 10 drops/d group, the drug was given once per day, 10drops each time. In 20 drops/d group, the drug was given twice per day,10 drops each time. In 30 drops/d group, the drug was given three times per day, 10 drops each time. Four weeks after medication, 3 mL blood was collected from each patient in the morning. With radioimmunoassay, the contents of cAMP and cGMP in serum were determined. Each case was tions, gem bleeding, epistaxis, subcutaneous bleeding, mouth numbness,headache, dizziness, etc.tack: In 10 drops/d group, there were 1 case in internal carotid arterial system, 2 cases in vertebral arterial system, 1 case of cerebral infarction and 2 cases of myocardial infarction. In 20 drops/d group, it was 2, 2 and 1 cases successively and in 30 drops/d group, it was 1, 2, 1 cases succesgroup: There were 1, 2 and 4 cases of harmful accident and side effects in three groups successively, of which, peripheral numbness of mouth 1 case in 10 drops/d group, 1 case of either peripheral numbness of mouth or headache in 20 drops/d group, gastrointestinal reaction 1 case, peripheral numbness of mouth 2 cases and dizziness 1 case in 30 drops/d group.There was no gem bleeding, epistaxis and subcutaneous bleeding, and no patient was withdrawn the treatment due to above-mentioned side effects.With comparison among groups, significant difference was not indicated The contents of cAMP were (21.22±3.94), (22.5±3.67), (23.1±7.7) ng/Land cGMP were (3.67±1.18), (4.74±2.12), (4.6±0.7) ng/L successively in three groups (P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION: During second-grade prevention of TIA, compound danshen drop presents definite therapeutic effects, which is basically same in comparison of dosages. Simultaneously, no remarkable side effects appear.

Objective:To discuss the effect of over-expression of solute carrier family 7 member 5(SLC7A5)gene on the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells of the rats,and to clarify its related mechanism.Methods:Four 3-week-old SPF grade SD female rats were used to extract the primary ovarian granulosa cells of the rats.These cells were divided into negative control group(NC group)and follicle-stimulating hormone receptor(FSHR)staining group(FSHR group).Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of FSHR protein in the ovarian granulosa cells of the rats to identify the successful isolation of the primary ovarian granulosa cells of the rats.The ovarian granulosa cells were divided into control group(transfected with empty vector plasmid)and OE-SLC7A5 group(transfected with SLC7A5 over-expression plasmid).Real-time fluoresscence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting methods were used to verify the transfection efficiency of the cells;flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptotic rates and cell cycle percentages of the ovarian granulosa cells in two groups;RT-qPCR method was used to detect the expression levels of SLC7A5,cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase(Caspase)-3,Caspase-8,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)mRNA in the ovarian granulosa cells in two groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of SLC7A5,Caspase-3,cleaved Caspase-3,Caspase-8,cleaved Caspase-8,and TNF-α proteins in the ovarian granulosa cells in two groups.Results:The fluorescence microscope observation results showed that the ovarian granulosa cells appeared spindle-shaped or irregular and specifically expressed FSHR.No FSHR green fluorescence was observed in NC group,while FSHR green fluorescence expression was observed in FSHR group,indicating successful isolation of primary ovarian granulosa cells of the rats.Compared with control group,the expression levels of SLC7A5 mRNA and protein in the ovarian granulosa cells in OE-SLC7A5 group were significantly increased(P<0.05),indicating successful transfection of SLC7A5 over-expression plasmid into the ovarian granulosa cells.The flow cytometry results showed that compared with control group,the apoptotic rate of the cells in OE-SLC7A5 group was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the percentage of the ovarian granulosa cells at S phase in OE-SLC7A5 group was significantly decreased(P<0.05).The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of TNF-α,Caspase-3,and Caspase-8 mRNA in the ovarian granulosa cells in OE-SLC7A5 group were significantly increased(P<0.05).The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of TNF-α,Caspase-8,cleaved Caspase-8,Caspase-3,cleaved Caspase-3,and SLC7A5 proteins in the ovarian granulosa cells in OE-SLC7A5 group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion:The increased expression of SLC7A5 protein promotes the apoptosis of the granulosa cells by upregulating the expressions of TNF-α,Caspase-8,and Caspase-3 apoptotic pathways.

Suppression of cellular O-linked β-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) can repress prolifera-tion and migration of various cancer cells,which opens a new avenue for cancer therapy.Based on the regulation of insulin gene transcription,we designed a cell-based fluorescent reporter capable of sensing cellular O-GlcNAcylation in HEK293T cells.The fluorescent reporter mainly consists of a reporter (green fluorescent protein (GFP)),an internal reference (red fluorescent protein),and an operator (neuronal differentiation 1),which serves as a "sweet switch" to control GFP expression in response to cellular O-GlcNAcylation changes.The fluorescent reporter can efficiently sense reduced levels of cellular O-GlcNAcylation in several cell lines.Using the fluorescent reporter,we screened 120 natural products and obtained one compound,sesamin,which could markedly inhibit protein O-GlcNAcylation in HeLa and human colorectal carcinoma-116 cells and repress their migration in vitro.Altogether,the present study demonstrated the development of a novel strategy for anti-tumor drug screening,as well as for con-ducting gene transcription studies.

Metabolomics,a hot field of research of life science in recent years,is to analyze endogenous smallmolecule metabolites in biological samples for an overall understanding of the characteristics of metabolic disorders.A growing number of studies have confirmed the application of metabolomics for clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases."Metabolic fingerprint" of biological fluids can be employed for disease prevention,timely diagnosis,accurate treatment,prognostic assessment and drug discovery.Clinical metabolomics is to measure low-molecule-weight metabolites' alterations of individuals in response to physiological stressors,disease processes,or drug therapy,aiming to discover potential biomarkers and drug targets.Coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized as complex molecular events.Metabolic disturbances are involved in CAD progression.The application of metabolomics to CAD is an emerging field.Advances in metabolomics improve our knowledge on CAD in early diagnosis,prognostic prediction,and personalized therapy.

OBJECTIVETo treat patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment (VMCI) using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it is necessary to classify the patients into TCM syndrome types and to apply different treatments to different types. In this paper, we investigate how to properly carry out the classification for patients with VMCI aged 50 or above using a novel data-driven method known as latent tree analysis (LTA).

METHODA cross-sectional survey on VMCI was carried out in several regions in Northern China between February 2008 and February 2012 which resulted in a data set that involves 803 patients and 93 symptoms. LTA was performed on the data to reveal symptom co-occurrence patterns, and the patients were partitioned into clusters in multiple ways based on the patterns. The patient clusters were matched up with syndrome types, and population statistics of the clusters are used to quantify the syndrome types and to establish classification rules.

RESULTSEight syndrome types are identified: Qi deficiency, Qi stagnation, Blood deficiency, Blood stasis, Phlegm-dampness, Fire-heat, Yang deficiency, and Yin deficiency. The prevalence and symptom occurrence characteristics of each syndrome type are determined. Quantitative classification rules are established for determining whether a patient belongs to each of the syndrome types.

CONCLUSIONA solution for the TCM syndrome classification problem for patients with VMCI and aged 50 or above is established based on the LTA of unlabeled symptom survey data. The results can be used as a reference in clinic practice to improve the quality of syndrome differentiation and to reduce diagnosis variances across physicians. They can also be used for patient selection in research projects aimed at finding biomarkers for the syndrome types and in randomized control trials aimed at determining the efficacy of TCM treatments of VMCI.

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments for Western medicine (WM) diseases relies heavily on the proper classification of patients into TCM syndrome types. The authors developed a data-driven method for solving the classification problem, where syndrome types were identified and quantified based on statistical patterns detected in unlabeled symptom survey data. The new method is a generalization of latent class analysis (LCA), which has been widely applied in WM research to solve a similar problem, i.e., to identify subtypes of a patient population in the absence of a gold standard. A well-known weakness of LCA is that it makes an unrealistically strong independence assumption. The authors relaxed the assumption by first detecting symptom co-occurrence patterns from survey data and used those statistical patterns instead of the symptoms as features for LCA. This new method consists of six steps: data collection, symptom co-occurrence pattern discovery, statistical pattern interpretation, syndrome identification, syndrome type identification and syndrome type classification. A software package called Lantern has been developed to support the application of the method. The method was illustrated using a data set on vascular mild cognitive impairment.
Data Collection ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional