Objective To compare the variation of ferulic acid contents in Naomaitong by different extraction processes.Methods With ethanol or water as extracting solvent,the four herbal medicines of Rhizoma Chuanxiong,Radix Ginseng,Radix Puerariae,Radix et Rhizoma Rhei,which consisted of Naomaitong prescription,were decocted together or decocted separately firstly then mixed together were evaluated.With ferulic acid extraction rate as the index,the above extraction processes were evaluated.Results The extraction rate of ferulic acid extracted by alcohol was higher than that by water,but the ferulic acid content showed no obvious difference by decocting together or decocted separately firstly then mixed together.Conclusion It is suggested that proper extraction solvents and extraction methods should be adopted according to the different physicochemical characteristics of chemical contents in herbal medicine during extraction.

Objective To evaluate the effects of morphine preconditioning on the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) during hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) in isolated cardiomyocytes in rats with heart failure.Methods Healthy adult male Sprague Dawley rats,w eighing 200-220 g,were used in this study.Adriamycin 2.0 mg/kg was injected once a week for 6 weeks via the tail vein to induce heart failure.The cardiomyocytes were isolated from the failing hearts of rats and seeded in 24-well plates or in 60 mm diameter dishes.The cells were then randomly divided into 3 groups (n =16 each) using a random number table:control group (group C); group H/R;morphine preconditioning group (group MP).The cells were cultured in normal culture atmosphere in group C.After being exposed to hypoxic air (5％ CO2-95％ N2) for 90 min,the cells were returned to the high-glucose DMEM supplemented with 10％ newborn bovine serum and were then cultured for 120 min in H/R and MP groups.In group M,the cells were cultured in morphine culture medium (final concentration of morphine 0.3 μmol/L) for 10 min and then were returned to the culture medium without morphine and cultured for 30 min immediately before hypoxia.At 120 min of reoxygenation,the cells of 8 wells in each group were chosen to detect the cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (by Typan blue staining).All the RNAs were extracted from the cardiomyocytes of the left 8 wells in each group and subjected to miRNA microarray to screen differentially expressed miRNAs.Results The cell viability was significantly lower,the activity of LDH was higher,the expression of miR-6216 and let7e-5p was higher,and the expression of miR-133b-5p was lower in H/R and MP groups than in group C (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with H/R group,the cell viability was significantly increased,the activity of LDH was decreased,the expression of miR-133b-5p was up-regulated,and the expression of miR-6216 and let-7e-5p was down-regulated in MP group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Morphine preconditioning reduces H/R injury to isolated cardiomyocytes in rats with heart failure through regulating the expression of miRNAs such as miR133b-5p,miR-6216 and let-7e-5p.

Acute gastrointestinal dysfunction is a common and important complication of sepsis. As no exiting formal definition and classification of gastrointestinal dysfunction, most of the treatment strategies for gastrointestinal dysfunction are not based on clinical evidence, but on their own clinical experience. Experts of traditional Chinese medicine, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine and Western medicine from various disciplines in Shanghai are organized by the Shanghai Society of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine and the Emergency Department Branch of Shanghai Physicians Association. After repeated discussion, literature search and formulation of the outline, we developed consensus on gastrointestinal dysfunction secondary to sepsis with integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine by consulting extensively on clinical experts in the fields of emergency medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, infectious medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, and holding several expert forums and consultation meetings. This clinical expert consensus focused on acute gastrointestinal injury (AGI) classification and inducer of sepsis. In this consensus, the common symptoms, diagnosis, classifications, treatment strategies and suggestions of acute gastrointestinal injury or dysfunction secondary to sepsis were explored from the aspect of both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine.

Extracellular vesicle (EV) is widely distributed and fully involved in the regulation of various aspects of cellular physiology. As active carriers of molecular biomarkers and mediators of intercellular communication, EV is involved in the occurrence, development, metastasis, drug resistance and other links of tumors. The EV, which can be obtained from a variety of body fluids and are highly homologous to tissues, plays an important role in the maintenance of cell homeostasis and the exchange of substances and information between cells, thus becoming an ideal biomarker for tumor diagnosis and treatment. In the emerging liquid biopsy application, EV DNA can be used as a molecular marker for the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of many kinds of tumors, and it is the most potential molecular marker of liquid biopsy in the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To explore the effect of disease management programs (DMPs) on prevention of recurrence of ischemic stroke (IS).Methods This study was a prospective follow-up study which included 182 subjects with IS between January 2012 and December 2013. These subjects were divided into study group (n=88) and control group (n=94) randomly. The patients of study group received six months of DMPs and the pa-tients of control group received conventional health education at discharge.Results The follow-up was carried out 33 months (6-45 months) averagely in two groups. 5 cases recurred IS in the study group, with the time to recurrence of 20 (10-35) months, and 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was 92.8%; 14 cases recurred IS in the control group, with the time to recurrence of 13 (4-28) months, and 3-year recurrence-free survival rate was 84.3%. Recurrence-free survival rate in study group was significantly increased than the control group(χ2=4.371, P<0.05).Conclusions Disease management programs can significantly reduce the recurrence of ischemic stroke, which is worthy of applying in clinical work further.

Objective To detect the expression of autophagy-related gene Atg3 and Atg5 in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) from children with acute leukemia(AL),so as to explore the relationship between autophagy and the pathogenesis of AL in children.Methods Seventy-four bone marrow specimens were obtained from children with AL in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University Pediatrics Hematology Ward,including 37 cases of initially diagnosed AL without any treatment,28 cases of AL in complete remission,9 cases of refractory or relapse AL and 28 bone marrow specimens from children without tumor were also collected as the control group.BMMNCs were separated by Lydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose.After BMMNCs were stained by Monodansylcadaverine,the autophagy phenomenon was observed by using fluorescence microscope,and the ratio of autophagy was detected by using flow cytometry.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of Atg3 mRNA and Atg5 mRNA in each group.Results It was found that autophagy phenomenon was more common in the initially diagnosed group and the refractory/relapse group,and the autophagy ratio in both groups was respectively (17.07 ±2.31) ％,(15.37 ± 1.59) ％,respectively,which were obviously higher than that of the control group (2.71 ± 1.57) ％ and that of the complete remission group.The differences were statistically significant (t =28.29,20.96,all P ＜ 0.01).The autophagy ratio in complete remission group was (3.48 ± 1.94) ％,and compared with the control group,the difference was of no statistical significance(t =1.634,P ＞ 0.05).The autophagy ratio in the refractory/relapse group higher than that in the complete remission group (t =16.61,P ＜ 0.05).The expressions of Atg3 mRNA and Atg5 mRNA in initially diagnosed group and refractory/relapse group were higher than those of the complete remission group and control group,and the differences were statistically significant (F =67.592,106.160,all P ＜ 0.008) ; the difference between complete remission group and control group was of no statistical significance (P ＞ 0.008).Conclusions The autophagy ratio and the expressions of Atg3 mRNA and Atg5 mRNA in initially diagnosed group and the refractory/ relapse group were both obviously higher.It was revealed that higher autophagy activity,which was caused by upregulated expressions of Atg3 mRNA and Atg5 mRNA,had a closely connection with the mechanism of occurrence,development and resistance of AL in children.

Recently, liposomes have been widely used in cancer therapeutics, but their anti-tumor effects are suboptimal due to limited tumor penetration. To solve this problem, researchers have made significant efforts to optimize liposomal diameters and potentials, but little attention has been paid to liposomal membrane rigidity. Herein, we sought to demonstrate the effects of cholesterol-tuned liposomal membrane rigidity on tumor penetration and anti-tumor effects. In this study, liposomes composed of hydrogenated soybean phospholipids (HSPC), 1,2-distearoyl--glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine--[methoxy(polyethylene glycol)-2000] (DSPE-PEG) and different concentrations of cholesterol were prepared. It was revealed that liposomal membrane rigidity decreased with the addition of cholesterol. Moderate cholesterol content conferred excellent diffusivity to liposomes in simulated diffusion medium, while excessive cholesterol limited the diffusion process. We concluded that the differences of the diffusion rates likely stemmed from the alterations in liposomal membrane rigidity, with moderate rigidity leading to improved diffusion. Next, the tumor penetration and the anti-tumor effects were analyzed. The results showed that liposomes with moderate rigidity gained excellent tumor penetration and enhanced anti-tumor effects. These findings illustrate a feasible and effective way to improve tumor penetration and therapeutic efficacy of liposomes by changing the cholesterol content, and highlight the importance of liposomal membrane rigidity.