Integrative medicine (IM) has made great progress after more than half a century practice. However, many issues are yet to be in-depth explored. How to define clinical connotation and extension of IM, how to define feasible methods and means for diagnosis and treatment of IM, how to train more skilled talents of IM, how to elevate clinical efficacy of IM, these are all topics in need of further study. In this paper authors explored the clinical development mode of IM, extracted connotation and extension of IM clinics, hoping to promote the development of IM clinics.
Integrative Medicine ; trends

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) offer a non-selective and receptor-independent mode to promote cellular uptake. Although the non-specificity of CPP-mediated internalization allows this approach applicable to a wide range of tumor types potentially, their universality is a significant obstacle to their clinical utility for targeted delivery of cancer therapeutics and imaging agents. Accordingly, many reports have focused on selective switching of systemically delivered inert CPPs into their active form in lesions (tumor). In this review, our attention is mainly confined to such an enzyme-sensitive domain incorporated delivery system with activatable CPPs (ACPPs), which have displayed the exciting strength in balancing the CPPs' pros and cons, and potential in the treatment and diagnosis of some diseases.
Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Enzymes ; chemistry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Objective To explore the relationship between the expression of decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) and high-risk human papilloma virus(HR-HPV)infection in cervical carcinoma. Methods Immunohistochemistry and hybird capture Ⅱ assay were used to detect the expression of DcR3 and HR-HPV in 35 cases of normal cervical tissues(NCE), 39 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasm(CIN)and 44 cases of cervical squamous epithelial carcinoma(CSES). Specific HR-HPV16 E7 siRNA and nonspecific HR-HPV16 E7 siRNA were synthesized and transfected to SiHa cells by Lipofectamine. The expression of DcR3 at mRNA and protein levels was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The growth inhibition was examined by MTT assay. Results In NCE, CIN and CSES, the positive expression rates of DcR3 were 8.6%(3/35), 48.7%(19/39)and 77.3%(34/44), respectively, and the expression intensity was increasing(2=36.942, P<0.001). In NCE, CIN and CSES, the infection rates of HR-HPV were 5.7%(2/35), 56.4%(22/39)and 93.2%(41/44), respectively(2=60.322, P<0.001) . The protein expression of DcR3 was positively correlated with the infection of HR-HPV in CSES(r=0.893, P=0.004). Conclusions DcR3 was highly expressed in cervical cancer. Its expression was positively correlated with HR-HPV infection, which may contribute to the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. HR-HPV silencing inhibited cellular growth and proliferation by down-regulating the expression of DcR3.

By setting up the organic additive model of chemical fingerprints of TCM-compound, the quantified fingerprint method had been established to solve the qualitative and quantitative analyses problems for both the fingerprint attribution ratio and process recovery of medicinal effective components in TCM-compound prescription. The method firstly performs the qualitative analyses of the attribution ratios, and then the quantitative analyses, which can successfully disclose the results of attribution ratio and determine the process recovery of the medicinal effective components for TCM-compound prescription. Three optional methods were represented to assess the amount and distribution proportion of chemical compositions for single crude drug to compound prescription. In terms of components absorbed ultraviolet light, S5 (Radix Scutellariae) was assessed to be the most important crude drug containing much more effective components, and S7 (Radix Gentianae), S4 (Flos Lonicerae Japonica), S8 (Rhizome Anemarrhena) and S9 (Fructus Gardeniae) were second important crude drugs. The results showed lower process recovery of the medicinal effective components for eight batches of marketed preparations. Above all, the quantified fingerprint method can objectively and accurately reflect how high is the contribution of a single crude drug to the compound prescription, and quantitatively evaluate the process recovery of medicinal effectiveness components.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Comparative analysis of variable region ORF14/15 genes of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) genome in Guangxi Penaeus vannamei (P. vannamei) could provide useful information for the evaluation of genetic diversity and genetic evolutionary relationship among WSSV isolates from Guangxi, China and other places. Based on geographical and temporal considerations, 40 WSSV-positive P. vannamei samples were collected during the period between May 2010 and July 2013 from Beihai, Qinzhou, and Fangchenggang, which were the main P. vannamei production areas in Guangxi, and the variable region ORF14/15 genes of the WSSV genome from all infected samples were amplified by PCR and then subjected to cloning and sequence analysis. Pairwise and multiple alignment analysis was then conducted to evaluate the degree of genetic divergence between different strains. The variable region ORF14/15 genes from 25 of 40 WSSV positive samples were successfully cloned and sequenced; among the ORF14/15 genes of 25 WSSV-positive strains, 22 was 619 bp in length and 3 was 620 bp. All the 25 Guangxi strains carried a 5949-bp deletion in the ORF14/15 region relative to TH-96-II, which has the longest nucleotide sequence in this region; the deletion of Guangxi strains occurred in the middle region of ORF14/15 gene, with only 190 bp and 429 bp/ 430 bp at 5' and 3' ends, respectively, which were coincident with WSSV-IN-05-I in deletion length and position. Sixteen of 25 Guangxi strains had completely identical nucleotide sequences in the variable re gion, and the homology between other strains also exceeded 97.9%. There were single nucleotide substi tution, deletion, and insertion in the ORF14/15 region of Guangxi strains compared with other strains in GenBank. In the phylogenetic tree based on WSSV variable region ORF14/15, the Guangxi strains were closely related and formed a separate branch with Indian strain IN-05-I, but far from other strains in GenBank. The ORF14/15 gene of WSSV isolates in cultured P. vannamei in Guangxi has a large deletion in the middle of the variable region, and the Guangxi WSSV strains show no significant spatio-temporal differences; the Guangxi strains are closer in genetics to Indian strain IN-05-I than other strains in GenBank.
Animals ; China ; Cloning, Molecular ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genome, Viral ; genetics ; Genomics ; Penaeidae ; virology ; Phylogeny ; White spot syndrome virus 1 ; genetics

OBJECTIVESTo detect the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase(SOD) and interleukin 8(IL-8) in seminal plasma of infertile patients, and evaluate the possible relationship between those levels.

METHODSSemen was collected from normal donors (15 cases), infertile men without infection (16 cases), and infertile men with infection (leukocytospermia, 11 cases). The routine analysis of semen was accomplished, and then the levels of IL-8, malondialdehyde (MDA), SOD, and white blood cell (WBC) were examined. The correlative analysis between the level of ROS and other parameters in these populations was made.

RESULTSIn leukocytospermic group, the levels of MDA, WBC, and IL-8 were higher than those in the other two groups (P < 0.001). Significantly positive correlation was observed between IL-8 and MDA (r = 0.852, P < 0.001) and between the levels of IL-8 and WBC.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that increased oxidative stress in patients with leukocytospermia may cause the increase of IL-8(r = 0.818, P < 0.01). The increased oxidative stress may be due to defect in ROS scavenging system.

Adult ; Cytokines ; blood ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; blood ; complications ; Male ; Male Urogenital Diseases ; blood ; complications ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; blood ; Semen

The purpose of the present study was to explore the role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in pulmonary arterial hypertension induced by endotoxin. Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (0.5 mL/kg body weight of normal saline, i.v.), lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated group (5 mg/kg body weight of LPS, i.v.), LPS + NaHS (5 mg/kg body weight of LPS, i.v., and 28 μmol/kg body weight of NaHS, i.p.) and LPS + PPG group (5 mg/kg body weight of LPS, i.v., and 30 μmol/kg body weight of PPG, i.p.). Rats were anesthetized with 20% urethane (1 g/kg body weight, i.p.). A polyethylene catheter was inserted into the pulmonary artery through the right external jugular vein to measure the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) for 7 h, and then the pulmonary artery was isolated rapidly by the method described previously. Pulmonary arterial activity was detected. H2S concentration and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) activity in pulmonary artery tissues were determined by biochemical method. CSE mRNA expression was detected by competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Compared with control, LPS significantly increased mPAP [(1.82±0.29) kPa vs (1.43±0.26) kPa, P<0.01], decreased H2S production [(26.33±7.84) vs (42.92±8.73) pmol/g wet tissue per minute, P<0.01), and reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation response [(75.72±7.22)% vs (86.40±4.40) %, P<0.01) induced by ACh (1×10(-6) mol/L). These effects were partly reversed by co-administration of NaHS and enhanced by co-administration of PPG. Both CSE activity and CSE mRNA expression were consistent with H2S production. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect of LPS on endothelium-dependent relaxation results in pulmonary hypertension, which might be mediated through H(2)S.
Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Cystathionine gamma-Lyase ; metabolism ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sulfides ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDTissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has provided an objective means to quantify global and regional left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function with improved accuracy and greater reproducibility than conventional echocardiography. This study was conducted to assess RV myocardial systolic activation by TDI in subjects with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

METHODSA total of 30 patients with PAH and 30 healthy volunteers, all comparable in age and sex, underwent standard Doppler echo and TDI. Using pulsed Doppler echocardiography combined with TDI, the following regional parameters were evaluated in three different myocardial segments (RV basal lateral wall, basal septal, and LV basal lateral) on apical 4-chamber view: systolic (Sm), early- and late-diastolic (Em and Am) peak velocities. RV myocardial systolic activation delay was defined as the difference in time to peak TDI systolic velocities between the RV basal lateral wall and basal septal. In addition, RV end-diastolic and end-systolic areas were measured to calculate RV fractional area change from the same apical 4-chamber view.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, patients with PAH showed increased RA and RV end-diastolic diameter (RA: (4.5 +/- 1.2) cm vs (3.0 +/- 0.8) cm, P < 0.05 and RV: (4.8 +/- 1.9) cm vs (3.4 +/- 0.5) cm, P < 0.05) and reduced RV fractional area change; (35 +/- 14)% vs (56 +/- 9)%, P < 0.05. These PAH patients showed lower myocardial peak velocities and a significant activation delay compared with controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, a strong correlation between RV myocardial systolic activation delay and RV fractional area change was shown in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (r = -0.82).

CONCLUSIONSIn PAH, RV myocardial systolic activation was markedly delayed, which was directly related to the RV fractional area change. RV myocardial systolic activation delay assessed by TDI could offer a unique approach to predict RV dysfunction.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Diastole ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right ; etiology ; Ventricular Function, Right

Cell adhesion mediated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) constitutes essential life phenomenon. In inflammation, immunity, infection, thrombosis, tumor metastasis and wound healing, cell adhesion comes into being the basic physiological and pathological process. Intervening with cell adhesion has been the important therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for diseases. Accumulated evidence has indicated that plant polysaccharides especially those exacted from Chinese traditional and herbal drugs displayed various pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-infection, immunomodulation, cardiovascular protective effects and so on. In this paper, the research progress of plant polysaccharides on cell adhesion is reviewed.
Animals ; Anti-Infective Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; pathology ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Humans ; Immunomodulation ; drug effects ; Infection ; pathology ; Inflammation ; pathology ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polysaccharides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Forensic botany is a study of judicial plant evidence. Recently, researches on DNA labeling technology have been a mainstream of forensic botany. The article systematically reviews various types of DNA labeling techniques in forensic botany with enumerated practical cases, as well as the potential forensic application of each individual technique. The advantages of the DNA labeling technology over traditional morphological taxonomic methods are also summarized.
Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; Botany/methods* ; DNA Fingerprinting/methods* ; DNA, Plant/analysis* ; Forensic Genetics ; Minisatellite Repeats ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique