[A Review] The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional bowel disorder,and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Serotonin is thought to be an important brain-gut axis neurotransmitter,which plays an important role in the gastrointestinal motility,sensation and secretion. Serotonin is closely associatied with IBS and regarded as one of the therapeutic targets. This article reviews the related investigations in the recent years.

Objective To investigate the effects of Mailuoning on oxidative stress and ischemic brain injury. Methods A total of 126 healthy male Kunming mice were divided into sham operation (n = 18), normal saline control (n = 54) and Mailuoning (n = 54) groups. A middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was induced Two hours after MCAO,Mailuoning injection and equivalent saline were injected via the tail vein in the Mailuoning and normal saline control groups, respectively, and then they were injected every other 24 h.Neurological score was performed, and brain water content, infarct volume, membrane potential,as well as protein oxidative stress metabolites such as 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), lipid oxidative stress metabolite 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) and nucleic acid oxidative stress metabolite 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were detected at 12, 24 and 72 h after MCAO. Results Mailuoning injection could significantly improve the neurological function of cerebral ischemia in mice, decrease brain edema, and reduce infarct volume at different time points after cerebral ischemia Of those, it was most significant at 72 h. Mailuoning injection could reverse the decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in cerebral cortex and internal capsule, and significantly downregulate the increased 3-NT, HNE and 8-OHdG in cerebral cortex, internal capsule and serum after ischemia, of those, the effect of reducing HNE was most significant.Conclusions Mailuoning injection may effectively protect against ischemic brain injury in mice,and its mechanism is associated with inhibiting oxidative stress, particularly anti-lipid oxidation.

Atherosclerosis(AS),the major cause of ischemic cerebrovascular disorder(CVD)destroying human health,the damage-reaction theory and inflammation theory proposed by professor Ross were popular because those theories were explainning the beginning and developing of AS well.The key point is anti-inflammatory.Through the intervention of some key factors in inflammatory response network,the theory provide a great significance and value on the treatment of AS.We considered that AS pathogenesis of "Endogenous Heat Toxin,Phlegm and Blood Stasis" in Chinese medicine has substantial relationship with current mainstream theory of AS-"injury-response theory,inflammatory reaction theory",which is a good integrating point for AS pathogenesis in both theoretical systems of Chinese and Western Medicine.With the entry point of intervention of "Endogenous Heat Toxin" or "inflammatory response",on the basis of activating blood circulation to dissipate blood stasis and heat-clearing and detoxicating,it is a beneficial attempt with theoretical and practical significance to discuss the role of Chinese medicine on prevention and treatment of AS.With the mainline of AS anti-inflammatory theory,this article analyzed and discussed the research ideas of Chinese Herbs intervene AS inflammatory reaction combined with our work of the research group.

Inflammation is one of the key pathological process of atherosclerosis (AS),and multiple risk factors of AS have consanguineous relationships with the regulation of inflammatory signal pathway.So it could be effective approach to control inflammation,even the pathological process of AS if we do the deep research on AS inflammatory signal pathway and make out the potential medicine.

Objective To explore the treatment of children with EB virus infection accompanied by facial paralysis. Method The clinical data of a child with EB virus infection accompanied by facial paralysis was analyzed retrospectively, and the related literature were reviewed. Results A 2-year-old boy was admitted to hospital due to fever and mouth askew for 4 days. After admission, he was confirmed to have EB virus infection and viremia by serology and polymerase chain reaction, and then treated with acyclovir. The symptoms of facial paralysis and EB viremia disappeared completely 14 days after antiviral treatment. There was no recurrence in the short-term follow-up. Interestingly, the literature analysis shows that there is still limited evidence for the antiviral treatment by acyclovir in children with acute infection of EB virus associated with facial paralysis. Conclusion Antiviral treatment may be beneficial to EB viremia with facial paralysis.

Objective To identify the risk factors for early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in the elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery.Methods One hundred and fifty ASA Ⅱ or Ⅲ patients,aged ≥65 yr,undergoing elective spinal surgery under general anesthesia,were studied.Venous blood samples were taken at 1 day before operation and 7 days after operation to determine the concentration of serum S-100B protein.Cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at 1 day before operation and 7 days after operation.The patients were diagnosed as having POCD if MMSEpre-MMSEpost ≥ 3.The patients were divided into POCD group and non-POCD group.Age,body weight,sex,education,type of operations,complications,preoperative TCM syndrome type,MMSE score at 1 day before operation and 7 days after operation,duration of operation,emergence time,and intraoperative blood loss,cardiovascular events,and amount of fluid infused per hour were recorded.The risk factors for POCD were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results Thirty-eight patients developed early POCD (25.3％).The resuhs of logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥ 70 yr,elementary education or below,duration of operation ≥5 b,and the number of hypotension occurred during operation≥3 were the risk factors for early POCD.Conclusion Age≥70 yr,elementary education or below,duration of operation ≥ 5 h,and the number of hypotension occurred during operation ≥ 3 are the risk factors for early POCD in the elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery.

This study was aimed to provide references for techniques in future application of traditional and natural drugs for tumor prevention and treatment. Domestic and foreign literatures on applications of gene chip technology in antitumor studies with natural and traditional medicine from 2000 to 2014 were reviewed. Corresponding database was established from aspects of published articles, drug intervention types, study fields, sample sources, chip technology platforms, repeatability of gene chip experiments, criteria of differential genes, and validation of gene chip experiments. Application experiences of gene chip in antitumor natural and traditional drugs were summarized. Shortcomings of gene chip technology application were analyzed deeply. The results showed that experimental gene screening was limited at the cellular level. More attentions should be paid to experiments at the animal and clinical levels. Scholars had paid more attention to expression level of mRNA and less attention to gene regulation level and epigenetic research of microRNA chip and DNA methylation chip. Gene chip experiments were lack of repeatability, which directly affected the evaluation results of difference gene and reduced reliability of gene screening. Screening results of genes should be verified not only at the mRNA level, but also increased at the protein level. It was concluded that gene chip was one of the most mature technologies to detect the level of gene expression, which was widely used in the research field of traditional and natural antitumor drug studies. Researchers should try to avoid deficiencies mentioned above in experiments related to gene chip technology.

This is to report the screening, extracting and validating antitumor components and compounds from Stellera chamaejasme L. under the case of discrete distribution of active data. In this work, different components from Stellera chamaejasme L. were collected by HPD macroporous resin and polyamide resin column, and their antitumor activity on A549 were tested by MTT assay. Activity results indicate that activity of components at 30-39 min is more potent than that of Stellera chamaejasme L. extract, and the activity of components at 33.97 min is equivalent to positive drug, cis-platinum at 100 microg x mL(-1), but with totally different mode of action. Under the case of discrete activity, the weight analysis is capable of screening active components and compounds from natural products.

Objective To investigate α-interferon (α-IFN) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)inhibitor celecoxib synergistically inhibit the growth of human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells xenografts and tumor angiogenesis in a nude mouse model.Methods The effects of celecoxib and α-interferon on tumor volumes and weight were observed.The expressions of VEGF and Cox-2 were determined by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR,and the effect of α-interferon on MVD also was observed by immunohisto chemistry.Results During the period of observation tumor volume increased progressively in control group,while it was suppressed obviously in other drug treatment groups.The average tumor volume was significantly smaller in celecoxib + α-IFN group than that in IFN group,celecoxib group and control group (P ＜ 0.01,respectively),its inhibitory rate was 61.84％.Immunohistochemistry showes that the VEGF and MVD was significantly smaller in celecoxib + IFN group than that in α-IFN group,celecoxib group and control group (P ＜ 0.01,respectively).RT-PCR shows that the COX-2mRNA and VEGF mRNA pression was lower in the celecoxib + α-IFN group than in α-IFN group,celecoxib group and control group (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib and α-interferon synergistically reduces xenografts growth of human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells effectively via suppressing tumor growth and angiogenesis.

Objective:To analysis the impact of public health emergencies on mood fluctuations of depression and the related factors in the elderly in Shanghai, in order to provide a new evidence for early psychological intervention.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 983 elderly in the Department of Geriatrics of Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University and two communities in Changning and Hongkou Districts of Shanghai by using a self-compiled social life questionnaire and Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS-30)during corona virus disease(COVID)-19 outbreak from 1 February to 15 February 2020.The mood fluctuations of depression and the related influencing factors were analyzed by comparing the current GDS-30 scores with the scores within previous six months.Results:Of 983 questionnaires, 867 were valid.The incidence of mild fluctuations of depression was increased from 20.9%(181/867)to 27.2%(235/867)during the public health emergencies( P<0.05), with 3 cases of newly emerged severe depression.The GDS-30 scores were higher during the public health emergencies than before the emergencies(9.88±3.85 vs.7.67±3.54, P<0.05). The four risk factors inducing fluctuations of depression in the elderly were the number of coexisted chronic diseases ≥2( P=0.036), the lack of visits or communication from families( P=0.015), the family members exposing a risk to COVID-19( P<0.01), and the daily viewing of epidemic news more than 4 h( P=0.023). Linear regression analysis showed that cough, sore throat, dizziness, sleep disturbance and dyspnea were significantly related to the aggravation of depression(based on the increase of GDS-30 score)( P<0.05). Conclusions:Public health emergencies may exacerbate depression in the elderly.They are more likely to experience the aggravation of depression when they suffer from multiple chronic diseases, lack the child visits or communications, have the family members exposing a risk to COVID-19 and pay excessive attention to the epidemic.