The α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a ligand-gated ion channel that is distributed throughout the nervous system. It is involved in the regulation of various neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and norepinephrine. α4β2-nAChR plays an important role in learning, memory, cognition, attention, inflammation, and pain. A large number of studies have shown that α4β2-nAChR is an important therapeutic target for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, nicotine dependence, pain, etc. It is an important target in the early diagnosis and curative effect detection of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. This review summarizes the role, mechanisms and related drug research advances on α4β2-nAChR ligand drugs in neurological diseases, as well as providing a theoretical basis for identifying and developing more suitable α4β2-nAChR-related compounds.

To investigate the chemical constituents of the whole plants of Bidens bipinnata, the separation and purification of constituents were performed by chromatography on macroporous resin, silica gel, MCI and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data as quercetin (1), quercetin-3-0-alpha-L-rhamnoside (2), keampferol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), keampferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (4), 3', 5-dyhydroxy-3, 6, 4'-trimethoxyl -7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside flavonoid (5), 7, 8, 3', 4'-tetraflavanone(6), (2S)- and (2R)-isookanin-7-O-beta-D- glucopyranoside (7a/7b), (2S)- and (2R)-3'-methoxy-isookanin-8-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (8a/8b), 6, 7, 3', 4'-tetrahydroxyaurone(9), maritimetin (10), esculetin (11), 3-O-caffeoyl-2-methyl-d-erythrono-1, 4-lactone (12), (7S, 8R) balanophonin-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (13), eugenyl-O-beta-apiofuranosyl-( 1"-6') -O-beta-glucopyranoside (14), and (+)-syringaresinol-4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (15). Compounds 8, 13, 14, and 15 were isolated from this genus for the first time. Compounds 1 and 6 were potent inhibitors against HSC-T6 cells in vitro and compounds 1, 2, 6, and 7 were capable of decreasing the inflammatory cytokine production of macrophage cells in vitro.
Bidens ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

The paper is aimed to establish a methods for identication of pearl powder and conch powder from different origins. Hermetic aluminum pan was used to encapsulate samples. The optimal testing conditions were: heating rate 10 degrees C x min(-1), sample weight 3 mg and nitrogen gas flow rate 40 mL x min(-1). The enthalpy values of pearl powder and conch powder was obvious different. Identication of pearl powder and conch powder by DSC is a practical method for its accuracy, convenience and practificality.
Animal Shells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; methods ; China ; Discriminant Analysis ; Pinctada ; chemistry ; classification ; Powders ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of Guizhi Fuling Capsule active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and its fractions on human breast cancer cells proliferation by high-throughput screening assay. METHODS The crude fractions were obtained from the extraction and elution of the API of Guizhi Fuling Capsule, and 929 standard fractions were obtained by the optimal separation conditions. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) method was used to evaluate the effects of the Guizhi Fuling capsule API and 929 kinds of fractions on the proliferation of human breast cancer cells MCF- 7 and MDA- MB- 231. RESULTS The Guizhi Fuling capsule API had a strong ability to inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 cells at high concentration and the ability to inhibit MDA-MB-231 cells' proliferate at low concentration follow?ing 72 h treatment;some samples of 929 fractions (5 μg·mL-1) was found to have a breast cancer cell growth inhibition rate above 50%, without toxicity on HUVECs proliferation. CONCLUSION The API of Guizhi Fuling capsule had significant cytotoxicity effects on these two human breast cancer cells, with significant concentration- and time-dependent manner.

[Objective]To investigate the etiology,clinical manifestation,treatment and prognosis of optic disc vas-culitis.[Method]Twenty-four eyes of 21 patients were enrolled in this retrospective study.Eye examinations,treatment, and effect were recorded.[Result]Six were male and 15 were female.The age was between 19 and 43 years old(average:28.7±1.6).85.7% of the patients referred to the clinic with mild to moderate decreased vision.Edema of the optic disc can be seen in both types while tortuous veins can also be found in type 2.Similar characteristics were noticed in OCT,FFA, and etc.With a follow-up of 4.52±0.98 months after treatment(prednisone:initial dose 1.0-1.2 mg/kg),the BCVA of the affected eyes improved significantly.[Conclusion]Optic disc vasculitis is affected by autoimmune disorder,infection,hy-perlipidemia,and etc.Edema of the optic disc with/without tortuous veins and retinal hemorrhage can be noticed.Similar diseases should be excluded in avoidance of misdiagnosis. Systemic examination and complete solution should be per-formed.Glucocorticoid helps to improve the visual function.The application of anti-VEGF is effective in secondary macu-lar edema.However,the long-term efficacy is awaiting being confirmed.

Objective To investigate the clinical and imaging features of patients with Alzheimer' s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) and find an effective method to make differential diagnosis between the 2 entities. Methods One hundred and sixty-two patients with dementia,admitted to our hospital from August 2006 to June 2011, and 42 patients with dementia found from community epidemiological survey were chosen in our study; their clinical data were retrospectively collected and analyzed; in these patients,114 patients were with AD and 90 patients were with VaD.Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was performed on these patients and the cognitive competence,behavioral symptoms and imaging data of these patients were analyzed and compared. Results More female,higher education level and longer course of disease in patients with AD were noted as compared with those in patients with VaD (P＜0.05); the scores of attention and calculation in patients with VaD were obviously lower than those in patients with AD (P＜0.05); the scores of short-term memory,retelling and reading comprehension in patients with VaD were obviously higher than those in patients with AD (P＜0.05); the happening of repeated convergence behavior in patients with AD was much more often than that in patients with VaD (P＜0.05); patients with AD had higher ratio of shrinking hippocampus than patients with VaD, and the incidence of vascular disease in the brain of patients with VaD was significantly higher than that of patients with AD (P＜0.05). Conclusion Substantial differences on clinical and imaging features exist in AD and VaD patients,which can be attributed to the differences of lesion nature and distribution,as well as the underlying pathophysiological procedures of each disease.

OBJECTIVEIt is revealed that circulating fibrocytes are elevated in patients/animals with cardiac fibrosis, and this review aims to provide an introduction to circulating fibrocytes and their role in cardiac fibrosis.

DATA SOURCESThis review is based on the data from 1994 to present obtained from PubMed. The search terms were "circulating fibrocytes " and "cardiac fibrosis ".

STUDY SELECTIONArticles and critical reviews, which are related to circulating fibrocytes and cardiac fibrosis, were selected.

RESULTSCirculating fibrocytes, which are derived from hematopoietic stem cells, represent a subset of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibiting mixed morphological and molecular characteristics of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells (CD34+/CD45+/collagen I+). They can produce extracellular matrix and many cytokines. It is shown that circulating fibrocytes participate in many fibrotic diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Evidence accumulated in recent years shows that aging individuals and patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and atrial fibrillation have more circulating fibrocytes in peripheral blood and/or heart tissue, and this elevation of circulating fibrocytes is correlated with the degree of fibrosis in the hearts.

CONCLUSIONSCirculating fibrocytes are effector cells in cardiac fibrosis.

Coronary Disease ; pathology ; Fibroblasts ; physiology ; Fibrosis ; pathology ; Heart Failure ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Myocardium ; pathology

Depression is currently the most popular disease in the world with a high suicide rate. Selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitors have been used as first-line drugs in clinics, but the therapeutic effect is greatly limited. The pathogenesis of depression is complicated, meanwhile the cholinergic hypothesis has received more and more attention. A large number of clinical and preclinical studies have shown that antagonists and partial agonists acting on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have a significant effect on antidepressant therapy, which can improve the hippocampus recognizes, influence rewards and anxiety systems controlled by the ventral midbrain and ventral tegmental area, and regulate the amygdala pressure system, thereby improving mood and relieving depression. At present, the relationship between the cholinergic system and depression is still undergoing a lot of research. In this article, the relationship between α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) and depression is reviewed to provide a reference for study of new anti-depression drugs.

Objective To summarize the thoracolumbar injuries and treatment in children and adolescents.Methods Since 2000,clinical data,surgical methods,efficacy and mechanism of 177 children and adolescents with thoracolumbar spine injury treated in Honghui Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine were analyzed and compared.Treatment was in accordance with easy typing method of Honghui Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine.The principles and systematic methods of analysis of such damage was emphasized.Clinical,physiological and psychological effects were observed.Results According to easy typing method of Honghui Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine.Ⅰ a-c 77 cases,Ⅱ a 40 cases.Twenty-seven cases of Frankel A were unchanged.There were 28 cases that had been restored to Frankel C in 30 cases of Frankel B.There were 2 cases that had been restored to Frankel D in 30 cases of Frankel B.There were 2 cases that had been restored to Frankel D in 27 cases of Frankel C.There were 25 cases that had been restored to Frankel E in 27 cases of Frankel C.There were 30 cases that had been restored to Frankel E in 30 cases of Frankel D.In 177 patients,imaging,VAS,ODI,SF-36,DPQ,MMSE,Barthel and psychology had achieved significant differences before and after treatment for follow-up of 7-12 months(all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Simple type is easy to grasp.It applies to children and adolescents treatment of thoracic and lumbar spine injury to good effect.It is a reasonable treatment strategy.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the detection rate of the inferior pyloric artery (IPA) in patients with gastric cancer by computed tomography arteriography (CTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients (48 males and 6 females; mean age, 59.0 ± 1.5 years) who had undergone radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer from September 2016 to July 2017 at our institution were recruited prospectively. Patients underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scans and CTA imaging reconstruction before the operation. The origin of the IPA in all cases was determined by a radiologist based on CTA images and verified by the surgeon. The accuracy of CTA in diagnosing the origin of the IPA was calculated. Dominant vessels of the origin were analyzed. RESULTS: IPAs were detected by CTA in 51 patients (94.4%). Among these, IPAs originated from the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) (24 cases), the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) (4 cases), and the anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (ASPDA) (20 cases). In the remaining 3 cases, the IPAs contained two branches originating from the RGEA and ASPDA, respectively. During surgery, in 2 (3.7%) of the 54 cases of gastric cancer, IPAs could not be detected; the IPAs originated from the RGEA (22 cases), GDA (5 cases), and ASPDA (24 cases). One case had an IPA originating from both the RGEA and the GDA. Finally, the accuracy of CTA in diagnosing the origin artery of the IPA was 85.2% (46/54). CONCLUSION: CTA can detect the origin of the IPA accurately, which can aid surgeons while performing pylorus-preserving operations.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; Gastroepiploic Artery ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surgeons ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed