Objective: To prepare tripterygium glycosides-loaded nanoparticles modified by 50% N-acetylated low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC-TG-NPs) and to investigate their in vitro release behavior. Methods: The LMWC-TG-NPs were prepared by modified self-emulsifying solvent diffusion method; The formulation of TG-NPs was optimized by orthogonal design and the modified condition of LMWC was determined based on the single factor analysis. The in vitro drug release of LMWC-TG-NPs was characterized with PBS (pH 7.4) containing 20% ethanol. Results: The optimized formulation of TG-NPs was as follows: Poloxamer 188 (1.0%), PLA (80 mg), organic phase (12 mL), and acetone-ethanol (2:3) were used to prepare TG-NPs suspension. The LMWC-TG-NPs were prepared by incubating TG-NPs suspension with 10% LMWC solution at the ratio of 1:1. The shape of the prepared LMWC-TG-NPs was spherical. The mean particle size, polydispersity index, entrapment efficiency, and drug loading were (207.6 ± 3.4) nm, 0.078 ± 0.009, (61.83 ± 2.43)%, and (10.70 ± 0.37)% (n=3), respectively. The in vitro release characteristics of LMWC-TG-NPs conform to Higuchi equation in PBS buffer composed of 20% ethanol at pH 7.4. Conclusion: The prepared LMWC-TG-NPs show a sustained-release characteristics with well-distributed particle size as well as high entrapment efficiency and drug loading, which could lay the foundation for the research on kidney targeting and toxicity.

Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture with different frequencies on learning and memory ability, synaptic morphology and synaptic density in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease rats. Methods Forty-eight healthy Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into normal group, sham operation group, model group, 2 Hz, 30 Hz and 50 Hz electroacupuncture groups with 8 cases in each group. The Alzheimer's disease model was established by injecting Aβ1-42 into two sides of lateral cerebral ventricle. The sham operation group was injected with normal saline instead. The electroacupuncture groups received electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) and Shenshu (BL23) acu-points. The learning and memory ability was evaluated with Morris water maze test, and the morphology and density of synapse were ob-served by electron microscope. Results Compared with the model group, the latency was shorter, the time of crossing the platform was short-er and the number of crossing the platform was more in the electroacupuncture groups (P<0.01), especially in the 50 Hz electroacupuncture group (P<0.01). The number of synapse and the synaptic density were more in the electroacupuncture groups than in the model group (P<0.01), especially in the 50 Hz electroacupuncture group (P<0.01). Conclusion Electroacupuncture could improve learning and memory abili-ty and increase synaptic density in rats with Alzheimer's disease, especially with high frequency.

Objective To investigate the expression and biological function of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) in bladder cancer.Methods Forty-two cases of bladder cancer specimen,including 17 noninvasive carcinoma and 25 muscle invasive carcinoma classified by UICC 2002 TNM,or 18 low-grade and 24 high-grade classified by WHO 1973.Meanwhile,mucosa adjacent to the carcinoma was selected as normal control.The gene expression of miR-34a was determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 42 cases of bladder carcinoma samples.Mature mimics of miR-34a were chemically synthesized and transiently transfected-intoT24 bladder cancer cells.The effects of miR-34a on apoptosis and proliferation in T24 cells were evaluatedby flow cytometry and MTS respectively.Results 61.9％ of carcinoma samples showed low expression of miR-34a,which was correlated with the malignancy and tumor size of bladder carcinoma.26.5％ (11 cases) was negative and 11.6％ (5 cases) showed high expression.Furthermore,upregulation of miR-34a in T24 cells contributed to cell growth and apoptosis.The apoptosis rate of T24 cells was (9.11 ± 0.41)％,which had significant difference compared with NC mimics and blank control group respectively (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The relative low expression of miRNA-34a may be involved in the tumorigenesis and development of bladder carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the molecular mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in repairing cisplatin-induced acute renal injury.Methods The rats were injected 6 mg/kg of cisplatin intraperitoneally,and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs group) or PBS (PBS group) were injected respectively via tail vein after 24 hours.The rats without injecting cisplatin were selected as a normal control group.The repair effect of BM-MSCs on renal injury was observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry.In addition,NRK-52E cells were cultured in vitro and treated with cisplatin for 6 hours.Then,NRK-52E cells were continued to culture for 48 hours or co-cultured with BM-MSCs for 48 hours,and NRK-52E cells untreated with cisplatin were used as a control.The expression levels of miR-92b and its target gene PTEN were detected by qRT-PCR,and the expression level of p-Akt by western blot.Results HE staining showed that the tubular protein casts in BM-MSCs group were significantly less than that in PBS group,and that the renal tubular structure was significantly improved in BM-MSCs group.Immunohistochemical staining indicated that the number of cells expressing proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in BM-MSCs group (131.0 ± 14.4) was significantly higher than that in PBS group (42.2 ±6.1,t =11.28,P ＜0.01).qRT-PCR results showed that in the vivo experiment,compared with the expression level of miR-92b and PTEN in the normal control group (1.11 ± 0.78,1.01 ± 0.21),PBS group were (4.64 ± 1.06) and (0.61 ± 0.2),respectively (all P ＜ 0.05);BM-MSCs group were (2.27 ± 0.81) and (1.1 ± 0.1),respectively (all P ＜ 0.05).In vitro experiment,compared with the expression level of miR-92b and PTEN in the negative control group (1.12 ± 0.77,1.02 ± 0.13),cisplatin group were (7.64 ± 0.72) and (0.58 ± 0.2),respectively (all P ＜ 0.05),cell group were (4.38 ± 0.50) and (1.15 ± 0.23),respectively (all P ＜ 0.05).Western blot results showed that compared with the expression level of p-Akt in cisplatin group (0.96 ± 0.18),p-Akt expression in cell group was (2.11 ± 0.11,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion BM-MSCs may repair the cisplatin-induced acute renal injury via down-regulating the expression level of miR-92b.

OBJECTIVETo establish social stress induced depression-like model in mice of C57BL/6 strain, and to assess its reliability using differenf behavioral methods.

METHODSTotally 20 male mice of C57BL/6 strain were divided into the normal group and the stress model group by random digit table,10 in each group. Another 10 CD1 mice were subjected to social stress. Mice in the normal control group received no stress, while those in the model group received social stress for 10 successive days. Behavioral assessment was performed using social interaction test (SIT), the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test, tail suspension test (TST), respectively. Serum cortisol level was detected by ELISA to assess the reliability of the model.

RESULTSIn the social interaction test when the social target (CDI mice) was inexistent, mice in the normal control group spent longer time in the social interaction zone and less time in the corner zone (P < 0.05); mice in the model group spent less time in the social interaction zone and more time in the corner zone (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group when CDI mice existed, mice in the model group spent less time in the social interaction zone and more time in the corner zone (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal control group, the total times for entry into open arms, close arms, and the maze were obviously reduced (P < 0.05), and the proportion of entering open arms was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in the model group. In TST, the motionless time within the last 4 mm was prolonged in the model group (P < 0.05). The serum cortisol level in the model group was obviously elevated (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSocial stress induced depression-like animal model in mice of C57BL/6 straineasquite reliable and possibly suitable to be used in integrative medicine research of combination of disease and syndrome model.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Depression ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Social Behavior ; Stress, Psychological

AIM: To describe the prevalence and causes of low vision and blindness in a population within Sichuan province in southwestern China.METHODS: A stratified, multi-phased and cluster probability sampling design was employed to enumerate 125 641 participants from 40 351 households within 38 counties/cities. Participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination, including standardized visual acuity (VA) tests using logarithm of the minimum angle resolution charts. Prevalence was age- and gender-standardized to the 2000 China Census.RESULTS: Population-weighted prevalence of blindness was 0.77% (95% CI: 0.72- 0.82, n=966) and low vision was 1.22% (95% CI: 1.14-1.27, n=1 513). Overall, the prevalence of visual disability was 1.40% in the urban population, and 2.22% in the rural population (P<0.01). Cataract was the leading cause of visual disability (55.7%, n=1 381), and was of similar frequency in both urban and rural populations. Retinal disease was the second leading cause (9.7%, n=236), but was more common in urban than rural participants (34.3% vs 2.7%, P<0.01). Corneal disease accounted for 6.5% (n=161) of cases of visual disability, and was more common in the rural population (7.2% vs 3.9%, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: We estimate that 1.72 million people suffer from visual disability within Sichuan province, of which 525 000 are blind, the focus of blindness prevention should be in rural area.

Objective To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction and provide a method to study the potential basis and the changing of the chemical component for it in different compati- bility.Methods An HPLC method was established with Shimadzu ODS column(150 mm?4.6 mm, 5?m),the mobile phase was methanol-water-0.1% phosphoric acid(0.01 mol/L potassium phosphate monobasic,pH 2.8)as gradient elution,the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min,and the detection wavelength was 260 nm.Through comparing and analyzing the relative retention time of this decoction and of its composi- tion which are positive and negative control fingerprints,the main chromatographic peak origins were con- firmed;The correlated chromatographic peaks were identified by contrasting chromatographic peak reten- tion time and adding reference substances to the sample.Results All tested samples contained the 32 common peaks,the relativity of them were analyzed and 11 peaks were indicated.The similarity of ten batches of samples exceeded 0.92.Conclusion This method shows sensitive and good repeatability,all of the contents are separated well.It is used to determine Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction and its relative prepara- tions.

Immobilization of the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens UP-3 was studied in this paper. The results showed that the immobilized cells with the mixture of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) as the immobilizing carrier had good biodesulfurization characteristics; The optimum operation immobilization conditions were 4℃, the total concentration of PVA and SA being 7%(wt), and the concentration of cells being 0.05 g/mL. When DBT addition was 2.7 mmol/L, the DBT degradation of immobilized cells was above 60% while that of resting cells is 13%. The optimum degradation time and temperature of immobilized cells were 5d and 28℃～32℃, respectively.

Objective To observe the effect of atropine in the treatment of bromiderosis with anhydrous alcohol injection. Methods Patients were randomly divided into two groups (A and B): the patients in Group A was injected with both anhydrous alcohol and atropine, and that in Group B was only injected with anhydrous alcohol. The effect of the operation was evaluated at 1, 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Results From August 2004 to January 2008, 72 patients were involved in this study. 37 cases were included in Group A, and 35 patients were included in Group B. The effective rate in the Group A was 83.78 %, and that in the Group B was 82.86 %. There was no statistical difference between these two groups. Conclusion Atropine has no effect on the treatment of axillary bromidrosis with anhydrous alcohol injection and it is, therefore, not necessarily included in the treatment.