Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic degenerative disease of central nervous system.The disease onset slow,early typical performance for the decline in judgment,lack of initiative,moodiness,etc,clinical manifestations of memory loss, cognitive dysfunction based.Cerebrolysin is a akind ofneurotrophicpeptidegic mixture obtained by normalized enzymolysisof lipid-free porcine brain proteins,it is rich in various amino acids,small molecule polypeptide and various essential elements such as magnesium, phosphorus and selenium.Several studies have shown that cerebrolysin can significantly improve the memory,anxiety,fatigue,dizziness and other symptoms of AD patients.In this paper,the research progress of cerebrolysin in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease were reviewed to provide reference for the comprehensive development and clinical application of cerebrolysin .

Objective:To explore the method of building the formative assessment (FA) system in diagnostics teaching and investigate its implementation effect.Methods:We planned and formulated the formative assessment system in diagnostics teaching of undergraduate curriculum. The correlation between the scores of the formative assessment and final exam were analyzed. A questionnaire survey on students' attitudes towards FA and an interview on teachers' perspectives were conducted. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis. Linear correlation analysis was used to compare the final exam scores with formative assessment scores, and Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the scores of questionnaire items.Results:The scores of FA were significantly positive related to the scores of final exam ( r = 0.559, P < 0.001). The questionnaire analysis showed that students significantly valued the formative assessment superior to the summative assessment ( Z = -8.632, P<0.001). It was generally approved of the promotion of FA in students' self-direct learning and self-supervision and the advances in acquirement of knowledge and skills. Conclusion:It is feasible of carrying FA in diagnostics teaching which could provide better learning outcome and might have an extensive prospect of application.

Increasing attention has been focused on the antitumor activity of artemisinin derivatives in recent years, for artemisinin had been reported to have cytotoxic effects against HL-60, P388 and MCF-7 tumor cells. We report here the synthesis and evaluation for antitumor activity of a series of artemisinin-ether derivatives bearing tetrahydropyrrole, morpholine, piperidine, substituted piperidines and azoles with various linkers. Sixteen 10-O-substituted dihydroartemisinin derivatives were designed and synthesized, all of which have never been reported in literatures and whose antiproliferative effects on human breast cancer MCF-7, MCF-7/Adr and HL-60 cells were determined by MTT assay or direct cell counting. Each of these artemisinin derivatives possessed better effects than dihydroartemisinin evidently against HL-60 and MCF-7 cells growth, while less potent than doxorubicin. All target compounds exhibited significantly improved potency compared to DHA and doxorubicin on the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Adr cells, so did they in their sensitive counterparts MCF-7 cells. Among them, compounds GF02, GH04 and ZH04 showed strong activity against these three cell lines growth. Further research is undergoing.

Increasing attention has been focused on the antitumor activity of artemisinin derivatives in recent years, for artemisinin had been reported to have cytotoxic effects against HL-60, P388 and MCF-7 tumor cells. We report here the synthesis and evaluation for antitumor activity of a series of artemisinin-ether derivatives bearing tetrahydropyrrole, morpholine, piperidine, substituted piperidines and azoles with various linkers. Sixteen 10-O-substituted dihydroartemisinin derivatives were designed and synthesized, all of which have never been reported in literatures and whose antiproliferative effects on human breast cancer MCF-7, MCF-7/Adr and HL-60 cells were determined by MTT assay or direct cell counting. Each of these artemisinin derivatives possessed better effects than dihydroartemisinin evidently against HL-60 and MCF-7 cells growth, while less potent than doxorubicin. All target compounds exhibited significantly improved potency compared to DHA and doxorubicin on the doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Adr cells, so did they in their sensitive counterparts MCF-7 cells. Among them, compounds GF02, GH04 and ZH04 showed strong activity against these three cell lines growth. Further research is undergoing.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Artemisinins ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Breast Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Design ; HL-60 Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; drug effects

OBJECTIVE To explore the inhibitory effects of epalrestat (EPS) on platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells proliferation by inhibiting aldose reductase (AR) expression.METHODS Primary rat pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) were prepared from the pulmonary artery of male 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats using explant method.PDGF 30 mg·L-1was given to induce cell proliferation.After PASMCs grew to 70%-80% conflu?ence, AR small-interferring RNA(ARsiRNA) was transfected with Lipofectamine 3000 into PASMCs. After 24 h,the expression and activity of AR were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR),Western blotting and spectrophotometric method,respectively to investigate EPS on PASMCs proliferation and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and collagenⅠexpression induced by PDGF from in vitro. PASMCs (normal control, PDGF 30 mg·L-1, PDGF+EPS 1, 10 and 100 μmol·L-1,EPS 100 μmol·L-1)were treated according to groups.Cell proliferation was measured by BrdU marking and flow cytometry. The expressions of AR, PCNA and collagenⅠwere analyzed with RT-qPCR and Western blotting.RESULTS In cultured PASMCs,compared with normal control group, the application of exogenous PDGF-induced cell proliferation concomitantly up-regulated AR expres?sion and activity (P<0.01), and such effect was abolished by ARsiRNA. Compared with PDGF group, EPS attenuated PDGF-induced proliferation of PASMCs,expression of PCNA,and collagenⅠ(P<0.05, P<0.01),and the inhibitory effect of EPS was accompanied by inhibition of AR expression(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION EPS inhibits PDGF-induced proliferation of PASMCs via inhibiting AR expression.

Objective To investigate the status of mental health in preschool children of Yangzhou city, and to explore the effect of home environment. Methods A total of 2 531 children from 7 kindergartens were selected by random cluster sampling. Questionnaire (including SDQ tests) was used to analyse the status and characteristics of mental health. Results The rate of children with mental disorder was 6.4%, the most prominent problem was peer relationship difficulty (17.8%), followed by hyperactivity/inattention (13.7%), prosocial behavior (9.4%), conduct problems (7.0%) and emotional problems (5.7%). Except for emotional symptoms, the detection rates of all other investigated problems among boys were higher than those among girls. Logistic regression analysis showed that the low level of mother's education (OR=1.85, 95%CI:1.04-3.29) and the joint family (OR=1.81, 95%CI:1.19-2.75) were risk factors, and gender of girl was protective factor (OR=0.71，95%CI：0.51-0.98). Conclusions The rate of mental disorder is low, but hyperactivity in boys and emotional problems in girls are quite popular, especially in children who have mother with low level of education or live in the joint family.

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect of a liquid embolic agent 2-poly-hydroxyethyl -methacrylate (2-P-HEMA) for renal artery embolization in rabbits.

METHODSThe precipitation time of different concentrations (2%, 3.5%, 5%, 6.5%, 8% and 9.5%) of 2-P-HEMA dissolved in different solutions (ethanol, ethanol/iobitridol, and ethanol/Bi2O3) were determined in flowing water. The mixtures of 2-P-HEMA (2%, 5%, and 8%) with ethanol/ Bi2O3 were injected into the renal arteries of the rabbits, and the artery-embolizing effects were assessed using angiography at 2 and 12 weeks after the injection, with also macroscopic and microscopic examination of the embolized kidneys.

RESULTSThe mixtures of 2-P-HEMA and ethanol formed flocculent precipitation a few seconds after injection into flowing water, and the precipitation time showed no significant variations with the concentration of 2-P-HEMA in the mixture. Low and moderate concentrations of 2-P-HEMA could pass through the microcatheter smoothly with little injection resistance, and resulted in complete occlusion of the renal arteries without adhesion to the microcatheter. Angiography at 2 and 12 weeks detected no recanalization of the occluded renal arteries. Macroscopically, the lumen of the renal arteries was found to be occluded by the embolic agents, and deep penetration of the embolic agents into the glomerular arteries was observed microscopically. The mixture containing high-concentration 2-P-HEMA was difficult to deliver through the microcatheter due to high injection resistance.

CONCLUSION2-P-HEMA can be rapidly precipitated after injection into flowing water, and allows complete embolization of the renal arteries of rabbits at proper concentrations, suggesting its great potential as an endovascular liquid embolic agent.

Animals ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Female ; Male ; Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate ; Rabbits ; Radiography ; Random Allocation ; Renal Artery ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

INTRODUCTIONMinimally invasive surgery (MIS) is increasingly used in the treatment of lumbar stenosis. However, it is still not clear if the employment of minimally invasive surgical techniques can achieve superior clinical outcomes compared to standard open laminectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODSAn extensive literature review regarding the clinical outcome, safety, and efficiency of MIS and standard open surgery (OS) in the treatment of lumbar stenosis was conducted on Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases up to 19 August 2016.

RESULTSSixteen studies that enrolled a total of 1580 patients with surgically-indicated lumbar stenosis were identified; 793 patients underwent MIS and 787 patients underwent conventional OS. No significant difference was found in the improvement of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (P = 0.718) and operation time (P = 0.322) between patients from different treatment groups. MIS was associated with better visual analogue scale (VAS) for back pain (P = 0.01), shorter length of hospital stay (P <0.001), and lower blood loss (P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONOur findings indicate that both MIS and standard OS can effectively manage patients with lumbar stenosis and lead to comparable clinical outcomes. Further studies are necessary to evaluate MIS with different types of conventional surgery for lumbar stenosis.

Objective To assess the clinical effect of Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic spinal surgery for central lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods Total 92 patients (44 males and 48 females with average age of 68.6± 12.4 years) with central lumbar spinal stenosis were enrolled in our study during February 2012 and July 2016.All patients were treated with Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic spinal surgery.Clinical and Radiographic evaluation were investigated on 1 week,3 months,6 months,12 months postoperatively and final follow-up.Visual analogue scale (VAS) for low back pain and leg pain,Oswestry disability index(ODI) for low back pain were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of surgery.Pre and postoperative Dural sac cross sectional area(DSCA) was measured.And the correlation between changes of DSCA and clinical efficacy was analyzed.Results The operation time was 45-1 15 min.The mean operation time was 75±15 min.the mean blood loss was 15±5 ml (range 8-50 ml).All patients were followed for 12-46 months (24.5±5.3 months).VAS for low back pain,VAS for leg pain,and OD1 were significantly improved from 6.75± 1.28,7.79± 1.15 and 39.82％ ±5.06％ preoperatively to 2.21± 1.08,2.16± 1.14 and 9.82％ ±3.69％ at the latest follow-up.Dural sac cross sectional area significantly increased from 55.35±12.18 mm2 preoperatively to (102.36±15.38) mm2 at the latest follow-up.Correlation coefficient with DSCA change was-0.480 for ODI change,-0.612 for VAS(low back pain) change,-0.637 for VAS (leg pain)(P ＜ 0.05);obvious positive correlation existed between the change of DSCA and patient's clinical efficacy.It showed that the change of DSCA was positively correlated with the patient's clinical efficacy.The clinical results were excellent in 56 cases.good in 29,fair in 4,and poor in 3 based on the MacNab criteria.92.39％ demonstrated a good-to-excellent outcome.One case occurred cauterizing syndrome,3 cases of recurrence,and 2 cases of Dural tear.There was no severe vascular or nerve injury.Conclusion Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic spinal surgery provides a new minimally invasive treatment for central lumbar spinal stenosis.It is safe and effective.It is found that the change of DSCA is positively correlated with the clinical efficacy of surgery.

AIM To study the protective effect of essential oils from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.(BBO) on UVB-induced sunburn in mouse skin and its mechanism of action.METHODS The model for sunburned mouse skin was established by acute UVB irradiation.Essential oils from B.balsamifera were applied to the surface of wound for external use.The pathological changes of sunburned skin tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin HE) staining.The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD),and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured.The levels of 8-hydroxy-desoxyguanosine (8-OHdG),interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in epidermis were detected by ELISA.Additionally,the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),P53 tumor suppressor protein and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).RESULTS Compared with the model group,treatment with essential oils from B.balsamifera significantly reduced the thickness of epidermis,and the activity of SOD and the contents of MDA,GSH in mouse skin were restored.In addition,the essential oils from B.balsamifera resulted in a significant decrease in levels of 8-OHdG,IL-6 and NF-κB,and an inhibition in expressions of P53 and PCNA.CONCLUSION The essential oils from B.balsamifera can alleviate UVB-induced sunburn.Its mechanism is related to enhanced antioxidant power,inhibited NF-κB signal passway,down-regulated release of IL-6 and reduced levels of 8-OHdG,PCNA.