AIM:To discuss the application value of retro-mode imaging by F-10 confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO) for detecting drusen in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).METHODS:This was a retrospective case study.During the period of October 2015 to December 2016, 67 patients with unilateral AMD (67 affected eyes and 67 fellow eyes) were included in this study.All patients underwent color fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and retro-mode imaging by F-10 cSLO.The features of drusen by color fundus photography, OCT and retro-mode imaging were comparatively observed in the affected eyes of patients with unilateral AMD.Positive numbers of drusen in the fellow eyes of patients with unilateral AMD detected by color fundus photography, OCT and retro-mode imaging were calculated and compared.RESULTS:Retro-mode imaging by F-10 cSLO gave easier to identify images of drusen than color fundus photography and OCT in the affected eyes of patients with unilateral AMD.In the fellow eyes of 67 patients with unilateral AMD, retro-mode imaging showed drusen in 56 cases(84%), color funds photography showed drusen in 36 cases(54%), OCT showed drusen in 48 cases(72%), the difference was statistically significant(χ2=14.31, P<0.05).The positive numbers of drusen detected by retro-mode imaging were significantly higher than color fundus photography, the difference was statistically significant(χ2=13.87, P′<0.0125).There was no statistically significant difference in the positive numbers of drusen detected by retro-mode imaging and OCT(χ2=2.75, P′>0.0125).CONCLUSION:Retro-mode imaging by F-10 cSLO provides a non-invasive technique and should be useful for detecting and monitoring drusen in AMD.

Colorectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; surgery

Objective To observe the effects of an enriched environment (EE) on cognitive functioning and the synaptic plasticity of mice modeling post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and explore the possible mechanisms involved.Methods Mice modeling PSCI and sham-operated mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:sham-operated mice in a standard environment (the Sham+SE group),PSCI mice in a standard environment (the PSCI+SE group) and PSCI mice in an enriched environment (the PSCI+EE group).The cognitive functioning of all of the mice was quantified using a Morris water maze and their hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) was recorded using an electrophysiological method.The level of synaptophysin was detected using Western blotting.Synaptic ultrastructure in the hippocampus was imaged using electron microscopy.Results Compared with the Sham +SE group,the PSCI+SE group showed significantly poorer water maze performance and failed induction of contralateral LTP.Their average level of synaptophysin was significantly lower,and significant adverse changes in the synaptic ultrastructure of the hippocampus were observed,including a decreased number of synapses.The average width of the synaptic cleft,postsynaptic density and the interface curvature of the synapses were all less desirable.All of the measurements of the PSCI+EE group improved significantly compared to those of the PSCI+SE group,but were still significantly poorer than those of the Sham+SE group.Conclusions An enhanced environment can improve the cognitive functioning of mice modelling PSCI.It may be that an EE can improve synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus contralateral to the stroke.

Cancer, an abnormal cell proliferation resulted from multi-factors,has the highest morbidity and mortality among all the serious diseases. Considerable progress has been made in cancer biology in recent years. Tumor immunology, cancer stem cells (CSCs), autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have become hot topics of interests in this area. Detailed dissection of these biological processes will provide novel directions, targets, and strategies for the pharmacological evaluation, mechanism elucidation, and new drug development of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; physiopathology

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules in treating kidney deficiency type of bronchial asthma patients in persistent.Methods:A total of 100 patients with bronchial asthma admitted to Shanghai Municipal Hospital of TCM from March 2020 to August 2020 were selected as the research subjects. The patients were divided into control group and treatment group by random and double blind method, 50 in each group. Both groups were treated by routine basic treatment. The control group was treated with Kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving Placebo, while the observation group was treated with kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules. All the treatment lasted for 6 weeks. The TCM syndromes scores, Asthma Control Test (ACT) scores, Peak expiratory flow/predicted value (PEF%) and eosinophil in peripheral blood before and after treatment were observed.Results:A total of 91 patients completed the clinical study. There were 45 patients in the control group and 46 in the treatment group. The total effective rate in the treatment group was 93.5% (43/46), while that in the control group was 77.8% (35/45), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.579, P=0.032). After the treatment, the scores of integral efficacy on syndromes in Chinese medicine, ACT and PEF% in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( t values were 2.802, 3.420 and 8.938, respectively, all Ps<0.01). The eosinophil in peripheral blood of patients in the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( t=3.481, P=0.001). Conclusion:On the basis of conventional treatment of western medicine, kidney-invigorating and asthma-relieving granules can relieve the clinical symptoms of asthma, improve the control level of asthma, enhance the level of PEF, reduce airway inflammation.

Animals ; DNA, Protozoan ; analysis ; blood ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rabbits ; Semen ; parasitology ; Toxoplasma ; isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal ; parasitology

NOD/SCID (non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient) mice are immune deficient mice which are made by backcross of severe combined immunodeficient mice with non-obese diabetic mice strains. NOD/SCID mice are both innate immune deficiencies and lack of T and B lymphocytes. Various tumor cells can be implanted in this kind of mice, the rejection and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occur fewer. Therefore, NOD/SCID mice gradually become a useful tool for the study on Experimental Hematology. This paper comprehensively reviews the biological characteristics of NOD/SCID mice, the establishment of human leukemia model, stem cell transplantation, drug research, deficiency and improvement of NOD/SCID mice in application for study.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hematology ; methods ; Leukemia ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Mice, SCID ; Models, Animal ; Research ; trends

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of polypeptide extract from scorpion venom (PESV) on PI3K, p-Akt signal protein regulating K562 cell apoptosis and its mechanism. The K562 cells were cultured with PESV for different time, the cell growth curve was determined by MTT method, the levels of PI3K and p-Akt proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that as compared with control group, the apoptosis rate of K562 cells treated with PESV increased, the levels of PI3K and p-Akt expression decreased. It is concluded that the PESV inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of K562 cells probably through suppressing the expression of PI3K and p-Akt signal proteins.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Scorpion Venoms ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

Tyrosol, crenulatin and salidroside are the main active constituents of Rhodiola crenulata, with extensive pharmacological activities. In the study, grams of high purity tyrosol, crenulatin and salidroside were simultaneously separated from R. crenulata by the first time. Firstly, R. crenulata was extracted by 70% alcohol. Then, with the yields of three compounds as the index, the macroporous resin was optimized. At last, grams of high purity tyrosol, crenulatin and salidroside were isolated by D-101 macroporousresin, purified by column chromatography. Detected by HPLC, the purity of three compounds were higher than 98%. This method has the advantages of simple process and operation, less dosage of organic solvent, highly yield and reproducibility, suitable for the simultaneously preparation of tyrosol, crenulatin and salidroside.
Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Coumarins ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Phenols ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Phenylethyl Alcohol ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Rhodiola ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo assess the therapeutic effect of losartan on type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) with gas chromatography (GC)-based metabonomics.

METHODSDM2 patients were dosed with losartan (100 mg/d) and urines were collected at week 8 and 12. The biochemical criteria (blood pressure, urinary albumen, urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and blood creatinine) were analyzed. Urine samples were derivatived and analyzed by GC. Multivariate metabonomics analysis was performed after peak alignment.

RESULTSAfter 8-12 weeks, losartan showed little curative effect and no remarked changes of biochemical criteria were observed. However, metabonomics analysis revealed that some biomarkers such as glucitol and inositol changed.

CONCLUSIONGC-based metabonomics analysis enables the rapid identification of metabolic differences and provides information concerning therapeutic effect of losartan.

Albuminuria ; urine ; Biomarkers ; blood ; chemistry ; urine ; Chromatography, Gas ; methods ; Creatinine ; blood ; Deoxyguanosine ; analogs & derivatives ; urine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Drug Monitoring ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Inositol ; chemistry ; Losartan ; therapeutic use ; Metabolome ; drug effects ; Sorbitol ; chemistry