Hair follicle (HF), one of the skin appendages, has received a lot of attention to be a new target and pathway for drug delivery. The development of hair follicle targeted drug delivery system (HFTDDS) through percutaneous permeation is particularly important for skin diseases derived from HF such as acne, hair loss, and folliculitis for their on-site action. This review describes the structure and physiological function of HF, the microenvironment of HF, and factors affecting HF permeation. Multiple nanoformulations used to improve the HF permeation and technologies to characterize the HF permeation were introduced. The latest advance of HFTDDS based on nanoformulations were systematically summarized and analyzed in the treatment of acne and hair loss. Finally, the challenges of formulating HFTDDS were discussed. The review is expected to provide some ideas and references for developing delivery systems for treating skin diseases derived from HF.

Most of apoplexy patients have suffered limb spastic-paralysis for a long time,which impacts their activity and emotion seriously.However,the instruments of evaluating apoplexy spastic-paralysis used come from abroad mostly.These instruments are not special for apoplexy spastic-paralysis patients,and that there is a lack of patients' experience.Therefore,it is urgent to develop a Patient Reported Outcomes(PRO)instrument specially for apoplexy spastic-paralysis patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Modified Hangqi Chifeng Decoction (MHCD) on levels of collagen type IV (Col IV), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) in extracellular matrix (ECM) of glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs) in LPS induced mice.

METHODSNormal serum and telmisartan, high, medium, low dose MHCD containing serums were prepared by using serum pharmacology method. GMCs were cultured in vitro. The proliferation of mesangial cells were induced using LPS as stimulating factor. GMCs were divided into six groups, i.e., the normal group, the model group, the telmisartan group, high, medium and low dose MHCD groups. Col IV content in the supernatant of mesangial cells was detected using ELISA. Protein expressions of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were detected using Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, Col IV content obviously increased in the model group after 72-h LPS stimulation; protein expressions of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were obviously up-regulated, and MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio was down-regulated in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, Col IV content obviously decreased in high and medium dose MHCD groups and the telmisartan group (P < 0.01); protein expressions of MMP-2 were obviously down-regulated in medium and low dose MHCD groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); the protein expression of TIMP-2 was obviously down-regulated in high, medium, low dose MHCD groups and the telmisartan group (P < 0.01). The pro- tein expression of TIMP-2 was obviously lower in the high dose MHCD group than in the low dose MHCD group (P < 0.01). MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio was obviously up-regulated in the telmisartan group, high and medium dose MHCD groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONMHCD could regulate disordered MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio in LPS induced ECM, inhibit excessive production of Col IV in ECM, promote the degradation of ECM, reduce the accumulation of ECM, thereby, delaying the process of glomerular sclerosis.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Kidney Glomerulus ; cytology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Mesangial Cells ; drug effects ; Mice ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; metabolism

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Duct Diseases ; diagnosis ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Cytodiagnosis ; Cytological Techniques ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Diseases ; diagnosis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; pathology ; Angiomyolipoma ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; pathology

To study the effect of Gegen Qinlian decoction and its major effective components on five hepatic microsomal CYP450 isozymes in rats. The in vitro hepatic microsomal incubation technique was used to co-culture Gegen Qinlian decoction and its major effective components together with each probe substrate. HPLC-MS/MS was used to establish the analytical method for metabolites of the five isoform probe substrates of CYP450 isozymes, detect the linearity among micoromal protein concentration, incubation time and metabolite formation amount. And HPLC-MS/MS was applied to determine the formation rate (V) of corresponding metabolites (acetaminophen, 4-OH-chlorzoxazone, dextrophan, 6-OH-chlorzoxazone and 6β-hydroxytestosterone) specific probe substrates of the five isoform probe substrates of CYP450 isozymes (phenacetin, polbutamide, dextromethorphan, chlorzoxazone, testosterone), in order to determine the activity of each isozyme. The result showed good linearity among acetaminophen, 4-OH-tolbutamide, dextrophan, 6-OH-chlorzoxazone and 6β-hydroxytestosterone, satisfactory precision, stability and average recovery, suggesting the method was feasible. The optimized in vitro microsomal incubation conditions conformed to the requirements in the guideline of drug-drug interaction. Gegen Qinlian decoction showed different degrees of inhibitor effect on 5 CYP450 isoforms (CYP1A2, CYP2C11, CYP2D2, CYP2E1, CYP3A1/2). Its major effective component berberine could inhibit each CYP450 isoform at high concentrations (except for CYP1A2, CYP3A1/2).
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Isoenzymes ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Liver ; enzymology ; Rats ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

Objective: To investigate the role of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in supporting hematopoiesis and the expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in vitro. Methods: According to the fact that HUVEC supernatant has colony stimulating activity shown by methylcellulose colony-forming assay and HUVEC can maintain the survival of mononuclear cells for at least four weeks in vitro, CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood were seeded with (HUVEC group) or without (control group) HUVEC monolayer. Every week cells were collected and counted, the frequency of CFU-GM was measured by using methylcellulose colony-forming assay, and the percentage of CD34+ and CD41a+ cells was measured by flow cytometry. Results: In control group，all the CD34+ cells died in two weeks. However, in HUVEC group,most nucleated cells and CD34+ cells were expanded by 68.1±14.8 fold and 6.6±1.4 fold，respectively at the third week while CFU-GM expansion reached its peak (5.7±2.1 fold) at the week 2. Moreover, the percentage of CD41a+ cells was enhanced significantly, reaching a maximum (15.6%) at the week 3. Conclusions:HUVEC can support hematopoiesis in vitro and expand the hematopoietic progenitor cells and CD41a+ cells in direct contact coculture.

OBJECTIVETo explore the protective effects of bicyclol against renal interstitial fibrosis and possible mechanisms of the protection.

METHODSEighty-one Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to a sham-operated group and UUO groups with and without bicyclol treatment. A rat model of renal interstitial fibrosis was prepared by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Renal tissues were examined by hematoxylin & eosin and Masson staining on 7, 14 and 21 days. Immunhistochemistry was used for determining plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) expression in the renal interstitium. PAI-1 mRNA expression in renal tissues was semi-quantitatively determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe relative areas of renal interstitial fibrosis in the bicyclol-treated UUO group 7, 14 and 21 days after operation were (9.6 ± 0.6)%, (16.8 ± 0.8)% and (33.6 ± 1.6)% respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the untreated UUO group [13.0 ± 0.7)%, (25.8 ± 1.5)% and (53.2 ± 2.5)% respectively] (P<0.05). The levels of protein and mRNA expression of PAI-1 in the bicyclol-treated UUO group decreased significantly compared with those in the untreated UUO group 7, 14 and 21 days after operation (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSBicyclol can alleviate renal interstitial injury and renal interstitial fibrosis caused by UUO in rats, possibly through a downregulation of renal PAI-1 expression.

Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; analysis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ureteral Obstruction ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology

The influence of low tube voltage in dual source CT (DSCT) coronary artery imaging on image quality and radiation dose and its application value in clinical practice were investigated. Totally, 300 cases of chest pain with low body mass index (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2)) subjected to DSCT coronary artery imaging were prospectively enrolled. The heart rate in all patients were greater than 65/min. The retrospective ECG gated scanning mode and simple random sampling method were used to assign the patients into groups A, B and C (n=100 each). The patients in groups A, B and C experienced 120-, 100-, and 80-kV tube voltage imaging respectively, and the image quality was evaluated. The CT volume dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) were recorded, and the effective dose (ED) was calculated in each group. The image quality scores and radiation doses in groups were compared, and the influence of tube voltage on image quality and radiation dose was analyzed. The results showed that the excellent rate of image quality in groups A, B and C was 95.69%, 94.72% and 96.33% respectively with the difference being not statistically significant among the three groups (P>0.05). The CTDIvol values in groups A, B and C were 51.35±12.21, 21.28±7.13 and 6.34±3.34 mGy, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). The ED values in groups A, B and C were 9.27±1.63, 4.56±2.29 and 2.29±1.69 mSv, respectively, with the difference being statistically significant (P<0.05). It was suggested that for the patients with low BMI, the application of DSCT coronary artery imaging with low tube voltage can obtain satisfactory image quality, and simultaneously, significantly reduce the radiation dose.

Human violent behavior is a complex behavior which is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. There is a trend in investigating the mechanism of violent behavior by using the genetic methods. This article reviews several candidate genes and advances in epigenetics which are associated with violent behavior. The prospects and significance of violent behavior research from the view of gene polymorphism and epigenetics are also discussed.
Aggression ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Forensic Genetics ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Violence