Objective:To observe the effects of Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription on ulcerative colitis rats with yang deficiency of spleen and kidney syndrome; To discuss its mechanism.Methods:Totally 70 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, mesalazine group, Qifu Lizhong Guanchang Prescription high-, medium- and low-dosage groups; blank group ( n=10), other groups ( n=12). Except for the blank group, the other groups used bitter cold purgative therapy (Dahuang Decoction) by gavage, and combined with trinitrobenzen sulfonic acid (TNBS) +55% ethanol compound method to induce UC rat model. After successful modeling, the blank group and model group were given 1 ml normal saline enema daily, Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription groups were given Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription 3.00, 1.50, 0.75 g/kg enema daily, and the mesalazine group was given mesalazine 0.03 g/kg enema daily, once a day for consecutive 14 days. After 14 days, Disease Activity Index (DAI) score was performed, and hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE) was used to observe the pathological tissues of the colon. The expressions of Occludin and adhesion molecules A (JAM-A) protein in colon tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results:HE results showed that the mucosal structure was damaged, inflammatory cells were infiltrated, edema and ulcer foci were observed in model group. The mucosal structure of mesalazine group and Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription groups were intact, and inflammatory infiltration, edema and ulcer of neoepithelial were improved. Compared with model group, the DAI scores of Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription groups decreased ( P<0.01), the expressions of Occludin and JAM-A in Qifu Lizhong Guanchang Prescription high- and medium-dosage groups significantly increased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Qifu Lizhong Enema Prescription can significantly relieve the symptoms and pathological morphology of UC rats, and the mechanism of repairing intestinal mucosal barrier may be related to up-regulating the expressions of Occludin and JAM-A proteins.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) are a class of non-coding RNA with a length of more than 200 nucleotide, it is known that lncRNA can regulate gene expression at epigenetic, transcriptional and post transcriptional levels. Recent studies have shown that lncRNA is an important regulator of atherosclerosis (AS) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AS. This paper aims to comprehensively explore the mechanism of lncRNA in AS and summarize new biomarkers for AS diagnosis, we focused on the research progress of some key lncRNA in regulating the function of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and monocytes and macrophages through literature review. Furthermore, this review discusses the potential clinical diagnostic value of lncRNA as biomarker in coronary heart disease (CHD), acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure (HF). LncRNA is expected to become a new class of clinically relevant biomarker, which might be useful for the prediction, diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification of AS and cardiovascular diseases.

Microneedle percutaneous immunization is achieved by puncturing the stratum corneum of the skin with microneedles so that the vaccine is efficiently recognized by antigen-presenting cells to induce a specific immune response. Due to the advantages of efficient induction of immune response, low pain and easy storage, transdermal immunization by microneedles has been widely used for immunization of various vaccines in recent years. This review summarizes the materials of microneedles, application for transcutaneous immunization, as well as the challenges that need to be addressed.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Needles ; Vaccination ; Vaccines

Objective:To study the effects of naringenin on pancreatic fibrosis in the mouse model of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and its effects on the activation, proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs).Methods:Eighteen C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, CP group and naringenin group, with 6 mice in each group. The CP mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injections of caerulein. Naringenin group was given naringenin (200 mg/kg/day) by gavage once a day from the first day of the fourth week of modeling process to the day before the killing; the control group and CP group were treated by gavage with an equivalent amount of drug solvent containing 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na). Mice were killed 5 days after the last caerulein injection, and their pancreatic tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius Red staining, pathological scoring and collagen sedimentation detection. Naringenin with different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, 200 μmol/L) were used to intervene HPSC for 24 hours, and CCK-8 method was used to detect the cell activity. TGF-β1 recombinant protein (2 ng/ml) was used to induce PSCs for 1 hour (TGF-β1 stimulation group), and naringenin with low (50 μmol/L), middle (100 μmol/L) and high (150 μmol/L) concentration was used to intervene for 36 hours after TGF-β1 stimulation, respectively. Western Blotting was used to detect the expression of PSC activation related proteins FN and COL1A1, cell proliferation marker p21, anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL, pro-apoptotic protein Bax and Bid.Results:The pathological scores of pancreatic tissue [(7.33±1.15), (4.67±1.15)] and the percentage of collagen positive areas [(46±4), (28±2)%] in CP group and naringenin group were higher than those in the control group [0, (4±2)%]. However, these indexes in the naringenin group were lower than those in CP group, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P value <0.05). The relative expression of FN in control group, TGF-β1 stimulation group and low, medium and high naringenin group was 0.02, 0.76, 0.67, 0.34 and 0.07, respectively; the expression of COL1A1 in these groups was 0.51, 1.71, 1.34, 0.84 and 0.11. The expression of FN and COL1A1 in TGF-β1 stimulation group was significantly higher than that in control group, and the expression of FN and COL1A1 in low, medium and high naringenin group was significantly lower than that in TGF-β1 stimulation group, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P value <0.05). The expression of p21 in the above five groups was 0.87, 1.18, 1.27, 1.22 and 1.00. The expression of p21 in TGF-β1 stimulation group was higher than that in control group, and the expression of p21 in high naringenin group was obviously lower than that in TGF-β1 stimulation group, and the differences were all statistically significant (all P value <0.05). In addition, the expression of Bcl-xL in these groups was 2.09, 2.21, 2.38, 2.50 and 2.12; the expression of Bax was 0.98, 0.88, 0.98, 1.00 and 0.88; the expression of Bid was 1.15, 1.09, 1.14, 1.18 and 1.18. There was no statistically significant difference among these groups (all P value >0.05). Conclusions:Naringenin could significantly alleviate the inflammation, atrophy and fibrosis in the CP mouse model, and inhibit the activation and proliferation of PSCs. However, naringenin had no significant effect on the apoptosis of PSCs, indicating that naringenin may be potentially used to treat pancreatic fibrosis in CP.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of miR-195 regulating FOXK1 gene and PI3K/Akt pathway on stomach adenocarcinoma proliferation, invasion and migration ability.Methods:Public database samples were employed to analyze the expression differences and prognostic significance of miR-195 in stomach adenocarcinoma. After overexpression of mir-195-5p in two cell lines, MGC803 and AGS, altered cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities were detected by Alamar Blue, Wound healing, and Transwell assays. The potential target genes and binding sites of miR-195 were predicted by the starBase. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of foxk1 and phosphorylation sites in the PI3K/Akt pathway of target genes after overexpression of mir-195-5p. A Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the relationship between mir-195-5p and foxk1. Statistical analyses were performed with IBM SPSS 22 software and R 4.0.3.Results:Our results showed a significant over-expression of miR-195 in the tumor tissues, compared with the paired normal tissues ( P<0.001) , which could inhibit the proliferation and invasion of stomach carcinoma cells and significantly correlated with survival ( P=0.011) . Moreover, our study indicated that miR-195 depressed the expression of FOXK1 and significantly reduced the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, which had a negative effect on the proliferation and invasion of stomach carcinoma cells. The phosphorylated Akt (s473 site) expression in the PI3K/Akt pathway was significantly decreased after overexpression of miR-195. Conclusion:Overall, our studies clarify the important function of the miR-195 in the diagnosis and therapy of patients with stomach carcinoma and reveal the FOXK1 and PI3K/Akt pathway regulation by the miR-195, which are of important clinical significance in the differential diagnosis.

Background::The potential impact of β cell function and insulin sensitivity on adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the association between β cell dysfunction, insulin resistance, and the composite adverse pregnancy outcomes.Methods::This observational study included 482 women diagnosed with GDM during pregnancy. Quantitative metrics on β cell function and insulin sensitivity during pregnancy were calculated using traditional equations. The association of β cell dysfunction and insulin resistance with the risk of the composite adverse pregnancy outcomes was investigated using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models.Results::Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of adverse pregnancy outcomes across quartiles of homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were 1.00, 0.95, 1.34, and 2.25, respectively ( P for trend = 0.011). When HOMA-IR was considered as a continuous variable, the multivariable-adjusted OR of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 1.34 (95% confidence interval 1.16-1.56) for each 1-unit increase in HOMA-IR. Multivariable-adjusted ORs of adverse pregnancy outcomes across quartiles of homeostatic model assessment for β cell function (HOMA-β) were 1.00, 0.51, 0.60, and 0.53, respectively ( P for trend = 0.068). When HOMA-β was considered as a continuous variable, the multivariable-adjusted OR of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 0.57 (95% CI 0.24-0.90) for each 1-unit increase in HOMA-β. However, other quantitative metrics were not associated with the composite adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions::We demonstrated a significant association of β cell function and insulin sensitivity with the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. We have provided additional evidence on the early identification of adverse pregnancy outcomes besides the glycemic values.

As a critical factor of atherosclerosis (AS), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) plays a crucial role in damaging vascular endothelial cells, promoting monocyte adhesion, inducing formation of foam cells and thrombosis. Many scholars have found that oxLDL could be used as a circulating biomarker for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In this manuscript, research progress on the mechanism of oxLDL in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis, as well as using oxLDL as a diagnostic biomarker of atherosclerosis related diseases were systemically reviewed.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific systemic multi-organ syndrome. Immune tolerance is very important for the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy. More and more studies have proved that the disorder of the complement system is related to the occurrence and development of PE. Complement molecules may be potential markers for PE screening and diagnosis. This review briefly summarized the role and research progress of the complement system in PE, to provide references for the complement molecules as clinical diagnostic markers and prevention target of PE.

From September to October 2018, a questionnaire survey was conducted on the status of diabetes management, basic equipment allocation, complication screening and follow-up, basic drug supply and health education among 136 grassroots institutions in Nanjing. Doctors in the 136 grassroots institutions who had received diabetes specialist training accounted for 18.2% (358/1 968) of total general practitioners. The management rate of diabetes patients was 98.67% (196 352/199 000) , and the standard management rate was 88.63%(174 024/196 352).The screening and follow-up rates of diabetic complications were 89.0%(121/136) and 61.2%(74/121) for glycosylated hemoglobin; 64.7%(88/136), 58.0%(51/88) for urine microalbumin;51.5% (70/136), 62.9%(44/70) for diabetic foot; 44.9%(61/136), 42.6%(26/61) carotid ultrasonography; 32.4%(44/136) and 59.1%(26/44) for fundus examination; 17.6%(24/136) and 33.3%(8/24) for ankle brachial index. The rates of screening for glycosylated hemoglobin, urinary microalbumin, diabetic foot, carotid B ultrasound, fundus and ankle brachial index in urban areas were significantly higher than those in the suburbs (both P<0.05). The diabetes health education was regularly conducted in 92.0%(126/136) of grassroots institutions. At present, the grassroots institutions in Nanjing have established health archives for most diabetic patients and conducted health education regularly, but the professional training and the screening of diabetic complications need to be strengthened.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of ketogenic diet (KD) and antiepileptic drugs(AEDs) in the children with drug refractory Dravet syndrome (DS). Methods: Thirty-two cases of drug refractory DS were enrolled into the Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Shantou University Medical School from July 2016 to December 2017, and they were divided into 2 groups: KD group and AEDs group (16 cases for each group), respectively.KD was added to as an additional therapy for KD group, and oral AEDs were administered only in AEDs group.In KD group, oral AEDs were not adjusted for the first 3 months.AEDs could be adjusted within a limited range in 2 groups after 3 months.The clinical efficacy, improvement of cognitive function, retention rate and side effects were observed and compared after 3, 6, 12 months of treatment.The average monthly seizure frequency within 3 months before enrollment was recorded as the baseline.The clinical efficacy was assessed by comparing the seizure frequency of each observation period with the baseline. Results: In KD group, after 3, 6, 12 months′ follow-up, KD the-rapy was maintained in 15, 14, 12 patients.The number of patients whose seizure reduction over 50% was 10, 12, 11 cases, respectively.The number of patients whose seizure reduction over 90% was 7, 9, 10 cases, respectively.The number of patients who were seizure free was 3, 6, 8 cases, respectively.In AEDs group, after 3, 6, 12 months′ therapy, the number of patients whose seizure reduction over 50% was 6, 7, 8 cases, respectively, the number of patients whose seizure reduction over 90% was 3, 3, 4 cases, respectively.The number of patients who were seizure-free was 2, 1, 2 cases, respectively.There was a significant difference in the seizure reduction between 2 groups after 6, 12 months (P<0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of status epilepticus (SE) was significantly reduced in KD group, and non-fever related status epilepticus (NFSE) was preferentially improved.There was a significant difference in the incidence of SE between before and after treatment in the KD group (P<0.05). After 12 months, there was a significant difference in the incidence of SE between 2 groups (P<0.05). After 6, 12 months of treatment, the patients in KD group had significant improvements in adaption, gross motor and language quotients by Gesell Developmental Scale compared to the AEDs group (all P<0.05). Eleven of 12 children who adhered to the therapy for 1 year in KD group had improvement of developmental quotient ≥ 1 grade, however, 7 cases of 16 children in AEDs group had this improvement.The incidence of adverse effect in the KD group and the AEDs group was 37.5%(6/16 cases) and 56.3%(9/16 cases), respectively, and the difference was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusions KD can not only reduce seizure frequency and relieve SE, but also improve the cognitive function of drug refractory DS.The adverse reaction ratio of KD does not increase significantly compared to AEDs.Therefore, KD is effective and safe therapy for children with drug-resistant DS.