OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant-like effects of Chaihu Shugan Powder (CSP, ) and to explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CON), chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), fluoxetine (FLU), and CSP groups, 8 rats in each group. All of the rats except for those in the control group were subjected to 3 consecutive weeks of CUMS to establish the depression model. The open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), and sucrose preference test were used to assess the anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects of CSP. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling was used to determine the apoptosis rate in the hippocampal tissues. The mRNA and protein levels of glucose-regulated protein (GRP) 78, spliced X-box-binding protein (XBP)-1, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), caspase-12, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in the hippocampus of rats were evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Administration of CSP alleviated anxiety and depression-like behavior in CUMS rats, as revealed by enhanced time and distance in the center of the OFT (P<0.05), an increased preference for sucrose, and longer swimming time and shorter immobility time during the FST (all P<0.05). In addition, CSP treatment significantly reduced the rate of apoptosis in rat hippocampal neurons (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78, spliced XBP-1, and CHOP were down-regulated along with the expression of caspase-12 and cleaved caspase-12 proteins (all P<0.05), whereas total and phosphorylated JNK1 protein levels did not differ significantly between control and CSP-treated rats. CONCLUSION CSP can improve depression-like behavior in rats exposed to CUMS, possibly by suppressing CHOP and caspase-12 mediated apoptosis in the rat hippocampus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of antibiotic use for very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Hunan Province. METHODS: The use of antibiotics was investigated in multiple level 3 NICUs of Hunan Province for VLBW and ELBW infants born between January, 2017 and December, 2017. RESULTS: The clinical data of 1 442 VLBW/ELBW infants were collected from 24 NICUs in 2017. The median antibiotic use duration was 17 days (range: 0-86 days), accounting for 53.0% of the total length of hospital stay. The highest duration of antibiotic use was up to 91.4% of the total length of hospital stay, with the lowest at 14.6%. In 16 out of 24 NICUs, the antibiotic use duration was accounted for more than 50.0% of the hospitalization days. There were 113 cases with positive bacterial culture grown in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, making the positive rate of overall bacterial culture as 7.84%. The positive rate of bacterial culture in different NICUs was significantly different from 0% to 14.9%. The common isolated bacterial pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae was 29 cases (25.7%); Escherichia coli 12 cases (10.6%); Staphylococcus aureus 3 cases (2.7%). The most commonly used antibiotics were third-generation of cephalosporins, accounting for 41.00% of the total antibiotics, followed by penicillins, accounting for 32.10%, and followed by carbapenems, accounting for 13.15%. The proportion of antibiotic use time was negatively correlated with birth weight Z-score and the change in weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge (r=-0.095, -0.151 respectively, P<0.01), positively correlated with death/withdrawal of care (r=0.196, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Antibiotics used for VLBW/ELBW infants in NICUs of Hunan Province are obviously prolonged in many NICUs. The proportion of routine use of third-generation of cephalosporins and carbapenems antibiotics is high among the NICUs.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Birth Weight ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective: To explore the effect of Huangqisan on endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway in liver tissues of high-fat diet-induced obese rats and its mechanisms. Method: Male SD rats were selected and fed with high-fat diet for 7 weeks continuously to establish an obese rat model. Then, the rats were randomly divided into model group, low and high-dose Huangqisan group (1.2, 2.4 g·kg^-1), and Lipitor group (2 mg·kg^-1), and orally administered with drugs for 15 consecutive weeks. The control group and the model group were perfused with the same volume of normal saline. The body weight, epididymal fat coefficient and liver coefficient of each group were determined separately. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined by biochemical reagent method. The epididymal visceral adipose tissue and liver pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. And the protein expression levels of sterol regulation element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBP-1c), protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), inositol requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1α), p-inositol requiring enzyme 1 (p-IRE1α) in liver tissues were detected by Western blot methods. Result: Compared with the control group, the body weight, epididymal fat coefficient and liver coefficient of the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01), and the levels of FPG, TC, TG and LDL-C were also higher than those of the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01). The cell volume of epididymal fat and liver in the model group were enlarged, and numerous fat vesicles were observed in the cells. Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum stress-related factors SREBP-1c, PERK, IRE1α/p-IRE1α were increased(P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the model group, high-dose and low-dose Huangqisan groups could significantly reduce the body weight, epididymal fat coefficient, liver coefficient and levels of glucose and lipid(P<0.05,P<0.01), and pathological examination showed that the lesion degrees of epididymal fat and liver tissues were alleviated obviously. In addition, Huangqisan could mostly reduce SREBP-1c, PERK, IRE1α/p-IRE1α protein expression levels to different degrees(P<0.05,P<0.01). Conclusion: Huangqisan could regulate the glucose and lipid metabolism, alleviate liver pathology and reduce body weight, and its mechanism was probably related to reduction of SREBP-1c, PERK, IRE1α/p-IRE1α proteins expression levels.

BACKGROUNDPrevious studies showed that combining apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value with the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) index value might provide a reliable evaluation of the activity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and that contrast-enhanced (CE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unnecessary. However, the results were based on confirming only a small random sample. This study aimed to assess the role of CE-MRI in differentiating the disease activity of AS by comparing ADC value with a large sample.

METHODSA total of 115 patients with AS were enrolled in accordance with Bath AS Disease Activity Index and laboratory indices, and 115 patients were divided into two groups, including active group (n = 69) and inactive group (n = 46). SPARCC, ΔSI, and ADC values were obtained from the short tau inversion recovery (STIR), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and CE-MRI, respectively. One-way analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed for all parameters.

RESULTSThe optimal cutoff values (with sensitivity, specificity, respective area under the curve, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio) for the differentiation between active and inactive groups are as follows: SPARCC = 6 (72.06%, 82.61%, 0.836, 4.14, 0.34); ΔSI (%) = 153 (80.6%, 84.78%, 0.819, 5.3, 0.23); ADC value = 1.15 × 10-3 mm2/s (72.73%, 81.82%, 0.786, 4, 0.33). No statistical differences were found among the predictive values of SPARCC, ΔSI, and ADC. Multivariate analysis showed no significant difference between the combination of SPARCC and ADC values with and without ΔSI.

CONCLUSIONSUsing large sample, we concluded that the combination of STIR and DWI would play significant roles in assessing the disease activity, and CE-MRI sequence is not routinely used in imaging of AS to avoid renal fibrosis and aggravation of kidney disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

Objective To observe and explore the effect and clinical value of percutaneous electrical stimulation on nerve regeneration after end-to-side neurorrhaphy in rats. Methods Thirty-two SPF male S-D rats were randomly divided into four groups ( n = 8 ): group A, the normal control group; group B, with end to end neurorrhaphy of musculocutaneous nerve injury matched to the ulnar nerve; group C, with end to side neurorrhaphy of musculocutaneous nerve injury matched to the ulnar group; and group D, with end to side neurorrhaphy of musculocutaneous nerve injury matched to the ulnar nerve plus postoperative transcutaneous electrical stimulation ( 30 min per day for 6 weeks ) . Electromyography, postoperational nerve conduction velocity, the histological and ultrastructural changes of the nerve fibers were examined, and NF-200 expression in frozen sections was observed using imunohistological staining, to assess the recovery of muscle strength of the diseased side limb and the neuroregeneration in the rats after treatment. Results The amplitude and conduction velocity of the groups C and D were lower than that of the group A, the latency was higher than that of the group A, while the amplitude and conduction velocity of the group D were lower than that of the group C,and the latency was higher than that of the group C. The wet weight ratio of the biceps brachii muscle and the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers in the groups B, C and D were lower than those in the group A, and the recovery of muscle in the group C was the worst. The expression of NF-200 in the rats of groups B, C and D was significantly lower than that in the group A, and the expression of NF-200 in the group D was significantly higher than that in the group C, but still significantly less than that in the group B ( P < 0. 05 ) . Electron microscopy showed mature myelinated fibers in the group B, whereas unmyelinated fibers were the main component and the myelin sheath was poorly developed in the group C. The myelin regeneration in the group D was better than that in the group C, but still some unmyelinated nerve fibers were seen. Conclusions The percutaneous electrical stimulation can effectively promote nerve axonal regeneration and can delay the atrophy of the target muscle after end-to-side neurorrhaphy. Though there is difference compared with the end-to-end neurorrhaphy, the end-to-side neurorrhaphy is still an effective method in clinical repair of peripheral nerve injury.

Objective To retrieve,appraise and summarize the best evidence of risk assessment for PICC-related venous thrombosis and provide references for establishing relevant assessment tools.Methods British Medical Journal Best Practice,Cochrane Library,JBt Library,Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO),National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC),International Practice Guideline Registry Platform,China Guideline Clearinghouse (CGC),PubMed,EMbase,CNKI and CBM were searched from inception to March,2017,to collect literatures including clinical practice guideline,best practice information sheet,recommended practice and systematic review regarding risk assessment for PICC-related venous thrombosis.Results Eight studies were recruited,including five clinical practice guidelines,and three systematic reviews.Three categories (individual factors,iatrogenic factors,and catheterrelated factors)and totally 18 items of best evidence were summarized.Conclusion It is critical to perform individualized risk assessment for preventing PICC-related venous thrombosis before PICC placement.Medical institutions should establish principles,procedures and practice guidelines for PICC-related venous thrombosis assessment based on best evidence.

Background: Previous studies showed that combining apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value with the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) index value might provide a reliable evaluation of the activity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and that contrast?enhanced (CE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unnecessary. However, the results were based on confirming only a small random sample.This study aimed to assess the role of CE?MRI in differentiating the disease activity ofAS by comparingADC value with a large sample. Methods: A total of 115 patients with AS were enrolled in accordance with Bath AS Disease Activity Index and laboratory indices, and 115 patients were divided into two groups, including active group (n = 69) and inactive group (n = 46). SPARCC, ΔSI, and ADC values were obtained from the short tau inversion recovery (STIR), diffusion?weighted imaging (DWI), and CE?MRI, respectively. One?way analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed for all parameters. Results: The optimal cutoff values (with sensitivity, specificity, respective area under the curve, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio) for the differentiation between active and inactive groups are as follows: SPARCC = 6 (72.06%, 82.61%, 0.836, 4.14, 0.34); ΔSI (%) = 153 (80.6%, 84.78%, 0.819, 5.3, 0.23); ADC value = 1.15 × 10?3 mm2/s (72.73%, 81.82%, 0.786, 4, 0.33). No statistical differences were found among the predictive values of SPARCC, ΔSI, and ADC. Multivariate analysis showed no significant difference between the combination of SPARCC and ADC values with and without ΔSI. Conclusions: Using large sample, we concluded that the combination of STIR and DWI would play significant roles in assessing the disease activity, and CE?MRI sequence is not routinely used in imaging of AS to avoid renal fibrosis and aggravation of kidney disease.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Tiantai No. 1 [symbol in text] on gene expression profile in hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat, molecular genetic target points of the effect of this drug were defined, its molecular genetic pharmacodynamic mechanism of anti-AD was further explored at molecular gene level, and a scientific basis was provided for its clinical availability and promotion.

METHODSThirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups with 10 rats per group: sham-operation group, model group and Tiantai No. 1 group. Sterile surgical procedure was applied, the model group with bilateral hippocampal injection of Aβ1-40 was established, and normal saline was used instead of Aβ1-40 in the sham-operation group. One week after the models was made, rats were administered by gastric lavage once every day for three consecutive weeks. The rats of the sham-operation group and the model group were daily fed with purified water by lavage; the rats of the Tiantai No.1 group treated group were administered with Tiantai No.1 by lavage. Total RNAs of hippocampus tissues were extracted with Trizol, the changes of hippocampus gene expression profiles in the above three groups were analyzed by using Affymetrix rat whole genome expression profile microarray.

RESULTSMicroarray analysis showed that, compared with the sham-operation group, the hippocampus of the model group had 50 up-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change >2), and 21 down-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change <0.5); compared with the hippocampus of the model group, the hippocampus of the Tiantai No. 1 group was found to have 5 up-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change >2) and 20 down-regulated genes with significant difference (fold change <0.5). The functions of differentially expressed genes of the groups were involved in nervous system's development, neuronic differentiation and function-regulation, cellular growth and differentiation and apoptosis, synaptic occurrence and plasticity, inflammation and immune response, ion channels/transporters, cellular signal transduction, cellular material/energy metabolism and so on.

CONCLUSIONTiantai No. 1 can regulate hippocampal function, and further regulate the brain function of animals in multiple gene target points by a number of ways.

Alzheimer Disease ; genetics ; pathology ; Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Computational Biology ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Nucleic Acid Denaturation ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; RNA ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo screen microRNAs with specific expression of in hippocampus of rats with chronic stress induced depression model, and observe the effect of traditional Chinese medicine Chaihu Shugan San on the expression of microRNA in hippocampus.

METHODSD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: the normal control group, the model control group and the Chaihu Shugan San group. The depression model was replicated by unpredictable chronic mild stress combined with separation. Behavioral changes of the rats were observed by Open-field test and sucrose solution consumption test, and the expression of microRNAs in hippocampus was assayed by microRNA micro-array.

RESULTCompared with the normal control group, there were 13 specific miRNAs in hippocampus in the model control group with the expression difference of more than 2 times. Among them, down-regulating miRNAs included miR298, miR-130b, miR-135a, miR-323, miR-503, miR-15b, miR-532, and miR-125a, and the up-regulation miRNAs included miR7a, miR-212, miR-124, miR-139, and miR-182. Among the 13 specific miRNAs, miR-125a and miR-182 recovered to normal after intervention with Chaihu Shugan San in the Chaihu Shugan San group.

CONCLUSIONThis study preliminarily found that 13 specific miRNAs in hippocampus are related to depression. Among them, miR-125a and miR-182 recover to normal after intervention with Chaihu Shugan San, which may be the target points of the antidepressant effect of Chaihu Shugan San. We shall further analyze the target genes and their mechanisms.

Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Depression ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; psychology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents in leaves of Ilex centrochinensis and their antitumor bioactivity.

METHODVarious chromatography techniques such as column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC were used to isolate and purify the compounds and their structures were identified by spectral data and physicochemical properties. Their antitumor effect was tested by MTT method.

RESULTTen compounds were isolated and identified as 1,4-benzenediol (1), (2S)-5,4'-dihydroxy-7,3'-dimethoxyflavan(2), (2S)-5,4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavan (3), kaempferol (4), quercetin (5), naringenin (6), ursolic acid (7), uvaol (8), oleanolic acid (9) and beta-sitosterols (10).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-5, 7, 8 were isolated from the species for the first time, among which compounds 1-3 were isolated from the Ilex genus for the first time. Compounds 2 and 3 showed strong cytotoxic activity against Huh7 cell lines with IC50 values of 8.98, 13.04 mg x L(-1), respectively. Compounds 7-9 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity against Caco-2 cell lines with IC50 values of 28.52, 38.28, 33.04 mg x L(-1), respectively.

Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Caco-2 Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Ilex ; chemistry ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry