Cardioprotective effect of saffron total glycoside tablets in patients with breast cancer receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy: study protocol for a multicentre, randomised, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Anthracyclines, alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, are the most effective chemotherapy agents against breast cancer. However, the dose-dependent cardiotoxicity of anthracyclines is a serious drawback in clinical treatment.

Effect of Chinese Medicine on No or Slow Reflow after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To systematic review the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) on no or slow reflow after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

Methods: The PubMed, EMBASE databases, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM), Wanfang Knowledge Service Platform (Wanfang Database) and Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP) were searched up to December 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) which evaluated the effect of CM therapies on no or slow reflow after PCI in MI patients were included.

Astragalus Polysaccharide Suppresses the Expression of Adhesion Molecules through the Regulation of the p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway in Human Cardiac Microvascular Endothelial Cells after Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Astragalus polysaccharide is a major component of radix astragali, a vital qi-reinforcing herb medicine with favorable immune-regulating effects. In a previous animal experiment, we demonstrated that astragalus polysaccharide effectively alleviates ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) of cardiac muscle through the regulation of the inflammatory reactions. However, the relationship between this herb and the cohesion molecules on the cell surface remains controversial.

[Advance in studies on effect of traditional Chinese (Tibetan) medicines in prevention and treatment of acute altitude sickness].

Acute altitude reaction is a stress response of organism to special altitude environmental factors such as hypoxia, low pressure, cold, dry and strong ultraviolet. As it is the most incident disease in high altitude areas, its prevention remains a problem to be solved. In China, the traditional Chinese (Tibetan) medicines have been recognized as an effective means of preventing and treating acute altitude sicknesses.

Burden of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness in China: a population-based survey.

Background: Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) is an important public-health problem worldwide. Previous national studies of the incidence of AGI in China were performed decades ago, and detailed information was not available. This study therefore sought to determine the magnitude, distribution, and burden of self-reported AGI in China.

S100A8 and S100A9-oxidant scavengers in inflammation.

S100A8 and S100A9 are generally considered proinflammatory. Hypohalous acids generated by activated phagocytes promote novel modifications in murine S100A8 but modifications to human S100A8 are undefined and there is no evidence that these proteins scavenge oxidants in human disease. Recombinant S100A8 was exquisitely sensitive to equimolar ratios of HOCl, which generated sulfinic and sulfonic acid intermediates and novel oxathiazolidine oxide/dioxide forms (mass additions, m/z +30 and +46) on the single Cys42 residue.

[A randomized double-blinded controlled trial of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule on short-term quality of life in unstable anginal patients with blood-stasis syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention].

Background: With the wide application of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), it is a popularly concerned problem within clinical doctors to promote the patients' early recovery and improve their health related quality of life (HR-QoL).

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu (XFZY) Capsule, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for activating blood circulation, in improving HR-QoL in unstable angina (UA) patients with blood-stasis syndrome after PCI, and to make a comparison with Shengmai (SM) Capsule.

Design, Setting, Participants And Interventions: The study was performed at Rescue Center of Emergency, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, China Capital University of Medical Science from March 2008 to February 2009.

Assessment on dietary melamine exposure from tainted infant formula.

Objective: To estimate the dietary melamine exposure in Chinese infants and young children from the consumption of melamine adulterated Sanlu infant formula.

Methods: Four age groups of infants and young children (3, 6, 12, and 24 months) were chosen as the assessed subjects and the maximum amount of infant formula consumption was estimated based on the recommended usage level in the package insert of Sanlu infant formula and other brands. Melamine was analyzed in 111 Sanlu infant formula samples collected from the markets in Beijing and Gansu province using the LC-MS-MS with a limit of quantification of 0.

Pleiotropic roles of S100A12 in coronary atherosclerotic plaque formation and rupture.

Macrophages, cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play important roles in atherogenesis. The Ca(2+)-binding protein S100A12 regulates monocyte migration and may contribute to atherosclerosis by inducing proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages. We found significantly higher S100A12 levels in sera from patients with coronary artery disease than controls and levels correlated positively with C-reactive protein.

[Effects of Qingkailing effective components on nuclear factor-kappa B in an ischemia-reperfusion injury model of rat brain microvascular endothelial cells in vitro].

Objective: To establish an ischemia-reperfusion injury model of rat cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) in vitro, and to explore the relationship between nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and the protective effects of Qingkailing effective components (hyocholic acid, taurocholic acid, baicalin, jasminoidin, Pinctada martensii) on MVECs.

Methods: Brain MVECs of male rats were digested with trypsin and subcultured, then the content of MVECs was adjusted to 1x10 (5)/mL and the MVECs were divided into normal control group, untreated group, hyocholic acid group, taurocholic acid group, baicalin group, jasminoidin group, Pinctada martensii group and nimodipine group, with six holes in each group. Except for the normal control group, the MVECs in the other groups were exposed in oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) circumstance in vitro to simulate ischemia-reperfusion injury.

S-nitrosylated S100A8: novel anti-inflammatory properties.

S100A8 and S100A9, highly expressed by neutrophils, activated macrophages, and microvascular endothelial cells, are secreted during inflammatory processes. Our earlier studies showed S100A8 to be an avid scavenger of oxidants, and, together with its dependence on IL-10 for expression in macrophages, we postulated that this protein has a protective role. S-nitrosylation is an important posttranslational modification that regulates NO transport, cell signaling, and homeostasis.

[Correlation between syndrome factor combination and cardiac function as well as blood-lipid in coronary heart disease].

Objective: To discuss the distribution laws of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome factor and their combination in coronary heart disease (CHD), and to study the correlation between the TCM syndrome factor combination and cardiac function as well as blood-lipid.

Methods: The parameters of the cardiac function of 300 patients with a final diagnosis of CHD by coronary angiography were measured by echocardiography, and the levels of blood lipids in the CHD patients were detected. An analysis of the correlation was done between the TCM syndrome factor combination and cardiac function as well as blood-lipid in CHD.

Mast cell and monocyte recruitment by S100A12 and its hinge domain.

S100A12 is expressed at sites of acute, chronic, and allergic inflammation. S100 proteins have regions of high sequence homology, but the "hinge" region between the conserved calcium binding domains is structurally and functionally divergent. Because the murine S100A8 hinge domain (mS100A8(42-55)) is a monocyte chemoattractant whereas the human sequence (hS100A8(43-56)) is inactive, we postulated that common hydrophobic amino acids within the S100A12 hinge sequence may be functional.

[Characteristics of coronary arteriography and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome of 1,069 patients with coronary artery disease].

Objective: To study the characteristics of coronary arteriography and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome of 1,069 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: One thousand and sixty-nine patients with CAD were investigated by epidemiological method. The patients were divided into young patients (n=82, aged 45 years or younger) and middle-aged and old patients (n=987, older than 45 years).

[Clinical implications of relationship between myeloperoxidase and acute coronary syndromes].

Objective: To investigate the clinical implications of relationship between myeloperoxidase and acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Methods: 176 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography for coronary atherosclerosis were divided into four groups according to the quartile of MPO Level. The characters and the relationship between MPO and the elements were studied in every group.

A new device for estimating active drag in swimming at maximal velocity.

A new device was designed to measure the active drag during maximal velocity swimming based on the assumption of equal useful power output in two cases: with and without a small additional drag. A gliding block was used to provide an adjustable drag, which was attached to the swimmer and measured by a force transducer. Six swimmers of national standard (3 males, 3 females) participated in the test.

S100A12 provokes mast cell activation: a potential amplification pathway in asthma and innate immunity.

Background: The calcium-binding protein S100A12 might provoke inflammation and monocyte recruitment through the receptor for advanced glycation end products.

Objective: Because inflammation elicited by S100A12 in vivo had characteristics of mast cell (MC) activation, we aimed to define the mechanism.

Methods: Various MC populations were used to test S100A12 activation assessed on the basis of morphology, histamine release, leukotriene production, and cytokine induction.