Chronic stress causes protein kinase C epsilon-aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 signaling pathway perturbation in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, but not in the myocardium.

Chronic stress is strongly associated with the occurrence and development of depression and cardiovascular disease. Stress can induce altered mitochondrial function and activation of apoptosis in the cardio-cerebral system. However, it is unknown whether the protein kinase C ε (PKCε)-aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) pathway is altered under chronic stress, and this study sought to address this question.

A cross-sectional analysis of prescription and stakeholder surveys following essential medicine reform in Guangdong Province, China.

Background: An essential medicine (EM) system has been implemented in China to reduce patients' financial burden and to make the use of drugs more rational. This study aims to evaluate the current state of the EM system in Guangdong Province.

Methods: We conducted surveys in 21 cities in 2012, covering 98 medical institutions, 1,509 doctors, 17 medicine manufacturers, and 17 distribution companies.