Machine-readable Yin-Yang imbalance: traditional Chinese medicine syndrome computer modeling based on three-dimensional noninvasive cardiac electrophysiology imaging.

Objectives: The principal diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and pulse-taking. Treatment by syndrome differentiation is likely to be subjective. This study was designed to provide a basic theory for TCM diagnosis and establish an objective means of evaluating the correctness of syndrome differentiation.

Involvement of metabolism-permeability in enhancing the oral bioavailability of curcumin in excipient-free solid dispersions co-formed with piperine.

Curcumin (CUR) has gained increasing interest worldwide due to multiple biological activities. However, the therapeutic application remains limited because of its low aqueous solubility, intestinal metabolism and poor membrane permeability. In present study, an excipient-free CUR solid dispersion co-formed with piperine (PIP), the absorption enhancer involving metabolism-permeability, was successfully prepared by melting and quench cooling (co-amorphous CUR-PIP).

Gastrodin attenuates neuroinflammation in DOI-induce Tourette syndrome in rats.

Objective: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder. Its clinical manifestations are involuntary and recurrent muscle twitch, resulting in motor twitch and occurrence twitch. Traditional Chinese medicine has obvious advantages in treating TS.

Tripartite motif-containing 14 (TRIM14) promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition via ZEB2 in glioblastoma cells.

Background: Several members of the tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein family have been reported to serve as vital regulators of tumorigenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated an oncogenic role of TRIM 14 in multiple human cancers; however, the importance of this protein in glioblastoma remains to be elucidated.

Methods: The expression levels of TRIM14 were analyzed in a series of database and were examined in a variety of glioblastoma cell lines.

Development of somatic mutation signatures for risk stratification and prognosis in lung and colorectal adenocarcinomas.

Background: Prognostic signatures are vital to precision medicine. However, development of somatic mutation prognostic signatures for cancers remains a challenge. In this study we developed a novel method for discovering somatic mutation based prognostic signatures.

Surfactant-free solid dispersion of BCS class IV drug in an amorphous chitosan oligosaccharide matrix for concomitant dissolution in vitro - permeability increase.

Saccharides have been applied as a water-soluble matrix for dispersing hydrophobic drugs homogeneously without the need to use surfactants in amorphous solid dispersions (ASD). Up to now, concomitant permeability improvement of BCS Class IV drug by such matrices have not been much appreciated. Herein, an amorphous chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) was used as matrix to prepare surfactant-free ASD of BCS class IV drug by the ball milling method, with curcumin (CUR) as a model drug.

Plasma MicroRNA Pair Panels as Novel Biomarkers for Detection of Early Stage Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among females. We sought to identify microRNA (miRNA) markers in breast cancer, and determine whether miRNA expression is predictive of early stage breast cancer. The paired panel of microRNAs is promising.

Ginsenoside Rb2 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer cells by suppressing TGF-β/Smad signaling.

Background: Treating colorectal cancer (CRC) continues to be a clinical challenge. Studies have shown that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical step in tumor progression and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signaling has been shown to play a crucial role in EMT. Here, we investigate the inhibition effect of Ginsenoside Rb2, main bioactive component of ginseng, in human colorectal cancer cells via TGF-β1.

Proteomics analysis indicated the protein expression pattern related to the development of fetal conotruncal defects.

Abnormal development of embryonic conus arteriosus could lead to conotruncal defects in fetal heart, and increase the incidence of fetal congenital heart disease. Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is one of the most common forms of congenital heart disease. It may be helpful for us to solve this clinical problem through exploring the molecular mechanisms of development in embryonic congenital heart disease.

Protective Effect of Anthocyanin on Neurovascular Unit in Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Treating cerebral ischemia continues to be a clinical challenge. Studies have shown that the neurovascular unit (NVU), as the central structural basis, plays a key role in cerebral ischemia. Here, we report that anthocyanin, a safe and natural antioxidant, could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation to protect NVU in rats impaired by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R).

The Adipokine Metrnl Ameliorates Chronic Colitis in Il-10-/- Mice by Attenuating Mesenteric Adipose Tissue Lesions During Spontaneous Colitis.

Background: Crosstalk between mesenteric adipose tissue [MAT] and the intestines affects the progression of Crohn's disease [CD]. The adipokine metrnl regulates adipocyte function and has anti-inflammatory activity. We aimed to explore metrnl expression in CD MAT, investigate the influence of metrnl on the experimental colitis disease course and determine the mechanism underlying this effect.

Genetic variant in miR-21 binding sites is associated with colorectal cancer risk.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within binding sites of microRNAs (miRNAs) could modify cancer susceptibility by changing the binding affinity of miRNAs on their target mRNA 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs). MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is involved in the development of colorectal cancer. However, the relationship between SNPs within the binding sites of miR-21 and colorectal cancer risk has not been widely investigated.

The Evaluation of Serum Biomarkers for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Diagnosis.

Lung cancer ranks top in the cause of cancer death globally. The identification of effective biomarkers is essential for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis. The expression levels of prolactin (PRL), CEA, and CYFR21 in serum were assayed by ELISA.

β-Sitosterol improves experimental colitis in mice with a target against pathogenic bacteria.

In this article, we aim to examine the novel effects of β-sitosterol on murine experimental colitis. β-Sitosterol significantly reduces the weight loss, colon length, and alleviated microscopic appearances of colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium. This compound also decreases the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in intestinal tissue of mice with experimental colitis in a concentration-dependent manner.

Increased AURKA promotes cell proliferation and predicts poor prognosis in bladder cancer.

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common cancer of the urinary bladder and upper tract, in which the clinical management is limited. AURKA (aurora kinase A) has been identified as an oncogene in cancer development; however, its potential role and underlying mechanisms in the progression of BC remain unknown.

Results: In this study, we evaluated Aurora kinase A (AURKA) expression in patient samples by performing gene expression profiling, and found that AURKA expression levels were significantly higher in BC tissues than in normal tissues.

HMBG1 as a Driver of Inflammatory and Immune Processes in the Pathogenesis of Ocular Diseases.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a nuclear protein that can also act as an extracellular trigger of inflammation, proliferation, and migration in eye diseases. It induces signaling pathways by binding to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 2, 4, and 9. This proinflammatory activity is considered to be important in the pathogenesis of a wide range of ocular diseases resulting from hemodynamic changes, presence of neovascular endothelial cells, secretion of intraocular immune factors or inflammation, and apoptosis of retinal cell layers.

Echinacoside protects against MPTP/MPP-induced neurotoxicity via regulating autophagy pathway mediated by Sirt1.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common chronic neurodegenerative disease and greatly affects the quality of PD patients' life. Current symptomatic treatment of PD is limited. There are no effective treatment and drugs that could radically cure PD.

Sinomenine Inhibits the Progression of Rheumatoid Arthritis by Regulating the Secretion of Inflammatory Cytokines and Monocyte/Macrophage Subsets.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory arthropathy associated with articular damage and attendant comorbidities. Even although RA treatment has advanced remarkably over the last decade, a significant proportion of patients still do not achieve sustained remission. The cause of RA is not yet known despite the many potential mechanisms proposed.

Cycloastragenol ameliorates experimental heart damage in rats by promoting myocardial autophagy via inhibition of AKT1-RPS6KB1 signaling.

Cycloastragenol, a naturally occurring compound in Astragali Radix, has been demonstrated to possess various pharmacological actions including anti-aging, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis, antibacterial, liver and endothelium protection. However, whether cycloastragenol ameliorates heart failure remains unclear. Isoproterenol administration to rats triggered classic cardiac damage, as demonstrated by objective parameters of cardiac dysfunction.

An analysis of the expression and function of myeloid differentiation factor 88 in human osteosarcoma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) in osteosarcoma. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect MyD88 protein in osteosarcoma tissues and matched normal bone tissues. The association between MyD88 expression and the clinical characteristics of patients with osteosarcoma was analyzed.

Three-cavity clearance (TCC) can decrease the fistula rate after drainage of a perianal abscess: a case-control study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of three-cavity clearance (TCC) used for the treatment of perianal abscess.

Methods: A case-control study of patients with perianal abscess was conducted at the Second and Third Affiliated Hospitals of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from June 2013 to March 2016. Clinical data from 46 patients who had TCC were analysed.

Identification of the potential molecular mechanism and driving mutations in the pathogenesis of familial intestinal gastric cancer by whole exome sequencing.

The genetic alterations in familial intestinal gastric cancer (FIGC) have not been clearly understood. Aiming to explore the molecular basis and the driving mutations underlying the pathogenesis of FIGC, we performed exome sequencing of the blood samples of the members of an extended family with FIGC. The differences in mutation patterns between family members with gastric cancer and controls were analysed and the overlapped variants were screened by comparing previously published data for blood and tumours from gastric cancer patients.

Sinomenine relieves oxygen and glucose deprivation-induced microglial activation via inhibition of the SP1/miRNA-183-5p/IκB-α signaling pathway.

Studies have shown that the inflammatory activation of miroglia (MG) and nuclear factor kappa B ( NF-κB ) play a dominant role in inflammatory response. Previous studies have shown that sinomenine, an anti-inflammatory agent extracted from Sinomenium acutum, can directly protect neurons against cerebral ischemia injury. However, there are no reports on its effect on ischemia/reperfusion-induced inflammatory activation of MG.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of three alkaloids in normal and acute hepatitis rats after oral administration of Yanhuanglian total alkaloids extract.

Acute hepatitis is a severe inflammatory disease with high mortality rates. Dehydrocavidine (DC), berberine (BB) and palmatine (PT), the bioactive components of Yanhuanglian total alkaloids extract (YTAE), may play important roles in its protective effect against acute hepatitis. The present study was designed to compare the pharmacokinetic properties of DC, BB and PT after oral administration of YTAE in normal and acute hepatitis rats.

Electroacupuncture treatments for gut motility disorders.

Functional gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are common and there are patients who are refractory to medical therapies as not all treatments work in all patients. Consequently, a large number of patients with functional GI diseases use complementary and alternative medicine, such as acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA). In this issue, Zheng et al.