Safety and tolerability of vildagliptin vs. thiazolidinedione as add-on to metformin in type 2 diabetic patients with and without mild renal impairment: A retrospective analysis of the GALIANT study

ObjectiveThis retrospective analysis assessed safety and tolerability of vildagliptin (Vilda) as an add-on to metformin in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with normal renal function (GFR > 80 mL/min/1.73 m²) and mild renal impairment (GFR: >50 to ≤80 mL/min/1.73 m²).MethodsAdverse events (AE) from this 12-week, randomized, open-label study comparing Vilda 100 mg and thiazolidinediones (TZD) as an add-on therapy in patients with T2DM inadequately controlled (HbA_1c: 7–10%) on a stable dose of metformin (≥1000 mg/day) were analyzed.ResultsOf 2627 randomized patients, 1278 in the Vilda and 635 in the TZD groups had normal renal function; 463 in the Vilda and 230 in the TZD groups had mild renal impairment. Higher incidence of headache and rash was noted in both Vilda groups, whereas those with mild renal impairment receiving TZD experienced a higher incidence of peripheral edema and URI. Fewer patients in the Vilda group discontinued the study due to AEs compared to TZD group. Serious AEs were greater in TZD groups (normal: 2.4%; mild renal impairment: 3.0%) compared to Vilda groups (normal: 1.6%; mild renal impairment: 2.4%).ConclusionThe safety profile of Vilda or TZD as an add-on to metformin was similar in patients with mild renal impairment and normal renal function.     

Chimioradiothérapie postopératoire des cancers des voies aérodigestives : vers un nouveau standard ?

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. Their treatment remains controversial, and has to be multidisciplinary. External beam radiotherapy is a recognized treatment option after radical curative surgery in order to improve local control. Different adjuvant treatment options have been studied in order to improve the outcome of these patients. We review in this paper the different prognostic factors indicating an adjuvant treatment and the interest of treatment intensification in bad prognostic patients.     

SAMP8 mice as a neuropathological model of accelerated brain aging and dementia: Toshio Takeda's legacy and future directions

Senescence accelerated mice P8 (SAMP8) show significant age‐related deteriorations in memory and learning ability in accordance with early onset and rapid advancement of senescence. Brains of SAMP8 mice reveal an age‐associated increase of PAS‐positive granular structures in the hippocampal formation and astrogliosis in the brain stem and hippocampus. A spongy degeneration in the brain stem appears at 1 month of age and reaches a maximum at 4‐8 months. In addition, clusters of activated microglia also appear around the vacuoles in the brain stem. β/A4(Aβ) protein‐like immunoreactive granular structures are observed in various regions and increase in number markedly with age. Other age‐associated histological changes include cortical atrophy, neuronal cell loss in locus coeruleus and lateral tegmental nuclei, intraneuronal accumulation of lipopigments in Purkinje cells and eosinophilic inclusion bodies in thalamic neurons. A blood–brain barrier dysfunction and astrogliosis are also prominent with advancing age in the hippocampus. These changes are generally similar to the pathomorphology of aging human brains and characterized by their association with some specific glioneuronal reactions. As for the hallmarks of Alzheimer brains, tau morphology has not yet been confirmed regardless of the age‐related increase in phosphorylated tau in SAMP8 mice brains, but early age‐related Aβ deposition in the hippocampus has recently been published. SAMP8 mice are, therefore, not only a senescence‐accelerated model but also a promising model for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders.     

微球在组织工程中的应用

组织工程一直是生命科学领域研究的热点,存在着不少亟待解决的难题,如种子细胞的扩增、工程支架的制备、组织工程所需药物的控制释放等。在解决这些难题时,常要用到微球技术,如微球可以用作微载体培养种子细胞、也可用于制备支架或直接用作支架、还可作为控制药物释放的载体。本文主要介绍微球在组织工程中的应用概况,并总结有关微载体性能改良、微球制成支架,以及载药微球加入支架技术方法的研究进展。     

NMDAR/PSD-95/nNOs复合体及其解偶联剂在治疗缺血性卒中的应用

缺血性脑卒中是一种高死亡率、高致残率、高复发率的疾病。目前认为,脑卒中是由各种血管性病因引起的急性或局灶性脑功能障碍,且持续时间超过24 h或引起死亡的临床症候群。随着对脑卒中发病机制的深入研究,其治疗药物也日新月异,该文综合国内外文献,根据NMDAR/PSD-95/nNOs复合体结构特点及其如何在缺血性脑卒中产生病理作用,阐明新型解偶联药物在治疗缺血性卒中的应用前景。     

三芪口服液对5/6肾切除的慢性肾衰大鼠细胞CD4+, CD8+ 及CD68+表达的作用

Objective: To explore the mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine Sanqi Oral Liquid (三芪口服液), composed of Astragalus membranaceus and Panpax notoginseng, in alleviating renal injury by observing its effect on the expressions of CD4+, CD8+ and CD68+ cells in 5/6 nephrectomized rats with chronic renal failure. Methods: A total of 102 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: three treatment groups were administrated with high, medium and low dosage of Sanqi Oral Liquid respectively by gavage; a normal group, a 5/6 nephrectomized model group, and a group treated with coated aldehyde oxygenstarch were used as controls. Following oral administration of Sanqi Oral Liquid for 12 weeks, the general condition and renal pathological changes were observed, and the renal function, platelet count (PLT) and the expressions of CD4+, CD8+ and CD68+ cells were determined for each group. Results: There were roliferation of mesangial matrix, renaltubularnecrosis and obvious tubulointerstitial fibrosis in the model group, and they were much milder in the treatment groups. Compared with the model group, the amounts of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and PLT in the treatment groups decreased (P<0.05 for all); and in the group administrated of medium dosage of Sanqi Oral Liquid, the expression of CD4+ cells was up-regulated and those of CD8+ and CD68+ cells were down-regulated (P<0.05 for all), leading to an increased ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (P<0.01). Conclusion: Sanqi Oral Liquid has a significant effect on regulating lymphocyte subsets, reducing the infiltration of macrophages in renal tissues and alleviating tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and this may be one of mechanisms of Sanqi Oral Liquid in delaying the progression of chronic kidney diseases.     

利福霉素中氯仿不溶物的研究

本文通过对氯仿不溶物的性质和利福霉素生产工艺的研究，找出了影响氯仿不溶物的工艺环节，并提出了改进方法．获得了较好的结果．