Mechanism of action of Orthosiphon stamineus against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Insights from systems pharmacology and molecular docking approaches

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common complications of a metabolic syndrome caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the liver. Orthosiphon stamineus also known as Orthosiphon aristatus is a medicinal plant with possible potential beneficial effects on various metabolic disorders. This study aims to investigate the in vitro inhibitory effects of O. stamineus on hepatic fat accumulation and to further use the computational systems pharmacology approach to identify the pharmacokinetic properties of the bioactive compounds of O. stamineus and to predict their molecular mechanisms against NAFLD. Methods: The effects of an ethanolic extract of O. stamineus leaves on cytotoxicity, fat accumulation and antioxidant activity were assessed using HepG2 cells. The bioactive compounds of O. stamineus were identified using LC/MS and two bioinformatics databases, namely the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for the Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the predicted targets of the bioactive compounds to provide a systematic overview of the molecular mechanism of action, while molecular docking was used to validate the predicted targets. Results: A total of 27 bioactive compounds corresponding to 50 potential NAFLD-related targets were identified. O. stamineus exerts its anti-NAFLD effects by modulating a variety of cellular processes, including oxidative stress, mitochondrial β-oxidation, inflammatory signalling pathways, insulin signalling, and fatty acid homeostasis pathways. O. stamineus is significantly targeting many oxidative stress regulators, including JNK, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), NFKB1, PPAR, and AKT1. Molecular docking analysis confirmed the expected high affinity for the potential targets, while the in vitro assay indicates the ability of O. stamineus to inhibit hepatic fat accumulation. Conclusion: Using the computational systems pharmacology approach, the potentially beneficial effect of O. stamineus in NAFLD was indicated through the combination of multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multicellular components.     

In vivo mapping of drug-induced seizures with voltage-sensitive dye

The voltage-sensitive dye diO-C2-5 was used to produce an in vivo map of the membrane potential in two types of seizures. Mild limbic seizures were induced in rats with kainic acid; clonic convulsive seizures were induced with bicuculline. Kainic acid animals showed various levels of neural depolarization during their seizures in limbic, thalamic, cortical, and brainstem sites. The bicuculline animals showed uniformly greater levels of neural depolarization during their seizures. The magnitude of these changes relative to controls varied across seizure models and reflected the different underlying neural mechanisms for each model. The ability of the technique to capture local electrical events provides a new tool in which to explore brain activity.     

川崎病门诊临床路径管理系统构建与应用

川崎病遗留冠状动脉损害长期存在,需要对患儿进行长期监测。借助医院信息系统,设计了川崎病门诊临床路径管理系统。系统具备路径设置、医生工作站路径、科研统计分析、患者预约提醒等功能,可满足川崎病临床治疗和科研需求。但系统使用率、系统操作的精细化水平等有待进一步提升,可从系统支持、临床管理两方面持续改进。     

脊柱椎弓根螺钉入路及手术方法的临床应用

目的：探讨椎弓根螺钉最佳入路及手术步骤。方法：对104例胸腰椎骨折脱位患者，分两组采用不同方法、步骤钻入椎弓根螺钉，并对其进行疗效比较。结果：经过技术改进后的方法较传统方法对骨折脱位的复位效果无明显差异，而两者在X线曝光次数、手术时间、出血量及并发症等方面存在显著性差异。结论：技术改进后的椎弓根螺钉进钉方法简单、安全、创伤小、疗效优良。     

High-resolution CT Findings Suggest a Developmental Abnormality Underlying Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome

Objective--Patients with superior canal dehiscence (SCD) syndrome experience vertigo and oscillopsia with loud sounds and/or stimuli that result in changes in middle ear or intracranial pressure. Findings on temporal bone CT were analyzed to determine if a developmental abnormality is associated with the syndrome. Material and methods--Temporal bone CT scans [0.5 mm collimation and projections into the superior semicircular canal (SC) plane] were used to compare the bone overlying the SC in patients with SCD syndrome (20 unilateral, 7 bilateral) and in 88 patients without SCD syndrome who had undergone temporal bone CT for evaluation of other otologic disorders (controls). Results--The thickness of bone overlying the SC in the controls measured 0.67±0.38 mm (mean±SD). For individual control subjects, the thickness of bone on one side was correlated with that on the other side (r=0.43; p&;lt;0.0001). The thickness of bone overlying the SC on the intact side in patients with unilateral dehiscence measured 0.31±0.23 mm, and was thinner than that noted in the controls (p&;lt;0.0001). Conclusions--These findings support the notion that there is a developmental abnormality underlying SCD syndrome. When dehiscence is found on one side, the contralateral side is likely to be thin.     

VISUAL PATHWAY TUMORS AND HYDROCEPHALUS

The authors evaluated the impact of hydrocephalus on the clinical picture of children with visua pathway tumor (VPT) with or without neurofibromatosis (NF).Charts of children with VPT treated in the authors' center since 1985 were retrospectively reviewed, and those with hydrocephalus were selected and summarized. Thirty-five children with VPT were found, of whom 20 had NF.Hydrocephalus was found in 4 children with NF (20% ) and in 5 without NF (33.3% ). In 6 ofthechildren, ventricular dilatation with signs of acute increased intracranial pressure already existed at the time of diagnosis and the hydrocephalus was shunted at this time. In the other 3 children, all with NF,the hydrocephalus resulted from slowly developing aqueductal stenosis, leading in 2 to severe visual acuity deterioration. The results suggest that in children with VPT and NF, hydrocephalus, and especially hydrocephalus resulting from aqueductal stenosis, is more frequent than in the general population of NF patients, and less frequent than in VPT patients without NF. The possibility of the indolent development of hydrocephalus should be borne in mind while following children with NF. The optic nerve, when already involved with a glioma, is more vulnerable to increased pressure. Thus, in children with VPT and NF, any ventricular dilatation should lead to a consideration of early shunting.     

2型糖尿病临床路径管理工作细化分析

2型糖尿病的临床路径管理工作在北华大学附属医院已开展1年多，目前已处于稳步发展阶段，本文详细分析和细化本院2013年上半年2型糖尿病的临床路径管理工作的实施现状及实施效果，较具体的介绍了本院内分泌专科完善和实施2型糖尿病临床路径管理的实施计划，旨在推广经验，从而推动本院临床路径管理工作运行水平。     

Metabolomics study on the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction in coronary heart disease based on LC-Q-TOF/MS and GC-MS analysis

The present study aims is to investigate the metabolic mechanism of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction (XFZYD) in the treatment of blood-stasis syndrome in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). To that end, 30 CHD patients with Blood-Stasis Syndrome (BSS) and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled. LC-Q-TOF/MS analysis determined that in comparison between CHD with BSS patients (Group A) and healthy subjects (Group C), 59 significantly differential metabolites in the positive mode and 18 significantly differential metabolites in the negative mode. The metabolite constituents in the plasma of 30 CHD with BSS patients before (group A) and after 30 days of treatment (Group B), and 20 healthy subjects (Group C) were analyzed using LC-Q-TOF/MS and GC-MS. Based on multivariate statistical analysis (PCA, PLS-DA and OPLS-DA), we determined 69 differential metabolites. The levels of hemorheology indexes were significantly down-regulated after treatment. Metabolic pathway attribution analysis showed that lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and bile acid metabolism pathways are involved. Our study identifies the metabolic networks of CHD and demonstrates the efficacy of this metabolomics approach to systematically study the therapeutic effect of XFZYC on CHD.