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BACKGROUND: Although desired cartilage repair has been realized via tissue engineering technology, these achievements mainly focus on small-size defect under a normal physical condition. However, cartilage defects are always accompanied by the underlying diseases in clinical practice, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Meanwhile, the location, scope, and depth of cartilage defects are uncertain, which brings a great challenge in cartilage tissue repair. OBJECTlVE: To summarize the methods of repairing articular cartilage defects at different locations and under inflammatory condition. METHODS: We searched PubMed and CNKI with the search terms "cartilage defect regeneration, osteochondral, growth plate, weight-bearing area, inflammatory" in Chiense and English to retrieve related papers published before March 2019. A total of 209 papers were retrieved and 86 were included in the final analysis according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: For articular cartilage defects under different special conditions, the repair goals and strategies are different. For repair of full-layer cartilage defects and osteochondral structure defects, multi-layered scaffolds are often used to repair the unique stratified cartilage structure and subchondral bone structure, while avoiding the problem of heterotopic ossification in neonatal cartilage. To avoid deformity after long bone maturation, growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 7 should be added to continuously stimulate the repair of the growth plate and promote bone growth. For cartilage repair in the weight-bearing area, the scaffolds should have good mechanical property, which ensure not to undergo severe deformation and structural damage when loaded. In addition, the new cartilage tissue has sufficient mechanical strength to support sustained longitudinal pressure and wear. For cartilage defects in the inflammatory state, both inflammation management and cartilage defect repair should be considered, and introduction of mesenchymal stem cells can regulate immune function and promote tissue regeneration, such that articular cartilage defect can be completely repaired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the long-term outcome of laparoscope-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) for rectal cancer., Methods: Clinicopathological data of 29 patients with mid-low rectal cancer undergoing laparoscope-assisted taTME at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from May 2010 to December 2015 were collected for the retrospective case-series study. All the operations were performed with transabdominal and transanal procedure simultaneously or sequentially. Perioperative presentations, pathological examinations, and oncologic outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Long-term recurrence, metastasis and survival were assessed during follow-up. Outpatient clinic and telephone survey were used for follow-up. The follow-up time ended in December 2018. The overall survival (OS) rate and disease-free survival (DFS) rate were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: The average intra-operative blood loss was (75.9±9.5) ml (range,20 to 200). The average operating time was (223.6±4.1) minutes (range, 165 to 280). The average number of harvested lymph node was 22.3±2.0. The average length of pathological specimen was (13.1±0.6) cm. The average distal resection margin was (2.9±0.2) cm. 89.7% (26/29) of specimens was complete and 10.3% (3/29) near complete. Two cases (6.9%) had positive cutting circumferential margin. Median follow-up was 56 (range, 22 to 91) months. Local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, 3-year OS rate, 3-year DFS rate, 5-year OS rate, 5-year DFS rate were 10.3% (3/29), 20.7%(6/29), 96.6%, 83.2%, 87.6% and 79.6%, respectively. No incisional hernia or adhesive intestinal obstruction was found., Conclusion: Long-term outcomes of mid-low rectal cancer patients undergoing laparoscope-assisted taTME are satisfactory.

The uprise of the superpower nations is always accompanied by the breakthrough and advances of technologies and innovations in the history. Natural products play very important role in human health, such as anticancer molecular taxol, anti-infection drug artemisinin that save a lot of lives, metabolic disease treatment, nutrition and health care. However, more has never been explored. With the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to William C. Campbell, Satoshi Omura, and Youyou Tu for the discovery of avermectins and artemisinin respectively, the second "Golden age" in the development of natural product is dawning. China is a "world factory" and natural drugs-rich country, but how to upgrade and advance the industry and realize the China dream? Avermectins, produced by Streptomyces avermitilis, are pesticide with high efficiency and low levels of side effects. However, the low producer and expensive development pattern of high consumption, high contamination is not sustainable. Solving the problem, increasing the production and utilization of raw material, reducing the energy consumption and cost of production, decreasing environmental pollution are key to transform China into a power house. In this paper, we case-study avermectins to review the industry development driven by fundamental research. Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy.of Sciences increased the production of avermectin 1000 folds to 9 g/L, which out licensed to new Veyong biochemical Ltd and avermectin Coalitions. As a result, Merck Sharp and Dohme ceased the manufacture of avermectins. The success also shed lights on the improvement of other natural product drugs in China.

Objective: To observe the myocardial protective effect of Danhong Injection evaluated by velocity vector imaging (VVI) in patients with unstable angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and elucidate its possible mechanism., Methods: A total of 120 patients were randomized into Danhong (DG, n = 60) or control (CG, n = 60) groups. The patients in CG group received regular medication according to the guidelines while those in DG group regular medication plus Danhong Injection before and after PCI. During PCI, 40 ml Danhong Injection was administrated intravenously. The levels of CK-MB and cTnT were tested before and 24 hours after PCI. And VVI was performed before and 24 hours after PCI., Results: After treatment with Danhong injection, the serum level of MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in DG were lower than those in CG (18.19 ± 10.23 vs 25.12 ± 11.91,0.079 ± 0.007 vs 0.132 ± 0.011, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, strain and strain rate of interventricular septum apex, anterior apex, inferior basement and inferior middle segment were better in DG than those in CG (26.01 ± 7.94 vs 23.25 ± 6.68, 20.91 ± 7.55 vs 18.79 ± 8.45, 18.10 ± 7.31 vs 16.89 ± 6.05, 21.16 ± 6.42 vs 18.37 ± 6.54, P < 0.05; 1.93 ± 0.79 vs 1.69 ± 0.63, 1.86 ± 0.72 vs 1.63 ± 0.68, 1.51 ± 0.80 vs 1.25 ± 0.54, 1.50 ± 0.45 vs 1.33 ± 0.32, P < 0.05 respectively)., Conclusion: Peri-procedual Danhong injection can ameliorate myocardial injury and improve segmental systolic function.

Objective: To determine predictors for in-stent restenosis (ISR) within 2 years after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in coronary heart disease patients complicating with diabetes mellitus and to establish predictive model., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of patients underwent DES implantation in our hospital between January 2005 and December 2012. Using random number generated by SPSS 17.0, a total of 3 073 cases were randomly divided into two cohort, model derivation cohort (MDC) and model validation cohort (MVC). MDC (2 048 cases) was divided into in-stent restenosis (ISR) group and control group. Predictors were identified using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis in MDC. Integer point values were assigned to each predictor based upon their β coefficient in multivariable logistic regression model to establish scoring model. The summed scores of each case in MVC (1 025 cases) were calculated to test predictive ability of the model., Results: Of all these 3 073 cases, 217 cases (7.1%) were diagnosed with ISR within 2 year after DES implantation. The incidence of ISR within 2 year after DES implantation was 7.3% (149 cases) in MDC and logistic regression analysis identified six ISR risk factors: multiple target vessels (OR = 3.69, 95%CI: 2.65-8.93, P = 0.000), diffused lesions (OR = 2.92, 95%CI: 2.03-6.46, P = 0.000), GFR < 60 ml×min(-1)·1.73 m(-2) (OR = 4.73, 95%CI: 3.51-10.62, P = 0.000), smoking (OR = 3.37, 95%CI: 2.39-8.46, P = 0.000), age < 60 years old (OR = 1.44, 95%CI:1.26-4.63, P = 0.024), HbAlc ≥ 6.3% (OR = 2.48, 95%CI: 1.84-4.27, P = 0.002). Risk score was well associated with the rate of ISR in MVC. Sensitivity was 76.5% (95%CI: 64.6%-85.9%), specificity was 76.1% (95%CI: 73.2%-78.7%), and areas under the ROC curve was 0.851(95%CI:0.813-0.890, P = 0.000) when score was set at 5.5., Conclusions: The incidence of ISR in coronary heart disease patients complicating with diabetes mellitus within 2 years after DES implantation is relatively low. Several factors are associated with ISR in these patients and risk for ISR could be reliably identified by the established scoring model.

Objective: To investigate the effect of monocyte chemotactic protein-3 (MCP-3) on the expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), tissue factor (TF, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and cell apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)., Methods: Cultured HUVECs were treated with MCP-3 at the optimal concentration determined previously 1 h after treatments with or without MCP-3 antibody (20 ng/ml), PI3K inhibitor, or LY-294002 (5 mmol/ml). The expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, TF and TFPI were analyzed using RT-PCR and Western blot after the treatments. MCP-3 mRNA and protein expressions were detected in HUVECs exposed to 50 µg/ml ox-LDL for 24 h. The cell apoptosis and caspase-3 protein production in HUVECs treated with MCP-3 or with MCP-3 plus CCR2 antagonist for 24 h and 48 h were evaluated by flow cytometry and Western blotting., Results: At the optimal concentration of 0.3 ng/ml, MCP-3 treatment for 24 h caused significantly increased ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and TF expressions with lowered expression of TFPI in HUVECs (P<0.05), and such effects were significantly inhibited by the application of MCP-3 antibody, PI3K inhibitor, or LY-294002 (P<0.05). Ox-LDL exposure significantly increased the expression of MCP-3 in HUVECs (P<0.05). HUVECs showed a significantly increased apoptosis rate after treatment with MCP-3 or with MCP-3 plus CCR2 antagonist (P<0.05), and the apoptosis rate increased significantly as the treatment time prolonged (P<0.05); caspase-3 protein expression in the cells showed a similar pattern of alterations following the treatments., Conclusion: ox-LDL can induce MCP-3 expression in HUVECs. MCP-3 induces apoptosis of HUVECs and significantly affects the cellular function partially through the PI3K signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Bushen Huoxue Fang on the proliferation of rat cardiac fibroblasts and collagen production in the cells., Methods: Rat cardiac fibroblasts were isolated and cultured in DMEM containing 10% (group A) or 20% (group B) or no (group C) serum from rats treated with Bushen Huoxue Fang, with cells cultured in DMEM containing 10% FBS as the control (group D). After 72 h of cell culture, the proliferation of the fibroblasts was detected using CCK-8 kit, and collagen mRNA and protein expressions were examined using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively., Results: Compared with that in groups C and D, the cell proliferation decreased significantly in groups A and B, and especially in the latter (P<0.05). RT-PCR demonstrated significant reductions of the mRNAs of type 1 and 3 collagens in groups A and B (P<0.05), and their protein levels were also significantly lowered (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Bushen Huoxue Fang can effectively inhibit the proliferation of rat cardiac fibroblasts and reduced collagen type 1 and 3 productions in the cells in vitro.

The response of clonal architecture and ramet population characteristics to resource heterogeneity is of great ecological significance. This paper studied the variations of clonal architecture and ramet population characteristics of stoloniferous herb Lysimachia congestiflora growing at the open land of forest edge, forest edge, and forest understory of evergreen broad-leaved forest in Mt. Lingyan of Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province, and compared the stolon internode length, frequency distribution of stolon internode length, braching intensity, branching angle, frequency distribution of branching angle, ramet population density, ramet population height, ramet population biomass, and root/shoot of ramet population among the three habitats. The results showed that the stolon internode length, branching intensity, ramet population density and ramet population biomass were different among three habitats. Kruskal Wallis test indicated that the distributions of stolon internode length and branching angle were significantly different among three habitats. The skewness in distribution of stolon internode length was in the order of open land of forest edge>forest edge>forest understory; and the branching angle, ramet population height, and root/shoot of ramet population were significant greater in open land of forest edge than in forest edge and forest understory. The skewness in distribution of branching angle in open land of forest edge was smaller than that in forest edge and forest understory. The branching angle, ramet population height, and root/shoot of ramet population were not significantly different between forest edge and forest understory. These results were discussed in the context of resource acquisition strategy by clonal plants.