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BACKGROUND Tong Xie Yao Fang is a representative traditional Chinese prescription for the treatment of liver and spleen deficiency, abdominal pain and diarrhea. It has a unique function in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is a common functional bowel disease. Its main symptoms are recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation or alternations between diarrhea and constipation. There are obvious differences in metabolites between TCM syndromes. By comparing the body fluid metabolism maps of model animals, metabolomics can discover disease biomarkers, analyze the differences in metabolic pathways and understand the pathological process and the metabolic pathways of substances in the body. Thus, the evaluation of animal models tends to be comprehensive and objective. This may provide further understanding between the interaction between Tong Xie Yao Fang and the IBS model. AIM To evaluate the effect of Tong Xie Yao Fang on IBS rats by using metabolomics method. METHODS Wistar rats were used to establish IBS models, and then randomly divided into four groups: A model control group and three Tong Xie Yao Fang treatment groups (high, medium and low doses). A normal, non-IBS group was established. The rats were treated for 2 wk. On days 0 and 14 of the experimental model, urine was collected for 12 h and was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Nine potential biomarkers were identified, and six major metabolic pathways were found to be related to IBS. RESULTS In the study of metabonomics, nine potential biomarkers including L-serine, 4-methylgallic acid, L-threonine, succinylacetone, prolyl-hydroxyproline, valyl-serine, acetyl citrate, marmesin rutinoside and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan were identified in urine, which were assigned to amino acids, organic acids, succinyl and glycosides. Furthermore, the metabolic pathway of L-serine, L-threonine and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan was found in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, which mainly involved the metabolism of cysteine and methionine, vitamin B6 metabolism, serotonin synapse, tryptophan metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, digestion, absorption of protein and amino acid metabolism. These pathways are related to intestinal dysfunction, inflammatory syndrome, nervous system dysfunction and other diseases. CONCLUSION Tong Xie Yao Fang has pharmacological effects on IBS, and its mechanism may be related to the metabolism of the nine potential biomarkers identified above in urine.

Temozolomide (TMZ) resistance is a complication of treatment of glioma, and new strategies are urgently required to overcome chemoresistance in glioma cells. In the present study, it was demonstrated that tripartite motif-containing 31 (TRIM31) was abnormally upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines compared with normal samples. Furthermore, the role of TRIM31 was assessed by overexpressing and knocking down its expression. Overexpression of TRIM31 increased cell viability, increased TMZ IC50 values and inhibited apoptosis in A172 and U251 cells; whereas overexpression of TRIM31 decreased the expression of the apoptosis-associated protein p53. Knockdown of TRIM31 increased apoptosis in cells treated with TMZ. Additionally, the mechanisms by which TRIM31 affected glioma cells treated with TMZ were determined. Overexpression of TRIM31 increased phosphorylation of AKT and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway abolished the increase in cell viability and decreased phospho-Akt protein expression in TRIM31 overexpressing A172 cells treated with TMZ. Together, the findings suggest that TRIM31 may be a potentially novel target for glioma chemotherapy.

Background Laparoscopy has been accepted for years as a management of benign ovarian tumors. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopy in diagnosis and management of adnexal masses. Methods A total of 2083 patients with benign adnexal mass were treated by laparoscopy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2000 to December 2003. Their clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. All the adnexal masses suspicious of malignancy at the time of laparoscopy were sent for frozen section evaluation intraoperatively. The rates of unexpected intracystic vegetation and low malignant potential (LMP) tumor or malignancy were investigated. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of laparoscopic diagnosis for LMP or ovarian malignancies were calculated. The ratios were compared by Chi-square test and the continuous variables were tested using two-tailed t test. Results Of the 2083 patients, 16 had LMP or invasive tumors (0.77%), among which 14 were diagnosed histologically intraoperatively and 2 postoperatively. Fifty-five (2.6%) of the 2083 patients had unexpected intracystic vegetations. Their frozen sections showed benign tumors in 41 (74.5%), LMP tumors in 8 (14.5%), and focal invasive ovarian cancers (stage Ic) in 6 (10.9%). The final pathological diagnosis were benign tumors in 41 (74.5%), LMP tumors 7 (12.7%), and focal invasive ovarian cancers (stage Ic) in 7 (12.7%). Laparoscopy achieved a sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 98%, positive predictive value of 25.5%, and negative predictive value of 99.9% in the diagnosis of ovarian malignancies. 2067 cases with benign adnexal masses underwent laparoscopy successfully. No conversion to laparotomy, or intra- and postoperative complications in this series. Of the 16 patients with LMP or invasive ovarian cancer, seven underwent laparoscopic surgery including immediate staging laparoscopy in 3. The mean follow-up was 17.3 months for the 16 patients. Among them, 1 developed a recurrent LMP tumor in the contralateral ovary 36 months after laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy, and received subsequent laparoscopic cystectomy and pelvic lymph node sampling; the others had no evidence of recurrent tumor during the follow-up. Conclusion Laparoscopy is feasible for diagnosis of adnexal masses, and the surgery is safe for patients with benign ovarian tumors.

AIM: To investigate whether the Chinese medicine Tong Xie Yao Fang (TXYF) improves dysfunction in an irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) rat model. METHODS: Thirty baby rats for IBS modeling were separated from mother rats (1 h per day) from days 8 to 21, and the rectum was expanded by angioplasty from days 8 to 12. Ten normal rats were used as normal controls. We examined the effects of TXYF on defection frequency, colonic transit function and smooth muscle contraction, and the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and substance P (SP) in colonic and hypothalamus tissues by Western blot and RT-PCT techniques in both normal rats and IBS model rats with characterized visceral hypersensitivity. RESULTS: Defecation frequency was 1.8 ± 1.03 in normal rats and 4.5 ± 1.58 in IBS model rats (P < 0.001). However, the defecation frequency was significantly decreased (3.0 ± 1.25 vs 4.5 ± 1.58, P < 0.05), while the time (in seconds) of colon transit function was significantly increased (256.88 ± 20.32 vs 93.36 ± 17.28, P < 0.001) in IBS + TXYF group rats than in IBS group rats. Increased colonic smooth muscle tension and contract frequency in IBS model rats were significantly decreased by administration of TXYF. Exogenous agonist stimulants increased spontaneous activity and elicited contractions of colon smooth muscle in IBS model rats, and all of these actions were significantly reduced by TXYF involving 5-HT and SP down-regulation. CONCLUSION: TXYF can modulate the activity of the enteric nervous system and alter 5-HT and SP activities, which may contribute to the symptoms of IBS.

Objective: To make a preliminary evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Shuxuening (SXN).Methods: One hundred and forty-nine chronic schizophrenic patients were divided randomly into the SXN group and the control group in a double-blind research. SXN was given to the SXN group and placebo to the control group, and patients of both groups went on receiving the previous antipsychotic treatment. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Treatment Emergent Symptoms Scale (TESS) were used to assess the effects of treatment and side effects of the drug. The evaluation was done before and during the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 10th and 12 th weeks in the course of treatment.Results: SXN was effective by BPRS evaluation (P < 0.05), and even the more effective to negative symptoms than positive symptoms by SANS evaluation (P < 0.05). It was safe and with little side effect. In addition, it was found that the incipience of SXN’ s efficacy was somehow related with the course of disease and the daily dosage used.Conclusion: SXN is worthy of further study n the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.

Electroacupuncture(EA) has proved as effective as amitriptyline in the treatment of depression. The present article compared the therapeutic efficacy of electroacupuncture on common mental disorder and that of computer controlled electroacupuncture (CCEA) treatment of the same disease. The results showed that CCEA treatment had a better effect than EA for the treatment of single episode depression. CCEA treatment was generally superior to EA for the treatment of schizophrenia, depression and neurosis. The mechanism of CCEA for the treatment of common mental disorders was discussed.

Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation has been found to influence the brain (norepinephrine metabolism in experimental animals). Preliminary clinical research has shown that EA treatment is as effective as amitriptyline for patients with depression. In this study, two consecutive clinical studies on the treatment of depression with EA are conducted. The first study was double blind placebo controlled, in which 29 depressed inpatients were recruited. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: EA + placebo; amitriptyline; and EA + amitriptyline. They received EA and/or amitriptyline treatment for 6 weeks. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Clinical Global Impression and ASBERG scales for the side effect of antidepressants were used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and side effects. Based on the results and research protocol of the first study, a multi-centered collaborative study was conducted, in which 241 inpatients with depression were recruited. Patients were randomly divided into two treatment groups: the EA + placebo and the amitriptyline groups. The results from both studies showed that the therapeutic efficacy of EA was equal to that of amitriptyline for depressive disorders (P > 0.05). Electro-acupuncture had a better therapeutic effect for anxiety somatization and cognitive process disturbance of depressed patients than amitriptyline (P < 0.05). Moreover, the side effects of EA were much less than that of amitriptyline (P < 0.001). The article suggested that EA treatment was an effective therapeutic method for depressive disorders. Particularly, it was a treatment of choice for depressed patients who were unable to comply with the classic tricyclic antidepressants because of their anticholinergic side effects. The possible mechanism of EA treatment is discussed.