Micro RNA biomarkers predicting risk,initiation and progression of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Current strategies employed to increase detection of early,curable stages of this disease are contributing to a reduction of the negative health impact from it. While there is a genetic component to the risk of disease,diet and environment are known to have major effects on the risk of an individual for developing the disease. However,there is the potential to reduce the impact of this disease further b y preventing disease develop ment. Biomarkers which can either predict the risk for or early stages of colorectal cancer could allow intervention at a time when prospects could be modified by environmental factors,including lifestyle and diet choices. Thus,such biomarkers could be used to identify high risk individuals who would benefit from lifestyle and dietary interventions to prevent this disease. This review will give an overview on one type of biomarker in the form of micro RNAs,which have the potential to predict an individual's risk for colorectal cancer,as well as providing a highly sensitive and non-invasive warning of disease presence and/or progression. Micro RNA biomarkers which have been studied and whose levels look promising for this purpose include Mi R-18 a,Mi R-21,Mi R-92 a,Mi R-135 b,Mi R-760,Mi R-601. Not only have several individual micro RNAs appeared promising as biomarkers,but panels of these may be even more useful. Furthermore,understanding dietary sources and ways of dietary modulation of these micro RNAs might be fruitful in reducing the incidence and slowing the progression of colorectal cancer.

Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Herbal Medicine on Cerebral Ischemia:A Perspective of Vascular Protection

Although many agents for acute ischemic stroke treatment have been developed from extensive preclinical studies, most have failed in clinical trials. As a result, researchers are seeking other methods or agents based on previous studies. Among the various prospective approaches, vascular protection might be the key for development of therapeutic agents for stroke and for improvements in the efficacy and safety of conventional therapies. Traditional medicines in Asian countries are based on clinical experiences and literature accumulated over thousands of years. To date, many studies have used traditional herbal medicines to prove or develop new agents based on stroke treatments mentioned in traditional medicinal theory or other clinical data. In the current review, we describe the vascular factors related to ischemic brain damage and the herbal medicines that impact these factors, including Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Notoginseng Radix, and Curcumae Rhizoma, based on scientific reports and traditional medical theory. Further, we point out the problems associated with herbal medicines in stroke research and propose better methodologies to address these problems.

Review on the characteristics of liver-pacifying medicinal in relation to the treatment of stroke: from scientific evidence to traditional medical theory

OBJECTIVE： To analyze the characteristics of liver pacifying medicinal in the treatment of brain disease to provide scientific evidence in clinical usage on stroke.METHODS： MEDLINE/PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database were used as the literature sources. The Scientific name, Latin pharmaceutical name, Chinese name of 7 kinds of liver pacifying medicinal including Gouteng （Ramulus Uncariae Rhynchophyllae cure Uncis）, Tianma （Rhizoma Gastrodiae）, Juemingzi （Semen Cassiae Obtusifoliae）, Quanxie （Scorpio）, Wugong （Scolopendra）, Jiangcan （Bombyx Batryticatus）, and Dilong （Pheretima Aspergillum） were used as the keywords to search the databases for relevant publications up to July 2016. Their major compounds were also used as the keywords. The papers were selected based on the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action related to brain diseases and subsequently, were analyzed and reviewed. We first described the origin, efficacy, and clinical indications of selected medicines, then brain disease specific activities focusing on stroke after the description of the general pharmacological activities. RESULTS： On the basis of the literature of scientific studies and clinical use in traditional medicine, we found and discussed the characteristics of liver pacifying medicinal in stroke treatment. First, liver-pacifying medicinal, or their components, might pass through the blood-brain barrier and act directly on neurons or on the neural network to provide protective effects against brain disease. Second, although it could be used throughout the disease duration, treatment of stroke might be more effective from the subacute up to the convalescent phase than the acute phase.CONCLUSION： We can suggest that live pacifying medicinal has beneficial pharmacological activities directly or indirectly on neurons in brain disease and is useful for the treatment of stroke from subacute to convalescent phase.

Vasorelaxant effects of 50 commonly used traditional herbal prescriptions on isolated rat aortic rings

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the vasorelaxant activities of 50 common traditional herbal prescriptions(THPs)on isolated rat aortic rings.METHODS:An electric extractor was used to extract THPs.Rat aortic rings were precontracted using phenylephrine in organ chambers containing Krebs-Henseleit solution.Decoctions of THPs were added in increasing concentrations(10-1000μg/mL)to investigate vasorelaxant activities.The vasorelaxant effects of THPs were calculated as percentage of contraction in response to phenylephrine.RESULTS:Several THPs such as Tianwangbuxin Dan,Banxiaxiexin Tang,and Mahuang Tang,significantly relaxed precontracted aortic rings.In contrast,Xiaochaihu Tang,Shensuyin,and Guizhifuling Wan significantly contracted aortic rings.Furthermore,these THPs increasingly relaxed or contracted aortic rings relaxed by amlodipine.CONCLUSION:Our findings suggest that hypertension can be treated using THPs.However some THPs can counteract treatment of hypertension.Further studies should be developed on use of THPs for treatment of hypertension are critical,and guidelines for use of traditional herbal medicines to treat hypertension.