Purpose. In this report, we investigated the protective mechanism of scutellarin (SCU) in vitro and in vivo which could be involved in endothelial cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) pathway, and vascular endothelium dysfunction (EtD). Method. Human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) with hypoxia reoxygenation (HR) treatment and rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion (CIR) treatment were applied. Protein and mRNA expression of PKG, VASP, and p-VASP were evaluated by Western blot and RT-PCR methods. Vascular EtD was assessed by using wire myography to determine endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in isolated rat basilar artery (BA). Result. In cultured HBMECs, SCU (0.1, 1, and 10 μM) increased cell viability, mRNA, protein level, and phosphorylative activity of PKG and VASP against HR injury. In HR model of BA, SCU increased protein level of P-VASP. In rat CIR model, wire myography demonstrated that SCU (45 and 90 mg/kg, i.v.) significantly reduced ischemic size by partially restoring the endothelium dependent vasodilation of BA; PKG inhibitor Rp-8-Br-cGMPS (50 μg/kg, i.v.) reversed this protection of SCU in CIR rats. Conclusion. SCU protects against cerebral vascular EtD through endothelial PKG pathway activation.

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Animal studies have demonstrated that scutellarin (SCU) limits damage after myocardial ischemia injury. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of SCU protecting against myocardial injury induced by ischemia reperfusion (IR) are not well known. This study examined whether SCU protects against myocardial IR injury in rats is mediated by the Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. Protein expression of JAK2/STAT3 and phosphorylative products were assessed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods in myocardial tissue from myocardial IR rats pretreated with SCU (45 and 90 mg/kg, iv). Western blot and immunohistochemistry assays showed that myocardial IR injury caused significant increases of phosphorylated JAK2 (p‐JAK2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (p‐STATS) levels in the rat myocardial IR model. SCU (45 and 90 mg/kg, iv) significantly reduced ischemic size, and decreased histological p‐JAK2 and p‐STATS expression. SCU attenuates myocardial IR injury which involved in JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Grant Funding Source: Supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30960450 and 81173110) and Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (Nos. 2011FA022, 2012BC012, 2008CD054, and 2008ZC111M).

Objective: To calculate and analyze the treatment costs of malignant tumors in Hunan Province in 2019, and to provide data support for the formulation and implementation of policies by the health department. Methods: Refer to the "2019 Hunan Province Health Finance Annual Report" and "2019 Hunan Province Health Statistics Summary", based on the “System of Health Account 2011”, calculate and analyze the disease types, beneficiaries, institutional distribution and financing status of malignant tumors diseases. Results: In 2019, the total cost of malignant tumor treatment in Hunan Province was 440,596,800 yuan. The top five were malignant tumors of digestive organs (40.10%), malignant tumors of respiratory and intrathoracic organs (17.62%), and malignant tumors of breast (12.24%), female genital organ malignant tumors (9.88%) and lip, oral cavity and pharynx malignant tumors (6.87%). The 35 to 79-year-old age group has higher treatment costs. The costs are concentrated in general hospitals. Funding sources mainly come from government financing and family health expenditure. The main influencing factors of malignant tumor hospitalization expenses are gender, length of stay, age, drug proportion, institution level and medical institution type.Conclusions: The disease burden of malignant tumors is relatively serious; primary medical and health institutions lack health resources; and household health expenditure accounts for a relatively high proportion. Therefore, hierarchical diagnosis and treatment should be promoted reasonably, focused on key diseases and populations, and medical security policies should be improved to ensure that patients with malignant tumors and their families’ economic burden of disease can be reduced.

Proteus mirabilis, the most widespread species of all Proteus spp. bacteria, is proven to be one of the most universal pathogens in chronic wounds. In this case, a woman in her 40s consulted a physician about an asymptomatic ulceration with a stalactite appearance at the distal end of the index finger after she was exposed to a needle when vaccinating chickens. The patient did not response to ceftazidime. Physical examination revealed a well-demarcated violescent ulceration with a stalactite appearance at the distal end of the index finger. A biopsy of the lesion showed dense infiltration of multinucleated giant cells, histiocytes, and lymphocytes in the dermis. The result of metagenomics next-generation sequencing (NGS) showed 306 unique sequence reads of P. mirabilis, covering 33.49% of the nucleotide sequences. The pathogen was identified as P. mirabilis, which was resistant to ceftazidime. The patient was treated with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride and improved considerably. This case reported a distinctive cutaneous lesion of P. mirabilis on human infection and showed a successful use of NGS in P. mirabilis.