We suggest that the significant changes in GM structures in multiple brain regions of CD patients can be partially explained by the higher levels of anxiety and depression in these patients. Specific profiles of altered GM structures in CD patients were correlated with disease duration.

Both EA and Mox could signifificantly improve some of the most intrusive symptoms of C-IBS patients, and EA was more effective than Mox. The therapeutic effect of these two therapies might through modulating of the brain-gut axis function. (Registration No. ChiCTRTRC-11001349).

Moxibustion with acupuncture provided significant therapeutic benefits in patients with active CD beyond the placebo effect and is therefore an effective and safe treatment for active CD.

Moxibustion can significantly improve the symptoms of D-IBS, suggesting that moxibustion may be a more effective therapy than EA for D-IBS patients.

Abnormal pain processing in the central nervous system may be related to abdominal pain in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in resting-state brain activity in CD patients in remission and its relationship with the presence of abdominal pain. Twenty-five CD patients with abdominal pain, 25 CD patients without abdominal pain, and 32 healthy subjects were scanned using a 3.0 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was used to assess resting-state brain activity. Daily pain scores were collected 1 week before fMRI scanning. We found that patients with abdominal pain exhibited lower ReHo values in the insula, middle cingulate cortex (MCC), and supplementary motor area, and higher ReHo values in the temporal pole. In contrast, patients without abdominal pain exhibited lower ReHo values in the hippocampal/parahippocampal cortex and higher ReHo values in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (all P<0.05, corrected). The ReHo values of the insula and MCC were significantly negatively correlated with daily pain scores for patients with abdominal pain (r=−0.53, P=0.008, and r=−0.61, P=0.002, respectively). These findings suggest that resting-state brain activities are different between remissive CD patients with and without abdominal pain, and that abnormal activities in insula and MCC are closely related to the severity of abdominal pain.

The metastasis of tumor cells is one of the major obstacles to successful clinical chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. Accordingly, new therapeutic strategies are needed for overcoming the occurrence of invasion and metastasis of tumor to improve patients' prognosis and survival.The anticoagulants low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and recombinant hirudin have shown anti-invasion and antimetastasis effects in experimental models.1,2) However, recombinant hirudin was found ineffective at preventing metastasis of HT168-M1 human melanoma cells in preclinical study, 1) suggesting that the anti-invasion and anti-metastasis effects of anticoagulants may vary by tumor cells. Most likely, each anticoagulant agent has its own mechanisms for application.The association of thrombosis and cancers as evidenced by platelet and fibrin deposition is well established.3-6) Previous studies indicate that exogenous thrombin (1 U/ml) acting through its protease-activated receptor (PAR-1) is capable of enhancing tumor adhesion to platelets, 7-9) endothelial cells, 10) fibronectin, and von Willebrand factor 8) in vitro. Studies have also revealed that exogenous thrombin promotes tumor growth in vitro 11) and in vivo 7,8,12) as well as metastasis in experimental animals (via tail-vein injection of cancer cells). 9,13) The endogenous generation of host thrombin plays a significant role during tumor growth and spontaneous metastasis.2) Recent investigation demonstrated that advanced cancer is associated with a hypercoagulable state triggered by tissue factor (TF).14) TF-initiated thrombin generation is a critical step for metastasis through fibrin, platelet deposition, and PAR-1 signaling responses. In addition, PAR-2, which was not cleaved by thrombin, appears to be a cosignal with PAR-1 to elicit thrombin effects in metastatic tumor cells. 14)Hirudin is a highly potent and specific inhibitor of thrombin. It has shown an inhibitory effects against tumor growth and metastasis in experimental tumor models. [15][16][17] Hirudin induced a pronounced lag time in the appearance of tumor growth, as compared with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as control, but had no effect on existing tumor cells. We postulated that hirudin may have different effects on tumor growth depending on its administrations, because hirudin resulted in central necrosis of the tumor nodule, and inhibited spontaneous metastases from subcutaneously implanted tumor by reducing the number of tumor nodules in the lungs following administration at early stage of tumor cell inoculation in experimental animals. 2)Heparins are negatively charged polysaccharides that are able to bind to a number of proteins and molecules, thus probably influencing their biological activity. LMWH is composed of low-molecular weight fragments of heparin manufactured by controlled enzymatic or chemical depolymerization. LMWH may affect the progression of tumor in many ways. For example, it may potentially inhibit intravascular arrest and metastasis due to its anticoagulant role. [18][19][20] I...

Our results indicated that the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were related to immune inflammation and intestinal flora. The data provide preliminary evidence that the occurrence of CD involves the inhibition of C10orf54 expression by hsa-miR-16-1.

This study focused on the development of an improved formulation screening and optimization method for a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). Solubility study and construction of a ternary phase diagram were carried out to determine the primary formulation components. Experimental design combined with a desirability study was employed to obtain the optimal formulation composition. The obtained bufalin SMEDDS formulation was Maisine 35-1 and Miglyol 812N (1 : 1, w/w) of 29.5%, Cremophor EL of 39.5%, and Transcutol P of 30.5%. It showed desired properties with droplet size of 33.9 nm; polydispersity index of 0.126; equilibrium solubility of 12.6 mg/ml, and 73.6% of soluble drug post-digestion. A rapid release of up to 21% occurred in the first 10 min. A bufalin SMEDDS was well absorbed at all intestinal segments. The absorption of bufalin from a SMEDDS was 2.38-fold higher than that of bufalin suspension in terms of relative bioavailability. The studies on solubility and ternary phase diagrams combined with experimental design may offer a valuable and efficient strategy for developing and optimizing a SMEDDS to obtain optimal formulations with desired characteristics.Key words self-microemulsifying drug delivery system; bufalin; in vitro digestion; in situ intestinal absorption Chem.