The effects of puerarin on electroretinogram, oxidative stress and STAT3 expression were determined, in diabetic rat retina and serum. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control (NC), the diabetic model (DM), the low dose (250 mg/kg) puerarin (LP) or the high dose (500 mg/kg) puerarin group (HP). A diabetic rat model was induced by streptozotocin and animals were continuously treated for 4 weeks; fasting blood glucose was measured at 2 and 4 weeks after modeling. An electroretinogram and serum and tissue levels of glucose, insulin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) were measured; real-time PCR and ELISA were used to determine STAT3 mRNA and protein expression, respectively, from the retina. The blood glucose and insulin levels in the puerarin groups were significantly lower and higher, respectively than that in the DM group. The amplitude of b-wave of electroretinogram in the DM and the LP groups was significantly lower than that in the NC group; in the LP and HP groups it was significantly higher than the DM group. The serum and retinal tissue activity of SOD and MDA was significantly lower and higher, respectively, in the DM group compared to the NC group; both the LP and HP groups had significantly higher SOD and lower MDA than the DM group. The levels of STAT3 mRNA and protein levels in the DM, LP and HP groups were significantly higher than the NC group; and levels of STAT3 mRNA and protein expression were significantly lower in the LP and HP groups than the DM group. In summary, puerarin can reduce the oxidative stress damage of the retina, and its mechanism is related to the inhibition of STAT3 expression.

ObjectiveB6, an analog of curcumin, is a compound isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine Turmeric. In this paper, we aimed to explore the efficacy of B6 on diabetic nephropathy and the related mechanisms.Materials and methodsThe effects of B6 were studied on fast-blood glucose, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, urine albumen/24 h, pathological changes of main organs, the levels of ACE2 and ACE2 mRNA in the rat model of diabetes induced by streptozotocin.ResultsThe results showed that B6 treatment could reduce serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, urine albumen/24 h, decrease the level of AngII, improve the renal pathological changes in diabetic rats and increase the levels of ACE2 and ACE2 mRNA.ConclusionThese results suggested B6 could protect the renal function of diabetic rats. This study provided scientific basis for the further researches and clinical applications of B6.

Therapeutic effects and safety of houttuynia eye drops combined with olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops on vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VK) were evaluated. A total of 926 patients with VK were collected in the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from July 2011 to January 2017. Patients were divided into group A, B and C according to the use of different eye drops. Group A included 276 patients who were treated with houttuynia eye drops; group B included 305 patients who were treated with olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops; group C included 345 patients who were treated with houttuynia eye drops and olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops. Treatment was performed for 14 days. Eye symptoms before and after treatment, and at 1 h, 7 days and 14 days after drug administration were compared among groups to evaluate the therapeutic effect. At 1 h after drug administration, highest excellent rate was observed in group C, followed by group A, and good outcome rate was significantly higher in group C than in the other two groups (P<0.05), and effective rate was also significantly higher in group C than in the other two groups (P<0.05). At 7 days after treatment, excellent rate was significantly higher in group C than in the other two groups (P<0.05), and effective rate was higher in group C than in group B (P<0.05). At 14 days after treatment, excellent rate was significantly higher in group C than in the other two groups (P<0.05), while lowest good outcome rate and ineffective rate were found in group C, and no significant differences were found between group A and B (P>0.05). Houttuynia ophthalmic solution and olopatadine hydrochloride eye drops can both achieve good effect in the treatment of VK, and combined use of them can increase the efficacy and shorten treatment period. So, the combined treatment should be popularized.