pH/enzyme dual sensitive Gegenqinlian pellets coated with Bletilla striata polysaccharide membranes for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Gegen Qinlian Decoction, derived from Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Typhoid Fever, has been widely used in the treatment of various common diseases, frequently-occurring diseases and difficult and complicated diseases, such as ulcerative colitis. In this study, Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) was innovatively used as a film coating material to prepare Gegen Qinlian pellets with dual sensitivity of pH enzyme for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. BSP has the ability to repair the inflamed colon mucosa and can produce synergistic effects, while avoiding the adverse therapeutic effects caused by the early release of drugs from a single pH-sensitive pellets in the small intestine. The prepared pellets have a uniform particle size, good roundness, a particle size range from 0.8 mm to 1.0 mm, and a particle yield is 85.6 %. The results of in vitro release showed that ES-BSP pellets hardly released drugs in the pH range of 1.2-6.8. However, in the colon mimic fluid containing specific enzymes, the drug release was significantly accelerated, demonstrating the sensitivity of the pellets to pH enzymes. In vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging of small animals showed that Gegen Qinlian pellets with dual sensitivity of pH enzyme remained longer in the colon compared with pH-sensitive pellets. In vivo pharmacodynamics study showed that the Gegen Qinlian pellets with dual sensitivity of pH enzyme had a better therapeutic effect in the rat model of the ulcerative colon than the commercially available Gegenqinlian pellets in the control group.

Distinguishing iron deficiency anemia from thalassemia by the red blood cell lifespan with a simple CO breath test: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Extant indices for distinguishing between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and thalassemia (Thal) have substantial practical limitations. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the predictive value of red blood cell lifespan (RBCLS), as determined by an automated CO breath test analysis approach, in the differential diagnosis of these two common forms of microcytic hypochromic anemia (MHA). METHODS: RBCLS measurements were conducted in 35 healthy controls (HCs) and 114 patients diagnosed with MHA (IDA, N = 59; and Thal, N = 55) with ELS TESTER that provides a direct RBCLS value read-out. RBCLS between IDA and Thal was compared and evaluated by referring to normal cut-off from the instrument. RESULTS: Compared with that in HCs, RBCLS in IDA and Thal groups was shortened; and median RBCLS was shorter in the Thal group than that in IDA group (33 d versus 79 d, p < 0.001). The median RBCLS in IDA patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding was shorter than that those without GI bleeding (38 d versus 100 d, p < 0.001). Using 75 d as a cut-off, RBCLS had a sensitivity of 96.4% and a specificity of 50.8% for detecting Thal. When GI bleeding patients were excluded from the IDA group, discriminant efficiency of RBCLS was further improved. CONCLUSIONS: MHA with a normal RBCLS is suggestive of IDA, whereas MHA with a significantly shortened RBCLS without signs of chronic GI bleeding is suggestive of Thal.

[Effects of Synthetic Long-Chain Polyphosphate on Blood Coagulation and Platelet Aggregation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of synthetic long-chain polyphosphate on blood coagulation and platelet aggregation. METHODS: The effect of artificial synthetic long chain poly phosphate on blood coagulation and platelet aggregation was detected by coagulation tests, coagulation factor activity detection and platelet aggregation test, and its mechanism was explored by ELISA, flow cytometry and high content imaging system. RESULTS: The long chain polyphosphates prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, decreased coagulation factor FⅧ, FⅨ, FⅪ and FⅫ activity, blocked ADP-induced platelet aggregation, and decreased the concentration of calcium and TXA2 in platelet. CONCLUSION: The synthetic long-chain polyphosphate can inhibit endogenous coagulation and inhibit platelet aggregation, which may be related with the inhibition of intracellular calcium and TXA2.