[Correlation between intestinal toxicity and composition changes of toxic parts from Euphorbia ebracteolata before and after Terminalia chebula soup processing].

This study aims to explore the correlation between intestinal toxicity and composition changes of Euphorbia ebracteolata before and after Terminalia chebula soup(TCS) processing. Intragastric administration was performed on the whole animal model. By using fecal water content, inflammatory causes, and pathological damage of different parts of the intestinal tract of mice as indexes, the differences in intestinal toxicity of dichloromethane extraction of raw E. ebracteolata(REDE), dichloromethane extraction of TCS, and dichloromethane extraction of E. ebracteolata after simulated TCS processing(STREDE) were compared, so as to investigate the effect of TCS processing on the intestinal toxicity of E. ebracteolata. At the same time, the component databases of E. ebracteolata and T. chebula were constructed, and the composition changes of diterpenoids, tannins, and phenolic acids in the three extracted parts were analyzed by HPLC-TOF-MS. HPLC was used to compare the content of four diterpenoids including ent-11α-hydroxyabicta-8(14), 13(15)-dien-16, 12-olide(HAO), jolkinolide B(JNB), fischeria A(FA), and jolkinolide E(JNE) in the E. ebracteolata before and after processing and the residue of container wall after processing, so as to investigate the effect of TCS processing on the content and structure of the diterpenoids. The results showed that the REDE group could significantly increase the fecal water content and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß from each intestinal segment, and intestinal tissue damage was accompanied by significant infiltration of inflammatory cells. However, compared with the REDE group, the intestinal tissue damage in the STREDE group was alleviated, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells decreased. The intestinal toxicity significantly decreased. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the content of diterpenoids of REDE before and after simulated TCS processing, but a large number of tannins and phenolic acids were added. The results of HPLC showed that the content of four diterpenoids of E. ebracteo-lata decreased to varying degrees after TCS processing, ranging from-0.35% to-19.74%, and the decreased part mainly remained in the container wall, indicating that the structure of toxic diterpenoids of E. ebracteolata was not changed after TCS processing. The antagonistic effect of tannic and phenolic acids in the TCS may be the main reason for the reduced intestinal toxicity of E. ebracteolata after TCS processing. The TCS processing for E. ebracteolata is scientific.

An investigation into the HIF-dependent intestinal barrier protective mechanism of Qingchang Wenzhong decoction in ulcerative colitis management.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, non-specific inflammatory disease affecting the colon and rectum with an etiology that remains elusive. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used on long-term UC treatment to better maintain the efficacy than traditional aminosalicylic acid or glucocorticosteroids and to ease financial burden of patients. Qingchang Wenzhong Decoction (QCWZD) is a modern TCM decoction with established clinical efficacy but the mechanism of its protection on intestinal barrier function remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: Current findings highlight that the activation of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway can facilitate the repair of intestinal epithelium barrier. This study is to investigate the protective effects of QCWZD and its HIF-targeted ingredients on hypoxia-dependent intestinal barrier. METHODS: The mice model of UC was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Disease activity index (DAI) and histopathology scores and colon length were used to measure the severity of colitis. The DAO activity in serum and protein expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins were detected to explore the function of intestinal barrier. The protein levels of HIF-1α and its downstream gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were measured as well. HIF-targeted active ingredients in QCWZD were selected by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Protective effects of six constituents on HIF-related anti-oxidative and barrier protective pathway were evaluated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HT29 and RAW264.7 cells, through the measurement of the production of ROS and mRNA level of pro-inflammatory cytokines. HIF-1α knockdown was carried out to explore the correlation of protection effects with HIF-related pathway of the active ingredients. RESULTS: QCWZD effectively alleviated colitis induced by DSS and demonstrated a protective effect on intestinal barrier function by upregulating HIF-related pathways. Six specific ingredients in QCWZD, targeting HIF, successfully reduced the production of cellular ROS and proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-induced cells. It is noteworthy that the barrier protection provided by these molecules is intricately linked with the HIF-related pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the HIF-related molecular mechanism of QCWZD in protecting the function of the epithelial barrier. Six compounds targeting the activation of the HIF-dependent pathway were demonstrated to unveil a novel therapeutic approach for managing UC.

An interventional study of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1, neuronal pentraxin-2, and C-reactive protein in Alzheimer's disease rat model.

Background: Baicalin has been shown to promote spatial learning and neural regeneration, which might increase the differentiation of neural stem cells in Alzheimer's disease (AD) rat models. We aimed to study the role of baicalin on neuronal pentraxin-1 (NPTX-1), neuronal pentraxin-2 (NPTX-2), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in AD model rats. Methods: The 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three groups: the control group, the AD model group, and the AD + baicalin group. Then, the Morris water maze was used to verify the effect of baicalin on the memory and spatial learning of rats. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to observe the expression of NPTX-1, NPTX-2, and CRP in brain tissue. Results: Compared with the AD model group, the AD rats treated with baicalin spent significantly less time finding escape latencies (P = 0.008) and had longer cross-platform times in the target quadrant (P = 0.015). In addition, the AD + baicalin group had significantly higher numbers of hippocampal neurons compared with the AD model group (P < 0.05). Baicalin also obviously decreased the apoptosis of neurons. Moreover, compared with the AD model group, the NPTX-1 and CRP expression in the AD + baicalin group was significantly reduced (P = 0.000) while the expression of NPTX-2 in the brain tissue of AD rats was significantly increased (P = 0.000). Conclusions: Baicalin can play a therapeutic role by downregulating NPTX-1, upregulating NPTX-2, and downregulating CPR in AD model rats.

[Preparation of monoclonal antibodies against Pinellia ternata lectin protein and establishment of double-antibody sandwich ELISA].

To determine the content of endogenous toxic substance Pinellia ternata lectin(PTL) protein in Pinelliae Rhizoma and the related processed products, this study prepared specific monoclonal antibodies against PTL by hybridoma cell technology, and established a quantitative double-antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for PTL antigen. The detection conditions were 2.5 µg·mL~(-1) working concentration of the captured antibody and 1∶450 of the dilution multiple of detected antibody. The coating condition was staying overnight at 4 ℃. The blocking time and incubation times of antigen and detected antibody were all 90 minutes. The incubation time of horseradish peroxidase conjugated streptavidin-horseradish peroxidase(SA-HRP) was 15 minutes. The quantitative limit of the method for PTL antigen was 0.375 ng·mL~(-1). The linear range was 75.000-4 800.000 pg·mL~(-1), and R~2=0.997 1. The recovery rate was 90.0%-110.0%, and the variation coefficients of intra-test and inter-test precision were 2.0%-3.0% and 2.0%-8.5%.The content of PTL in three batches of Pinelliae Rhizoma and the related processed products was determined by the method, and the average content of PTL in Pinelliae Rhizoma was 35.42 mg·g~(-1). The average content of PTL in Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine, Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Zingibere Et Alumine were 1.15 mg·g~(-1), 16.53 µg·g~(-1), and 122.63 ng·g~(-1), respectively, indicating that the content of PTL decreased significantly after processing. The quantitative double-antibody sandwich ELISA for PTL antigen established in this paper had good linearity, sensitive response, and high accuracy, which provided a simple and effective monitoring method for the detection of PTL content in the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma.

[Irritant toxicity and lectin content of different processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma].

The present study aims to investigate the correlation between irritant toxicity variation and lectin content variation during the processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma products and to explore the feasibility of Western blot as a method for the detection of lectin. We processed Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine, Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum, and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatumcum Zingibere et Alumine to different degrees and then analyzed their irritant toxicity via Draize rabbit eye test. Western blot was employed to determine the lectin content in Pinelliae Rhizoma products processed with different methods. The correlation between toxicity variation and lectin content variation was then analyzed. Different decoction pieces of Pinelliae Rhizoma were collected for the determination of lectin content. The three processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma showed gradually decreased toxicity and lectin content as the processing continued. The decreasing trend of lectin content was consistent with that of irritant toxicity during processing, which indicated that the change in lectin content could reflect the trend of irritant toxicity. No band of lectin appeared in the Western blot of processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma, which suggested that western blotting can be used for the detection of toxic lectin in the processed products of Pinelliae Rhizoma. Lectin should not be detected in the Pinelliae Rhizoma products processed according to the methods in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

[Anti-ascites effect of total saponins of Phytolaccae Radix on mice with ascites and mechanism].

This study investigated the anti-ascites effect of the total saponins of Phytolaccae Radix(PRTS) and the mechanism.H22 cell suspension was used(ip) to induce ascites in ICR male mice, and the model mice were randomized into model group, positive drug group(furosemide, 6 mg·kg~(-1)), total extract of Phytolaccae Radix(PRTE) group, and PRTS(1.29 g·kg~(-1)).Another 10 male mice were selected as the blank group.Mice in the blank group and model group were given(ig) normal saline containing 0.5% CMC-Na, and those in the positive drug group, PRTE group, and PRTS group received(ig) corresponding doses of drugs, once a day, for 8 consecutive days.The ascites volume, urine volume, and fecal water content in mice with ascites, serum levels of antidiure-tic hormone(ADH), renin in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system(RAAS), angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ), and aldosterone(ALD), expression of aquaporin(AQP)1-AQP4 in kidney, expression of AQP1, AQP3 in colon, and expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3 K/Akt) pathway-related proteins were detected to explore the anti-ascites mechanism of PRTS.The results showed that the PRTS can increase the urine volume and fecal water content and decrease the ascites volume of ascites mice.Moreover, PRTS significantly reduced the expression of AQP1-AQP4 in kidney and AQP1, AQP3 in colon, serum levels of renin, AngⅡ, ALD, and ADH, and the expression of p-PI3 K and p-Akt in the kidney of ascites mice.PRTS exerts anti-ascites effect by promoting urination and defecation.The mechanism is that it inhibits the activities of RAAS and ADH and suppresses the phosphorylation of PI3 K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby restricting the expression of AQPs in the kidney and colon.

Molecular dynamics simulations of the initial oxidation process on ferritic Fe-Cr alloy surfaces.

Oxidation processes of metallic interconnects are crucial to the operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), and ferritic Fe-Cr alloy is one of the most important metallic interconnect materials. Based on the ReaxFF reactive potential, the interaction of O2 molecules with three types of surfaces (100, 110, 111) of ferritic Fe-Cr alloy has been studied by classical molecular dynamics at constant O2 concentrations and temperatures. The initial oxidation process is systematically studied according to the analysis of O2 absorption rate, charge variations, charge distributions, mean squared distributions, and oxidation rate. The results reveal that it is easier and faster for the Cr atoms to lose electrons than for the Fe atoms during the oxidation process. The obtained oxidation rate of Cr atoms is larger and the formation of Cr2O3 takes precedence over that of FeO. And the thickness of oxidation layers of different surfaces could be determined quantitatively. We also find that the high O2 concentration accelerates the oxidation process and obviously increases the thickness of oxidation layers, while the temperature has a weaker effect on the oxidation process than the O2 concentration. Moreover, the (110) surface presents the best oxidation resistance compared to the other two surfaces. And the (110) surface is efficient in preventing Fe atoms from being oxidized. Here we explore the initial oxidation process of Fe-Cr alloy and the corresponding results could provide theoretical guides to the related experiments and applications as metallic interconnects.

[Vinegar-processed Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix improves intestinal flora disorder and reduces colon toxicity].

The present study investigated the effect of Euphorbiae Pekinensis Radix(EPR) on intestinal flora structure before and after vinegar processing and explored the detoxification mechanism of vinegar-processed EPR. In this study, the extraction efficiency of casbane diterpenes from EPR with different solvents was investigated, and the optimal solvent was selected to enrich these components. After 14 days of intragastric administration of total diterpene extract of EPR and vinegar-processed EPR, 16 S rDNA sequencing technology was used to detect the structural changes of intestinal flora. The flora related to the intestinal toxicity of EPR was screened out based on the results of intestinal pathological damage by correlation analysis. The results showed that Soxhlet extraction with chloroform as extraction solvent could enrich Casbane diterpenes in EPR. As revealed by 16 S rDNA sequencing results, EPR could significantly change the structure of intestinal flora, which could be reversed by vinegar-processing EPR. Some intestinal flora candidates might be related to detoxification of vinegar processing. The correlation analysis of intestinal flora candidates and indexes related to intestinal mucosal injury showed that compared with EPR, vinegar-processed EPR could down-regulate the abundance of some pathogenic bacteria such as Mucispirillum, Bilophila, and Ruminiclostridium, and up-regulated some probiotics such as Enterorhabdus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, Barnesiella, and Candidatus. The intestinal toxicity caused by EPR may be related to the disturbance of intestinal flora, and vinegar-processed EPR can improve intestinal flora disorder by up-regulating the abundance of probiotics and down-regulating the abundance of pathogenic bacteria to remodel the intestinal mucosal barrier and reduce toxicity.

[Simulated processing with vinegar changes chemical structures of main terpenoids in Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix].

This study aims to explore the chemical structure transformation mechanisms of the main terpenoids in the effective fraction of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix(EER) during the processing with vinegar. The terpenoids including ent-11α-hydroxyabicta-8(14),13(15)-dien-16,12-olide(HAO), jolkinolide B(JNB), fischeria A(FA), and eupractenoid A(EA) were heated at 160 ℃ with 6% acetic acid for 40 min, and then LC-MS/MS was employed to analyze the structural transformation rules of the terpenoids. Further, we analyzed the changes in the relative content of the four compounds and their transformation products in raw and vinegar processed EER to verify the transformation rules during the simulated processing with vinegar. In addition, JNB and FA were processed with single heating, heating with water or heating with acetic acid. We then employed HPLC to compare the content of these two terpenoids and their transformation products before and after processing, so as to investigate the effect of different processing methods on chemical structure transformation. The results showed that the lactone ring of the abietane-type diterpenoids HAO and JNB and the norditerpene lactone FA were opened by heating with acetic acid. When there were hydroxyl groups in the structures, terpenoids were esterized to esters and oxidized to form carbonyl groups. When there was epoxy ring in the structures, ring opening reaction was easy to occur. During the heating with acetic acid, the heterodimeric diterpenoid EA underwent the cleavage of ether bond to produce the rosane-type diterpenoid euphebracteolatin A(EHTA) and another abietane-type diterpenoid. The changes in the relative content of terpenoids and their transformation products in raw and vinegar-processed EER were basically consistent with those of simulated processing of components with vinegar. The HPLC results revealed that the effect of different simulated processing methods on structural transformation varied. Heating with acid can change JNB and FA into new components. Heating with water can also promote the structural transformation, with the efficiency obviously lower than that of heating with acid. Direct heating had no influence on the structure of JNB, while it significantly reduced the relative content of FA. The components treated with direct heating did not produce the products like those of the heating with acid. These results indicated that vinegar plays a key role in the structural transformation of diterpenoids during the processing of EER with vinegar. The structural transformation of diterpenoids in EER during the processing with vinegar may be the material basis for vinegar processed EER to reduce toxicity and preserve effect.

[Effect of different parts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction against airway inflammation and analysis of effective components].

This study investigated the material basis and mechanism of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction in the treatment of airway inflammation. The cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was used to induce an airway inflammation model in mice. The expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB in the lungs of mice were taken as indexes to screen the effective extracts by system solvent extraction from Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction(dichloromethane extract, ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract, etc.). Meanwhile, the human bronchial epithelial(16-HBE) cell model of cigarette smoke extract(CSE)-induced injury was established, and the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 and the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB proteins were also taken as indexes to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of different extracts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction. The results showed that Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction significantly antagonized airway inflammation in mice by down-regulating the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in mice with airway inflammation and 16-HBE cells with CSE-induced injury and inhibiting the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB. The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction showed significant anti-inflammatory effects, while such effects of other extracts were not prominent. Furthermore, the database of Pinelliae Rhizoma composition was constructed, and the components in effective extracts were analyzed by HPLC-TOF-MS and Nano-LC-MS/MS. As revealed by the results, the compositions of the two effective extracts were similar with 36 common components. They were combined and then divided into Pinelliae Rhizoma alkaloids(PTAs) and Pinelliae Rhizoma non-alkaloids(PTNAs) by 732 cation-exchange resin. Further in vitro investigation confirmed the significant anti-inflammatory effect of PTNAs, while such effect of PTAs was not manifest. The MS analysis showed 172 peptides and 7 organic acids in PTNAs. The peptide content in PTNAs was 63.5% measured by quantitative analysis of BCA assay, and the organic acid content was 9.92% by potentiometric titration method. The findings of this study suggested that Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction could antagonize airway inflammation in mice by inhibiting phosphorylation of p38 and IκB and blocking the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and the effective components were related to the peptides and organic acids in PTNAs. The above results lay a foundation for the research on the mechanism and material basis of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antagonizing airway inflammation.

[Effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma processed with lime and licorice on toxic lectin protein].

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of lime and licorice processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma on its toxic lectin protein and clarify the scientific detoxification connotation of lime and licorice processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma. Western blot was used to semi-quantitatively analyze the contents of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum. Raw products and lectin were treated by soaking in licorice juice, lime solution or mixture solution of these two to investigate the different processing time on the content of toxic lectin protein. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the changes of lectin protein bands in the solution and precipitates before and after processing. MALDI-TOF technology was used to qualitatively analyze and compare the protein molecular weight before and after processing. The results showed that the contents of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum were 5.01% and 0.04% respectively, indicating that processing could significantly reduce the content of active lectin in raw products. The results also showed that the content of lectin in raw drugs decreased significantly after soaking in lime solution for one day or in licorice juice for three day, and the effect was greatest in mixture solution. Qualitative analysis showed that after being treated by soaking in lime solution, the lectin protein was decomposed into small peptide segments, while after being treated by soaking in licorice juice, the lectin protein was denatured and precipitated. The structure of lectin protein in Pinelliae Rhizoma was broken after being processed with licorice juice and lime solution, which significantly reduced the content of toxic lectinprotein. This is one of the detoxification mechanisms of Pinelliae Rhizoma processing.

Kinetic stability studies of HBV vaccine in a microneedle patch.

This study systematically demonstrated the antigenicity kinetics of HBV vaccine microneedles (MNs) during the fabrication, application and storage. To improve the stability of HBsAg in a microneedle patch, several selected saccharides were added to the MN formulations as stabilizers. According to the experimental data, no significant decrease of the bio-activity of HBsAg antigen was found during the microneedle fabrication process. And then immune effects of HBsAg added with different sugars were tested. Chitosan and trehalose loaded HBsAg MNs enhanced the antibody levels to approximately 1.5-fold and 2-fold of the plain HBsAg MNs respectively while sucrose and glucose were not obviously beneficial. During the short-term storage under 60 °C, the antigenicity of HBsAg MNs encapsulated with glucose and chitosan declined sharply in 24 h and hardly left after 7 days. As for the groups of HBsAg MNs added with sucrose and trehalose, approximately 90% of HBsAg initial antigenicity maintained, which could be attributed to the protective function of non-reductive disaccharides. As for the long-term storage experiments, the pharmacological activity of HBsAg antigen protected by sucrose and trehalose slightly reduced in 3 months except for the samples under 60 °C. In extreme condition, trehalose performed even better protection function than sucrose, of which the antigenicity of HBsAg in MNs left approximately 81% and 63% of its initial, respectively. These results confirmed that trehalose loaded HBsAg MNs enabled stable encapsulation and storage of HBsAg antigen and realized reasonable enhancement of immune effect in a relatively painless, safe, and convenient manner.

Effect of a novel designed intensive patient care program on cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression as well as relapse free survival in acute ischemic stroke patients: a randomized controlled study.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the influence of a novel designed intensive patient care program (IPCP) on cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression and relapse-free survival (RFS) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods: Two hundred forty-two AIS patients were consecutively recruited in this randomized controlled study and randomly allocated to IPCP group or control group as 1:1 ratio. Patients received IPCP and conventional treatment in IPCP group, while received usual education, cognitive rehabilitation training and conventional treatment in control group for 12-month intervention. Cognitive impairment, anxiety and depression were assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety (HADS-A), and HADS depression (HADS-D) at baseline (M0), month (M)3, M6 and M12. After intervention, patients were followed up until 2018/7/30 and RFS was calculated. Results: IPCP increased MMSE score at M12 and change of MMSE score (M12-M0), while decreased cognitive impairment rate at M12. For anxiety, decreased change of HADS-A score (M12-M0) and lower anxiety rate at M12 were observed in IPCP group compared to control group. For depression, decreased HADS-D score at M6 and M12, reduced change of HADS-D score (M12-M0) and lower depression rate at M12 were shown in IPCP group compared to control group. Besides, RFS was numerically longer in IPCP group compared to control group, but without statistical significance. Conclusions: IPCP presents with a positive influence on improving cognitive impairment and decreasing anxiety as well as depression, while a less effect on improving RFS in AIS patients. Abbreviation: IPCP: intensive patient care program; RFS: relapse free survival; AIS: acute ischemic stroke; MRA: magnetic resonance angiography; ITT: intention-to-treat; LOCF: last observation carried forward.

Olfactory Impairment and Hippocampal Volume in a Chinese MCI Clinical Sample.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between olfactory function and hippocampal volume in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: We enrolled a total of 31 MCI patients and 9 normal control subjects. All participants underwent 3.0 T-magnetic resonance imaging scanning. The scan results were processed using GE ADW4.6 processing software and V0xar 3D workstation to acquire the hippocampal volume. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) was used to evaluate the olfactory function of MCI patients. The correlations of UPSIT score with hippocampal volume and hippocampal head volume were evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient analysis. RESULTS: MCI patients had significantly smaller left (2.78±0.50 vs. 3.19±0.31 cm(3)) and right (2.97±0.42 vs. 3.31±0.25 cm(3)) hippocampal volumes compared with normal controls (P<0.05). In addition, patients with olfactory dysfunction had smaller volumes of the hippocampus (left hippocampal volume, 2.57±0.39 vs. 3.23±0.40 cm(3); right hippocampal volume, 2.86±0.43 vs. 3.22±0.30 cm(3)) and hippocampal head (left hippocampal head volume, 1.18±0.16 vs. 1.53±0.25 cm(3); right hippocampal head volume, 1.25±0.22 vs. 1.54±0.22 cm(3)) compared with those with normal olfactory function (P<0.05). No significant difference in the hippocampal body volume and hippocampal tail volume was found between MCI patients with olfactory loss and those with normal olfactory function. The UPSIT score was significantly positively correlated with left hippocampal volume (r=0.55, P<0.05), right hippocampal volume (r=0.42, P<0.05), left hippocampal head volume (r=0.53, P<0.05), and right hippocampal head volume (r=0.45, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Olfactory function correlates well with hippocampal volume among patients with MCI.

[Effect of processing on toxic components lectin from four kinds of Araceae toxic medicines].

The study aimed to investigate the effect of processing on lectin protein in four toxic Chinese medicines tubers of Pinellia ternata,P. pedatisecta,Arisema heterophyllum and Typhonium giganteum. Western blot was used to semi-quantitatively analyze the content of lectin in the four kinds of toxic Chinese medicines and their different processed products. Raw products and lectin were treated by heating or soaking in ginger juice or alum solution. The effects of different excipients and the heating methods on lectin proteins were investigated. The results showed that the content of lectin in raw products of P. pedatisecta,P. ternata,A. heterophyllum,and T. giganteum were 7. 3%,4. 9%,2. 7%,2. 3%,respectively. And the content of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma praeparatum cum alumine was 0. 027%. Lectin was not detected in the Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum cum Zingibere et Alumine,Arisaematis Rhizma Praeparatum and Typhonii Rhizoma Praeparatum,which indicated that processing could significantly reduce the content of active lectin in raw products. The results also showed that with the prolongation of soaking and heating time,the content of lectin in raw products decreased gradually,while the content was almost unchanged when soaked in ginger juice alone. The effects of different excipients and heating on lectin were the same as those on raw products. Therefore,the method with alum soaking and heating can reduce the content of active lectin,which is the key to reduce the toxicity of toxic Chinese medicines. In this paper,Western blot was used to study the content of toxic protein in Araceae toxic Chinese medicines as an evaluation method of the processing degree.

[Effect of fermentation on components of bile acids in Arisaema Cum Bile and determination of three kinds of free bile acids in Arisaema Cum Bile].

The aim of this study is to analyze the compositions of main bile acids in fermented and mixed processing products of arisame cum bile from pig bile, and to establish a method for content determination of bile acids in fermented Arisaema Cum Bile. Fermented and mixed processing products were prepared from arisaematis rhizome and arisaematis rhizoma preparatum with pig bile respectively. Then the differences in bile acids compositions between such two kinds of products were compared by high performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD). With three kinds of free bile acid compositions as the indicators, HPLC-ELSD method was adopted to determine the content of bile acid compositions in fermented product,on Agilent Eclipse XDB C18(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) chromatographic column, with acetonitrile and 0.1% glacial acetic acid solution (55:45) as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1 mL·min⁻¹, column temperature of 30 °C, drift tube temperature of 90 °C, and a nitrogen flow rate of 2.2 mL·min⁻¹. The results showed that the bile acids in fermented bile Arisaema were mainly in a free form, while in mixed processing product, the compositions were mainly in a conjugated form. Three kinds of free bile acids, namely porcine cholic acid (HCA), porcine deoxycholic acid (HDCA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) in fermented product, showed a good linear relationship in the range of quantification. The average recovery rate was 95.99%-104.3%, complying with the requirements. The results showed that the conjugated bile acids could be transformed into free bile acids during the fermentation of arisaema cum bile. This established method can effectively control the content of bile acids compositions in fermenting arisaema cum bile.

Ruthenium-containing supramolecular nanoparticles based on bipyridine-modified cyclodextrin and adamantyl PEI with DNA condensation properties.

Exploring safe and highly efficient gene carriers made from biocompatible constituents has great prospects for clinical gene therapy. Here, a supramolecular gene delivery system was readily constructed by assembling adamantyl-modified polyethylenimine (PEI-Ada) units with a versatile ruthenium bipyridine-modified cyclodextrin (Ru-CD) through host-guest interactions. The photophysical and morphological features of the PEI-Ada@Ru-CD nanoparticles were systematically characterized by techniques including UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential experiments. The small size and suitably positive zeta potential of the nanoparticles facilitated their cellular uptake and gene transfection. As expected, DNA interaction studies, which were performed using agarose gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy, showed that the ability of the nanoparticles to condense DNA was higher than that of the gold standard, i.e., PEI, at low N/P ratios. The design of these ruthenium-containing supramolecular nanoparticles based on bipyridine-modified cyclodextrin and adamantyl PEI has great prospects in the development of gene delivery vehicles.

The changes of intraoperative body temperature in adult liver transplantation: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Body temperature is poorly regulated in patients with end-stage liver disease. Due to the prolonged surgery time and anhepatic time as well as the complex surgical procedures performed in liver transplantation, the body temperature fluctuates greatly. This study investigated the effect of intraoperative body temperature fluctuations on the prognosis of liver recipients. METHODS: The body temperatures of liver recipients recorded from the induction of anesthesia (T0) until the end of surgery (T14) were retrieved. The patients were divided into two groups: the hypothermia group (< 35 °C and ≥ 5 min) and the normothermia group (≥ 35 °C or < 35 °C but < 5 min). Intraoperative and postoperative variables were compared between the two groups, and the correlations between the duration of hypothermia and the medical variables were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 107 patients, 67 patients were in the normothermia group, and 40 in the hypothermia group. The lowest body temperature was at 5 min after reperfusion for the whole cohort. Compared with the normothermia group, patients in the hypothermia group were more prone to bleeding, had a longer intubation time and increased rates of bacterial infection and acute pulmonary edema after liver transplantation (P < 0.05). Hypothermia time was positively correlated with bleeding volume, intubation time, units of blood transfusions and intensive care stay, but negatively correlated with urine output. CONCLUSIONS: The intraoperative body temperature exhibited a graphical "V" trend, and the lowest temperature was at 5 min after reperfusion. The longer the duration of hypothermia, the more unfavourable the prognosis.

The Evaluation of Proanthocyanidins/Chitosan/Lecithin Microspheres as Sustained Drug Delivery System.

Proanthocyanidin (PC) has attracted wide attention on cosmetics and pharmaceutical due to its antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiangiogenic, and anti-inflammatory activities. However, PC applications are limited because of its sensitivity to thermal treatment, light, and oxidation and the poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, a novel dosage form of PC needs to be designed to improve its stability and bioavailability for drug delivery. The objective of this study is to fabricate proanthocyanidins/chitosan/lecithin (PC/CTS/LEC) microspheres and investigate various characteristics. In the current study, PC/CTS/LEC microspheres were prepared by spray-drying technology. The yield (61.68%), encapsulation efficiency (68.19%), and drug loading capacity (17.05%) were found in the results. The scanning electron microscope demonstrated that the microspheres were spherical in shape with wrinkled surfaces. DSC study displayed that the microspheres stability was greatly improved when comparing with bare PC. The in vitro release study showed that the 76.92% of PC was released from microspheres within 48 h. The moisture contents of microspheres ranged from 8% to 13%. The swelling rate and tapped density of microspheres were elevated with increasing the concentration of chitosan in the formulations. The moisture uptake of microspheres was saturated at 40°C/RH75% within 12 h. Our results indicated that the stability of PC/CTS/LEC microspheres was enhanced, and it is a promising carrier for sustained drug delivery system.

[Effects of toxic fractions of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix on toxicity of mice intestinal tract and colon aquaporins expression level before and after vinegar processing].

To investigate the toxicity changes of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix (EER) before and after vinegar processing, toxic diterpenoids were concentrated with chloroform as extraction solvent from EER. Then the residue was extracted for non-chloroform extract with 95% ethanol and water after extraction with chloroform. The chloroform extraction of vinegar processed EER was prepared with the same method. The mice received the drug by oral administration. Moisture content in mice feces, duodenum and colon tissue, aquaporin AQP1, AQP3, AQP4 protein expression levels were assayed as the indexes to investigate the toxicity variation of chloroform fraction, non-chloroform fraction, as well as intestinal tract toxicity before and after vinegar processing of EER. The results showed that the chloroform fraction extracted from EER could significantly increase the moisture content in mice feces, duodenum and colon, and decrease AQP1 protein expression level, increase AQP3 and AQP4 protein expression levels in the colon. The intestinal toxicity of the chloroform extract was significantly higher than that of non-chloroform extract. The moisture content in mice feces, duodenum and colon was significantly decreased, and the AQPs protein expression tended to be normal in the colon after vinegar processing. The results showed that the chloroform fraction extracted from EER could lead to diarrhea, intestinal edema, and the intestinal toxicity action was associated with interfering AQPs protein expression and promoting intestinal fluid transport disorder in mice. Vinegar-processing could reduce intestinal toxicity of EER, so vinegar processing was considered to be the scientific processing method of EER.