Comparative effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions in reducing psychological symptoms among patients with chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) can seriously impair the quality of life of patients and has a remarkable comorbidity with psychological symptoms, which, in turn, can further exacerbate the symptoms of CLBP. Psychological treatments are critical and nonnegligent for the management of CLBP, and thus, should attract sufficient attention. However, current evidence does not suggest the superiority and effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions in reducing psychological symptoms among patients with CLBP.Thus, this study was designed to compare the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for depression, anxiety, and mental health among patients with CLBP and to recommend preferred strategies for attenuating psychological symptoms in clinical practice. METHODS: In this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), PubMed, Embase Database, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from database inception until March 2022. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compare different nonpharmacological interventions for depression, anxiety, and mental health among patients with CLBP were eligible. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement was used. Four reviewers in pairs and divided into two groups independently performed literature selection, data extraction, and risk of bias, and certainty of evidence assessments. This NMA was conducted with a random effects model under a frequentist framework. The major outcomes were depression, anxiety, and mental health presented as the standardized mean difference (SMD) with the corresponding 95% CI. RESULTS: A total of 66 RCTs that randomized 4806 patients with CLBP met the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was typically low or some risks of bias (47 out of 66 trials, 71.3%), and the precision of summary estimates for effectiveness varied substantially. In addition, 7 categories of interventions with 26 specific treatments were evaluated. For depression, mind body therapy (pooled SMD = -1.20, 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.78), biopsychosocial approach (pooled SMD = -0.41, 95% CI: -0.70 to -0.12), and physical therapy (pooled SMD = -0.26, 95% CI: -0.50 to -0.02) exhibited remarkable effectiveness in reducing depression compared with the control group. For managing anxiety, mind body therapy (pooled SMD = -1.35, 95% CI: -1.90 to -0.80), multicomponent intervention (pooled SMD = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.06), and a biopsychosocial approach (pooled SMD = -0.46, 95% CI: -0.79 to -0.14) were substantially superior to the control group. For improving mental health, multicomponent intervention (pooled SMD = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.39), exercise (pooled SMD = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.08 to 1.11), and physical therapy (pooled SMD = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.02-0.92) demonstrated statistically substantial effectiveness compared with the control group. The rank probability indicated that mind body therapy achieved the highest effectiveness in reducing depression and anxiety among patients with CLBP. Besides, the combined results should be interpreted cautiously based on the results of analyses evaluating the inconsistency and certainty of the evidence. CONCLUSION: This systemic review and NMA suggested that nonpharmacological interventions show promise for reducing psychological symptoms among patients with CLBP. In particular, mind body therapy and a biopsychosocial approach show considerable promise, and mind body therapy can be considered a priority choice in reducing depression and anxiety. These findings can aid clinicians in assessing the potential risks and benefits of available treatments for CLBP comorbidity with psychological symptoms and provide evidence for selecting interventions in clinical practice. More RCTs involving different interventions with rigorous methodology and an adequate sample size should be conducted in future research.

Nano-modulators with the function of disrupting mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis and photothermal conversion for synergistic breast cancer therapy.

Breast cancer treatment has been a global puzzle, and apoptosis strategies based on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload have attracted extensive attention. However, various limitations of current Ca2+ nanogenerators make it difficult to maintain effective Ca2+ overload concentrations. Here, we constructed a multimodal Ca2+ nano-modulator that, for the first time, combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and mitochondrial Ca2+ overload strategies to inhibit tumor development. By crosslinking sodium alginate (SA) on the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles encapsulating with Cur and ICG, we prepared a synergistic Ca2+ nano-regulator SA/Cur@CaCO3-ICG (SCCI). In vitro studies have shown that SCCI further enhanced photostability while preserving the optical properties of ICG. After uptake by tumor cells, SCCI can reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and down-regulate ATP production by producing large amounts of Ca2+ at low pH. Near-infrared light radiation (NIR) laser irradiation made the tumor cells heat up sharply, which not only accelerated the decomposition of CaCO3, but also produced large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) followed by cell apoptosis. In vivo studies have revealed that the Ca2+ nano-regulators had excellent targeting, biocompatibility, and anti-tumor effects, which can significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and play a direct killing effect. These findings indicated that therapeutic strategies based on ionic interference and PTT had great therapeutic potential, providing new insights into antitumor therapy.

Apoptotic mechanism of premature ovarian failure and rescue effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine: a review.

Social and environmental factors render premature ovarian failure (POF) as a major cause of decline or loss of female fertility. The natural pregnancy rate of patients with POF is only 5%-10%. Follicular atresia is the main factor in the pathogenesis of POF. Due to the unique ovarian physiological environment and follicular developmental processes, the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and oocytes together cause follicular atresia, which involves the apoptosis-related internal and external pathways. Furthermore, during POF, apoptosis and oxidative stress forms a ""vicious circle"", which involves a variety of changes between the molecules. The existing pharmaceutical preparations such as gonadal hormones are the basic methods for the treatment of POF, and the curative effect was affirmative; however, it was ineffective after withdrawn, while the long-term application led to adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a history of treating gynecological diseases and infertility and has gained increasing attention. Studies have shown that compounds isolated from herbal medicine exerted a positive effect on follicular atresia caused by cell apoptosis that also improved the POF. The present study reviewed the mechanisms underlying the apoptosis in POF and elaborated the internal mechanism of TCM in the treatment of the condition.

Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban suppresses experimental abdominal aortic aneurysm progression via attenuating aortic inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: Rivaroxaban is a specific factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor for venous thromboembolism treatment. Recently, increasing evidence have reported the beneficial effects of rivaroxaban on treating cardiovascular disorders such as coronary and peripheral artery disease. However, its potential influence on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether rivaroxaban treatment could attenuate experimental AAA progression and its related mechanisms. APPROACHES AND RESULTS: In human aneurysmal aorta, FXa protein expression was significantly upregulated. Further investigations identified a positive correlation among plasma FXa level, AAA severity (the maximal aortic diameter), and intra-aneurysmal thrombus percentage. In Ang II (angiotensin II)-infused ApoE-/- mice, the administration of high dose rivaroxaban (15 mg/kg/d) for 14 days significantly reduced the maximal aortic diameter, while low dose rivaroxaban (5 mg/kg/d) did not display such a protective role. Although rivaroxaban treatments reduced the incidence of AAA and thrombus formation, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Immunohistochemistry revealed a pronounced aortic remodeling including increased collagen content and enhanced elastin degradation in Ang II-induced AAAs, which was inhibited by high dose rivaroxaban treatment. Further analysis demonstrated that rivaroxaban exerted its protective effects by decreasing leukocyte infiltration, inflammatory cytokines expression, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression in the aortic wall. The inhibitory effect of rivaroxaban on aneurysm development was also observed in calcium chloride-induced AAA model. Mechanistically, in human aortic endothelial cells, FXa stimulation increased the expression of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and adhesive molecules, which were all reversed by the cotreatment of rivaroxaban. Subsequent monocyte-endothelial cell interaction was enhanced after FXa stimulation and was alleviated by rivaroxaban cotreatment. In addition, FXa induced a significantly heightened expression of MMP2 in human aortic endothelial cells, which was ameliorated by rivaroxaban coadministration. CONCLUSIONS: Rivaroxaban attenuated both angiotensin II- and calcium chloride-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progressions, through inhibiting aortic remodeling and inflammation. Rivaroxaban could be a promising therapeutic agent in attenuating AAA development by counteracting FXa-induced aortic wall inflammation.

Protective effect of baicalin against cognitive memory dysfunction after splenectomy in aged rats and its underlying mechanism.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is a common neurological complication, characterized by impaired learning and memory, that occurs after anesthesia and surgery, especially in elderly patients. The traditional Chinese medicine baicalin is known to have neuroprotective effects. Therefore, we have investigated whether baicalin can improve postoperative cognitive impairment in aged rats after splenectomy. A total of 60 Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided, equally, into the splenectomy, sham operation (Sham), low-dose baicalin (Baicalin A), medium-dose baicalin (Baicalin B), and high-dose baicalin (Baicalin C) groups. Splenectomy was performed under anesthesia in all groups except for the Sham group, in which an appropriate concentration of saline was administered. The effects of baicalin on learning and memory were examined by the Y-maze behavioral experiments. Although splenectomy had a negative effect on cognitive function in the acute phase, all the rats spontaneously recovered on a postoperative day seven. Nonetheless, in the acute phase, the medium and high doses of baicalin slightly alleviated these effects of the procedure. The protein expression of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, Interleukin-6, and Interleukin-1ß was assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Their levels were elevated in the acute phase but were returned to normal with the medium and high dose of baicalin. Real-time PCR analysis of the mRNA expression of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor TNF-α, which is known to be involved in long-term potentiation, revealed that baicalin promoted its transcription. Thus, the findings indicate that baicalin may improve postoperative cognitive memory dysfunction in postoperative cognitive dysfunction in rats via anti-inflammatory mechanisms and pathways that involve N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B subunit.

Screening of blood-activating active components from Danshen-Honghua herbal pair by spectrum-effect relationship analysis.

BACKGROUND: Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza, DS) and Honghua (Carthamus tinctorius, HH) are commonly used traditional Chinese medicines for activating blood and removing stasis, and DS-HH (DH) herbal pair had potential synergistic effects on promoting blood circulation. Therefore, it is essential to make clear the active components of this herbal pair for better understanding their potential synergistic effects. PURPOSE: To comprehensively evaluate the activity of DH herbal pair on physiological coagulation system of rats, and seek their potential active components by spectrum-effect relationship analysis. METHODS: The water extracts of DH herbal pair with different proportions (DS: HH = 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 5:1, 1:5 and 1:3) were prepared. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups: blank group, model group, model + 1:1 (DH) group, model + 2:1 group, model + 3:1 group, model + 5:1 group, model + 1:5 group and model + 1:3 group. The intragastric administration was performed for eight times with 12 h intervals. SC40 semi-automatic coagulation analyzer was employed to determine coagulation indices. Meanwhile, HPLC and LC-MS were applied for chemical analyses of DH extracts. Finally, the active ingredients were screened by spectrum-effect relationship analysis and the activities of major predicted compounds were validated in vitro. RESULTS: Different proportions of DH extracts could significantly prolong thrombin time (TT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), increase prothrombin time (PT) and decrease fibrinogen (FIB) content, reduced whole blood viscosity (WBV) and plasma viscosity (PV), decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate blood (ESR) compared with model group. Furthermore, fifteen highly related components were screened out by the spectrum-effect relationship and LC-MS analysis, of which caffeic acid, salvianolic acid B, hydroxysafflor yellow A and lithospermate acid had significant blood-activing effect by prolong APTT and decrease FIB content at high (0.6 mM), medium (0.3 mM) and low (0.15 mM) (except lithospermate acid) concentrations in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: DH herbal pair showed strong blood-activating effect on blood stasis rat through regulating the parameters involved in haemorheology and plasma coagulation system. Four active compounds, caffeic acid, salvianolic acid B, hydroxysafflor yellow A and lithospermate acid predicted by spectrum-effect relationship analysis had good blood-activating effect. Therefore, spectrum-effect relationship analysis is an effective approach for seeking active components in herbal pairs.

Characterization of active antiplatelet chemical compositions of edible Citrus limon through ultra-performance liquid chromatography single quadrupole mass spectrometry-based chemometrics.

Citrus limon L. (lemon, family: Rutaceae) is the third most popular edible fruit among the Citrus species. Our previous study has shown the significant antiplatelet activity of lemon extracts. The aim of the present study is to identify the features (retention time, m/z) associated with the antiplatelet activity of lemons by correlating a platelet aggregation assay with ultra-performance liquid chromatography single quadrupole mass spectrometry-based chemometrics analysis. The primary bioactivity-guided test results revealed that the butanol (BA) and ethyl acetate (EA) liquid-liquid extraction sections of the ethanol extract of lemons had significant inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation. Upon further separating the combined BA and EA sections with a silica column, four different active fractions were obtained, and their LC-MS data were collected. After modeling by two multivariate statistical techniques, namely, principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminate analysis seven markers were predicted, identified, and tentatively classified as priority markers of bioactivity in lemons. Among them, the antiplatelet activity of four marker compounds, namely, oxypeucedanin hydrate, citric acid, diosmin, and limetin at concentrations lower than 300 µM was confirmed. Moreover, the specific mechanism of limetin interaction with the TP ß receptor of thromboxane A2 and the effect of limetin on the PI3 K/Rap-1b signaling pathway through the ßγ subunit of GPCR (i) in platelet aggregation were studied by differential proteomic analysis to illustrate the validity and persistence of these markers for application in lemon fruit platforms.

l-Arginine induces antioxidant response to prevent oxidative stress via stimulation of glutathione synthesis and activation of Nrf2 pathway.

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid. To elucidate the influence of l-arginine on the activation of endogenous antioxidant defence, male Wistar rats were orally administered daily with l-arginine at different levels of 25, 50, 100 mg/100 g body weight. After 7 and 14 days feeding, the antioxidative capacities and glutathione (GSH) contents in the plasma and in the liver were uniformly enhanced with the increasing consumption of l-arginine, whereas the oxidative stress was effectively suppressed by l-arginine treatment. After 14 days feeding, the mRNA levels and protein expressions of Keap1 and Cul3 were gradually reduced by increasing l-arginine intake, resulting that the nuclear factor Nrf2 was activated. Upon activation of Nrf2, the expressions of antioxidant responsive element (ARE)-dependent genes and proteins (GCLC, GCLM, GS, GR, GST, GPx, CAT, SOD, NQO1, HO-1) were up-regulated by l-arginine feeding, indicating an upward trend in antioxidant capacity uniformly with the increasing consumption of l-arginine. The present study demonstrates that the supplementation of l-arginine stimulates GSH synthesis and activates Nrf2 pathway, leading to the up-regulation of ARE-driven antioxidant expressions via Nrf2-Keap1 pathway. Results suggest the availability of l-arginine is a critical factor to suppress oxidative stress and induce an endogenous antioxidant response.

Comparing coagulation activity of Selaginella tamariscina before and after stir-frying process and determining the possible active constituents based on compositional variation.

CONTEXT: Selaginella tamariscina (P. Beauv.) Spring (Selaginellaceae) (ST) has been widely used in China as a medicine for improving blood circulation. However, its processed product, S. tamariscina carbonisatus (STC), possesses opposite haemostatic activity. OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively evaluate the activity of ST and STC on physiological coagulation system of rats, and seek potential active substances accounting for the activity transformation of ST during processing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 75% methanol extracts of the whole grass (fine powder) of ST and STC were prepared, respectively. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, model group, model + ST group, model + STC group and positive control group (model + Yunnanbaiyao). The duration of intragastric administration was 72 h at 12 h intervals. Haemorheology parameters were measured using an LB-2 A cone-plate viscometer and the existed classic methods, respectively. SC40 semi-automatic coagulation analyzer was employed to determine coagulation indices. Meanwhile, HPLC and LC-MS were applied for chemical analyses of ST and STC extracts. RESULTS: STC shortened tail-bleeding time, increased whole blood viscosity (WBV) and plasma viscosity (PV), decreased erythrocyte sedimentation rate blood (ESR), reduced activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and increased the fibrinogen (FIB) content in the plasma of bleeding model rats. Although ST could shorten APTT and TT, the FIB content was significantly decreased by ST. Dihydrocaffeic acid with increased content in STC vs. ST showed haemostatic activity for promoting the platelet aggregation induced by collagen and trap-6, and reducing APTT and PT significantly with a concentration of 171.7 µM in vitro. Amentoflavone with reduced content in STC vs. ST inhibited ADP and AA-induced platelet aggregation significantly with a concentration of 40.7 µM. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: As the processed product of ST, STC showed strong haemostatic activity on bleeding rat through regulating the parameters involved in haemorheology and plasma coagulation system. Two active compounds, dihydrocaffeic acid and amentoflavone, might be partially responsible for the haemostatic and anticoagulant activity of STC and ST, respectively.

Mechanism of Kai Xin San in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on network pharmacology / 药学学报

The study was designed to explore the active components and mechanism of Kai Xin San in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on network pharmacology. All targets related to AD were researched in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Therapeutic Targets Database (TTD). The common targets obtained by two databases were determined as candidate proteins involved in AD. All active components related to Kai Xin San were researched from ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion). PharmMapper was used to obtain the primary candidate targets of Kai Xin San. The corresponding gene name of each target protein was obtained from the UniProt database and selected human target proteins. Finally, the target proteins related to AD by Kai Xin San were acquired; Cytoscape 3.5.1 was used to construct the topology analysis for the active ingredient-AD target interaction network of Kai Xin San. According to STRING database and DAVID annotation databases, Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of the targets was performed. The network pharmacology analysis results were verified by Discovery Studio molecular docking software. There were 31 components meeting the conditions of ADME and 8 targets relating to AD. Thirteen kinds of biological process, 7 related to molecular function and 11 related to cellar components, were included in 31 GO entries. There were 5 KEGG pathways, involving the calcium signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The docking results of Discovery Studio showed that active ingredients of Kai Xin San and the positive controls all have good binding activity with important targets. In conclusion, the Kai Xin San as applied for treating AD has the advantages of multi-components and targets, to investigate the active components and mechanism of Kai Xin San for treating AD based on network pharmacology to eludicate possible studies of the mechanisms of action.

Protective role of n6/n3 PUFA supplementation with varying DHA/EPA ratios against atherosclerosis in mice.

The effects of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on cardiovascular disease are controversial. We currently explored the effects of various ratios of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on high-fat-induced atherosclerosis. In model apoE(-/-) mice, high-fat diets (HFD) were partially replaced with fish and algal oils (DHA/EPA 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2) and/or plant oils enriched in linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids with an n6/n3 ratio of 4:1. PUFA supplementation significantly reduced the atherosclerotic plaque area, serum lipid profile, inflammatory response, aortic ROS production, proinflammatory factors and scavenger receptor expression as compared to those in the HFD group. However, plant oils did not have a significant effect on the following: serum HDL-C level; aortic ABCA1, ABCG1 and LAL mRNA expression; and CD36 and LOX-1 protein expression. Compared to the plant-oil-treated group, the DHA/EPA 1:1 group had a smaller atherosclerotic plaque area, higher serum HDL-C levels and lesser CD36 and MSR-1 mRNA expression; the DHA/EPA 2:1 group had lower serum TC, LDL-C and TNF-α levels and lower aortic ROS levels. Our study suggested that n3 PUFA from animals had more potent atheroprotective effects than that from plants. Supplementation involving higher DHA/EPA ratios and an n6/n3 ratio of 4:1 was beneficial for reducing serum "bad cholesterol" and a 1:1 DHA/EPA ratio with an n6/n3 ratio of 4:1 was beneficial for improving serum "good cholesterol" and inhibiting ox-LDL uptake. Our results suggest that achieving an n6/n3 ratio of 4:1 in the diet is also important in addition to having an optimal DHA/EPA ratio.

PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is involved in the neurotrophic effect of senegenin.

Neurodegenerative diseases are frequently associated with the loss of synapses and neurons. Senegenin, extracted from the Chinese herb Polygala tenuifolia Willd, was previously found to promote neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival in primary cultured rat cortical neurons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of senegenin-induced neurotrophic effects on rat cortical neurons. Primary cortical rat neurons were treated with various pharmacological antagonists and with or without senegenin, and subjected to MTT and western blot analysis to explore the effects of senegenin on cell survival as well as the activation of signaling pathways. Neurite outgrowth and neuronal survival induced by senegenin were significantly inhibited by A2A receptor antagonist ZM241385 and specific phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, but not by tropomyosin receptor kinase A receptor inhibitor K252a, mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor PD98059 or protein kinase C inhibitor GÖ6976. Furthermore, senegenin enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, which was blocked by LY294002. The present study revealed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway may be involved in the neurotrophic effects of senegenin.

[Protective effects of da chai hu granules (DCHKL) against alloxan (AXN)-induced rat pancreatic islets damage].

The protective effects of Da Chai Hu Granules (DCHKL) on islet cells which were incubated with 4 mmol x L(-1) alloxan (AXN) were studied. The viability of islet cells were measured with MTT. Insulin released into medium and in islets was detected by radioimmunoassay. Cell apoptosis rate was determined by flow cytometry. The expression of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic gene Bax in islet cells were measured with RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction). Serum containing DCHKL can promote the activity of islet cells significantly (P < 0.01). Basal insulin secretion and high glucose-stimulated insulin secretion increased significantly (P < 0.01). Serum containing DCHKL can inhibit apoptosis of islet cells, the ratio of apoptosis was decreased. Serum containing DCHKL increased expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and decreased expression of Bax mRNA. DCHKL can significantly promote proliferation of islet cells and increase the amount of basal secretion of pancreatic islet cells and high glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. The expression of Bcl-2 increased significantly. The expression of Bax decreased significantly. DCHKL have a protective effect on the islet cells.

[Effect of acteoside on learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study on the effect of acteoside on learning and memory of dementia mice. METHOD: Mice were orally administered with acteoside for 10 days. Scopolamine was used to establish the acquired learning disability in mice. Their learning and memory were detected with a behavioral experiment (step-down test). After the behavior test, corticocerebral and hippocampus tissues of mice were detected with biochemical indexes, including GSH-Px, T-SOD, MDA, TChE and contents of protein in brain tissues. RESULT: Mice were administered with acteoside for 10 d in advance to alleviate the acquired learning disability induced by scopolamine. Compared with the model group, acteoside increased the latency period in the step-down test and reduced error times. Besides, acteoside increased the activity of GSH-Px, T-SOD, TChE and protein content in their brain tissues, but decreased MDA content. CONCLUSION: Acteoside can significantly alleviate the acquired learning disability in mice induced by scopolamine. Its mechanism may be related with its effect of inhibiting the generation of free radicals in mice and improving the function of the central cholinergic system.

[Effect of salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligustrazine injection on the early myocardial damage of patients with severe burn].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine injection on the early myocardial damage of severely burned patients. METHODS: Twenty severely burned patients hospitalized from January 2010 to August 2011, with burn area equal to or more than 50% TBSA, were divided into two groups following hospitalization sequence, with odd number patients entering treatment group (T, n = 10) and even number patients entering control group (C, n = 10). Patients in C group were treated with routine methods, including fluid resuscitation based on the Third Military Medical University formula, anti-infection treatment, support treatment, and organ-protection treatment, etc. In addition to routine treatment methods, patients in T group received intravenous infusion of 250 mL glucose injection (50 g/L) containing 10 mL salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine concoction, once a day, and continued for three days. Venous blood of patients was drawn at post burn hour (PBH) 12, 24, 48, and 72 to determine the plasma levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase isozyme MB (CK-MB), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Data were processed with t test. RESULTS: At each time point, levels of cTnI, CK-MB, and ANP were lower in T group than in C group. Differences in contents of these parameters between two groups were statistically significant at most time points, with t values from 2.136 to 2.918, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01. Plasma levels of cTnI, CK-MB, and ANP in both groups peaked at PBH 12, which were respectively (28 ± 10) ng/mL, (76 ± 13) U/L, (430 ± 87) pg/mL in T group, and (38 ± 11) ng/mL, (87 ± 10) U/L, (453 ± 91) pg/mL in C group. From PBH 24 to 72, contents of above-mentioned parameters decreased gradually in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Early use of salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine injection in severely burned patients can effectively reduce myocardial damage, thus protect the myocardium from injury.

[Pharmacokinetic study on acetoside in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a HPLC method for determining acetoside in rat plasma and to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of acetoside in rats. METHOD: Six rats were orally administered with 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside and their blood samples were collected at different time points. The plasma concentration of acetoside was determined by reserved HPLC, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 software. RESULT: The regression equation of acetoside in rats plasma was Y = 3.509 8X-0.096 8 (r = 0.996 8), which showed a good linear relation at 0.125-2.5 mg x L(-1). The method showed a recovery of more than 85%, and both inter-day and intra-day RSDs were less than 15%. After the oral administration of 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside, the concentration-time curves of acetoside were expressed in a open two-compartment model. The main pharmacokinetics parameters of T(max), C(max), t(1/2alpha), t(1/2beta), AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), CL/F, V/F and K(a) were respectively 0.36 h, 1.126 mg x L(-1), 0.759, 4.842 h, 3.134, 3.766 mg x h x L(-), 87.089 L x h(t) x kg(-1), 207.704 L x kg(-1) and 6.345 h(-1) respectively. CONCLUSION: It is first time to establish such a HPLC method to determine the concentration of acetoside in plasma. The method is so highly specified and sensitive that it can ble used in quantitative analysis in vivo on acetoside.

Acoustical scattering by multilayer spherical elastic scatterer containing electrorheological layer.

A computational procedure for analyzing acoustical scattering by multilayer concentric spherical scatterers having an arbitrary mixture of acoustic and elastic materials is proposed. The procedure is then used to analyze the scattering by a spherical scatterer consisting of a solid shell and a solid core encasing an electrorheological (ER) fluid layer, and the tunability in the scattering characteristics afforded by the ER layer is explored numerically. Tunable scatterers with two different ER fluids are analyzed. One, corn starch in peanut oil, shows that a significant increase in scattering cross-section is possible in moderate frequencies. Another, fine poly-methyl methacrylate (PMMA) beads in dodecane, shows only slight change in scattering cross-sections overall. But, when the shell is thin, a noticeable local resonance peak can appear near ka=1, and this resonance can be turned on or off by the external electric field.

[Effect of cuichan zhunsheng decoction for promoting cervical ripening in late pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Cuichan Zhunsheng Decoction (CZD) on the cervical ripening factors in late pregnancy. METHODS: Ninety women with full-term pregnant ready for labor inducing were equally assigned to 3 groups. The treated group was orally treated with CZD, the control group was with pitocin by adding 1 U into 500 mL of 5% glucose for intravenous dripping in 6 h, and the placebo group was orally treated with simulator of CZD as placebo, with the medication lasted for 3 days. Changes of cervical length and width, and neck tube diameter were measured by vaginal B-ultrasonography to estimate the degree of cervical maturation referring to the clinical Bishop scale; meanwhile, changes in blood levels of prostaglandin E2alpha(PGE2alpha), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured. RESULTS: The total effective rate on cervical ripening was 96.7% in the treated group, which was significantly superior to those in the control group (83.3%) and the placebo group (26.7%, P < 0.05). The blood levels of PGE2alpha, IL-8, and ET-1 after treatment in the treated group were significantly higher than those in the placebo group (P < 0.05), and levels of PGE2alpha and IL-8 were higher in the control group than in the placebo group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CZD can promote the cervical ripening through raising blood levels of PGE2alpha, IL-8 and ET-1, altering the structure of cervical tissue to reduce the cervical tension, which could increase the maturation of cervix, induce delivery sign, so as to elevate the vaginal delivery rate and reduce the percentage of caesarean birth.

[Clinical and experimental study on effect of cuichan zhusheng decoction on the structure and tension of pregnant cervix uteri].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Cuichan Zhusheng Decoction (CZD) on cervical maturation factors. METHODS: Ninety women with full-term pregnancy and indication for labor inducing were assigned to three groups equally. The treated group was treated by water decoction of CZD, one dose (300 mL) daily, taken orally in the morning 30 min before breakfast, for successive 3 days, the administration would be discontinued if uterine contraction occurred for over 3 times/hour in the course. The control group was treated with pitocin by adding 1 U into 500 mL 5% glucose for intravenous dripping in 6 h, once every day for 3 successive days. The blank group was treated by placebo of CZD, administrated in same way as that in the treated group. The length and width of cervix and diameter of neck tube in all the women were measured on the very day of medication and 72 h later or parturient time by vaginal B-ultrasonography, and the cervical maturation degree was scored referring to the clinical Bishop scale. In the experimental study, the cervical tension of pregnant rats was measured with an in vitro cervical tension-meter, rats' cervical tissues were taken for pathologic examination to observe its morphological change. RESULTS: The total effective rate for promoting cervical maturation was 96.67% in the treated group and 83.33% in the control group. It was significantly superior in the treated group to that in the control group and the blank group (P<0.05). Moreover, the cervical score in the treated group was higher in comparing with that in the blank group showing statistical significance (P<0.05). Animal experiments displayed that after medication, the cervical tissue of rat loosened with significantly lessened, swollen, convoluted and ruptured collagen fiber, showing sparse disorderly lined-up reticular status. Degradation of collagen fiber, vascular dilatation and congestion with massive amount of inflammatory cells infiltration, increased matrix components, and many leucocyte and fibroblast in the stroma could be seen. CONCLUSION: CZD can change the morphorlogic structure of cervical tissue, decrease cervical tension, so as to promote the cervical maturation and induce labor.