Characterization of microbial community, ecological functions and antibiotic resistance in estuarine plastisphere.

The plastisphere is a new ecological niche. Compared to the surrounding water, microbial community composition associated with the plastisphere is known to differ with functional consequences. Here, this study characterized the bacterial and fungal communities associated with four types of plastisphere (polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride) in an estuarine habitat; assessed ecological functions including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycling, and determined the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and human pathogens. Stochastic processes dominated the community assembly of microorganisms on the plastisphere. Several functional genera related to nutrient cycling were enriched in the plastisphere. Compared to surrounding water and other plastisphere, the abundances of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling genes (cdaR, nosZ and chpy etc.) and ARGs (aadA2-1, cfa and catB8 etc.) were significantly increased in polyvinyl chloride plastisphere. In contrast, the polystyrene plastisphere was the preferred substrate for several pathogens being enriched with for example, Giardia lamblia 18S rRNA, Klebsiella pneumoniae phoE and Legionella spp. 23S rRNA. Overall, this study showed that different plastisphere had different effects on ecological functions and health risk in estuaries and emphasizes the importance of controlling plastic pollution in estuaries. Data from this study support global policy drivers that seek to reduce plastic pollution and offer insights into ecological functions in a new ecological niche of the Anthropocene.

The current situation, problems and suggestions of Chinese medicine health care development / 国际中医中药杂志

This article sorts out the evolution and policies of development status of health nursing by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It analyzes the reasons for the problems, such as the lack of industry standards and norms, the imperfect regulatory system, and the unclear institutional boundaries. The suggestion helps to explore and put forward detailed supporting policy measures, promote innovation of traditional Chinese medicine inheritance, accelerate standardization and standardization construction, strengthen the training of professional talents and standardize and maintain them, and continue to promote the healthy and orderly development of health care services of TCM.

Study on dosage rules of Aconitum herbs in oral prescriptions based on efficacy-toxicity relation / 中国中药杂志

Based on the relation of efficacy and toxicity, this study mined the dosage rules and characteristics of Aconitum herbs in oral prescriptions from 48 traditional ancient books from Eastern Han dynasty to Qing dynasty, to provide the basis for strengthening the clinical risk pharmacovigilance. In the 48 traditional ancient books, 4 521 prescriptions with clear daily oral dosage were included to establish a database. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistics and analysis of the daily dosage characteristics with different kinds of herbs, indications, dose forms, processing, use in special population, and other aspects. The results showed that 67% prescriptions contained Aconitum carmichaeli(Fuzi), and 90% of them was less than 14.87 g·d⁻¹; The dosage of A. carmichaeli(Chuanwu) and A. kusnezoffii(Caowu) were less than 3.14 g·d⁻¹. In the prescriptions for treating typhoid, epidemic, edema and phlegm, the dosage of Aconitum was larger. There dosage in the decoction and vinum was significantly higher than that in the pill and powder. With the dynastic evolution, the dosage of Aconitum herbal medicines prescriptions and the application percentage of superposition drug also had decreased. For the special populations that with different metabolism process, such as old people, children, pregnant and lactating women, the application of Aconitum was not only with relatively small ratio, but also with lower dose. Therefore, based on the data-mining of ancient books, the dosage of Aconitum should not exceed the limit prescribed by the current China Pharmacopoeia, and also should be strictly controlled by considering various factors, which will ensure the balance of efficacy and toxicity.

Study on Mechanism of Huang-Lian Jie-Du Decoction on Atherosclerosis Rats Based on Anti-inflammatory And Antioxidant / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This paper was aimed to study the effects of Huang-Lian Jie-Du decoction (HJD) on contents of oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL),monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1),vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1),malondialdehyde (MDA),and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of atherosclerosis (AS) rats' liver homogenate.Male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups,which were the normal control group,model group,positive control group (lovastatin),and the low-,middle-,high-dose HJD groups,with ten rats in each group.Except for the normal control group fed with normal diet,others were fed with high-fat diet,and regularly injected the vitamin D3.All groups were gavaged once daily from the 3rd week for 8 weeks until they were sacrificed.The results showed that compared with the normal control group,contents of MCP-1,VCAM-1 and Ox-LDL in the liver homogenate of the model group had significantly increased (p ＜ 0.05),after drug administration,all indexes mentioned above in the positive control group,the low-and middle-dose HJD group were decreased significantly (p ＜ 0.05);contents of MCP-1 and VCAM-1 of the high-dose HJD group decreased obviously (p ＜ 0.01);MDA content of liver homogenate increased significantly,after drug administration,contents of the positive control group and the low-dose HJD group decreased significantly (p ＜ 0.05);SOD content decreased significantly,after drug administration,contents of both the positive control group and the high-dose group increased significantly (p ＜ 0.05).It was concluded that HJD may play a role in AS intervention.Its mechanism may be related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant reaction.

Effects of mindfulness - based stress reduction on compliance in primary open angle glaucoma patients with topical medication / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To explore the effects of mindfulness- based stress reduction ( MBSR ) on anxiety, compliance and visual function in primary open angle glaucoma( POAG) patients. ·METHODS:Totally 64 patients, who were treated with topical medication and were diagnosed with POAG in the department of ophthalmology at Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, were randomly divided into the intervention group ( n=32 ) and the control group ( n=32 ) . Both groups received conventional mental health education while the intervention group was complemented with MBSR intervention. The patient's anxiety status, compliance rates and MD before and after the intervention were evaluated. ·RESULTS:After the MBSR intervention, the scores of HAMA of the intervention group were significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0. 01). The compliance of patients in intervention group was higher than that of the control group (P<0. 01). ·CONCLUSION:The MBSR intervention can effectively relieve the anxiety of patients and improve the compliance in primary open angle glaucoma patients. It can be promoted and put into clinical application.

Enlightenment of adverse reaction monitoring on safety evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines / 中国中药杂志

The adverse reaction monitoring is important in warning the risks of traditional Chinese medicines at an early stage, finding potential quality problems and ensuring the safe clinical medication. In the study, efforts were made to investigate the risk signal mining techniques in line with the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines, particularly the complexity in component, processing, compatibility, preparation and clinical medication, find early risk signals of traditional Chinese medicines and establish a traditional Chinese medicine safety evaluation system based on adverse reaction risk signals, in order to improve the target studies on traditional Chinese medicine safety, effective and timely control risks and solve the existing frequent safety issue in traditional Chinese medicines.

Safety and risk factor analysis on Polygoni Multiflori Radix base on ancient traditional Chinese medicine literatures / 中国中药杂志

Traditional Chinese medicine Polygoni Multiflori Radix is dried roots of Polygonaceae Polygortum multiflorum Thunb. Its clinical application records were first discovered in literatures of the Tang dynasty. The origins, efficacy, toxicity, processing and taboos of Polygoni Multiflori Radix have been discussed in many ancient herb literatures. In recent years, with the increase in the public awareness in health, Polygoni Multiflori Radix admits preparations have been more widely applied in the treatment and prevention of diseases. However, there have been more and more reports about Polygoni Multiflori Radix induced liver injury, the safety of Polygoni Multiflori Radix has increasingly attracted attention of the society. In this paper, the authors summarized and analyzed the toxicity and medication risk factors of Polygoni Multiflori Radix recorded in ancient herb literatures, and proposed that more attention shall be given to the effect of the planting and processing methods on the components and toxicity of Polygoni Multiflori Radix in safety studies, which provides clues for the further studies.

Experimental study on anti-tumor effect and mechanism of green tea extract / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore anti-cancer effect and mechanism of green tea extract (GTE) in three human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines (CAL-27, SCC-25 and KB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cell lines were in vitro cultured and its growth inhibition was detected by MTT. After screening most sensitive cell line, effect of GTE on CAL-27 cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. The protein expression of GTE on CAL-27 cell strain was determined by protein chip technique. The protein expression of CDK4, CDK6, and p-PDK1 was verified by using Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the inhibition rate on CAL-27 increased significantly after treated by 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL GTE; the inhibition rate on KB increased after treated by 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL GTE; the inhibition rate on SCC-25 increased after treated by 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 μg/mL GTE, all with statistical difference and in dose dependant manner (P < 0.01). Flow cytometric analysis showed that, when compared with the control group, 50 μg/mL GTE arrested CAL-27 cells in the G2/M phase (P < 0.05), and 100 μg/mL GTE arrested CAL-27 cells in the G2/M phase with concurrent decreased cells in the G0/G1 phase (P < 0.01). Totally 107 proteins were analyzed by protein chip technique. After treated by GTE, a total of 13 proteins significantly changed in CAL-27 cell line. Western blot showed that 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL GTE inhibited the expression of phopho-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (p-PDK1), cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4), and CDK6 of CAL-27 cell line with statistical difference (P < 0.05). The higher the drug concentration, the higher the inhibition rate (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>GTE could inhibit the proliferation of different human oral squamous carcinoma cell lines. CAL-27 is a sensitive cell line. GTE significantly affected EGFR and Notch signal network, and influenced changes of cell cycle related protein expression levels through the aforesaid channels, resulting in cell cycle arrest in S and G2/M phases.</p>

Advance in studies on toxicity of aristolochic acid and analysis on risk factors / 中国中药杂志

The renal toxicity and mutagenicity of aristolochic acid (AA) as well as its carcinogenicity on upper urinary tract transitional epithelial cells have been widely known. Since 2003, drug regulatory departments have successively cancelled the quality standards for AA-containing medicines such as Aristolochiae Radix, Aristolochiae Manshuriensis Caulis and Aristolchiae Fangchi Radix, and adopted measures for strengthening regulation and revising package insert or quality standards for other AA-containing medicines, including Aristolochia Cinnabarina Radix, Aristolochiae Fructus, Aristolochiae Mollissimae Herba, in order to control its safety risk. In recent years, domestic and foreign studies on AA have mainly involved action mechanism and clinical performance of AA toxicity, early-stage diagnosis and treatment method. In this paper, authors gave a brief summary and evaluation on risk factors for using AA-containing medicines, and offered measures and suggestions for preventing and controlling AA toxicity.

Impacts of rotating or lifting-thrusting manipulation on distant vision of naked eye in patients of juvenile myopia: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the differences in the efficacy on distant version of naked eye in the patients of juvenile myopia between rotating manipulation and lifting-thrusting manipulation of acupuncture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty cases (240 eyes) were randomized into a rotating manipulation group and a lifting-thrusting manipulation group, 60 cases (120 eyes) in each group. Additionally, a corrective lenses group, 60 cases (120 eyes), was set up as the control. In both manipulation groups, Cuanzhu (BL 2),Yuyao (EX-HN 4), Sizhukong (TE 23), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Fengchi (GB 20), Zusanli (ST 36), Guangming (GB 37) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were punctured, but stimulated with rotating manipulation and lifting-thrusting manipulation respectively three times per week, 10 times as a treatment session and totally one session was required. In the corrective lenses group, the glasses were applied at daytime. The clinical efficacy and the changes in distant vision of naked eye before and after treatment were compared among the three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate was 87.5% (105/120) in the rotating manipulation group, which was better than 69.2% (83/120) in the lifting-thrusting manipulation group (P < 0.05). The distant vision of naked eye was improved apparently in the rotating manipulation group and the lifting-thrusting manipulation group after treatment (both P < 0.05). But it was not improved in the corrective lenses group (P > 0.05). The distant vision of naked eye was improved more apparently after treatment in the rotating manipulation group as compared with that in the lifting-thrusting manipulation group (0.75 +/- 0.23 vs 0.68 +/- 0.24, P < 0.05). For 96 cases (192 eyes) with acupuncture treatment, in 3-month follow-up, 87.0% (167/192) of the cases maintained the stable vision as the original level and 13.0% (25/192) of them were reduced in the vision In the acupuncture groups, it was found that the improvement of distant vision of naked eye was more obvious after treatment with younger age, better basic vision and shorter duration of sickness (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture achieves the positive and sustainable clinical effect on juvenile myopia, and the results of rotating manipulation are superior to that of lifting-thrusting manipulation. Age, basic vision and duration of sickness impact the clinical efficacy.</p>

Opportunity and challenge of post-marketing evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Post-marketing evaluation is a process which evaluate the risks and benefits of drug clinical application comprehensively and systematically, scientific and systematic results of post-marketing evaluation not only can provide data support for clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine, but also can be a reliable basis for the supervision department to develop risk control measures. With the increasing demands for treatment and prevention of disease, traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used, and security issues are also exposed. How to find risk signal of traditional Chinese medicine in the early stages, carry out targeted evaluation work and control risk timely have become challenges in the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate attenuates angiotensin II-induced collagen type I expression in cardiac fibroblasts in vitro

Cardiac fibrosis occurs after pathological stimuli to the cardiovascular system. One of the most important factors that contribute to cardiac fibrosis is angiotensin II (Ang II). Accumulating studies have suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in cardiac fibrosis and sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) possesses antioxidant action. We therefore examined whether STS depresses Ang II-induced collagen type I expression in cardiac fibroblasts. In this study, Ang II significantly enhanced collagen type I expression and collagen synthesis. Meanwhile, Ang II depressed matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression and activity. These responses were attenuated by STS. Furthermore, STS depressed the intracellular generation of ROS, NADPH oxidase activity and subunit p47(phox) expression. In addition, N-acetylcysteine the ROS scavenger, depressed effects of Ang II in a manner similar to STS. In conclusion, the current studies demonstrate that anti-fibrotic effects of STS are mediated by interfering with the modulation of ROS.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the thalamus and hypothalamus in patients with first-episode depression / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the presence of abnormal metabolism in the thalamus and hypothalamus in patients with first-episode depression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty drug-naive patients with first-episode depression and 30 age-matched controls were scanned with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) for Naa, Cho, Cr and mI.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the patients showed significantly reduced mI and mI/Cr of the hypothalamus, reduced mI/Cr of the left thalamus, and lowered Cho, ml, and ml/Cr of the right thalamus (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with first-episode depression may have myo-inositol and phosphoric acid metabolism disorder in the thalamus and hypothalamus with malfunction of cellular osmotic pressure adjustment mechanism. Abnormal mI/Cr in the thalamus and hypothalamus may represent an important biochemical change in advanced patients with depression.</p>