Coffee Consumption and Incidence of Cardiovascular and Microvascular Diseases in Never-Smoking Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The relationship between coffee consumption and diabetes-related vascular complications remains unclear. To eliminate confounding by smoking, this study assessed the relationships of coffee consumption with major cardiovascular disease (CVD) and microvascular disease (MVD) in never-smokers with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Included were 9964 never-smokers with T2DM from the UK Biobank without known CVD or cancer at baseline (7781 were free of MVD). Participants were categorized into four groups according to daily coffee consumption (0, 0.5-1, 2-4, ≥5 cups/day). CVD included coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and heart failure (HF). MVD included retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) of total CVD and MVD and the component outcomes associated with coffee consumption. During a median of 12.7 years of follow-up, 1860 cases of CVD and 1403 cases of MVD were identified. Coffee intake was nonlinearly and inversely associated with CVD (P-nonlinearity = 0.023) and the component outcomes. Compared with no coffee intake, HRs (95% CIs) associated with a coffee intake of 2 to 4 cups/day were 0.82 (0.73, 0.93) for CVD, 0.84 (0.73, 0.97) for CHD, 0.73 (0.57, 0.92) for MI, 0.76 (0.57, 1.02) for stroke, and 0.68 (0.55, 0.85) for HF. Higher coffee intake (≥5 cups/day) was not significantly associated with CVD outcomes. Coffee intake was linearly and inversely associated with risk of CKD (HR for ≥5 vs. 0 cups/day = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.91; P-trend = 0.0029) but was not associated with retinopathy or peripheral neuropathy. Among never-smoking individuals with T2DM, moderate coffee consumption (2-4 cups/day) was associated with a lower risk of various CVD outcomes and CKD, with no adverse associations for higher consumption.

Characterization of Polysaccharides from the Pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim by Saccharide Mapping and Their Neuroprotective Effects.

The pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim (PZM) is a commonly used spice and herbal medicine in China. In the present study, the structural characteristics of PPZM were investigated by saccharide mapping after enzymatic digestion by using high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and polysaccharide analysis by using carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE). The mechanisms of protective effects of PPZM on Aß25-35-induced oxidative damage were explored in PC12 cells. The results showed that PPZM contained 1,4-α-D-galactosidic, 1,4-α-D-galactosiduronic, and (1→4)-ß-D-glucosidic linkages. Pretreatment with PPZM significantly increased the cell viability of Aß25-35-injured PC12 cells. Flow cytometry and Hoechst/PI staining indicated that PPZM gradually relieved the apoptosis of the Aß25-25-treated cells. PPZM markedly decreased the ROS level of PC12 cells and suppressed Aß25-35-induced oxidative stress by increasing the SOD level, and decreasing the level of MDA and LDH. The mRNA expressions of caspase-3 and Bax were significantly downregulated, and Bcl-2 expression was upregulated by treatment with PPZM. PPZM significantly increased the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in Aß25-35 treated cells. The results indicated that PPZM alleviated apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by Aß25-25 through the inhibition of mitochondrial dependent apoptosis and activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. PPZM can be used as a potential protective agent against Aß25-25-induced neurotoxicity.

The Effects of Milk Supplementation on Bone Health Indices in Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Milk contains a number of bone-beneficial nutrients. However, milk, due to the D-galactose content, might have unfavorable effects on bone health. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to clarify the effects of milk supplementation on bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover markers [N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx), C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx), osteocalcin, bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), and procollagen type 1 N-propeptide (P1NP)], and hormonal indices related to bone metabolism [parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)] in adults. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled effect sizes. A total of 20 RCTs were included. The trial duration ranged from 1 mo to 36 mo. Milk supplementation resulted in a small but significant increase in BMD at the hip (+0.004 g/cm2; n = 9 RCTs) and lumbar spine (+0.025 g/cm2; n = 7), but did not significantly affect whole-body BMD (n = 3) and femoral neck BMD (n = 7). Milk supplementation reduced the concentrations of P1NP (-5.20 ng/mL; n = 9), CTx (-0.16 ng/mL; n = 9), and NTx (-8.66 nmol bone collagen equivalents/mmol creatinine; n = 3). The concentrations of osteocalcin (n = 9) and BALP (n = 3) were not affected by milk supplementation. Reduced parathyroid hormone PTH (-1.01 pg/mL; n = 13) concentrations and increased IGF-1 (+1.79 nmol/l; n = 4) concentrations were observed with milk supplementation. 25(OH)D (+3.73 ng/mL; n = 11) concentrations were increased with vitamin-D fortified milk supplementation. The addition of milk to the diet may potentially increase the likelihood of preventing bone loss by restoring bone homeostasis through the modulation of the calcium-vitamin D-PTH axis, bone remodeling rate, and growth hormone/IGF-1 axis.

The Effect of Protein-Rich Extract from Bombyx Batryticatus against Glutamate-Damaged PC12 Cells Via Regulating γ-Aminobutyric Acid Signaling Pathway.

Bombyx Batryticatus (BB) is a known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) utilized to treat convulsions, epilepsy, cough, asthma, headaches, etc. in China for thousands of years. This study is aimed at investigating optimum extraction of protein-rich extracts from BB (BBPs) using response surface methodology (RSM) and exploring the protective effects of BBPs against nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells injured by glutamate (Glu) and their underlying mechanisms. The results indicated optimum process of extraction was as follows: extraction time 1.00 h, ratio of liquid to the raw material 3.80 mL/g and ultrasonic power 230.0 W. The cell viability of PC12 cells stimulated by Glu was determined by CCK-8 assay. The levels of γ-aminobutyric (GABA), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GR) in PC12 cells were assayed by ELISA. Furthermore, the Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Protein and mRNA expressions of GABAA-Rα1, NMDAR1, GAD 65, GAD 67, GAT 1 and GAT 3 in PC12 cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting assays. Results revealed that BBPs decreased toxic effects due to Glu treatment and decreased Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells. After BBPs treatments, levels of GABA and 5-HT were increased and contents of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1ß were decreased in NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu. Moreover, BBPs up-regulated the expressions of GABAA-Rα1, GAD 65 and GAD 67, whereas down-regulated that of NMDAR1 GAT 1 and GAT 3. These findings suggested that BBPs possessed protective effects on NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu via γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) signaling pathways, which demonstrated that BBPs has potential anti-epileptic effect in vitro. These findings may be useful in the development of novel medicine for the treatment of epilepsy.

Calculus bovis: A review of the traditional usages, origin, chemistry, pharmacological activities and toxicology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Calculus bovis (C. bovis), a widespread known traditional animal drug in China and Japan, has been widely used for a long time to treat various diseases, including high fever, convulsion and stroke. The aim of the present paper is to comprehensively review knowledge about C. bovis in terms of traditional usages, origin, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and toxicology to seek an applicable substitute for NCB and provide potential new strategies utilizing C. bovis. Additionally, directions and perspectives for future investigations regarding C. bovis are also discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this paper, the traditional usages, origin, chemical constituents, pharmacology, and toxicology of C. bovis are comprehensively and systematically summarized by searching scientific databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, CNKI, Baidu Scholar and others. Additionally, some classic books of Chinese herbal medicine, academic papers authored by individuals with MSc and PhD degrees, local government reports as well as the state of local drug standards are also retrieved. RESULTS: Currently, C. bovis mainly derives from four sources: natural Calculus bovis (NCB), Calculus bovis sativus (CBS), Cultured calculus bovis (CCB) and Calculus bovis artifactus (CBA). Owing to their different formation processes, the chemical constituents of the four kinds of C. bovis show certain differences. Additionally, over 44 chemical constituents have been isolated and identified from C. bovis, mainly including bile pigments, bile acids, cholesterols and amino acids. Further investigations have revealed a wide range of pharmacological effects of C. bovis, with effects on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, immune system and others. Furthermore, NCB and CBA show hypotoxicity, but high concentrations of bilirubin can cause neurotoxicity and hearing impairment. Additionally, pharmacokinetic data for C. bovis are still lacking. CONCLUSION: CBS contains analogous types and amounts of constituents and exerts similar therapeutic effects to NCB. Thus, CBS might be used as a sustainable substitute for NCB. Furthermore, the configuration and concentration of bile acids and bilirubin in C. bovis are responsible for the difference in pharmacological effects in the four types C. bovis. Further studies should focus on the structure-function relationship of bile acids and bilirubin in C. bovis by employing pharmacokinetics.

[Effect of animal medicines for "extinguishing wind to arrest convulsions" on central nervous system diseases].

The human health is seriously affected by central nervous system(CNS) diseases, but the pathogenesis of CNS diseases is still not completely clear. Currently, the drugs used to treat CNS diseases are mainly receptor modulators and neurotransmitter inhibitors, which have serious side effects; and there are short of drugs for treating CNS diseases clinically. Studies suggest that animal medicines mainly include protein, polypeptide and small-molecule compounds, and have such pharmacological effects in calming, resisting convulsions and improving brain tissues. Plenty of studies suggest that animal medicines usually have a strong activity and good curative effect on these diseases, with a promising prospect in research and development of drugs treating CNS diseases. Based on systematic reviews of literatures, this paper summarizes active ingredients and main pharmacological effects of animal medicines in "extinguishing wind to arrest convulsions" for the CNS diseases, epilepsy and cerebral ischemia, and discusses their study value and application prospects. The results showed that the studies of protein and peptides were relatively simple, and some animal medicines were still blank. The authors believed that amino acids and small molecular compounds should be transferred to oligopeptide, advanced protein extraction and separation techniques shall be adopted for identifying the protein polypeptide composition structure and studying the efficacy, and the methods of biological technology were used to develop peptide biological products for the treatment of CNS diseases. This paper could provide ideas and reference for developing animal medicine products for the treatment of CNS diseases.

Using the "target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay" strategy to investigate the optimum arecoline content in charred areca nut.

Charred areca nut (CAN) is used to treat dyspepsia and abdominal distension in children. However, reports revealed that arecoline, the most important active constituent of CAN, possesses potential toxicities. This study was designed to investigate the optimum arecoline content in CAN, using the "target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay" strategy. Based on PTLC method, we prepared CAN lacking all arecoline (WAC-100R) and a series of different ratios of arecoline-removed CAN samples (WAC-Rx). MTT and acute toxicity assays indicated that decreasing content by 50% decreased CAN toxicity significantly. Animal results revealed arecoline contents over 50% could guarantee the beneficial effects of CAN on gastrointestinal tract. Additionally, decreasing arecoline content in CAN by 50% decreased its pro-apoptotic effects significantly. Furthermore, decreasing 50% arecoline content in CAN down-regulated the expressions of Cleaved-Caspase-3, c-jun, c-fos, COX-2, PGE2, and IL-1α. Thus, our results revealed that CAN with 50% arecoline content (WAC-50R) has similar beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract to CAN, whereas its toxicity was decreased significantly. Collectively, our study suggested that the strategy of "target constituent removal combined with bioactivity assay" is a promising method to identify the optimum arecoline content in CAN, which is approximately 0.12%.

[Midterm clinical outcome for ankylosing spondylitis patients with early hip-involved diseases treated with arthroscopic technique].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical outcome of manipulation release combined with arthroscopic debridement and synovia resection under general anesthesia for early hip involvment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. METHODS: Manipulation release combined with arthroscpic debridement and synovium resection were performed for hip lesion in 22 patients with ankylosing spondylitis from June 2011 to June 2013, incuding 6 males and 16 females with anverage age of 24.7 years ranging from 17 to 23 years. The course of the diseases was from 10 to 41 months(22.1 months on average). After 6 months of conservative treatment, hip pain and other symptoms were no relief. The preoperative and postoperative follow-up evaluation was performed and compared by the hip movement, VAS pain score, mHHS score and NAHS score. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up for 26 to 44 months with an average of 30.2 months. The range of motion in active flexion-extension, abduction-adduction, internal-external rotation in 0° flexion and 90° flexion increased from (78.2±10.2)°, (36.3±6.4)°, (31.1±9.2)° and (37.3±10.5)° before operation to (113.5±8.4)°, (55.7±8.4)°, (58.7±2.1)° and (60.1±9.8)° after operation, respectively. The VAS scores decreased from 8.5±9.4 before operation to 5.5±7.1 after operation. The modified Harris and NAHS scores increased from 60.8±6.9 and 56.9±6.25 before operation to 88.1±10.4 and 84.6±5.4 after operation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Manipulation release combined with arthroscopic debridement and synovium resection under general anesthesia could effectively control the progression of hip lesion in patients with ankylosing spondylitis restoring the ROM, relieve pain symptoms, delay joint deformity and ankylosis with less bleeding, faster recovery, and significantly improve patients' quality of life.

Simultaneous quantification of chlorogenic acid and taurocholic acid in human plasma by LC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of Shuanghua Baihe tablets.

An LC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and taurocholic acid (TCA) in human plasma using hydrochlorothiazide as the internal standard. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Hedera ODS-2 column with a gradient elution using 10 mmol·L(-1) of ammonium acetate buffer solution containing 0.5% of formic acid - acetonitrile as mobile phase at a flow rate of 300 µL·min(-1). The detection was performed on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer by multiple reaction monitoring in negative ESI mode. The method was fully validated over the concentration ranges of 0.1-10 ng·mL(-1) for CGA and 2-150 ng·mL(-1) for TCA. It was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of CGA and TCA in healthy Chinese volunteers after oral administration of Shuanghua Baihe tablets (SBTs). In the single-dose study, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to reach Cmax (Tmax) and elimination half-life (t1/2) of CGA were (0.763 8 ± 0.542 0) ng·mL(-1), (1.0 ± 0.5) h, and (1.3 ± 0.6) h, respectively. In the multiple-dose study, the Cmax, Tmax and t1/2 of CGA were (0.663 7 ± 0.583 3) ng·mL(-1), (1.1 ± 0.5) h, and (1.4 ± 0.7) h, respectively. For TCA, no significant characteristic increasing plasma TCA concentration-time curve was found in the volunteers after oral administration of SBTs, indicating its complicated process in vivo as an endogenous ingredient.

A Novel Method for the Discrimination of Semen Arecae and Its Processed Products by Using Computer Vision, Electronic Nose, and Electronic Tongue.

Areca nut, commonly known locally as Semen Arecae (SA) in China, has been used as an important Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years. The raw SA (RAW) is commonly processed by stir-baking to yellow (SBY), stir-baking to dark brown (SBD), and stir-baking to carbon dark (SBC) for different clinical uses. In our present investigation, intelligent sensory technologies consisting of computer vision (CV), electronic nose (E-nose), and electronic tongue (E-tongue) were employed in order to develop a novel and accurate method for discrimination of SA and its processed products. Firstly, the color parameters and electronic sensory responses of E-nose and E-tongue of the samples were determined, respectively. Then, indicative components including 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) and arecoline (ARE) were determined by HPLC. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant factor analysis (DFA) were performed. The results demonstrated that these three instruments can effectively discriminate SA and its processed products. 5-HMF and ARE can reflect the stir-baking degree of SA. Interestingly, the two components showed close correlations to the color parameters and sensory responses of E-nose and E-tongue. In conclusion, this novel method based on CV, E-nose, and E-tongue can be successfully used to discriminate SA and its processed products.

Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae): a review of its traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae), widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia, is a popular traditional herbal medicine that can be chewed for the purpose of dispersing accumulated fluid in the abdominal cavity and killing worms. The present paper aims to provide an up-to-date review on the traditional uses and advances in the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of this plant. Furthermore, the possible trends and a perspective for future research of this plant are also discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed on A. catechu based on classic books of herbal medicine, PhD. and MSc. dissertations, government reports, the state and local drug standards, scientific databases including Pubmed, SciFinder, Scopus, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and others. Various types of information regarding this plant are discussed in corresponding parts of this paper. In addition, perspectives for possible future studies of A. catechu are discussed. RESULTS: The seeds of A. catechu (areca nut) have been widely used in clinical practice in China, India and other South and Southeast Asian Countries. Currently, over 59 compounds have been isolated and identified from A. catechu, including alkaloids, tannins, flavones, triterpenes, steroids, and fatty acids. The extracts and compounds isolated from A. catechu have many pharmacological activities. These include antiparasitic effects, anti-depressive effects, anti-fatigue effects, antioxidant effects, antibacterial and antifungal effects, antihypertensive effects, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, anti-allergic effects, the promotion of digestive functions, suppression of platelet aggregation, regulatory effects on blood glucose and lipids, etc. Although arecoline is the primary active constituent of A. catechu, it is also the primary toxic compound. The main toxicities of arecoline are the promotion of oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF) and cytotoxic effects on normal human cells, which involve inducing apoptosis. CONCLUSION: As an important herbal medicine, A. catechu has potential for the treatment of many diseases, especially parasitic diseases, digestive function disorders, and depression. Many traditional uses of A. catechu have now been validated by current investigations. However, further research should be undertaken to investigate the clinical effects, toxic constituents, target organs, and pharmacokinetics and to establish criteria for quality control for A. catechu-derived medications. In addition, it will be interesting to investigate the active macromolecular compounds and active constituents other than alkaloids in both raw and processed products of A. catechu.

Ultrasensitive biosensing platform based on layered vanadium disulfide-graphene composites coupling with tetrahedron-structured DNA probes and exonuclease III assisted signal amplification.

Recently, two-dimensional layered transition metal dichalcogenide materials have been very fascinating in electrochemical fields due to their unique electronic and electrochemical properties. In the present work, a novel VS2-graphene (VS2-GR) composite is firstly prepared by a facile one-step hydrothermal method. A sensitive, universal and label-free electrochemical aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor) is then designed to detect the platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) based on VS2-GR coupled with Exo III-aided autocatalytic signal amplification. In the absence of PDGE-BB, the aptamer hybridized with the complementary DNA (cDNA) and the single-strand signal DNA labeled with biotin at 5' end cannot be cleaved by the Exo III. When the above mixture is applied on the tetrahedron-structured probe (T-DNA) modified AuNP/VS2-GR electrode, signal DNA hybridizes with the protruding of T-DNA and a large number of avidin-HRP are adsorbed on the modified electrode by the specific binding of avidin-biotin, which leads to a strong current response by the catalysis of HRP to the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone (H2O2 + HQ). However, in the presence of PDGF-BB, the aptamer is preferentially associated with PDGF-BB, which facilitates the formation of double-strand DNA between cDNA and signal DNA. The duplex DNA is digested by Exo III from the 3' blunt terminus of signal DNA and the cDNA is released. The liberative cDNA then reacts with the remaining signal DNA in the solution to perform a new cleavage process. Finally, the cyclic hybridization-hydrolysis process leads to a great decrease of biotin on the electrode, thus reducing the quantity of signal molecule HRP and causing an obvious decline of current response. This proposed protocol exhibits high specificity, good sensitivity, and good stability for PDGF-BB detection. Moreover, the aptasensor can be applied as a universal assay for the detection of various targets including proteins, DNAs, and metal ions.

[Arthroscopic repair of meniscus injury with Fast-fix under local anesthesia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of arthroscopic repair method of meniscus injury with Fast-fix under local anesthesia. METHODS: From October 2005 to September 2012,106 patients with meniscus injuries admitted into our - hospital were studied, including 74 males and 32 females, ranging in age from 13 to 71 years old, averaged 27.6 years old. The duration of the disease ranged from 15 days to 5 years. The main clinical manifestations included knee joint pain after exercise, joint locking, pressing pain of knee joint and positive McMurray signs. The MRI showed meniscus tear or degeneration. Arthroscopic repairing surgeries were performed with Fast-fix under local anesthesia. Each patient was assessed with VAS pain evaluation and Lysholm knee-joint score system before and after operation. All the patients were followed up more than 1 year. RESULTS: One hundred and 2 patients were followed up by recording subjective symptoms, clinical examinations and questions naires for an average of 2.6 years (ranged, 1.1 to 8 years), and 4 patients lost follow-up. All the 102 patients had no anesthetic complications. Ninety-six patients had normal subjective symptom and clinical examinations. Four patients had a mild ache with activities,2 patients had moderate pain after activities with joint space pressing pain. VAS pain evaluation and Lysholm knee-joint score after operation both were much better than that before operation. CONCLUSION: onclusion: Local anesthesia can provide nice circumstances for surgeries. Arthroscopic repair using Fast-fix is an idea method for meniscus injury, especially for the posterior horn tear of medial meniscus, which is simple and convenient with less complications, and satisfactory results.

[Preliminary study of odor change mechanism in Crataegi fructus stir-fried process based on correlation analysis].

In order to investigate the mechanism, the correlation between the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and 5-HMF were studied. Required samples were retrieved from Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process. Statistical quality control (SQC) was used to analyze the response values acquired by the electronic nose. At the same time, the content of 5-HMF was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the above two. Experimental results showed that SQC model established by response values of all samples could show the change law of odor in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and changes of 5-HMF content was dropped after the first increase. Correlation analysis showed that the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and 5-HMF were significantly correlated (P < 0.05). Sugar degradation reaction and the Maillard reaction may be one of the mechanisms of the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process.

[Thinking and practice of study on material basis of parched Chinese herbal medicines and their quality evaluation].

Though parched Chinese herbal medicines contain less effective or index components, their pharmacological actions do not reduce or even become improved to some extent. However, the current studies related to material basis could not explain the changes in property, flavour and efficacy of parched Chinese herbal medicines. Meanwhile, due to the lack of objective and specific evaluation indexes, the quality evaluation could not reflect features of parched Chinese herbal pieces. Therefore, how to break the bottleneck for the studies on parched Chinese herbal pieces, make further innovation and conduct in-depth studies on the material basis of parched Chinese herbal medicines are common problems that medical scholars are facing. According to the findings in the previous studies, the author proposed to explain the material basis of parched Chinese herbal medicines by studying Maillard reaction and establish specific quality evaluation indexes according to the features of parched Chinese herbal pieces, and conducted relevant studies.

[Effects and safety of varying doses of guizhi fuling capsule in patients with primary dysmenorrhea: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study].

To evaluate the effects and safety of varying doses of Guizhi Fuling capsule on treating primary dysmenorrhea. From August 2010 to March 2011, 240 subjects (aged 18-30) with primary dysmenorrheal, were enrolled in 8 sites. They were randomized into Guizhi Fuling capsule high dose group, low dose group and placebo control group, 80 cases in each group. These patients were treated for three consecutive menstrual cycles, then were followed up in another three consecutive menstrual cycles. Visual analogue scales (VAS) was used to determine the pain intensity. During the treatment, the high-, low-dose and placebo groups efficiency on pain relief are 68.42%, 67.57% and 47.89% respectively. Guzhi Fuling (included high- and low- dose group) significantly relieves the pain compared to placebo. In follow-up, Guzhi Fuling groups are still superior to the placebo group (73.68%, 72.97% and 53.52%). During the treatment, pain duration reduces 57.88% in high dose group, while 46.17% in low dose group, and 30.40% in placebo group. In follow-up, pain lasting time decrease 67.93%, 53.56%, 47.46%, respectively. Guizhi Fuling significantly reduces the pain duration compared to placebo and high-dose is better than low-dose. The efficacy of Guzhi Fuling (high- and low-dose) displays certain dosage-effect relationship. Among these group, no serious adverse event was reported. Guizhi Fuling capsule at high or low dose significantly relieves the pain, improves symptoms, reduces the duration of pain, and has a better overall treatment effect and long-term treatment effect in patients with primary dysmenorrhea.

Effect of acupuncture on rats with acute gouty arthritis inflammation: a metabonomic method for profiling of both urine and plasma metabolic perturbation.

Acute gouty arthritis is a common inflammation model with multiple pathogenic mechanisms seen in clinical practice, for which acupuncture may potentially be an alternative therapy. To investigate the effect of acupuncture on acute gouty arthritis and search for its mechanism, a metabonomic method was developed in this investigation. Acute gouty arthritis model rats were induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. The urine and plasma samples were collected at several time points and the endogenous metabolites were analyzed by an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Data were analyzed using principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) analysis to compare metabolic profiles of MSU crystal-induced acute gouty arthritis rats with MSU crystal-induced acute gouty arthritis, treated with acupuncture rats. The results showed that acupuncture could restore the metabolite network that disturbed by MSU administration. Our study indicates that UPLC-MS-based metabonomics can be used as a potential tool for the investigation of biological effect of acupuncture on acute gouty arthritis.