Impacts of nicotine metabolite rate and acupuncture frequency on smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of different acupuncture frequencies in tobacco-dependent patients and explore the impact of nicotine metabolite rate (NMR) on smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 cases of tobacco-dependent patients were randomly divided into a high-frequency group (60 cases, 12 cases dropped off) and a low-frequency group (60 cases, 6 cases dropped off). In the two groups, smoking cessation counseling was provided prior to acupuncture. Acupuncture was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Lieque (LU 7), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. Additionally, electric stimulation was added at Lieque (LU 7) and Zusanli (ST 36), with continuous wave, 15 Hz in frequency. The duration of treatment was 8 weeks in either group. In the high-frequency group, the treatment was given 5 times weekly from week 1 to week 4, and was 3 times weekly from week 5 to week 8. In the low-frequency group, the treatment was given 3 times weekly from week 1 to week 4, and was twice a week from week 5 to week 8. The immediate withdrawal rate, persistent withdrawal rate, the score of Fagerstrőm test for nicotine dependence (FTND) before and after treatment, as well as the score of Minnesota nicotine withdrawal scale (MNWS) in 1 and 8 weeks of treatment were compared among the patients with high and low NMR between the two groups separately. The Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, there was no statistical significance of the differences in the immediate withdrawal rate (35.4% [17/48] vs 29.6% [16/54]) and the persistent withdrawal rate (33.3% [16/48] vs 25.9% [14/54]) between the high-frequency group and the low-frequency group (P>0.05). The difference in withdrawal rate had no statistical significance between high and low NMR patients (P>0.05). FTND scores after treatment were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01) and MNWS scores were lower than those in 1 week of treatment (P<0.01) in the two groups. However, the differences had no statistical significance between the two groups and between the patients with high NMR and low NMR (P>0.05). Age, education level and NMR were the influencing factors of smoking cessation in the intervention with acupuncture (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture with different frequencies has no obvious impact on the efficacy in tobacco-dependent patients. The lower nicotine metabolite rate in individuals, the better efficacy of acupuncture. The smokers with high nicotine metabolite rate may obtain a better effect of cessation in the high-frequency intervention with acupuncture.

Body Constitution and Unhealthy Lifestyles in a Primary Care Population at High Cardiovascular Risk: New Insights for Health Management.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to lifestyle recommendations remains insufficient in cardiovascular (CV) health management globally. Body constitution, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, is primarily influenced by an individual's internal metabolism and susceptibility to external pathogenic factors. Nevertheless, less is known about whether body constitutions may play a role in the presence of unhealthy lifestyles. We aimed to explore the associations between body constitutions and unhealthy lifestyles among Chinese individuals at high CV risk. METHODS: Computerised data were retrieved from a primary care population-based health record for all 1739 eligible individuals at high CV risk who attended routine check-up in an urbanised, medium-size district in Guangzhou, China. Unhealthy lifestyles were determined in accordance with guideline recommendations. The body constitution was assessed on the basis of physical signs, personality, body symptoms, and the susceptibility to environmental changes, following nationally standard procedure. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed using marginal standardisation method. RESULTS: The participants ranged in age from 20 to 96 years, with a mean age of 69.55 years. There were slightly more females than males (52.3% vs 47.7%). Current smoking, regular drinking, and physical inactivity were most common. Participants with a body constitution of phlegm-and-dampness type (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.999, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.003-3.984; p=0.049) tended to be current smokers, and those assessed with special diathesis type (aOR=2.166, 95% CI=1.029-4.559; p=0.042) had a higher likelihood of being regular drinkers. Having a body constitution type of blood stasis (aOR=1.375, 95% CI=1.029-1.838; p=0.031) or qi deficient (aOR=1.711, 95% CI=1.080-2.709; p=0.022) was associated with physical inactivity. CONCLUSION: Our findings add to current evidence suggesting that an individual's body constitution is closely related to the presence of unhealthy lifestyles. This offers new insights for health management through body constitution-based strategies to target those at high CV risk who need tailor-made attention in lifestyle modifications during routine primary care.

SOD2 Mediates Curcumin-Induced Protection against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation Injury in HT22 Cells.

Curcumin (Cur) induces neuroprotection against brain ischemic injury; however, the mechanism is still obscure. The aim of this study is to explore the potential neuroprotective mechanism of curcumin against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury in HT22 cells and investigate whether type-2 superoxide dismutase (SOD2) is involved in the curcumin-induced protection. In the present study, HT22 neuronal cells were treated with 3 h OGD plus 24 h reoxygenation to mimic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Compared with the normal cultured control group, OGD/R treatment reduced cell viability and SOD2 expression, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and mitochondrial complex I activity, damaged cell morphology, and increased lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release, cell apoptosis, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial superoxide (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, coadministration of 100 ng/ml curcumin reduced the cell injury and apoptosis, inhibited intracellular ROS and mitochondrial superoxide accumulation, and ameliorated intracellular SOD2, cell morphology, MMP, and mitochondrial complex I activity. Downregulating the SOD2 expression by using siRNA, however, significantly reversed the curcumin-induced cytoprotection (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that curcumin induces protection against OGD/R injury in HT22 cells, and SOD2 protein may mediate the protection.

Effects of Radix Hedysari, Radix Astragalus and compatibility of Angelica Sinensis on blood deficiency model mice induced by cyclophosphamide / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the intervention effects of Radix Hedysari, Radix Astragalus and compatibility of Angelica Sinensis on blood deficiency model mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX).@*METHODS@#The mice were randomly divided into 7 groups, 10 mice each group. The blood deficiency model was established by CTX. The blank group and model group were treated with saline by gavage, while mice in positive group were administered with Lvjiaobuxue granule. Four dosage group were administered with Radix Hedysari, Radix Hedysari-Radix Angelica Sinensis(5:1), Radix Astragalus and Radix Astragalus-Radix Angelica Sinensis(5:1) water decoction. All the drugs were administered to mice for consecutive 7 d. The contents of red blood cell (RBC), lymphocyte(LYM), hematocrit (HCT), white blood cell (WBC), platelet (PLT) were detected by hematology analyzer, while thymus index(TI), spleen index(SI), reticulocyte (RC), marrow karyocyte (MK) were calculated, and the femur by pathological section were observed by microscope.@*RESULTS@#Compared with blank group, the contents of RBC, WBC, HCT, PLT, LYM were decreased in model group (<0.05). Compared with model group, the contents of RBC, WBC, HCT, PLT, LYM, RC and marrow karyocyte were increased in Hedysari-Angelica Sinensis(5:1) and Astragalus Angelica Sinensis(5:1) (<0.05), at the same time, the pathological damage of femur could be improved.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The effect of enrichment blood on blood deficiency model mice in Hedysari-Angelica Sinensis (5:1) and Astragalus-Angelica Sinensis(5:1) were superior to Hedysari and Astragalus.

Resveratrol Attenuates Microglial Activation via SIRT1-SOCS1 Pathway.

Microglial activation is involved in a variety of neurological disorders, and overactivated microglial cells can secrete large amount of proinflammatory factors and induce neuron death. Therefore, reducing microglial activation is believed to be useful in treating the disorders. In this study, we used 10 ng/ml lipopolysaccharide plus 10 U/ml interferon γ (LPS/IFNγ) to induce N9 microglial activation and explored resveratrol- (RSV-) induced effects on microglial activation and the underlying mechanism. We found that LPS/IFNγ exposure for 24 h increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 subunit expressions in the cells and enhanced tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) releases from the cells. RSV of 25 µM reduced the iNOS and NF-κB p65 subunit expressions and the proinflammatory factors' releases; the knockdown of silent information regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) or suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) by using the small interfering RNA, however, significantly abolished the RSV-induced effects on iNOS and NF-κB p65 subunit expressions and the proinflammatory factors' releases. These findings showed that microglial SIRT1-SOCS1 pathway may mediate the RSV-induced inhibition of microglial activation in the LPS/IFNγ-treated N9 microglia.

Melatonin Suppresses Neuropathic Pain via MT2-Dependent and -Independent Pathways in Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons of Mice.

Melatonin (Mel) and its receptors (MT1 and MT2) have a well-documented efficacy in treating different pain conditions. However, the anti-nociceptive effects of Mel and Mel receptors in neuropathic pain (NP) are poorly understood. To elucidate this process, pain behaviors were measured in a dorsal root ganglia (DRG)-friendly sciatic nerve cuffing model. We detected up-regulation of MT2 expression in the DRGs of cuff-implanted mice and its activation by the agonist 8-M-PDOT (8MP). Also, Mel attenuated the mechanical and thermal allodynia induced by cuff implantation. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the expression of MT2 in the DRG neurons, while MT1 was expressed in the satellite cells. In cultured primary neurons, microarray analysis and gene knockdown experiments demonstrated that MT2 activation by 8MP or Mel suppressed calcium signaling pathways via MAPK1, which were blocked by RAR-related orphan receptor alpha (RORα) activation with a high dose of Mel. Furthermore, expression of nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) was down-regulated upon Mel treatment regardless of MT2 or RORα. Application of Mel or 8MP in cuff-implanted models inhibited the activation of peptidergic neurons and neuro-inflammation in the DRGs by down-regulating c-fos, calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP], and tumor necrosis factor-1α [TNF-1α] and interleukin-1ß [IL-1ß]. Addition of the MT2 antagonist luzindole blocked the effects of 8MP but not those of Mel. In conclusion, only MT2 was expressed in the DRG neurons and up-regulated upon cuff implantation. The analgesic effects of Mel in cuff-implanted mice were closely associated with both MT2-dependent (MAPK-calcium channels) and MT2-independent (NOS1) pathways in the DRG.

CSH guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of drug-induced liver injury.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an important clinical problem, which has received more attention in recent decades. It can be induced by small chemical molecules, biological agents, traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), natural medicines (NM), health products (HP), and dietary supplements (DS). Idiosyncratic DILI is far more common than intrinsic DILI clinically and can be classified into hepatocellular injury, cholestatic injury, hepatocellular-cholestatic mixed injury, and vascular injury based on the types of injured target cells. The CSH guidelines summarized the epidemiology, pathogenesis, pathology, and clinical manifestation and gives 16 evidence-based recommendations on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of DILI.

Melatonin attenuates inflammation of acute pulpitis subjected to dental pulp injury.

Acute pulpitis (AP), one of the most common diseases in the endodontics, usually causes severe pain to the patients, which makes the search for therapeutic target of AP essential in clinic. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling is widely involved in the mechanism of pulp inflammation, while melatonin has been reported to have an inhibition for a various kinds of inflammation. We hereby studied whether melatonin can regulate the expression of TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling in the pulp tissue of AP and in human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). Two left dental pulps of the adult rat were drilled open to establish the AP model, and the serum levels of melatonin and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin 18 (IL-18) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), were assessed at 1, 3 and 5 d post injury. At the same time points, the expression of TLR4 signaling in the pulp was explored by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. The AP rats were administered an abdominal injection of melatonin to assess whether melatonin rescued AP and TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling. Dental pulp injury led to an approximately five-day period acute pulp inflammation and necrosis in the pulp and a significant up-regulation of IL-1ß, IL-18 and TNF-α in the serum. ELISA results showed that the level of melatonin in the serum decreased due to AP, while an abdominal injection of melatonin suppressed the increase in serum cytokines and the percentage of necrosis at the 5 d of the injured pulp. Consistent with the inflammation in AP rats, TLR4, NF-ĸB, TNF-α and IL-1ß in the pulp were increased post AP compared with the baseline expression. And melatonin showed an inhibition on TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling as well as IL-1ß and TNF-α production in the pulp of AP rats. Furthermore, melatonin could also regulate the expression of TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling in LPS-stimulated HDPCs. These data suggested that dental pulp injury induced AP and reduced the serum level of melatonin and that supplementation with melatonin may have a protective effect on AP by modulating TLR4/NF-ĸB signaling in the pulp and in pulp cells.

[Myofascial pain syndrome treated with sparrow-pecking moxibustion at trigger points: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy difference in treatment of myofasical pain syndrome between sparrow-pecking moxibustion and acupuncture at trigger points so as to provide the reference of the effective therapeutic method for myofascial pain syndrome. METHODS: Ninety patients were randomized into a sparrow-pecking moxibustion group and an acupuncture group, 45 cases in each one. The trigger points were selected in pain areas in the two groups. In the sparrow-pecking moxibustion group, the sparrow-pecking moxibustion was applied, 30 min in each time. In the acupuncture group, the filiform needles were inserted obliquely at 45 degrees and retained for 40 min in each treatment. The treatment was given once a day and 10 treatments made one session in the two groups. The short-form McGill pain questionnaire was used as the observation index, and the changes in pain rating index (PRI), present pain intensity (PPI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after treatment were used for efficacy assessment. RESULTS: The results of PRI, PPI and VAS after treatment were reduced apparently as compared with those before treatment in the sparrow-pecking moxibustion group and the acupuncture group (all P<0.001). The differences in PRI, PPI and VAS after treatment were not significant in comparison of the two groups (both P>0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 80.0% (36/45) in the sparrow-pecking moxibustion group, which was better than 40.0% (18/45, P<0.001) in the acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: Sparrow-pecking moxibustion at trigger points achieves the superior efficacy on myofascial pain syndrome as compared with acupuncture at trigger points. This therapy is simpler in operation additionally.

Progress in the study of Velvet and LaeA proteins and their relation to the development and bioactive compounds in medicinal fungi / 药学学报

The medicinal fungi, which are of great importance in traditional medicine, are facing the problems of wild resources scarcity and low concentration of bioactive compounds. Velvet family and LaeA global regulator play a vital role in secondary metabolism and developmental programs, which are found in a wide variety of fungi ranging from Chytridiomycota to Basidiomycota. This review elaborates the structures and functions between Velvet family and LaeA protein. The Velvet family which shares the Velvet protein domain, including VeA (Velvet), VelB (Velvet like B), VosA (viability of spores A) and VelC (Velvet like C), acts on the regulation function is secondary metabolism and developmental programs such as asexual and sexual development. Furthermore, the function is affected by environmental factors such as light and temperature. LaeA protein which owns S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase domain, coordinately regulates development and secondary metabolism by regulating and modifying the Velvet proteins. The regulation of LaeA is mediated by light receptor proteins. Therefore, clarifying the mechanism of Velvet and LaeA proteins in medicinal fungi will pave the way for nurturing medicinal fungi and improving production of bioactive compounds.

Integrating traditional chinese medicine services in community health centers: insights into utilization patterns in the pearl river region of china.

In China's healthcare reform, community health centers (CHCs) are designed to take a pivotal role in providing primary care. Whilst about 20% of all outpatient care in China is delivered by the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) sector, hospitals, instead of CHCs, are major providers. Using current patterns of patient utilization this study aims to inform CHCs on how they may strengthen access to TCM services. Three thousand three hundred and sixty CHC patients from six cities within the urban Pearl Delta Region were enumerated using multistage cluster sampling. Fifty-two percent had visited herbalists within three months with a mean visit frequency of 1.50 times. Herbal treatments, which are cheaper than western medicines, were more popular amongst those who needed to pay out of pocket including the uninsured. Herbal medicines appeared to be an alternative for those who are underinsured. Acupuncturists and massage therapists were visited by smaller proportions, 6.58% and 5.98%, respectively, with a mean three-month visit of 0.27 and 0.26 times. Access was restricted by lack of social insurance coverage. Whilst increasing provision of TCM in CHCs might respond to patient demand, increasing insurance coverage for TCM needs to be evaluated using current evidence on safety and effectiveness.

[Progress of research on acupuncture at trigger point for myofascial pain syndrome].

To review the literature of acupuncture at trigger point for myofascial pain syndrome from the main selected points (trigger point), the mechanism of Chinese medicine and modern research and its clinical application. The results show that acupuncture at trigger point has significant effect on the myofascial pain syndrome, which could be influenced by the type of needle, manipulation, insertion angle and depth of the needles. However, the involved studies at present are still far from enough and lack of systematic study with multivariate analysis, it is needed to be improved that some problems about the clinical diagnosis and basic research.

Gastric bezoar: a case of a patient treated with traditional Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND: Gastric bezoar is a collection of indigestible material in the stomach. It is a relatively rare disease. In this case report, it is shown that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was effective in treating a patient with gastric bezoar. SUBJECT AND SETTING: A 47-year-old female patient who had undergone Billroth II gastrectomy for gastric cancer had been experiencing abdominal pain and distension for 1 month. She underwent gastroscopic examination at our outpatient department; the gastroscopy showed a bezoar (7×4×2 cm in size) in her remnant stomach. Treatment using a Chinese herbal decoction was suggested. RESULTS: The gastric bezoar dissolved after 2 weeks of regular therapy with San Jie Pai Shi decoction. No complications or adverse effects were noted during the TCM treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This case showed that TCM was an effective and alternative treatment option for patients with gastric bezoar.

Cannabinoid receptor type 2 activation yields delayed tolerance to focal cerebral ischemia.

We demonstrated in our previous research that pretreatment with electroacupuncture (EA) induces rapid (2h after EA) and delayed (24h after EA) tolerance to focal cerebral ischemia. We further elucidate the endocannabinoid and cannabinoid receptor type 1(CB1) involvment in the rapid ischemic tolerance induced by EA pretreatment. The present study aimed at investigating the involvement of the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2) in the neuroprotection conferred by EA pretreatment. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion for 120 min at 2h and 24h following EA pretreatment in male Sprague-Dawley rats, respectively. Cerebral ischemic injury was evaluated by neurobehavioral scores and infarction volume percentages 72 h after reperfusion in the presence or absence of AM251, a selective CB1 receptor antagonist, and AM630, a selective CB2 receptor antagonist. The expression of CB1 and CB2 receptor in the striatum of ischemic hemisphere was also evaluated. The rapid and delayed ischemic tolerance induced by EA pretreatment was respectively reversed by AM251 and AM630. CB2 receptor expression was up-regulated in the striatum of rat brains at 24h after EA stimuli. These results indicate that CB2 receptor contributed to the delayed neuroprotective effect whereas CB1 receptor to the rapid ischemic tolerance induced by EA pretreatment against focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

[Identification of chemical constituents in qiliqiangxin capsule by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS(E)].

In order to clarify the chemical constituents in Qiliqiangxin capsule, a rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography/orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS(E)) method was established. Forty peaks were identified on line using this method. The herbal sources of these peaks were assigned. The results implied that triterpenoid saponins, flavonoid glycosides, C21-steroids and phenolic acids were included in the main components of Qiliqiangxin capsule. The method is simple and rapid for elucidation of the constituents of Qiliqiangxin capsule and the results are useful for the quality control of Qiliqiangxin capsule.

Laser acupuncture and prevention of bone loss in tail-suspended rats.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal unloading during spaceflight results in bone loss. This study investigated whether laser acupuncture could be an effective countermeasure to prevent unloading-induced bone loss in rats. METHODS: There were 18 rats that were randomly assigned into three groups: a control group, a tail-suspended group (TS), and a tail-suspended with laser acupuncture treatment group (TSA). The rats in the TSA group were treated with laser acupuncture at the KI1 (Yong Quan) and ST36 (Zu San Li) acupoints of the left leg for 3 min per day. Bone mineral density (BMD), biomechanical properties, and histomorphometry of both tibiae were determined after the animals were euthanized at the end of week 4. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, BMD in the TS group significantly decreased by 12.3% in cortical bone and 15.1% in cancellous bone, whereas BMD in the TSA group decreased by only 3.1% in cortical bone and 9.0% in cancellous bone. The hardness of cortical bone dropped 44.1% in the TS group and 22.3% in the TSA group compared with the control group. The histomorphometry data were in accordance with BMD measurements. Although acupuncture treatment was applied only to the left side, we observed similar changes between the measurements of both the left and right tibiae. CONCLUSION: Laser acupuncture on KI1 and ST36 can inhibit bone loss in rats subjected to unloading. The fact that similar changes between the right and left sides when only the left limbs were treated suggests that the preventive effect of laser acupuncture occurs via a systemic regulation.

Primary isolated hepatic oval cells maintain progenitor cell phenotypes after two-year prolonged cultivation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although expandable hepatic progenitors provide renewable cell sources for treatment of hepatic disorders, long-term cultivation of hepatic progenitors may affect proliferation and differentiation abilities, and even initiate the formation of malignant cancer stem cells. This study aims to determine characteristics of primary cultured hepatic oval cells after prolonged cultivation in vitro. METHODS: Hepatic oval cells isolated from rats fed with a choline-deficient, ethionine-supplemented diet were continuously propagated every 5-7 days, to 100 passages over two years. Hepatocytic differentiation was induced by sodium butyrate and characterized using western blot, periodic acid Schiff assays, albumin secretion and urea production. Proliferation capacity was evaluated using growth-curve and cell-cycle analysis; anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenicity were determined using soft agar and xenograft assay. RESULTS: After 2 years of serial passages, hepatic oval cells with typical epithelial morphology continuously expressed OV-6, BD-1, BD-2, and Dlk as markers for hepatic progenitors, cytokeratin 19 as a cholangiocyte marker, and alpha-fetoprotein and albumin as hepatocyte markers. Furthermore, sodium butyrate could induce these cells to become glycogen-storage cells with the functions of albumin secretion and ureagenesis from ammonia clearance, indicating hepatocytic differentiation. Although proliferation slightly accelerated after the 50th passage, hepatic oval cells stayed diploid cells with features of chromosomal stability, which did not acquire anchorage-independent growth capacity and caused no tumor in immunodeficient mice, suggesting no spontaneous malignant transformation. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic oval cells retain the progenitor cell features without spontaneous malignant transformation after prolonged cultivation, and thus may serve as an expandable cell source for future exploitation of stem cell technology.

Three minor novel triterpenoids from the leaves of Diospyros kaki.

Two novel 18, 19-secoursane triterpenoids, kakisaponin B (1) and kakisaponin C (2), an ursane type 28-nortriterpene, kakidiol (3) and one known triterpenoid rosamultin (4), were isolated from the leaves of Diospyros kaki. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were determined as 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3alpha,19,24-trihydoxy-18,19-secours-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid (1) and 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-2alpha,3alpha,19-trihydoxy-18,19-secours-11,13(18)-dien-28-oic acid (2) by chemical methods and spectra experiments. Kakidiol (3) was characterized as a C(29)-triterpene with an aromatic E-ring in structure. This is the first report of 18,19-secoursane triterpenoids and 28-nortriterpene from family Ebenaceae.

[Advance of pharmacological study on ginsenoside Rb1].

Ginsenoside Rb1 is a representative component of panaxadiol saponins, which belongs to dammarane-type tritepenoid saponins and mainly exists in family araliaceae. It has been reported that ginsenoside Rb1 has diverse biological activities. In this paper, the research development in recent decade on its pharmacological effects of cardiovascular system, anti-senility, reversing multidrug resistance of tumor cells, adjuvant anti-cancer chemotherapy, promoting peripheral nerve regeneration, et al, are reviewed.