Effects of dietary methionine supplementation from different sources on growth performance and meat quality of barrows and gilts.

Methionine is indispensable for growth and meat formation in pigs. However, it is still unclear that increasing dietary sulphur-containing amino acid (SAA) levels using different methionine sources affects the growth performance and meat quality of barrows and gilts. To investigate this, 144 pigs (half barrows and half gilts) were fed the control (100% SAA, CON), DL-Methionine (125% SAA, DL-Met)-supplemented, or OH-Methionine (125% SAA, OH-Met)-supplemented diets during the 11-110 kg period. The results showed that plasma methionine levels varied among treatments during the experimental phase, with increased plasma methionine levels observed following increased SAA consumption during the 25-45 kg period. In contrast, pigs fed the DL-Met diet had lower plasma methionine levels than those fed the CON diet (95-110 kg). Additionally, gilts fed the DL-Met or OH-Met diets showed decreased drip loss in longissimus lumborum muscle (LM) compared to CON-fed gilts. OH-Met-fed gilts had higher pH45min values than those fed the CON or DL-Met diets, whereas OH-Met-fed barrows had higher L45min values than those fed the CON or DL-Met diets. Moreover, increased consumption of SAA, regardless of the methionine source, tended to decrease the shear force of the LM in pigs. In conclusion, this study indicates that increasing dietary levels of SAA (+25%) appeared to improve the meat quality of gilts by decreasing drip loss and increasing meat tenderness.

[Exploration of clinical pathway-oriented optimal management diagnosis and treatment model for rare diseases].

This study takes Cushing's syndrome, a rare disease, as a model, and adopts the path of "Plan, Do, Check, Action" (PDCA) to explore new methods to optimize the clinical path, can improve the quality and efficiency of diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. After sorting out the problems existing in the previous diagnosis and treatment mode, our team optimizes the path in various ways and establishes a standard operation procedure (SOP) for the new path. In the evaluation of the optimized mode, 55 patients with Cushing's syndrome were admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, including 19 males and 36 females, aged (41.8±14.4) years (6-68 years). The pathway group (28 cases) and the control group (27 cases) were divided according to whether they were included in the new path management at the time of admission, and the effect of path optimization was assessed in terms of time, efficacy, safety and cost. The results showed that compared with the control group, the pathway group had a shorter time of hospitalization in the Department of Endocrinology and critical tests, such as blood cortisol rhythm, low-dose dexamethasone inhibition test, and bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (all P<0.05). There was no significant differences in the decrease of total cortisol after operation, the incidence of postoperative complications, and hospitalization expenses (all P>0.05). The optimized path improves the medical efficiency while ensuring medical quality, safety and no increase in cost. This study proposes PDCA path optimization for complex diseases and establishes SOP process, which provides experience in management optimization for the patient-centered and clinical path-oriented diagnosis and treatment mode of rare diseases.

[The efficacy of radiotherapy based combined therapy for unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer and its associated factors analysis].

Objective: Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and influencing factors of bladder preservation integrated therapy for unresectable invasive bladder cancer confined to the pelvis was done, also including the bladder function preservation and adverse effects analysis. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with unresectable locally invasive bladder cancer who received radiotherapy-based combination therapy from March 1999 to December 2021 at our hospital were selected. Among them, 42 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 32 underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapyand 43 with transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) prior to radiotherapy. The late adverse effect of radiotherapy, preservation of bladder function, replase and metastasis and survival were followed-up. Cox proportional hazards models were applied for the multifactorial analysis. Results: The median age was 69 years. There were 63 cases (91.3%) of uroepithelial carcinoma, 64 of stage Ⅲ and 4 of stage Ⅳ. The median duration of follow-up was 76 months. There were 7 grade 2 late genito urinary toxicities, 2 grade 2 gastrointestinal toxicities, no grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred. All patients maintained normal bladder function, except for 8 cases who lost bladder function due to uncontrolled tumor in the bladder. Seventeen cases recurred locally. There were 11 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 26.2% (11/42) and 6 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a local recurrence rate of 22.2% (6/27), and the difference in local recurrence rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.709). There were 23 cases of distant metastasis (including 2 cases of local recurrence with distant metastasis), including 10 cases in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 23.8% (10/42) and 13 cases in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group with a distant metastasis rate of 48.1% (13/27), and the distant metastasis rate in the non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group was higher than that in the concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (P=0.036). The median 5-year overall survival (OS) time was 59 months and the OS rate was 47.8%. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) time was 20 months and the PFS rate was 34.4%. The 5-year OS rates of concurrent and non-concurrent chemoradiotherapy group were 62.9% and 27.6% (P<0.001), and 5-year PFS rates were 45.4% and 20.0%, respectively (P=0.022). The 5-year OS rates of with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were 78.4% and 30.1% (P=0.002), and the 5-year PFS rates were 49.1% and 25.1% (P=0.087), respectively. The 5-year OS rates with or without TURBT before radiotherapy were 45.5% and 51.9% (P=0.233) and the 5-year PFS rates were 30.8% and 39.9% (P=0.198), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that the clinical stage (HR=0.422, 95% CI: 0.205-0.869) was independent prognostic factor for PFS of invasive bladder cancer. The multivariate analysis showed that clinical stages (HR=0.278, 95% CI: 0.114-0.678), concurrent chemoradiotherapy (HR=0.391, 95% CI: 0.165-0.930), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.188, 95% CI: 0.058-0.611), and recurrences (HR=10.855, 95% CI: 3.655-32.638) were independent prognostic factors for OS of invasive bladder cancer. Conclusion: Unresectable localized invasive bladder cancer can achieve satisfactory long-term outcomes with bladder-preserving combination therapy based on radiotherapy, most patients can retain normal bladder function with acceptable late adverse effects and improved survival particularly evident in patients with early, concurrent chemoradiotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide in diet on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and biochemistry of broilers.

In the present study, we analyzed the effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and biochemistry of broilers. A total of 600, one-day-old AA broilers randomly divided into 5 treatment groups with 6 replicate pens of 20 birds per cage received dietary supplementation with GCP (0, 200, 500, 1,000, and 1,500 mg/kg) for 42 d. The supplementation of GCP linearly decreased (P < 0.05) feed conversion rate on day 22 to 42. Dietary supplementation with GCP reduced (P < 0.05) serum total cholesterol on day 21 and 42 and linearly improved (P < 0.05) albumin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Dietary supplementation with 1,000 or 1,500 mg/kg GCP significantly increased (P < 0.05) serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity on day 21 and 42 and reduced (P < 0.05) serum malondialdehyde content on 21 d. Dietary supplementation with 1,000 or 1,500 mg/kg GCP significantly improved (P < 0.05) interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expressions in liver on day 21 and 42. At the end of the experiment, we randomly selected 20 broilers from 3 treatment groups (0, 1,000, and 1,500 mg/kg), respectively, to perform an lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute stress experiment. The 60 broilers were divided into 6 treatment groups with 10 birds per cage. The experiment was designed as a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with GCP (0, 1,000, or 1,500 mg/kg) and LPS (injection of saline or 1 mg/kg body weight) levels as treatments. When the grouping was finished, the broilers were immediately intraperitoneally injected with LPS or normal saline. Six hours after challenged, serum antioxidant and liver immunity were analyzed. The results showed that dietary GCP prevented LPS-induced reductions in T-SOD activity and increases in malonaldehyde content (P < 0.05). Also, dietary GCP supplementation mitigated the LPS-induced increase in IL-1ß and IFN-γ in the liver. Supplementation with 1,500 mg/kg GCP showed the most optimal effect in broilers. GCP has the potential to be used as feed additive in broilers.

The use of online MBSR audio in medical staff during the COVID-19 in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to survey medical staff's acceptance of online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) during the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP), and to know some information of physical and emotional response of those medical staff who worked at the forefront of COVID-19, through the playback amount of the online MBSR training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Considering the working environment of medical staff in forefront of NCP, we designed and recorded MBSR audio album including 13 sessions, covering 24 hours of a day, then sent the album to medical staff who had been working in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. We collected the playback amount in each session on February 10th and February 24th, which were one week and three weeks after the album was finished. RESULTS: On February 10th and February 24th, there were separately 5778 and 10640 times of broadcasting. The highest broadcasting frequency session was at 5:00 am, followed by 7:00 am. The least broadcasting frequency sessions were 17:00 pm and 19:00 pm. The broadcasting amount in the 6 periods of the night (from 21:00 pm to 7:00 am) was significantly higher than those in the daytime (from 9:00 am to 19:00 pm), with a statistical difference. The tendency of the amount of playback was consistent, which was not affected by the specific content of the mindfulness exercises. CONCLUSIONS: Online MBSR exercises were well accepted by medical staff in the COVID-19. It may help them relax and reduce the risk of stress reactions. During the NCP, medical staff may have different degrees of sleep and emotional problems, which need to be paid more attention to.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas or mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in patients with resectable gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas (G-NECs) or mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (G-MANECs). METHODS: The study included patients with G-NECs or G-MANECs who underwent surgery in one of 21 centres in China between 2004 and 2016. Propensity score matching analysis was used to reduce selection bias, and overall survival (OS) in different treatment groups was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 804 patients with resectable G-NECs or G-MANECs were included, of whom 490 (60·9 per cent) received adjuvant chemotherapy. After propensity score matching, OS in the chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no-chemotherapy group. Among patients with G-NECs, survival in the fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy group and the non-5-FU-based chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no-chemotherapy group. Similarly, etoposide plus cisplatin or irinotecan plus cisplatin was not associated with better OS in patients with G-NECs. Among patients with G-MANECs, OS in the non-5-FU-based chemotherapy group was worse than that in the no-chemotherapy group. Patients with G-MANECs did not have better OS when platinum-based chemotherapy was used. CONCLUSION: There was no survival benefit in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for G-NECs or G-MANECs.

ANTECEDENTES: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si la quimioterapia adyuvante mejoraba la supervivencia en pacientes con carcinomas gástricos resecables neuroendocrinos (gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, G-NECs) y carcinomas adenoneuroendocrinos mixtos (mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas, G-MANECs). MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs tratados quirúrgicamente en 21 centros en China entre 2004 y 2016. Se utilizó un análisis de emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión para reducir el sesgo de selección y el método de Kaplan-Meier para estimar la supervivencia global (overall survival, OS) de los pacientes en los diferentes grupos de tratamiento. RESULTADOS: En total, se incluyeron en el estudio 804 pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs resecables y 490 pacientes (60,9%) recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante. Después del emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. En los pacientes con G-NECs, la supervivencia en los grupos con quimioterapia basada en 5-FU (fluorouracilo) y de quimioterapia sin 5-FU fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Asimismo, la combinación de etopósido y cisplatino o de irinotecán y cisplatino no se asoció con una mejor OS en pacientes con G-NECs. En pacientes con G-MANECs, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia sin 5-FU fue peor que la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Los pacientes con G-MANECs no presentaron una mejor OS cuando se administró quimioterapia basada en platinos. CONCLUSIÓN: La administración de quimioterapia adyuvante en pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs no mejoró la supervivencia.

Transcriptome analysis reveals corresponding genes and key pathways involved in heat stress in Hu sheep.

Heat stress (HS) seriously affects animal performance. In view of global warming, it is essential to understand the regulatory mechanisms by which animals adapt to heat stress. In this study, our aim was to explore the genes and pathways involved in heat stress in sheep. To this end, we used transcriptome analysis to understand the molecular responses to heat stress and thereby identify means to protect sheep from heat shock. To obtain an overview of the effects of heat stress on sheep, we used the hypothalamus for transcriptome sequencing and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs; false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.01; fold change > 2) during heat stress. A total of 1423 DEGs (1122 upregulated and 301 downregulated) were identified and classified into Gene Ontology (GO) categories and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Heat stress triggered dramatic and complex alterations in gene expression in the hypothalamus. We hypothesized that heat stress induced apoptosis and dysfunction in cells and vital organs and affected growth, development, reproduction, and circadian entrainment via the calcium signaling pathway, which influences ribosome assembly and function. Real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of the genes regulating important biological functions or whose expression profiles were significantly changed after acute heat stress (FDR < 0.01; fold change > 4), and the results showed that the expression patterns of these genes were consistent with the results of transcriptome sequencing, indicating that the credibility of the sequencing results. Our data indicated that heat stress induced calcium dyshomeostasis, blocked biogenesis, caused ROS accumulation, impaired the antioxidant system and innate defense, and induced apoptosis through the P53 signaling pathway activated by PEG3, decreased growth and development, and enhanced organ damage. These data is very important and helpful to elucidate the molecular mechanism of heat stress and finally to find ways to deal with heat stress damage in sheep.

Cardiocerebral protective effects of dexmedetomidine as anesthetic in colorectal cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the cardiocerebral protective effect of dexmedetomidine as an anesthetic in colorectal cancer surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 246 colorectal cancer patients were enrolled in this retrospective analysis. Those patients were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and underwent surgery from July 2014 to July 2016. The patients were divided into observation group and control group according to the anesthetic used in surgery. The conventional anesthetic was administered to patients in control group, whereas conventional anesthetic supplemented with dexmedetomidine was administered to patients in the observation group. The heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), jugular venous oxygen saturation (Sj-vO2), cerebral oxygen extraction ratio (ERO2), and cerebral arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) were recorded before dexmedetomidine administration (T0), 30 min after start of surgery (T1), and 2 h after surgery (T2). Central venous blood (4 ml) was withdrawn 6 hours and 24 hours after surgery. Following centrifugation, the serum was collected and stored at -70°C. After collection of all the blood samples, concentrations of creatine kinase (CK-MB), troponin I (cTnI), TNF-α and S100ß in serum were measured using ELISA, and differences between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Differences of the parameters measured at T0 were not statistically significant between observation group and control group (p>0.05), whereas the parameters measured at T1 and T2 were significantly better in the observation group than those in the control group (p<0.05). The post-surgery blood test showed that indicators of cardiocerebral hemodynamics were better in the observation group than those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of dexmedetomidine in colorectal cancer surgery can provide effective cardiocerebral protection and it is worth popularizing in clinical practice.

Flexible polygon-mirror based laser scanning microscope platform for multiphoton in-vivo imaging.

Commercial microscopy systems make use of tandem scanning i.e. either slow or fast scanning. We constructed, for the first time, an advanced control system capable of delivering a dynamic line scanning speed ranging from 2.7 kHz to 27 kHz and achieve variable frame rates from 5 Hz to 50 Hz (512 × 512). The dynamic scanning ability is digitally controlled by a new customized open-source software named PScan1.0. This permits manipulation of scanning rates either to gain higher fluorescence signal at slow frame rate without increasing laser power or increase frame rates to capture high speed events. By adjusting imaging speed from 40 Hz to 160 Hz, we capture a range of calcium waves and transient peaks from soma and dendrite of single fluorescence neuron (CAL-520AM). Motion artifacts arising from respiratory and cardiac motion in small animal imaging reduce quality of real-time images of single cells in-vivo. An image registration algorithm, integrated with PScan1.0, was shown to perform both real time and post-processed motion correction. The improvement is verified by quantification of blood flow rates. This work describes all the steps necessary to develop a high performance and flexible polygon-mirror based multiphoton microscope system for in-vivo biological imaging.

Vitamin D Deficiency, Obesity and Diabetes.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are main chronic diseases harming human health. Although the association between obesity and T2DM is well established, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests vitamin D plays a role in the development of these diseases. Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for humans. People usually do not pay attention to supplementing vitamin D, since vitamin D can be produced when their skin is exposed to the sunlight. Nevertheless, even in highly sunny regions, vitamin D deficiency exists, suggesting vitamin D deficiency is a global problem. Vitamin D deficiency has previously been considered only to influence bone metabolism. Accumulating evidence counters this opinion. In vivo studies have revealed that vitamin D deficiency reduces insulin secretion capacity of the islet beta cells in pancreas. Moreover, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency is closely related to obesity and increased risk of T2DM. This review introduces the current work on vitamin D, obesity and diabetes.

Effects of feed supplemented with fermented pine needles (Pinus ponderosa) on growth performance and antioxidant status in broilers.

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of Aspergillus niger-fermented pine needles and nonfermented pine needles on growth performance and antioxidant capacity in broiler chicks. In total, 300 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments, which were then denoted as the control treatment (basal diet); the nonfermented treatment (containing 0.3% and 0.6% nonfermented treatment, respectively, in the starter and grower phase); or the fermented 1, fermented 2, or fermented 3 treatments. The fermented 1, fermented 2, and fermented 3 treatments contained 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5% fermented treatment, respectively, in the starter phase and 0.2, 0.6, and 1.0% fermented treatment, respectively, in the growth phase for 42 d. The results showed that fermentation treated supplementation had no adverse effect on the growth performance of broilers at 42 d of age. The activity of total nitric oxide synthase was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the fermented treatment compared with the control and nonfermented treatments in broilers at 21 d of age. Compared with the control, broilers had higher (P<0.05) total superoxide dismutase activities and total antioxidant capacity when they were provided with either the fermented 2 or fermented 3 diet. The malondialdehyde content was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the fermented 2 and fermented 3 treatments compared with the control and nonfermented treatments. It was concluded that the addition of fermented treatment to the diet could improve antioxidant capacity in broilers, as evidenced by the decrease in malondialdehyde and the increase in total superoxide dismutase activities; however, the effect of fermentation treatment on growth performance was negligible.

Neuroprotective effects of LBP on brain ischemic reperfusion neurodegeneration.

AIM: The present study was conducted to investigate whether LBP had a protective effect on cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury and to determine the possible mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Kunming (KM) mice were used to make the model cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). The behavioral test was used to measure neurological deficit scores for evaluation of ischemic reperfusion damage of brain. The change of electroencephalograph (EEG) was monitored by Model SMUP-E Bio-electric Signals Processing System. The infarction area of brain was assessed in brain slices with 2% solution of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC). Spectrophotometric assay was used to determine the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) of the brain. RESULTS: The results showed that LBP at doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg markedly decreased the neurological deficit scores and the infarction area in MCAO/R mice. At the same time, LBP significantly decreased MDA content, and increased SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, LDH activities in ischemic reperfusion brain. CONCLUSIONS: These suggest that LBP might act as a potential neuroprotective agent against the cerebral reperfusion-induced injury in the brain through reducing lipid peroxides, scavenging free radicals, and improving the energy metabolism.

Preclinical pharmacology of TP1, a novel potent triple reuptake inhibitor with antidepressant properties.

Triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) that block the dopamine transporter (DAT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and serotonin transporter (SERT) are being developed as a new class of antidepressant that may have better efficacy and fewer side effects compared with traditional antidepressants. The purpose of this study was to characterize a new chemical entity, 4-[2-(dimethylamino)-1-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)ethyl] phenyl 4-methoxybenzoate hydrochloride (TP1). TP1 was designed as a prodrug of desvenlafaxine. Competitive radioligand binding assays were performed using cells expressing the human dopamine (DA) transporter (hDAT), the human serotonin (5-HT) transporter (hSERT), and the human norepinephrine (NE) transporter (hNET) with K(i) values for TP1 of 190 nM, 2076 nM, and 1023 nM, respectively. Uptake assays were performed with IC(50) values for TP1 of 712 nM, 521 nM, and 628 nM, respectively. TP1 (0.06 mmol/kg, orally) rapidly penetrated rat brain and hypothalamus, translated into desvenlafaxine within 1 h, and demonstrated higher bioavailability and better pharmacokinetic properties than desvenlafaxine succinate (DVS). TP1 (0.06 mmol/kg, orally) significantly increased extracellular levels of DA, NE, and 5-HT compared with baseline in the rat hypothalamus by microdialysis assay. In dose-response assays, oral administration of TP1 reduced the time of immobility in a dose-dependent manner during tail suspension test and forced swimming test (FST). This antidepressant-like effect manifests in the absence of significant increases in motor activity even at doses of up to 32 mg/kg. The ability of TP1 to inhibit the reuptake of three biogenic amines closely linked to the etiology of depression may result in a therapeutic profile different from antidepressants that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and/or NE.

Synergistic therapeutic actions of herbal ingredients and their mechanisms from molecular interaction and network perspectives.

Opinions about the therapeutic efficacy of medicinal herbs differ significantly. Some reported herbal efficacies at low doses of active ingredients suggest a need for investigating whether these are because of placebo or multi-ingredient synergistic effects. This review discusses the opinions, methods and outcomes of herbal synergism investigations and analyzes indications from 48 in vivo tests and 106 rigorous clinical trials. Analyses of ingredient-mediated interactions at molecular and pathway levels indicate multi-ingredient synergism in 27 of the 39 reported cases of herbal synergism with available ingredient information. Synergistic actions may be responsible for the therapeutic efficacy of a substantial number of herbal products and their mechanisms may be studied by analyzing ingredient-mediated molecular interactions and network regulation.

Preparation and in vitro and in vivo release studies of Huperzine A loaded microspheres for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

The purpose of this study was to prepare microspheres containing Huperzine A, which is used for patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease because of its potent anticholineestase activity, and to clarify in vitro and in vivo release characteristics of them. The preparation and in vitro and in vivo release studies of Huperzine A loaded microspheres were described. By spray drying method, Huperzine A was encapsulated successfully in the microspheres which were spherical with a non-porous and smooth surface. In vitro studies showed that the release of Huperzine A from microspheres was depended on the properties of polymers and the release medium. Counter-ionic interaction between the primary amine group of Huperzine A and the carboxylic terminal group of PLG polymers improves the encapsulation of Huperzine A, reducing the initial burst and extending the sustained release. High molecular weight of PLG polymer leads to a negative influence on sustained release of Huperzine A due to less carboxylic terminal groups. Acidic medium also reduces the initial burst and sustained the release due to decreased swelling of the polymeric matrix. In vivo experiment showed, after intramuscular injection, that the plasma concentration of Huperzine A reached the max. at 2 h, then fell rapidly to a stable and near constant level of 0.5 to 2.5 ng/ml within 2 weeks, until the drug was exhausted from the microspheres. It indicates the potential of a 2-week sustained release system of Huperzine A.

Identification of bulb from Fritillaria cirrhosa by PCR with specific primers.

Bulb of Fritillaria cirrhosa is an important traditional Chinese herbal medicine. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (1995), it is commonly used as an antitussive and expectorant. Many young bulbs from species of Fritillaria are similar to those of F. cirrhosa, but they are different in price and quality. Therefore, there are many young bulbs from species of Fritillaria that could fake those of F. cirrhosa on the commercial market. The coding region of 5S-rRNA is highly conserved in higher eukaryotes. The 5S-rRNA spacer region sequences of F. thunbergii, F. pallidiflora, F. ussuriensi, F. delavayi, F.cirrhosa, F. anhuiensis, F. puqiensis were cloned by PCR with a pair of primers located within the conserved coding region. Based on sequences analyses of the 5S-rRNA spacer region from the 7 species, a specific sequence was found in F. cirrhosa. A pair of specific primers was designed for differentiating the bulbs of F. cirrhosa from each other by PCR. This result indicated that the method is rapid, more accurate and applicable in identification of the bulbs of F. cirrhosa at the DNA level.

Glutamine enhances the gut-trophic effect of growth hormone in rat after massive small bowel resection.

Background. Bowel-specific nutrient, glutamine, growth hormone, and modified diet have been reported to jointly improve nutrient absorption in patients with short bowel syndrome. However, controversy exists about the exact treatment factor. In this study we attempted to analyze the individual and combined effect of glutamine supplementation and growth hormone on small bowel adaptation by using tube feeding to control luminal nutrition supply. Materials and methods. Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (278 +/- 8 g) underwent 85% mid-small bowel resection and were randomly assigned to four groups: Control, receiving control liquid diet via a gastrotomy tube; GLN, receiving liquid diet enriched with 20 g. L(-1) glutamine; GH, receiving subcutaneous growth hormone (GH) (0.3 IU, bid); and GLN + GH, receiving both glutamine supplementation and GH treatment. All animals were provided with isocaloric (60 kcal/day) and isonitrogenous (0.686 g/day) nutrition. Absorption tests were performed in the form of oral nutrient tests with (14)C-labeled glucose and (3)H-labeled palmitic acid on the Postoperative Day 12. Results. GH treatment significantly increased the plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) level, body weight, jejunal and ileal villous height and mucosal thickness, and peak plasma (14)C and (3)H levels. Glutamine supplementation did not produce a significant difference; however, combined with GH treatment, glutamine supplementation further increased body weight, plasma IGF-I level, jejunal and ileal villous height and mucosal thickness, and peak plasma (14)C and (3)H levels significantly. Conclusions. After massive small bowel resection, enteral glutamine supplementation alone has no remarkable beneficial effect on bowel adaptation. However, glutamine supplementation enhanced the gut-trophic effect of GH.

Effect of bowel rehabilitative therapy on structural adaptation of remnant small intestine: animal experiment.

AIM: To investigate the individual and the combined effects of glutamine, dietary fiber, and growth hormone on the structural adaptation of the remnant small bowel. METHODS: Forty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 85% mid-small bowel resection and received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) support during the first three postoperational days.From the 4th postoperational day, animals were randomly assigned to receive 7 different treatments for 8 days: TPNcon group, receiving TPN and enteral 20 g x L(-1) glycine perfusion; TPN+Gln group, receiving TPN and enteral 20 g x L(-1) glutamine perfusion; ENcon group, receiving enteral nutrition (EN) fortified with 20 g x L(-1) glycine; EN+Gln group, enteral nutrition fortified with 20 g x L(-1) glutamine; EN+Fib group, enteral nutrition and 2 g x d(-1) oral soybean fiber; EN+GH group, enteral nutrition and subcutaneous growth hormone (GH) (0.3 IU) injection twice daily; and ENint group, glutamine-enriched EN, oral soybean fiber, and subcutaneous GH injection. RESULTS: Enteral glutamine perfusion during TPN increased the small intestinal villus height (jejunal villus height 250 microm +/- 29 microm in TPNcon vs 330 microm +/- 54 microm in TPN+Gln, ileal villus height 260 microm +/- 28 microm in TPNcon vs 330 microm +/- 22 microm in TPN+Gln, P<0.05) and mucosa thickness (jejunal mucosa thickness 360 microm +/- 32 microm in TPNcon vs 460 microm +/- 65 microm in TPN+Gln, ileal mucosa thickness 400 microm +/- 25 microm in TPNcon vs 490 microm +/- 11 microm in TPN+Gln,P< 0.05) in comparison with the TPNcon group. Either fiber supplementation or GH administration improved body mass gain (end body weight 270 g +/- 3.6g in EN+Fib, 265.7 g +/- 3.3 g in EN+GH, vs 257 g +/- 3.3 g in ENcon, P< 0.05), elevated plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) level (880 microg x L(-1). 52 microg x L-(-1) in EN+Fib,1200 microg x L(-1). 96 microg x L-(-1) in EN +/- GH, vs 620 microg x L(-1).43 microg x L-(-1) in ENcon, P< 0.05), and increased the villus height (jejunum 560 microm +/- 44 microm in EN +/- Fib, 530 microm +/- 30 microm in EN +/- GH, vs 450 microm +/- 44 microm in ENcon, ileum 400 microm +/- 30 microm in EN+Fib, P<0.05) and the mucosa thickness (jejunum 740 microm +/- 66 microm in EN +/- Fib, 705 microm +/- 27 microm in EN +/- GH, vs 608 microm +/- 58 microm in ENcon, ileum 570 microm +/- 27 microm in EN +/- Fib, 560 microm +/- 56 microm in remnant jejunum and ileum. Glutamine-enriched EN produced little effect in body mass, plasma IGF-I level, and remnant small bowel mucosal structure. The ENint group had greater body mass (280 g +/- 2.2g), plasma IGF-I level (1450 microg x L(-1). 137 microg x L-(-1)), and villus height (jejunum 620 microm +/- 56 microm, ileum 450 microm +/- 31 microm) and mucosal thickness (jejunum 800 microm +/- 52 microm, ileum 633 microm +/- 33 microm) than those in ENcon, EN+Gln (jejunum villus height and mucosa thickness 450 microm +/- 47 microm and 610 +/- 63 microm, ileum villus height and mucosa thickness 330 microm +/- 39 microm and 500 microm +/- 52 microm), EN+GH groups (P<0.05), and than those in EN+Fib group although no statistical significance was attained. CONCLUSION: Both dietary fiber and GH when used separately can enhance the postresectional small bowel structural adaptation. Simultaneous use of these two gut-trophic factors can produce synergistic effects on small bowel structural adaptation. Enteral glutamine perfusion is beneficial in preserving small bowel mucosal structure during TPN, but has little beneficial effect during EN.

[Clinical and experimental study on improving cellular immunological function of uterine myoma patients by xiaoliu tablet].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Xiaoliu Tablet (XLT) in treating uterine myoma (UM) and the relationship between effect and the cellular immunological function of the UM patients. METHODS: Seventy-one UM patients by treatment with XLT was observed. The activities of natural killer (NK) cells of 50 patients and 30 normal women were determined. RESULTS: There were good effect in reducing the volume of myoma and improving the menses by XLT, especially in patients whose myoma were singly and small. The activity of NK cells of these patients (24.61 +/- 6.04%, n = 50) was significantly different from that of normal women (45.42 +/- 9.05%, n = 30), P < 0.01. There was a notable rise of NK cells of the patients (37.54 +/- 5.01%, n = 39), after the treatment of six months by XLT (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Improving the immunological function might be one of the mechanisms of the effect of XLT.

[Experimental study on huogu granule in treating aseptic necrosis of femur head].

The pharmacological activities and acute toxicological activities of Huogu Granule (HGG) on the basis of clinical treatment of aseptic necrosis of head of femur were studied. It was observed that medium and high dose of HGG could reduce the inflammatory reaction, inhibit the enhancement of the capillary permeability and decrease the frequency of body twisting obviously in mice. All of these were significantly better than that of normal saline control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). It showed that HGG had a noticeable anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Also HGG was found to improve the absorption of serum Ca, P and the development of femoral growth in chicken embryo. LD50 could not be determined in acute toxicity test, although the dose of 50g/kg.24hr was about 166.7 times of the dosage used for human adult clinically. It demonstrated that the acute toxicity of HGG is negligible.