[Relationship between the level of estrogen, calcium and phosphorus concentration in serum with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo].

Objective:To investigate relationship between the level of estrogen, calcium and phosphorus concentration in serum with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo(BPPV). Method:A total of 84 patients with idiopathic BPPV were enrolled in the experimental group, including 32 non-menopausal women, 24 menopausal women, and 28 males; 83 healthy people without vertigo and vestibular disease were selected as the control group consisted with 32 non-menopausal women, 24 menopausal women and 27 males. The levels of estradiol, serum calcium and serum inorganic phosphorus were measured in all participants. The difference of estrogen level, serum calcium and serum inorganic phosphorus concentration between the experimental group and the control group was analyzed by t test. Result:The total number, age distribution and gender composition of the experimental group and the control group were basically paired, and the age difference was not statistically significant (P=0.71). The overall estrogen level in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). Among them, the female group's estrogen level, menopausal female estrogen level and male estrogen level in the experimental group were lower than the control group (P<0.01); there was no significant difference in serum calcium and serum inorganic phosphorus concentration between the experimental group and the control group (P=0.55, 0.11, respectively). Conclusion:The decrease of estrogen level may be a risk factor for idiopathic BPPV. The relationship between serum calcium and serum inorganic phosphorus concentration and BPPV needs further study.

Cladonia furcata polysaccharide induced apoptosis in human leukemia K562 cells.

AIM: To study whether Cladonia furcata polysaccharide (CFP-1) might induce apoptosis in human leukemia K562 cells. METHODS: Inhibition of proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Morphological assessment of apoptosis was performed with fluorescence microscope and electron microscope. DNA fragmentation was visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. The amount of apoptosis cells was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: CFP-1 (50 - 800 mg/L) inhibited K562 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. After incubation of K562 cells with CFP-1 300 mg/L for 5 d, morphological changes of typical apoptosis were observed and agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA revealed "ladder" pattern. CONCLUSION: CFP-1 induced apoptosis in human leukemia K562 cells.

[Direct determination of selenium and bismuth in antimony and antimony compound by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry].

The interference of Sb in determination of Se and Bi in antimony powder and antimony compound has been studied in different acidity, it is found that the interference of antimony has been reduced apparently in high acidity. Simultaneously, according to the difference of hydride generation reaction between Sb5+ and Sb3+, a sensitive and rapid method has been developed and used to determine Se and Bi in real samples. The recovery of the method is 95%-105% for practical samples. Detection limits are 0.00004 x 10(-2) (content) for Se and 0.0001 x 10(-2) mg.L-1 (content) for Bi respectively. The relative standard deviations of Se are 2.4% (content = 0.00169 x 10(-2) mg.L-1) and 5.4% (content = 0.00056 x 10(-2) mg.L-1). The relative standard deviations of Bi are 5.0% (content = 0.00024 x 10(-2) mg.L-1) and 1.3% (content = 0.00229 x 10(-2) mg.L-1). The method has been applied to determination of Se and Bi in practical samples with satisfactory results.

[Investigation on antibacterial activity of Forsythia suspense Vahl in vitro with Mueller-Hinton agar].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of Forsythia suspensa in vitro with different media. METHOD: MIC determination of Forsythia suspensa against Staphylococci was performed by the agar dilution method. RESULT: MIC90 of decoction of Forsythia suspensa against Staphylococcus epidermidis in M-H agar was 1:640, but in nutrient agar 1:40, the antibacterial activity with M-H agar being 16 fold higher than nutrient agar. CONCLUSION: The M-H agar should be recommended to replace nutrient agar as medium in the antibacterial experiment of Traditional Chinese medicine, and it is better to use multipoint inoculating device in the sensitivity test.

[Studies on isolation, purification and structure of polysaccharide RHG from Hedysarum polybotrys Hand.-Mazz].

A water-soluble polysaccharide, RHG, was isolated from the roots of Hedysarum polybotrys Hand.-Mazz. It was shown to be homogeneous by electrophoresis and gel filtration. Its average molecular weight was estimated to be 1.4 x 10(4). Methylation analysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, IR, NMR and KI-I2 reaction showed that RHG is a (1-4) linked alpha-D-glucan to which the glucosyl side chains are attached at O-6 of the glucosyl residues of the main chain.