Lignans and Terpenoids from the Leaves of Schisandra chinensis.

Fifteen constituents, including one new lignan (schisandroside E) and one new terpenoid (schisandenoid A) as well as nine known lignans and four known terpenoids, were isolated from Schisandra chinensis leaves. The structures of schisandroside E and schisandenoid A were established by entirely meticulous spectroscopic analysis (NMR, MS, CD, IR and UV). All compounds were tested for cytotoxicity against MGC-803, Caco-2 and Ishikawa cell lines. Some compounds showed strong cytotoxicity against these three cancer cell lines with IC50 <1 µm.

Marine drug Haishengsu increases chemosensitivity to conventional chemotherapy and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological management of acute leukemia remains a challenge. A seashell protein Haishengsu (HSS) has been found to exert anticancer activities in recent in vitro studies. The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of HSS to the conventional chemotherapies would increase chemosensitivity and improves quality of life in patients with acute leukemia. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in a double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. In addition to conventional chemotherapy, 142 patients received HSS and 106 received placebo. In an in vitro study, the expression of P-gp was evaluated by flow cytometry in a drug-resistant leukemia cell line (K562/ADM cells). Sorcin was examined by Western blot. RESULTS: The complete remission rates in the HSS treatment group were all higher than in the placebo group with non-relapsing leukemia and relapsed leukemia (p<0.05). Less patients in the HSS group experienced gastrointestinal side effects from chemotherapy, whereas more patients had increased food take and an increase in Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score (p<0.01). In vitro, the expression of P-gp and sorcin in the HSS treated cells were lower than in the control group cells (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: When added to conventional chemotherapy, HSS improves the complete remission rates and quality of life in patients with acute leukemia. The in vitro findings indicate that suppression of P-gp and sorcin genes in leukemia cells may be involved in the beneficial effects of HSS.

[Effect of acupuncture on hemorheology in patients with diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in treating diabetic nephropathy (DN) by observing the effect of acupuncture on blood rheology of DN. METHODS: A total of 54 cases of DN patients were randomly divided into control (n=24) and acupuncture group (n=30). Patients of control group were treated with diet-control, oral administration of Gliguidone (30-60 mg, t. i. d.) or subcutaneous injection of insulin, and those of acupuncture group treated with the same medication as those of control group and additional manual acupuncture stimulation of Ganshu (BL18), Pishu (BL20), Zusanli (ST 36), etc., once daily for 30 days. Hemorheology was detected with LBY-N6A Automatic Hemorheological Analyser. The treatment duration in 2 groups was 30 days. RESULTS: After the treatment, of the 24 and 30 cases in control and acupuncture groups, 6 (25.0%) and 16 (53.3%) cases experienced remarkable improvement in their symptoms; 10 (41.6%) and 12 (40.0%) had improvement, 8 (33.3%) and 2 (6.7%) failed, with the effective rates being 66.7% and 93.3% respectively. Self-comparison showed that after the treatment, no significant changes were found in lower shear rate (LSR) and higher shear rate (HSR) of whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity (etap), hematocrit (HCT) and profibrin in control group; while LSR of whole blood viscosity, etap and profibrin in acupuncture group decreased significantly (P<0.05). The therapeutic effect of acupuncture group was significantly superior to that of control group in lowering LSR of whole blood viscosity and profibrin (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can improve DN patients' clinical symptoms and blood rheology, and hence, has a certain effect in postponing the development of DN.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture for treatment of diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture on early metaphase diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: Fifty-four cases of diabetes were randomly divided into an acupuncture group (n=30) and a control group (n=24). The patients in the two groups were all treated by oral administration of Gliguidon or subcutaneous injection of insulin with acupuncture at Ganshu (BL 18), Weiwanxiashu (EX-B 3), Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4) and other acupoints added in the acupuncture group, for 30 days. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 93.3% in the acupuncture group and 66.7% in the control group. After treatment, blood beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG), and urine beta2-MG in the acupuncture group decreased significantly with a significant difference as compared with those in the control group; total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) significantly decreased and high density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly increased in the acupuncture group with significant differences compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can improve lipid metabolism and protect the renal function of the patient with early metaphase diabetes.