Content analysis and quality evaluation of main active components and mineral elements of Cynomorium songaricum in different habitats / 中国中药杂志

To clarify the content characteristics of the main active components and mineral elements of Cynomorium songaricum under different habitat conditions, and further explore the relationship between the quality of C. songaricum and habitats, this study took C. songaricum from 25 different habitats in China as the research object, and measured the contents of 8 main active components and 12 mineral elements separately. Diversity analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were carried out. The results showed that the genetic diversity of total flavonoids, ursolic acid, ether extract, potassium(K), phosphorus(P) and zinc(Zn) in C. songaricum was high. The coefficient of variation of crude polysaccharide, ether extract, gallic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, catechin, epicatechin, calcium(Ca), sodium(Na), magnesium(Mg), sulfur(S), iron(Fe), manganese(Mn), selenium(Se) and nickel(Ni) were all over 36%, indicating that the quality of C. songaricum was significantly affected by habitats. There were strong synergistic and weak antagonistic effects among the contents of the 8 active components, and complex antagonistic and synergistic effects among the contents of the 12 mineral elements. Principal component analysis revealed that crude polysaccharide, ursolic acid, catechin, epicatechin and total flavonoids could be used as the characteristic components to evaluate the quality of C. songaricum, and Na, copper(Cu), Mn and Ni were the characteristic elements to evaluate the quality of C. songaricum. In cluster ana-lysis, the second group with the main active components as cluster center had better quality in terms of the content of active substances, and the second group with the mineral elements as cluster center had higher utilization potential in the exploitation of mineral elements. This study could provide a basis for resource evaluation and breeding of excellent varieties of C. songaricum in different habitats, and provide a reference for cultivation and identification of C. songaricum.

Mechanism of Zhigancao Tang Against Coronary Heart Disease： An Exploration Based on Thought of "Four in One" / 中国实验方剂学杂志

"Four in one" is a research idea of identifying the classic prescriptions from the following four dimensions： "nature， location， tendency， and syndrome". The multi-dimensional analysis of the mechanism of classic prescription Zhigancao Tang in treating coronary heart disease helps to understand the syndrome differentiation and treatment thoughts of ZHANG Zhong-jing. The coronary heart disease results from deficiency. The efficacy of Zhigancao Tang in treating coronary heart disease can be elucidated from the "nature，location，tendency， and syndrome". In terms of nature， Zhigancao Tang is pungent and sweet in flavor and warm in property， with the sweet responsible for tonifying deficiency， the pungent for dispersing Yang， resolving Yin， and eliminating surplus pathogen， and the warm for moving Yangqi， nourishing blood， and promoting blood circulation. In terms of location， Zhigancao Tang mainly acts on vessels for restoring the normal circulation of blood in the vessels and improving coronary artery stenosis and the resulting ischemia and anoxia. In terms of tendency， Zhigancao Tang tends to affect the upper and inner parts of the body to tonify deficiency in Zangfu organs， promote fluid production， nourish nutrient blood， and dissipate cold simultaneously， thus alleviating chest impediment. In terms of syndrome， Zhigancao Tang is applicable to fluid exhaustion with blood dryness and Yin-yang-qi-blood deficiency syndrome， manifested as regularly or irregularly intermittent pulse and severe palpitation. Zhigancao Tang has been widely used for the treatment of over 70 diseases classified into 10 systems， especially the cardiovascular diseases， in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and western medicine. As the “one” of “four in one”， Zhigancao Tang is composed of multiple Chinese herbs and its therapeutic effect is superior to the sum of its parts. It ameliorates the coronary heart disease by resisting inflammation， protecting against ischemia-reperfusion injury， adjusting the ion channels of myocardial cells， and participating in atrial remodeling and hematopoiesis. Its mechanism and clinical efficacy in the treatment of coronary heart disease have been verified by clinical and experimental studies. The utilization of the thought of "four in one" to analyze classical prescriptions enables the combination of prescriptions with syndromes， which is of great significance to the clinical application and modern development of classical prescriptions.

Protective mechanism of tea polyphenols in potassium dichromate-induced acute renal injury in mice / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of tea polyphenols and its mechanism in potassium dichromate(PD)-induced acute renal injury in mice. METHODS: The specific pathogen free weaned Kunming mice were divided into control group, model group and low-, middle-and high-dose tea polyphenols groups, with 12 mice in each group. Mice in the control group were given 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and mice in other four groups were given PD solution with 4.275 mg/kg body weight every morning by intragastric administration. Then, mice in the control group and model group were given 0.9% sodium chloride solution in the afternoon, while mice in the low-, middle-and high-dose tea polyphenols groups were given 0.3 mL tea polyphenols solution with a dose of 200, 400 or 600 mg/kg body weight, respectively by gavage, once a day for two consecutive weeks. The body mass of mice was weighed during the experiment. At the end of the experiment, the mice were sacrificed. The kidneys were removed and weighed. The kidney organ coefficients were calculated. The levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum were determined by two-point method, the activities of catalase(CAT) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px) in serum of mice were detected by colorimetry. The pathological change of kidney in mice was observed. RESULTS: The body weight of mice in the model group decreased(P<0.05), while the kidney mass, renal organ coefficient, serum levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine increased(all P<0.05), and the serum activities of CAT and GSH-Px decreased(all P<0.05) compared with the control group. The body weight of mice in the three tea polyphenols groups increased(all P<0.05), while the kidney mass, renal organ coefficient, urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in serum decreased(all P<0.05), and the activities of CAT and GSH-Px in serum increased with the increasing intervention dose of tea polyphenols(all P<0.05) compared with the model group. The change of acute renal injury was mainly caused by renal tubular injury in the model group. The pathological changes of renal tissue in the three tea polyphenols intervention groups were improved compared to that in the model group, and the improvement showed a dose-effect relationship with the intervention of tea polyphenols. CONCLUSION: Tea polyphenols have a protective effect on PD-induced acute renal injury with a dose-effect relationship. Its mechanism of action is related to the fact that tea polyphenols can reduce or reverse oxidative stress and inflammation in the kidney.

Efficacy and safety of external application of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of acute gouty arthritis: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of external application of Traditional Chinese Medicine (EATCM) on acute gouty arthritis (AGA). METHODS: Six electronic data bases were retrieved from their inception to march 2017. 15 randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) were included. The quality of the literatures was assessed according to Cochrane review criteria by using RevMan5.3 software; and related data was counted using Stata14.0 software. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in C-reactiveprotein (CRP) between experimental intervention group and control group [(WMD = 1.093, 95% CI (－2.514, 4.701); P = 0.553)]. In terms of overall efficacy, the EATCM's treatment group was significantly superior to control group [(OR = 3.692; 95% CI (2.408, 5.661); P < 0.001)]. The EATCM was better than western medicine treatments or other interventions in reducing the adverse reactions [(OR = 0.135; 95% CI (0.067, 0.274); P < 0.001)]. All these funnel plots showed unlikelihood of publishing bias. But due to excessive heterogeneity, the statistical results of serum uric acid and visual analogue scale and CRP between the two groups became uncertain. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EATCM may have greater overall efficacy with fewer adverse drug reactions, although the evidence is weak owing to the low methodological quality and the small number of the included trials.

Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on serum lipoprotein, C-reactive protein and homocysteine in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the relationship between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake and blood lipid,C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).Methods Patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA were enrolled consecutively from Nanjing Stroke Registry Program.The total dietary PUFA intake level was assessed by the food semi-quantitative frequency questionnaire.Venous blood samples were collected in the morning of the day after admission to the hospital to detect the levels of serum total cholesteroI,triacylglycerol,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,Hcy,and CRP.According to the median level of total PUFA intake,the patients were divided into low PUFA group and high PUFA group.The rehtionship between PUFA intake and blood lipid,CRP and Hcy was analyzed by Spearman correhtion analysis,and multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the independent correhtion.Results A total of 170 patients (85.1％) with acute ischemic stroke and 31 patients with TIA (14.9％) were enrolled.Their age was 62.9 ± 14.1 years,143 were males (71.1％),and the median PUFA daily intake was 12.8 g (interquartile range:8.05-17.5 g).Compared with the high PUFA group (n =100),patients in the low PUFA group (n =101) were older,serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower,and CRP and Hcy levels were higher.The above differences were statistically significant (all P ＜ 0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that total dietary PUFA intake was significantly negatively correhted with the serum CRP (r =-0.24,P =0.001) and Hey (r =-0.17,P =0.013) levels,and there was no significant correlation with the blood lipid levels.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that CRP was significantly negatively correlated with PUFA intake after adjusting for confounding factors (B =-0.28,P =0.012).Conclusions Dietary PUFA intake in patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA may affect blood metabolism index and oxidative stress index.It is necessary to adjust the dietary structure of patients with low PUFA intake to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on serum lipoprotein, C-reactive protein and homocysteine in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake and blood lipid, C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).@*Methods@#Patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA were enrolled consecutively from Nanjing Stroke Registry Program. The total dietary PUFA intake level was assessed by the food semi-quantitative frequency questionnaire. Venous blood samples were collected in the morning of the day after admission to the hospital to detect the levels of serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Hcy, and CRP. According to the median level of total PUFA intake, the patients were divided into low PUFA group and high PUFA group. The relationship between PUFA intake and blood lipid, CRP and Hcy was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation.@*Results@#A total of 170 patients (85.1%) with acute ischemic stroke and 31 patients with TIA (14.9%) were enrolled. Their age was 62.9±14.1 years, 143 were males (71.1%), and the median PUFA daily intake was 12.8 g (interquartile range: 8.05-17.5 g). Compared with the high PUFA group (n=100), patients in the low PUFA group (n=101) were older, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower, and CRP and Hcy levels were higher. The above differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that total dietary PUFA intake was significantly negatively correlated with the serum CRP (r=-0.24, P=0.001) and Hcy (r=-0.17, P=0.013) levels, and there was no significant correlation with the blood lipid levels. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that CRP was significantly negatively correlated with PUFA intake after adjusting for confounding factors (B=-0.28, P=0.012).@*Conclusions@#Dietary PUFA intake in patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA may affect blood metabolism index and oxidative stress index. It is necessary to adjust the dietary structure of patients with low PUFA intake to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

Effects of wine processed Rheum palmatum on tissue distribution of aloe-emodin, rhein and emodin in rats / 中国中药杂志

Under the traditional processing theory "wine processing could promote the efficacy", Rhubarb after wine processing could treat the upper energizer diseases such as red swelling, and breath sores. Processing changes the medicinal properties of rhubarb, and thus results in different focuses in clinical application. In this study, a sensitive and specific method was developed for the determination of aloe-emodin, rhein and emodin in rats tissue. Rhubarb raw materials and its wine processed decoction were given to SD rats respectively by gavage administration, and then the contents of aloe-emodin, rhein and emodin in the tissues (heart, lung, brain, liver, kidney) were determined by HPLC-MS to explore the effect of wine processing on free anthraquinones in rat tissues. Experimental results showed that wine processing can significantly change the distribution of aloe emodin, rhein and emodin in rats in vivo, and the distribution of these components was increased in heart and lung tissues.There was no significant change of distribution in the liver and the kidney as compared with raw product group, and these three ingredients were not detected in the brain, indicating that aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin can not pass through the blood brain barrier.Therefore, wine processing had greater effect on distribution of free anthraquinones in rat tissues.This also verified the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, providing experimental basis for rhubarb processing mechanism.

A literature review on Chinese medicine syndrome and syndrome elements of chronic fatigue syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research the distribution characteristics of Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome and syndrome elements of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) by analyzing literature in recent 20 years.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Relevant literature on treating CFS by syndrome differentiation of CM at home were retrieved by computer and manual ways. Database were established by using EpiData 3.1 to conduct frequency analysis of syndrome and syndrome elements.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The most common clinical syndromes were Xin-Pi deficiency syndrome, Gan stagnation Pi deficiency syndrome, Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome, Gan qi stagnation syndrome, and Pi-Wei qi deficiency syndrome. Disease locations were sequenced as Pi, Gan, Shen, and Xin. The clinical pathogenesis of CFS was characterized by deficiency of vital energy, complicated with intermingled excess and deficiency. Asthenia of healthy energy was mainly manifested as qi deficiency, blood deficiency, and yin deficiency, while excess of sthenia was mainly manifested as qi stagnation, phlegm dampness, and static blood.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Research of CM syndrome starting from syndrome elements can better unify and standardize clinical syndrome differentiation. Results of literature analysis can provide reference for further studies.</p>

Role of ADAM10 and ADAM17 in CD16b shedding mediated by different stimulators / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the main proteinases responsible for CD16b shedding under different stimulators.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HEK293 cell line stably expressing CD16b was constructed by lentivirus system. The cell line was then overexpressed with a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) or ADAM17, suppressed with short hairpin RNA of ADAM10 or ADAM17, and reconstituted with ADAM10 or ADAM17, respectively. After each treatment, the cell line was stimulated with ionomycin or phorbol 12-myristate- 13-acetate (PMA) for 12 hours. The soluble CD16b released from cell membrane was detected by immunoprecipition and immunoblot. Quantitation was then implemented to compare the amount of soluble CD16b in cell supernatant after stimulation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HEK293 cell line stably expressing CD16b was successfully established. When CD16b expressing cell line was overexpressed with ADAM10, shedding of CD16b was increased after stimulation with ionomycin but not PMA; when the cell line overexpressed with ADAM17, shedding of CD16b was increased after stimulation with PMA but not ionomycin. Similarly, when ADAM10 was suppressed by short hairpin RNA, CD16b shedding was decreased after stimulation with ionomycin; when ADAM17 was suppressed by short hairpin RNA, CD16b shedding was decreased after stimulation with PMA. The shedding of CD16b was increased again when CD16b expressing cell line was reconstituted with ADAM10 and stimulated by ionomycin or reconstituted with ADAM17 and stimulated by PMA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Both ADAM10 and ADAM17 could shed CD16b, but they possess differed preferences. ADAM10 is the main sheddase under stimulation of ionomycin, while ADAM17 is the main sheddase under stimulation of PMA.</p>

Feasibility of permanent maxillary tooth removal using articaine anesthesia without palatal injection / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was to test the feasibility of permanent maxillary tooth removal using articaine without a second palatal injection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Of 104 patients, 38 patients had bilateral extraction and 66 patients had unilateral extraction of maxillary tooth. In the test group, 1.7 mL articaine with 1:100000 epinephrine was injected into the buccal vestibule of the tooth and the tooth were extracted after 5 minutes. In the control group, the patients were subjected to both palatal injection with 2% lidocaine hydrochloride and buccal injection with articaine. All patients completed visual analog scales (VAS) after extraction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The achievement ratio of permanent maxillary tooth anesthesia of test group was 96.2%. The achievement ratio of permanent maxillary tooth anesthesia of control group was 97.1%. There was no statistical significance between achievement ratio of test group and control group(P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Permanent maxillary tooth removal without palatal injection is possible by articaine injection to the buccal vestibule of the tooth.</p>

[Inventory of regional surface nutrient balance and policy recommendations in China].

By applying OECD surface soil nitrogen balance methodology, the framework, methodology and database for nutrient balance budget in China are established to evaluate the impact of nutrient balance on agricultural production and water environment. Results show that nitrogen and phosphorus surplus in China are 640 x 10(4) t and 98 x 10(4) t respectively, and nitrogen and phosphorus surplus intensity in China are 16.56 kg/hm2 and 2.53 kg/hm2 respectively. Because of striking spatial difference of nutrient balance across the country, China is seeing a dual-challenge of nutrient surplus management as well as nutrient deficit management. Chemical fertilizer and livestock manure are best targets to perform nutrient surplus management due to their marked contributions to nutrient input. However, it is not cost-effective to implement a uniform management for all regions since nutrient input structures of them vary considerably.

Protection of Angelica sinensis against radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the Angelica Sinensis as a protecting agent affecting the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in an animal model,</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The thoraces of C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either sham irradiation or single fraction of 12 Gy. Four groups were defined: that received neither irradiation nor Angelica Sinensis (N group), that received Angelica Sinensis but no irradiation (A group), that underwent irradiation without Angelica Sinensis (NX group) and that received both Angelica Sinensis and irradiation (AX group). Mice were sacrificed at 1, 24, 72 hours and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 weeks post-irradiation. The lungs tissue were removed and processed for definitive analysis, including hydroxyproline content, HE and Masson staining, and the TGF-beta1, (Transforming Growth Factor beta1, TGF-beta1) mRNA expressions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with N and A group, there was some differences in the AX group, but a significant histological and pathologic changes in NX group. Non-irradiated groups (N and A group) exhibited low levels of hydroxyproline (0.775 +/- 0.024) microg/mg and (0.751 +/- 0.034) microg/mg, and there was a significantly elevated level of hydroxyproline in NX group (0.875 +/- 0.009) microg/mg (P < 0.05). AX group (0.782 +/- 0.010) microg/mg was in between the non-irradiated groups (N and A group) and the radiation-only group (NX group), and the difference between AX group and NX group was significant (P < 0.01). The results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed that the relative mRNA expressions of cytokine TGF-beta1 in NX group(249.655 +/- 16.320) was significantly higher than that in group A (1.254 +/- 0.061) and N (1.324 +/- 0.057) (P < 0.01), and that in AX group (108.076 +/- 9.870) decreased than that of NX group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>An animal model of mice with radiation-induced lung injure was established successfully. This study has demonstrated that Angelica sinensis in Hibits the progress of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, Possibly by down-regulating the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Tgfb1. These data suggest that Angelica sinensis maybe useful in preventing and/or treating radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the clinic.</p>

Inducement effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on apoptosis of human bladder transitional cell carcinoma cell line EJ / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Rg3 on inhibiting and inducing apoptosis of bladder cancer cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The bladder cancer cell line EJ was treated with Rg3 of various concentrations. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Morphological changes of cells were observed by fluorescent staining of Hoechst 33258. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of caspase-3 in cells was detected by immunocytochemistry. DNA ladder was showed by agarose gel electrophoresis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Rg3 inhibited proliferation of EJ cells in a manner of concentration-dependent relationship, IC50 of Rg3 in 48 h treatment was 125.5 mg x L(-1) to EJ cells. When treated with 150 mg x L(-1) of Rg3 for 24 h and 48 h, the cells showed apoptotic morphological characteristics including the condensed chromatin, the nuclear fragmentation, the apoptotic body and bright fluorescent granules as well as a higher caspase-3 expression. FCM assay indicated that Rg3 regulated cell cycle and induced apoptosis of EJ cells. When treated for 24 h and 48 h with 75 mg x L(-1) of Rg3 as well as for 48 h with 150 mg x L(-1) of Rg3, the percentages of cells in S phase and G2/M phase were increased, whereas the percentage of cells in G0-G1 was decreased. The apoptosis rates were increased from (1.05 +/- 0.17)% in control group cells to (8.41 +/- 0.98)%, (18.57 +/- 2.20)% and (33.98 +/- 1.64)%, respectively. Remarkable DNA ladders were revealed. The effects showed a manner in dose and time dependent of Rg3.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that ginsenoside Rg3 exerts an inhibiting effect on proliferation of EJ cells by inducing apoptosis.</p>

Effects of a combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture in treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study effects of a combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture in treatment of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type and make a preliminary revelation of the mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-two patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, the treatment group (n = 56) received the combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture, and the control group (n = 36) received treatment with body acupuncture. Clinical symptoms and signs, therapeutic effect and some indexes about vertebrobasilar hema-kinetics and hema-rheology were investigated before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The treatment group was better than the control group in the clinical overall effective rate (89.29%) and the clinically control rate (17. 85%), and in improving the following indexes, including dizziness and headache, the vertebrobasilar volume and rate of blood flow etab and IR (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A combined regime of auricular-plaster and body acupuncture ameliorates not only main signs but also some indexes about vertebrobasilar hema-kinetics and hema-rheology. This treatment is an effective therapy for cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type both in Malaysia and in China.</p>

Effect of acupuncture combined with medicine on neuropeptide Y in the patient of hypertension / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To search for a method for increasing therapeutic effect on hypertension and study on the mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-five cases were randomly divided into the treatment group (n=45) treated by acupuncture plus medicine, and the control group (n=30) treated by medicine. Their blood pressure and plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY) before and after treatment were investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Blood pressure and NPY content in both the two groups decreased significantly (P < 0.01), and the treatment group in decreasing blood pressure and NPY content was superior to the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture and medicine have cooperation in treatment of hypertension, which is performed possibly through decreasing NPY.</p>