Clinical and imaging features of adult influenza B viral pneumonia / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics of adult patients with influenza B viral pneumonia and improve the understanding of influenza B viral pneumonia in clinicians.Methods:The clinical data of adult patients with influenza B virus pneumonia were collected from January 2021 to December 2022 in the fever clinic of Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University. The clinical symptoms, blood routine results and lung computed tomography (CT) results were analyzed and summarized.Results:The clinical data of 24 adult patients with influenza B virus pneumonia were collected. The time from onset to treatment was (2.7±0.3)d. All patients had fever, and 14 of them had body temperature >39 ℃. Blood routine and procalcitonin levels were normal, while C-reactive protein levels were elevated [(56.28±32.35)mg/L]. Oxygen saturation was normal (≥95%). The pulmonary CT findings were mostly small flake ground glass shadows distributed on one side, and some of them were cord shadows caused by interstitial lesions.Conclusions:Influenza B virus infection can also cause pneumonia, but is relatively limited and has a good prognosis.

The role of fever clinic and traditional Chinese medicine in coping with new respiratory infectious diseases / 中国医师杂志

As a front-line department for the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases, the construction and management of fever clinics have also been adjusted with the changes of the epidemic situation in different periods. In this context, the scope of diagnosis and treatment of fever clinics should be expanded again, not limited to the detection and screening of infectious diseases, but should focus on early treatment and prevention of severe diseases. Management measures should also be further optimized with the expansion of patient types. Face of this situation, we need to actively explore the integration of epidemic prevention and control into the normalized diagnosis and treatment environment, and at the same time maintain the ability to respond to the outbreak of the epidemic. As a hospital of traditional Chinese medicine, it is also important to play and develop the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in the construction of fever clinic.

Application of modern rehabilitation techniques combined with external application of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of knee stiffness / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of modern rehabilitation techniques combined with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) external application in the treatment of knee stiffness.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 80 patients with knee stiffness meeting the entry criteria admitted to the People's Hospital of Bozhou from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected and divided into the observation group ( n=40) and the control group ( n=40) according to the random ball touching method. Both groups were given routine physiotherapy. The control group was treated with TCM external application on the basis of the physiotherapy, and the observation was treated with modern rehabilitation techniques on the basis of the treatment of the control group. The goniometer was used to measure the knee flexion and extension before and after treatment, and the VAS scale was used to assess the knee pain. Fug l-Meyer motor function score was used to evaluate lower extremity motor function. Results:After treatment, the knee flexion [(96.43 ± 4.63) ° vs. (89.58 ± 4.67) °, t=6.59] in the observation group was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.01), and the extension [(8.32 ± 2.03) ° vs. (11.69 ± 2.37) °, t=6.83] in the control group was lower than that of the control group ( P<0.01); VAS score (2.06 ± 0.49 vs. 3.65 ± 0.76, t=11.12) was lower than that of the control group ( P<0.01), and Fugl Meyer motor function score (28.97 ± 3.76 vs. 20.43 ± 3.04, t=11.17) was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The application of modern rehabilitation techniques combined with TCM external application in the treatment of knee stiffness can improve the range of motion of the knee joint, reduce the VAS score of pain, and improve the motor function.

Analysis and comparison of major plant databases in China and ASEAN countries / 国际中医中药杂志

At present, countries around the world are paying greater attention to the protection of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal knowledge resources, and are looking for various ways to protect medicinal plants. Many countries have established their own databases to save the medicinal plant information resources. This paper focuses on the introduction of medicinal plant databases in six countries including Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore, and compares their basic information. It is difficult to achieve integration and sharing among these databases. It brings certain difficulties to the use of researchers in related fields. It is suggested that the construction of a multinational common medicinal plant database should be included in the "Belt and Road Initiative" to systematically organize massive information, enhance exchanges between countries on traditional medicinal plants, and achieve medicinal plant information sharing, and the establishment of a shared database will reduce optimization and maintenance to a certain extent or renewal work, laying the foundation for the protection, development and sustainable use of traditional medicinal plant resources.

Literature Survey on Edible Medicinal Plants in Lancang-Mekong Countries / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Lancang-Mekong countries refer to the six countries that the Lancang-Mekong River flows through， including China， Laos， Myanmar， Thailand， Cambodia， and Vietnam. These countries are geographically adjacent with similar cultures and have long history of traditional medicine and high plant diversity. Since ancient times， medicinal plants have been introduced into China from the countries along the river， including a variety of medicinal plants with edible and healthcare values， which is an important way for the transnational circulation of medicinal resources. This paper briefly described the history and application of edible medicinal plants in the six Lancang-Mekong countries and summarized more than 150 edible medicinal plants from the other five countries except China. These 150 medicinal plants belong to 66 families such as Labiatae， and 12 species of them are used as edible medicinal plants in all the six countries. Further， we collected the information of these edible medicinal plants， including the origins， efficacy， indications， medicinal edible parts， edible values， and the traditional application of these plants in China. Some valuable edible medicinal plants in the other five countries are considered to have a promising prospect of application in China and may be introduced to China as new medicinal resources. These efforts will be conducive to the cooperation in traditional medicine among Lancang-Mekong countries.

Effect of processing method on chemical constituents of Rehmanniae Radix: based on UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the chemical composition of Rehmanniae Radix braised with mild fire and compare the effect of processing method on the chemical composition of Rehmanniae Radix. To be specific, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with linear ion trap-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) was used to screen the chemical constituents of Rehmanniae Radix. The chemical constituents were identified based on the relative molecular weight and fragment ions, literature information, and Human Metabolome Database(HMDB). The ion peak area ratio of each component before and after processing was used as the index for the variation. SIMCA was employed to establish principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) models of different processed products. According to the PCA plot, OPLS-DA plot, and VIP value, the differential components before and after the processing were screened out. The changes of the content of differential components with the processing method were analyzed. A total of 66 chemical components were identified: 57 of raw Rehmanniae Radix, 55 of steamed Rehmanniae Radix, 55 of wine-stewed Rehmanniae Radix, 51 of repeatedly steamed and sundried Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata, 62 of traditional bran-braised Rehmanniae Radix, and 63 of electric pot-braised Rehmanniae Radix. Among them, the 9 flavonoids of braised Rehmanniae Radix were from Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium. PCA suggested significant differences in the chemical composition of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata prepared with different processing methods. OPLS-DA screened out 32 chemical components with VIP value >1 as the main differential components. Among the differential components, 9 were unique to braised Rehmanniae Radix(traditional bran-braised, electric pot-braised) and the degradation rate of the rest in braised(traditional bran-braised, electric pot-braised) or repeatedly steamed and sundried Rehmanniae Radix was higher than that in the steamed or wine-stewed products. The results indicated the chemical species and component content of Rehmanniae Radix changed significantly after the processing. The 32 components, such as rehmapicrogenin, martynoside, jionoside D, aeginetic acid, hesperidin, and naringin, were the most important compounds to distinguish different processed products of Rehmanniae Radix. The flavonoids introduced by Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium as excipient may be the important material basis for the effectiveness of braised Rehmanniae Radix compared with other processed products.

Rapid Identification of Characteristic Chemical Constituents of Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolius, and Panax japonicus Using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.

Saponins are the main active components in Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. (PG), Panax quinquefolius L. (PQ), and Panax japonicus C. A. Mey. (PJ), which belong to the genus Panax in the Araliaceae family. Because the chemical components in the three species are similar, they are often mixed and misused in functional foods and pharmaceuticals applications. Therefore, it is urgent to establish a method to quickly distinguish among PG, PQ, and PJ. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was combined with data postprocessing to identify the main characteristic fragments (CFs) and the related neutral losses (NLs) of protopanaxadiol (PPD), protopanaxatriol (PPT), oleanolic acid (OLE), and ocotillol- (OCO-) type saponins. By comparing the mass spectral data, it was possible to rapidly classify and identify saponins in PG, PQ, and PJ. A total of twenty-three chemical components were identified in the PG samples, twenty-three components were identified in the PQ samples, and twenty-seven components were identified in the PJ samples. Among them, OCO-type saponins were characteristic of PQ and PJ. Ginsenoside Rf, which was absent from PQ, allowed for differentiation between PQ and PJ. The CFs and NLs in the mass spectra of the characteristic components of PG, PQ, and PJ allowed for the rapid classification and identification of these species. Additionally, these results provide technical support for the quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicine and for constructing a scientific regulatory system.

The function of auditory cortex in the elderly using functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to study the effect of aging on the neuroimaging characteristics of cerebral cortex in the process of speech perception. Method: Thirty-four adults with normal hearing were recruited from March 2021 to June 2021, including 17 in the young group, with 6 males, 11 females, age (32.1±5.0) years, age range 20-39 years. and 17 in the elderly group, with 6 males, 11 females, age (63.2±2.8) years, age range 60-70 years. The test material was the sentence table of the Mandarin Hearing Test in Noise (MHINT). The task state block experiment design was adopted, and the temporal lobe, Broca's area, Wernicke's area, motor cortex were used as regions of interest. Objective brain imaging technology (fNIRS) combined with subjective psychophysical testing method was used to analyze the activation area and degree of cerebral cortex related to auditory speech perception in the elderly and young people under different listening conditions (quiet, signal-to-noise ratio of 10 dB, 5 dB, 0 dB, -5 dB). SPSS 23 software was used for statistical analysis. Result: The activation area and degree of activation in the elderly group were lower than those in the young group under each task condition; The number of activation channels in the young group were significantly more than those in the old group, and the number of activation channels in the left hemisphere were more than those in the right hemisphere, but there was no difference in the number of activation channels. There were more channels affected by age in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere. The activation degree of the young group when the signal-to-noise ratio was 0 dB was significantly higher than that of other signal-to-noise ratio conditions (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the old group under the five conditions (P>0.05). The speech recognition score of the young group was higher than that of the old group under all conditions. When the quiet and signal-to-noise ratio was 10 dB, the correct score of the two groups was equal or close to 100%. With the gradual decrease of signal-to-noise ratio, there was a significant difference between the two groups when the signal-to-noise ratio was 5 dB. The speech recognition accuracy of the young group decreased significantly when the signal-to-noise ratio was 0 dB, while that of the old group decreased significantly when the signal-to-noise ratio was 5 dB. Conclusions: With the increase of age, the speech perception in noisy environment and the activity of cerebral cortex gradually deteriorate, and the speech dominance hemisphere (left hemisphere) will be significantly affected by aging. The overall activation area and activation degree of the elderly under different speech tasks are lower than those of the young.

Expert Consensus on Sepsis Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

To give full play to the therapeutic advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in sepsis， clarify the entry point of integrated TCM and western medicine， further standardize the clinical treatment of TCM， develop a recognized and integrated treatment protocol of TCM and western medicine， and improve the clinical efficacy on sepsis，the Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine organized TCM and western medicine experts specialized in sepsis treatment to conduct in-depth discussions on the advantages of TCM and integrated TCM and western medicine in the treatment of sepsis based on the TCM etiology and pathogenesis of sepsis， a representative acute and critical disease. They emphasized the pathogenesis characteristics of asthenia of healthy Qi and sthenia of pathogenic factors and summarized the roles of Chinese medicine in correcting the imbalance of inflammatory response， improving blood coagulation dysfunction， and relieving organ damage. Furthermore， they proposed the treatment protocol with integrated TCM and western medicine， which is expected to provide references for actual clinical treatment and scientific research.

Investigation of Transdermal Constituents and Molecular Mechanism of Euodiae Fructus in Treatment of Diarrhea by Transdermal Drug Delivery Based on Integrated Pharmacology and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To identify the transdermal constituents of Euodiae Fructus and predict its molecular mechanism in treating diarrhea by transdermal drug delivery. Method:Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） and integrated pharmacology methods were used. The rapid identification of transdermal constituents of Euodiae Fructus was realized by the means of comparison of reference substances， analysis of UNIFI system and mass spectrometry. On this basis， Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0， SymMap， DisGeNET databases and literature were used to collected potential targets of transdermal constituents of Euodiae Fructus and targets for diarrhea-related diseases. The disease targets and drug targets were topologically analyzed to obtain the core targets， which were used for the Gene Ontology （GO） function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis. Finally， Cytoscape 3.6.0 was used to build up a network of transdermal constituents-core targets-key pathways. Result:A total of 19 chemical constituents were speculatively identified from Euodiae Fructus extract， including quinolone alkaloids， limonins， indole alkaloids， organic acids and sterols. A total of 174 core targets of Euodiae Fructus for treating diarrhea were obtained by a topology analysis， signaling pathways of inflammatory response， cell proliferation， nutrient regulation and energy metabolism， signal transduction， bacterial infection were obtained through the analysis of KEGG enrichment. Conclusion:In this study， the transdermal constituents of Euodiae Fructus are identified for the first time， they can participate in the regulation of intestinal inflammation， maintain the integrity of intestinal mucosa， repaire and adjust the metabolism of the body by acting on Rac protein family， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase， cytochrome P450 enzymes and aldo-keto reductase， respectively. In general， the molecular mechanism of Euodiae Fructus in the treatment of diarrhea is preliminarily elucidated.

Current Situation and Improvement Suggestion of Traditional Chinese Medicine Policy in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the current situation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）industry policy in Guangdong- Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area ，and to provide suggestions for the follow-up planning and layout. METHODS ：The content analysis method was used to code and measure the policy text of TCM industry in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area issued by the central government and local government as of April 2020 from the perspective of policy tools. The current development focus and existing problems of the industry were summarized to put forward reasonable suggestion. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS：A total of 34 relevant policy texts were retrieved ，including 9 at the central government level and 25 at the local government level. In respective of essential policy tool ，the supply-oriented ，demand-oriented and environmental policy tools of TCM industry in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area accounted for 58.10％，22.86％ and 19.05％，respectively. Among supply-oriented policy tools ，hardware construction accounted for 40.98％，internal communication for 26.23％，quality construction for 22.95％，and international exchange for 9.84％；there was no specific implementation rules and programs for policy tools ，which affect their operability. The demand-oriented policy tools included health service （75.00％），international trade （16.67％），service outsourcing （4.17％）and government subsidies （4.17％）；the use of the latter three approaches limited the openness of the industrial market. The environmental policy tools included target planning （40.00％），access rules （25.00％）， intellectual property （30.00％）and financing support （5.00％），but needed to improve the support of laws and regulations and relevant measures. In respective of the value chain of TCM industry ，34 policy texts showed 4 contents，including platform construction（36.19％），scientific and technological innovation （19.05％），market expansion （23.81％），exchange and cooperation （20.95％）；the lack of scientific and technological innovation and exchange and cooperation limited the standardization ， modernization and internationalization of TCM. It suggested to optimize the supply-oriented policy tools ，improve the operability of policies； pay attention to the demand-oriented and environmental policy tools ， highlight the role of marketization and standardization；pay attention to the integration of basic policy tools and industrial value chain ，and achieve the standardization ， modernization and international development of TCM in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao greater bay area.

Research advances on quality markers of Chinese materia medica for prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease / 中草药

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the main causes of death and disease in China. Traditional Chinese medicine has shown advantages in the understanding and diagnosis of coronary heart disease. A large number of clinical and experimental studies have confirmed that Chinese medicine has definite effects on CHD. Chinese materia medica (CMM) research on prevention and treatment of CHD has become a focus in cardiovascular research. The quality of CMM is the key factor to ensure the value of CMM, and it is also the basic guarantee for the modernization and scientization of CMM. The quality of CMM is proposed to further clarify the quality standards and control methods of CMM, to promote the research and development of new Chinese medicines and to ensure clinical use. The safety, effectiveness and revealing the essential attributes of CMM provide research ideas. This article reviews the research on prevention and treatment of CMM for CHD, the quality control method of CMM, and the application status of quality markers.

Analysis of ESI Database-covered high academic level papers published by colleges and universities of traditional Chinese medicine / 中华医学图书情报杂志

After the status quo of ESI-covered pharmacology, toxicology and clinical medicine in domestic universities of traditional Chinese medicine was described, the papers and highly-cited papers published by these universities, total citations, citations of each paper were ranked and compared.The related problems and development tendency of different subjects were analyzed with suggestions put forward for the construction of first class subjects in domestic colleges and universities of traditional Chinese medicine.

Effects of Chinese medicine shen-fu injection on the expression of inflammatory cytokines and complements during post-resuscitation immune dysfunction in a porcine model / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the action of Shen-Fu Injection (SFI) in regulating the expression of the serum complements and inflammatory cytokines synthesized and released in response to the stress of global ischemia accompanying cardiac arrest (CA) and resuscitation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty pigs were randomly divided into the sham (n=6) and 3 returns of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) groups (n=24). After 8-min untreated ventricular fibrillation and 2-min basic life support, 24 pigs of the ROSC groups were randomized into three groups (n=8 per group), which received central venous injection of SFI (SFI group), epinephrine (EP group), or saline (SA group). Hemodynamic status and blood samples were obtained at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h after ROSC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum concentrations of specific activation markers of the complement system C3, C4 and C5b-9 were increased during cardiopulmonary resuscitation through 24 h after ROSC. There were intense changes of various pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines as early as 0.5 h after CA. Compared with the EP and SA groups, SFI treatment reduced the proinflammatory cytokines levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α, P<0.05), and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels of IL-4 and IL-10 (P<0.05). Further, SFI treatment decreased the values of C3, C4 and C5b-9 compared with the EP and SA groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SFI, derived from the ancient Chinese medicine, has significant effects in attenuating post-resuscitation immune dysfunction by modulating the expression of complements and cytokines levels. The current study provided an experimental basis for the clinical application of a potential pharmacologic target for post resuscitation immune dysfunction.</p>

Patents analysis-based scientific innovation ability in colleges and universities of traditional Chinese medicine / 中华医学图书情报杂志

Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medi-cine, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine served as the study object in this study.Their published patent data were recorded and analyzed in terms of the number and types of patent applications, the number of validated patents, and the distribution of patent technologies using the patent information service platform on China Intellectual Property Right Net in order to understand their scientific research level, innovative ability, and scientific research trends.Certain suggestions were put forward for the solu-tion of existing problems and for working out strategies for the protection of intellectual property right.

Treatment of upper respiratory infection by fangfeng tongsheng granule: a randomized controlled study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Fangfeng Tongsheng Granule (FTG) in the treatment of upper respiratory infection (superficial cold and interior heat syndrome, exterior and interior excess syndrome).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A randomized, double-blinded, multi-centered, placebo-parallel-controlled clinical trial was adopted. Totally 324 patients were enrolled and assigned to two groups, 216 patients in the treatment group and 108 patients in the control group. Those in the treatment group took FTG at the daily dose of 3 g, twice per day, the therapeutic course being 3 days. Those with axillary temperature more than 37 degrees C took one more time before medication. Those in the control group took simulated agent granules the same dose and dosage as the treatment group. The effect of Chinese medical syndrome (ECMS), the rate of temperature-dropping-to-normal (RT), the time of temperature-dropping-to-normal (TT), the curative effect of single symptom (CESS) and adverse reactions were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 203 completed the trial in the treatment group and 101 in the control group. In the treatment group, the cured-effective rate was 55.67% (113/ 101), the total effective rate was 93.10% (189/101), the ECMS score decreased by 9.24 +/- 4.46, while they were 5.94% (6/101), 36.63% (37/101), and 3.27 +/- 3.29, respectively in the control group (P < 0.01). The RT was 87.50% (98/112) in the treatment group and 58.49% (31/53) in the control group (P < 0.01). The TT in the treatment group was superior to that of the control group (P < 0.01). As for CESS, all of the three primary symptoms and nine secondary symptoms were improved more obviously in the treatment group than in the control group. The integral decreased obviously, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). The decrease was more obvious in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01). There was no adverse event related to FTG.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>FTG was effective and safe in treating upper respiratory infection (superficial cold and interior heat syndrome, exterior and interior excess syndrome).</p>

Nardosinone protects H9c2 cardiac cells from angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (AngII) can subsequently give rise to heart failure, a leading cause of mortality. Nardosinone is a pharmacologically active compound extracted from the roots of Nardostachys chinensis, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. In order to investigate the effects of nardosinone on AngII-induced cardiac cell hypertrophy and the related mechanisms, the myoblast cell line H9c2, derived from embryonic rat heart, was treated with nardosinone (25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L) or AngII (1 μmol/L). Then cell surface area and mRNA expression of classical markers of hypertrophy were detected. The related protein levels in PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MEK/ERK signaling pathways were examined by Western blotting. It was found that pretreatment with nardosinone could significantly inhibit the enlargement of cell surface area induced by AngII. The mRNA expression of ANP, BNP and β-MHC was obviously elevated in AngII-treated H9c2 cells, which could be effectively blocked by nardosinone at the concentration of 100 μmol/L. Further study revealed that the protective effects of nardosinone might be mediated by repressing the phosphorylation of related proteins in PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. It was suggested that the inhibitory effect of nardosinone on Ang II-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cells might be mediated by targeting PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways.

Clinical and molecular genetic analysis of a family with normokalemic periodic paralysis / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Periodic paralysis (PP) is one type of skeletal muscle channelopathies characterized by episodic attacks of weakness. It is usually classified into hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HyperPP), hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HypoPP) and normokalemic periodic paralysis (NormoPP) based on the blood potassium levels. HypoPP is the most common type of these three and NormoPP is the rarest one. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical and genetic features of a Chinese family with normokalemic periodic paralysis (NormoKPP).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Clinical features of all patients in the family with NormoKPP were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and amplified with PCR. We screened all 24 exons of SCN4A gene and then sequence analysis was performed in those who showed heteroduplex as compared with unaffected controls.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) Fifteen members of the family were clinically diagnosed NormoKPP, and their common features are: onset within infacy, episodic attacks of weakness, the blood potassium levels were within normal ranges, high sodium diet or large dosage of normal saline could attenuate the symptom. One muscle biopsy was performed and examination of light and electronic microscopy showed occasionally degenerating myofibers. (2) Gene of 12 patients were screened and confirmed mutations of SCN4A genes--c. 2111 T > C/p. Thr704Met.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The study further defined the clinical features of patients with NormoKPP, and molecular genetic analysis found SCN4A gene c. 2111 T > C/p. Thr704Met point mutation contributed to the disease. In line with the autosomal dominant inheritance laws, this family can be diagnosed with periodic paralysis, and be provided with genetic counseling. And the study may also help the clinical diagnosis, guide treatment and genetic counseling of this rare disease in China.</p>

Shen-Fu injection reduces impaired myocardial β-adrenergic receptor signaling after cardiopulmonary resuscitation / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction has been implicated as a major cause of fatal outcome in patients who survive initially successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In our previous study, we found that impaired myocardial β-adrenergic receptor (AR) signaling is a key mechanism in post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction and Shen-Fu injection (SFI) can attenuate post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction. However, whether SFI can prevent impaired post-resuscitation myocardial β-AR signaling is not yet known. In this study, we investigated the effect of SFI on impaired myocardial β-AR signaling occurring post-resuscitation in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ventricular fibrillation was induced electrically in anesthetized male landrace domestic pigs. After 4 minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated. Sixteen successfully resuscitated pigs were randomized to receive a continuous infusion of either SFI (0.5 ml/min; n = 8) or saline (placebo; n = 8) for 6 hours, beginning 15 minutes after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Hemodynamic and echocardiographic data were recorded. β-AR signaling was assessed at 6 hours after the intervention by measuring myocardial adenylate cyclase activity, β-AR density and β-AR kinase expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Treatment with SFI produced better maximum rate of left ventricular pressure increase (dp/dt(max)) and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure decline (-dp/dt(max)), cardiac output, and ejection fraction after ROSC. SFI treatment was also associated with lower myocardial β-adrenergic receptor kinase expression, whereas basal and isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity and the total β-AR density were significantly increased in the SFI group when compared with the placebo group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SFI attenuated post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction by preventing impaired myocardial β-AR signaling after CPR.</p>

Nardosinone protects H9c2 cardiac cells from angiotensin II-induced hypertrophy / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (AngII) can subsequently give rise to heart failure, a leading cause of mortality. Nardosinone is a pharmacologically active compound extracted from the roots of Nardostachys chinensis, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine. In order to investigate the effects of nardosinone on AngII-induced cardiac cell hypertrophy and the related mechanisms, the myoblast cell line H9c2, derived from embryonic rat heart, was treated with nardosinone (25, 50, 100, and 200 μmol/L) or AngII (1 μmol/L). Then cell surface area and mRNA expression of classical markers of hypertrophy were detected. The related protein levels in PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MEK/ERK signaling pathways were examined by Western blotting. It was found that pretreatment with nardosinone could significantly inhibit the enlargement of cell surface area induced by AngII. The mRNA expression of ANP, BNP and β-MHC was obviously elevated in AngII-treated H9c2 cells, which could be effectively blocked by nardosinone at the concentration of 100 μmol/L. Further study revealed that the protective effects of nardosinone might be mediated by repressing the phosphorylation of related proteins in PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. It was suggested that the inhibitory effect of nardosinone on Ang II-induced hypertrophy in H9c2 cells might be mediated by targeting PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways.