Implementation of MP3 player for music therapy on hypertension.

Hypertension is a common clinical disease and a major risk to human health. Many clinical findings indicate that certain types of music can reduce blood pressure (BP), and music therapy is considered as an important part of anti-hypertension treatment. We integrate our former related research achievement into the new MP3 player, which can also detect the current BP value with a cuffless measurement method. According to the current BP value, the MP3 player selects certain types of music for playing in order to alleviate the hypertension of patients.

The effect of DA-8159, a novel PDE5 inhibitor, on erectile function in the rat model of hypercholesterolemic erectile dysfunction.

This study examined the effects of a new phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, DA-8159, on erectile function associated with hypercholesterolemia. First of all, in order to investigate whether chronic administration of DA-8159 prevents the development of erectile dysfunction associated with hypercholesterolemia, male SD rats were divided into four groups (normal control, hypercholesterolemic control, DA-8159 5 or 20 mg/kg/day). Over a 5-month period, the animals were fed a 2% cholesterol diet and administered DA-8159 orally once a day. After 5 months, the electrostimulation-induced penile erection and the vascular function using acetylcholine-induced vasodilation with endothelium-intact aortic rings were examined. Furthermore, the plasma lipid profiles, endothelin and N(G),N(G)-dimethylarginine (asymmetrical dimethylarginine, ADMA) concentrations were measured. In order to investigate the acute treatment effect of DA-8159 on the erectile function in an established hypercholesterolemic model, additional animals were given a 2% cholesterol diet for 5 months without DA-8159. At the end of 5 months, the rats were divided into three groups (hypercholesterolemic control, DA-8159 0.3 or 1 mg/kg). DA-8159 was administered intravenously 1 min prior to the intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurement. In a chronic treatment study, while the hypercholesterolemic control showed a significantly lower erectile function, vascular reactivity, and increased plasma cholesterol, endothelin and ADMA concentration, the chronic DA-8159 treatment clearly restored the erectile responses by electric stimulation, preserved the potential of thoracic aortic relaxation in a dose-dependent manner, and significantly decreased the plasma endothelin and ADMA concentrations. In an acute treatment study, DA-8159 induced a dose- and frequency-dependent increase in ICP. The ICP/BP ratio and the corresponding AUC values, and the detumescence time were also significantly increased compared to the hypercholesterolemic control. These results suggest that DA-8159 is beneficial for erectile dysfunction in a rat hypercholesterolemic model and provided a rationale for the potential use of DA-8159 for treating erectile dysfunction secondary to hypercholesterolemia.

Interrelationship between methionine and cystine of early Peking ducklings.

A 4 x 5 factorial experiment containing 4 cystine levels (0.325, 0.406, 0.487, or 0.568%) and 5 methionine levels (0.285, 0.385, 0.485, 0.585, or 0.685%) was conducted to evaluate the interrelationship between methionine and cystine in corn-peanut meal diet for Peking ducklings from hatch to 21 d of age. Eight hundred 1-d-old male white Peking ducklings were assigned to 20 experimental treatments. All treatments were replicated 4 times using 10 ducklings per pen. As dietary methionine level increased, weight gain and feed intake increased and then decreased; the quadratic response of weight gain was significant (P < 0.05). The methionine requirement for maximum efficiency of feed utilization (0.585%) was higher than for maximum weight gain (0.485%). According to the quadratic model, the optimal methionine requirement of Peking ducklings from hatch to 21 d of age was 0.481% (95% of the level at maximum response). The plasma uric acid concentration was very low (P < 0.05) when dietary methionine was 0.485%. When dietary methionine was excessive (0.685%), the plasma homocysteine concentration increased (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the cystine requirement of ducklings from hatch to 21 d of age was not more than 0.325%. A high level of cystine (0.568%) depressed weight gain and feed intake (P < 0.05), but cystine supplementation in the diets lowered the plasma homocysteine concentration (P < 0.05). There were no significant interactions between methionine and cystine on growth performance, plasma uric acid, and plasma homocysteine.

Separation and determination of ephedrine alkaloids and tetramethylpyrazine in Ephedra sinica Stapf by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A simple, sensitive, and reliable method using gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) is developed for the simultaneous determination of ephedrine alkaloids and 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) in Ephedra sinica Stapf. The sample is extracted with ethyl ether and submitted to GC-MS for identification and quantitation without derivatization. The column used for GC is an HP-5 (30.0 m x 250 microm x 0.25 microm, 5% phenyl methyl siloxane), and the carrier gas is helium. The detection limits for ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and TMP are 0.4 ng 0.7 ng, and 0.02 ng (signal-to-noise ratio of 3), respectively. The reproducibility of the total procedure is proved to be acceptable (RSD < 2%), and the recoveries are above 93%.

Simultaneous determination of p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, 4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl alcohol, and sugars in Gastrodia elata blume measured as their acetylated derivatives by GC-MS.

A method for the simultaneous separation and determination of the active constituents and three sugars in the roots of Gastrodia elata Blume (GE), which is used as a famous Chinese traditional herbal medicine, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry is established. The samples are acetylated with pyridine-acetic anhydride. The contents of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HA), fructose, glucose, 4-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-benzyl alcohol (GA), and sucrose in GE are 0.004%, 0.03%, 1.36%, 1.12%, 1.97%, and 4.25%, respectively, and the detection limits are 1.5, 3.0, 11.0, 5.0, 33.0, and 35.0 pg, respectively. The contents of HA and GA in the urine and brain of a mouse are also determined. This method is simple, reliable, and quick for the simultaneous determination of the active constituents and sugars in GE.

[Separation and determination of ephedrine alkaloids and 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl pyrazine in Ephedra herba by HPLC].

A sensitive and reliable high performance liquid chromatographic method(HPLC) has been developed for the first time for the simultaneous determination of the active ingredients of ephedrine alkaloids and 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl pyrazine (TMP) in Ephedra herba crude drug and two Chinese traditional medicines (Xiao-er qingfeiwan and Lu-si kewan). The HPLC assay was performed on a reversed phase C18 column (Nova-Pak C18, 3.9 mm i.d. x 150 mm) by using methanol-0.02 mol/L KH2PO4-acetic acid-triethyl amine (4:96:0.2:0.01, V/V) as mobile phase for the ephedrine alkaloids analysis and methanol-H2O-acetic acid (35:65:0.5, V/V) as mobile phase for TMP analysis. Regression equations revealed the linear relationships (correlation coefficients: 0.991-0.998) between the peak area of each constituent (E, PE, NE, NPE, TMP) and its concentration. The detection limits for E, PE, NE, NPE and TMP were 0.4 mg/L, 0.1 mg/L, 0.03 mg/L, 0.02 mg/L and 0.03 mg/L, respectively, and the recoveries ranged between 92%-103%. The contents of E, PE, NE, NPE, TMP in Ephedra herba, traditional medicine Xiao-er qingfeiwan and Lu-si kewan were determined respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) of the contents ranged between 1.1%-3%.

[Clinical observation on diabetic nephropathy treated with alcohol of Abelmoschus manihot].

Sixty-eight cases of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) complicated with nephropathy were randomly divided into two groups: treated group, 35 cases treated with alcohol extraction of Abelmoschus manihot, Gliclazide and Captopril tablets; control group, 33 cases treated with Gliclazide and Captopril tablets, over a period of 8 weeks. The total effective rate in treated and control group were 83.87% and 31.03%(P < 0.01), urinary micro-albumin were 31.7 mg/L and 76.3 mg/L (P < 0.05), proteinuria were 0.41 g/24h and 0.77 g/24h (P < 0.01), blood beta 2-microglobulin were 3317.8 ng/ml and 3473.1 ng/ml (P < 0.05), urinary beta 2-microglobulin were 367.2 ng/ml and 641.5 ng/ml (P < 0.01), urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (NAG) were 26.3 u/L and 66.7 u/L (P < 0.01), plasma lipid peroxide (LPO) were 6.13 nmol/L and 8.78 nmol/L (P < 0.05), and plasma superoxide anion were 8.36 kcpm and 10.42 kcpm respectively (P < 0.05). It was suggested that Abemoschus manihot alcohol extraction could eliminate oxygen free radicals, alleviate renal tubular-interstitial diseases, improve renal function and reduce proteinuria.

[Relationship between apo-protein in renal disease patients with diagnosis and TCM syndrome differentiation].

UNLABELLED: The relationship between the level of apo-protein in 132 renal disease patients with diagnosis and TCM Syndrome Differentiation was analysed. The serum apo-protein level of 132 patients group and 135 healthy adults group were monitored with radioimmunodiffusion assay. The patients were divided into three groups. Spleen Qi and Kidney Qi Deficiency (SQKQD), both Qi and Yin Deficiency (QYD), and the Liver Yin and Kidney Yin Deficiency (LYKYD) group. All patients were divided into with-Dampness and without-Dampness group according to their clinical symptoms and signs. Comparison was also made between different groups. RESULTS: Renal diseases including nephrotic syndrome, chronic nephritis, chronic renal failure and patients with SQKQD, QYD, LYKYD, the levels of apo-B and apo-B/apo-A-I were higher than that of normal (P < 0.01) in various degree, while the level of apo-A-I, was not changed or lower than the normal. In TCM Syndrome differentiation, apo-B and apo-B/apo-A-I in the SQKQD group were higher than those in QYD and LYKYD group (P < 0.05). Moreover, these two values in cases with Dampness were much higher than those without Dampness (P < 0.01). Therefore, it is important to treat this secondary abnormality of lipid metabolism for reducing the further deterioration of renal diseases. When primary renal disease was treated, elimination and removal the dampness might reduce the further damage of hyperlipidemia in renal diseases.

[Relation between dampness-heat syndrome of glomerulonephritis and sialic acid and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG)].

Plasmic and urinary sialic acid and urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) of 87 glomerulonephritic patients with and without Dampness-Heat Syndrome were measured, and the influence of clearing up Dampness-Heat therapy on above-mentioned parameters was investigated. The results showed that Psa, Usa and UNAG of Dampness-Heat Syndrome were significantly higher than those of non-Dampness-Heat Syndrome (P < 0.05-0.01). The further analysis indicated that the patients with acute onset of chronic nephritis manifested as Dampness-Heat, showed marked positive correlation between Usa and UNAG as well as between UNAG and proteinuria respectively (r = 0.75 and 0.722, P < 0.001). With the treatment of Abelmoschus manihot which could remove the Dampness-Heat, the amount of proteinuria, Usa and UNAG were all significantly decreased (P < 0.05-0.001). It suggested that Usa and UNAG might be as diagnostic and curative parameters of Dampness-Heat of glomerulonephritis.

The facilitatory effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate on sexual receptivity in female rats through GnRH release.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether N-methyl-D-aspartate affects the sexual receptivity of female rats. Monosodium L-glutamate was used as a neurotoxin to induce hypogonadal status. Matured normal and monosodium L-glutamate-treated rats were ovariectomized and implanted subcutaneously with estradiol capsules. One week later, lordosis responsiveness was observed before and 10 min after N-methyl-D-aspartate (40 mg/kg of BW, ip) administration. The results showed that N-methyl-D-aspartate caused a remarkable increase of lordosis quotient in control rats but not in monosodium L-glutamate-treated rats. Moreover, the possible action site of N-methyl-D-aspartate in the enhancement of receptivity was evaluated by the post-castrational LH rise, pituitary LH release in response to GnRH, and N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked GnRH releasability. The results revealed that: (a) serum levels of LH in monosodium L-glutamate-treated rats were lower (p < 0.01) than those of control rats after ovariectomy; (b) there was no significant difference of pituitary LH release responsiveness to GnRH test between two groups; and (c) N-methyl-D-aspartate-evoked LH release in monosodium L-glutamate-treated rats was similar to that in the control rats. In conclusion, N-methyl-D-aspartate may facilitate the sexual receptivity through stimulating GnRH release. The failure of N-methyl-D-aspartate in enhancing receptivity in monosodium L-glutamate-treated rats is probably due to the cellular damage by monosodium L-glutamate on specific areas responsible for lordosis.

[Pathogenic factor (Dampness-heat) of glomerulopathy].

Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) induced by chronic serum sickness in rabbits coincide with the human chronic progressive glomerulonephritis resulted from repeated infection, which is similar to pathologic changes of Dampness-Heat Syndrome. The experimental model of MsPGN was treated by Abelmoschus manihot. which could remove the Dampness-Heat. The amount of proteinuria in treating and control group were 62.68mg/24hr and 121.94mg/24hr respectively (P < 0.05), the number of cells in glomeruli were 61.54 and 80.39 respectively (P < 0.01), and diameters of glomeruli were 102.43 microns and 121.13 microns respectively (P < 0.01). It suggested that the drug could alleviate circulating immune complex (CIC) mediated renal injury.

Rat gonadotropin release stimulated in vitro by GnRH-depleted rat brain extracts.

A study was made to compare the LH and FSH release patterns from isolated adult rat pituitaries in response to exposure to acidic extracts of rat hypothalamus or brain or to acidic extracts of GnRH-depleted hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, or cerebellum of adult (90-100 days old) or young (14 days old) rats of both sexes, using a continuous perifusion system. Hypothalami of adult rats contained 3-5 ng of radioimmunoreactive GnRH, while the corresponding cerebral cortex and cerebellum contained none, or extremely low levels of GnRH. Adult hypothalamic extract (HE) stimulated considerably greater LH and FSH release than was induced by cortical extract (CE) or cerebellar extract (CBE). Removal of assayable GnRH from HE by incubation with anti-GnRH serum reduced, but did not eliminate, release of both LH and FSH, suggesting that GnRH is the principal but not sole agent responsible for both LH and FSH secretions. Adult male HE released slightly more LH and FSH than did female HE due to its greater GnRH content. GnRH-depleted CE or CBE from both sexes induced LH and FSH releases qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those induced by CE, CBE or GnRH-depleted HE. Untreated extracts or GnRH-depleted extracts of all three brain regions from 14-day-old rats of both sexes induced similar LH and FSH releases as those of adult CE or CBE. Hypothalamus of young rats, which contained about 0.5 ng of immunoassayable GnRH did not release more LH and FSH than the corresponding cortex or cerebellum did. The data indicate that all brain regions so far studied, regardless of sex or age, contained presumably nonspecific substance(s), other than GnRH, capable of stimulating minor but significant LH and FSH releases. Their nature or role in physiological regulation of gonadotropin secretion is unknown, but must be considered, since current concepts, in which GnRH is the sole hypothalamic gonadotropin regulator, are not adequate.