The health benefits of the active ingredients and whole food components of natural plants through regulating the flora / 生物工程学报

With the cooperation of bacteria and the human body, the nutrients in food are deeply digested, utilized, and shared. In addition, symbiosis is formed between microorganisms and hosts. Such a delicate combination makes the microorganisms form the inherent flora in the human body. They obtain the biological basis for survival, and provide the necessary regulation and support for the host in terms of immunity and nutrition, through their functional metabolism and population signals. At present, most of the researches focus on the isolation and evaluation of the functional components of plants, such as plant polysaccharides, polyphenols, flavonoids, and other active functional components. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, plants are often used with whole food components. To date, studies have found that the dynamics of flora affecting human health are not fixed, nor dependent on the change of a single strain. The ecological competition and metabolic regulation between microorganisms are usually coevolved with the host. The regulatory effect of natural plants for both medicine and food mainly depends on their whole food components. This provides evidence to support the role of whole food components played in promoting the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine from the perspective of microenvironment. Therefore, the development and utilization of medicinal and edible natural plant activities should be fully understood and evaluated with flora regulation.

Molecular and Epidemiological Characterization of Infant Botulism in Beijing, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Laboratory-based pathogen isolation, identification, and toxicity determination were performed on samples from a suspected case of infant botulism. Mice injected with cultures generated from the enema sample and ingested Powered infant formula (PIF) presented typical signs of botulism. Antitoxins to polyvalent botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) and monovalent BoNT type B antitoxin had protective effects. Clostridium botulinum isolated from the enema and residual PIF samples were positive for type B toxin. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed that the two strains of C. botulinum isolated from the two samples produced indistinguishable pulsotypes. These findings confirmed this case of type B infant botulism associated with the ingestion of PIF contaminated by type B C. botulinum spores.

Effects of Modified Qing'e Pill () on expression of adiponectin, bone morphogenetic protein 2 and coagulation-related factors in patients with nontraumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To observe the regulation of Chinese herbal medicine, Modifified Qing'e Pill (, MQEP), on the expression of adiponectin, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and other potentially relevant risk factors in patients with nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 96 patients with nontraumatic ONFH were unequal randomly divided into treatment group (60 cases) and control group (36 cases). The treatment group were treated with MQEP while the control group were treated with simulated pills. Both groups were given caltrate D. Six months were taken as a treatment course. Patients were followed up every 2 months. The levels of plasma adiponectin, BMP2, OPG, von Willebrand factor (vWF), von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (vWF-cp), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood rheology, bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral head and Harris Hip Score were measured before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 6 months of treatment, compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group had signifificantly higher adiponectin and BMP2 levels (P<0.01 and P=0.013, respectively), lower vWF, PAI-1 and CRP levels (P=0.019, P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively), and lower blood rheology parameters. BMD of the femoral neck, triangle area and Harris Hip Score in the treatment group were signifificantly higher than those in the control group. Moreover, plasma adiponectin showed a positive association with BMP2 (r=0.231, P=0.003) and a negative association with PAI-1 (r=-0.159, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MQEP may play a protective role against nontraumatic ONFH by increasing the expression of adiponectin, regulating bone metabolism and improving the hypercoagulation state, which may provide an experimental base for its clinical effects.</p>

Research on the application of holistic nursing intervention in perioperative nursing for patients underwent radical hysterectomy under laparoscopy / 中国医学装备

Objective:To investigate the effect of holistic nursing intervention in perioperative nursing for patients underwent radical hysterectomy under laparoscopy. Methods: 80patients with cervical cancer were divided into observation group (40cases) and control group (40cases), and patients of control group received routine nursing modein perioperative period while patients of observation group received holistic nursing mode in the same stage. The complication of the two groups were compared and analyzed, and the satisfaction degree for nursing mode was investigated.Results: Under the intervention of holistic nursing, the number of complication of observation group was significantly lower than that of control group (x2=8.205,P<0.05). And the satisfaction degree for nursing of observation group was significantly higher than that control group(x2=5.000,P<0.05).Conclusion: The holistic nursing intervention in perioperative nursing for patients underwent radical hysterectomy under laparoscopy can significantly improve the life quality of patients, and reduce the occurrence of complication, and enhance the satisfaction degree of patients for nursing.

A novel Lactobacillus plantarum strain P-8 activates beneficial immune response of broiler chickens.

To investigate whether Lactobacillus plantarum P-8 may be used as an alternative to antibiotics in the broiler chicken diet, we compared P-8 and antibiotics for their immunobiotic properties and their effect on growth performance of broiler chickens in a 42-day trial. The results showed that P-8 provided similar benefits in weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency as antibiotics did. Importantly, P-8 activated protective immune responses of the broilers while antibiotics lacked this effect. P-8 induced higher fecal secretory IgA (sIgA) levels on day 42 (P≤0.027) and IgA(+) lymphocytes in the jejunum and Peyer's patches (PP) (P<0.001) compared to antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics reduced the IgA(+) lymphocytes in jejunum and PP on day 42 compared to the control. P-8 increased CD3(+) T cells in the small intestinal tissues in most test situations whereas antibiotics had fewer CD3(+) cells in PP and cecal tonsil compared with the control broilers at the end of the trial. In addition, P-8 increased CD4(+) T cells significantly in the intestinal tissues compared to both antibiotics and the control (P<0.0052). Both Th1 and Th2 cytokine expression were enhanced by P-8 on day 14, consistent with the clinical trial results showing probiotic benefits in diseases. Antibiotics up- and down-regulated interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4 and IL-10 transcripts in an age-dependent manner, and showed anti-inflammatory potential. These data indicate that P-8 may provide protective immune response to broilers while maintaining similar growth performance and may be a potential alternative to antibiotics supplemented in chicken feeds.

Effect of Qing'e formula on circulating sclerostin levels in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Serum sclerostin is positively associated with serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration. Our preliminary studies confirmed that Qing'e formula (QEF) could effectively increase serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP), but the effect of supplementation with QEF on serum sclerostin is unknown. This study investigated the effects of supplementation of QEF on serum sclerostin levels in patients with PMOP. Totally 120 outpatients and inpatients with PMOP treated in our hospital between January and October 2012 were randomly divided into QEF+calcium group, alfacalcidol+calcium group, and placebo+calcium group (n=40 each), with a follow-up period of 2 years. The serum levels of sclerostin, 25 hydroxyvitamin D, and bone turnover markers (β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP) at baseline and at the 6th month, 1st year, 1.5th year, and 2nd year after treatment were measured. The results showed that the levels of circulating sclerostin were increased significantly at the 6th month after treatment in QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group as compared with placebo+calcium group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the former two groups (P>0.05). The levels of β-CTX, N-MID and T-PINP in serum were decreased in both QEF+calcium group and alfacalcidol+calcium group at the 6th month after treatment, without significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). But the levels were significantly lower than that in placebo+calcium group (P<0.05). These results suggest that the mechanism by which QEF modulates bone metabolism in patients with PMOP might be related with the effect of QEF in increasing sclerostin expression. Our findings provide a scientific rationale for using QEF as an effective drug to prevent bone loss in PMOP.

Acupuncture or Acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) Acupoint for the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture or acupressure at the Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoint in relieving pain associated with primary dysmenorrhea. We searched the scientific literature databases to identify randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score. Three acupuncture and four acupressure trials were included in the meta-analyses. For the acupuncture analysis, there was no difference in the mean VAS score reduction between the SP6 acupoint and control (GB39 acupoint) groups (-4.935; lower limit = -15.757, upper limit = 5.887; P = 0.371). For the acupressure analysis, there was a significant difference in the mean VAS score after intervention between the SP6 acupoint and control (rest/light touch at SP6/nonacupoint acupressure) groups, favoring the SP6 acupoint group (-1.011; lower limit = -1.622, upper limit = -0.400; P = 0.001). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated good reliability of the meta-analyses findings. These findings suggest that acupuncture at SP6 is not more effective than acupuncture at an unrelated acupoint in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. Acupressure at SP6 may be effective in the relief from primary dysmenorrhea. High-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.

Tissue distribution of Aconitum alkaloids extracted from Radix aconiti preparata after oral administration to rats / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To develop an HPLC method for the determination of Aconitum alkaloids extracted from Radix aconiti preparata in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Waters 2690@996 PAD system was used. The analytical column was a Halsil 100 C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm ID, 5 microm). The mobile phase was water, methanol and diethyl amine at the ratio of 75:25:0.1. The flow rate was 0.9 mL.min(-1). The wavelength of the detector was 240 nm.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The linear ranges of aconitine in the heart, spleen, lung and kidney were 0.4-100 microg.mL(-1), the correlation coefficients were 0.9972, 0.9986, 0.9993 and 0.9994, respectively. The linear range of aconitine in liver was 2-200 microg.mL(-1) and the correlation coefficient was 0.9990. The linear ranges of hypaconitine in heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain and spinal cord were 5-100 microg.mL(-1), the correlation coefficients were 0.9994, 0.9997, 0.9998, 0.9984, 0.9998, 0.9998 and 0.9997, respectively. Detection limits (S/N = 3) of aconitine and hypaconitine were 0.4 microg.mL(-1). The recoveries of aconitine and hypaconitine ranged from 88.7% to 102.2% and 86.5% to 101.3%, respectively, and the RSD of precision of aconitine and hypaconitine was 10%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It appears to be an accurate and effective method that can offer reference basis for in toxication of Radix aconiti preparata clinically.</p>

Determination of chlorogenic acid and eriodictyol-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide in Pyrrosia by RP-HPLC / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To develop a method for determination of chlorogenic acid and eriodictyol-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide in Pyrrosia of different species and different places of origin by RP-HPLC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chromatography was performed using a C18 column with mobile phase of methanol-water-phosphoric acid (50:200:0.2). The monitoring wavelength was 284 nm.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The linear ranges were 0.01-5.0 micrograms (r = 0.9997) and 0.004-5.0 micrograms (r = 0.9997), the recoveries were 97.1% (n = 8, RSD = 2.7%) and 98.8% (n = 9, RSD = 2.5%) for chlorogenic acid and eriodictyol-7-O-beta-D-glucuronide, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method was employed to the analysis of 21 samples of Pyrrosia. The contents of compounds vary greatly depending on the species used, place of collection and time of harvesting. The HPLC method is sensitive, rapid and can be used to control the quality of Pyrrosia and to guide reasonable season of harvesting.</p>