Therapeutic Effect and Antioxidant Mechanism of Xiaochuanning Granule on Psychological Stress Related Asthma in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect and antioxidant mechanism of Xiaochuanning granule on psychological stress-related asthma in rats. MethodThe 6-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group， asthma group， stress group， stress-related asthma group， western medicine group （atomization of budesonide suspension） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） group （Xiaochuanning granule 2.48 g·kg-1）. The asthma model was established during 28 days by intraperitoneal injection of 10% ovalbumin（OVA）on the 1st and 8th days and inhaling of vapourized 1% OVA started at the 15th day. Stress group， stress-related asthma group， western medicine group and TCM group were given restraint stimulation during the 28 days to establish the psychological stress-related asthma model. Rats in each group were administered with corresponding drug for 14 days from the 15th day. The sucrose preference test and open field test were performed at the 15th and 28th days. At the end of experiment， the body weight， serum interleukin-4 （IL-4）， interleukin-5 （IL-5） and interleukin-13 （IL-13） levels， as well as the levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） and glutathione （GSH） in lung tissues were detected by assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was conducted to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues. Meanwhile， Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and hemeoxygenase-1 （HO-1） in lung tissues. ResultCompared with the stress-related asthma group， the body weight， sugar water consumption rate and open field distance in the TCM group were significantly increased （P<0.05）， and the serum IL-4， IL-5， IL-13 levels were significantly decreased （P<0.05）， the levels of SOD and GSH in lung tissues increased significantly （P<0.05）， while the level of MDA decreased significantly （P<0.05）. HE staining showed that the bronchial mucosal injury， inflammatory cell infiltration， gland hyperplasia， epithelial degeneration and necrosis were significantly ameliorated in the TCM group than in the stress-related asthma group. The expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 protein in lung tissues also increased significantly （P<0.05）. ConclusionXiaochuanning Granule can regulate the psychological stress state of stress-related asthmatic rats， alleviate airway inflammatory reaction， and suppress oxidation， which is related to its up-regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 protein expression.

Mechanism of Xiaochuanning Granules in Treatment of Bronchial Asthma via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the underlying molecular mechanism of Xiaochuanning granules in the treatment of bronchial asthma based on the network pharmacology and experimental verification through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway on ovalbumin （OVA） sensitization-induced bronchial asthma model in rats. MethodThe main active ingredients and targets of Xiaochuanning Granules were screened out from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine （BATMAN-TCM）. The targets related to bronchial asthma were obtained from five disease databases such as GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）. The common targets were screened out through the Venn diagram. STRING was used to construct the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network of "compound-disease"， and Cytoscape 3.8.0 was used to establish a network of key active ingredients of Xiaochuanning granules and core target genes （"ingredient-gene" network）. Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses were performed through DAVID. The bronchial asthma model was induced by OVA stimulation in rats. Bronchial and lung tissue inflammation was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the enrichment analysis results of the network pharmacology were verified by Western blot. ResultIn this experiment， 232 active ingredients and 4 687 related targets of Xiaochuanning granules were screened out， and 233 common targets of Xiaochuanning granules and bronchial asthma were collected， including eosinophil-derived neurotoxin 1 （EDN1）， cyclic AMP response element-binding protein 1 （CREB1）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （CDKN1A）， epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）， mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 （MAPK14）， and Akt1. KEGG pathway analysis revealed 186 related signaling pathways， indicating that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway presumedly played a key role in the treatment of bronchial asthma by Xiaochuanning granules. The animal experiment showed that Xiaochuanning granules relieved the airway inflammation and smooth muscle hyperplasia in rats and down-regulated the gene expression of PI3K and Akt as compared with the conditions in the model group （P<0.05）. ConclusionXiaochuanning granules have the characteristics of multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of asthma. Xiaochuanning granules may exert anti-inflammatory effects by regulating the expression of genes related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The present study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for follow-up in-depth research on the complex mechanism of Xiaochuanning granules in the treatment of bronchial asthma.

Overview of Research on Variety，Processing and Quality Evaluation of Plantaginis Semen / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Plantaginis Semen is a traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） commonly used in China， which is one of the authentic medicinal materials in Jiangxi. It has great development prospects. However， the current research on Plantaginis Semen is not in-depth enough， mainly involving chemical components and pharmacological activities. There are few researches on processing and variety of Plantaginis Semen. In order to further develop and utilize the resources of Plantaginis Semen， we summarized 4 varieties that have been studied more at present， the processing contents of Plantaginis Semen in ancient and modern literature were consulted and sorted out， and its processing historical evolution were summarized. The influences of different processing technologies and methods on the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Plantaginis Semen were analyzed， the possible processing mechanism was discussed. Meanwhile， and the quality evaluation methods of Plantaginis Semen varieties included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia were summarized. The author mainly analyzed the researches status of Plantaginis Semen and its decoction pieces in the three aspects of variety， processing and quality evaluation， and summarized its current major problems such as insufficient use and development of varieties， unclear processing mechanisms， and undetermined quality evaluation standards. And combined with the national standardization project of TCM to carry out the prospect and analysis for it， in order to solve the problems in the actual production and use of Plantaginis Semen， and provide reference for its further development， production of the high-quality decoction pieces， analysis of the processing mechanism， and establishment of the quality control system.

Clinical Features of COVID-19 Patients in Xiaogan City.

On February 6, 2020, Xiaogan City became the second most seriously affected city with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), outside Wuhan district, Hubei Province, China. The objectives are to study the clinical features of COVID-19 patients and assess the relationship between the severity of COVID-19, age, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The retrospective data of 134 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in 3 hospitals of Xiaogan City, between February 1 and March 1, 2020, was collected. This study documented COVID-19 patients. Clinical data in terms of body temperature, history of travel, and direct contact with COVID-19 patients, and incubation period was collected. Out of the 134 patients, only 5 required intensive care. Moreover, 2 patients succumbed during this period. The median age of patients was 45 (33-56) years. The most common symptoms at the onset of disease were fever (66.4%), cough (33, 6%), and sore throat (14.7%). Amongst the medicines used, antiviral agents (92.3%) followed by the traditional Chinese medicine (89.5%) were most commonly used. In both the crude and adjusted (I to III) models, odds ratio and its 95% confidence interval for both age and CRP levels were > 1. Moreover, the smooth curve fitting graph reflected that the severity of COVID-19 was positively correlated with both age and CRP levels (all P value < 0.05). The signs and symptoms of COVID-19 patients were fairly moderate. The health care professionals treating the COVID-19 patients should be aware of the increased likelihood of progression to severe COVID-19 in elderly patients and those with high CRP levels.

Research and Practice of " Three Suitability" Theory in Processing of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As an important part of clinical medication, the main function of processing of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is to reduce toxicity and increase efficiency. The key to the best clinical efficacy of TCM after processing lies in three aspects of moderation, adaptation and timeliness, namely " three suitability" theory. In recent years, scholars have done a lot of research under the guide of " three suitability" theory, fully explaining the scientific connotation of the theory, which greatly promoted the inheritance and innovation of TCM processing. In this paper, the basic connotation of " three suitability" theory was summarized, combining with a large number of modern research reports, the pharmacodynamics and composition changes of processed drugs were analyzed and discussed under the guide of " three suitability" theory. At the end of the paper, the authors proposed that we should not only systematize the traditional processing theories, but also use modern advanced technologies to explain the essence of traditional processing theories, and to innovate and develop new processing theories, promote the development of TCM processing discipline and the progress of TCM processing industry.

Analysis of HPLC Fingerprint and Multi-component Chemical Pattern Recognition of Plantaginis Semen from Different Producing Areas in Jiangxi Province / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish a HPLC fingerprint detection method of Plantaginis Semen, and analyze the samples from different producing areas in Jiangxi province by combining with chemical pattern recognition method, and the contents of five ingredients in Plantaginis Semen were determined. Method:A total of 34 batches of Plantaginis Semen medicinal materials were detected by HPLC. The similarity evaluation was carried out by the 2012 edition of similarity evaluation system of chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine. The chromatographic peak information was used as the data source, and three chemical pattern recognition methods were used to comprehensively analyze the quality of this medicinal herb. Quantitative analysis was performed on the 5 active components, including geniposidic acid, plantamajoside, acteoside, galuteolin and isoacteoside. Result:The similarities between Plantaginis Semen samples from different producing areas in Jiangxi province were >0.86. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) could distinguish samples from different producing areas, and be used to determine the chemical components, which had strong correlation with the quality of Plantaginis Semen. The contents of 5 active components in samples from different producing areas were different to some degree, especially in the content of plantamajoside. Conclusion:The established HPLC fingerprint of Plantaginis Semen has strong characteristics, combined with chemical pattern recognition method, it can effectively evaluate the quality of Plantaginis Semen and distinguish its producing areas.

Exploration of objective quality evaluation parameter of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces / 中国中药杂志

To establish a quality constant evaluation system of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces,in order to provide reference for regulating the market circulation of this decoction pieces. A total of 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces were collected from different pharmaceutical factories,and the morphological parameters of each sample were tested. The content of alisol B 23-acetate in Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was determined by HPLC in the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia,and the parameters such as quality constant and relative quality constant were calculated. The quality constant range of 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces was 0. 390-2. 076. If 18 batches of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces were divided into 3 grades,taking 80% of the maximum quality constant as first grade,50% to 80% as second grade,and the rest as third grade,then the quality constant of firstgrade samples was ≥1. 66,the quality constant of second-grade samples was ≥1. 04 and <1. 66,and the quality constant of third-grade samples was <1. 04. The established quality constant evaluation method is objective and feasible,which can be used to classify the grade of Alismatis Rhizoma decoction pieces and provide a reference method to control the quality of this decoction pieces.

Observations on the Therapeutic Effect of No-fire Constant Temperature Moxibustion on Cervical Spondylosis / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy of no-fire constant temperature moxibustion for cervical spondylosis. Method Sixty outpatients diagnosed with cervical spondylosis were randomized to a treatment group (receiving no-fire constant temperature moxibustion) and a control group (receiving electroacupuncture). Both groups were treated once every other day, 10 days as one course, for two consecutive courses. The symptoms were scored using the Assessment Scale for Cervical Spondylosis in the patients at the enrollment day and after one and two courses of treatment. Result The total efficacy rate was 90.0% in the treatment group and there was a statistically significant difference compared with the control group (P<0.05). Variance analysis of the Assessment Scale for Cervical Spondylosis scores before treatment showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (F=0.442, P>0.05), indicating comparability. Variance analysis of the Assessment Scale for Cervical Spondylosis scores after one course of treatment still showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (F=3.674, P=0.06). Variance analysis of the Assessment Scale for Cervical Spondylosis scores after two courses of treatment showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups (F=18.705, P < 0.05). The therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture on cervical spondylosis was better than that of no-fire constant temperature moxibustion. Conclusion No-fire constant temperature moxibustion is convenient to use, safe, effective and highly acceptable to patients. It can be clinically used to treat cervical spondylosis.

Inheritance and innovation of traditional processing technology of Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

To discuss the inheritance and innovation study of Chinese medicine processing technology from three aspects： inheritance, standardization and industrial innovation development, propose "three lacks" in inheritance, "six lacks of standardization, and one lack of unity" in standardization, and "three emphasizing and three despising aspects" in industrial innovation, and propose feasible solutions for the above mentioned problems, providing a good foundation for inheritance and innovation of Chinese medicine processing.

Knocking down a putative Δ(1) -pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase gene by RNA interference inhibits flight and causes adult lethality in the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say).

BACKGROUND: Leptinotarsa decemlineata is an able disperser by flight. Novel control strategies must be explored to control the damage and inhibit the dispersal efficiently. Proline is a major energy substrate during flight. Δ-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate dehydrogenase (P5CDh) catalyses the second step of proline degradation for the production of ATP. RESULTS: A full-length Ldp5cdh cDNA was cloned. Ldp5cdh was ubiquitously expressed in the eggs, the first through fourth larval instars, wandering larvae, pupae and adults. In the adults, Ldp5cdh mRNA was widely distributed in thorax muscles, midgut, foregut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules, ventral ganglion, fat body and epidermis, with the expression levels from the highest to the lowest. Two double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) (dsLdp5cdh1 and dsLdp5cdh2) targeting Ldp5cdh were constructed and bacterially expressed. Ingestion of dsLdp5cdh1 and dsLdp5cdh2 successfully silenced Ldp5cdh, significantly increased the contents of proline, arginine and alanine, but strongly decreased the contents of asparate, asparagine, glutamate and glutamine in the haemolymph. Moreover, knocking down Ldp5cdh significantly reduced ATP content, decreased flight speed, shortened flight distance and increased adult mortality. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that identified Ldp5cdh encodes a functional P5CDh enzyme, and Ldp5cdh may serve as a potential target for dsRNA-based pesticide for controlling the damage and dispersal of L. decemlineata adults. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

A putative Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase involved in the biosynthesis of proline and arginine in Leptinotarsa decemlineata.

Delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) catalyzes the conversion of glutamate (Glu) to Glu semialdehyde (GSA). GSA spontaneously cyclizes to form P5C. P5C is then reduced to proline (Pro) or is converted to ornithine, the intermediate for arginine (Arg) biosynthesis. In the present study, a full-length Ldp5cs complementary DNA was cloned from the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata, a notorious insect defoliator of potato in most potato-growing regions of the world. Ldp5cs encodes a 792-amino-acid protein which shares high identity to homologues from other insect species. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that Ldp5cs was ubiquitously expressed in the eggs, first to fourth-instar larvae, wandering larvae, pupae and sexually mature adults. In the adults, Ldp5cs mRNA levels were higher in the fat body, foregut, midgut and hindgut, moderate in the ventral ganglion, lower in the thorax muscles, epidermis and Malpighian tubules. Two double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) (dsLdp5cs1 and dsLdp5cs2) targeting Ldp5cs were constructed and bacterially expressed. Ingestion during 3 consecutive days of dsLdp5cs1 or dsLdp5cs2 successfully silenced Ldp5cs, significantly reduced the contents of Pro and Arg in the hemolymph, decreased flight speed and shortened flight distance of the resulting adults. Furthermore, knocking down Ldp5cs significantly increased adult mortality. Thus, our results suggest that identified Ldp5cs encodes a functional P5CS enzyme that is involved in the biosynthesis of Pro and Arg in L. decemlineata.

Cytotoxic prenylated xanthones from the pericarps of Garcinia mangostana.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an ethanol extract of the pericarps of Garcinia mangostana led to the isolation of two new prenylated xanthones, named 1,3,7-trihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-8-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyl)-xanthone (1) and 1,3,8-trihydroxy-2-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-4-(3-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoyl)-xanthone (2), together with the five known compounds garcinones C (3) and D (4), gartanin (5), xanthone I (6), and γ-mangostin (7). Their structures were elucidated primarily based on MS and NMR data. Compounds 1-7 showed significant cytotoxic activities against various human cancer cell lines.

Analysis of feature and development of traditional processing branches / 中国中药杂志

Processing of Chinese materia medica is one of the important part of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). Drugs in small pieces or slices are special for China and the whole world. Processing technic of Chinses materia medica existed for thousands of years and presented the essence of TCM. The purpose of analyzing the feature and development of traditional processing culture branches was to make a better understanding of traditional processing technic, and further the development of special processing culture branches.

Houttuyninum, an active constituent of Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits phosphorylation of HER2/neu receptor tyrosine kinase and the tumor growth of HER2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells.

AIMS: The overexpression of HER2/neu receptor plays a key role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Small molecules targeting HER2/neu have therapeutic value in cancers that overexpress HER2. In this present study, the effect of houttuyninum, a component in the Chinese herbal medicine Houttuynia cordata Thunb, on HER2/neu tyrosine phosphorylation and its in vivo antitumour activity was investigated. MAIN METHODS: The phosphorylation and expression of proteins were determined by Western blot analysis. The MTT assay was employed to examine the inhibition of cell proliferation in vitro. Xenografts were established in nude mice for evaluating the antitumour activity of houttuyninum in vivo. KEY FINDINGS: Houttuyninum inhibited phosphorylation of HER2 in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 5.52 µg/ml without reducing HER2/neu protein expression in MDA-MB-453 cells. Houttuyninum also inhibited the activation of ERK1/2 and AKT, downstream molecules in the HER2/neu-mediated signal transduction pathway. In contrast, tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR was unaffected when the concentration of houttuyninum was increased to 40 µg/ml in both A431 cells and MDA-MB-468 cells. Additionally, houttuyninum preferentially inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-453 cells that overexpressed HER2/neu; the MDA-MB-468 cells that overexpress EGFR remained unaffected. Administration of houttuyninum in vivo resulted in a significant reduction of phosphorylated HER2 levels and in tumor volumes of the BT474 and N87 xenografts, which both overexpress HER2/neu. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings showed that houttuyninum can inhibit the HER2/neu signalling pathway and the tumor growth of cancer cells that overexpress HER2/neu. This drug may provide therapeutic value in the treatment of cancers that involve overexpression of HER2/neu.

SYUNZ-16, a newly synthesized alkannin derivative, induces tumor cells apoptosis and suppresses tumor growth through inhibition of PKB/AKT kinase activity and blockade of AKT/FOXO signal pathway.

Alkannin is the major bioactive compound of Arnebia euchroma roots, which is used in many therapeutic remedies in Chinese traditional medicine. SYUNZ-16 is a new derivative of alkannin. In this study, anticancer effects of SYUNZ-16 on human lung adenocarcinoma cell line GLC-82 and human hepatocarcinoma cell line Hep3B were tested in vitro. The results showed SYUNZ-16 could obviously inhibit the proliferation of these cancer cell lines via induction of apoptosis, with the evidence of increasing AnnexinV-positive cells and cleaved caspase-3 and PARP fragments. More importantly, we found that SYUNZ-16 could inhibit AKT activity in cell-free system. Treatment of cancer cells with SYUNZ-16 decreased the phosphorylation of AKT. Additionally, SYUNZ-16 partially attenuated the phosphorylation levels of FKHR and FKHRL1 in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion, and led to an increase in the nuclear accumulation of exogenous FKHR, and upregulated the mRNA expression of Bim and TRADD in cancer cells. Further study showed that constitutively activated AKT1 transfection could reduce apoptosis induction mediated by SYUNZ-16. The in vivo experiments showed that SYUNZ-16 had inhibitory effects on S-180 sarcoma implanted to mice. And in GLC-82 xenograft models, SYUNZ-16 at 20 mg/kg/qod remarkably inhibited the tumor growth with the T/C value of 45.3%. Taken together, SYUNZ-16 might be a potent inhibitor of AKT signaling pathway in tumor cells. These data provide evidence for the development of SYUNZ-16 as a potential antitumor drug candidate for further research and development.

ExcisaninA, a diterpenoid compound purified from Isodon MacrocalyxinD, induces tumor cells apoptosis and suppresses tumor growth through inhibition of PKB/AKT kinase activity and blockade of its signal pathway.

Isodon diterpenoids have received considerable phytochemical and biological attention for their strong antitumor activity with low toxicity. In this study, ExcisaninA, a diterpenoid compound purified from Isodon MacrocalyxinD, was tested on human Hep3B and MDA-MB-453 cell lines and Hep3B xenograft models. The results showed ExcisaninA could inhibit the proliferation of Hep3B and MDA-MB-453 cells via induction of apoptosis, with the evidence of increasing AnnexinV-positive cells and characteristic morphologic changes of apoptosis in the nucleus. Also, ExcisaninA sensitized Hep3B cells to 5-fluorouracil treatment or MDA-MB-453 cells to ADM treatment in vitro. In Hep3B xenograft models, ExcisaninA at 20 mg/kg/d remarkably decreased the xenograft tumor size and induced tumor cells apoptosis using transferase-mediated FITC-12-dUTP nick-end labeling assay. More importantly, we found that ExcisaninA could inhibit AKT activity and block its signal pathway in vitro and in vivo. And treatment with ExcisaninA significantly reduced the number of viable cells in Hep3B/myr-AKT1 cells more than that in control cells. Together, ExcisaninA might be a potent inhibitor of AKT signaling pathway in tumor cells. These data provide validation for the development of ExcisaninA to treat cancers displaying elevated levels of AKT.

Therapeutic effects of combined enteral nutrition with Tripterygium Wilfordii poly-glycoside in remission induction of active adult Crohn's disease / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the potential role of enteral nutrition (EN) combined with Tripterygium Wilfordii Poly-glycoside (TWP) for remission induction of active adult Crohn's disease (CD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 62 adult patients with active CD treated with EN and TWP in combination (n = 42) or TWP alone (n = 20) from March 2001 to September 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients had a Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) > 150 and < 450. In TWP group, subjects received TWP tablets (1.0 - 1.5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) with uncontrolled diets; while in the group of combination therapy, the patients were given total enteral nutrition (TEN) through tube feeding in addition to TWP tablets. Clinical response was defined by a decrease of at least 70 points in the CDAI from baseline after treatment, and clinical remission was defined as the absolute value of CDAI (less than 150). Patients' nutritional and disease activity index, such as CDAI score, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), were determined at 0, 4, and 12 weeks after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of clinical response (78.6% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.003) and clinical remission (69.1% vs. 30.0%, P = 0.004) were both significantly higher in the combined treatment group than in those the TWP group at week 4. At week 12, the clinical response ratio was significantly higher in the combined treatment group (90.5% vs. 65.0%, P = 0.014); the remission ratio was also higher in the combined treatment group (76.2% vs. 55.0%, P = 0.091). The nutritional parameters improved from baseline at week 4 and 12 in the combined treatment group but not in TWP group. At week 4, blood albumin, prealbumin, and transferrin levels was higher in the combined treatment group than those in TWP group (P < 0.05); at week 12, patients in combined treatment group also had significantly higher body mass index (BMI), blood albumin, prealbumin, transferrin and hemoglobin levels (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Treatment with enteral nutrition and TWP in combination are superior to TWP alone for induction of clinical response and remission in adult Crohn's Disease. This strategy also improves patient's nutritional status and avoids the adverse effects of traditional therapy.</p>

Determination of five primary chemical constituents in Cassia angustifolia by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for determining the content of primary chemical constituents in the leaves of Cassia angustifolia.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The HPLC with Diamonsil C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column was used , acetonitrile-1% acetic acid (10:90-15: 85-18: 82-20: 80-25: 75) in a gradient manner was used as a mobile phase, with flow rate of 1 mL x min(-1), column temperature at 40 degrees C and detection wavelength at 270 nm.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The results showed that 5 effective components all separated well and showed good linearity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method was proved to be rapid, sensitive, accurate, credible and repeatable. It can be applied to quality control of Folium Sennae.</p>

B to O erythrocyte conversion by the recombinant alpha-galactosidase / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Human group O red blood cells have great benefit in specialized transfusion areas such as armed conflict and natural calamity. The group B antigen differs structurally from group O antigen only by the addition of one terminal alpha-linked galactose residue. In this study we aimed to remove the terminal galactose from group B red blood cell to get group O red blood cell.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>alpha-galactosidase cDNA was cloned by RT-PCR from Catimor coffee beans grown on Hainan Island of China. The vector for alpha-galactosidase cDNA expression was constructed and transferred into Pichia pastoris cells by electroporation. The transgenic cells were cloned by fermentation and the recombinant alpha-galactosidase was purified by ion exchange chromatography. After studying the biochemical characters of alpha-galactosidase, we have used it in converting human erythrocytes from group B to group O.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The purity of recombinant alpha-galactosidase was higher than 96%, which was thought to be suitable for the use of blood conversion. Enzymatically converted human group O red blood cells (ECHORBC) exhibited membrane integrity, metabolic integrity, normal cell deformation and morphology. There were no coagulation between ECHORBC and any group of human blood. The ECHORBC will keep normal structure and function for a period of 21 days at 4 degrees C in monoammoniumphosphate nutrient solution. Experiments with Rhesus monkeys and gibbons showed that transfusion of enzymatically converted erythrocytes was safe.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ECHORBC can be easily obtained from group B red blood cell by alpha-galactosidase digestion. This study suggests that ECHORBC could be transfused to patients safely and efficiently.</p>

Effect of extracted ZG from gardenia on Hep-2 cell membrane post infected with parainfluenza virus type 1 (PIV-1) / 病毒学报

In order to study the anti-viral mechanism of extracted ZG from Gardenia, the effect of extracted ZG on Hep-2 cell membrane potential, Na -K+-ATPase activity and membrane fluidity post infected with parainfluenza virus type 1 (PIV-1) was observed. Acetylcholine which was fluorescent labeled with DiBAC4 (3) was taken as positive control to observe the changes of membrane potential and was measured by flow cytometer. The phosphorus determination method and spectrophotometer were used to measure the Na+-K+-ATPase activity of Hep-2 cell membrane post PIV-1 infection. Hep-2 cell membrane phospholipids was labeled with fluorescent NBD-C6-HPC and membrane fluidity was measured by confocal laser scanning microscope. The results demonstated that after PIV-1 infection the Hep-2 cell membrane potential decreased significantly and the membrane was in the state of hyperpolarization, Na+-K+-ATPase activity increased and membrane fluidity decreased significantly. There was no apparent interferring effect of extracted ZG on the changes of membrane potential and Na+-K+-ATPase activity post PIV-1 infection, while membrane fluidity was improved significantly. Acetylcholine improved the state of hyperpolarization. The changes of membrane potential, Na -K+-ATPase activity and membrane fluidity might be the biomechanism of PIV-1 infectoin. The extracted ZG improved membrane fluidity to prevent from PIV-1 infection by protecting the cell membrane, which was probably the mechanism of anti-PIV-1 activity of the extracted ZG, but ZG probably had nothing to do with membrane potential and Na+-K+-ATPase activity.