Comparative pharmacokinetics study of a kaurane diterpenoid after oral administration of monomer and Siegesbeckiae pubescens Makino extract to rats.

In this paper, a sensitive, rapid and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to analyze 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid in rat plasma. First, this study compared the pharmacokinetics of 16α-hydro-ent-kauran-17,19-dioic acid after oral administration of monomer and Siegesbeckiae pubescens Makino extract in rat plasma with approximately the same dosage of 6.0 mg/kg. Second, chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters Symmetry C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 µm) with isocratic elution using methanol-water containing 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The calibration curves were linear over the range of 30-12000 ng/mL for monomer. At different time points (0, 0.083, 0.25, 0.75, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h) after administration, the concentrations of monomer in rat plasma were determined and main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated. The double absorption presented in this study indicates that the pharmacokinetics of monomer in rat plasma have significant differences between different groups.

Simultaneous determination of three purines in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. by hollow fiber-based liquid-phase microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography.

In this paper, a three-phase hollow fiber liquid-phase microextraction (HF-LPME) method combined with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the determination of hypoxanthine (HX), xanthine (Xan) and adenine (A) and then for the first time successfully applied to the analysis of HX, Xan and A in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. medicinal materials. Different factors affecting the HF-LPME procedure were investigated and optimized. Under optimal extraction conditions (1-octanol as organic solvent, pH of the donor and acceptor phase 10.0 and 3.5, respectively, extraction time 40 min, stirring rate 800 rpm and salt addition 10%, w/v), HX, Xan and A could be determined within the test ranges with a good correlation coefficient (r(2) > 0.9992). The limit of detection for HX, Xan and A was 153, 173 and 97 ng/mL, respectively, and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were no more than 9.8%. The content of HX, Xan and A in Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC. medicinal materials was 120.40, 18.37 and 62.75 µg/g, respectively. This procedure afforded a convenient, sensitive, accurate and inexpensive method with a high extraction efficiency for determination of HX, Xan and A.

A new 3-benzylchroman derivative from Sappan Lignum (Caesalpinia sappan).

3'-Deoxy-4-O-methylepisappanol, a new 3-benzylchroman derivative, was isolated from Sappan Lignum, together with thirteen known chemical compounds identified as protosappanin A, sappanchalcone, sappanone B, palmitic acid, (+)-(8S,8'S)-bisdihydrosiringenin, brazilein, 3-deoxysappanchalcone, (+)-lyoniresinol, 3-deoxysappanone B, protosappanin B, isoprotosappanin B, 3'-O-methylbrazilin and brazilin, respectively. Among these known compounds, this is the first time that (+)-(8S,8'S)-bisdihydrosiringenin was obtained from the family Caesalpiniaceae.

[Clinical observation on catgut implantation at Shu- and Mu-acupoints for treatment of premature ovarian failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of catgut implantation at Shu- and Mu-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney on premature ovarian failure. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two cases of premature ovarian failure were randomly divided into a catgut implantation group and a medication group, 66 cases in each group. The catgut implantation group were treated by catgut implantation at She- and Mu-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney, and the medication group were treated with oral administration of Estradiol Valerate 2 mg, qd, for 20 days, and 10 days later, Medroxyprogesterone Acetate 4 mg was added, b. i. d, for 10 days, averaging 6 months of medication. The therapeutic effects and changes of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, serum FSH and E2 significantly improved in the two groups (P<0.01), with the serum E2 in the catgut implantation group increased more significantly than that in the medication group (P<0.01). The cured rate and the total effective rate were 84.9% and 97.0% in the catgut implantation group and 31.8% and 84.8% in the medication group, the cured rate in the catgut implantation group being better than that in the medication group (P<0.05). Ten month later, the therapeutic effect in the catgut implantation group was kept. CONCLUSION: Catgut implantation at Shu- and Me-acupoints of liver, spleen and kidney has a good therapeutic effect on premature ovarian failure with no side effect.

[Comparative observation on acupuncture and western medicine for treatment of minimal brain dysfunction].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and western medicine on minimal brain dysfunction (MBD) and to search for a clinically effective therapy for MBD. METHODS: Sixty-eight cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a western medicine group, 34 cases in each group. The acupuncture group were treated by acupuncture at Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenque (CV 8), and the western medicine group by taking Haloperidol orally. One month constituted one course. After treatment, the total effective rate and scores of Connell's scale for diagnosis and behavior of MBD were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate and the score after treatment were 97.1% and 10 +/- 0.37 in the acupuncture group and 82.4% and 15 +/- 0.93 in the western medicine group, with a very significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.000 5), the acupuncture group being better than the western medicine group. Follow-up survey for 2-10 months showed the effects of the acupuncture group still were kept. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenque (CV 8) can effectively cure MBD.