[Clinical efficacy of bulleyaconitine A combined with gabapentin on postherpetic neuralgia].

Objective: To investigate the analgesic efficacy and safety of state-dependent sodium channel blocker-bulleyaconitine combined with calcium channel blocker-gabapentin on postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multi-center study involving Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University was performed from September 2018 to December 2019. A total of 75 PHN patients were randomly divided into the experiment group (n=41) and the control group (n=34). On the basis of first-line treatment with gabapentin, the experiment group was given bulleyaconitine A tablets, while the control group was given placebo. The primary outcome was a 50% improvement in the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the effective rate of achieving the primary outcome between the two groups was compared; the Cox regression model was used to analyze the impact of related factors on the disease outcome. Secondary outcomes including scores of pain scales (ID-pain, DN4), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) at 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12 weeks after treatment were applied to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of bulleyaconitine A tablets with first-line drug in the treatment of PHN. Results: The effective rate was 68.3% (28/41) and the time reached the primary outcome was 28 (7, 84) days in the experiment group, while in the control group, the effective rate was 52.9% (18/34) and the time reached the primary outcome was 56 (14, 84) days. Cox regression analysis indicated that the grouping factor of oral bulleyaconitine A tablets was an independent factor for improving the outcome of PHN (HR=2.063, 95%CI: 1.059-4.018, P<0.05), and the probability of the experiment group reaching the primary outcome was 2.063 times that of the control group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the outcome probability of the long disease course group (>6 months) was only 0.201 times that of the short disease course group (<6 months) (HR=0.201, 95%CI: 0.073-0.551, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the trend of VAS between the two groups (P>0.05). The scores of ID-pain, DN4, PHQ-9, and GAD-7 of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before enrollment (P<0.05), but the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Bulleyaconitine A tablet can promote the therapeutic efficacy of gabapentin, and improve the outcome of PHN in a short period of 3 months.

Effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on performance, egg quality, yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens.

1. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on laying performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities of laying hens. 2. A total of 360 Beijing PINK-1 laying hens (60 weeks old) were randomly distributed among five dietary treatments, each of which included 6 replicates of 12 hens. Dietary treatments were basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg diet resveratrol. The study lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week of adaptation and 8 weeks of the main experimental period. 3. The results indicated that dietary resveratrol significantly improved feed conversion ratios during 5-8 weeks and 1-8 weeks of the trial. Increasing dietary concentrations of the resveratrol linearly improved Haugh unit and albumen height of eggs. 4. The content of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) in serum and cholesterol in yolk was significantly decreased by dietary resveratrol, and there were significant linear correlations between these indexes and resveratrol supplemental levels. 5. Dietary resveratrol supplementation significantly improved serum Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in groups with 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg resveratrol as compared to the control, respectively. However, supplementation of resveratrol did not affect the activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD). 6. It is concluded that resveratrol supplementation has a positive effect on performance, lipid-related traits and antioxidant activity of laying hens.

Ophiopogon japonicus strains from different cultivation regions exhibit markedly different properties on cytotoxicity, pregnane X receptor activation and cytochrome P450 3A4 induction.

Maidong, known as Ophiopogon japonicus, is one of the two basic ingredients of Shenmai injection, which is a widely used herbal preparation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease and viral myocarditis. Previously, the ethanol extract of Maidong activated the pregnane X receptor (PXR) signaling pathway and induced the cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) reporter gene and raised the concern of herb-drug interactions (HDIs) when Maidong was used in combination with prescribed drugs metabolized by CYP3A4. Therefore, the present study further investigated and compared the differences of the ethanol and aqueous extracts (ee- and ae-, respectively) of two Maidong strains, known as Zhe Maidong (ZM) and Chuan Maidong (CM). Cytotoxicity, PXR activation and CYP3A4 induction by the 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo-(-z-y1)-3,5-diphenytetrazoliumromide assay, reporter gene assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis were examined. The observations showed that ee-ZM demonstrated a significantly higher cytotoxicity, a relatively weaker PXR activation capability and a markedly stronger CYP3A4-inducing capacity than ee-CM. Compared to ae-CM, ae-ZM exhibited only a slight or no difference on cytotoxicity and CYP3A4 induction, while a significant lower level of PXR activation was apparent. Collectively, Maidong from different producing areas possess different properties upon cytotoxicity and the drug-metabolizing enzyme inducing effect, and attention should be paid to the selection of Maidong strains from different planting regions into TCM preparations for reducing potential adverse reactions and HDIs.

CYP1A2 polymorphism in Chinese patients with acute liver injury induced by Polygonum multiflorum.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the genotype and allelic frequencies of CYP1A2 in Chinese patients with acute liver injury induced by Polygonum multiflorum. We examined the clinical mechanism of acute liver injury induced by P. multiflorum. According to the diagnostic criteria for drug-induced liver injury (DILI), 43 cases of P. multiflorum-induced liver injury admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University were identified between January 2008 and December 2012. An additional 43 control subjects were also chosen. Several alleles, including 1C, 1F, 2, 7, 9, and 11 of CYP1A2 were amplified from genomic DNA and sequenced. We used the chi-square test to determine whether CYP1A2 allele polymorphisms are associated with acute liver injury induced by P. multiflorum. The frequency of the CYP1A2 1C allele was 46.5% in P. multiflorum-induced DILI patients, which was significantly different from the frequency of 27.9% observed in healthy subjects. The frequency of the CYP1A2 1F allele was 63.9% in P. multiflorum-induced DILI patients, compared to 57.0% in healthy controls; the difference was not significant. The allelic frequencies of CYP1A2 2, CYP1A2 7, CYP1A2 9, and CYP1A2 11 were too low to be detected. The frequency of the CYP1A2 1C mutation in Chinese patients with P. multiflorum-induced acute liver injury differed from that in healthy Chinese people, indicating that CYP1A2 1C is probably related to metabolism of P. multiflorum, which is followed by acute liver injury.

Dosage dependence of the effect of Ginkgo biloba on the rat retinal ganglion cell survival after optic nerve crush.

PURPOSE: To investigate the dosage dependence of the Ginkgo biloba effect on retinal ganglion cell survival in the rat optic nerve crush model. METHODS: The study included 56 Sprague-Dawley rats, the right optic nerve of which was crushed in a standardized manner. Two hours after the crush and once daily during the follow-up, the animals received intragastral applications of saline (saline group; n=13), or of a G. biloba extract of 0.25% concentration (n=14; low-dosage group), 1% concentration (n=15; medium-dosage group), or 4% concentration (n=14; high-dosage group). At 23 days after the optic nerve crush, the retinal ganglion cells were retrogradely labelled by injecting 3% fluorogold into the superior colliculi of the brain. At 4 weeks after baseline, the animals were killed. Retinal flat mount photographs were assessed for number and density of the retinal ganglion cells. RESULTS: The mean survival rate defined as the ratio of retinal ganglion cell density in the right eye with optic nerve crash divided by the retinal ganglion cell density in left eye without optic nerve intervention increased significantly (P<0.001) from 58.4+/-9.0% in the saline group to 68.5+/-5.7% in the low-dosage group, to 73.7+/-6.4% in the medium-dosage group, and to 74.2+/-6.8% in the high-dosage group. CONCLUSIONS: Intragastral applications of a G. biloba extract applied after an experimental and standardized optic nerve crush in rats were associated with a higher survival rate of retinal ganglion cells in a dosage-dependent manner.

Changes in body composition after glucocorticoid therapy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in body composition after glucocorticoid treatment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Consecutive SLE patients were recruited for serial measurements (baseline, months 2 and 6) of bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition [bone mineral content (BMC), fat and lean mass] by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan after high-dose oral glucocorticoid therapy. Factors correlated with changes in body composition were evaluated. 29 SLE patients were studied (age 39.7 +/- 11.5 years; 83% women with 29% postmenopausal; SLE duration 80.1 +/- 80 months). Fourteen patients (48%) were glucocorticoid-naive. The mean maximum daily dosage of prednisolone was 32.9 +/- 6.5 mg and the cumulative prednisolone dosage in 6 months was 2.7 +/- 0.7 g. At 6 months, a significant drop in BMC of the trunk (-5.0 +/- 2.2%; P = 0.04) and whole body (-1.2 +/- 0.4%; P = 0.002) compared with baseline was observed, and so was the BMD of the hip (-1.7 +/- 0.6%; P = 0.006) and whole body (-0.7 +/- 0.3%; P = 0.01). A significant increase in the fat mass of the trunk (+14.5 +/- 4.1%; P = 0.001) and limbs (+10.0 +/- 3.2%; P = 0.004), but a non-significant drop in lean mass of the trunk (-3.3 +/- 1.8%; P = 0.08) and limbs (-0.8 +/- 2.4%; P = 0.75) also occurred. The changes in whole body BMC correlated significantly with age (rho = -0.51; P = 0.02) and changes in total fat mass (rho = 0.44; P = 0.02) but not with lean mass (rho = -0.21; P = 0.27), gender, body mass index, smoking, prednisolone dosages or changes in BMD. In SLE patients, high-dose glucocorticoids lead to an early and rapid drop in bone mass, which is more serious in older patients and correlates with an increase in body fat.

Risedronate for prevention of bone mineral density loss in patients receiving high-dose glucocorticoids: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

UNLABELLED: This 6-month randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial shows that risedronate is well tolerated and effective in improving lumbar spine BMD and reducing loss of BMD at the hips in patients receiving high-dose prednisolone. INTRODUCTION: Bisphosphonates have proven benefits in patients receiving chronic low-dose glucocorticoids. However, whether they are effective in preventing bone mineral density (BMD) loss during periods of high-dose glucocorticoid treatment is unclear. The objective of this paper is to study the efficacy of risedronate in preventing bone mineral density (BMD) loss in users of high-dose glucocorticoids. METHODS: Adult patients with medical diseases treated with high-dose prednisolone (>0.5 mg/kg/day) were randomized to receive risedronate (5 mg/day) or placebo for 6 months in a double-blind manner, along with elemental calcium (1,000 mg/day). Changes in BMD were studied. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty patients were recruited (82 women, age 42.8 +/- 14.3 years, 63% corticosteroid-naive, 30% women postmenopausal) and 103 completed the study. Baseline clinical characteristics and BMD were similar in the risedronate and placebo groups. At 6 months, a significant gain in spinal BMD was observed in the risedronate group (+0.7 +/- 0.3%; p = 0.03) but a drop was detected in the placebo group (-0.7 +/- 0.4%; p = 0.12). After adjustment for baseline BMD, age, gender, body mass index and cumulative prednisolone dosages, the inter-group difference in spinal BMD remained significant (1.4%; p = 0.006). Both groups had a significant drop in hip BMD, but the magnitude was greater in the placebo arm (-0.8 +/- 0.4% in risedronate versus -1.3 +/- 0.5% the in placebo). No new fractures developed. Subgroup analysis of corticosteroid-naive patients yielded similar results. Upper gastrointestinal adverse events were numerically more frequent in the risedronate group. CONCLUSIONS: Risedronate improves spinal BMD in users of high-dose glucocorticoids.

Utility of semivariogram for spatial variation of soil nutrients and the robust analysis of semivariogram.

The spatial variation of soil nutrients in topsoil (0-20 cm) was analyzed using semivariogram in the Zunhua County of Hebei Province, China. The effect on semivariogram with randomly deleted data and kriged estimates using various reduced sample sizes was also analyzed. The semivariograms of available N, total N, available P, organic matter were best described by a spherical model, except for available K, which best fitted a complex structure of exponential model and linear with sill model. The ratio of nugget to total sample variance ranged from 34.4% to 68.4%, indicating the spatial correlation of tested soil nutrients on a large scale was moderately dependent. Among five soil nutrients, available nitrogen and available phosphorus had the shortest spatial correlation range (5 km and 5.5 km), available K had the longest range (25.5 km), whereas total nitrogen and organic matter had intermediate spatial correlation range (14.5 km and 8.5 km). The semivariograms of available N, total N, available P, and organic matter were insensitive to a 50%-60% reduction in original sampling density, while for available K, it is up to 70%. The estimated spatial distributions of total N by kriging, under various reduced sample sizes, all correlated significantly (P = 0.001) with those obtained from original data. The results showed that the semivariogram was a relatively robust tool when used in a large region and sufficient spatial variation information could be retained regardless of a higher deletion proportion of the original data. The original sample data could be reduced by kriging and the estimates showed no loss of spatial information, however, the results may be unreliable unless a clearly identified semivariogram model could be obtained. The results may provide useful information for determining the appropriate sampling densities for these scales of soil survey.

Lifestyle factors and Ki-ras mutations in colon cancer tumors.

Heterogeneity in colon tumors implies that environmental, lifestyle, or genetic factors influence the type of mutations seen in tumors. In this study we evaluate the association between previously identified risk factors for colon cancer and Kirsten-ras (Ki-ras) mutations in tumors. The presence of Ki-ras mutations in codons 12 and 13 were determined in a population-based case-control study of colon cancer. Participants were between 30 and 79 years of age at time of diagnosis and include both men and women. Questionnaire data were used to obtain information on lifestyle factors. Valid study data and Ki-ras mutational status were available from 1428 cases of colon cancer, data from 2410 controls were available for comparative purposes. Participants with Ki-ras mutations were more likely to have proximal rather than distal tumors. Cigarette smoking, use of aspirin and/or NSAIDs, use of vitamin/mineral supplements, and consumption of caffeine were associated with both Ki-ras+ and Ki-ras- tumors; the associations were not confounded by dietary intake or other lifestyle factors. Among men, but not among women, those with low levels of physical activity were more likely to have a tumor with a Ki-ras mutation than one without a Ki-ras mutation. However, among women, those with a larger BMI were more likely to have a Ki-ras mutation in their tumor. Given the limited information available on what causes Ki-ras mutations, the information generated from this study indicates that these factors previously associated with colon cancer work through other disease pathways.

Carotenoids and colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Carotenoids have numerous biological properties that may underpin a role for them as chemopreventive agents. However, except for beta-carotene, little is known about how dietary carotenoids are associated with common cancers, including colon cancer. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between dietary alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin and the risk of colon cancer. DESIGN: Data were collected from 1993 case subjects with first primary incident adenocarcinoma of the colon and from 2410 population-based control subjects. Dietary data were collected from a detailed diet-history questionnaire and nutrient values for dietary carotenoids were obtained from the US Department of Agriculture-Nutrition Coordinating Center carotenoid database (1998 updated version). RESULTS: Lutein was inversely associated with colon cancer in both men and women [odds ratio (OR) for upper quintile of intake relative to lowest quintile of intake: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.66, 1.04; P = 0.04 for linear trend]. The greatest inverse association was observed among subjects in whom colon cancer was diagnosed when they were young (OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.92; P = 0.02 for linear trend) and among those with tumors located in the proximal segment of the colon (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.51, 0.91; P < 0.01 for linear trend). The associations with other carotenoids were unremarkable. CONCLUSION: The major dietary sources of lutein in subjects with colon cancer and in control subjects were spinach, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and orange juice, carrots, celery, and greens. These data suggest that incorporating these foods into the diet may help reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.

[Spatial variability of soil nutrients based on geostatistics combined with GIS--a case study in Zunghua City of Hebei Province].

Geostatistics combined with GIS was applied to analyze the spatial variability of soil nutrients in topsoil (0-20 cm) in Zunghua City of Hebei Province. GIS can integrate attribute data with geographical data of system variables, which makes the application of geostatistics technique for large spatial scale more convenient. Soil nutrient data in this study included available N (alkaline hydrolyzing nitrogen), total N, available K, available P and organic matter. The results showed that the semivariograms of soil nutrients were best described by spherical model, except for that of available K, which was best fitted by complex structure of exponential model and linear with sill model. The spatial variability of available K was mainly produced by structural factor, while that of available N, total N, available P and organic matter was primarily caused by random factor. However, their spatial heterogeneity degree was different: the degree of total N and organic matter was higher, and that of available P and available N was lower. The results also indicated that the spatial correlation of the five tested soil nutrients at this large scale was moderately dependent. The ranges of available N and available P were almost same, which were 5 km and 5.5 km, respectively. The range of total N was up to 18 km, and that of organic matter was 8.5 km. For available K, the spatial variability scale primarily expressed exponential model between 0-3.5 km, but linear with sill model between 3.5-25.5 km. In addition, five soil nutrients exhibited different isotropic ranges. Available N and available P were isotropic through the whole research range (0-28 km). The isotropic range of available K was 0-8 km, and that of total N and organic matter was 0-10 km.

[Pharmacognostic identification of Chinese drug luxiancao].

In this pper, the crude drugs of Balanophora involucrata and B. harlandii are identified on character, microproperties, UV spectra and TLC. Result of the identification may provide a basis for its diferentication, exploitage and utilization.

Plant foods and colon cancer: an assessment of specific foods and their related nutrients (United States).

Plant foods have been associated inversely with colon cancer. Since a major focus of this study was to identify components of plant foods which may account for their association with colon cancer, nutrients which are commonly found in plant foods also were evaluated. A population-based case-control study was conducted in Northern California, Utah, and the 'Twin Cities' area of Minnesota (United States). Complete data were available from interviewer-administered questionnaires on 1,993 cases and 2,410 controls. Higher intakes of vegetables (for highest relative to lowest quintile of intake) were associated inversely with colon cancer risk: the odds ratio (OR) was 0.7 for both men (95 percent [CI] confidence interval = 0.5-0.9) and women (CI = 0.5-1.0). Associations were stronger among those with proximal tumors. Total fruit intake was not associated with colon cancer risk although, among men, higher levels of whole grain intake were associated with a decreased risk (OR = 0.6, CI = 0.4-0.9 for older men); high intakes of refined grains were associated with an increased risk (OR = 1.5, CI = 1.1-2.1). Dietary fiber intake was associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer: OR = 0.5 (CI = 0.3-0.9) for older men; OR = 0.7 (CI = 0.4-1.2) for older women; OR = 0.6 (CI = 0.4-1.0) for men with proximal tumors; OR = 0.5 (CI = 0.3-0.9) for women with proximal tumors. Other nutrients, for which plant foods were the major contributor--such as vitamin B6, thiamin, and niacin (women only)--also were associated inversely with colon cancer. Neither beta-carotene nor vitamin C was protective for colon cancer. Adjustment of plant foods for nutrients found in plant foods or for supplement use did not appreciably alter the observed associations between plant foods and colon cancer.

Saponins from Clematis chinensis.

From ethanol extracts of the roots of Clematis chinensis, a new saponin, named clematichinenoside C, was isolated and its structure was established as 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-beta-D-ribopyranosyl-(1-3)-alpha-L - rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl- (1-6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester by spectroscopic and chemical means. In addition, one known saponin, huzhongoside B, was identified in the plant.

Stimulative effects of gusuibu (Drynaria baronii) injection on chick embryo bone primordium calcification in vitro.

Through tissue culture and isotope tracing, it was found that Gusuibu (Drynaria baronii) injection (GI) significantly promoted calcification of the cultivated chick embryo bone primordium (CEBP), increased ALP activity in the cultivated tissue, and accelerated synthesis of proteoglycan. It was also confirmed that the promotion of proteoglycan synthesis was an important factor in the promotion of calcification.

Effects of melatonin on hypothalamic gamma-aminobutyric acid, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, beta-endorphin and serotonin levels in male mice.

Effects of melatonin on hypothalamic neurotransmitters in male mice were studied. Exogenous melatonin administered intraperitoneally significantly increased (p < 0.05) hypothalamic concentrations of aspartic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid by over 29 and 50% respectively. Conversely, hypothalamic beta-endorphin concentration was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) 30 min after melatonin administration with doses between 5- and 100 micrograms/kg. Similarly, melatonin, at a concentration of 100 micrograms/kg, decreased (p < 0.05) the serotonin level in mouse hypothalamus by 46%. Melatonin, however, did not affect the concentration of hypothalamic glutamic acid over a dose range of 0.5-300 micrograms melatonin/kg. Our findings suggested that actions of pineal melatonin in animals such as inhibition on serum corticosterone levels might be mediated by the potentiation of activities of hypothalamic neurons containing gamma-aminobutyric acid and aspartic acid or by the inhibition of the beta-endorphin and serotonin hypothalamic neurons. The neurons containing glutamic acid in the hypothalamus were, however, not influenced by melatonin. Our results are in line with the suggestion that melatonin actions on adrenal corticosterone release or other endocrine secretions may be mediated by way of its actions on hypothalamic neurotransmitter activities.

New triterpenoid saponins, asterbatanoside D and E, from Aster batangensis.

Two new triterpenoid saponins named asterbatanoside D and E have been isolated from Aster batangensis and their structures elucidated as 3-O-beta- D-glucopyranosyl-bayogenin-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta -D- glucopyranoside and 3-O-6'-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-bayogenin-28-O-beta-D- glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside by means of MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques (COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HMQC, and HMBC), and chemical reactions.

Triterpenoid saponins from Clematis chinensis.

From the roots of Clematis chinensis, two new triterpenoid saponins, named clematichinenoside A and B, were isolated and their structures were elucidated as 3-O-beta-D-ribopyranosyl-(1-3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-alpha -L- arabinopyranosyl oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester and 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-beta-D-ribopyranosyl-(1-3)-alpha-L - rhamnopyranosyl-(1-2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-6)- beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester, respectively. In addition oleanolic acid, hederagenin and seven known saponins were obtained.