Characteristics of complete chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Cirsium souliei (Asteraceae) / 药学学报

italic>Cirsium souliei (Asteraceae) is a perennial medicinal herb of Cirsium with important medicinal and ecological values. Here, we sequenced the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of C. souliei based on high-throughput sequencing technology, then assembled and annotated it, and analysed the structure and characteristics of the cp genome. The result indicated that the cp genome of C. souliei was a typical quadripartite circular structure of 152 470 bp in length, and GC content was 37.7%. The cp genome of C. souliei encoded 134 genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. Meanwhile, we detected 188 simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci in the cp genome, which were mainly composed of mononucleotide repeats. Codon bias analysis showed that leucine (Leu) was the highest amino acids with frequency (10.51%), and there were 30 codons with the value of relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) above one, of which mostly ended with A/U. Additionally, the result from phylogenetic analysis based on 46 cp genomes of Carduoideae showed that C. souliei and C. vulgare were sister species, and had the closest relationship with 100% bootstrap within Cirsium. This study provides theoretical basis for future studying genetic diversity, population genetic structure, systematics and evolution, and speciation mechanism.

Effects of dietary chromium picolinate supplementation on broiler growth performance: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effects of dietary chromium picolinate (CrPic) supplementation on broiler growth performance and to determine whether such effects are regulated by broiler strains, sex, environmental stress, or contextual factors including study area and years. METHODS: Eligible studies were identified by searching the Web of Science, Springer, Elsevier, ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis Online databases. Weighted average differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed with a random-effects model. We performed subgroup analysis stratified by study area, published years, broiler strains and sex, and environmental stress. Publication bias was assessed with Egger's test method. A total of 15 studies eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: The results indicated that CrPic supplementation significantly improved broiler growth performance and subgroup analysis confirmed this conclusion. We also found that Ross 308 or male broilers might be more sensitive to CrPic supplementation and showed better growth performance. A model was used to obtain the amount of chromium addition under the optimal growth performance, which suggested that the maximum value of average daily gain (ADG) was reached when chromium addition was 1810 µg/kg. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed low sensitivity and high stability of the meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: CrPic supplementation had a positive effect on the growth performance of broilers, and this meta-analysis provides a more accurate value of chromium addition, which may be beneficial for the practice of the broiler industry.

Total ginsenosides fought against right ventricular hypertrophy through inhibiting calcineurin signal pathway / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of total ginsenosides (TG) on monocrotaline (MCT) induced right ventricular hypertrophy rats, and to explore its correlation with calcineurin (CaN) pathway.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the MCT model group, and the low, middle, high dose TG treatment groups, 10 in each group. All medication was performed by peritoneal injection for 18 days. Right ventricular peak systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), and right ventricular weight/body weight (RVW/BW) were measured. Intracellular free calcium concentrations were measured by Ca2+ fluorescence indicator Fura2/AM. The atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and CaN mRNA expression of the myocardial tissue were quantitatively analyzed by Real-time PCR. The protein expression of CaN was detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the MCT model group, preventive treatment of TG at the 3 doses could significantly reduce RVSP, RVHI, RVW/BW, and ANF mRNA expression, and decrease Ca2+ concentration in myocardial cells, CaN mRNA and protein expression in the myocardial tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TG could obviously improve MCT-induced right ventricular hypertrophy, which was possibly achieved through suppressing MCT-activated CaN signal transduction.</p>

Treatment of children with EB virus infection by Chinese medicine: a clinical study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide evidence for Chinese medical treatment of children with EB virus infection by exploring its clinical efficacy from multiple angles.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 81 children patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (46 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the treatment group took Chinese medical decoction, while those in the control received intravenous dripping of Ganciclovir and oral administration of pidotimod. The treatment period for the two groups was 2 weeks. Patients were followed-up till the 12th week. Clinical symptoms such as fever, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly, as well as lab indices such as abnormal lymphocyte percentage, EB virus antibody, virus DNA load, T cell subsets, immunoglobulin, and so on were observed before and after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The total effective rate at week 2 was 95.6% in the treatment group, higher than that of the control group (94.3%), but there was no statistical difference between the two groups. (2) The time for defervescence, duration of pharyngeal hyperemia, duration of swollen tonsils was shorter in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05). The subsidence of lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and abnormal lymphocytes was better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). (3) The positive cases of peripheral blood hetero-lymphocyte was significantly reduced after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups both in the treatment group and the control group (P < 0.01). The expression of IgA and IgM decreased after treatment in the two groups when compared with before treatment in the same group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). IgG in the treatment group also obviously decreased after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while it decreased only after treatment in the control group (P < 0.05). Activities of AST and ALT in the treatment group and the AST activity in the control group were markedly improved when compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the abnormal lymphocyte positive case number obviously decreased in the treatment group after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05). (4) After treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups, CD3+ and CD8+ significantly decreased; CD4+, CD4/CD8, and B cells significantly increased in the two groups, when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). NK cells significantly increased more in the treatment group after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups, higher than before treatment as well as the control group (P < 0.05). (5) EB viral DNA and EB viral CA-IgM negative conversion case numbers significantly increased in the two groups after treatment, at week 4 and 12 of follow-ups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, EB viral DNA and EB viral CA-IgM negative conversion case numbers significantly increased in the treatment group after treatment and at week 4 of follow-ups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Treatment of EB virus infection by Chinese medical treatment was effective. It could promote the recovery of EB viral infection, and reduce the risk of vicious disease after EB viral infection.</p>

Effect of xuebijing injection on perioperative coagulation function and inflammatory reaction in senile patients receiving total hip arthroplasty / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of xuebijing Injection (XI) on perioperative coagulation and inflammatory reaction in senile patients receiving total hip arthroplasty (THA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally eighty patients receiving THA at Luoyang Orthopedics Hospital, 65 to 85 years old, were randomly assigned to the control group (40 cases) and the treatment group (40 cases). All patients received routine perioperative therapies. Those in the treatment group received XI (adding 50 mL XI in 100 mL normal saline, 30 min each time). XI was continually injected after THA, twice daily for 3 successive days. Blood samples were harvested on the morning of the 2nd admission day (TO), immediately after operation (T1), on the morning of the 3rd day after operation (T3), and on the morning of the 5th day after operation (T4) to detect prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), levels of FIB and D-dimer (D-D), changes of white blood cell (WBC), neutrophils (N), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and IL-6. Complications of surgery were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistical difference in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and blood transfusion between the two groups (P >0.05). Compared with TO in the same group, WBC, N, CRP, ESR, IL-6, PT, TT, and D-D all increased in the control group at T1-T4 (P < 0.05); APTT increased at T1-T2 (P <0.05); FIB increased at T1-T3 (P <0.05). WBC, N, IL-6, PT, and D-D all increased in the treatment group at T1-T3 (P <0.05); CRP and ESR increased at T1-T4 (P < 0.05); TT increased at T1-T2 (P <0.05); APTT and FIB increased at T1 (P <0.05). Compared with the control group at the same time period, WBC, N, CRP, and IL-6 all decreased in the treatment group at T1-T4 (P <0.05), ESR decreased at T3-T4 (P <0.05); PT and TT decreased at T1-T3 (P <0.05); FIB and D-D decreased at T2-T4 (P<0.05). The occurrence of each complication was significantly lower in the treatment groups than in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>XI could improve the perioperative high coagulation state of senile THA patients, inhibit inflammatory reactions, and reduce complications.</p>