Exploring the effects of artesunate and fuzheng huayu decoction on mitochondria in the treatment of schistosomiasis liver fibrosis / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To compare the effects of artesunate (Art) and fuzheng huayu decoction on mitochondrial autophagy in the treatment of schistosomiasis liver fibrosis. Methods: Eighty C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into healthy control group, infection group, Art treatment group and Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group, with 20 mice in each group. Mice in the infection group and treatment group were infected with 16 Schistosoma japonicum cercariae. After 6 weeks, praziquantel (300 mg/kg) was used for 2 days to kill the worms. The Art treatment group was treated with intraperitoneal injection of 100 mg/kg/day, while the Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group was fed 16g of fuzheng huayu decoction per 1kg per day. After 6 weeks, fresh liver tissues of the four groups were collected. Masson staining and Western blot were used to observe the succinate dehydrogenase subunit A (SDHA) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH2), citrate synthase (CS), ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH), and target of rapamycin 1 (mTORC1) pathway involved in mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle in liver tissues. The relative expression levels of adenylate activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mitochondrial autophagy pathway kinase (PINK1) were detected. Liver tissue samples were extracted from each group to detect the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate. Two-way ANOVA was used to compare the significance and difference between two sets of samples. Results: Masson staining showed that the infection group mice had significantly higher liver fibrosis area than the healthy control group, while the Art treatment group and Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group mice had lower liver fibrosis area than the infection group. Western blot analysis showed that the infection group (0.82 ± 0.05) had significantly lower relative expression of SDHA protein than the healthy control group (1.00 ± 0.05) (t = 11.23, P = 0.0035), while the Art treatment group (0.73 ± 0.05) had significantly higher relative expression of SDHA protein than the infection group (t = 10.79, P = 0.0073). However, there was no significant change in Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group (0.98±0.05) (t = 1.925, P = 0.1266). The relative expression of p-AMPK protein was significantly higher in the infection group (1.15 ±0.05) than in the healthy control group (0.98 ± 0.07, t = 12.18, P = 0.0029), and the expression of p-AMPK in the Art treatment group (0.50 ± 0.05) was significantly lower than the infection group (t = 11.78, P = 0.0032). The relative protein expression of AMPK was significantly lower in the infection group (0.80 ± 0.05) than in the healthy control group (1.00 ± 0.05, t = 10.53, P = 0.0046). The expression of AMPK was significantly lower in the Art treatment group (0.54 ± 0.05) than in the infection group (T = 13.98, P = 0.0036). The relative expression of p-mTORC1 protein (0.93 ± 0.08) was not significantly different in the infection group than in the healthy control group (t = 2.28, P = 0.065), while the Art treatment group (0.63 ± 0.05) had significantly lower relative expression of p-mTORC1 protein than the infection group (t = 10.58, P = 0.029). The expression of p-mTORC1/ m-TORC1 was not significantly different in the infection group (0.98 ± 0.03) than in the healthy control group (0.97 ± 0.03, t = 0.98, P = 0.085), while the Art treatment group (0.63 ± 0.05) had significantly lower relative expression of p-mTORC1/ m-TORC1 than the infection group (t = 14.58, P = 0. 009). The relative protein expression of PINK1 was significantly lower in the infection group (0.55 ± 0.05) than in the healthy control group (1.00 ± 0.03, t = 13.49, P = 0.0011), while the Art treatment group (1.21 ± 0.05, t = 9.98, P = 0.0046) and Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group (1.31 ±0.35, t = 6.98, P = 0.027) had significantly higher relative protein expression of PINK1 than the infection group. Mitochondrial function tests showed that after adding substrate complex II, the oxygen consumption of the infection group was lower than the healthy control group, while the Art treatment group and the Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group had higher oxygen consumption than the infection group. The oxygen consumption was significantly lower after adding the substrate complex III in the infection group than the healthy control group, while the Art treatment group and Fuzheng Huayu Decoction treatment group had higher oxygen consumption than the infection group. Conclusion: Art can alleviate schistosomiasis liver fibrosis by inhibiting AMPK/mTORC1 signaling pathway activity and enhancing mitochondrial oxygen consumption, autophagy and SDHA expression.

Application of oscillating chemical fingerprint technology combined with mathematical analysis method in quality control analysis of traditional Chinese medicine and food / 中国中药杂志

Oscillating chemical fingerprint is a nonlinear dynamic fingerprint technology that reflects the overall redox activity of the entire system based on potential-time changes in multi-stage chemical reactions. This article summarizes the application of oscillating chemical fingerprint technology combined with mathematical analysis method in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of traditional Chinese medicine and food in recent years, including similarity analysis, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and other qua-litative analysis methods, as well as linear, logarithmic, exponential, polynomial, multivariate analysis and other quantitative analysis methods, so as to provide meaningful information for further quality control analysis of the oscillation chemical fingerprint technology in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and food.

Warming acupuncture combined with moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) for knee osteoarthritis with kidney-marrow deficiency: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical effect between warming acupuncture combined with moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) and simple warming acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis with kidney-marrow deficiency.@*METHODS@#A total of 66 patients of knee osteoarthritis with kidney-marrow deficiency were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 33 cases in each one. Warming acupuncture was applied at Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35), Zusanli (ST 36) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) on the affected side in both of the groups. In the observation group, mild moxibustion at bilateral Yongquan (KI 1) was adopted additionally. Each treatment lasted for 30 min, 3 times a week (once every other day), and the consecutive 6 weeks of treatment were required. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score (such as joint pain, stiffness and physical function), the amount of joint effusion and the serum contents of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), which was superior to 87.1% (27/30) in the control group (<0.05). Compared before treatment, the pain scores, stiffness scores, physical function scores, the amount of joint effusion and the contents of IL-1β, TNF-α and hs-CRP after treatment were significantly reduced in the two groups (<0.05), and the improvements of these indices in the observation group were superior to the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Warming acupuncture combined with moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) can improve joint function, reduce the amount of joint effusion and the contents of inflammatory response indices for knee osteoarthritis with kidney-marrow deficiency. The therapeutic effect of warming acupuncture combined with moxibustion at Yongquan (KI 1) is better than simple warming acupuncture.

Electroacupuncture Stimulation of Language-Implicated Acupoint Tongli (HT 5) in Healthy Subjects: An fMRI Evaluation Study / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore brain activations associated with electroacupuncture simulation at Tongli (HT 5) and its comparison with brain activations during picture-naming task.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Half of them received electroacupuncture stimulation at HT 5 (ACUP group) and the other half of them received stimulation at a nonmeridian sham acupoint (SHAM group). All subjects performed picture-naming task. Each subject finished two runs of functional magnetic resonance imaging examinations in one session and picture-naming task was performed before electroacupuncture stimulation. Subjective brain activations were obtained using generalized linear model and inter-group analyses were performed after that.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The electroacupuncture stimulation at HT 5 induced significant brain activations in both the anterior and posterior language regions, including the left inferior frontal gyrus, which was in consistent with activations induced during picture-naming task. Group analysis showed a tendency of increased activation of ACUP group in left inferior frontal gyrus compared with SHAM group (P<0.05 FDR corrected).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Electroacupuncture treatment at the acupoint HT 5 has modulation effect on typical language-implicated brain regions in healthy subjects, which provides supporting evidence for beneficial effects of needling at HT 5 for recovery of language function in aphasia.</p>

Effect of low-level laser therapy on tooth-related pain and somatosensory function evoked by orthodontic treatment / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may have an effect on the pain associated with orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of LLLT on pain and somatosensory sensitization induced by orthodontic treatment. Forty individuals (12-33 years old; mean ± standard deviations: 20.8 ± 5.9 years) scheduled to receive orthodontic treatment were randomly divided into a laser group (LG) or a placebo group (PG) (1:1). The LG received LLLT (810-nm gallium-aluminium-arsenic diode laser in continuous mode with the power set at 400 mW, 2 J·cm) at 0 h, 2 h, 24 h, 4 d, and 7 d after treatment, and the PG received inactive treatment at the same time points. In both groups, the non-treated side served as a control. A numerical rating scale (NRS) of pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), cold detection thresholds (CDTs), warmth detection thresholds (WDTs), cold pain thresholds (CPTs), and heat pain thresholds (HPTs) were tested on both sides at the gingiva and canine tooth and on the hand. The data were analysed by a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The NRS pain scores were significantly lower in the LG group (P = 0.01). The CDTs, CPTs, WDTs, HPTs, and PPTs at the gingiva and the PPTs at the canine tooth were significantly less sensitive on the treatment side of the LG compared with that of the PG (P < 0.033). The parameters tested also showed significantly less sensitivity on the non-treatment side of the LG compared to that of the PG (P < 0.043). There were no differences between the groups for any quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures of the hand. The application of LLLT appears to reduce the pain and sensitivity of the tooth and gingiva associated with orthodontic treatment and may have contralateral effects within the trigeminal system but no generalized QST effects. Thus, the present study indicated a significant analgesia effect of LLLT application during orthodontic treatment. Further clinical applications are suggested.

Preventive and therapeutic mechanism of the herbal pair, Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma on dementia-like mice induced by D-galactose / 中成药

AIM To investigate the preventive effects of herbal pair,Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma (SC),on Alzheimer's disease (AD),and its mechanism of action.METHODS Dementia mice induced by 8-week s.i.d subcutaneous injection of D-galactose (100 mg/kg),were simultaneously given respective,intragastric administration of SC crude drug at doses of 5,10,20 g/kg,or piracetam support at 0.75 g/kg,and isometrical distilled water was applied to the mice of normal control group.The mice had their learning and memory abilities checked by Morris water maze at intervals of four weeks and eight weeks since the start of the trial,and their blood and brain tissue biochemical indices measured at the end of the test.RESULTS Significantly shortened latent period in place navigation test and the time of enter into the original platform in the space exploration test were observed in the mice treated with 4-week D-galactose and SC (P ＜0.05 或 P ＜0.01).The 8-week intervention demonstrated SC capacity in the significant promotion of T-SOD activity,decreased blood MDA levels (P ＜ 0.01)and the brain AchE levels,and increased brain GSH-Px activity (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION SC increases the concentration of acetylcholine in brain tissue and protects the central nervous tissue under oxidative stress,highlighting its therapeutic effect on AD.

Cranberry extract supplementation exerts preventive effects through alleviating Aβ toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans model of Alzheimer's disease / 中国天然药物

Cranberry extract (CBE) rich in polyphenols are potent to delay paralysis induced by alleviating β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity in C. elegans model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to better apply CBE as an anti-AD agent efficiently, we sought to deterrmine whether preventive or therapeutic effect contributes more prominently toward CBE's anti-AD activity. As the level of Aβ toxicity and memory health are two major pathological parameters in AD, in the present study, we compared the effects of CBE on Aβ toxicity and memory health in the C. elegans AD model treated with preventive and therapeutic protocols. Our results revealed that CBE prominently showed the preventive efficacy, providing a basis for further investigation of these effects in mammals.

Study on Inhibitory Effect of Aqueous Extract of Taxus Chinensis var. mairei Combined Erlotnib on A549 Xenograft in Nude Mice and Its Mechanism / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of aqueous extract of Taxus chinensis var. mairei (AETC) combined Erlotnib on the growth of A549 xenograft in nude mice and its mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The xenograft model in nude mice was established by inoculating A549 cells subcutaneously. BALB/c nude mice bearing A549 xenograft were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., the low dose Erlotinib group (A) , the standard dose Erlotnib group (B) , the low dose Erlotinib combined AETC group (C), the standard dose Erlotnib combined AETC group (D), the AETC group (E), the control group (F), 12 in each group. Different medication was performed for 7 successive weeks after 24 h. One mL blood was withdrawn and tumor tissues taken. The tumor inhibition rate was calculated. The combined effect was analyzed by Jin's Formula [Q = Ea + b/(Ea + Eb-Ea x Eb) ]. mRNA and protein expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) in xenografts were detected using real-time RT-PCR and ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with Group F, the xenograft weight was obviously lowered in Group B-E (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The q value was 0.92 in Group C and 0.96 in Group D, which was obtained by simple adding of the two drugs. Compared with Group F, EG- FR mRNA expression in Group D and E, COX-2 mRNA expression in Group A-E; Bcl-2 mRNA expression in Group B-D; COX-2 protein expression in Group B-E; Bcl-2 protein expression in Group C and D were obviously lowered with statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>AETC combined low dose and standard dose Erlotinib had synergistic effect on tumor inhibition. Its mechanism might be associated with down-regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2 and Bcl-2.</p>

Analysis on Serum Trace Element Levels of Echinococciasis Patients in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, China, 2011 / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

In Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, China, 41 echinococciasis patients who had received surgical treatment were recruited in the study, and 82 health persons who had lived in Garze for at least 10 years were selected as controls. The serum levels of Zn, Se and Cu of the cases and controls were detected. The results showed that most echinococciasis cases were distributed in Shiqu county (17.1%, 7/41), and only 1 case was distributed in Yajiang county (2.4%). The male to female ratio of the cases was 1:1.56. The echinococciasis patients were mainly aged 30-39 years (36.59%, 15/41). And, the cases aged 20-49 years accounted for 68.29% (28/41). Compared with health controls, the serum levels of Zn and Se of the cases significantly declined. However, the serum level of Cu of the cases had no significantly change. It was confirmed that the serum levels of Zn and Se were interrelated with the prevalence of echinococciasis.

Clinical efficacy of shenfu injection in treating severe sepsis and its effects on serum levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic efficacy of Shenfu Injection (SFI) on patients with severe sepsis and its effects on serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-eight patients with severe sepsis were randomly assigned to the SFI group (36 cases, treated by SFI + routine therapy) and the control group (32 cases, treated by routine therapy). The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score and Marshall score were observed before treatment, 3 and 7days after treatment. The therapeutic efficacy was assessed, and the 28th-day mortality rates were compared. The serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were determined by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined by immunoturbidimetric assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in the APACHE II score, Marshall score, IL-6, IL-10, or CRP between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). APACHE II score and Marshall score of all patients decreased after treatment, with more obvious decrease shown in the SFI group (P<0.05). The mortality rate in the SFI group and the control group was 25.0% (9/36) and 37.5% (12/32) respectively, with no significant difference shown between the two groups (P>0.05). The serum levels of IL-6 and CRP obviously decreased after 7 days of treatment (P<0.05). But more decrement was shown in the SFI group, showing significant difference when compared with the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the serum IL-10 level between the two groups before and after treatment (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SFI could lower the serum IL-6 level, regulate the equilibrium of proinflammatory factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines in severe sepsis patients, thus playing a role in improving the therapeutic efficacy.</p>

Protective effect of atrovastatin against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and on liver and kidney functions in aged rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of atorvastatin against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and its protective effect on liver and kidney functions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten-month-old Wistar rats were fed to the age of 20 months, and atorvastatin statins gavage was administered till 24 months. The rats were divided into high-dose statin group, small-dose statin group, aged control group and young control group. The myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was established by ligating the coronary artery. The mortality, hemodynamic changes, infarct size and liver and kidney functions of the rats were recorded or measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the aged control group, the young control group and high-dose statin group showed significantly lower mortality rate, reduced hemodynamic abnormalities, and smaller myocardial infarct size following myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (P<0.05). The liver and kidney functions of the young control group and high-dose statin group underwent no significant deterioration after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion, but those in the small-dose statin group and aged control group showed significant deteriorations (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Atorvastatin offers protective effects on the heart, liver, and kidney in the event of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in aged rats.</p>

Effect of Chinese drugs for invigorating qi and tonifying shen on expression of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in spleen and maternal-fetal interface of abortion-prone mice / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Chinese drugs for invigorating qi and tonifying Shen (IQTS) on expression of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in spleen and maternal-fetal interface of abortion-prone mice during pregnancy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CBA female mice were mated with DBA/2 male mice to establish abortion-prone models, which were randomly divided into 4 groups, the negative control group (fed with normal saline), the positive control group (treated with CsA), the Chinese medicine group (treated with IQTS), and the Chinese and Western medicine group (treated with IQTS+CsA). Mice were sacrificed in batches on the 9th and the 14th day of gestation, their splenic and decidual tissues were taken out to analyse CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cell expression by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the negative control group, the expression of splenic CD4+CD25+ regulatory T all significantly increased on the 9th day of gestation (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in intergroup comparison of the three treatment groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the negative control group, the expression of splenic CD4+CD25+ regulatory T all significantly increased on the 14th day of gestation (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Of them, its expression was the highest in the Chinese and Western medicine group, showing significant difference from that in the Chinese medicine group and the positive group (P < 0.01). The difference between the Chinese medicine group and the positive group was insignificant (P > 0.05). On day 9 of gestation, compared with the negative control group, the expressions of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T in maternal-fetal interface increased in the three treated groups, showing no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Its expression was ordered from high to low in sequence as the Chinese and Western medicine group, the positive control group, the Chinese medicine group, and the negative control group. On day 14 its expression was obviously enhanced in the Chinese and Western medicine group, showing statistical difference from that in the negative control group (P < 0.05). But its expression was obviously enhanced in the Chinese medicine group and the positive group, showing insignificant difference from that in the negative group. The same sequence was found in the percentage of CD4+CD25+ T cells in CD4+ T cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chinese drugs for IQTS could up-regulate the expression of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T in spleen of abortion-prone mice in the early and late pregnancy stages. When combined with CsA, it also could up-regulate its expression in maternal-fetal interface in the mid and late pregnancy stages, suggesting that Chinese drugs for IQTS are facilitate to maintain the immune tolerance state in mice during pregnancy.</p>

Effect of curcumine on the nuclear pathway of JNK during hippocampal ischemia/reperfusion injury in SHR / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diversify of the nuclear pathway of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK) during transient brain ischemia/reperfusion injury in hippocampal neuron apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and to test whether the neuroprotection of curcumine on transient brain ischemia/reperfusion injury in SHR is related to the nuclear pathway of JNK.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHR were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6): WKY sham group (W-Sham), WKY ischemia/reperfusion group (W-I/ R), SHR sham group (S-Sham), SHR ischemia/reperfusion group (S-I/R) and SHR curcumine (a chinese traditional medicine)100 mg/kg treatment group (S-Cur), which were sacrificed at 2 h, 6 h, 24 h, 3 d and 7 d after reperfusion. Global brain ischemic model was established by 4-VO method. The TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method was used to detect the neuron apoptosis in hippocampal CA1 region. The immunohistochemical method was applied to investigate the expressions of c-jun and c-fos in hippocampal CA1 region.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of apoptosis and c-jun and c-fos in CA1 region in S-Sham group, W-I/R group and S-I/R group were more than those in W-Sham group (P < 0.05), were significantly increased in S-I/R group than those in W-I/R group (P < 0.05), and were significantly decreased in S-Cur group than those in S-I/R group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Neuronal apoptosis and the expressions of c-jun and c-fos are more in SHR hippocampal. Global brain ischemia/reperfusion injury induces more expressions of apoptosis in hippocampal neuron in SHR, and the more expressions of c-jun and c-fos may participate in that process. The neuroprotection of curcumine in SHR is related to c-jun and c-fos.</p>

Saponins from roots of Stephanotis mucronata / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents from n-BuOH fraction of the roots of Stephanotis mucronata.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The compounds were separated by chromatographic methods. A combination of UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic methods was applied to identify structure of these compounds.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Four oleane saponins were isolated and identified as sitakisoside VII (1), sitakisoside VI (2), sitakisoside II (3), and sitakisoside I (4).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These four compounds were obtained for the first time from this plant.</p>

The beneficial effects of xuezhikang on top of extended-released nifedipine in hypertensive patients without severe hyperlipidemia / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether xuezhikang has additional beneficial effect on lipid peroxidation, myocardial fibrosis, inflammation and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients without sever hyperlipidemia treated with extended-released nifedipine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This is a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study, 100 patients with primary hypertension (HT) and normal or lightly elevated cholesterol level were randomized to receive placebo (n=49) or xuezhikang (1200 mg/d, n=51) for 24 weeks on top of extended-released nifedipine (20 mg, bid), 30 healthy volunteers served as controls. Plasma was obtained at baseline and 24 weeks after therapy. Lipids, C-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase photo-inhibition rate (SOD-PR) and type I collagen carboxypropeptide (PIP) were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Normal blood pressure (<140/90 mm Hg) was found in 49 out of 51 xuezhikang treated patients and in 40 out of 49 placebo treated patients (P<0.01) after 24 weeks therapy. Plasma CRP, MDA, SOD-PR and PIP were significantly higher in HT patients than those in normal controls. Plasma CRP, MDA, PIP and SOD-PR were significantly decreased in xuezhikang group while remained unchanged in placebo group after 24 weeks treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In patients with primary hypertension without severe hyperlipidemia treated with nifedipine, xuezhikang treatment exerts additional beneficial effects including better blood pressure control, endothelial function improvement, lipid oxidation loading attenuation and anti-inflammation.</p>

The effects of silymarin on hepatic microsomal and mitochondrial membrane fluidity in mice / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effects of silymarin on hepatic microsomal and mitochondrial membrane fluidity in mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Liver microsomal and mitochondrial membranes were labled by ANS and DPH. Membrane fluorensent intensity (F), fluorensent polarization(P) and microviscosily(eta) of liver microsome and mitochondria were determined.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Sil increased the external membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria, and decreased the internal membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria. Pretreatment with CCl4, the external membrane fluidity of liver microsome and mitochondria were increased, and the internal membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria were decreased. After given sil 140,280 mg.kg-1, the increased external membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria were lowered, and the decreased internal membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria were enhanced in a dose-dependent manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The protective effects of sil on liver injury may be related to the recovery of the membrane fluidities of liver microsome and mitochondria.</p>

Studies on the chemical constituents in radix Astilbes chinensis / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate and determine the chemical constituents from Astilbe chinensis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Four compounds were isolated and purified by extraction and column chromatography on silica gel. The chemical structures were determined on the basis of physical-chemical evidence and extensive spectral analysis(HR-EIMS, EIMS, 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H-COSY, HMQC and HMBC).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Their structures were elucidated as beta-sitosterol palmitate I, daucosterol II beta-sitosterol III and Bergenin IV, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compound I and II were isolated from A. chinensis for the first time.</p>