[Developing traditional medical heritage for further achievements in medical history and literature research-Commemorating the establishment of China Institute for History of Medicine and Medical Literature in the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine].

The Institute of Chinese Medical History and Literature in the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine was officially established on May 28, 1982. Its predecessor was the Medical History Research Office in the Chinese Medicine Institute of the Central Institute of Health, the Editorial Office of the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Theory and Literature Research Office of the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Before that, the Research Office of Chinese Medical History and Literature in the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine was established in 1971. It made remarkable achievements in scientific research, personnel training and discipline construction in terms of medical history and literature. It was upgraded to the Institute with the approval of the Ministry of Health in 1980. After its establishment, the institute has benefited from great achievements.

[Medical figures in Wang Ao Ji].

Wang Ao was a famous politician and litterateur in the middle of Ming Dynasty. Wang Ao Ji comprehensively sorts out Wang's works for the first time, and collects all the poems and notes written by himself. A total of 38 physicians were recorded in Wang Ao Ji, among them, Wang Ao had close contacts with many physicians such as Zhou Geng, Zhou Xu'an, Sheng Rubi, Zhang Yangzheng and Chen Chong. Wang Ao and Zhou Geng are both core members of the literary society of Wuzhong, in the capital of Beijing. Wang Ao once wrote an epitaph for Zhou Xu'an, a tablet inscription for Sheng Rubi and a biography for Zhang Yangzheng. And Chen Chong once cured Wang's nephew's diarrhea caused by acne rash.The biographical records of physicians in Wang Ao Ji are highly reliable, and some medical information is the main source of official history and medical history works, which contains important historical value. Relevant contents about medical figures recorded in class of works, local chronicles, genealogy, anthology, notes and other ancient books, to a great extent, enrich biographical data of physicians, which is worth further research.

[Reanalysis on the Preface of Medical Classics and Classical Prescriptions in Hanshu Yiwenzhi].

Hanshu Yiwenzhi is the earliest comprehensive catalogue of medical books in China, in which FangJi Lue was divided into four categories: "Medical Classics", "Classical Prescriptions", "Fangzhong" and "Shenxian". This paper reanalysed the preface contents of "Medical Classics" and "Classical Prescriptions", and found that the differences between the two sections focused on the definitions of disease treatment and standpoints. "Medical Classics" refers to people who suffered from diseases, but "Classical Prescriptions" refers to the disease which people suffered. This means "Medical Classics" focuses on the human body, but "Classical Prescriptions" centres on diseases.

[The name of Northern Qi physician "Xu Minqi" should be "Xu Minxing"].

Nearly all of the writings on history of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and TCM reference books referred "Xu Minqi" (), a physician of the Northern Qi Dynasty(550-577), as a son of Xu Zhifan(), and some medical books and literary sketches recorded the name as "Xu Minzhai" (), or "Xu Min" (). But there are no mention of "Xu Minqi" , "Xu Minzhai" , nor "Xu Min" among Xu Zhifan's 12 sons' names written in Yi Tong San Si Xu Gong Mu Zhi(The Epitaph of Xu Zhifan, ), a more convincing historical record. Based on the textual research on the ancient literature, it is inferred that "Xu Minxing" was mistaken as "Xu Min" , "Xu Minqi" , "Xu Minzhai" . "Xu Minqi" in the current writings should be corrected.

Andrographolide suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and prevents inflammatory bone loss in vivo.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Osteoclasts play a pivotal role in diseases such as osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and tumour bone metastasis. Thus, searching for natural compounds that may suppress osteoclast formation and/or function is promising for the treatment of osteoclast-related diseases. Here, we examined changes in osteoclastogenesis and LPS-induced osteolysis in response to andrographolide (AP), a diterpenoid lactone isolated from the traditional Chinese and Indian medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Effects of AP on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption were measured in vitro. Western blots and RT-PCR techniques were used to examine the underlying molecular mechanisms. The bone protective activity of AP in vivo was assessed in a mouse model of osteolysis. KEY RESULTS: AP concentration-dependently suppressed RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in vitro and reduced the expression of osteoclast-specific markers, including tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, calcitonin receptors and cathepsin K. Further molecular analysis revealed that AP impaired RANKL-induced NF-κB signalling by inhibiting the phosphorylation of TGF-ß-activated kinase 1, suppressing the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα, and subsequently preventing the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. AP also inhibited the ERK/MAPK signalling pathway without affecting p38 or JNK signalling. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: AP suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through attenuating NF-κB and ERK/MAPK signalling pathways in vitro, thus preventing bone loss in vivo. These data indicated that AP is a promising natural compound for the treatment of osteoclast-related bone diseases.

Electroacupuncture reduces the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in inflamed skin tissues through activation of cannabinoid CB2 receptors.

Endogenous cannabinoids and peripheral cannabinoid CB2 receptors (CB2Rs) are involved in the antinociceptive effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on inflammatory pain. However, it is not clear how CB2R activation contributes to the antinociceptive effect of EA. The major proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-6, are involved in inflammatory pain. Here we determined the effects of CB2R activation and EA on the expression level of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues. Inflammatory pain was induced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into the left hindpaw of rats. Thermal hyperalgesia was tested with a radiant heat stimulus, and mechanical allodynia was quantified using von Frey filaments. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. Local injection of the selective CB2R agonist AM1241 or EA applied to GB30 and GB34 significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia induced by tissue inflammation. The specific CB2R antagonist AM630 significantly attenuated the antinociceptive effect of EA. Furthermore, EA or AM1241 treatment significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α in inflamed skin tissues. In addition, pretreatment with AM630 significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of EA on these cytokine levels in inflamed skin tissues. Our results suggest that EA reduces inflammatory pain and proinflammatory cytokines in inflamed skin tissues through activation of CB2Rs.

Salmonid microarrays identify intestinal genes that reliably monitor P deficiency in rainbow trout aquaculture.

Nutrient-responsive genes can identify important metabolic pathways and evaluate optimal dietary levels. Using a 16K Salmo salar microarray, we identified in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) 21 potential phosphorus (P)-responsive genes, mainly involved in immune response, proteolysis or transport, whose expression levels changed in the intestine after 5 days of feeding a low-P (LP) diet. Diet-induced changes in the expression levels of several genes in each fish were tightly correlated with changes in serum P, and the changes persisted for an additional 15 days after dietary P deficiency. We then evaluated these and previously identified P-responsive genes under simulated farm conditions, and monitored the intestinal gene expression from 6 h to 7 days after the trout were switched from a sufficient-P (SP) diet to a LP diet (SP-->LP), and from a LP diet to a SP diet (LP-->SP). After 7 days, mean serum P decreased 0.14 mM/day for SP-->LP and increased 0.10 mm/day for LP-->SP. The mRNA abundance of the metalloendopeptidase meprin 1alpha (MEP1alpha), the Na(+)-dependent phosphate co-transporter (NaPi2b,SLC34A2), the sulfotransferase SULT2beta1 and carbonic anhydrase XIII genes all increased after SP-->LP and decreased after LP-->SP, suggesting that adaptive expression is reversible and correlated with dietary P. The duration of change in gene expression in response to SP-->LP was generally shorter than that of LP-->SP, suggesting potentially different mechanisms of adaptation to deficiency as opposed to excess. Diet-induced changes in mRNA abundance of other genes were either transient or modest. We identified, by heterologous microarray hybridization, new genes sensitive to perturbations in dietary P, and then showed that these genes can reliably monitor P deficiency under field conditions. Simultaneous changes in the expression of these P biomarkers could predict either P deficiency (to prevent economic losses to the farmers) or P excess (to prevent inadvertent pollution of nearby waters).

Conscious and subconscious sensorimotor synchronization--prefrontal cortex and the influence of awareness.

One of the most compelling challenges for modern neuroscience is the influence of awareness on behavior. We studied prefrontal correlates of conscious and subconscious motor adjustments to changing auditory rhythms using regional cerebral blood flow measurements. At a subconscious level, movement adjustments were performed employing bilateral ventral mediofrontal cortex. Awareness of change without explicit knowledge of the nature of change led to additional ventral prefrontal and premotor but not dorsolateral prefrontal activations. Only fully conscious motor adaptations to a changing rhythmic pattern showed prominent involvement of anterior cingulate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrate that while ventral prefrontal areas may be engaged in motor adaptations performed subconsciously, only fully conscious motor control which includes motor planning will involve dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Acute effects of H-7 on ciliary epithelium and corneal endothelium in monkey eyes.

PURPOSE: Topical or intracameral administration of H-7 doubles outflow facility and reduces intraocular pressure in cynomolgus monkeys, by relaxing and expanding the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC). Since H-7 may have anti-glaucoma potential, we determined its effects on the corneal endothelium and ciliary epithelium for safety considerations. METHODS: Following topical H-7, aqueous humor flow (AHF), corneal endothelial transfer coefficient (k(a)) and anterior chamber (AC) entry of i.v. fluorescein were measured by fluorophotometry; AC aqueous protein concentration ([Protein](AC)) was determined by Lowry assay; and corneal thickness and endothelial cell density and morphology were measured by ultrasonic pachymetry and specular microscopy respectively. Following intracameral H-7, specular and/or light and electron microscopy of the corneal endothelium or ciliary epithelium were performed. RESULTS: Following unilateral topical H-7: (1) AHF and k(a) were essentially unchanged at 0.5--3.0, 3.5--6.0, and 0.5--6.0 hr, with an insignificant increase from 0.5--1.5 hr; (2) [Protein]( AC) was insignificantly increased at 1-1.5 hr but had returned to baseline by 2.5 hr; (3) entry of i.v. fluorescein into aqueous or cornea was modestly and transiently increased; (4) the central cornea thickened significantly at 1--2.5 hr, gradually returning to baseline 2.5 hr after H-7, while peripheral corneal thickness was less affected; (5) corneal endothelial cell borders became indistinct by 1 hr, but cell morphology was recovering by 3--5 hr and had completely returned to normal by 24 hr; (6) corneal endothelial cell density was unchanged at 5--24 hr. Following intracameral H-7, no significant changes were observed in corneal endothelial cell density or morphology by specular microscopy, nor in corneal endothelial or ciliary epithelial morphology by light and electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: A facility-effective intracameral dose of H-7 had no discernible structural effect on the corneal endothelium or ciliary epithelium. It is not yet clear whether carefully chosen topical doses of H-7 or analogues can enhance outflow facility without meaningfully affecting the cornea and ciliary processes.

Functional specialization in rhesus monkey auditory cortex.

Neurons in the lateral belt areas of rhesus monkey auditory cortex prefer complex sounds to pure tones, but functional specializations of these multiple maps in the superior temporal region have not been determined. We tested the specificity of neurons in the lateral belt with species-specific communication calls presented at different azimuth positions. We found that neurons in the anterior belt are more selective for the type of call, whereas neurons in the caudal belt consistently show the greatest spatial selectivity. These results suggest that cortical processing of auditory spatial and pattern information is performed in specialized streams rather than one homogeneously distributed system.

Dual streams of auditory afferents target multiple domains in the primate prefrontal cortex.

'What' and 'where' visual streams define ventrolateral object and dorsolateral spatial processing domains in the prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates. We looked for similar streams for auditory-prefrontal connections in rhesus macaques by combining microelectrode recording with anatomical tract-tracing. Injection of multiple tracers into physiologically mapped regions AL, ML and CL of the auditory belt cortex revealed that anterior belt cortex was reciprocally connected with the frontal pole (area 10), rostral principal sulcus (area 46) and ventral prefrontal regions (areas 12 and 45), whereas the caudal belt was mainly connected with the caudal principal sulcus (area 46) and frontal eye fields (area 8a). Thus separate auditory streams originate in caudal and rostral auditory cortex and target spatial and non-spatial domains of the frontal lobe, respectively.

[Clinical protocols for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To set up principles for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: The therapeutic principles and results of SAP in three periods were analyzed. Period I (1980 - 1990) was characterized by early surgical intervention supplemented with integrated traditional and western medical therapy, period II (1991 - 1993) by integrated traditional and western medical therapy supplemented with surgery for early complications, and period III (1994 - 1997) by integrated traditional and western medical therapy supplemented with surgery for local infectious complications only. RESULTS: Because of the improvement of intensive care, the operation rates kept declining in the three periods. They were 77.59%, 54.55% and 29.55% with a mortality rate of 40.52%, 17.17% and 11.36%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Integrated traditional and western medicine has been effective in most SAP patients, and surgery is indicated only for late complications such as necrotizing infection. Early surgery should be restricted.

Serial and parallel processing in rhesus monkey auditory cortex.

Auditory cortex on the exposed supratemporal plane in four anesthetized rhesus monkeys was mapped electrophysiologically with both pure-tone (PT) and broad-band complex sounds. The mapping confirmed the existence of at least three tonotopic areas. Primary auditory cortex, AI, was then aspirated, and the remainder of the cortex on the supratemporal plane was remapped. PT-responses in the caudomedial area, CM, were abolished in all animals but one, in which they were restricted to the high-frequency range. Some CM sites were still responsive to complex stimuli. In contrast to the effects on CM, no significant changes were detectable in the rostral area, R. After mapping cortex in four additional monkeys, injections were made with different tracers into matched best-frequency regions of AI, R, and CM. Injections in AI and R led to retrograde labeling of neurons in all three subdivisions of the medial geniculate (MG) nucleus (MGv, MGd, and MGm), as well as nuclei outside MG, whereas CM injections led to only sparse labeling of neurons in a restricted zone of the lateral MGd and, possibly, MGm, in addition to labeling in non-MG sites. The combined results suggest that MGv sends direct projections in parallel to areas AI and R, which drive PT-responses in both areas. PT-responses in area CM, however, appear to be driven by input relayed serially from AI. The direct input to CM from MGd and other thalamic nuclei may thus be capable of mediating responses only to broad-band sounds.

Anesthesia for primary hyperparathyroidism.

We review the anesthesia used on patients with primary hyperparathyroidism from 1980-1989. As the first choice, nearly two thirds of the operations were performed under cervical epidural block, and about 90% of these obtained satisfactory results. Injury of the spinal cord and nerve root could be avoided by accurate insertion of the epidural needle. Respiratory depression might also be minimized with an alert perioperative course of 5 ml 0.8-1.33% lidocaine as the initial dose followed by 6-8 ml for maintenance. For complicated cases, such as those who had undergone previous cervical operations or were suspected of having ectopic parathyroidomas, general anesthesia was carried out instead.

[Effects of ciwujia (Acanthopanax senticosus Harms) on reperfusion-induced arrhythmia and action potential alterations in the isolated rat heart].

By means of Langendorff method and standard microelectrode techniques the effects of Ciwujia on reperfusion induced arrhythmias and action potential alterations were studied in isolated rat heart with transient coronary occlusion. Inclusion of Ciwujia extract (equivalent to 1.2 and 2.4 mg crude drug/ml) was found helpful in reducing reperfusion induced ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Associated with this reduction in rhythm disturbances was an increase in the total duration of normal sinus rhythm during the 3 min reperfusion period. With the administration of Ciwujia the number of cells with abnormal action potential configurations was significantly reduced. This confirms that Ciwujia can protect myocardium from electrophysiological abnormalities, and therefore reduces the incidence of malignant arrhythmias.