The High Risk Factors and Preventive Measures of Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy under the Guidance of B-Ultrasound in the Treatment of Postoperative Renal Calculi.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore and analyze the high risk factors and preventive measures of percutaneous nephrolithotomy under the guidance of B-ultrasound in the treatment of postoperative renal calculi. Methods: The clinical data of 220 patients with renal calculi admitted to our hospital from 2018 to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were treated with percutaneous nephrolithotomy n = 36) and nonbleeding group (n = 184), comparing the personal data, disease-related data, surgical operation related data of the two groups of patients, single factor and logistic multifactor regression analysis to explore the influence of B-guided percutaneous. Nephrolithotomy is a high-risk factor for postoperative bleeding in patients with kidney stones, and preventive measures are based on high-risk factors. Results: There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with different genders, whether they had renal surgery, whether they had hypertension, and those with postoperative hepatic insufficiency in the hemorrhagic group and the nonbleeding group (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in age and body mass index between the bleeding group and the nonbleeding group (p > 0.05). The proportion of patients with diabetes in the bleeding group was higher than that in the nonbleeding group, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Compared with the nonbleeding group, the bleeding group had a higher proportion of patients with calculus diameter ≥2 cm. The proportion of patients with staghorn calculi in the bleeding group was higher than that in the nonbleeding group. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with hemorrhage, single or multiple renal stones, and ureteral stones in the hemorrhage group compared with the nonbleeding group (p > 0.05). Compared with the nonbleeding group, the proportion of patients with bleeding in the first stage was higher, and the proportion of patients with operation time >90 min was higher. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients in the bleeding group compared with the nonbleeding group (p > 0.05). Using Logic multifactorial regression analysis, independent risk factors for bleeding after percutaneous nephrolithotomy under ultrasound-guided bovery include diabetes mellitus, stone diameter, staghorn kidney stones, surgical timing, and staging surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The independent high-risk factors affecting bleeding after percutaneous nephrolithotomy guided by B-ultrasound include diabetes, stone diameter, staghorn type kidney stones, operation time, and staged surgery. According to this, effective preventive measures can effectively reduce the operation and the occurrence of postbleeding.

Biological Activities and Chemistry of Triterpene Saponins from Medicago Species: An Update Review.

Plants are known to be a great source of phytochemicals for centuries. Medicago, belonging to the Family Fabaceae, is a large and well spread genus comprising about 83 cosmopolitan species, of which one-third are annuals and span diverse ecological niches. Medicago species are rich in saponins mainly classified into three classes, namely, steroid alkaloid glycosides, triterpene glycosides, and steroid glycosides. These saponins are important compounds having diverse pharmacological and biological activities. As a whole, 95 of saponins are reported to date occurring in Medicago species using various latest extraction/isolation techniques. Considering the multiple biological and pharmacological potential of Medicago species due to saponins along with structural diversity, we compiled this review article to sum up the recent reports for the pharmacological potential of the Medicago's derived saponins in modern as well as traditional medication systems. The current manuscript produces data of chemical structures and molecular masses of all Medicago species saponins simultaneously. The toxicity of certain pure saponins (aglycones) has been reported in vitro; hederagenin appeared highly toxic in comparison to medicagenic acid and bayogenin against X. index, while soyasaponin I, containing soyasapogenol B as a glycone, appeared as the least toxic saponin. The diversity in the structural forms shows a close relationship for its biological and pharmacological actions. Moreover, saponins showed antioxidant properties and the mechanism behind antimicrobial potential also elaborated in this review article is mainly because of the side sugar groups on these compounds. The collected data presented herein include chemical structures and molecular masses of all saponins so far. Their biological activity and therapeutic potential are also discussed. This information can be the starting point for future research on this important genus.

The role of Se content in improving anti-tumor activities and its potential mechanism for selenized Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides.

Drawing an instructive point on the correlation between Se content and anti-tumor effects is helpful to develop Se-polysaccharides with potential anti-tumor activities. In this work, Se content-related anti-tumor activities are assessed in vitro by multiple comparisons among Na2SeO3, Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide (ASP), and selenized ASP (SeASPs, Se contents 4344-13 030 µg g-1) synthesized by a chemical modification method. The results suggest that SeASPs exhibit potent anti-proliferation activities against three kinds of tumor cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, which is positively correlated to Se content. Meanwhile, SeASPs display low cytotoxicity against normal cells as compared with Na2SeO3 and 5-FU. A mitochondrial membrane potential assay and western blotting analysis suggest that the SeASPs induce HepG2 cell apoptosis via mitochondrial and death receptor pathways, which is confirmed by the reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, upregulated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, promoted Cyt C release, and increased expression level of caspase-3/-9/-8. In an in vivo anti-tumor assay, SeASP with a high Se content (13 030 µg g-1) also obviously inhibits H22 tumor growth in a dose-dependent manner, and a tumor suppression rate of 45.10% is observed. In addition, the results of ELISA analysis suggest that SeASPs obviously increase the concentration of serum NO, cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α), and Ig-G in a dose-dependent manner as compared with the control and ASP group. It could be concluded that adjusting the Se content might be an effective approach to improve the anti-tumor activities of Se-polysaccharides.

Synthesis of Se-polysaccharide mediated by selenium oxychloride: Structure features and antiproliferative activity.

Selenium oxychloride (SOC) was employed as a highly reactive selenide reagent to synthesize selenized Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (SeASP). Se content of SeASP was significantly increased (∼22,400 µg/g) as compared to HNO3/H2SeO3 selenylation method (1703 µg/g). Furthermore, selenized ASP was prepared by using microwave-assisted synthesis which obviously enhanced selenylation kinetics. FT-IR, Raman, XPS and NMR results exhibited seleno-group was substituted at C6 position in the form of selenite (Se4+). SEC-MALLS suggested SOC system could effectively avoid the degradation of polysaccharide chain. Meanwhile, MALLS calculation, MB spectrophotometric method and AFM observation showed SeASP appeared spherical and rod-shaped conformation after selenylation. Seleno-groups were more likely to affect the conformational transformation of polysaccharide chains. Moreover, SeASP could significantly enhance antiproliferative activity against three tumor cells, of which the IC50 value of HepG2 was calculated as 24.35 µg/mL. It was found that higher Se content could effectively improve the antitumor activities of Se-polysaccharides in vitro.

[HNMP]HSO4 catalyzed synthesis of selenized polysaccharide and its immunomodulatory effect on RAW264.7 cells via MAPKs pathway.

In this paper, selenized Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (SePAS) were obtained through employing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone hydrosulfate as catalyst, which showed a maximum Se content enhanced to 8744 µg/g. FT-IR, 1D/2D NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and size-exclusion chromatograph analysis exhibited that Se had been successfully introduced into PAS and existed in the form of selenate group (Se4+) with the substitution position at C-6. Furthermore, immunostimulating assays indicated that SePAS with high Se content exhibited stronger immunomodulatory activities by upregulated the phosphorylation level of ERK, JNK and p38, thus enhancing RAW264.7 cells proliferation, phagocytosis, levels of interleukin-6, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1ß. The current outcome suggested that Se content might be a critical factor affecting the immunomodulatory effects of selenized PAS on macrophage RAW264.7.

A comparative study of sulfated tara gum: RSM optimization and structural characterization.

Interest in galactomannans and its derivatives as a functional health supplement is growing based on physicochemical properties. In this work, the optimized conditions of sulfated tara gum (STG) with a maximum DS of 0.66 by box-behnken design (BBD) were obtained as following: ratio of chlorosulfonic acid/pyridine 3:1, reaction time 4 h and reaction temperature 40 °C. The structure features of STG such as the degree of substitution (DS), substitution position, weight average molar mass (MW), monosaccharide components and chain conformation were investigated. Decreasing of MW, the increasing of Z-average radius of gyration (〈S2〉Z1/2) and specific volume for gyration (SVg) were obtained by SEC-MALLS. In addition, the structural properties of four sulfated galactomannans were comparatively investigated and analyzed based on our earlier reports of sulfated fenugreek gum, guar gum and locust bean gum. A conclusion was drown that higher galactose branch could enhance steric hindrance, which was inferred as one of the significant factors for the derivatization efficiency, thus affecting the DS, MW and conformational transition of sulfated galactomannans. This study will provide valuable information for further research on the comparison of bioactivities and medical application of galactomannans family.

Synthesis and structural features of phosphorylated Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide.

Phosphorylation is a key route to achieve varieties of biological activities for polysaccharides. Currently, conventional phosphorylation reagents are characterized by long processing times and high reaction temperatures. Here, we reported phosphorylation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (PASP) with the degrees of substitution (DS) of 0.34-0.54 in mild reaction conditions (3-4h and 25°C) by employing POCl3/pyridine technique. FT-IR spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the appearance of phosphate ester (P5+) groups in PASP. Size exclusion chromatography combined with multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) result clearly showed temperature-dependent increment of weight average molecular mass (MW). High temperature facilitated the reaction of phosphoryl chloride with primary and secondary hydroxyl groups, favoring the crosslinking of polysaccharide chains by phosphate di-esters as further confirmed in 13C NMR determination. Our results provide insight into the relationship between the structure and reaction conditions of phosphorylated polysaccharide, which is important for understanding and exploiting these derivatives in a wide range of applications.

Sulfation can enhance antitumor activities of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide in vitro and vivo.

In this study, a sulfated Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide (ASPs) was prepared and its antitumor activity was evaluated in tumor cells and Hepatoma 22 (H22) tumor-bearing mice. In vitro experiments, ASPs significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 and Hela cells with the IC50 values of 172.03 and 161.42µg/mL, respectively. Moreover, no direct cytotoxicity against mouse fibroblast L929 normal cells was observed in vitro. After oral administration for 12days, the tumor growth was significantly suppressed by ASPs at the doses of 200mg/kg (inhibition rate of 60.85%). Results of tumor histological morphology and cell cycle analysis showed that ASPs could arrest H22 cells at S phase and promote cell apoptosis. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that ASPs caused the down-regulation of mutant p53 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, these findings proposed new insight into antitumor properties of sulfated polysaccharide as a promising agent in cancer treatment.

Apigenin inhibits d-galactosamine/LPS-induced liver injury through upregulation of hepatic Nrf-2 and PPARγ expressions in mice.

Apigenin is a natural flavonoid compound widely distributed in a variety of vegetables, medicinal plants and health foods. This study aimed to examine the protective effect of apigenin against d-galactosamine (D-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse liver injury and to investigate the potential biochemical mechanisms. The results showed that after oral administration of apigenin 100-200 mg/kg for 7 days, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were decreased, and the severity of liver injury was alleviated. Importantly, apigenin pretreatment increased the levels of hepatic nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) protein expressions as well as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase activities, decreased the levels of hepatic nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) protein expression and tumor necrosis factor-α. These findings demonstrated that apigenin could prevent the D-GalN/LPS-induced liver injury in mice, and its mechanisms might be associated with the increments of Nrf-2-mediated antioxidative enzymes and modulation of PPARγ/NF-κB-mediated inflammation.

Microwave-assisted synthesis, structure and anti-tumor activity of selenized Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide.

In this work, selenylation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide (SeASPMW) was studied by using H2SeO3/HNO3/BaCl2 reaction system in microwave field. SeASPMW exhibited the Se content range of 111-264µg/g with high yields (72.1-94.9%). 13C NMR results indicated that the weak C-6 substitution was occurred. The decrease (from 7.348×104g/mol to 1.736-4.667×104g/mol) in weight average molecular mass (MW) of SeASPMW was observed in size exclusion chromatography combined with multi angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) analysis. SeASPMW exhibited a more rigid solution conformation which might be due to the degradation of polysaccharide chains in acidic reaction reagent. This was also supported by atomic force microscopy (AFM) result that SeASPMW showed short chains and island-like topography. In anti-tumor activity assays, SeASPMW6 exhibited the inhibition rates of 32.381% and 39.776% against human non-small cell lung cancer cell line (H1650) at the concentration of 100 and 200µg/mL, respectively. The relatively weak inhibition effect of SeASPMW was not related to cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, suggesting Se content might be a key factor to influence the anti-tumor activities of selenized polysaccharides in vitro.

Bioactivities and Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil Extracted from Artemisia anethoides Against Two Stored Product Insects.

The chemical constituents of the essential oil extracted from Artemisia anethoides and the bioactivities of essential oil against Tribolium castaneum and Lasioderma serricorne were investigated. The main components of the essential oil were 1,8-cineole (36.54%), 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-3-cyclohexen-1-one (10.40%), terpinen-4-ol (8.58%), 2-isopropyltoluene (6.20) and pinocarveol (5.08%). The essential oil of A. anethoides possessed contact and fumigant toxicities against T. castaneum adults (LD50 = 28.80 µg/adult and LC50 = 13.05 mg/L air, respectively) and against L. serricorne (LD50 = 24.03 µg/adult and LD50 = 8.04 mg/L air, respectively). The crude oil showed repellent activity against T. castaneum and L. serricorne. Especially, the percentage repellency of essential oil was same level with DEET (positive control) against T. castaneum. The results indicated that the essential oil of A. anethoides had the potential to be developed as insecticide and repellent for control of T. castaneum and L. serricorne.

Synthesis of selenium-containing Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides: Solution conformation and anti-tumor activities in vitro.

It has been reported in our previous work that selenized Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (SeASPs) with the Se content range of 168-1703µg/g were synthesized by using Na2SeO3/HNO3/BaCl2 system. In the present work, the solution property of SeASP was studied by using size exclusion chromatography combined with multi angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS). A decrease in df values indicated that SeASPs with different conformational features that were highly dependent on MW. SeASPs exhibited a more rigid conformation (df value of 1.29-1.52) in low molecular weight range (MW of 1.026-1.426×10(4)g/mol) and compact spherical conformation in high molecular weight range (MW of 2.268-4.363×10(4)g/mol). It could be due to the degradation of polysaccharide chains in HNO3, which was supported in monosaccharide composition analysis. Congo red (CR) spectrophotometric method and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results also confirmed the conformational transition and the evidence on the shape of the rigid chains. In vitro anti-tumor assays, SeASP2 displayed greater anti-proliferative effects against three tumor cell lines (hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cells, lung adenocarcinom A549 cells and cervical squamous carcinoma Hela cells) in a dose-dependent manner. This suggested that selenylation could significantly enhance the anti-tumor activities of polysaccharide derivatives in vitro.

Regioselective sulfation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide: Solution conformation and antioxidant activities in vitro.

Regioselective modification is an effective approach to synthesize polysaccharides with different structure features and improved properties. In this study, regioselective sulfation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide (SRSASP) was prepared by using triphenylchloromethane (TrCl) as protecting precursor. The decrease in fractal dimension (df) values (1.56-2.04) of SRSASP was observed in size-exclusion chromatography combined with multi angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) analysis. Compared to sample substituted at C-6, SRSASP showed a more expanded conformation of random coil, which was attributed to the breakup of hydrogen bonds and elastic contributions. Circular dichroism (CD), methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR) spectrophotometric method and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results confirmed the conformational transition and stiffness of the chains after sulfation. SRSASP exhibited enhanced antioxidant activities in the DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay. Sulfation at C-2 or C-3 was favorable for the chelation which might prevent the generation of hydroxyl radicals. It concluded that the degree of substitution and substitution position were the factors influencing biological activities of sulfated polysaccharides.

Regioselective sulfation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide: Characterization of chemical structure.

The biological activities of sulfated polysaccharides are related to the substitution positions of functional groups. In this study, regioselective sulfation of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (SRSASP) was prepared by using triphenylchloromethane (TrCl) as protecting precursor. FT-IR spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that SO(3-) group (S(6+), high binding energy of 168.7eV) was widely present in sulfated polysaccharides. (13)C NMR spectroscopy showed that C-2 and C-3 substitution was occurred but not fully sulfation. Meanwhile, C-6 substituted signals near 65ppm were not observed. The degree of substitution varied from 0.44 to 0.63 in SRSASP which could be attributed to the low reactivity at secondary hydroxyl. Monosaccharide composition result showed a decrease in the ratio of mannose/glucose, indicating the change of chemical composition in sulfated polysaccharides. In size-exclusion chromatograph analysis, a decrease in molecular weight and broadening of molecular weight distribution of sulfated polysaccharides was also observed. It could be attributed to the hydrolysis of polysaccharide in the sulfated reaction.

[Treatment of sixty-one patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon by yiqi huoxue recipe combined Western drugs: a clinical research].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of treating patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon by Yiqi Huoxue Recipe (YHR) combined Western drugs, thus providing clinical evidence for further studies. METHODS: Totally 61 patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon were randomly assigned to the treatment group (31 cases) and the control group (30 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with basic treatment of Western medicine, while those in the treatment group were treated with basic treatment of Western medicine and YHR. The therapeutic course for all was two months. Clinical symptoms were observed, and electrocardiogram examinations taken, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were evaluated before treatment and at two months after treatment. RESULTS: Patients' clinical symptoms and electrocardiogram examinations were significantly improved in the treatment group. Its effective rate of improved symptoms was 90.32% in the treatment group, superior to that in the control group (76.67%, P < 0.05). The effective rate of electrocardiogram examinations was 87.10% in the treatment group, superior to that in the control group (73.33%, P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in LVEF between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: YHR combined Western drugs could improve clinical symptoms and electrocardiographic ischemia in patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon.

Synthesis of selenium-containing polysaccharides and evaluation of antioxidant activity in vitro.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human beings and many other forms of life. Organic Se from natural foods has higher bioavailability and is safer than inorganic Se species. In the present study, selenium-containing derivatives of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharide with the highest Se content of 1703 µg/g were synthesized using H(2)SeO(3)/HNO(3) and BaCl(2) as a catalyst. The effects of the ratio of HNO(3) concentration and reaction temperature were investigated. Results of Raman and (13)C NMR spectroscopy indicated that C-6 substitution was predominant in selenized polysaccharide. A sharp decrease in M(w) was observed in the selenized reaction due to the acid environment. The in vitro antioxidant results suggest that selenium-containing polysaccharide should be applied as a novel selenium source in dietary supplements, with potent antioxidant properties.

Liquiritin potentiate neurite outgrowth induced by nerve growth factor in PC12 cells.

Neurite outgrowth and neuronal differentiation play a crucial role in the development of the nervous system. Understanding of neurotrophins induced neurite outgrowth was important to develop therapeutic strategy for axon regeneration in neurodegenerative diseases as well as after various nerve injuries. It has been reported that extension of neurite and differentiation of sympathetic neuron-like phenotype was modulated by nerve growth factor (NGF) in PC12 cells. In this study, NGF mediated neurite outgrowth was investigated in PC12 cells after liquiritin exposure. Liquiritin is a kind of flavonoids that is extracted from Glycyrrhizae radix, which is frequently used to treat injury or swelling for its life-enhancing properties as well as detoxification in traditional Oriental medicine. The result showed that liquiritin significantly promotes the neurite outgrowth stimulated by NGF in PC12 cells in dose dependant manners whereas the liquiritin alone did not induce neurite outgrowth. Oligo microarray and RT-PCR analysis further clarified that the neurotrophic effect of liquiritin was related to the overexpression of neural related genes such as neurogenin 3, neurofibromatosis 1, notch gene homolog 2, neuromedin U receptor 2 and neurotrophin 5. Thus, liquiritin may be a good candidate for treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

A comparison study on microwave-assisted extraction of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides with conventional method: Molecule structure and antioxidant activities evaluation.

The conventional extraction methods for polysaccharides were time-consuming, laborious and energy-consuming. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique was employed for the extraction of Artemisia sphaerocephala polysaccharides (ASP), which is a traditional Chinese food. The extracting parameters were optimized by Box-Behnken design. In microwave heating process, a decrease in molecular weight (M(w)) was detected in SEC-LLS measurement. A d(f) value of 2.85 indicated ASP using MAE exhibited as a sphere conformation of branched clusters in aqueous solution. Furthermore, it showed stronger antioxidant activities compared with hot water extraction. The data obtained showed that the molecular weights played a more important role in antioxidant activities.