[Combined anluohuaxianwan and entecavir treatment significantly improve the improvement rate of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection].

Objective: To explore the improvement rate of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who received entecavir alone or in combination with anluohuaxianwan for 78 weeks. Methods: Patients with chronic HBV infection were randomly treated with entecavir alone or in combination with anluohuaxian for 78 weeks. Ishak fibrosis score was used for blind interpretation of liver biopsy specimens. The improvement in liver fibrosis condition before and after the treatment was compared. Student's t test and non-parametric test (Mann-Whitney U-Test and Kruskal-Wallis test) were used to analyze the measurement data. The categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-square test method and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to test bivariate associations. Results: Liver fibrosis improvement rate after 78 weeks of treatment was 36.53% (80/219) and the progression rate was 23.29% (51/219). The improvement of liver fibrosis was associated to the degree of baseline fibrosis and treatment methods (P < 0.05). The improvement rate of hepatic fibrosis in patients treated with anluohuaxianwan combined with entecavir at baseline F < 3 (54.74%, 52/95) was significantly higher than that in patients treated only with entecavir (33.33%, 16/48), P = 0.016 and the progression rate of hepatic fibrosis (13.68%, 13/95) was lower than that in patients treated alone (18.75%, 9/48), P = 0.466. In patients with baseline F < 3, the proportion of patients with improved and stable liver fibrosis in the combined treatment group (68.1%, 32/47) was higher than that in the treatment group alone (51.7%, 15/29). Conclusion: Combined anluohuaxianwan and entecavir treatment can significantly improve the improvement rate of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Furthermore, it has the tendency to improve the stability rate and reduce the rate of progression of liver fibrosis.

Identification of novel kinase inhibitors by targeting a kinase-related apoptotic protein-protein interaction network in HeLa cells.

OBJECTIVES: Protein kinases orchestrate activation of signalling cascades in response to extra- and intracellular stimuli for regulation of cell proliferation. They are directly involved in a variety of diseases, particularly cancers. Systems biology approaches have become increasingly important in understanding regulatory frameworks in cancer, and thus may facilitate future anti-cancer discoveries. Moreover, it has been suggested and confirmed that high-throughput virtual screening provides a novel, effective way to reveal small molecule protein kinase inhibitors. Accordingly, we aimed to identify kinase targets and novel kinase inhibitors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A series of bioinformatics methods, such as network construction, molecular docking and microarray analyses were performed. RESULTS: In this study, we computationally constructed the appropriate global human protein-protein interaction network with data from online databases, and then modified it into a kinase-related apoptotic protein-protein interaction network. Subsequently, we identified several kinases as potential drug targets according to their differential expression observed by microarray analyses. Then, we predicted relevant microRNAs, which could target the above-mentioned kinases. Ultimately, we virtually screened a number of small molecule natural products from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)@Taiwan database and identified a number of compounds that are able to target polo-like kinase 1, cyclin-dependent kinase 1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 in HeLa cervical carcinoma cells. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, all these findings might hopefully facilitate discovery of new kinase inhibitors that could be promising candidates for anti-cancer drug development.

Ginseng derivative ocotillol enhances neuronal activity through increased glutamate release: a possible mechanism underlying increased spontaneous locomotor activity of mice.

Ginsenosides are the main active ingredients in ginseng and have recently been reported to have beneficial effects on the CNS. Ocotillol is a derivate of pseudoginsenoside-F11, which is an ocotillol-type ginsenoside found in American ginseng. We examined the effects of ocotillol (a) on neuronal activity of projection neurons, mitral cells (MC), in a mouse olfactory bulb brain slice preparation using whole-cell patch-clamp recording, and (b) on animal behavior by measuring locomotor activity of mice in vivo. Ocotillol displayed an excitatory effect on spontaneous action potential firing and depolarized the membrane potential of MCs. The effect was concentration-dependent, with an EC(50) of 4 µM. In the presence of blockers of ionotropic glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission (6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione [CNQX], 10 µM; D-AP5, 50 µM; gabazine, 5 µM), the excitatory effect of ocotillol on firing was abolished. Further experiments showed that the ocotillol-induced neuronal excitation persisted in the presence of GABA(A) receptor antagonist gabazine but was eliminated by applying AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist CNQX and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist D-AP5, suggesting that ionotropic glutamate transmission was involved in mediating the effects of ocotillol. Bath application of ocotillol evoked an inward current as well as an increased frequency of spontaneous glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs). Both the inward current and sEPSCs could be blocked by ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists CNQX and D-AP5. These results indicate that the excitatory action of ocotillol on MCs was mediated by enhanced glutamate release. Behavioral experiments demonstrated that ocotillol increased locomotor activities of mice. Our results suggest that ocotillol-evoked neuronal excitability was mediated by increased release of glutamate, which may be responsible for the increased spontaneous locomotor activities in vivo.

Joint amplitude and connectivity compensatory mechanisms in Parkinson's disease.

Neuroimaging studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) have previously demonstrated several regions of hypo- and hyper-activation during voluntary movement. How these patterns of amplitude changes at multiple discrete foci relate to changes within functional networks recruited by a given task is unclear. Changes in both amplitude and connectivity have both been individually shown within the striato-thalamo-cortical (STC) loop in PD, as well as other regions, most consistently in the cerebellum and primary motor cortex. We have previously shown overactivation of the cerebellum and motor cortex in PD subjects off medication during a visuo-motor tracking task performed at three frequencies. Here, we show that this change in activation amplitude is also accompanied by significant changes in functional connectivity between regions of interest (ROIs), with enhanced connectivity within the cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) loop as well as increased inter-hemispheric communication between several basal ganglia structures. Although changes in activation amplitude were influenced by the frequency of movement performed in the tracking task, functional connectivity changes were robustly present across all three task frequencies performed, suggesting that functional connectivity analysis in PD may be a more sensitive means of detecting plastic changes which are relatively invariant to the particulars of the experimental task. Additionally, we demonstrate amplitude and connectivity changes in structures that are typically active during the resting state, or "default-mode," in PD. Unlike in STC/CTC loops, where the direction of change was the same for amplitude and connectivity, default-mode regions showed increased amplitude but decreased connectivity. Our results further support that the CTC is recruited in PD to compensate for dysfunctional basal ganglia circuits, and that this recruitment involves both amplitude and connectivity changes. The differing relationship between amplitude and connectivity changes within individual loops highlights the importance of jointly examining them in order to fully elucidate functional changes in Parkinson's disease.

Brain metabolite levels assessed by lactate-edited MR spectroscopy in premature neonates with and without pentobarbital sedation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pentobarbital is known to affect cerebral metabolism; pentobarbital sedation is, however, frequently used for MR imaging and MR spectroscopy, especially in children. Accurate assessment of the brain metabolite levels is important, particularly in neonates with suspected brain injury. We investigated whether pentobarbital sedation has any effect on the ratios of spectral metabolites lactate, N-acetylaspartate, or choline in a group of premature neonates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR spectroscopy was performed in 43 premature neonates, all with normal concurrent MR imaging and normal neurodevelopmental outcome at 12 months of age. Of those neonates, 14 (33%) required pentobarbital (Nembutal 1 mg/kg) sedation during MR spectroscopy; the remaining 29 neonates did not receive any sedation. Ratios of lactate, choline, and N-acetylaspartate were calculated in the basal ganglia, thalami, and corticospinal tracts and compared between those neonates with and without sedation. RESULTS: Small amounts of brain lactate were detected in all of the premature neonates. The basal ganglia lactate/choline and lactate/N-acetylaspartate ratios were significantly lower, by 17% and 25% respectively, in the neonates with pentobarbital sedation compared with the age-matched neonates without sedation (P < .05). Sedation did not affect the lactate level in the thalami or the corticospinal tracts. The N-acetylaspartate/choline ratios were unaffected by pentobarbital sedation. CONCLUSION: Pentobarbital sedation is associated with lower lactate/choline and lactate/N-acetylaspartate ratios in the basal ganglia of premature neonates, as determined by proton MR spectroscopy. Investigators should be aware of this phenomenon for accurate interpretation of their MR spectroscopy results.

The transportation, time-dependent distribution of heavy metals in paddy crops.

Sixteen experimenmtal plots (5 m x 6 m = 30 m2) were designed with four different levels of heavy metals (HMs) concentration in soil. The concentrations of heavy metals in soils, and paddy plant during the different periods of growth were investigated. A relationship between the total HM content in plants and the HM level in soil was found for a wide range of concentrations. The exchangeable fraction of HMs extracted with 1 M MgCl2 solution according to Tessier's method increased correlation with the dosage of supplemented HMs, then decreased as time went on. The time-related variation of exchangeable HMs in soil demonstrated that the amount of effective HMs taken up by paddy differed at various growth phases. The amount of HMs accumulated in different parts of paddy followed the order of root > stem > grain, leaf. The transportation potential of the HMs in paddy in present study followed the order of Zn, Cr > Cd, Cu > Pb. The HM content in root, stem and leaf of paddy plant (dry weight) was low at time of seedling. The concentration in the root increased sharply at time of tillering, decreased thereafter. The concentrations in stem and leaf reached the highest at time of tillering, then decreased, while rose slightly at following time.

Phosphine and methane generation by the addition of organic compounds containing carbon-phosphorus bonds into incubated soil.

Formation of phosphine and methane in anaerobic incubation systems was investigated under stirred and unstirred conditions. The PH3 and CH4 levels in the headspace, as well as the matrix-bound PH3 content in the stirred soil, significantly increased upon the addition of phosphonoacetic acid (P(O)(OH)2CH2COOH). Both the levels of matrix-bound PH3 and CH4 are positively correlated to the buffered dithionite fraction of reactive phosphorus in the soil samples, while a negative correlation was observed between matrix-bound PH3/CH4 levels and the reactive phosphorus fraction.

Utilization of dental services in Southern China.

A population's utilization of dental services is an important parameter in oral health care planning, which has rarely been studied in China. The objectives of this report were to describe the dental service utilization pattern of middle-aged and elderly Chinese and to analyze the influence of selected variables on the use of dental services. A Guangdong Province population of 1,573 35- to 44-year-olds and 1,515 65- to 74-year-olds recruited from urban and rural communities was interviewed in their local dialect. It was found that 23% of the middle-aged and 24% of the elderly subjects had visited a dentist within the preceding year. The two most commonly cited reasons for not having seen a dentist for at least 3 years were: no perceived need, and no serious dental problems. Among subjects who had visited a dentist within 3 years, the 3 most commonly received treatments were: fillings, extractions, and dental prostheses. Furthermore, a logistic regression analysis showed that women, subjects who lived in urban areas, were better educated, were wealthier, and had better oral health knowledge were more likely to be a recent dental service user. In conclusion, dental service utilization among the adult Southern Chinese was found to be low, problem-driven, and influenced by some socio-economic factors.

Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese adults.

Only recently have behavioral aspects been taken into consideration in oral health studies in China; thus, relevant information on perceptions in adult Chinese about oral health care is inadequate. In 1996-97, a large-scale oral epidemiological study was conducted in Southern China. Among its objectives were to describe the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the urban and rural adults living in Southern China and to analyze the influence of selected demographic and socio-economic factors. From 8 urban and 8 rural communities in Guangdong Province, 1,573 35- to 44-year-olds and 1,515 65- to 74-year-olds were sampled. Specially trained interviewers from the staff of local government or hospitals conducted face-to-face structured interviews. Almost all of the middle-aged and more than 90% of the dentate elderly surveyed claimed that they brushed their teeth every day and used toothpaste during toothbrushing, but awareness about fluoride content was lacking. The respondents had poor oral health knowledge but positive attitudes toward oral health, providing a basis for more community-based oral health education programs, especially targeting adults who are less-well-educated and have fewer socio-economic advantages.

Low allicin release from garlic supplements: a major problem due to the sensitivities of alliinase activity.

Most garlic supplements are standardized on allicin potential and are enteric-coated to prevent gastric acid inactivation of the allicin-producing enzyme, alliinase. To determine whether these products release the claimed amount of allicin under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, USP dissolution method 724A for drug release was applied to all 24 known brands of enteric-coated tablets. It was found that nearly all brands employed effective coatings and that they met their claims for allicin potential when crushed and suspended in water. However, all brands except one gave low dissolution allicin release, with 83% of the brands releasing less than 15% of their potential. The low allicin release was found to be due to both impaired alliinase activity, mostly caused by tablet excipients, and to slow tablet disintegration, which also impairs alliinase activity. Only when tablets had high alliinase activity and disintegrated rapidly did they show high allicin release. The ability of USP 724A to estimate allicin release in vivo was validated by monitoring breath levels of the allicin metabolite, allyl methyl sulfide. In conclusion, garlic powder supplements should no longer be standardized on allicin potential, but rather on dissolution allicin release.

Allicin release under simulated gastrointestinal conditions from garlic powder tablets employed in clinical trials on serum cholesterol.

The failure of five recent clinical trials to show significant reduction in elevated serum cholesterol by a single brand of allicin-standardized garlic powder tablets is in contrast to many prior positive studies with the same brand. The hypocholesterolemic activity of garlic is mainly due to allicin, a compound that is produced by the acid-sensitive garlic enzyme, alliinase, only after tablet consumption. Therefore, the allicin-releasing ability of ten lots of these tablets--manufactured over the same years that the positive and negative clinical trials were conducted (1989-1997)--was determined under simulated gastrointestinal dissolution conditions, as defined by U.S. Pharmacopeia Method 724A. It was found that the older lots were more resistant to acid-disintegration (2.5 h vs. 1.3 h, P < 0.001) and that they released three times as much allicin (44% vs. 15 % of their potential, P < 0.001) as the newer lots. A second brand of tablets employed in a recent negative trial released no detectable amount of allicin, while a third set of tablets with high allicin release was used in a trial that gave positive effects. Hence, the persons involved in the recent negative clinical trials probably received considerably less allicin than did those in the older positive studies, possibly accounting for much of the discrepancy in the outcomes. In conclusion, clinical trials using garlic powder tablets to assess any effect of garlic that might be related to allicin, as most are, cannot be considered valid for garlic when the trial shows no effect, unless the expected allicin release from the tablets has at least been determined under standardized drug release conditions (USP 724A).

[Triterpenoid compounds of Prunella genus and their features of 13C NMR spectroscopy].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the research advances and 13C NMR features of triterpenoid compounds in the plant of Prunella genus. METHODS: Consulting related literatures and summing up the triterpenoid compounds and their features of 13C NMR spectra. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: Up to now, 28 triterpenoid compounds were isolated from the plant of P. genus. of which 20 were in free state and 8 were triterpenoid saponins. The 13C NMR spectra of different triterpenoids showed different features in respects such as skeletons, substituent groups and positions.

[Experimental research on inhibitory effect of alcohol extracts from Loranthus yadoriki Sieb. on coxsackie B3 virus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antiviral effect of two components (B and C) in the alcohol extracts from Loranthus yadoriki Sieb for development of new antiviral drugs for coxsackie B3 virus(CVB3). METHOD: Using ribavirin as positive control, the plaque reduction assay was adopted for pharmadynamic detection. RESULTS: In the HEp-2 cell system, with respect to direct virucidal activity and the inhibition on CVB3 infection and multiplication, ED50s of component B were 2.32 micrograms.ml-1, 0.24 microgram.ml-1 and 1.91 micrograms.ml-1, respectively and those of component C, 1.44 micrograms.ml-1, 2.06 micrograms.ml-1 and 3.70 micrograms.ml-1 respectively. For the inhibition on multiplication of CVB3, ED50 of ribavirin was 7.55 micrograms.ml-1. CONCLUSION: Treatment indexes (TI) of the direct virucidal activity and inhibitory effects of component B on CVB3 infection and multiplication 22.6, 219 and 27.5 respectively; component C, 115, 165 and 21.6; inhibition of ribavirin on CVB3 is 38, which is comparable to those of components B and C. It is thus suggested that the anti-CVB3 action of components B and C in the alcohol extracts from Loranthus yadoriki Sieb deserves to be exploited.

Study of the incorporation of selenium into peroxidase isozyme of wheat seedling.

The effects of selenium on the activity of peroxidase (POD) of wheat seedling and its isozyme pattern were studied using a greenhouse hydroponic experiment. The results show that the activity of POD is increased in response to higher Se concentration (approx 5.0 mg/L) in culture medium. The electrophoretic pattern of the POD isozyme was altered by growth of the wheat in a selenium medium. Se could incorporate into some POD isozymes during either seed germination or the seedling growth period. There is a dose-responsive incorporation of selenium in isozyme of POD and selenium content in the isozyme increase along with the increase of selenium concentration in the medium.

The role of humic substances in drinking water in Kashin-Beck disease in China.

We conducted in vitro and in vivo assays in a selenium-deficient system to determine if organic matter (mainly fulvic acid; FA) is involved in a free radical mechanism of action for Kashin-Beck disease. Cartilage cell culture experiments indicated that the oxy or hydroxy functional groups in FA may interfere with the cell membrane and result in enhancement of lipid peroxidation. Experiments with rats demonstrated that toxicity from FA was reduced when the hydroxy group was blocked. Induction of lipid peroxidation by FA in liver and blood of rats was similar to that exhibited by acetyl phenyl hydrazine. FA accumulated in bone and cartilage, where selenium rarely concentrates. In addition, selenium supplementation in rats' drinking water inhibited the generation of oxy-free radicals in bone. We hypothesized that FA in drinking water is an etiological factor of Kashin-Beck disease and that the mechanism of action involves the oxy and hydroxy groups in FA for the generation of free radicals. Selenium was confirmed to be a preventive factor for Kashin-Beck disease.

Proton spectroscopy of suprasellar tumors in pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography provide good anatomic detail of suprasellar tumors in pediatric patients but are not able to predict histology in many cases. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides metabolic data that may add to diagnostic specificity. We preoperatively performed localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy on pediatric patients with suprasellar tumors and correlated the results with the histological findings. Cyst fluid obtained from patients with craniopharyngiomas was studied with high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy to better understand the in vivo data. METHODS: Nineteen patients aged 1 to 21 years underwent spectroscopy. Surgical pathological samples were obtained from 14 patients. In each of five patients, the presence of a solid chiasmatic mass in addition to clinical evidence of neurofibromatosis Type I allowed the presumptive diagnosis of chiasmatic astrocytoma. Thus, the study population included 6 patients with craniopharyngiomas, 10 with chiasmatic/hypothalamic astrocytomas, and 3 with pituitary adenomas. The data obtained were compared with those of healthy brain from age-matched participants. RESULTS: Spectroscopy was specific for the diagnosis. All craniopharyngiomas showed a dominant peak at 1 to 2 ppm, consistent with lactate or lipids, with trace amounts of other metabolites. This was confirmed using high-resolution spectroscopy. Chiasmatic gliomas showed a profile of choline, N-acetylaspartate, and creatine, and the choline:N-acetylaspartate ratio was 2.6 +/- 1.3, compared with 0.7 +/- 0.3 for samples of healthy brain (t test, P = 0.0003). Pituitary adenomas showed only a choline peak or no metabolites at all. CONCLUSION: Proton spectroscopy may be helpful in supplementing standard imaging for the preoperative diagnosis of three types of suprasellar tumors that are common in pediatric patients.

A role for Indian hedgehog in extraembryonic endoderm differentiation in F9 cells and the early mouse embryo.

Hedgehog genes in Drosophila and vertebrates control patterning of a number of different structures during embryogenesis. They code for secreted signaling proteins that are cleaved into an active aminopeptide and a carboxypeptide. The aminopeptide can mediate local and long range events and can act as a morphogen, inducing differentiation of distinct cell types in a concentration-dependent manner. We demonstrate here that the expression of Indian hedgehog mRNA and protein is upregulated dramatically as F9 cells differentiate in response to retinoic acid, into either parietal endoderm or embryoid bodies, containing an outer visceral endoderm layer. The ES cell line D3 forms embryoid bodies in suspension culture without addition of retinoic acid and also upregulates Indian hedgehog expression. RT-PCR analysis of blastocyst outgrowth cultures demonstrates that whereas little or no Indian hedgehog message is present in blastocysts, significant levels appear upon subsequent days of culture, coincident with the emergence of parietal endoderm cells. In situ hybridization analysis for Indian hedgehog mRNA expression demonstrates the presence of elevated levels of message in the outer visceral endoderm cells relative to the core cells in mature embryoid bodies and in the visceral endoderm of Day 6.5 embryos. Whole-mount in situ hybridization analysis of Day 7.5 and 8.5 embryos indicates that Indian hedgehog expression is highest in the visceral yolk sac at this stage. F9 cell lines expressing a full length Indian hedgehog cDNA express a number of characteristics of differentiated cells, in the absence of retinoic acid. Taken together, these data suggest that Indian hedgehog is involved in mediating differentiation of extraembryonic endoderm during early mouse embryogenesis.

Effects of electro-acupuncture on 5-HT, NOS and the gastric mucosa of stress rats.

AIM: To study the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT) levels, nitrous oxide (NOS) levels, nitric oxide (NO) levels, and the gastric mucosa in stress rats. METHODS: The changes of 5-HT and NOS were measured in the gastric mucosa, and NO and 5-HT were measured in the serum by biochemical methods. The gastric mucosa was examined pathohistologically in the stress rats with gastric mucosa damage after EA. The changes before and after stress by EA were compared. RESULTS: EA decreased the gastric mucosa damage index in the stress rats (2.71 ± 0.40 to 1.86 ± 0.69, P < 0.01). EA normalized NOS level in gastric mucosa to the control group. The changes before stress by EA was more obvious than that after stress. EA lowered the 5-HT levels in the gastric mucosa (µg/g wet weight, 6.91 ± 3.08 to 4.51 ± 1.62, P < 0.01). EA recovered the NO level in serum of the stress rats (µmol/L, 5.78 ± 1.49 to 7.91 ± 1.11, P < 0.05), and increased the levels of 5-HT and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in serum continuously. CONCLUSION: EA stimulation normalizes the NOS and NO levels in the gastric mucosa of stress rats. EA also lowers the high 5-HT levels and induces NO release.

The effect of acupuncture on spinal motor neuron excitability in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Spasticity is a common symptom in stroke patients, and its management constitutes a major problem in their rehabilitation. Acupuncture has been applied with moderate effect; their has been clinical experience but little objective evidence to support its use. H-reflex recovery time and H recovery curve were quantitative methods applied to measure spinal motor neuron excitability. Acupuncture for stroke patients as treatment to spastic hemiparesis was studied to see the acupuncture effect on increased spinal motor neuron excitability in spasticity. METHODS: Sixteen stroke patients with spastic hemiparesis were collected to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on their spinal motor neuron excitability. H-reflex recovery time and H recovery curve were applied as quantitative evaluations of spinal motor neuron excitability. Eleven age-matched normal volunteers were used as a control group. RESULTS: The mean H-reflex recovery time of normal controls was 73.3 +/- 18.3 mesc; that of the sound-side limbs of stroke patients was 67.1 +/- 21.5msec. The difference was not significant statistically (p = 0.2). However, the mean H-reflex recovery time of the paretic limbs of stroke patients was 52.3 +/- 16.8 msec, significantly shorter than for the normal controls (p = 0.003). The mean H-reflex recovery time of the paretic limbs of stroke patients became 57.6 +/- 19.9 msec after acupuncture, significantly prolonged as compared with that before acupuncture (p = 0.03). The H recovery curve of the paretic limbs after acupuncture also approximated that of the normal controls. CONCLUSIONS: This result provides positive evidence of increased spinal motor neuron excitability in paretic limbs of stroke patients and also of the acupuncture effect which decreased that excitability. The study also presents a simple and practical technique for measuring the effects of various types of treatments, including acupuncture, on other types of central nervous system disorders.

Study on the nanosecond transient absorption spectra of hypocrellin A.

In this paper, the nanosecond transient absorption spectra and the fluorescence spectra of Hypocrellin A(HA) are examined in solvents of varying polarity. There are three absorption bands in dilute HA solutions: Ia, IIa are defined as the triplet-triplet absorption of HA, the band IIIa is supposed to be the absorption of the solvent-separated ion pair (SSIP). In more concentrated solutions, only the absorption of SSIP was observed. The effects of solvent polarity on transient absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra of HA and the effect of oxygen on the intensities of the fluorescence of HA are discussed. Then a reasonable mechanism for the photolysis of HA is proposed.