Effects of the invasion of Ralstonia solanacearum on soil microbial community structure in Wuhan, China.

This study investigated the change in the microbiome of tomato rhizosphere soils after the invasion of Ralstonia solanacearum and analyzed the correlation between microbes and soil physicochemical properties. Diversity analyses of the bacteria in healthy and diseased rhizosphere soil samples (HRS and DRS) revealed that HRS had a higher species diversity and were compositionally different from DRS (P ≤ 0.05). Substantial differences in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria (37.52% vs 28.96%, P ≤ 0.05) and Proteobacteria (29.20% vs 35.59%, P ≤ 0.05) were identified in HRS and DRS, respectively. Taxonomic composition analysis showed ten differentially abundant genera, and seven of them (Gaiella, Roseisolibacter, Solirubrobacter, Kribbella, Acidibacter, Actinomarinicola, and Marmoricola) are more abundant in HRS. Soil pH and enzyme activities were negatively correlated with the abundance of R. solanacearum. The contents of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), alkaline nitrogen (alkaline N), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), NO3-N(NN), NH4+-N (AN), and organic matter (OM) were all significantly increased in DRS. The composition and richness of protozoa in the samples show significant differences. Cephalobus, Acrobeles, Heteromita, norank_Tylenchida, and Rotylenchulus were enriched in DRS. Microbial interaction networks revealed that the HRS networks were more complex than the DRS networks. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that healthy soil has a more complex microbial community structure and higher enzyme activity, and the invasion of R. solanacearum damages the soil microbial system.IMPORTANCEHow does the invasion of Ralstonia solanacearum affect tomato rhizosphere bacteria and protozoa? Which microbial changes can affect the growth of R. solanacearum? To date, most research studies focus on bacteria, with little research on protozoa, and even less on the synergistic effects between protozoa and bacteria. Here, we analyzed the correlation between tomato rhizosphere bacterial and protozoan communities and soil physicochemical properties during the invasion of R. solanacearum. We found that the diversity and abundance of rhizosphere microorganisms in healthy rhizosphere soil samples (HRS) were significantly higher than those in diseased rhizosphere soil samples (DRS), and there were significant changes in soil pH and enzyme activity. Overall, in this study, the analysis of microbial changes during the invasion of R. solanacearum provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of bacterial wilt.

Effect of oral Xiao-xian decoction combined with acupoint application therapy on pediatric adenoid hypertrophy: A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to observe the clinical effects of Xiao-xian decoction combined with acupoint application therapy (AAT) for treating pediatric adenoid hypertrophy (AH). METHODS: We randomly divided 93 AH children into 3 groups: AAT alone; Xiao-xian decoction + AAT; control: Montelukast oral therapy. All participants were treated for a month. We used the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score to evaluate the clinical efficacy and the obstructive sleep apnea-18 scale to evaluate the quality of life. RESULTS: The major symptoms (nasal congestion, open mouth breathing, snoring, and tongue image) and secondary symptoms of patients treated with Xiao-xian decoction + AAT significantly improved compared to before treatment. The pairwise comparison between groups showed that snoring, tongue, secondary symptoms, and total effective rate of the combined treatment group were better than the control and AAT alone. Additionally, the open-mouth breathing, quality of life, and recurrence rate did not differ after treatment. CONCLUSION: Oral Xiao-xian decoction combined with AAT significantly improved the symptoms and signs of nasal congestion, open-mouth breathing, snoring, tongue, and quality of life of AH children and may be used as a long-term treatment for AH.

A rare case of pancytopenia causing- Sheehan's syndrome: Case report and literature review.

We describe the case of a 58-year-old woman who was presented with pancytopenia and hypofibrinogenemia. Treatment with iron supplementation was not satisfactory. Physical findings and a history of a massive postpartum hemorrhage suggested Sheehan's syndrome(SS). After thyroxine and glucocorticoid replacement therapy, the blood cell count improved. SS is a rare etiology of hemocytopenia, of which hematologists need to be aware. We conclude that hormonal therapy can produce full hematological recovery.

Anti-H1N1 influenza effects and its possible mechanism of Huanglian Xiangru Decoction.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Huangliang Xiangru Decoction (HXD), which is described in a famous TCM monograph "Book of Nanyang for Life Savin", is frequently used for treating cold in summer and summer heat-dampness. AIM OF THE STUDY: To date, no pharmacological study on the anti-H1N1 influenza properties of HXD has been reported. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic action of HXD on HIN1-induced acute pulmonary inflammation and its anti-influenza mechanism focus to TLRs signal pathway in a mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: the mice were intranasally infected with influenza virus to induce viral pneumonia, and then treated with different doses of HXD. The Lung index and pathological changes in the lung tissue of mice were investigated to value the anti-influenza virus effect of HXD. The concentrations of cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ) and anti-oxidant factor (NO, SOD and GSH) in serum of mice were determined with ELISA. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression of TLR3, TLR7, MyD88,TRAF3 and NF-κB p65 in the lung tissues, which are the key targets of TLRs pathway. RESULTS: Compared with the infection group, the lung index of mice in ribavirin group, HXD high dose group and HXD middle dose group were significantly decreased, the lung indexes of these groups were 10.36±1.14mg/g, 9.89±0.79mg/g, and 10.97±0.67mg/g. Moreover, pathological changes were remarkable alleviated. HXD can reduce the contents of IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ, NO, and increase the contents of IL-2, SOD, GSH in serum of infected-mice significantly. At the same time, HXD can reduce the mRNA and protein expression of TLR3, TLR7, MyD88,TRAF3 and NF-κB p65 in the lung tissues of infected-mice significantly. CONCLUSIONS: HXD has significant effects on H1N1 influenza by a quantity-effect relationship, and plays its anti-influenza effect by enhancing the body's antioxidant capacity, regulating the body's immune function and the host's TLRs pathway.

Triterpenoids with Promoting Effects on the Differentiation of PC12 Cells from the Steamed Roots of Panax notoginseng.

The roots of Panax notoginseng, an important Chinese medicinal plant, have been used traditionally in both the raw and processed forms, due to the different chemical constituents and bioactivities found. Thirty-eight dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins were isolated from the steam-processed roots of P. notoginseng, including 18 new substances, namely, notoginsenosides SP1-SP18 (1-18). The structures of 1-18 were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and acidic hydrolysis. The absolute configuration of the hydroxy group at C-24 in 1-4, 19, and 20 was determined in each case by Mo2(AcO)4-induced circular dichroism. The new compounds were found to feature a diversity of highly oxygenated side chains, formed by hydrolysis of the C-20 sugar moiety followed by dehydration, dehydrogenation, epoxidation, hydroxylation, or methoxylation of the main saponins in the raw roots. The new saponins 1, 2, 6-8, 14, and 17 and the known compounds 20-27 showed promoting effects on the differentiation of PC12 cells, at a concentration of 10 µM.

Minor dehydrogenated and cleavaged dammarane-type saponins from the steamed roots of Panax notoginseng.

Nine new minor dehydrogenated and cleavaged dammarane-type triterpenoid saponins, namely notoginsenosides ST6-ST14 (1-9) were isolated from the steamed roots of Panax notoginseng, together with 14 known ones. Among them, 5-7 and 21-22 were protopanaxadiol type and the left 18 compounds, including 1-4, 8-20, and 23 were protopanaxatriol type saponins. Their structures were identified by extensive analysis of MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra, and acidic hydrolysis. Resulted from the side chain cleavage, the new saponins 1 and 2 featured in a ketone group at C-25, and 3-5 had an aldehyde unit at C-23. The known saponins 12, 16 and 18 displayed the enhancing potential of neurite outgrowth of NGF-mediated PC12 cells at a concentration of 10 µM, while 20 exhibited acetyl cholinesterase inhibitory activity, with IC50 value of 13.97 µM.

[Study on chemical constituents of Kochia scoparia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the chemical constituents of Kochia scoparia. METHODS: The constituents of EtOAc-soluble portion were isolated and purified by silica gel column chromatography. Their structures were identified by spectral features. RESULTS: Twelve compounds were isolated and identified as tectorigenin (1), pratensein (2), 5,2'-dihydroxy-6,7-methylenedioxyisoflavone (3), iriflogenin (4), 5-hydroxy-6, 7-methylenedioxyflavone (5), fumalicacid (6), N-trans-feruloylmethoxytyramine (7), N-transferuloyltyramine (8), stigmasterol (9), oleanolic acid (10), beta-stigmasterol (11), daucosterol (12). CONCLUSION: compounds 1-9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Molecular diversity and phylogeny of rhizobia associated with Lablab purpureus (Linn.) grown in Southern China.

As an introduced plant, Lablab purpureus serves as a vegetable, herbal medicine, forage and green manure in China. In order to investigate the diversity of rhizobia associated with this plant, a total of 49 rhizobial strains isolated from ten provinces of Southern China were analyzed in the present study with restriction fragment length polymorphism and/or sequence analyses of housekeeping genes (16S rRNA, IGS, atpD, glnII and recA) and symbiotic genes (nifH and nodC). The results defined the L. purpureus rhizobia as 24 IGS-types within 15 rrs-IGS clusters or genomic species belonging to Bradyrhizobium, Rhizobium, Ensifer (synonym of Sinorhizobium) and Mesorhizobium. Bradyrhizobium spp. (81.6%) were the most abundant isolates, half of which were B. elkanii. Most of these rhizobia induced nodules on L. purpureus, but symbiotic genes were only amplified from the Bradyrhizobium and Rhizobium leguminosarum strains. The nodC and nifH phylogenetic trees defined five lineages corresponding to B. yuanmingense, B. japonicum, B. elkanii, B. jicamae and R. leguminosarum. The coherence of housekeeping and symbiotic gene phylogenies demonstrated that the symbiotic genes of the Lablab rhizobia were maintained mainly through vertical transfer. However, a putative lateral transfer of symbiotic genes was found in the B. liaoningense strain. The results in the present study clearly revealed that L. purpureus was a promiscuous host that formed nodules with diverse rhizobia, mainly Bradyrhizobium species, harboring different symbiotic genes.

Simultaneous quantification of five major active components in capsules of the traditional Chinese medicine 'Shu-Jin-Zhi-Tong' by high performance liquid chromatography.

A simple and reliable high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of five major bioactive components in 'Shu-Jin-Zhi-Tong' capsules (SJZTC), for the purposes of quality control of this commonly prescribed traditional Chinese medicine. Under the optimum conditions, excellent separation was achieved, and the assay was fully validated in terms of linearity, precision, repeatability, stability and accuracy. The validated method was applied successfully to the determination of the five compounds in SJZTC samples from different production batches. The HPLC method can be used as a valid analytical method to evaluate the intrinsic quality of SJZTC.

[A discussion on the reason of differences between property and flavor of Chinese Materia Medica of ancient and modern times].

The property and flavor (four properties of cold, hot, warm, cool and five flavors of spicy, sweet, bitter, sour, salty) which marked the function and efficacy of Chinese Materia Medica had different records in TCM ancient literature, even being completely opposite. By analyzing the reason, it mainly involves such aspects as different properties of soil and water, different harvesting seasons, incorrect nomenclature not corresponding to reality, different angles, double properties and flavors, former mistakes and latter corrections, different processing methods etc.

[He's Santong needling method for neurological functional deficit in the patient of ischemic apoplexy: randomized controlled multi-central study].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of He's Santong needling method on neurological functional deficit in the patient of ischemic apoplexy, and search for an effective method for treatment of ischemic apoplexy. METHODS: According to the randomized and multi-central trial principle, 319 cases enrolled were randomly assigned to an observation group of 161 cases and a control group of 158 cases. The observation group were treated with He's Santong needling method, i. e. blood letting, puncturing with a red-hot needle and filiform needle therapy by stages, and the control group were treated with acupuncture at 12 points of the hand and foot routinely selected in the department, once daily. After treatment of 30 days, changes of neurological functional deficit score were investigated in the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 91.93% in the observation group and 70. 25% in the control group with a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in changes of the neurological functional deficit score between the patients at the acute stage and the convalescence (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of He's Santong needling method on ischemic apoplexy at acute stage or convalescence is better than that of the routine point selection.

Catalytic kinetic spectrophotometry for the determination of trace amount of oxalic acid in biological samples with oxalic acid-rhodamine B-potassium dichromate system.

A new catalytic kinetic spectrophotometric method was proposed for determining trace oxalic acid based on the catalytic effect of oxalate on the oxidation of potassium dichromate with rhodamin B in 0.10 M of sulfuric acid. Good linearity is obtained over the concentration range 0.40-6.0 microg/mL of oxalic acid. After the reactions of the catalytic and non-catalytic systems were terminated by using 2.00 mL of 4 M sodium hydroxide solution, they can be stable for 3 h at room temperature. The apparent activation energy of the catalytic reaction is 12.44 kJ/mol. The effect of 50 coexisting substances was observed. The method was used to determine trace oxalic acid in tea, spinach and urine samples with satisfactory results.