Four new homoisoflavonoids from Caesalpinia pulcherrima.

Four new homoisoflavonoids, 7-hydroxy-3-[hydroxy(4'-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-benzopyran-4-one (1), (3R)-7, 8-dihydroxy-3-(4'-methoxybenzyl)-chroman-4-one (2), 7-hydroxy-3-(2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxybenzyl)-chroman-4-one (3), and 7-hydroxy-3-(2'-hydroxy-4'-methoxybenzyl)-benzopyran-4-one (4), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by MS and NMR spectra. Their absolute configurations were assigned using electronic circular dichroism spectrum. Compounds 2 and 4 exhibited cytotoxic effects on MCF-7/TAM cells with the IC50 values of 101.4 ± 0.03 and 93.02 ± 0.03 µM, respectively.

Three new caryophyllene-type sesquiterpenoid glycosides from Biebersteinia heterostemon maxim.

Three new caryophyllene-type sesquiterpenoid glycosides were isolated from Biebersteinia heterostemon. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of NMR and MS spectroscopic data. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for MCF-7/TAM cytotoxic activity. The results indicated that compound 1 was found to exhibit the weak cytotoxicity against MCF-7/TAM with the IC50 value of 106.4 ± 0.04 µM.

Two new norcassane-type diterpenoids from Mezonevron sinense Hemsl.

Two new norcassane-type diterpenoids, named 6ß-hydroxy-bisnorcass-13-en-12-one (1) and 6ß-hydroxy-bisnorcassan-12-one (2), were isolated from the seeds of Mezonevron sinense Hemsl. The structures of compounds 1-2 were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Two compounds exhibited immunosuppressive activity with the IC50 values of 19.35 ± 0.87 µM and 18.69 ± 0.88 µM in the ConA induced T cell model and 65.04 ± 0.83 µM and 48.06 ± 0.76 µM in LPS induced B cell model, respectively.

Electroacupuncture Improves Blood-Brain Barrier and Hippocampal Neuroinflammation in SAMP8 Mice by Inhibiting HMGB1/TLR4 and RAGE/NADPH Signaling Pathways / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in experimental models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in vivo.@*METHODS@#Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were used as AD models and received EA at Yingxiang (LI 20, bilateral) and Yintang (GV 29) points for 20 days. For certain experiments, SAMP8 mice were injected intravenously with human fibrin (2 mg). The Morris water maze test was used to assess cognitive and memory abilities. The changes of tight junctions of blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice were observed by transmission electron microscope. The expressions of fibrin, amyloid- β (Aβ), and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBa-1) in mouse hippocampus (CA1/CA3) were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot or immunohistochemical staining. The expression of fibrin in mouse plasma was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 and claudin-5 in hippocampus were detected by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. Apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.@*RESULTS@#Fibrin was time-dependently deposited in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice and this was inhibited by EA treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, EA treatment suppressed the accumulation of Aβ in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice (P<0.01), which was reversed by fibrin injection (P<0.05 or P<0.01). EA improved SAMP8 mice cognitive impairment and BBB permeability (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, EA decreased reactive oxygen species levels and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of SAMP8 mice, which was reversed by fibrin injection (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Mechanistically, EA inhibited the promoting effect of fibrin on the high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1)/toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE)/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) signaling pathways (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#EA may potentially improve cognitive impairment in AD via inhibition of fibrin/A β deposition and deactivation of the HMGB1/TLR4 and RAGE/NADPH signaling pathways.

Effect of moxibustion on ureteral stent-related symptoms after ureteroscopic lithotripsy / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVES@#To observe the clinical efficacy of moxibustion combined with western medication on ureteral stent-related symptoms after ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URL).@*METHODS@#One hundred and fifty patients with upper urinary tract calculus implanted with ureteral stents after URL were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (50 cases, 1 case dropped out), a placebo moxibustion group (50 cases, 3 cases dropped out) and a blank control group (50 cases). No intervention was performed in the blank control group. On the basis of oral administration with tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained release capsule (starting from the first day after surgery, once a day, 0.2 mg each time, continuously for 4 weeks), in the moxibustion group, moxibustion was operated at Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Shenshu (BL 23); the sham-moxibustion was delivered at the same acupoints in the placebo moxibustion group, once daily, 6 times a week, for 15 min in each treatment. The duration of treatment was 4 weeks. Before treatment, and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, the scores of lower urinary tract symptoms, body pain, general health, work performance and satisfaction of sexual matters were compared among the 3 groups. The tract calculus clearance rate, urinary infection and the oral administration of painkillers were compared after 4 weeks of treatment in the 3 groups.@*RESULTS@#The scores of lower urinary tract symptoms, body pain and general health after 1 week of treatment, and the scores of lower urinary tract symptoms, body pain, general health and work performance after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment were lower than those before treatment in the 3 groups (P<0.01). The scores of lower urinary tract symptoms and body pain in the moxibustion group after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment were lower than those in the blank control group and the placebo moxibustion group (P<0.01, P<0.05) respectively. The score of general health in the moxibustion group was lower than that in the blank control group after 1 week of treatment (P<0.01), and lower than those of the blank control group and the placebo moxibustion group after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). Regarding the score of work performance, it was lower in the moxibustion group after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment compared with those in the blank control group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and lower than those of the blank control group and the placebo moxibustion group after 4 weeks of treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). The tract calculus clearance rate in the moxibustion group was 95.9% (47/49), higher than that in the blank control group (80.0%, 40/50, P<0.05). The proportion of oral administration of painkillers in the moxibustion group (28.6%, 14/49) and the placebo moxibustion group (40.4%, 19/47) was lower than that in the blank control group (76.0%, 38/50, P<0.01) respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Moxibustion combined with western medication relieves lower urinary tract symptoms and body pain, and accelerate the recovery of general health and work performance in the patients after URL.

Fall detection algorithm for community healthcare / 中国医学物理学杂志

A fall detection algorithm for community healthcare is proposed to avoid the secondary injury caused by untimely treatment when the elder living alone falls in the community.The algorithm has two branches,namely 2D convolution and 3D convolution,which allow it can extract spatial and temporal features simultaneously.The dense connections added in the 3D branch enhance the ability to extract temporal features;the residual blocks in the 2D branch are redesigned to improve the ability of spatial feature extraction;and a non-local attention mechanism is introduced to the branch fusion for better feature fusion.The algorithm also takes scene information into consideration,and it is supervised by SIoU loss function and the combined loss function to realize fall detection.The experiment on the expanded public URFD dataset reveals that the proposed method has a detection accuracy of 98.3%,which verifies its performance and robustness for fall detection.

Elevated N-terminal pro C-type natriuretic peptide is associated with mortality in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Unlike N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which have been extensively studied, little is known about the role of N-terminal pro-C-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proCNP) for predicting survival post transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). METHODS: A total of 309 patients were included in the analysis. Patients were grouped into quartiles (Q1-4) according to the baseline NT-proCNP value. Blood for NT-proCNP analysis was obtained prior to TAVR procedure. The primary endpoint was mortality after a median follow-up of 32 months. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models analyzed prognostic factors. The predictive capability was compared between NT-proBNP and NT-proCNP using receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: A total of 309 subjects with the mean age of 76.8 ± 6.3 years, among whom 58.6% were male, were included in the analysis. A total of 58 (18.8%) patients died during follow-up. Cox multivariable analyses indicated society of thoracic surgeons (STS)-score was a strong independent predictor for mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.08, 95% confidential interval (CI) 1.05-1.12, P < 0.001). Elevated NT-proCNP was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, P = 0.025) and All-cause mortality (HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, P = 0.027), whereas NT-proBNP showed a small effect size on mortality. ROC analysis indicated that NT-proCNP was superior to NT-proBNP for TAVR risk evaluation in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% [(Area under the curve (AUC)-values of 0.79 (0.69; 0.87) vs. 0.59 (0.48; 0.69), P = 0.0453]. CONCLUSIONS: NT-proCNP and STS-Score were the independent prognostic factors of mortality among TAVR patients. Furthermore, NT-proCNP was superior to NT-proBNP for TAVR risk evaluation in patients with LVEF < 50%. Trial registration NCT02803294, 16/06/2016.

Three new cassane-type diterpenoids from Caesalpinia sinensis.

Three new cassane-type diterpenoids, namely, (4S)-6ß,12α,19-trihydroxy-cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide (1), cass-13(15)-en-​16,12-olide (2), and 12α-hydroxy-cass-13(15)-en-16,12-olide (3), were isolated from the seeds of Caesalpinia sinensis. The structures of 1-3 were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were assigned by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. The inhibitory activities against PTP1B of the isolated compounds were evaluated. The results showed that compound 2 possessed PTP1B inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 217.45 ± 36.4 µM.

A new lignan from Pandanus tectorius.

A new lignan, named (8S, 8'S)-2,2',3,3'-tetramethoxy-4'-hydroxy-epoxylignan-4-O-ß-D-glucoside (1), together with eight known compounds (2-9), was isolated from the leaves of P. tectorius. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral characteristics and comparison with the data of literatures. Besides, the absolute configuration of 1 was established by using ECD calculations. The cytotoxicity of 1 in vitro against three selected tumor cell lines (A549, HeLa and MCF-7) was evaluated by MTT assay. The results showed that compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against HeLa cell with IC50 value of 19.30 ± 4.46 µM.

Serratene triterpenoids from Lycopodium cernuum L. as α-glucosidase inhibitors: Identification, structure-activity relationship and molecular docking studies.

Phytochemical investigation of Lycopodium cernuum L. afforded seven undescribed serratene triterpenoids named 3ß, 21ß-dihydroxyserra-14-en-24-oic acid-3ß-(5'-hydroxybenzoate) (1), 3ß, 21ß, 24-trihydroxyserrat-14-en-3ß-(5'-hydroxyl benzoate) (2), 3ß, 14α, 15α, 21ß-tetrahydroxyserratane-24-methyl ester (3), 3ß, 14α, 21ß-trihydroxyserratane-15α-(4'-methoxy-5'-hydroxybenzoate)-24-methyl ester (4), 3ß, 14α, 21ß-trihydroxyserratane-15α-(4'-methoxy-5'-hydroxybenzoate) (5), 3ß-hydroxy-21ß-acetate-16-oxoserrat-14-en-24-oic acid (6), 3ß, 21ß-dihydroxy-16α, 29-epoxyserrat-14-en-24-methyl ester (7), together with eleven known compounds (8-18), whose chemical structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis of HRESIMS, 1D NMR, 2D NMR and comparison between the literature. All compounds were evaluated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity for the first time. The results showed that compounds 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 15, and 16 were among the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging from 23.22 ± 0.64 to 50.65 ± 0.82 µM. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies indicated that the combined properties of the 5-hydroxybenzoate moiety at C-3, ß-OH at C-21, COOH- at C-24, and Δ14,15 groups enabled an increase in the α-glucosidase inhibitory effect. In addition, molecular docking studies showed that the potential inhibitors mainly interact with key amino acid residues in the active site of α-glucosidase through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces.

T-piece resuscitator versus self-inflating bag for positive pressure ventilation during neonatal resuscitation / 中华围产医学杂志

To compare the performance of self-inflating bag (SIB) with T-piece resuscitator (TPR) in neonatal resuscitation.Methods:This study involved the trainees participating in a Neonatal Resuscitation Simulation Camp (NRSC) organized by Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital in December 2019. They were trained to provide positive pressure ventilation with the two devices on artificial lungs. Ventilation parameters including peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), PIP in pulmonary alveoli (PIP alv), mean airway pressure (MAP), frequency, inspiratory time (Ti), tidal volume and minute ventilation volume were recorded and analyzed by independent sample t-test or rank sum test. Results:The PIP alv, PIP, oxygen flow rate, tidal volume and minute ventilation volume delivered by TPR were significantly lower than those by SIB [(17.18±1.61) vs (24.05±4.29) cmH 2O (1 cmH 2O=0.098 kPa), t=－6.87; (17.91±1.35) vs (29.97±4.50) cmH 2O, t=－14.06; (3.65±0.25) vs (6.88±1.59) L/min, t=－11.33; (15.90±1.81) vs (24.02±4.29) ml/min, t=－10.99; (664.71±88.94) vs (1 069.49±205.68) ml/min, t=－9.89; all P<0.001]. However, compared with SIB, the PEEP in pulmonary alveoli, Ti, duration of ventilation, inspiratory to expiratory ratio were increased when using TPR [(4.76(4.69-5.57) vs 0.19(0.12-4.10) cmH 2O, T=1 190.00; (0.59±0.15) vs (0.43±0.09) s, t=5.01; (1.46±0.23) vs (1.36±0.11) s, t=2.15; 0.71±0.22 vs 0.47±0.13, t=5.14; all P<0.05]. Conclusion:TPR could deliver more stable and safer PIP, PEEP and tidal volume than SIB and keeping MAP at a stable level during positive pressure ventilation on artificial lungs.

Non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in Chinese neonatal intensive care units / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To describe the use of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion in very preterm and extremely preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) of the Chinese Neonatal Network (CHNN) in 2019, to explore the disparity between different centers, and to further investigate the rationality and standardability of non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on the CHNN cohort of very preterm and extremely preterm infants. All 6 598 infants with gestational age (GA)<32 weeks and admitted to the 57 NICU of CHNN within 24 h of life in 2019 were enrolled. Non-erythrocyte blood products included platelet, plasma, albumin, immunoglobulin, cryoprecipitate and prothrombin complex. Infants who received at least one type of non-erythrocyte blood products were defined in transfusion group. The comparison between infants with and without transfusion was done by t-test, rank-sum test or χ2 test as appropriate. Linear regression model was used to generate adjusted transfusion rate of each center, and to investigate the correlation between adjusted rate and center-level characteristics. Results: A total of 6 598 infants were enrolled in the study, with gestational age of 30.0 (28.7, 31.0) weeks and birth weight of (1 353±312) g, and 43.6 % (2 877) of them were female. Among them, 42.7% (2 816) infants were enrolled in transfusion group, with the times of transfusion as 3 (1, 6) times. Compared to the infants without any transfusion of non-erythrocyte blood products, those infants received transfusion had lower gestational age (Z=17.62, P<0.01), lower birth weight (t=18.64, P<0.01), higher proportion of small-for-gestation age (χ2=31.06, P<0.01), multiple birth (χ²=12.82, P<0.01) and intensive resuscitation in delivery room (χ²=287.52, P<0.01), as well as lower proportion of females (χ²=10.68, P<0.01) and even lower proportion of infants born in this hospital (χ²=78.23, P<0.01). Among the entire study population, albumin (25.4%, 1 674 cases), immunoglobulin (21.5%, 1 417 cases) and plasma (18.9%, 1 245 cases) were the most commonly used non-erythrocyte blood products. Overall, 60.4% (544/901) infants with gestational age <28 weeks received transfusion 4 (2, 8) times. A total of 39.9% (2 272/5 697) infants between 28-31weeks received non-erythrocyte blood products 3 (1, 6) times. The non-erythrocyte blood products transfusion rates of critically-ill and non-critically-ill infants were 62.2% (1 693/2 723) and 29.0% (1 123/3 875) respectively, and the transfusion times were 4 (2,7) and 2 (1,4) times. The transfusion rates varied significantly among different NICU, and the disparities remained obvious after adjustment (adjusted χ²=153.48, P<0.01). Conclusion: Near half of very preterm and extremely preterm infants admitted to Chinese NICU in 2019 receive non-erythrocyte blood products during hospitalization with significant disparities among different hospitals.

Efficacy of Dexamethasone intravitreal implant in treating non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To explore the therapeutic effects and safety of dexamethasone intravitreal implant(DEX)on non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION), and responses to the different course of disease.<p>METHODS: Totally 70 patients(70 eyes)in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University diagnosed with NAION from January 2018 to December 2020 were obtained retrospectively as combination treatment group and routine treatment group. 35 patients(35 eyes)in each group received usual care(methylprednisolne pluse therapy, microcirculation improvement and neurotrophic treatment), and combination treatment group also received a dexamethasone intravitreal implant. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), mean damage(MD)and pattern standard deviation(PSD)of the visual field, mean thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)and intraocular pressure(IOP)were compared between the two groups, and two groups with a different course of disease before and 3mo after treatment.<p>RESULTS: BCVA and MD improved in both groups at 3mo after treatment(<i>P</i><0.05). The PSD in the combination treatment group was not significantly different before and after treatment(<i>P</i>>0.05). The PSD at 3mo after treatment in the routine treatment group was worse than before treatment(<i>P</i><0.05). BCVA, MD, and PSD in the combination treatment group had better improvement than in the routine treatment group at 3mo after treatment(<i>P</i><0.05). Visual acuity improvement rate in the combination treatment group was higher than in the routine treatment group at 3mo after treatment(<i>P</i><0.05). There was no obvious difference in RNFL thickness between the two groups(<i>P</i>>0.05). BCVA, PSD and effective rate in the combination treatment group had better improvement than in the routine treatment group in disease course ≤ 15d at 3mo after treatment(<i>P</i><0.05), and no apparent difference in the group of disease course > 15d(<i>P</i>>0.05). There was a mild and controllable increase in IOP in the combination treatment group compared to routine treatment group.<p>CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone intravitreal implant can promote BCVA and the recovery of visual function for the long term. It is deemed safe and effective in treating NAION, with better therapeutic effects within 2wk after onset.

Expression level of vitamin D receptor in intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells and its clinical significance in children with biliary atresia / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the possible role and clinical significance of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells (IBDECs) in biliary atresia (BA).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on expression level of VDR in IBDECs of 38 BA children who underwent Kasai surgery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University and the Children′s Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to December 2019.Expression level of VDR in IBDECs of 38 children with BA was detected by immunohistochemical staining, and that in children with choledochal cysts was detected as negative control.Masson staining was performed to examine the degree of liver fibrosis.The correlation between the expression level of VDR in IBDECs of children with BA, and the degree of liver fibrosis during operation, the incidence of refractory cholangitis after Kasai portoenterostomy and the survival time of autologous liver was analyzed.Human intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells (HiBECs) were induced with dsRNA virus infection by polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid [Poly(I∶C)] in vitro, followed by detection of cell activity, apoptosis and VDR level.The differences between 2 independent groups were analyzed using Student t test.The relationship between the expression of VDR and clinicopathologic characteristics was conducted with χ2 test or Fisher′ s test.The Kaplan- Meier survival curve was used to analyze the differences in the survival time of autologous liver after Kasai in BA children with different VDR expression levels. Results:A total of 38 children with BA were included in this study.Among them, 23 cases showed no significant decrease of VDR protein level in IBDECs, and 15 cases showed a significant decrease in IBDECs.Compared with BA children without a significant decrease in VDR level in IBDECs, much severer liver fibrosis ( P<0.001) and significantly higher incidence of refractory cholangitis after Kasai procedure ( P=0.017) were detected in those with a significant decrease in VDR level.Compared with the control group, BA children with significantly lower VDR expression levels in HiBECs had a shorter autologous liver survival time ( P=0.030). Poly (I∶C) increased the apoptotic rate of HiBECs ( P<0.000 1) and decreased cell activity of HiBECs ( P<0.05), which significantly stimulated the secretion of inflammatory factors (interferon, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6) in the culture medium of HiBECs ( P<0.001). Poly (I∶C) significantly decreased the expression level of VDR protein in HiBECs ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Poly (I∶C) causes HiBECs damage and decreases VDR expression level in HiBECs of BA children, and the significantly decreased VDR expression level in IBDECs may be a marker of poor prognosis of BA.

[Processing evolution,chemical components and pharmacological effects of Bufonis Venenum].

Bufonis Venenum,the dried secretion of Bufo bufo gargarizans or B. melanostictus,is toxic and hard with the efficacy of removing toxicity for detumescence and relieving pain. The processing of Bufonis Venenum dates back to the Song dynasty. In addition to the wine-processing,milk-processing and talcum powder-processing,there were some other kinds of processing methods in ancient times,such as baking,calcining,water-soaking and vinegar-processing. Modern studies have shown that the Bufonis Venenum has the main chemical components of bufadienolides,indole alkaloids sterols,and other compounds. It has the pharmacological effects of antitumor,cardiac,antibacterial,and analgesic activities,local anesthesia,and so on. This paper reviews the processing evolution,chemical components and pharmacological effects of Bufonis Venenum,providing references for its special processing and modern research as well as the theoretical basis for the research on its processing mechanism and quality control.

[Adjuvant treatment of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and action mechanism of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome. METHODS: Ninety patients with persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 45) and a control group (n = 45). The patients in the control group were treated with momethasone furoate nasal spray, 2 sprays per side per time, once a day. On the basis of treatment in the control group, the patients in the observation group were additionally treated with penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel, 2 h per treatment, once a week. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The TCM symptom score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) score were observed in the two groups before and after treatment. The serum level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) and complete blood count of eosinophil (EOS) were measured before and after treatment, and the clinical effects were compared. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the TCM symptom scores, VAS scores, RQLQ scores, serum levels of IgE and complete blood count of EOS in the two groups were all reduced after treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 95.6% (43/45), which was higher than 82.2% (37/45) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the momethasone furoate nasal spray, the adjuvant treatment of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel could significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of immune disorder.

[Research advances in chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Pueraria genus].

Kudzu plants in the subfamily sphenoideae of Leguminosae are commonly used herbs in China, Japan, Korea, India and Thailand, with a long history of medicinal use. They are recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopeia, Korea Pharmacopeia, Ayurveda Pharmacopoeia of India and Flora of Thailand. There are 15-20 species of Pueraria in the world, including 7 species and 2 varieties in China. At present, there are 6 species with medicinal value, such as Pueraria lobata and P. thomsonii. The main chemical components of the genus are isoflavones, flavonoids, terpenes, steroids, coumarins, puerarin glycosides and benzopyrans. A total of 240 compounds have been isolated and identified from this genus, and their pharmacological effects mainly include improvement of the cardiovascular system, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-alcoholic and estrogen-like effects. In this study, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Pueraria at home and abroad were systematically summarized, in order to provide references for the material basis, quality control and further development of Pueraria genus.

Adjuvant treatment of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the efficacy and action mechanism of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel for persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome.@*METHODS@#Ninety patients with persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome were randomly divided into an observation group (@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the TCM symptom scores, VAS scores, RQLQ scores, serum levels of IgE and complete blood count of EOS in the two groups were all reduced after treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Based on the momethasone furoate nasal spray, the adjuvant treatment of penetrating moxibustion at governor vessel could significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis of deficiency-cold syndrome, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of immune disorder.

Processing evolution,chemical components and pharmacological effects of Bufonis Venenum / 中国中药杂志

Bufonis Venenum,the dried secretion of Bufo bufo gargarizans or B. melanostictus,is toxic and hard with the efficacy of removing toxicity for detumescence and relieving pain. The processing of Bufonis Venenum dates back to the Song dynasty. In addition to the wine-processing,milk-processing and talcum powder-processing,there were some other kinds of processing methods in ancient times,such as baking,calcining,water-soaking and vinegar-processing. Modern studies have shown that the Bufonis Venenum has the main chemical components of bufadienolides,indole alkaloids sterols,and other compounds. It has the pharmacological effects of antitumor,cardiac,antibacterial,and analgesic activities,local anesthesia,and so on. This paper reviews the processing evolution,chemical components and pharmacological effects of Bufonis Venenum,providing references for its special processing and modern research as well as the theoretical basis for the research on its processing mechanism and quality control.