Screening and validation of differentially expressed genes in polymyositis.

Background: Polymyositis (PM), a prevalent inflammatory myopathy, currently lacks defined pathogenic mechanism. To illuminate its pathogenesis, we integrated bioinformatics and clinical specimens to examine potential aberrant gene expression patterns and their localization. Methods: We obtained GSE128470 and GSE3112 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus, performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and immune infiltration analysis using CiberSort, identified differentially expressed genes with Limma, conducted functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, constructed a Protein-Protein Interaction network, and identified hub genes using Cytoscape. ROC analysis evaluated hub gene diagnostic accuracy for PM, validated their expression levels with clinical specimens. Results: DEG analysis revealed 51 upregulated and 779 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis implicated Type I interferon (IFN-Ⅰ) signaling, while KEGG pointed to cell adhesion molecule activation and oxidative phosphorylation inhibition. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analysis identified 8 diagnosffftic hub genes. Clinical samples confirmed their upregulation in PM, especially IRF1 and IRF9 between muscle fibers. Different immune cell infiltrations were observed in PM patients versus controls. Conclusions: Our study explores potential pathogenic factors, diagnostic markers, and immune cells in PM, with a focus on verifying IRF1 and IRF9 upregulation in the IFN-I signaling pathway. These findings bear significance for PM diagnosis and treatment.

Evaluation of herb-drug interactions between compound Danshen dripping pills and clopidogrel based on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in rats.

Compound Danshen dripping pills (CDDP), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. CDDP is usually prescribed in combination with clopidogrel (CLP), but the herb-drug interactions are rarely reported. This study evaluated the effects of CDDP on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of coadministered CLP, and ensured the safety and efficacy of their usage. The trial design included a single-dose administration and multidose test for 7 consecutive days. Wistar rats received CLP alone or CLP combined with CDDP. After the final dose, plasma samples were collected at various time points, and the active metabolite H4 of CLP was analyzed by ultrafast liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of Cmax (maximum [or peak] serum concentration), Tmax (peak plasma time), t1/2 (half-time), AUC0-∞ (area under the concentration-time curve from dosing (time 0) to infinite time), and AUC0-t (area under the concentration-time curve from dosing [time 0] to time t) were calculated using the non-compartment model. In addition, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, bleeding time, and adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation were evaluated for anticoagulation and antiplatelet aggregation activity. In this study, we found that CDDP had no significant effect on the metabolism of CLP in rats. In pharmacodynamic studies, the combination group showed significant synergistic antiplatelet activity compared with the CLP or CDDP groups alone. Based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic results, CDDP and CLP have synergistic effects on antiplatelet aggregation and anticoagulation.

Head-to-Head Comparison of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography versus Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for the Quantitative Analysis of Carbohydrates in Yiqi Fumai Lyophilized Injection.

Carbohydrate analysis can be used as a standard analysis for quality control of industries of plants, foods and pharmaceuticals. Quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopy (qNMR) is an excellent alternative to chromatography-based mixture analysis. However, the application of qNMR in sugar analysis has rarely been reported. In this study, the performance of qNMR in sugar analysis was investigated and compared with the results from HPLC analysis. A head-to-head comparison of qNMR (internal and external standard methods) versus HPLC (PMP pre-column derivatization HPLC, HPLC-RID and HPLC-ELSD) based on quantitative analysis of four carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, sucrose and maltose) in Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection (YQFM) is presented. Both assays showed similar performance characteristics, including linearity range, accuracy, precision and recovery, and analysis times of less than 30 min/sample. After methodological validation, both qNMR and HPLC have good accuracy, precision and stability. Indeed, the qNMR method is simple, sensitive and rapid in quantifying the four sugars. By analysis of variance (ANOVA) for sugar content with HPLC and qNMR methods, we demonstrated that the two analytical methods had no significant difference and could be used interchangeably for the quantitative analysis of carbohydrates.

Interaction study of salvianolic acids for injection on pharmacokinetics of clopidogrel in rats using LC-MS/MS.

Salvianolic acids for injection (SAI) is developed from traditional Chinese medicine and approved for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Clopidogrel is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation, which is often prescribed for patients in combination with SAI. This present study aimed to assess the effects of SAI on the pharmacogenomics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel, thereby ensuring the safety and efficacy of coadministration. In vitro cytochrome P450 isoenzyme assays were performed in human liver microsomes using LC-MS/MS method to assess the metabolites of CYPs substrates. The effects of SAI on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviors of clopidogrel were investigated in rats. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using LC-MS/MS. Prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, bleeding time, and inhibition of platelet aggregation were measured to evaluate the effects of pharmacodynamics. Our study revealed that the clinical dose of SAI has no significant inhibitory effect on clopidogrel-related liver microsome metabolic CYP450 isoenzymes. Moreover, SAI did not affect the pharmacokinetics of clopidogrel when rats were administered both single and multiple doses. In pharmacodynamic study, SAI has no effect on platelet aggregation rate, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time of clopidogrel but could significantly prevent the risk of bleeding caused by clopidogrel.

Enhancing effect of borneol on pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside Rb1 , ginsenoside Rg1 , and notoginsenoside R1 in healthy volunteers after oral administration of compound Danshen dropping pills.

Borneol (Bingpian), a monoterpenoid pharmaceutical ingredient, is commonly used as a main composition in traditional Chinese medicine preparations such as compound Danshen dropping pills (CDDP) and has also been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a flavoring substance or adjuvant in food. Borneol plays a regulating and guiding role as a messenger drug in CDDP. However, the effect of borneol on the pharmacokinetics of the components of CDDP in human plasma is unclear. In this study, we investigate the effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetics of ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1 ), ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1 ), and notoginsenoside R1 (NR1 ) in CDDP. We used a double-cycle crossover-administration model in 12 healthy male volunteers, administered CDDP with borneol (drug T) and without borneol (drug R). The selective response monitoring mode was used for MS quantification in the positive mode. As a result, we found that borneol could significantly affect the pharmacokinetic parameters of notoginsenosides and increase the absorption and systemic exposure of Rb1 , Rg1 , and NR1 in human plasma by ~1.85-3.71 times.

Tofacitinib for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a real-world study in China.

Tofacitinib has only been available in China for 2 years to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our purpose was to compare real-world effectiveness of tofacitinib with that of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in Chinese patients with RA. The records of patients with RA treated at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital between July 2017 and September 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into those treated with tofacitinib, biological DMARDs (bDMARDs), and conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs). Clinical disease activity index (CDAI), simplified disease activity index (SDAI), health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI), visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, patient global assessment of disease activity (PtGA), physician global assessment of disease activity (PhGA), and swollen joint and tender joint count were compared among the groups up to 12 months of treatment. A total of 150 patients were included: 63 were treated with tofacitinib, 48 with bDMARDs, and 39 with csDMARDs. Tofacitinib was first-line treatment in 26.98% of patients, second-line treatment in 49.21%, and third-line treatment in 26.98%. Patients in the tofacitinib group had significantly higher disease duration (6.11 ± 6.97 years) than those in the other groups. All disease indices in the three groups decreased with time, indicating improvement of symptoms, with no differences among the groups at 12 months. Tofacitinib appeared to improve symptoms more rapidly than other treatments; however, differences in disease indices were not significant. This real-world study suggests that tofacitinib is rapidly effective and that the effects are sustained after 12 months in Chinese patients with RA.

Diagnostic efficacy of joint ultrasonography, dual-energy computed tomography and minimally invasive arthroscopy on knee gouty arthritis, a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of minimally invasive arthroscopy for knee gout when comparing with joint ultrasonography and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). METHODS: From January 2016 to December 2018, 121 inpatients with knee joint swelling and pain were prospectively enrolled, including 63 gout patients and 58 non-gout patients. All patients underwent pre-operative ultrasonography and DECT to evaluate knee joint monosodium urate (MSU) deposits, followed by minimally invasive arthroscopy. The gold-standard for gout diagnosis was defined as the detection of MSU crystals in the synovial fluid under polarizing microscopic or pathological analysis. RESULTS: The diagnostic results of ultrasonic double contour sign, hyperechogenic foci, MSU deposition (detected by DECT), MSU deposition (detected by arthroscopy) and MSU deposition in cartilage (detected by arthroscopy) were significantly associated with that of the gold-standard. Except for hyperechogenic foci, the other four indexes had high sensitivity and specificity (approximately or over 80%) and a large odds ratio (OR) (14.73 to 36.56), indicating good diagnostic performance. Detection of MSU deposition in cartilage by arthroscopy had a good diagnostic agreement with the ultrasonic double contour sign (κ = 0.711, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Joint ultrasonography, DECT, and minimally invasive arthroscopy had high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of knee gouty arthritis. Minimally invasive arthroscopy was superior to joint ultrasonography and DECT, which can be a useful supplement for the diagnosis of gout. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This is the first study comparing the diagnostic performance for knee gout among the joint ultrasonography, DECT, and minimally invasive arthroscopy.

Anti-fibrotic effect of iguratimod on pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe lung disease causing significant morbidity and mortality. PF pathogenesis is attributed to the fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT) driven by the most potent pro-fibrogenic factor TGF-ß1 activating the Smad3-dependent TGF-ß1 canonical pathway. Iguratimod (IGU) is a novel anti-rheumatic drug that suppresses the secretion of inflammatory factors, but is also able to modulate the differentiation of multiple cells. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of IGU on FMT. MATERIALS/METHODS: PF mouse model was induced in C57BL/6 male mice by bleomycin. The effect of IGU was assessed through the evaluation of lung morphology by H&E and through the collagen accumulation in the lung by Masson staining. Primary human lung fibroblasts (pHLFs) were also used to evaluate the effect of IGU in vitro on TGF-ß1-stimulated cells, and proliferation, migration and invasion were measured, together with genes and proteins involved in FMT. RESULTS: IGU attenuated bleomycin-induced PF in mice and improved the pathological changes in their lungs. In addition, IGU significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion in TGF-ß1-stimulated pHLFs without causing apoptosis. Moreover, IGU significantly reduced TGF-ß1-induced increase of collagen I and III mRNA expression, thus reducing lung function impairment, and α-SMA, Smad2 and Smad3 phosphorylation, fibronectin expression and F-actin microfilament formation, thus attenuating FMT through the inhibition of the Smad3 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our results collectively revealed the beneficial effect of IGU on the inhibition of FMT, thus suggesting that it might act as an effective anti-fibrotic agent in preventing the progression of PF.

Clinical Characteristics and Risk Factors of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Observational Studies.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare but potentially deadly manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of DAH in SLE. A systematic review and meta-analysis of previous observational studies compared the clinical characteristics and risk factors between DAH-SLE and SLE patients without DAH. A total of 5 observational studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the SLE patients without DAH, DAH-SLE patients had a significantly higher incidence of neuropsychiatric events (OR = 4.321, 95% CI (1.686-11.073), P = 0.002, I2 = 49.2%), nephritis (OR = 3.146, 95% CI (1.663-5.955,), P = 0.000, I2 = 0.0%), serositis (OR = 6.028, 95% CI (1.418-25.635), P = 0.015, I2 = 80.3%), dyspnea (OR = 31.241,95% CI (0.202-4833.203), P = 0.181, I2 = 94.6%), and a significantly lower level of C3 (SMD = - 1.358, 95% CI - 1.685, - 1.031), P = 0.000, I2 = 98.0%), C4 (SMD = - 1.251, 95% CI (- 1.648, - 0.855), P = 0.000, I2 = 87.7%), hemoglobin (SMD = - 2.074, 95% CI (- 2.433, - 1.715), P = 0.000, I2 = 94.2%), and a higher SLEDAI-2K score (SMD = 1.284, 95% CI (0.959, 1.608), P = 0.000, I2 = 98.2%). However, due to significant heterogeneity, some of these results should be interpreted cautiously. Nevertheless, when the above abnormal indicators are found, especially neuropsychiatric involvement and nephritis, besides the existed diagnostic criteria for DAH in SLE patients, a diagnosis for DAH should be considered and relevant treatment timely initiated. Further prospective multi-center SLE studies with a large cohort of patients and long-term follow-up are needed to clarify further or find out the specific clinical indexes for DAH in SLE patients.

Consortium of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Strains Suppresses Sweet Pepper Disease by Altering the Rhizosphere Microbiota.

Beneficial microorganisms have been extensively used to make plants more resistant to abiotic and biotic stress. We previously identified a consortium of three plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains (Bacillus cereus AR156, Bacillus subtilis SM21, and Serratia sp. XY21; hereafter "BBS") as a promising and environmentally friendly biocontrol agent. In this study, the effect of BBS on a soil-borne disease of sweet pepper was evaluated. Application of BBS significantly reduced the prevalence of phytophthora blight and improved fruit quality and soil properties relative to the control. BBS was able to alter the soil bacterial community: it significantly increased the abundances of Burkholderia, Comamonas, and Ramlibacter, which were negatively associated with disease severity, relative to the control. A redundancy analysis suggested that BBS-treated soil samples were dominated by Burkholderia, Comamonas, Ramlibacter, Sporichthya, Achromobacter, and Pontibacter; abundance of these genera was related to total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (AN), total potassium (TP), and available phosphorus (AP) contents. This suggests that BBS treatment shifted the microbe community to one that suppressed soil-borne disease and improved the soil chemical properties.

Ca2+ signalling plays a role in celastrol-mediated suppression of synovial fibroblasts of rheumatoid arthritis patients and experimental arthritis in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Celastrol exhibits anti-arthritic effects in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the role of celastrol-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in treatment of RA remains undefined. Here, we describe a regulatory role for celastrol-induced Ca2+ signalling in synovial fibroblasts of RA patients and adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: We used computational docking, Ca2+ dynamics and functional assays to study the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase pump (SERCA). In rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs)/rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RAFLS), mechanisms of Ca2+ -mediated autophagy were analysed by histological, immunohistochemical and flow cytometric techniques. Anti-arthritic effects of celastrol, autophagy induction, and growth rate of synovial fibroblasts in AIA rats were monitored by microCT and immunofluorescence staining. mRNA from joint tissues of AIA rats was isolated for transcriptional analysis of inflammatory genes, using siRNA methods to study calmodulin, calpains, and calcineurin. KEY RESULTS: Celastrol inhibited SERCA to induce autophagy-dependent cytotoxicity in RASFs/RAFLS via Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent kinase kinase-ß-AMP-activated protein kinase-mTOR pathway and repressed arthritis symptoms in AIA rats. BAPTA/AM hampered the in vitro and in vivo effectiveness of celastrol. Inflammatory- and autoimmunity-associated genes down-regulated by celastrol in joint tissues of AIA rat were restored by BAPTA/AM. Knockdown of calmodulin, calpains, and calcineurin in RAFLS confirmed the role of Ca2+ in celastrol-regulated gene expression. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Celastrol triggered Ca2+ signalling to induce autophagic cell death in RASFs/RAFLS and ameliorated arthritis in AIA rats mediated by calcium-dependent/-binding proteins facilitating the exploitation of anti-arthritic drugs based on manipulation of Ca2+ signalling.

Causes of death in hospitalized patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a 10-year multicenter nationwide Chinese cohort.

To estimate the mortality and describe the causes of death in a large multicenter cohort of hospitalized patients with SLE in China. This was a retrospective study of a nationwide SLE cohort (10 centers, 29,510 hospitalized patients) from 2005 to 2014 in China. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for all death and were stratified by sex and age. Chi-square test was used to determine whether the major causes of death vary in age, sex, duration of SLE, disease activity, or medications. Comparison between dead patients and survival controls was used to identify the risk factors for mortality. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for mortality. A total of 360 patients died during the study period, accounting for 1.22%. The overall SMR was 2.13 (95% CI 1.96, 2.30), with a particularly high SMR seen in subgroups characterized by younger age. Infection (65.8%) was the most common cause of death, followed by lupus nephritis (48.6%), hematological abnormality (18.1%), neuropsychiatric lupus/NPSLE (15.8%), and interstitial pneumonia (13.1%). Cardiovascular disease and malignancy contributed little to the causes of death. Infection, in particular severe pulmonary infection, emerged as the foremost risk factor for mortality, followed by lupus encephalopathy. However, lupus nephritis and hematological abnormalities occurred more frequently in survival patients. SLE patients at a younger age of diagnosis have a poorer prognosis. Infection dominated the causes of death in recent China. Ethnicity and medications might account for the differences in causes of death compared with western populations.

Evaluation of root-knot nematode disease control and plant growth promotion potential of biofertilizer Ning shield on Trichosanthes kirilowii in the field

Abstract Biofertilizer Ning shield was composed of different strains of plant growth promotion bacteria. In this study, the plant growth promotion and root-knot nematode disease control potential on Trichosanthes kirilowii in the field were evaluated. The application of Ning shield significantly reduced the diseases severity caused by Meloidogyne incognita, the biocontrol efficacy could reached up to 51.08%. Ning shield could also promote the growth of T. kirilowii in the field by increasing seedling emergence, height and the root weight. The results showed that the Ning shield could enhance the production yield up to 36.26%. Ning shield could also promote the plant growth by increasing the contents of available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matter, and increasing the contents of leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment. Moreover, Ning shield could efficiently enhance the medicinal compositions of Trichosanthes, referring to the polysaccharides and trichosanthin. Therefore, Ning shield is a promising biofertilizer, which can offer beneficial effects to T. kirilowii growers, including the plant growth promotion, the biological control of root-knot disease and enhancement of the yield and the medicinal quality.

Evaluation of root-knot nematode disease control and plant growth promotion potential of biofertilizer Ning shield on Trichosanthes kirilowii in the field.

Biofertilizer Ning shield was composed of different strains of plant growth promotion bacteria. In this study, the plant growth promotion and root-knot nematode disease control potential on Trichosanthes kirilowii in the field were evaluated. The application of Ning shield significantly reduced the diseases severity caused by Meloidogyne incognita, the biocontrol efficacy could reached up to 51.08%. Ning shield could also promote the growth of T. kirilowii in the field by increasing seedling emergence, height and the root weight. The results showed that the Ning shield could enhance the production yield up to 36.26%. Ning shield could also promote the plant growth by increasing the contents of available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matter, and increasing the contents of leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment. Moreover, Ning shield could efficiently enhance the medicinal compositions of Trichosanthes, referring to the polysaccharides and trichosanthin. Therefore, Ning shield is a promising biofertilizer, which can offer beneficial effects to T. kirilowii growers, including the plant growth promotion, the biological control of root-knot disease and enhancement of the yield and the medicinal quality.

GPR30 Activation Contributes to the Puerarin-Mediated Neuroprotection in MPP+-Induced SH-SY5Y Cell Death.

The neuroprotective action of puerarin in Parkinson's disease (PD) models has been well investigated. However, the mechanisms involved in protection have not been completely understood. G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) is a G protein-coupled estrogen receptor and considered a potential target in the neuroprotection against PD. In this study, we investigated whether puerarin prevented against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced cell death via GPR30. Our results showed that the GPR30 agonist, G1, exhibited puerarin-mediated neuroprotection against MPP+-induced cell death of SH-SY5Y cells. This protective action was reversed by the GPR30 antagonist. Moreover, a time- and concentration-dependent effect of puerarin on GPR30 expression was verified at the protein level but not at the mRNA level. Further, we showed that an mTor-dependent new GPR30 synthesis contributed to the protection conferred by puerarin. Finally, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) levels were enhanced by puerarin and G1 in both control and MPP+-lesioned cells via GPR30. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that puerarin prevents MPP+-induced cell death via facilitating GPR30 expression and GDNF release.

[Observations of in vitro pollen germination of Prunella vulgaris].

To determine the optimal condition of pollen germination. The pollen of Prunella vulgaris was cultured in vitro. Pollen germination rates were recorded using 10% H3BO4, 30% Ca(NO3)2, 20% MgSO4 and 10% KNO3 as the basic mineral medium with PEG of different molecular weight, sucrose of various density and multiple pH value. The rates were also measured under different cultivation temperature and pollen acquisition time. The optimal condition of pollen germination is 10% H3 BO4, 30% Ca(NO3)2, 20% MgSO4, 10% KNO3, and 25% PEG-4000 as the medium, with pH about 6. 5 and pollen acquired at the beginning of blossom.

Curcumin rescues aging-related loss of hippocampal synapse input specificity of long term potentiation in mice.

Curcumin has neuroprotective effect and could enhance memory. However, the mechanisms underlying the protection of curcumin on aging-related memory decline are not well understood. In this study, high frequency stimulation (HFS)-induced long term potentiation (LTP) was evaluated by a cellular model of memory formation. A two-input stimulation paradigm was used to record the potentiation as well as synapse input specificity. The data suggested that an N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR) -dependent LTP was inducible in adult hippocampal slices with a characteristic of synapse input specificity. It also indicated that aging resulted in a reduction in LTP but more importantly a loss of synaptic input specificity. The reason behind the above conclusions is that LTP induction is more dependent on the calcium channel. This is due to a switch of the dependence of LTP induction to voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) compared to NMDA receptors. Curcumin administration recovers input specificity by re-establishing NMDA receptor dependence of induction. In addition, curcumin administration ameliorated aging-related increase of brain thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and elevated aging-related decrease of glutathione in hippocampus. It is then concluded that curcumin modulates hippocampal redox status and restores aging-related loss of synapse input specificity of HFS-induced LTP by switching VDCC calcium source into NMDA receptor-dependent one.

[Adefovir dipivoxil-induced Fanconi syndrome and hypophosphatemic osteomalacia associated with muscular weakness in a patient with chronic hepatitis B].

Adefovir dipivoxil is commonly used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. The renal toxicity of adefovir dipivoxil is dose- and time-related, occurring often in patients with a daily dose over 30 mg and those with impaired renal function. We report a case of chronic hepatitis B with a history of taking adefovir dipivoxil at 10 mg/day for 4 years. The patient complained of lumbosacral and joint pain and had the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or spondyloarthropathy in several hospitals before admission in our hospital. A diagnosis of acquired Fanconi syndrome and hypophosphatemia osteomalacia associated with progressive muscular weakness was made eventually. We reviewed the literature and found reports of only fewer than 10 similar cases. Clinical attention should be given to kidney damage induced by adefovir dipivoxil.

The assessment of absorption of periplocin in situ via intestinal perfusion of rats by HPLC.

Periplocin is an important compound of Cortex Periplocae, which shows poor absorption when administered orally. The effective intestinal permeability of periplocin was investigated using single-pass intestinal perfusion technique in male Wistar rats. SPIP was performed in rat jejunum. The samples of perfusate were collected at the designated time points after rat intestinal perfusion and analyzed by HPLC. The specificity of this method was demonstrated by the absence of interference of the drug peak with the intestinal sac artifacts and the components of the KRB solution. Recovery studies, as well as the intra-day and inter-day variations, were within statistical limits. This technique was applied to the study of the intestinal absorption of periplocin. The determined fraction absorbed (F(a)) of periplocin was 0.151 +/- 0.072 (n = 6) at a concentration of 6 microg/mL; the absorption rate constant (K(a)) was 0.0102 +/- 0.0039/min and the effective permeability coefficient (P(eff)) was 0.0021 +/- 0.0012 cm/min. These data suggest that periplocin has high permeability and might be absorbed in rat intestine.

[RP-HPLC determination of loganin in mouse plasma and its pharmacokinetics].

AIM: To develop a method for determination of loganin in mouse plasma by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The method was employed to study pharmacokinetics of loganin. METHODS: An RP-C18 was used as the stationary phase. The mobile phase consisted of methanol-water (30:70), at the flow-rate of 0.8 mL.min-1. The UV absorbance detector was set at 240 nm. Plasma samples were treated with solid phase extraction. RESULTS: The recovery of loganin in mouse plasma was 86.0%-91.5%. The calibration curve in plasma was linear over the range of 0.01-5.00 micrograms.mL-1. The limit of quantitation was 10 ng.mL-1. The RSDs of intra-day and inter-day (n = 5) were less than 15%. The pharmacokinetic parameters were Cmax = 6.8 micrograms.mL-1, Tmax = 30 min, T1/2 alpha = 26.1 min, T1/2 beta = 29.01 min. CONCLUSION: The method is accurate, sensitive and suitable for pharmcokinetic study of loganin. The absorption and elimination of loganin were rapid after ig in mice.