Schisandrin B Improves the Hypothermic Preservation of Celsior Solution in Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells

BACKGROUND@#Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) have emerged as promising therapy for immune and inflammatory diseases. However, how to maintain the activity and unique properties during cold storage and transportation is one of the key factors affecting the therapeutic efficiency of hUCMSCs. Schisandrin B (SchB) has many functions in cell protection as a natural medicine. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of SchB on the hypothermic preservation of hUCMSCs. @*METHODS@#hUCMSCs were isolated from Wharton’s jelly. Subsequently, hUCMSCs were exposed to cold storage (4 °C) and 24-h re-warming. After that, cells viability, surface markers, immunomodulatory effects, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial integrity, apoptosis-related and antioxidant proteins expression level were evaluated. @*RESULTS@#SchB significantly alleviated the cells injury and maintained unique properties such as differentiation potential, level of surface markers and immunomodulatory effects of hUCMSCs. The protective effects of SchB on hUCMSCs after hypothermic storage seemed associated with its inhibition of apoptosis and the anti-oxidative stress effect mediated by nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 signaling. @*CONCLUSION@#These results demonstrate SchB could be used as an agent for hypothermic preservation of hUCMSCs.

Research and verification of quality evaluation method of Epimedii Folium based on quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker / 中国中药杂志

The quality control of Epimedii Folium, composed of diverse constituents, is single at present. In view of this, an eva-luation method of 13 chemical constituents based on quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS) was established to further explore the composition differences of raw products and alcohol extracts in different batches and the influence of alcohol extraction on the composition, so as to provide a reference for improving the quality evaluation and control of Epimedii Folium. The fingerprints of different batches of Epimedii Folium were constructed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to evaluate the inter-batch consistency. The changes of the flavonoids in Epimedii Folium during alcohol extraction were analyzed based on determined levels and heat map, and the reasons for the changes were preliminarily discussed. With icariin, the quality control component recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, as the internal reference, the stability of the relative correction factors of chemical components under different conditions was investigated to obtain the relative correction factors. Then the determination results of QAMS and the external standard method were compared to verify the accuracy of QAMS. The results revealed that all batches of Epimedii Folium met the requirements specified in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the fingerprints of Epimedii Folium from the same place of origin exhibited a high similarity. Raw products and alcohol extracts of Epimedii Folium could be clearly distinguished by prenylated flavonoids, which are potential biomarkers for quality control. Additionally, the glycoside hydrolysis in the alcohol extraction was preliminarily explored. The QAMS method has good accuracy, durability, and repeatability in determining 13 chemical components in Epimedii Folium under different experimental conditions. No significant difference in the results obtained by the two methods was observed. This study can provide a reference for comprehensive, rapid and reasonable quality evaluation of Epimedii Folium.

Biopharmaceutical classification and transport mechanism of 4 alkaloids in Mongolian herbal medicine Sophorae Flavescentis Radix / 中国中药杂志

In this study, we studied the solubility and permeability of matrine, oxymatrine, sophoridine, and oxysophocarpine, four alkaloids in the Mongolian herbal medicine Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, and evaluated the absorption mechanism with the Caco-2 cell model, so as to provide a basis for the new drug development and efficacy evaluation of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix. The results showed that all the four alkaloids had high solubility and high permeability and can be well absorbed, belonging to the class-I drugs of Biopharmaceutical Classification System(BCS). The absorption(AP→BL) and excretion(BL→AP) of matrine and oxymatrine were not affected by the concentration while the absorption depended on P-gp protein. The absorption(AP→BL) and excretion(BL→AP) of sophoridine and oxysophocarpine were positively related to the concentration and time, and the absorption process was independent from P-gp protein. The results provide scientific reference and an experimental basis for the development of Mongolian medical prescriptions containing Sophorae Flavescentis Radix.

Effect of flavones of Sorbus tianschanica against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury / 中草药

Objective: To screen active components and main target molecules from Sorbus tianschanica for treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion by network pharmacology methods, and verify its protective effects and mechanism of flavonoids in S. tianschanica (FST). Methods: The compounds from S. tianschanica with protective effects against myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) were screened and the compound-target-disease network and protein interaction network were constructed, and the key targets were located through TCMSP database. Langendorff-reperfusion rat isolated-hearts were prepared to induce MIRI. The high dose (1.5 mg/L), low dose (0.5 mg/L) of FST, and 4'-chlorodiazepam (CDZ, 1 μmol/L) were administrated for pretreatment respectively. Hemodynamic index, infarct size of myocardial tissue, and the pathological changes of myocardium were analyzed. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione/ oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and the opening degree of mPTP were determined. Results: The active components screened from S. tianschanica by network pharmacology in treatment of myocardial ischemia reperfusion were flavonoids; The core target was TSPO, which was closely related to mitochondrial permeability transition pore mPTP. Each treatment group significantly enhanced the cardiac function index, reduced infarct size of myocardial tissue, increased the activity of SOD and CAT (P < 0.01), increased GSH/GSSG and T-AOC of myocardial tissue (P < 0.01), and inhibited the opening of mPTP. High dose (1.5 mg/L) had the strongest effect by contrast. Conclusion: Flavonoids of S. tianschanica can enhance the function of myocardial relaxation and contraction, reduce the area of myocardial infarction and the oxidative stress injury of myocardial tissue; It can inhibit the opening of mPTP by the main target TSPO to reduce the mitochondrial swelling of myocardial cells.

Ethnic disparities in prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in rural Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: This study examines how prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differ by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) among rural southwest Chinese adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 7027 adults aged ≥35 years of Han and four ethnic minority group descent (Na Xi, Li Shu, Dai, and Jing Po) was used to derive prevalence of tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) as well as alcohol consumption and physical activity data. Anthropometric measurements were also taken, including height, weight, and waist and hip circumference, as well as blood pressure (BP) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements. RESULTS: Current smoking and drinking status were the top two CVD risk factors in the study population. Dai ethnic minority participants had the highest prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and central obesity, whereas Jing Po ethnic minority participants had the highest prevalence of current smoking status, SHS exposure, and current drinking status (P < 0.01). Han participants had the highest prevalence of diabetes and physical inactivity (P < 0.01). 11.1% of all participants did not have any of the studied CVD risk factors, while 68.6% of Han, 60.2% of Na Xi, 50.7% of Li Shu, 82.2% of Dai, and 73.0% of Jing Po participants had clustering of two or more CVD risk factors. Prevalence of CVD risk factor clusters increased with age (P < 0.01). Males and individuals with lower education levels and lower annual household income were more likely to have CVD risk factors than their counterparts (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Clustering of CVD risk factors is common in rural southwest China. Ethnicity and individual SES significantly impact prevalence of CVD risk factors and their clustering.

Metabolomic screening for diagnostic biomarkers of drug-induced chronic liver injury related cirrhosis / 药学学报

About 15%-20% of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) will progress to chronic manifestation (CH-DILI), which sometimes advances rapidly to liver cirrhosis (LC-DILI) within 0.5-1 year with deteriorative clinical prognosis. Therefore, it is important to find a non-invasive diagnosis for early detection of liver cirrhosis. In this study, the metabolomic profiles revealed significant differences in the metabolites from the plasma of LC-DILI versus CH-DILI. We found 35 differential metabolites through principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Through pathway enrichment analysis, some up-regulated metabolic pathways reflected impaired liver functions such as bile acid, lipid synthesis and decomposition during cirrhosis. Five biomarkers were found to exhibit effective diagnosis value (AUC > 0.6), including phosphatidylcholine, lysoPC (18:1 (9Z)), creatine, taurochenodeoxycholic acid and taurocholic acid. Furthermore, we found that the relative content ratio between phosphatidylcholine and lysoPC (18:1 (9Z)) had a better distinguishing ability (AUC = 0.867). The relative content ratio also had the feature to reduce systematic errors of sample processing and instrument detection, therefore having a greater value for clinical application.

Research Progress of Gas6 with Type 2Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetic Complications / 昆明医科大学学报

Growth arrest-specific 6, which is a member of the vitamin K-dependent protein family, is a ligand of TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) belonging to the receptor tyrosine kinase family.Gas6/Axl signaling pathways are involved in pathophysiological processes of cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, apoptosis, platelet aggregation, vascular remodeling, inflammatory and immune responses. In recent years, studies found that Gas6/Axl signaling pathway, Gas6 level and the gene polymorphism of Gas6 were significantly associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetic complications.This article reviews the correlation between Gas6 and type 2 diabetes and its complications

Effect of continuous light on reproductive rhythm of rats and intervention effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 医学研究生学报

Objective Light acts as an important zeitgeber and regulates the body's circadian rhythm.Excessive lighting at night leads to light pollution,which interferes with the circadian rhythm and thus adversely affects the body.To observe the adverse effect of continuous light on female reproductive endocrinology and explore effective treatment,the animal experiment was carried out.Methods 185 sexual maturity female SD rats in the age of 2 months with normal estrous cycle were enrolled.60 rats were selected randomly and enrolled into control group.Normal illumination conditions were given.The remaining rats were given 300±20lux light intensity for 24h/d last for 50 days to get reproductive rhythm disorder model.The model rats (100) were randomly divided into models group (n =50) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) group (n =50).Traditional Chinese Medicine group was treated with sequential TCM.At last we get 50 rats enrolled into model group and herbal group respectively.The TCM group rats were given therapy of nourishing yin and tonifying yang sequential TCM,while the two other groups were gavaged the same volume of physiological saline.The estrous cycle was observed in all groups.20 days later,blood were collected dynamically and E2 (estradiol),P (progesterone),LH (Luteinizing Hormone),FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)and melatonin were compared to evaluate the therapeutic effect of TCM.Finally,try to explain the mechanism of TCM's effect from the perspective of melatonin.Results At the first day,E2 was lower in TCM group and models group than control group (P＜ 0.05).At the second day,E2 was higher in traditional Chinese Medicine group than control group (9＜0.05).At the third day,E2 was higher in TCM group and models group than that in control group (P＜ 0.05).Progesterone in control group showed low level in pre-estrous and estrous period and elevated in the late stage of estrous.Progesterone showed no obvious change during the estrous cycle in TCM group and models group.At the third and fourth day,Progesterone was significantly lower in models group than TCM group and control group.At the first day,LH in models group [(249.8±50.2)mIU/mL] and TCM group [(83.4±37.3)mIU/mL] were significantly lower than control group [(430.0± 100.4)mIU/mL] (P＜0.05).At the first day,FSH in models group and TCM group were significantly lower than control group (P＜0.05).At the fourth day,FSH in TCM group was significantly lower than control group and models group (P＜0.05).Compared the melatonin among three groups,the circadian rhythm was high at night but low in the day in control group.The highest level was nearly 5 times higher than the lowest level.Neither the models group nor the TCM group had obvious recent rhythm changes.Conclusion Continuous light can induce disordered estrous cycle and loss of rhythm.Traditional Chinese Medicine can somehow induce circulation reconstruction.Continuous light can induce disordered endocrine,E2,FSH,LH surge abnormal,ovulation failure,luteal phase defect.TCM can induce ovulation and luteal support.Continuous light can destroy melatonin circadian rhythm and TCM can increase melatonin,which could be the mechanism of TCM's effect.

Content determination of alkaloids in different parts of Papaver nudicaule from different populations / 中草药

Objective To determine the qualitities Papaver nudicaule from different populations, a total alkaloid and three main kinds of alkaloids (reframidine, nudicauline, and amurensinine) from different parts, in order to provide a scientific basis for rational utilization and quality evaluation of P. nudicaule. Methods The qualitative and quantitative analysis of P. nudicaule has been conducted based on the method of LCMS-IT-TOF, Bromocresol green acid dye colorimetry and UPLC-MS, respectively. Results From the quantitative analysis, 13 kinds of alkaloids have been analyzed, in which eight kinds of chemical structures have been identified, and the results of quantitative analysis showed that there were greater variabilities in total alkaloid and three main kinds of alkaloids. Comprehensively, the plants grown in WLBT, HGL, and DL were better than other populations, in which the plants grown in WLBT were the best. In addition, the contents of total alkaloid and three main kinds of alkaloids were highly existed in the entire plants and flowers. Conclusion Based on the evaluation of the quality characteristics of P. nudicaule, it is suggested that total alkaloid and nudicauline can be seen as main reference indexes. Additionally, the result suggests that WLBT, HGL, and DL can be chosen to select and breed excellent quality of P. nudicaule, develop the quality standard and make layout of source area. The best harvest time should be chosen in late July to early August, and harvest site should be chosen flowers and whole plants.

Absorption enhancing effects and safety of PAMAM dendrimers on liquiritin / 中国中药杂志

PAMAM dendrimer is one of the most widely studied dendrimers in recent years, which has a large number of functional groups on the surface and cavities inside, specific three-dimensional structure and good biocompatibility, permeability and stability. It has been widely applied in drug and gene carrier fields and may become a new absorption enhancer. In order to study the absorption enhancing effects of PAMAM dendrimers, liquiritin was selected as the model drug, with the protection of spleen and liver, detoxification and other functions, but it had not been widely used in clinical application because of its difficult absorption, first pass effect, and low bioavailability. This topic was based on the two main determinants (solubility and permeability) of intestinal absorption in the body, researched the physicochemical properties of liquiritin, analyzed the transport volume of liquiritin with or without PAMAM dendrimers by using Caco-2 cell model, and analyzed the cytotoxicity of PAMAM dendrimers on Caco-2 cells by MTT experiments. These results showed that 0.1% of the G4 generation PAG can promote the absorption of liquiritin safely and effectively, and it was suitable for further development into a new type of pharmaceutical excipients.

[Investigation on Toxoplasma gondii infection and awareness of toxoplasmosis-related knowledge in women with poor pregnant outcomes in Wuxi City].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection and awareness of toxoplasmosis-related knowledge among women with poor pregnant outcomes in Wuxi City. METHODS: A total of 217 women with poor pregnant outcomes from Wuxi City during the period of January 2011 to December 2015 were randomly selected as the study subjects (a study group), while 250 women with normal pregnancy were served as controls (a control group). The sero-prevalence of T. gondii infection was detected by using ELISA and compared between the study and control groups. The awareness of toxoplasmosis-related knowledge was investigated by using a self-designed questionnaire and compared between the study and control groups. RESULTS: The positive rate of anti-Toxoplasma antibody was 30.88% in the study group, which was significantly higher than that (8.8%) in the control group (χ2 = 36.7, P < 0.01). The positive rates of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were 20.74% and 10.14% in the study group respectively, which were significantly higher than those (6% and 2.8%) in the control group (χ2 = 22.53 and 10.74, both P values < 0.01). In addition, the positive rates of anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were significantly higher in the women with missed miscarriage, natural abortion, stillbirth and birth defect than those in the women with normal pregnancy (all P values < 0.05). The awareness rates of "Do you hear about Toxoplasma or toxoplasmosis?" (P < 0.01), "Do you know that breeding pet cats or dogs may cause Toxoplasma infection?" (P < 0.05) and "Do you know that pregnancy women require the detection of Toxoplasma infection?" (P < 0.01) were significantly lower in the study group than those in the control group, while no significant differences were seen in the awareness rates of "Do you know that eating hot pot may cause Toxoplasma infection?", "Do you know that the use of chopping block in regardless of cooked and uncooked food may cause Toxoplasma infection?", "Do you know that Toxoplasma infection may transfer from mother to fetus?", "Do you know that Toxoplasma infection may cause adverse pregnant outcomes like abortion, stillbirth or fetal abnormalities ?", and "Do you know that the women infected with T. gondii during pregnancy require treatment?" between the two groups (all P values > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates higher prevalence of T. gondii infection in women with poor pregnant outcomes than in those with normal pregnancy in Wuxi City. Considering the harm of T. gondii infection during pregnancy and the low awareness of toxoplasmosis-related knowledge in pregnant women, the health education of toxoplasmosis-related knowledge should be strengthened, especially for pregnant women, so as to reduce the prevalence of T. gondii infection among pregnant women to improve the better child-bearing and rearing level.

Mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in alleviating pulmonary alveolitis in mice exposed to silica dust / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells( BMSCs) in alleviating pulmonary alveolitis in mice exposed to silica dust. METHODS: Five specific pathogen free healthy male C57 BL /6 mice were used to isolate BMSCs using bone marrow adherent method. The poly-potent differentiation ability of BMSCs were identified by 3 differentiation-inducing experiments. Forty-five mice of similar background were randomly divided into 3groups: control group,silica group and BMSCs transplantation group. The mice of the control group were given 20. 0 μL of0. 90% sodium chloride solution by one time intratracheal injection. The mice of silica group and BMSCs transplantation group were first received 20. 0 μL( 250 g / L mass concentration) of silica dust suspension by one time intratracheal injection; followed by 500. 0 μL of 0. 90% sodium chloride solution or 500. 0 μL of BMSCs suspension( cell density 1 ×109/ L) by tail vein infusion 6 hours later. Mice were euthanized on the 3rd day of the experiment. Lung functional coefficient and pathologic changes in the lung were examined. The level of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid( BALF) was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Wright-Giemsa staining was used for staining cells in BALF for counting. Flow cytometry( FCM) was used to measure the percentage of macrophages of BALF in the mice. RESULTS: BMSCs were successfully induced to differentiate into osteogenic,adipogenic and chondrogenic cells and developed into osteoblast,adipogenic cells and chondroblast. On the 3rd day of the experiment,the mice in silica group showed histopathological changes similar to pulmonary alveolitis; while there was no obvious inflammatory change observed in the BMSCs transplantation group,and the structure of lung tissue appeared normal. The lung coefficient of the silica group was higher than that of the control group( P < 0. 05); the lung coefficient of BMSCs transplantation group was lower than that of the silica group( P < 0. 05),but it showed no significant difference when compared to the control group( P > 0. 05). The interleukin( IL)-1β,IL-6 and chemokine ligand 3 levels in BALF in the silica group were higher than those of the control group( P < 0. 05),and the above 3 indices in the BMSCs transplantation group regaining the level of the control group( P > 0. 05) were lower than those of the silica group( P < 0. 05). The level of tumor necrosis factor-α in BALF in silica group and BMSCs transplantation group were higher than that of the control group( P < 0. 05),but there was no significant difference between silica group and BMSCs transplantation group( P > 0. 05). The level of IL-10 in BALF showed no significant difference in these 3 groups( P > 0. 05). Wright-Giemsa staining results showed that the number of total cells and macrophages in BALF in the silica group was higher than that of the control group( P < 0. 05),and the above cell number of BMSCs transplantation was lower than that of silica group( P < 0. 05),but it showed no significant difference when compared to the control group( P > 0. 05). The FCM result showed that the percentage of macrophages was in accordance with that of the Wright-Giemsa staining. CONCLUSION: The BMSCs can alleviate pulmonary alveolitis in the mice exposed to silica dust by inhibiting the amounts and activity of alveolar macrophages and down-regulating the expression of IL-1β and IL-6 in BALF.

Biopharmaceutics classification and absorption mechanisms primary study on four kinds of flavonoids / 中国中药杂志

The solubility and permeability on four kinds of flavonoids (kaempferol, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein) were test according to the theory of biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS), and their absorption mechanism. The solubility was investigated by the method in determination of solubility of "Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010". To detect appearance permeability of compounds mentioned above, the appropriate concentrations were selected by the MTT method in cell transfer experiments in Caco-2 cell model, which established by in vitro cell culture method. Therefore, these compounds were classified with BCS according to solubility and permeability. In addition, to explore absorption mechanisms, the experiments in three different concentrations of compounds in high, medium and low in bidirectional transformation methods in Caco-2 cell model contacted. The study indicated that all of kaempferol, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein have the characteristics in low solubility and high permeability, which belong to BCSⅡ, and the absorption mechanism of kaempferol was active transportation. Whereas, hesperidin, apigenin, genistein were passive transportation. In this study, it carried out initial explorations on establishment of determination for solubility and permeability in flavonoids, and provided theoretical reference for further research on BCS in traditional Chinese medicine.

Toxicity-attenuating effect of processed rhubarb products based on bio-heat activity in Tetrahymena thermophila BF5 / 中草药

Objective To explore the toxicity difference of various processed rhubarb products on Tetrahymena thermophila BF5. Methods The effects of various processed-rhubarb products on parameter of bio-heat activity in T. thermophila BF5 were invastigated by a TAM air isothermal microcalorimeter. Results Various processed rhubarb products had different inhibition on the growth of T. thermophila BF5 in different degrees. The order of intensity was crude rhubarb > alcohol-processed rhubarb > steamed rhubarb > carbonized rhubarb. The inhibition on the growth of T. thermophila BF5 was with the phenomenon of tG being increased, Pmax being lowered down, and t max being delayed. The heat production during the growth of T. thermophila BF5s was reduced in varying degrees, and the reducing of crude rhubarb was the most obvious. Conclusion It could be concluded that the processed rhubarb could attenuate the toxicity significantly. The study on the bio-heat activity of T. thermophila BF5 is suitable for the early screening on toxicity of Chinese materia medica.

Genetic diversity and population structure of 10 Chinese indigenous egg-type duck breeds assessed by microsatellite polymorphism.

The genetic structure and diversity of 10 Chinese indigenous egg-type duck breeds were investigated using 29 microsatellite markers. The total number of animals examined were 569, on average 57 animals per breed were selected. The microsatellite marker set analysed provided 177 alleles (mean 6.1 alleles per locus, ranging from 3 to 10). All populations showed high levels of heterozygosity with the lowest estimate of 0.539 for the Jinding ducks, and the highest 0.609 observed for Jingjiang partridge ducks. The global heterozygote deficit across all populations (FIT) amounted to -0.363. About 10% of the total genetic variability originated from differences among breeds, with all loci contributing significantly. An unrooted consensus tree was constructed using the NeighborNet tree based on the Reynold's genetic distance. The structure software was used to assess genetic clustering of these egg-type duck breeds. Clustering analysis provided an accurate representation of the current genetic relations among the breeds. An integrated analysis was undertaken to obtain information on the population dynamics in Chinese indigenous egg-type duck breeds, and to better determine the conservation priorities.

Two new phenolic acids from Drynariae rhizoma / 药学学报

To study the chemical constituents of Drynariae Rhizoma, nine phenolic acids were isolated from a 70% ethanol extract by using a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. By spectroscopic techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS, these compounds were identified as 4, 4'-dihydroxy-3, 3'-imino-di-benzoic acid (1), protocatechuic acid (2), gallic acid (3), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (4), (E)-caffeic acid (5), ethyl trans-3, 4-dihydroxycinnamate (6), caffeic acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), p-coumaric acid 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (8), and 23(S)-12-O-caffeoyl-12-hydroxyllauric acid glycerol ester (9), separately. Among them, 1 and 9 are new compounds, and 3, 4, and 6 were isolated from Drynaria species for the first time.

Essential issues of bioassay methods for quality control of laxative traditional Chinese medicines / 药学学报

The essential issues of bioassay methods for quality control of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) were investigated and discussed through the instantiation of developing the bioassay methods for laxative drugs. For the relatively broad variation of the quality of TCM, which might be influenced much by many factors, the parallel lines model of quantitative response is preferred to control the quality of TCM for its relatively high accuracy. The parallel model of quantal response is alternative while the sample can not meet the reliability standard for quantitative response model. According to the requirement of homogeneity between reference and sample for bioassay, the extract from referenced crude meterial is suitable to be used as reference substance after standardizing and defining by chemical substances, and to give reference to the establishment and reproducibility of authorized standard substance. The results of determination of the purgative biopotency of different species of rhubarb and the compound preparations showed that the bioassay methods and self-made reference substance established in this study could be used to control the quality of laxative medicines.

Methodological study on quality evaluation of rhubarb based on purgative bioassay / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method suitable to determine the purgative biopotency of rhubarb and construct a new quality evaluation pattern of rhubarb.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A series of factors such as observation index (mass of feces in 10 hours), animal strain (ICR mice), sex (male) and the dose of diphenoxylate complex (50 mg x kg(-1)) was investigated and fixed. The purgative biopotency as well as anthraquinone determination was used to evaluate the quality of different rhubarb samples.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>There wasn't a good linear relationship between the purgative biopotency and content of anthraquinone. The quality difference of rhubarb samples could be well characterized by combination of purgative biopotency determination and anthraquinone determination.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The purgative biopotency determination can be used in quality control and evaluation of rhubarb.</p>

Study on relationship of laxative potency and anthraquinones content traditional Chinese drugs / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between the laxative potency and anthraquinones content of six kinds of traditional Chinese drugs (TCDs) like Rheum tanguticum, Polygonum cuspidatum, R. palmatum, R. officeinale, Semen Cassiae and Radix Polygoni Multiflori.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The half effective dose (ED50) was applied to determine the laxative potency and the content of anthraquinones was evaluated by RP-HPLC.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The ED50 for the six kinds of TCD was 0.458, 0.686, 0.925, 1.004, 1.047, 1.986 g x kg(-1), respectively, and the sequence of laxative potency was R. tanguticum > P. cuspidatum > R. palmatum > R. officeinale > Semen Cassiae > Radix Polygoni Multiflori. In terms of the HPLC quantitative determination, the content of combined anthraquinones was 2.82% ,1.64%, 1.44%, 0.82%, 0.15%, 0.019%, respectively,and the sequence was R. tanguticum > Polygoni cuspidatum > R. palmatum > P. cuspidatum > Semen Cassiae > Radix Polygoni Multiflori.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There is a great difference in laxative potency between TCDs, and the relationship between laxative potency and the content of combined anthraquinones was found. The bioassay may be utilized to evaluate and control the quality of TCD with the chemical methods.</p>

Cytokine-induced killer cells showing multidrug resistance and remaining cytotoxic activity to tumor cells after transfected with mdr1 cDNA / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Routine treatment of cancer such as surgery, radiation or chemotherapy is sometimes unable to eradicate metastatic malignant cells. So we tried a new method and increased the adoptive immunotherapy of Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in tumor patients and the multidrug resistance (mdr1) cDNA was transfected into CIK cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CIK cells were obtained from peripheral blood and induced by IFN-gamma, anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, IL-2 and IL-1. CIK cells were transfected with plasmid PHaMDR containing human mdr1 cDNA by electroporation. RT-PCR was used to detect mdr1 mRNA in transfected CIK cells. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expressed on surface of CIK cells was assayed by FITC-conjugated anti-P-gp monoclonal antibody and flow cytometry. Multidrug resistance to doxorubicin and colchicine and cytotoxic activity to human breast cancer cell line MCF7 were performed using MTT method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>mdr1 mRNA was detected in transfected CIK cells. P-gp was expressed on the surface of the transfected CIK cells, and the P-gp positive cells reached 21% - 37% of the total CIK cells after transfection. The IC50 to doxorubicin increased to 22.3 - 45.8 times, and that to colchicines to 6.7 - 11.35 times, as compared to those of untransfected CIK cells. However, the cytotoxic activity to MCF7 cell line remained unaltered.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CIK cells were successfully transfected with mdr1 cDNA by using electroporation. The transfected CIK cells had the characteristics of multidrug resistance without change in their cytotoxic activity to tumor cells.</p>