Symptom prevalence, burden and correlates among people living with HIV in Vietnam: a two-centre self-report study.

Physical and psychological symptoms among people living with HIV (PLWH) adversely affect quality of life and treatment adherence. Study objectives were: (i) to determine validity and reliability of a Vietnamese translation of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF) among PLWH in Vietnam; (ii) to measure prevalence and burden of physical and psychological symptoms using the MSAS-SF including the Global Distress Index (GDI), Physical Distress subscale (PHYS), and Psychological Distress subscale (PSY); (iii) to identify symptom burden risk factors. We recruited 567 patients. Cronbach's alpha scores were: total MSAS-SF 0.91, GDI 0.83, PHYS 0.85, PSYCH 0.81. The scale showed good discriminant validity (low vs high function) (p < 0.001). The mean number of symptoms was 7.66, and the most prevalent were "worrying" (41.6%), "lack of energy" (40.6%), "feeling irritable" (40.4%), and "feeling sad" (39.2%). Monthly income below the poverty line was independently associated with increased: GDI,, PHYS, and PSY and a greater number of symptoms. The Vietnamese version of the MSAS-SF is valid to measure symptom prevalence and burden in HIV-positive populations. Here is a high symptom prevalence and burden among PLWH in Vietnam, especially those living in poverty, and a great need for palliative care integrated with HIV treatment.

Bioactive compounds from the aerial parts of Hypericum sampsonii.

Hypericum sampsonii is an important medicinal plant used in Vietnam to treat many diseases such as backache, burns, diarrhea, and swelling. In order to study the chemical constituents in the aerial parts of H. sampsonii, five compounds, including two xanthones (1-2), and three benzophenones (3-5) were isolated from the aerial parts of the H. sampsonii with various chromatographic separations. Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data such as 1D- and 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS. Their anti-inflammatory activities were investigated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, the DPPH radical scavenging was evaluated. As the obtained results, compound 5 showed the strongest inhibitory activity against LPS-stimulated NO production in RAW264.7 cells with IC50 value ranging from 2.00 ± 0.34 µM.

Preliminary study on the effects of Morinda citrifolia extract on the isolated blood vessels and water-electrolyte excretion

A study on the effects of Morinda citrifolia (MC) extract on the isolated blood vessels and water-electrolyte excretion by Lipschitz method. Results: MC in both concentrations of 1.25% and 2.5% had a vascular dilating effect of the rabbit ears without change vasoconstriction effect of adrenalin with concentration of 1/10 000. By oral administration, MC in doses of 0.3g, 0.6g and 0.9g/kg body weight increased the elimination of Na(+), K(+), Cl(-), but did not influence the elimination of Ca++ and urine amount at the rest time

Continue to study on influences of Morinda citrifolia L. Rubiaceae fruits on experimental animals immuno-suppressed by radiation

Study on the extract of Morinda citrifolia (MC) fruit with the ratio of 5:1 (1g extract was prepared from 5g of dried MC fruit) in order to determine the effects of extract on radiation-induced immunosuppressive mice. The results showed that: oral administration of this extract with daily dose of 6 g/kg in 9 consecutive days (3 days before and 6 days during receiving gamma ray) has increased the relative weight of spleen and thymus, total leukocyte count, number of lymphocytes, natural killers and monocytes, rate of immune rosette forming cells, hemolytic halo, and the skin test with OA antigen, compared with the mice group that has been only received gamma ray without drug