Formulation regularity of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of sinusitis based on data mining / 中国中药杂志

Based on the Drugdataexpy and the prescription modern application database, this study explored the formulation regularity of ancient and modern prescriptions for the treatment of sinusitis. The Chinese medicinal prescriptions for the treatment of sinusitis with various syndromes were retrieved from the above databases and the corresponding formulation regularity was investigated by frequency analysis, association rule analysis, and factor analysis. Eighty-seven Chinese medicinal prescriptions were included, involving five syndrome types of sinusitis and 160 Chinese medicine, which were mainly effective in releasing exterior, clearing heat, and tonifying deficiency, and acted on the lung meridian due to cold and warm nature and pungent and bitter flavor or on the spleen meridian due to warm nature and pungent flavor. Seventeen core Chinese medicine were screened out by topological data analysis, including Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Magnoliae Flos, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Xanthii Fructus, and Scutellariae Radix. Chinese medicine such as Magnoliae Flos, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, and Xanthii Fructus were commonly used in the treatment of sinusitis of wind-heat in the lung meridian, while the combination of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Magnoliae Flos, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, etc. was the key compatibility in treating sinusitis of dampness-heat in the spleen and stomach. Six common factors were extracted from the factor analysis of the above two syndrome types. The findings indicate that the exterior-releasing, heat-clearing, and deficiency-tonifying Chinese medicine with cold and warm nature and pungent flavor are preferential options for the clinical treatment of sinusitis. Treatment should be based on syndrome differentiation and key therapeutic principles should be followed.

Effects of Celastrol on Accelerated Healing of Skin Wounds of Diabetic Ulceration in Rats and Mechanism Revealed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based Metabonomics / 分析化学

The experimental SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (Con group),diabetic ulcer model group (DM group) and Celastrol group (Cel group).Except the control group,diabetic ulceration rat models were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin along with skin scald.And then,each group was treated by spraying the saline solution on the affected skin with (Cel group) or without (Con group and DM group) Cel (q.d.×14 d).Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomic analysis was applied to detect metabolic characteristics,accompanied by healing rate calculation and HE and Masson staining to study therapeutic effect of celastrol on accelerated healing of skin wounds of diabetic ulceration rats,which could be used to elucidate therapeutic effects of celastrol on the rat diabetic ulceration and its mechanism.The results showed that celastrol could induce epithelial regeneration of the rat ulcer wound,regulate the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the distribution of collagen fibers,and promote the healing of the ulcer wound.About 20 endogenous potential differential metabolites were screened and identified by partial least square analysis.Metabolic pathway analysis was carried out to show that celastrol can significantly recovery the level of the tricarboxylic acid cycle,promote its energy supply,accelerate the protein synthesis,improve mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress,and accelerate the self-repair ability of skin tissue.Celastrol can promote the healing of ulcers skins of the diabetic rats,which contribute to experimental basis of the drugs for the treatment of diabetic ulcers.

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase gene from Isatis indigotica / 中草药

Objective: To clone cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) gene from Isatis indigotica and to analyze its bioinformatics and expression. Methods: The full-length cDNA of C4H was 1 674 bp (GenBank accession No. GU014562) long with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 530 bp encoding a polypeptide of 509 amino acid residues. The comparison of C4H genomic DNA sequences and C4H cDNA sequence revealed that the C4H genomic DNA contained two introns. Southern-blotting analysis indicated that C4H was a multiple copy gene. C4H expression could be detected in all tissues at different expression levels, with the strongest expression in the roots. Further expression analysis revealed that the signaling components of defense/stress pathways, such as ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), abscisic acid (ABA), and Gibberellins (GA3) could up-regulate the C4H transcript levels compared with the control. Conclusion: We have first extracted the full length cDNA of C4H gene from I. indigotica, and its structural and bioinformatic analyses are carried out, which will help us to further illuminate this pathway. The research also provides a possibility to study the antiviral active constiuents in I. indigotica by plant secondary metabolic engineering.

Chinese Internet Searches Provide Inaccurate and Misleading Information to Epilepsy Patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Most patients with epilepsy want to learn as much as possible about the disease, and many have turned to the internet for information. Patients are likely to use information obtained from the internet to control their epilepsy, but little is known about the accuracy of this information. In this survey, we have assessed the feasibility and usability of internet-based interventions for the treatment of epilepsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data were collected from an internet search. Different search terms were used to obtain general information on epilepsy together with information about medication, types of epilepsy, treatment, women's health, and other information. The accuracy of the information was evaluated by a group of experts.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 1320 web pages were assessed. The majority were websites related to health. A large number (80.2%) of web pages contained content related to the search term. A significant number of web pages 450/1058 (42.5%) claimed to provide information from a credible source; however, only 206/1058 (19.5%) of the information was accurate and complete; 326/1058 (30.8%) was accurate but incomplete; 328/1058 (31.0%) was correct but nonstandard, and 198/1058 (18.8%) was inaccurate. The authenticity of the information was not significantly different between the two search engines (χ2 = 0.009, P = 0.924). No significant difference was observed in the information obtained from a specialist or nonspecialist source (χ2 = 7.538, P = 0.057). There was also no correlation between the quality of the information and the priority (χ2 = 6.880, P = 0.076).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Searching for information about epilepsy on the internet is convenient, but the information provided is not reliable. Too much information is inaccurate or for advertisement purposes, and it is difficult for patients to find the useful information. Turning to the internet for medical knowledge may be harmful. Physicians should be aware that their patients may search for information on the internet and guide them to safe, reputable websites.</p>

Long-term effect of deep brain stimulation on adult patients with Tourette syndrome / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To assess the long-term outcome of globus pallidus intema (Gpi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in adult patients with Tourette syndrome (TS). Methods Five adult drug-resistant TS patients, performed bilateral Gpi DBS in our hospital from May 2007 to May 2008,were chosen in our study; their symptoms before DBS and 3 and 6 months and 1 year after DBS,and over a year of DBS were evaluated by Yale global tic severity scale. Results The duration of follow-up ranged from 21 to 33 months.Scores of motor tic,phonic tic and social impairment in the last follow-up were significantly decreased as compared with those before DBS (P＜0.05); Scores of motor tic,phonic tic and social impairment 3 and 6 months and 1 year after DBS,and over a year of DBS were significantly decreased as compared with those before DBS (P＜0.05).The symptoms were gradually improved; in the first 6 months,the symptoms were obviously improved; 6 months after DBS,the symptoms were solid and can be mildly improved.3 and 6 months,1 year after DBS and till to the last follow-up (mean 26.4 months),the severity of symptom meanly improved 28.50％,52.35％,57.62％ and 62.88％,respectively;and till the last follow-up,the motor tic,phonic tic and social impairment was improved 51.38％,46.16％ and 71.00％,respectively; no serious adverse effects were noted. Conclusion Gpi DBS,improving the symptoms as motor tic,phonic tic and social impairment,is a useful and safe treatment method for adult patients with medically refractory TS; the long-term efficiency is solid.

The role of Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 in hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the expression level of Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 (SMURF1) gene in hepatocellular carcinoma, and to explore its role in liver cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With non-neoplastic adjacent normal tissues as controls, real-time PCR and Western blotting were used for measuring the expression of SMURF1 mRNA and protein in 89 samples of hepatocellular carcinoma. Correlations between SMURF1 expression and clinical features were explored. Following transfection of SMURF1--specific small interference RNA(siRNA), the apoptosis and proliferation of hepatic cancer cells Hep G2 were detected using flow cytometry and MTT assays .</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of SMURF1 mRNA and protein were significantly higher in hepatocellular cancer tissues compared with the paired normal tissues (P< 0.05). The expression of SMURF1 however did not correlate with any clinical features (P> 0.05). Transfection of SMURF1-specific siRNA can promote the apoptosis whilst inhibit the proliferation of Hep G2 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of SMURF1 is enhanced in hepatocellular carcinoma, which may have played a role in the disease through affecting apoptosis and proliferation of hepatic cancer cells.</p>

Dorsal root entry zone coagulation for treatment of deafferentation pain syndromes / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Deafferentation pain is a kind of chronic pain syndrome and hard to manipulate. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of junctional dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) coagulation, 23 consecutive patients with intractable deafferentation pain syndrome were studied.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-three patients underwent junctional DREZ coagulation (C5-T1 for upper extremities and L2-S1 for lower extremities) under general anesthesia. The pain severity was evaluated by the short McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) and the visual analog scale (VAS), and the depression and anxiety of patients were assessed by Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the patients experienced significant pain reduction immediately after surgery. The scales of short MPQ and VAS at pre-operation, 6-month and 12-month follow-up were 31.5 +/- 3.4 and 8.8 +/- 1.5, 6.5 +/- 1.9 and 2.5 +/- 2.2, 7.1 +/- 2.1 and 2.9 +/- 1.9, respectively. The postoperative scores comparing to pre-operative scores showed a statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). The depression and anxiety state was also significantly relieved. At 12-month follow-up 6 patients had complete pain relief, 11 had excellent results with more than 75% pain relief, 17 had good results with more than 50% pain relief (73.9%). The main postoperative complications were transient slight hemiplegia (8), hypesthesia and paresthesia (15), a bearing down feeling of affected extremity (6), and deep sensory disability in the lower limbs (4) on the operated side. Because of the long time and prone position of the operation, 13 cases had a transient hyperalgesia in the upper chest.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DREZ coagulation is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of deafferentation pain syndromes.</p>

Brain glucose metabolic changes associated with chronic spontaneous pain due to brachial plexus avulsion: a preliminary positron emission tomography study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Previous brain imaging studies suggested that the brain activity underlying the perception of chronic pain may differ from that underlying acute pain. To investigate the brain regions involved in chronic spontaneous pain due to brachial plexus avulsion (BPA), fluorine-(18)fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning was applied to determine the glucose metabolic changes in patients with pain due to BPA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six right-handed patients with chronic spontaneous pain due to left-BPA and twelve right-handed age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects participated in the (18)F-FDG PET study. The patients were rated by visual analog scale (VAS) during scanning and Hamilton depression scale and Hamilton anxiety scale after scanning. Statistical parametric mapping 2 (SPM2) was applied for data analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with healthy subjects, the patients had significant glucose metabolism decreases in the right thalamus and SI (P < 0.001, uncorrected), and significant glucose metabolism increases in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (BA11), left rostral insula cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (BA10/46) (P < 0.001, uncorrected).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings suggest that the brain areas involved in emotion, attention and internal modulation of pain may be related to the chronic spontaneous pain due to BPA.</p>

A study on neurosurgical treatment for phantom limb pain / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical effect of combination of mesencephalotomy with bilateral anterior cingulotomy, and destroy spinal cord dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) treatment for phantom limb pain (PLP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifteen patients suffering from PLP secondary to amputation were treated with neurosurgical procedures, including 7 cases of left upper limb pain, 4 cases of right upper limb pain, 1 case of left lower limb pain and 3 cases of right lower limb pain. Group A, the mesencephalotomy and bilateral anterior cingulotomy, were co-performed in 4 patients. Group B, the other 11 patients were treated with DREZ lesion on the same side in the C5-T1 or L2-S1 spinal cord segments. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) were used for preoperative and postoperative evaluation of the pain status of each patient. Statistical analyses were conducted using paired-samples t test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All cases had pain relief immediately after operation and did not take medicine. In group A, the short-term (3 months) follow-up results indicated a significant reduction in patients' pain scales (P < 0.01), but pain recurred in 4-18 months after operation. In group B, one patient died of serious lung infection at 2 months after operation. The other 10 patients had pain relief satisfactorily in long-term follow-up period (12-24 months postoperative, P < 0.05). There were no serious complication and surgery-related mortality.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The cooperation of mesencephalotomy and bilateral anterior cingulotomy, DREZ lesion are effective methods for relieving PLP. DREZ lesion has a good long-term effect.</p>

Expression and switching of TH1/TH2 type cytokines gene in human gliomas / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression and switching of Th1/Th2 cytokines gene in human gliomas and its effects on occurring and developing of human gliomas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon-gamma represent Th1 type cytokines. IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13 represent Th2 type cytokines. The gene expressions of Thl/Th2 cytokines in human glioma cells, glioma infiltrating lymphocytes, and glioma cell lines were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The biological activity of cytokines in the supernatant of glioma cell lines was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total positive rates of Th1 and Th2 type cytokines gene in human glioma cells were 14.77% and 75%. The total positive rates of Th1 and Th2 type cytokines gene in glioma infiltrating lymphocytes were 22.73% and 68.17%. There was obviously predominant expression of Th2 type cytokines in human glioma tissues, glioma infiltrating lymphocytes, and glioma cell lines. There was no unbalanced expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines in normal brain tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There is a predominant expression of Th2 type cytokines in human glioma cells. The switching of Thl/Th2 cytokines gene may play an important role in the occurring and developing of human gliomas.</p>

The study of biological properties of gliomas / 中国医学科学院学报

In order to explore the new methods of biological treatment of human gliomas, this project is to study the biological properties of gliomas from four different aspects, the results show that there is a IL-6 autocrine loop in human gliomas and the growth of gliomas will be inhibited when the autocrine loop is broken. There is a magnificent predominant expression of Th2 cytokines in human gliomas and human glioma cells, the switching of Th2 to Th1 can inhibit the proliferation of glioma cells. The dosage of 100 micrograms/ml of erythromycin is the best of therapeutic effect. Angiostatin can not only inhibit the vascular endothelial growth, but also have the inhibitory role on the growth of glioma cells in vivo. The above studies have provided some new ideas and will be very helpful for the treatment of glioma patients.