Exogenous H₂O₂ regulated secondary metabolism of Scutellaria baicalensis and enhanced drug quality / 中国中药杂志

The increasing demand of Chinese materia medica could not be supplied by wild resource, and the cultivated medicinal materials become popular, which led to decreased quality of many medicinal materials due to the difference of the circumstance between the wild and the cultivated. How to improve quality becomes key points of Chinese medicine resource. The leaves of Scutellaria baicalensis were sprayed with H₂O₂, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) changed little, but there had been a marked decrease of peroxidase (POD) and ascorbic oxidase (APX), which showed that the antioxidase system declined. Meanwhile, H₂O₂, as enhanced the expression of phenylalnine ammonialyase (PAL) and β-glucuronidase (GUS) as well as activity of PAL, promoted the biosynthesis and biotransformation of flavonoids. At the day 2 after treated, H₂O₂ of 0.004 μmol·L⁻¹ the contents of the baicalin and the wogonoside decreased slightly, but the contents of the baicalein and the wogonin increased significantly, the baicalein from 0.094% to 0.324%, the wogonin from 0.060% to 0.110%, i. e. increased 246% and 83.3%, respectively.

Combination of LC/MS and GC/MS based metabolomics to study the hepatotoxic effect of realgar nanoparticles in rats / 中国天然药物

Realgar nanoparticles (NPs) are increasingly used as therapeutic agents for their enhanced anti-proliferation effect and cytotoxicity on cancer cells. However, the alteration of particle size may enhance biological reactivity as well as toxicity. A LC/MS and GC/MS based metabolomics approach was employed to explore the mechanism of realgar NPs-induced hepatotoxicity and identify potential biomarkers. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administrated intragastrically with realgar or realgar NPs at a dose of 1.0 g·kg·d for 28 days and toxic effects of realgar NPs on liver tissues were examined by biochemical indicator analysis and histopathologic examination. Increased levels of serum enzymes and high hepatic steatosis were discovered in the realgar NPs treated group. Multivariate data analysis revealed that rats with realgar NPs-induced hepatotoxicity could be distinctively differentiated from the animals in the control and realgar treated groups. In addition, 21 and 32 endogenous metabolites were apparently changed in the serum and live extracts, respectively. Realgar NPs might induce free fatty acid and triglyceride accumulation, resulting in hepatotoxicity. In conclusion, the present study represents the first comprehensive LC/MS- and GC/MS-based metabolomics analysis of realgar NPs-induced hepatotoxicity, which may help further research of nanotoxicity.

Clinical study on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of children and adolescent measured by OCT / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To evaluate the clinical characteristics in retinal nerve fiber layer ( RNFL) thickness of the 8~17 years old near sightedness, provide the basis for juvenile glaucoma diagnosis, to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. METHODS:A total of 165 eyes from 99 healthy subjects ( age range 8 ~ 17 years ) were divided into low, moderate, high myopia and normal group. Cirrus HD OCT was used to measure the RNFL thickness. Each subject was performed circular scans around the optic nerve with a circle size of 3. 46mm. Total average, mean quadrant and clock - hour RNFL thicknesses were recorded and compared between the four groups. The characteristics of the RNFL thickness of myopia were observed. RESULTS: Compared myopia groups with normal group, the mean RNFL thickness decreased, there was statistically significant difference in high myopia group (PCONCLUSION: Compared adolescent myopia with normal, the Avg ( mean RNFL thickness ) , S ( superior quadrant RNFL thickness ) , I ( inferior quadrant RNFL thickness), 1:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 12:00 o'clock RNFL thickness is thinner, which is decreased with the increasing SE. While the temporal ( T) quadrant, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 o'clock RNFL thickness is thicker, which increased with the increasing SE. Analysis of RNFL thickness in the evaluation of glaucoma should always be interpreted with reference to the refractive status, so as not to cause misdiagnosis of glaucoma. The highest diagnosis efficiency position of glaucoma is infratemporal (7:00~8:00 o'clock) and superior temporal (10:00 ~11:00 o'clock), which is not thinner in juvenile myopia, if these positions become thinner, it may be the possibility of glaucoma.

Identification and comparative analysis of the major chemical constituents in the extracts of single fuzi herb and fuzi-gancao herb-pair by UFLC-IT-TOF/MS / 中国天然药物

AIM@#The aim of this work was to establish a specific and sensitive method to comprehensively investigate and compare chemical constituents of Fuzi-Gancao herb pair (FG), consisting of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux (Fuzi, Chinese) and Roast Radix Glycyrrhizae (Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Gancao, in Chinese) and Fuzi alone to explore the underlying interaction mechanism of FG.@*METHOD@#An ultra-fast liquid chromatography-ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UFLC/MS-IT-TOF) method using diazepam as internal standard was developed for the identification and semi-quantitative analysis of the phytochemical constituents of Fuzi and FG. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a UFLC column using a gradient program with 40 mmol·L(-1) ammonium acetate and acetonitrile as the mobile phase.@*RESULTS@#Fifty-one of the sixty compounds, including forty-five C19-diterpenoid alkaloids and six C20-diterpenoid alkaloids were tentatively identified in the extracts of Fuzi and FG through accurate mass measurements and fragmentation patterns. Comparing the contents of these alkaloids in these two extracts, it was found that the diester-diterpenoid alkaloids (DDAs) and the alkylolamine-diterpenoid alkaloids (ADAs) were increased, while the monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids (MDAs) were decreased in the extracts of FG.@*CONCLUSION@#This work provided comprehensive information for the quality control of Fuzi preparations, and the further investigation on the compatibility mechanisms of FG.

Prevalence of nutritional risk among in-patients with liver diseases in Beijing, China / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence of nutritional risk and malnutrition among in-patients with liver diseases in Beijing, China, and to evaluate the relationship between nutritional risk and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 331 in-patients with liver diseases under care at the Artificial Liver Center of Beijing Youan Hospital were consecutively enrolled for study between April 2012 and December 2012. Nutritional status was determined by calculating each patient's ratio of real weight to clinically ideal weight, the triceps skin fold (TSF), and the mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MAMC). Nutritional risk was estimated using the Nutritional Risk Screening questionnaire 2002 (NRS-2002). In addition, each patient's Child-Pugh stage, body mass index (BMI), power of gripping, serum albumin and pre-albumin levels, lymphocyte count, hospital length of stay, complications, alcoholism history, and outcome after discharge were recorded for analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One-hundred-and-thirteen of the patients (34.1%) were defined as at nutritional risk upon hospital admission. The ratio of nutritional risk was lowest in patients with chronic hepatitis (17.0%) and highest in patients with acute on chronic liver failure (56.5%). The ratios of malnutrition evaluated by TSF and MAMC were 36.9% and 38.7%, respectively. Among the patients with liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, the ratio of Child-Pugh stage C was higher for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without. When TSF-based ratio of malnutrition was higher for individuals with a history of alcoholism than for those without. BMI, power of gripping, serum albumin level, serum pre-albumin level, and lymphocyte count were all lower for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without. Hospital stay, ratio of complication onset, and ratio of death were all higher for individuals defined as at nutritional risk than for those without.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TSF and MAMC can be used to evaluate the nutritional status of in-patients with liver diseases. Patients with nutritional risk (as determined by the NRS-2002) have poorer prognosis and may benefit from nutritional intervention.</p>

Prophylactic effect of TLR5 agonist flagellin on acute graft versus host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and its mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the prophylactic effect of Toll like receptor (TLR)5 agonist flagellin on acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and its possible mechanism. The animal model with allo-HSCT aGVHD was established by using purebred mice (male mouse C57BL/6 as donor, female mouse BALB/c as recipient) with complete-unidentical major histocompatibility antigen. The recipient mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: group 1 in which mice were injected with high purity (95%) flagellin before and after allo-HSCT respectively, group 2 in which mice received allo-HSCT without injection of flagellin, group 3 in which mice were radiated alone. The aGVHD features of mice in group 1 and 2 were observed and compared. The results showed that the typical symptoms of aGVHD appeared in transplanted mice. The death peak of mice in group 2 appeared at day 4-5 after transplantation. The aGVHD symptoms were obviously alleviated and the mean survival time was prolonged significantly in mice group 1 as compared with mice in group 2 (P < 0.05). The comparison of WBC count in peripheral blood of mice in 3 groups before transplantation showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), while WBC count of mice in group 1 and 2 showed the significant difference at days 14 and 21 after transplantation (P < 0.05). The pathological appearances of aGVHD in mice of group 1 were obviously reduced as compared with mice in group 2. The flow cytometric detection of Treg cell/CD4(+) T cell levels at different time before and after transplantation demonstrated that the Treg cell level in mice of group 1 at weeks 2-4 after transplantation significantly increased as compared with mice in group 2 (P < 0.05). It is concluded that flagellin can effectively prevent the aGVHD occurrence after allo-HSCT, reduce the symptoms and pathological changes of aGVHD, obviously prolong mean survival time of mice in group 1. The mechanism of flagellin effect may be associated to increase of Treg cell level in mice after allo-HSCT.

Role of18F-FDG PET/CT in preliminary diagnosis and postoperative surveillance for uterine cervical cancer / 肿瘤

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of 18F- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET)/CT in preliminary diagnosing and postoperative monitoring for cervical cancer. Methods: A retrospective review was performed in 72 patients with uterine cervical diseases, and all patients were evaluated with PET/CT. They were divided into two groups: the preliminary diagnosing group, in which 43 cervical cancer-equivocal patients underwent PET/CT for diagnosis and staging; the postoperative monitoring group, in which 29 patients underwent PET/CT for monitoring recurrence or metastasis after chemoradiotherapy or operation. Finally, the results of PET/CT imaging were proved by biopsy, pathology and other examinations or clinical follow-up. The clinical follow-up is longer than 6 months. Results: For preliminary diagnosing and staging of the cervical cancer, the sensitivity, specificity and the accuracy of PET/CT were 83.8% (31/37), 50.0% (3/6) and 79.1% (34/43), respectively; among the 31 patients with cervical cancer, 12 (38.7%) had lymph node metastasis. In the postoperative monitoring group, 11 patients had metastatic lesions. The sensitivity, specificity and the accuracy of PET/CT to detect the metastasis were 100% (11/11), 77.8% (14/18) and 86.2% (25/29), respectively. Among the 11 patients, 5 (45.5%) patients were found to have small lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging can increase the accuracy of diagnosis and staging of cervical cancer, and it is useful to make the more reasonable treatment plans and the postoperative monitoring procedures. Copyright© 2011 by the Editorial Board of Tumor.

Relationship between the long type PML-RAR alpha and the prognosis of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between long (L) type PML-RAR alpha fusion gene and the prognosis of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PML-RAR alpha fusion gene was detected by RT-PCR in 33 APL patients. The optical density of three bands including E5 (+) E6 (+) 636 bp (no deletion), E5 (-) E6 (+) 492 bp (exon 5 deleted) and E5 (-) E6 (-) 232 bp (both exon 5 and exon 6 deleted) was measured by a UVP analysis system and their relative proportions were calculated. The relative expression level of each splicing band, initial WBC count and age were statistically (for single and multi-factor analysis) analyzed with prognosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The relative expressions of E5 (-) E6 (+) and E5 (-) E6 (-) in death group were obviously different from that in first complete remission (CR1) group (P < 0.01), but do not for E5 (+) E6 (+) (P > 0.05). The relative expression levels of E5 (-) E6 (+), E5 (-) E6 (-) and E5 (+) E6 (+) were 0.23 +/- 0.12, 0.58 +/- 0.18, 0.20 +/- 0.09 in death group, and 0.45 +/- 0.16, 0.23 +/- 0.12, 0.31 +/- 0.16 in CR1 group, respectively. Initial WBC count and age was no difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the expression of E5 (-) E6 (+) had no effect on the prognosis (B = 3.475, P = 0.492), but the expression of E5 (-) E6 (-) showed a negative correlation with prognosis (B = -19.660, P = 0.046).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The high expression of E5 (-) E6 (-) is correlated with the poor prognosis for patients with APL.</p>

Observation on therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with western medicine on paralytic strabismus / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To find out a better therapy for paralytic strabismus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety cases were randomly divided into an acupuncture-medicine group, an acupuncture group, a western medicine group, 30 cases in each group. The acupuncture-medicine group were treated with acupuncture at Shuigou (GV 26), Fengchi (GB 20), Yifeng (TE 17), Yiming (EX-HN 14), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Jingming (BL 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), etc. intramuscular injection of Vit B1 and Vit B12, and oral administration of ATP; the acupuncture group were treated with simple acupuncture, and the western medicine group were treated with simple western medicine. Their therapeutic effects were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cured rate of 66.7% in the acupuncture-medicine group was significantly higher than 26.7% in the acupuncture group and 26.7% in the western medicine group (both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture combined with western medicine has obvious therapeutic effect, which is better than that of simple acupuncture or simple western medicine.</p>