Effects of Inonotus obliquus fungal substance on type 2 diabetic rats induced by Streptozotocin / 中草药

Objective: To compare the effects of fungal substance and sclerotium in Inonotus obliquus on the expeimental rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus induced by Streptozotocin (STZ). Methods: The type 2 diabetic rat model was established by ip injection of STZ (35 mg/kg) on SD rats after the rats were fed with high sugar and high fat for 6 weeks. Then, the rats were divided into model, fungal substance (I. obliquus fungal substance 1 g/kg), sclerotium (I. obliquus sclerotium 1 g/kg), and positive control (metformin hydrochloride 0.2 g/kg) groups. After 10 weeks of administration, the body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (INS), glycated metabolism (HbAlc), free fatty acid (FFA), cholesterin (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and other blood biochemical indexes were measured, and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was carried out. Results: After 10 weeks of administration, compared with the model group, the body weight and the SOD and GSH-Px levels of diabetic rats were significantly increased in fungal substance and sclerotium groups (P < 0.05), and the blood glucose and FBG, FFA, TC, TG, and MDA levels in the serum of diabetic rats were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The effects between fungal substance and sclerotium groups were statistically nonsignificant on the above indexes. Conclusion: The fungal substance of I. obliquus could relieve the symptom, lower the blood glucose, regulate the blood lipid, and improve the oxidative stress of experimental rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and the effects are similar with sclerotium group of wild I. obliquus.

Preparation of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds and study on its biodegradation behaviors in vivo and in vitro / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To fabricate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds owning the similar physiological structure of ECM, and to observe its biodegradation behavior in vivo and in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>(1) The PVA nanofibrous scaffold and PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffold were fabricated by electrospinning technique, and then they were crosslinked by glutaraldehyde vapor method. The morphology of both scaffolds was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). (2) Biodegradation experiment in vitro: the samples of two scaffolds with size of 2 cm x 2 cm were placed into phosphate-buffer saline (PBS) fluid under 37.0 degrees C water for incubation, and then they were dried to observe morphologic changes under SEM on post incubation day (PID) 3, 7, and 14. (3) Biodegradation experiment in vivo: 48 Wistar rats were divided into PVA group and PVA/chitosan group according to the random number table, with 24 rats in each group. PVA or PVA/chitosan nanofibrous scaffold was implanted into subcutaneous tissue on both sides of back in rats of both groups, with 4 scaffolds in each rat. The scaffold samples were harvested to observe morphologic changes with HE staining on post operation day (POD) 3, 7, 14, and 28.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) After crosslinking, the surface of fibers in PVA and PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds were smooth, and the diameters of fibers were similar, ranging from 200 to 300 nm, with high porosity. (2) Biodegradation experiment in vitro showed that the morphologic changes in fiber was respectively swelling, dissolution, fusion in PVA nanofibrous scaffold on PID 3, 7, 14, and that in PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffold was respectively swelling, dissolution and fragmentation, and disappearance. (3) Biodegradation experiment in vivo showed that the morphologic changes in scaffold structure was respectively loosening, fuzziness of edges, degradation, and disappearance in PVA group and PVA/chitosan group on POD 3, 7, 14, 28.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PVA/chitosan hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds can be prepared with electrospinning technique, and it has an appropriate biodegradation rate compatible with tissue reconstruction after crosslinking.</p>

Clinical observation on treatment of depression by electro-acupuncture combined with Paroxetine / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of Paroxetine combined with electro-acupuncture (EA) in treating depression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two patients with depression were randomly assigned to the observation group (22 patients) treated with EA combined with Paroxetine, and the control group (20 patients) treated with Paroxetine alone, and the therapeutic course for both groups was 6 weeks. The therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated with scores by Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and treatment emergent symptoms scale (TESS), respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HAMD scores determined at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of the treatment course were significantly lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The significant improvement rate evaluated at the end of the 6-week treatment was remarkably higher in the observation group than that in the control group (72.7% vs 40.0%). No significant difference of TESS scores was found between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA combined with Paroxetine has better clinical efficacy than that of Paroxetine alone, with milder adverse reaction and quicker initiation of effect.</p>