A systematic review of pharmacological activities, toxicological mechanisms and pharmacokinetic studies on Aconitum alkaloids / 中国天然药物

The tubers and roots of Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) are widely used as heart medicine or analgesic agents for the treatment of coronary heart disease, chronic heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis and neuropathic pain since ancient times. As a type of natural products mainly extracted from Aconitum plants, Aconitum alkaloids have complex chemical structures and exert remarkable biological activity, which are mainly responsible for significant effects of Aconitum plants. The present review is to summarize the progress of the pharmacological, toxicological, and pharmacokinetic studies of Aconitum alkaloids, so as to provide evidence for better clinical application. Research data concerning pharmacological, toxicological and pharmacokinetic studies of Aconitum alkaloids were collected from different scientific databases (PubMed, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and Web of Science) using the phrase Aconitum alkaloids, as well as generic synonyms. Aconitum alkaloids are both bioactive compounds and toxic ingredients in Aconitum plants. They produce a wide range of pharmacological activities, including protecting the cardiovascular system, nervous system, and immune system and anti-cancer effects. Notably, Aconitum alkaloids also exert strong cardiac toxicity, neurotoxicity and liver toxicity, which are supported by clinical studies. Finally, pharmacokinetic studies indicated that cytochrome P450 proteins (CYPs) and efflux transporters (ETs) are closely related to the low bioavailability of Aconitum alkaloids and play an important role in their metabolism and detoxification in vivo.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of aristolochic acid components in nine Chinese medicinal materials containing toxic aristolochic substances / 药学学报

The objective of this work was to explore the content and composition of aristolochic acid compounds in Chinese medicinal materials containing toxic aristolochic chemicals, so as to ensure the safety of these medicinal materials and their related products. Nine Chinese medicinal materials were selected for study, including the tuber of Aristolochia cinnabarina, the herbs of Asarum forbesii, the stems of Aristolochia manshuriensis., the fruits of Aristolochia debilis, the roots of Aristolochia debilis, the stems and leaf of Aristolochia debilis, the herbs of Aristolochia mollissima, the roots of Aristolochia fangchi, and the roots of Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum. The aristolochic acid components in the nine Chinese medicinal materials were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with high performance liquid chromatography diode-array detection. The separation was performed on an Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) with gradient elution using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.2% acetic acid. ESI positive ion mode MS was used to investigate the ionization pathways of aristolochic acid Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲa, Ⅳa, Ⅶa, and aristololactam Ⅰ, Ⅱ using seven reference standards, and the structures of the components with UV spectrasimilar to those of the seven reference standards in the selected medicinal materials were qualitatively analyzed by following the investigated ionization pathways. The identified aristolochic acid components were quantified using an external standard method by HPLC-UV with detection at 254 nm. Twenty-two aristolochic acid components including 11 aristolochic acids and 11 aristololactams were identified from the nine selected medicinal materials; 15 aristolochic acids were found in the tuber of Aristolochia cinnabarina and the roots of Aristolochia debilis, followed by 14 aristolochic acids in the fruits of Aristolochia debilis and the stems of Aristolochia manshuriensis. The greatest content of aristolochia components was found in the tuber of Aristolochia cinnabarina and the stems of Aristolochia manshuriensis, ranging from 8.91 mg·g-1 to 13.40 mg·g-1, and the least amount was in the herbs of Asarum forbesii, at less than 0.10 mg·g-1 and containing only two aristolochia components. This study systematically explored the quantity and composition of aristolochic acid components in selected Chinese medicinal materials believed to contain toxic aristolochic compounds, providing a basis for follow-up studies on the toxicity of these substances that can lead to safety standards for their use.

A new isobenzofuranone derivative from Chaenomeles sinensis and its antibacterial activity / 中国中药杂志

A new isobenzofuranone derivative was isolated from Chaenomeles sinensis by using various chromatographic techniques,including silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,MCI-gel resin and RP-HPLC. This compound was determined as 2,2-dimethyl-5-( 2-oxopropyl)-2 H-furo[3,4-h]chromen-7( 9 H)-one( 1) by NMR,MS,IR and UV spectra,and was also evaluated for its antibacterial activity. The results showed that it showed prominent antibacterial activity with MIC90 value of( 53. 7±4. 5) mg·L-1 for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus( MRSA) strain. This value is close to that of levofloxacin [with MIC90 value( 50. 2± 4. 2) mg·L-1].

Regulatory effect of traditional Chinese medicine on intestinal microbiota / 中国中药杂志

As a large micro-ecosystem in the human body,the intestinal microbiota is closely associated with the occurrence of many diseases.The clinical investigations and animal experiments have showed that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) could maintain the balance of the intestinal micro-ecological system.This review summarized the research methods and literatures on the regulation effects of TCM,including different effective ingredients,extracts and Chinese herbal formulae,on intestinal microflora in recent five years,in order to provide a reference for the further research and development of TCM.

Diagnostic value of multidetector CT in acute and chronic mesenteric venous thrombosis / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective · To analyze the multidetector CT (MDCT) manifestations of mesenteric venous thrombosis (MVT) and further explore the diagnostic value of MDCT in acute and chronic MVT. Methods · MDCT findings of 47 MVT patients clinically confirmed in Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Second People's Hospital in Kashgar from January 2012 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The mean CT value of thrombus on CT axial images of acute and chronic MVT was measured and calculated. According to CT values and CT manifestations, differences between the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results · Among 47 patients with MVT, there were 46 (97.87％) with filling defect of mesenteric vein and its branches, 34 (72.34％) with dilatation of blood vessels at the thrombosis site, 30 (63.82％) with intestinal wall thickening, 9 (19.15％) with enhanced delamination of intestinal wall, 11 (23.40％) with intestinal dilatation, 21 (44.68％) with ascites, and 25 (53.19％) with mesenteric edema. The mean CT value of MVT thrombus in acute group [ (42.88±17.77) HU] was higher than that in chronic group [ (31.80±6.18) HU] (P＜0.05). The proportion of MVT with vasodilation and target sign in acute group was higher than that in chronic group (P＜0.05). There was no difference in the ratio of other signs between the two groups. Conclusion · The MDCT findings of MVT patients are characteristic. CT value of thrombus, vasodilation and target sign are valuable in evaluating acute and chronic MVT.

Peripheral Leptin Signaling Mediates Formalin-Induced Nociception / 神经科学通报·英文版

Accumulating evidence suggests that obesity is associated with chronic pain. However, whether obesity is associated with acute inflammatory pain is unknown. Using a well-established obese mouse model induced by a high-fat diet, we found that: (1) the acute thermal pain sensory threshold did not change in obese mice; (2) the model obese mice had fewer nociceptive responses in formalin-induced inflammatory pain tests; restoring the obese mice to a chow diet for three weeks partly recovered their pain sensation; (3) leptin injection induced significant phosphorylation of STAT3 in control mice but not in obese mice, indicating the dysmodulation of topical leptin-leptin receptor signaling in these mice; and (4) leptin-leptin receptor signaling-deficient mice (ob/ob and db/db) or leptin-leptin receptor pathway blockade with a leptin receptor antagonist and the JAK2 inhibitor AG 490 in wild-type mice reduced their nociceptive responses in formalin tests. These results indicate that leptin plays a role in nociception induced by acute inflammation and that interference in the leptin-leptin receptor pathway could be a peripheral target against acute inflammatory pain.

The Changes of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in Myocardial Tissue of Rats with Arrhyth-mias / 法医学杂志

Objective T o observe the expression changes of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (H IF-1α) and vascular endothelial grow th factor-A (V E G F-A ) in rats w ith arrhythm ias, and to explore the differences of the expression pattern in the tw o indicators of acute m yocardial ischem ia caused by arrhythm ias and coronary insufficiency. Methods T he arrhythm ia w as induced by C aC l2, and the expression changes of H IF-1α and V E G F-A w ere detected by im m unohistochem istry, W estern blotting and real-tim e PC R w ithin 6 h after the arrhythm ia in rats. Results T he expression of H IF-1α and V E G F-A show ed diffuse in the m yocardial tissue of rats died from arrhythm ias. B oth of them increased in the early arrhythm ia, then decreased. E xtensive m yocardial ischem ia happened at the beginning of arrhythm ia occurrence and its range didn't expand w ith tim e. Conclusion T he expressions of H IF-1α and V E G F-A in m yocardium of the rats w ith arrhythm ia can provide evidence for the differential diagnosis of acute m yocardial is-chem ia caused by fatal arrhythm ia and coronary insufficiency.

The Changes of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in Myocardial Tissue of Rats with Arrhythmias / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To observe the expression changes of hypoxia inducible factor-1α（HIF-1α） and vascular endothelial growth factor-A （VEGF-A） in rats with arrhythmias, and to explore the differences of the expression pattern in the two indicators of acute myocardial ischemia caused by arrhythmias and coronary insufficiency.@*METHODS@#The arrhythmia was induced by CaCl₂, and the expression changes of HIF-1α and VEGF-A were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time PCR within 6 h after the arrhythmia in rats.@*RESULTS@#The expression of HIF-1α and VEGF-A showed diffuse in the myocardial tissue of rats died from arrhythmias. Both of them increased in the early arrhythmia, then decreased. Extensive myocardial ischemia happened at the beginning of arrhythmia occurrence and its range didn't expand with time.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF-A in myocardium of the rats with arrhythmia can provide evidence for the differential diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia caused by fatal arrhythmia and coronary insufficiency.

A new naphthalene derivative from Aloe vera and its antibacterial activity / 中国中药杂志

A new naphthalene derivative has been isolated from Aloe vera by using various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, sephadex, MCI-gel resin, and RP-HPLC. The new compound was determined as 3-hydroxy-1-(1,7-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethoxynaphthalen-2-yl)propan-1-one (1). In the biological activity assay, compound 1 disglayed prominent antibacterial activity with a MIC90 value of (48±4) mg•L⁻¹ for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain which was stronger than that of the positive control levofloxacin with a MIC90 value (58±5) mg•L⁻¹.

Changes of Serum IgE and Tryptase in Anaphylactic Shock Rats / 法医学杂志

Objective To explore the changes of serum IgE and tryptase caused by anaphylactic shock rats and discuss the relation to PMI and preservative environm ent of corpse and specim en. Methods Rats were used for establishing anaphylactic shock m odels and random ly divided into room tem perature group, refrigeration group, frozen group, manual hem olysis group, specim en preservation group. And the control group was also established. The blood sam ples were collected after rats were sacrificed. The de-gree of hem olysis was graded according to the color of the upper layer of the serum . The mass concen-tration of IgE and tryptase in each group was detected by ELISA. Results The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in anaphylactic shock dead rats were higher than that of the control group. Room tem perature and frozen m ade obviously differences on the levels of serum IgE and tryptase with various PMI. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in refrigeration group show ed relatively stable. The levels of serum tryptase and IgE were elevated with differently increasing hem olysis. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase show ed no obvious changes during the specim en kept under different tem perature conditions for 25 days. Conclusion Serum IgE and tryptase obviously increased in anaphylactic shock rats. H ow ever, the levels were influenced by PMI and environm ental tem perature, especially under the conditions of room tem perature and frozen.

Changes of Serum IgE and Tryptase in Anaphylactic Shock Rats / 法医学杂志

OJECTIVE@#To explore the changes of serum IgE and tryptase caused by anaphylactic shock rats and discuss the relation to PMI and preservative environment of corpse and specimen.@*METHODS@#Rats were used for establishing anaphylactic shock models and randomly divided into room temperature group, refrigeration group, frozen group, manual hemolysis group, specimen preservation group. And the control group was also established. The blood samples were collected after rats were sacrificed. The degree of hemolysis was graded according to the color of the upper layer of the serum. The mass concentration of IgE and tryptase in each group was detected by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in anaphylactic shock dead rats were higher than that of the control group. Room temperature and frozen made obviously differences on the levels of serum IgE and tryptase with various PMI. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase in refrigeration group showed relatively stable. The levels of serum tryptase and IgE were elevated with differently increasing hemolysis. The levels of serum IgE and tryptase showed no obvious changes during the specimen kept under different temperature conditions for 25 days.@*CONCLUSION@#Serum IgE and tryptase obviously increased in anaphylactic shock rats. However, the levels were influenced by PMI and environmental temperature, especially under the conditions of room temperature and frozen.

Preclinical pharmacodynamic research of Juhuang Qingre San / 药学实践杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy on antibacterial , antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immune reg-ulation of Juhuang Qingre San .Methods Efficacy on antibacterial was evaluated by the method of doubling dilution ,vivo antibacterial effect was observed by inoculating BABL/C mice with Streptococcus pneumonia ,efficacy on antipyretic was investigated by using endo-toxin fever model ,analgesic function was assessed using mice hot plate and torsion analgesic method ,effect of anti inflammatory was as-sessed with rat paw edema model and mice Peritoneal capillary permeability model , the role of regulating immune system was evaluated by mice carbon clearance test .Results Juhuang Qingre San can decrease the death rate of mice in antibacterial test in vitro or vivo,in low and mid dose group of Juhuang Qingre San , heating temperature of rabbits decreased significantly 2-3 h after administration ( P<0.05), and high dosage group decreased significantly 2-4 h after administration (P<0.05),the mice pain threshold increased signif-icantly (P<0.05) after the administration of 1.5, 2, 3 h in every group of Juhuang Qingre San was , and can significantly reduce the number of mice writhing after intraperitoneal injection (P<0.05),rat paw swelling rate decreased significantly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 h after administration in each dosage group of Juhuang Qingre San (P<0.05), peritoneal capillary permeability decreased in the acute in-flammation model of mice (P<0.05), in carbon particle clearance test of immune regulation , K value of high and medium dose group of Juhuang Qingre San was increased , while the value of alpha increased as well ( P<0 .05 ) .Conclusion The results suggested that Juhuang Qingre San has efficacy of antibacterial , antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing .

Biochemical Indicators of Anaphylactic Shock and the Application in Forensic Medicine / 法医学杂志

Fatal anaphylactic shock is common in forensic practice. However, it is difficult to diagnose for lacking specific pathological and morphologic changes in forensic autopsy. The application of some biochemical indicators is of great significance. This paper reviews the biological characteristics of some biochemical indicators and detection methods. The forensic application, problems and prospects of these indicators are also introduced in details. The stable biochemical indicators, IgE, tryptase and chymase, show great potential and advantages in the identification of fatal anaphylactic shock in forensic medicine.

Biochemical indicators of anaphylactic shock and the application in forensic medicine / 法医学杂志

Fatal anaphylactic shock is common in forensic practice. However, it is difficult to diagnose for lacking specific pathological and morphologic changes in forensic autopsy. The application of some biochemical indicators is of great significance. This paper reviews the biological characteristics of some biochemical indicators and detection methods. The forensic application, problems and prospects of these indicators are also introduced in details. The stable biochemical indicators, IgE, tryptase and chymase, show great potential and advantages in the identification of fatal anaphylactic shock in forensic medicine.

Expression of BNP in rat myocardial tissue after acute cardiac dysfunction / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in rat myocardial tissue after acute cardiac dysfunction and to explore the role of BNP in diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction in forensic practice.@*METHODS@#Rat models of acute cardiac dysfunction were established. The expression of BNP protein and BNP mRNA in myocardial tissue after cardiac dysfunction were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR.@*RESULTS@#The extent of positive staining of BNP increased over the time course during cardiac dysfunction. The expression of BNP showed mild positive in cardiomyocytes from 1 h to 2 h. From 4 h to 6 h, the expression was moderate positive. From 10 h to 12 h, the BNP showed a strongest positive expression. The expression of BNP presented a significant raise with the increasing time of cardiac dysfunction by Western blotting and real-time RT-PCR. The expression of BNP mRNA increased significantly 1 h after cardiac dysfunction.@*CONCLUSION@#Investigating the expression of BNP protein and BNP mRNA in myocardial tissue may provide a new approach to evaluate the cardiac function for forensic pathologists.

Early expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha after acute myocardial ischemia in rats / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the changes of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha), the expression in the early stage (within 6 h) of acute myocardial ischemia and to explore the potential forensic application.@*METHODS@#SD rats were randomly divided into one control group, one sham operation group and five myocardial ischemia groups which received ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. The five experiment groups divided into 15min, 30min, 1 h, 3 h and 6h after LAD ligation. The expression of HIF-1alpha was detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Western blotting, respectively.@*RESULTS@#Both the control group and sham operation group showed no expression of HIF-1alpha, whereas the expression of HIF-1alpha could be weakly detected beneath the endocardium at 15 min after LAD ligation. With the increase of myocardial ischemia process, the positive staining gradually extended from endocardium to epicardium, reached the peak at 3 h, and began to decrease gradually at 6h after LAD ligation but still maintained at a relatively high level. In addition, the expression of HIF-1alpha without a time-dependent way was also detected in full thickness of the right ventricle in occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia after LAD ligation.@*CONCLUSION@#HIF-1alpha may be regarded as a sensitive marker for sudden cardiac death induced by early acute myocardial ischemia, and may also be helpful for the diagnosis of fatal arrhythmia.

Time-dependent expression of vascular endothelial growth factor after acute myocardial ischemia in rats / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the immunohistochemical distributions and expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the model of rat myocardial ischemia.@*METHODS@#The model of myocardial ischemia was established by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery of rats. The changes of VEGF expression were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot at time points after myocardial ischemia. The electrocardiographic changes were evaluated uninterruptedly.@*RESULTS@#The expression of VEGF was not be found in control group. Fifteen minutes after LAD ligation, weak positive expression of VEGF were found in the ischemic myocardium. The expression of VEGF reached the peak at 3 hours after ligation. The VEGF distribution was mainly localized in the ischemic and peri-ischemic regions. Six hours after LAD ligation, the expression of VEGF decreased comparing with 3 hours and showed a relatively higher level. Fatal arrhythmia was found in nine rats by the electrocardiograph.@*CONCLUSION@#The immunohistochemical staining of VEGF could be helpful for investigating the location and severity of acute myocardial ischemia. Fatal arrhythmia may be secondary to myocardial ischemia.

Mechanism of methamphetamine intoxication and its medical identification / 法医学杂志

Methamphetamine (MA) is a representative drug of amphetamine-type stimulants for central nervous system and has become one of the most dangerous drugs in the world recently. The present article reviews the pharmacological effects, distribution, metabolism, intoxication mechanism, the effects of MA on cardiovascular and central nervous systems of MA, and the current situation of forensic investigation on MA.

Application of brain natriuretic peptide in evaluation of cardiac function in forensic medicine / 法医学杂志

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a major marker for evaluating cardiac function and has been widely used in clinical practice. Recent researches show that BNP is also useful for identification of sudden cardiac death in forensic pathology. This article reviews the molecular structure and biological characteristics of the BNP and its application as a functional indicate in forensic medicine. It shows that the expression of BNP in cardiac muscles, together with the expression of BNP in blood and pericardium liquid can be used to evaluate the pathological physiology changes and dysfunction degrees of the heart during the cardiac sudden death.

Chemical constituents of Asterias amurensis: An advance / 第二军医大学学报

The chemical constituents of starfish Asterias amurensis have been extensively studied in China. Some unique and new chemical constituents have been isolated from Asterias amurensis ; they included saponins, sulfated sterols, amyloses, steroids, amino acids, etc. Many of them have anti-bacterial activities and hemolysis effects. We reviewed the related literatures published home and abroad, hoping to provide more evidence for further development of Asterias amurensis.