Intervention effects of Zuoguiwan containing serum on osteoblast through ERK1/2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in models with kidney-Yang-deficiency, kidney-Yin-deficiency osteoporosis syndromes / 中国中药杂志

To clarify the effects of Zuoguiwan containing serum on osteoblast proliferation and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) expression and its effects on the expression of β-catenin, ERK1, ERK2 mRNA and protein of osteoblast through ERK1/2, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in models with osteoporosis(OP) kidney-Yang-deficiency, osteoporosis(OP) kidney-Yin-deficiency syndrome. Rat osteoporosis models were established by ovariectomy surgery, and 10 weeks after surgery, hydrocortisone was injected and thyroxine was administered by intragastric administration to establish OP kidney-Yang-deficiency rat model, and OP kidney-Yin-deficiency rat model. Osteoblasts were obtained from 24 h newborn rat skull and were identified by alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining. Zuoguiwan containing serum of OP, OP kidney-Yang-deficiency, and OP kidney-Yin-deficiency, as well as the blank serum were used to intervene the osteoblast, and the cells proliferation was detected by MTS. ELISA assay was used to detect ALP expression. RT-PCR assay was used to detect the mRNA expression of ERK1, ERK2, β-catenin and protein expression levels were detected by Western blot. The results showed that Zuoguiwan containing serum in OP kidney-Yin-deficiency model had stronger effect than OP kidney-Yang-deficiency in promoting osteoblast proliferation, ALP expression, osteoblast ERK1/2, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related factors β-catenin, ERK1, ERK2 mRNA and protein expression levels. This was consistent with the TCM theory of "Zuoguiwan nourishes kidney Yin", providing a scientific basis for the clinical and dialectical treatment of osteoporosis. Zuoguiwan could regulate the proliferation and differentiation of bone cells by ERK1/2 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which may be one of the mechanisms of Zuoguiwan for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is Associated with Metabolic Syndrome among Adolescents and Youth in Beijing: data from Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome has a negative impact on the health of millions of adolescents and youth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of OSA syndrome with obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors among adolescents and youth at risk for metabolic syndrome (MS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 558 subjects aged 14-28 years were recruited from the Beijing Child and Adolescent Metabolic Syndrome Study. Each underwent a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), echocardiography, and liver ultrasonography. Anthropometric measures, blood levels of glucose, lipids, and liver enzymes were assessed. Subjects with high or low risk for OSA were identified by Berlin Questionnaire (BQ).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the subjects in obesity, 33.7% of whom were likely to have OSA by BQ. Subjects with high risk for OSA had higher neck and waist circumference and fat mass percentage compared to those with low risk for OSA (P < 0.001). Moreover, significant differences in levels of lipids, glucose after OGTT, and liver enzymes, as well as echocardiographic parameters were found between the two groups with high or low risk for OSA (P < 0.05). The rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (71.0% vs. 24.2%), MS (38.9% vs. 7.0%), and its components in high-risk group were significantly higher than in low-risk group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The prevalence of OSA by BQ was high in obese adolescents and youth. A high risk for OSA indicates a high cardiometabolic risk. Mechanisms mediating the observed associations require further investigation.</p>

Analysis of pancreatic cancer peripheral blood by comparative proteomics / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify protein markers for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer by a comparative proteomic method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Comparative analysis on the pancreatic peripheral blood protein profiling from 20 pancreatic cancer patients, 10 chronic pancreatitis patients and 20 cancer-free controls from May 2007 to September 2008 was carried out by two-dimensional fluorescence electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). Differentially expressed proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The significance difference proteins were confirmed by Western-blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A differentially expressed proteins: complement 3 (C3) was identified. The gray level of C3 in pancreatic cancer tissue, chronic pancreatitis, and normal control group were 1.63 ± 0.28, 0.65 ± 0.13 (t = 11.81, P = 0.00) and 0.88 ± 0.19 (t = 9.93, P = 0.00), respectively. C3 was high expression in pancreatic cancer group compared with normal control group. The expression of C3 was higher in pancreatic cancer group than in chronic pancreatitis group. The high expression of C3 in pancreatic carcinoma was confirmed by Western blot.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>2D-DIGE and MALDI-TOF-MS technology is a quick, easy and practical method to screen for specific biomarkers in serum of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The identified protein C3 in this study may be as specific serum biomarkers of pancreatic carcinoma.</p>

Effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on cerebral infarction volume and IL-1 beta in the brain tissue and sera of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on cerebral infarction volume as well as IL-1 beta in the brain tissue and sera of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The I/R rat model was established by using thread according to Zea-Longa. SD rats were randomly divided into five groups, i.e., the sham-operation group, the model group, the low dose ginsenoside Rb1 (20 mg/kg) group, the medium dose ginsenoside Rb1 group (40 mg/kg), and the high dose ginsenoside Rb1 group (80 mg/kg), 12 in each group. Rats in the sham-operation group only received middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) but without thread insertion. The MCAO model was prepared in the rest 4 groups, followed by MCAO2 h later. Ginsenoside Rb1 at each dose was peritoneally administrated to rats in corresponding groups immediately after cerebral ischemia. Equal volume of normal saline was administered to rats in the sham-operation group. Rats' cerebral infarction volume, integrals of neurologic defect degree, expression of IL-1 beta content in the brain tissue and sera were observed 24 h after 2-h cerebral I/R.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the model group, integrals of neurologic defect degree were improved (P < 0.01), IL-1 beta positive cells in the brain tissue increased and serum IL-1 beta content elevated (P < 0.05), when compared with the sham-operation group. In comparison of the model group, integrals of neurologic defect degree were lowered in the medium dose and high dose ginsenoside Rb1 groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The cerebral infarction volume was all shrunken in each ginsenoside Rb1 group, IL-1 beta positive cells in the brain tissue decreased, and IL-1 beta content in serum reduced (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the low dose ginsenoside Rb1 group, integrals of neurologic defect degree decreased, the cerebral infarction volume shrunken, and IL-1 beta content in serum reduced in the high dose ginsenoside Rb1 group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ginsenoside Rb1 (20, 40, 80 mg/kg) might effectively release local cerebral ischemia by down-regulating the IL-1 beta expression.</p>

Dual-Sensitive Probe of 2-( Benzoacridin) ethyl-imidazole-1-carboxylate for Determination of Aliphatic Amine with Fluorescence and Online Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry Identification / 分析化学

With comparison of three different methods for the marking of amines compound, an optimal deri vatization method was selected.5-(2-Hydroxyethyl) benzoacridine (HBA) reacts with coupling agent N,N'-carbonyldiimidazole(CDI) to form an activated amide intermediate 2-(benzoacridin) ethyl-imidazole-1-carbox-ylate(BAEIC).BAEIC, which is dual-sensitive probe, reacts preferably with amino compounds at 80 ℃ in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine(DMAP) catalyst in N,N-dimethylformamide(DMF) solvent to give the corresponding sensitively fluorescent derivatives with an excitation maximum at λ_(ex) of 280 nm and an emis sion maximum at λ_(em) of 510 nm.BAEIC-amine derivatives simultaneously exhibited high ionization potential with percent ionization (changing from 5.62% to 58.08% in aqueous acetonitrile and from 2.14% to 56.58% in aqueous methanol.Derivatives were not only sensitive to fluorescence but also to MS ionizable potential.The fluorescence detection limits(5/iV = 3) were 0.12-0.59 μg/L.The online APCI-MS detection limits were 1.9-14 μg/L(S/N=5).