Clinical and bronchoscopy features of tracheobronchial tuberculosis in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical and bronchoscopic characteristics of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB) in children and to identify factors influencing residual airway obstruction or stenosis.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of children with TBTB were retrospectively collected. The children were divided into two groups based on the last bronchoscopic result within one year of follow-up: a group with residual airway obstruction or stenosis (n=34) and a group without residual airway obstruction or stenosis (n=58). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing residual airway obstruction or stenosis in children with TBTB. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the predictive value of the factors influencing residual airway obstruction or stenosis in children with TBTB.@*RESULTS@#A total of 92 children with TBTB were included, and the main symptoms were cough (90%) and fever (68%). In children under 1 year old, the incidence rates of dyspnea and wheezing were significantly higher than in other age groups (P<0.008). Chest CT findings included mediastinal or hilar lymph node enlargement (90%) and tracheobronchial stenosis or obstruction (61%). The lymphatic fistula type was the main type of TBTB observed bronchoscopically (77%). All children received interventional treatment, and the effective rate was 84%. During one year of follow-up, 34 children had residual airway obstruction or stenosis. The TBTB diagnostic time and the initiation of interventional treatment were significantly delayed in the group with residual airway obstruction or stenosis compared with the group without residual airway obstruction or stenosis (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the TBTB diagnostic time was closely related to residual airway obstruction or stenosis in children (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that at the cut-off value of 92 days of TBTB diagnostic time, the area under the curve for predicting residual airway obstruction or stenosis in children with TBTB was 0.707, with a sensitivity of 58.8% and a specificity of 75.9%.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The clinical manifestations of TBTB are nonspecific, and symptoms are more severe in children under 1 year old. TBTB should be suspected in children with tuberculosis and chest imaging indicating airway involvement. Delayed diagnosis of TBTB is associated with the development of residual airway obstruction or stenosis.

Research progress of mechanisms of oxidative stress in septic cardiomyopathy / 中华危重病急救医学

Sepsis is currently defined as a life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction caused by host dysregulated response to infection, with high morbidity and mortality in intensive care units. Patients with sepsis are often complicated with cardiac dysfunction known as septic cardiomyopathy (SCM). The occurrence of SCM is related to the high mortality of patients, which has been closely concerned for a long time, and is also one of the challenges to be solved in the systematic treatment of sepsis. A large number of studies have shown that oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of SCM. The role of oxidative stress in SCM and the potential treatment measures for redox imbalance are discussed in this paper.

Relationship Between TRPV1 and TRPM8 in Reflux Esophagitis Models / 胃肠病学

Background: Studies have shown that transient receptor potential (TRP) channels play important roles in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), however, the relationship between TRPV1 and TRPM8 in reflux esophagitis (RE) remains unclear. Aims: To investigate the expressions of TRPV1, TRPM8 and their correlation in guinea pigs with RE. Methods: Thirty male guinea pigs aged 3⁃4 weeks were randomly divided into 3 groups: blank control group, negative control group and model group, with 10 animals in each group. Guinea pigs in model group and negative control group were given esophageal perfusion with 0.1 mol/L HCl containing 0.5% pepsin and normal saline, respectively, once a day for 14 days; guinea pigs in blank control group were free to drink sterile water for 14 days. On day 15, the esophagus was dissected for macroscopic and histopathological examination, and Western blotting and/or real⁃time PCR were used to detect the expression levels of TRPV1, TRPM8, GNAQ (an isoform of G protein), and the tight junction proteins and proinflammatory cytokines in esophageal tissue. The co⁃localization of TRPV1 and TRPM8 was assessed by immunofluorescence. Results: Esophageal mucosal congestion, hyperplasia of esophageal epithelial cells, infiltration of inflammatory cells, as well as up⁃regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and down⁃regulation of tight junction proteins were observed in esophageal tissue of guinea pigs in model group, which indicated the successful RE model construction. As compared with the negative control group, expression levels of TRPV1 and GNAQ mRNA and protein were significantly increased, while expression levels of TRPM8 mRNA and protein were significantly reduced in esophageal tissue of guinea pigs in model group (all P<0.05). TRPV1 and TRPM8 channels were co ⁃ localized in the lamina propria of esophageal mucosa. Conclusions: There is a certain equilibrium mechanism between TRPV1 and TRPM8 channels in RE models. G protein⁃coupled receptor signaling pathway and the downstream TRPV1/TRPM8 might be involved in the occurrence and development of GERD.

Magnetic resonance imaging study of basal ganglia volumes in patients with Parkinson's disease / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To explore the structural changes of basal ganglia(subcortical nuclei of cerebral hemisphere)in Parkinson's disease(PD)based on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)and their relationship with clinical status,and to find neuroimaging biomarkers that are valuable for early diagnosis and disease progression monitoring in PD.Methods Three-dimensional-T1WI and T2WI were applied to 54 PD patients(35 in tremor-dominant PD group,19 in akinetic-rigid-dominant PD group)and 35 healthy controls using 3.0 T MRI scanner.Voxel-based morphometry was used to investigate the volume changes of basal ganglia(subcortical nuclei of cerebral hemisphere, including caudate nucleus, putamen, and globus pallidus).Results Compared with the controls(caudate nucleus: left(6.94 ±1.00)mm3, right (6.93 ±0.88)mm3;putamen:left(5.64 ±0.69)mm3,right(6.03 ±0.86)mm3;globus pallidus: left (3.49 ±0.26)mm3,right(3.60 ±0.25)mm3,PD patients(caudate nucleus:left(5.99 ±1.78)mm3, right(6.11 ±1.65)mm3;putamen:left(4.99 ±1.50)mm3,right(5.56 ±1.68)mm3;globus pallidus:left(3.12 ±0.72)mm3,right(3.23 ±0.72)mm3)exhibited volume reduced in bilateral caudate nuclei(left t=2.871, P=0.005;right t=3.045, P=0.003), left putamen(t=2.773, P=0.007), and bilateral globus pallidus(left t=3.439, P=0.001; right t=3.493, P=0.001).Early stage of PD patients exhibited these changes.In addition,atrophy was showed mainly in left putamen(t=2.136, P=0.038)and globus pallidus(left t=2.683, P=0.010; right t=2.637, P=0.011)in the early stage, while in the later stage,caudate nucleus volume reduction(left t=3.260,P=0.002;right t=3.089,P=0.003)was also found.Moreover,no significant differences were found between tremor-dominant PD group and akinetic-rigid-dominant PD group.However, bilateral volume changes of basal ganglia in PD patients were not explicitly relevant to age,gender,Mini-Mental State Examination score,levodopa equivalent doses, disease duration,Hoehn-Yahr stages,Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-Ⅲ score, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score or Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety score.Conclusions The phenomenon of reduced basal ganglia volume was found in patients with PD.The measurement of basal ganglia volume by MRI could be an objective way for early diagnosis of PD.

Structural changes of substantia nigra in patients with unilateral Parkinson′s disease / 中华全科医师杂志

Magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) findings were studied in 19 patients with non-dementia Parkinson′s disease ( PD) Hoehn-Yahr Stage 1 and 1.5 and 38 healthy subjects.The width and area of pars compacta of substantia nigra ( SNc) , substantia nigra ( SN) and midbrain were measured.The width and area ratios of SNc to SN were calculated.Compared with controls, the widths of right SNc was narrower, bilateral ratios of SNc to SN width were decreased in PD group.As to the area of substantia nigra, there was no significant difference between PD and controls.The width of left SN and the ratio of right SNc to SN width was negatively correlation with age of patients.The ratio of left SNc to SN width, the area of bilateral SNc and left SN, as well as the ratio of right SNc to SN area had negative correlation with the disease duration;however, there was no correlation with gender, Hoehn-Yahr Stage, the Unified Parkinson disease rating scale score, mini mental state scale, education years, levodopa equivalent daily dose, Hamilton Depression Scale or Hamilton Anxiety Scale in PD group.The results indicate that there are bilateral structural changes of SN in unilateral PD patients, which may be more significant with increasing disease duration.The measurement of SNc width and SN area can be used as an objective indicator for diagnosis and disease progression monitoring of PD.

Content Determination of Eudesmin in Zanthoxylum simulans by HPLC / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the content determination of eudesmin in Zanthoxylum simulans. METH-ODS:HPLC was performed on the column of Kromasil C18 with mobile phase of acetonitrile-water(56:44,V/V)at flow rate of 1.0 ml/L,detection wavelength was 221 nm,column temperature was 25 ℃. RESULTS:The linear of eudesmin was 0.208-2.08 μg (r=0.999 8);RSDs of precision,reproducibility and stability tests were lower than 2.0%;recovery was 96.18%-103.04%(RSD=2.58,n=6). CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple and good reproducibility,and can be used for the content determination of eu-desmin in Z. simulans.

Pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of veratric acid after intravenous administration in rats / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distributions of veratric acid following intravenous administration in rats. The concentrations of veratric acid in rat plasma at various times after administrated at doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg·kg(-1) were quantified by HPLC. The tissue distributions of veratric acid at various times after a single intravenous dose of 2.5 mg·kg(-1) were also analyzed. The plasma pharmacokinetic parameters at the three doses were as follows: t(1/2), (86.23 ± 6.83), (72.66 ± 4.10) and (71.20 ± 2.90) min; C0, (11.10 ± 1.47), (23.67 ± 1.24) and (39.17 ± 3.90) μg·mL(-1); and AUC(0→∞), (1 240.90 ± 129.14), (2 273.84 ± 132.47) and (3 516.4 ± 403.37) min·μg·mL(-1), respectively. The compound was distributed into tissues rapidly and extensively after intravenous administration and was mainly distributed into the liver, heart and kidneys.

Absorption properties and mechanism of trolline and veratric acid and their implication to an evaluation of the effective components of the flowers of Trollius chinensis / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To study the absorption properties and mechanism of two important components, trolline and veratric acid, from the flowers of Trollius chinensis, in order to better understand the contribution of these two compounds to the effectiveness of these flowers.@*METHOD@#The human Caco-2 cell monolayer model was employed to study the transport of trolline and veratric acid from apical side (AP) to basal side (BL), and from BL to AP by determining the transport rates as the function of time and concentration and calculating apparent permeability coefficients (Papp).@*RESULTS@#Trolline and veratric acid were transported across Caco-2 cell monolayer through different mechanisms in a concentration dependent manner. Trolline was transported at a Papp level of 10(-6) cm·s(-1) with a Papp AP→BL/Papp BL→AP ratio of more than 1.8 or less than 0.8, while veratric acid was transported at a Papp level of 10(-5)cm·s(-1) with a Papp AP→BL/Papp BL→AP ratio of close to 1.0.@*CONCLUSION@#Trolline is moderately absorbed through an associative mechanism involving active and passive transport, and veratric acid is well-absorbed mainly through passive diffusion. These factors should be taken into account when chemically assessing the pharmacodynamic material basis of the flowers of T. chinensis.

Contribution evaluation of the floral parts to orientin and vitexin concentrations in the flowers of Trollius chinensis / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To provide a comprehensive procedure to evaluate the contribution of the floral parts to the yield of the major components from the flowers of Trollius chinensis, to underlay the selective breeding, cultivation, development, and utilization of the flowers.@*METHODS@#Five floral parts from eleven batches of the flowers of T. chinensis were examined by HPLC analysis for the content of orientin and vitexin, and by gravimetric analysis for their respective mass fraction. The contribution of each floral part was calculated using mathematical methods based on the results of the content and mass fraction. Variance analysis was carried out by Kruskal-Wallis H test and PCA method.@*RESULTS@#The calculated mean contributions of calyx, corolla, stamens and pistils, stalk, and ovary to the yield of both orientin and vitexin were 76.99% and 71.93%, 9.60% and 8.33%, 9.21% and 8.10%, 2.17% and 6.62%, and 2.03% and 5.02%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#The floral parts contribute unequally to the yield of orientin and vitexin, and the calyx contributes the highest and makes a significant difference compared with any other part.

Research progress of alternative production approaches of salidroside / 中国中药杂志

Salidroside, one of the active components of Rhodiola plants, is a phenolic glycoside with significant biological activities. The investigation and development of alternative production approaches of salidroside is of high academic and application values due to the limited resource of Rhodiola plants, and from which the low yield of salidroside. This review summarized the research progress and perspective of the alternative production approaches of salidroside including both chemosynthetic and biosynthetic methods and pathways.

Analysis of var genes cloned from a Plasmodium falciparum isolate in China

OBJECTIVE@#To analyse the var gene repertoire and characterise the chondroitin sulphate A (CSA)-binding activity of the Duffy-binding like (DBL) domains encoded by the var2csa gene of a Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) isolate in Hainan Province, China.@*METHODS@#The sequences of var DBL1 regions were PCR-amplified, sequenced and the sequence characteristics was bioinformatically analysed. Recombinant proteins encoded by the var2csa genes were expressed and purified. The binding activities of the recombinant proteins to CSA receptor was detected by ELISA assays.@*RESULTS@#Fifty six unique DBL α sequences were obtained, and the sequences represented similar diversity to the var genes of the genome parasite 3D7. There are two var2csa genes in the P. falciparum isolated from Hainan Province. Unlike in other falciparum parasites such as HB3, the two var2csa genes are more diverged. The receptor-binding capacity of DBL-5ε and DBL-6ε domains of HN var2CSA was studied.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This work represented the diversity of var genes of a P. falciparum isolate in China.

Genetic diversity of 12 species of germplasm resources for Potentilla discolor based on ISSR analysis / 中草药

Objective To study the genetic diversity of germplasm resources for Potentilla discolor.Methods Twelve species of germplasm resources for P.discolor were analyzed by ISSR molecular markers.To make up the systematic diagram of genetic relationship by POPGENE 1.32 software,cluster by UPGMA method,and establish the dendrogram.Results A total of 128 ISSR bands were scored for 12 primers,among which 101 were polymorphic bands.The average percentage of polymorphic bands was 78.91%.Genetic similarity coefficient was changed from 0.179 2 to 0.632 5.By cluster analysis,the geographical distribution is mutually related to the relationship of germplasm resources for P.discolor and it was also showed some of P.discolor from the same region were in the same group which presented the rule of geographical distribution in the tested materials.Conclusion The diversity level of the different germplasm resources for P.discolor higher and the relationship of P.discolor correlates with the geographical location in some way.