Isolation of antifungal compound from Paeonia suffruticosa and its antifungal mechanism / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate antifungal compound from Paeonia suffruticosa, and to find the antifungal mechanisms by observing the ultrastructural modifications of yeasts in growth phase produced by 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (PGG).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) root bark (PRB) was separated by solvent extraction and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using analytical and preparative reversed phase C18 column on the basis of bio-assay method. In order to investigate the antifungal mechanism of PGG, Yeasts were submitted to different concentrations [3 × minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), 0.3 × MIC] for 1 h under constant stirring at 30 °C, and transmission electron microscopy was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Based on the antifungal activity of PRB on Candida glabrata CBS138, the antifungal compound were isolated in ethyl acetate layer of PRB and identified as PGG by mass spectrometry, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses, with molecular weight of 940 and molecular formular as C41H32O26. Transmission electron microscopy showed that PGG degraded the cell wall envelope.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that PGG may be responsible for the antifungal activity of PRB by disrupting the structure of cell wall directly.</p>

Effect of Compound Qingre Granule on the Expression of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets of Acute Virus Infection Patients / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe interventional effects of anti-viral therapy and Compound Qin-gre Granule (CQG) on host cellular immune functions of acute virus infection patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty acute virus infection patients were recruited to detect peripheral lymphocyte subsets. They were randomly assigned to two groups, the Western medicine treatment group (treated with anti-virus Western medicine) and the integrative medicine treatment group (treated with anti-virus Western medicine plus CQG). T-cell subsets were re-examined 7 days later. Changes between before and after treatment were observed. Effect on host cellular immune functions and efficacy were compared between the Western medicine treatment and the integrative medicine treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control group, the percentage of peripheral T cells increased, and the percentage of B/NK cells decreased in acute virus infection patients (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, in T cell subsets, the percentage of CD8+ T cells and CD8+ CD38+ T cells increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and percentages of CD4+ T cells, CD4+ CD28 + T cells, and CD8+ CD28+ T cells decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). After one-week treatment, percentages of CD4+ T cells, CD4+ CD28+ T cells, and CD8+ CD28+ T cells increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), while the percentage of CD8+ CD38+ T cells decreased (P < 0.01). More significantly, these changes were greater in the integrative medicine treatment group than in the Western medicine treatment group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Disarranged cellular immune functions existed in acute virus infection patients. CQG could significantly improve viral infection induced immunologic derangement and immunologic injury.</p>

Treatment of severe post-kidney-transplant lung infection by integrative Chinese and Western medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore treatments of severe post-kidney-transplant lung infection by integrative Chinese and Western medicine (ICWM), in order to elevate the curing rate as well as to lower the death rate.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Based on conventional ways of Western medical treatments of 18 cases of severe post-kidney-transplant lung infection, such as putting the patients in single individual ward, antibiotics to prevent infection, respiratory machines, blood filtration, nutritional support, steroids, and maintaining electrolytes balance, we applied integrated Chinese medicinal treatments, like altering conventional prescription "pneumonia III", and conducted clinical observation of effectiveness, and indexes including white blood cell (WBC), neutrophilic granulocyte, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood creatinine (Cr), etc.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 18 cases studied, 7 were already cured, 8 proved the treatment effective, 3 died. All clinical indexes had statistically significant changes compared with those of before treatment (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ICWM can increase curing rate and lower death rate.</p>

Clinical study on treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome by integrative Chinese and Western medicine / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of integrative Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) in treating severe a cute respiratory syndrome (SARS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty SARS patients were diagnosed and observed according to the universal standard, and divided into the ICWM group (n = 31, treated with ICWM) and the control group (n = 29, treated by conventional western medicine alone).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ICWM showed better effect than that of western medicine alone in improving clinical symptoms, promoting the absorption of inflammation in lung, increased oxygen saturation (P < 0.01) and decreased the dosage of corticoid used (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The effect of ICWM is better than that of simple western medicine in treating SARS.</p>