Effect of Ningdong Granule on the levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha in children patients with Tourette's syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Ningdong Granule (NG) on serum levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) of children patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 90 TS children patients were randomly assigned to the NG group, the NG + Tiapride group (abbreviated as the combined treatment group), and the Tiapride group, 30 in each group. Besides,another 30 healthy children were recruited as the healthy control group. Patients in the NG group were treated with NG (consisting of all gastrodia rhizome, Codonopsis pilosula, Ophiopogon japonicus, white peony root, Rhinocerotidae, oyster, earthworm, licorice root, etc.), one dose daily, administered by dissolving it in boiled water, taken in two portions in the morning and in the evening respectively. Patients in the Tiapride group took Tiapride Tablet, 50 -100 mg each time, twice daily. The dosage was adjusted according to individual difference and changes of pathogenic conditions. The maximal dosage was 300 mg per day. Those in the combined treatment group were treated with equal dose of NG and Tiapride Tablet in combination. The treatment course was 3 months for all. Changes of pathogenic condition before and after treatment were assessed by Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS). Serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha were detected by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The total effective rate of the NG group, the combined treatment group, and the Tiapride group was 79.3%, 83.3%, and 67.9%, respectively. It was the lowest in the Tiapride group (P < 0.05). It was significantly higher in the combined treatment group than in the NG group (P < 0.05). (2) The post-treatment YGTSS score was obviously lower in each group after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05). The posttreatment YGTSS score was obviously lower in the NG group and the combined treatment group than in the Tiapride group (P < 0.05), but with no statistical difference between the fromer two groups (P > 0.05).(3) Compared with the healthy control group before treatment, serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha (pg/mL) were 124.95 +/- 22.78 and 209.52 +/- 21.69 in the NG group, 126.14 +/- 25.65 and 208.97 +/- 22.46 in the combined treatment group, 123.00 +/- 24.26 and 205.10 +/- 26.16 in the Tiapride group, being higher than those in the healthy control group (64.56 +/- 27.59 and 78.13 +/- 33.42; P < 0.05). After treatment, serum levels of of IL-12 and TNF-alpha were 104.67 +/- 16.84 and 183.01 +/- 24.95 in the NG group, 109.04 +/- 16.81 and 179.87 +/- 23.45 in the combined treatment group, significantly lower than before treatment (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-12 or TNF-alpha in the Tiapride group between before treatment (123.00 +/- 24.26 and 205.10 +/- 26.16) and after treatment (117.75 +/- 16.79 and 199.76 +/- 33.21; P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NG could modulate abnormal serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha in TS children patients, which might be one of its pharmacodynamic mechanisms for treating TS.</p>

Effect of ningdong granule on stereotyped behaviors in Tourette syndrome model rats of different Chinese medical syndromes / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Ningdong Granule (NDG) on stereotyped behaviors in Tourette's syndrome (TS) model rats of different Chinese medical syndromes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two Wistar rats were used to establish TS models of different Chinese medical syndromes (n =8) induced by TS children patients' sera of 4 syndromes, i.e., Xin-Gan deficiency syndrome (XGDS), Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome (GSYDS), sputum-turbid blocking aperture syndrome (STBAS), and Gan hyperactivity Pi deficiency syndrome (GHPDS). Corresponding sera was micro-infused to them while administering NDG (120 mg/kg each time, thrice daily, for 3 successive weeks). Besides, another normal control group (n =8) was set up by injecting sera from healthy children plus intragastric perfusion of normal saline. Stereotyped behaviors were recorded on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after administration of NDG.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The anti-neural antibody serum concentration in TS children was significantly higher than that in healthy control [(1.28 +/- 0.36) UL vs. (0.52 +/- 0.24) U/L, P < 0.01 ]. It was (1.34 +/- 0.41) U/L in the XGDS group, (1.19 +/- 0.51) U/L in the GSYDS group, (1.29 +/- 0.61) U/L in the STBAS group, and (1. 17 +/- 0.45) U/L in the GHPDS group, showing no statistical difference (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in stereotypic behaviors of rats after treatment among the four different Chinese medical syndromes (P > 0.05). At day 7, 14, and 21 after treatment by NDG, the times of stereotyped behaviors were significantly less in the XGDS group than in the other three groups at the same time points except in the GHPDS group at day 14 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the total numbers of stereotyped behaviors in the XGDS group [(42.8 +/- 12.6)] was obviously superior to that in the GSYDS group [(29.3 +/- 13.7)], the STBAS group [(21.9 +/- 10.4)], and the GHPDS group [(30.6 +/- 9.6)], showing statistical difference (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) after treatment by NDG at day 21.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The anti-neural antibody serum concentration in TS children was significantly higher than that in healthy children. Stereotyped behaviors could be induced in rats after intrastriatal micro-infusion of TS sera rich in anti-neural antibody. TS model rats of XGDS were better improved than rats in the other 3 groups after treatment by NDG.</p>

Apoptosis-inducing effect of cinobufacini on human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and its mechanism of action / 药学学报

To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of cinobufacini (Huachansu) on human hepatoma cell line HepG2 and its possible mechanism of action, HepG2 cells were treated with different concentrations of cinobufacini. Cell proliferation was measured by methylthiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The morphological changes of apoptosis were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. Cell cycle distribution and apoptotic rate were evaluated by flow cytometry (FCM). Quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of apoptosis related factors Bcl-2, Bax and p53. The results indicated that cinobufacini could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose and time dependent manner. Remarkable morphological changes of apoptosis including cytoplasmic and nuclear condensation and partition of cytoplasm were observed by Hoechst 33258 staining. According to FCM analysis, HepG2 cells were arrested in G2/M phase and the apoptotic rate increased with the increase of the concentration of cinobufacini. Both the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax and p53 were up-regulated while Bcl-2 expression down-regulated. Thus, cinobufacini could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of human hepatoma cell line HepG2. Furthermore, up regulation of Bax and p53 as well as down regulation of Bcl-2 expressions may be one of the important apoptotic inducing mechanisms.

Clinical observation on treatment of Tourette syndrome by integrative medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical efficacy of integrative Chinese and Western medicine in treating Tourette syndrome (TS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety children with TS were randomized into two groups by randomizing: digital table method: the 60 patients in the treated group were treated by Ningdong Granule (NDG) plus haloperidol, and the 30 in the control group treated by haloperidol alone. The course for both groups was 6 months. Conditions of the patients were estimated before and after treatment with Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), the short-term efficacy, adverse reaction of treatment were assessed at the end of treatment, and the long-term efficacy as well as the recurrent rate were evaluated half a year after the treatment was ended.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 60 patients in the treated group, the treatment on 36 was evaluated as remarkably effective, 21 as effective, and 3 as ineffective, the total effective rate being 95.0% (57/60), while of the 30 patients in the control group, the corresponding data were 9, 13, 8 and 73.3% (22/30), respectively, differences between groups in markedly effective rate and total effective rate were statistically significant (chi(2)=7.20, and chi(2)=6.85, P<0.01). The improvement on the condition of illness, motor tic and vocal tic, as well as the long-term efficacy of treatment were all better in the treated group than in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The incidence of adverse reaction and the recurrent rate in the treated group were 13.3% (8/60) and 8.3% (5/60) respectively, all were lower than those in the control group, 36.7% (11/30) and 43.3 (13/30), showing statistical significances (P<0.05 and P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Integrative medical treatment on TS was markedly effective in clinical practice with less adverse reaction and lower recurrent rate.</p>

Multi-slice CT angiography by triple-phase enhancement in preoperative evaluation of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Triple-phase enhancement of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) has markedly improved the diagnostic accuracy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and MSCT angiography (MSCTA) has been proved useful in detecting vascular anatomy noninvasively. This study aimed to explore the value of MSCTA by triple-phase enhancement in preoperative evaluation of HCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-six consecutive cases of primary HCC scheduled for resection were studied with MSCTA by triple-phase enhancement. The raw data images were processed on a workstation for multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction. The findings after processing of the data were compared with those after surgery or intraoperative sonography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The false positive rate of MSCTA by triple-phase enhancement was 10.1% and its false negative rate was 4.3% in detecting HCC. No significant difference was observed in MSCTA and surgery or intraoperative sonography in detecting vascular anatomy anomalies and pathologic variations, whereas significant difference was found in detecting bile duct invasion with MSCT compared to intraoperative sonography.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MSCTA by triple-phase enhancement not only improves the detection of HCC, but also provides valuable preoperative information about hepatic vascular architecture and parenchyma. MSCTA by triple-phase enhancement is worthy of application as a non-invasive method in preoperative evaluation of HCC.</p>