Effect of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma on airway inflammation in chronic bronchitis based on TGF-β signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the mechanism of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma against chronic bronchitis airway inflammation. The SD rats of SPF grade were divided into control group, model group, Guilongkechuanning group(GLKCN, 1.125 g·kg~(-1)), high-dose fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma group(LG-HD, 15 g·kg~(-1)), and low-dose fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma group(LG-LD, 7.5 g·kg~(-1)). The chronic bronchitis models of rats in other groups except the control group were induced by the modified smoking method. From the 15 th day of modeling, the rats were given corresponding agents by gavage for 20 consecutive days. After the last administration, the rats were sacrificed for sample collection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to detect serum transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) and interleukin-6(IL-6) levels. The protein expression of TGF-β, IL-1β and IL-6 in lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method. Masson staining was performed to detect collagen fibers and muscle fibers in lung tissue, and HE staining to detect the pathological changes of lung tissue. Human bronchial epithelial(16 HBE) cells were cultured in vitro, and CCK-8(cell counting kit-8) method was used to detect the cytotoxicity of cigarette smoke extract(CSE) and fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma. After the exposure of 16 HBE cells to 3.5% CSE and appropriate concentration(800, 400 μg·mL~(-1)) of fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma for 24 h, quantitative real-time PCR was conducted to determine the mRNA levels of TGF-β and IL-1β, and Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of TGF-β and IL-6 in the cells. The rat model of chronic bronchitis induced by smoking was successfully established. Fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma reduced serum TGF-β and IL-6 levels, down-regulated the protein levels of TGF-β, IL-1β, and IL-6 in lung tissue, and alleviated pathological changes and fibrotic lesions in lung tissue. Moreover, it down-regulated the CSE-induced protein expression of TGF-β and IL-6 as well as the mRNA level of TGF-β in 16 HBE cells. These results indicated that fresh Phragmitis Rhizoma could prevent airway inflammation from chronic bronchitis and promote cell repair by inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway.

Thinking on safety of "toxic" traditional Chinese medicine for external use / 中国中药杂志

In recent years,the safety of " toxic" traditional Chinese medicine has received great attention. Similarly,the safety of " toxic" Chinese medicines for external use should not be ignored. In this paper,the adverse reactions of toxic Chinese medicine for external use were systematically studied; the causes for adverse reactions were analyzed; and the key problems on the external use of toxic Chinese medicine in modern clinical practice were put forward. For example,usage dosage(time,area),specific efficacy of external use,early warning index of toxicity,toxic dose,adverse effects,toxic symptoms and corresponding treatment measures all had no reference basis,lacking a systematic toxicity evaluation medication criteria for clinical external use of toxic Chinese medicine. Attention shall be paid to the toxicity of toxic Chinese medicine for external use,and the theory of toxicity evaluation should be established for the external use of " toxic" traditional Chinese medicine under specific conditions. The early warning mechanism for toxic and adverse effects were clarified,and relevant early warning sensitive indicators applicable to clinical use were established in this study to control its risk factors. The study on the mechanism of pharmacodynamics and toxicology of " toxic" traditional Chinese medicine for external use was strengthened to clarify the usage and specific effects of external use. On the basis of this,the study of synergism and reduction of toxicity was carried out to maximize the efficacy of external use of traditional Chinese medicine under specific conditions. A toxicity standard of " toxic" Chinese medicines for external use was put forward,which was of great significance to guide clinical safety,rationality,effectiveness as well as the research and development of new dosage forms for external use of traditional Chinese medicine.

Frostbite animal model preparation specification(draft) / 中国中药杂志

Frostbite is a common disease in winter, and systemic or local injury caused by low temperature invasion. Frostbite sites are commonly face, ears, nose, hands, feet and other peripheral blood circulation parts. The main symptoms are pale skin, cold, pain and numbness, skin itching in high temperature, and severe cases may suffer from skin erosions and ulcers. Frostbite model is a pathological model mainly based on Western medicine index. Based on the analysis of clinical symptoms of frostbite in traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, and a large number of experimental studies on the existing animal models, the animal model preparation of specifications (draft) was formulated as follows.

Study on intervention action of total flavonoids from Ilex Pubescens Radix on animal models of cerebral ischemic tolerance with blood stasis / 中国中药杂志

The mice models of blood stasis were established by injecting dexamethasone into the intramuscular of side the thigh for successive 15 days, and giving related drugs via an intragastric administration. Firstly, the method of blocking the bilateral common carotid artery (CCA) was used for 10 minutes, and then perfusion restore for 5 days. Secondly, the method of CCA was used for 30 minutes, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity, the activity of NOS and ATPase and the level of NOS, and the content of Glu in the ischemic brain were measured. The morphological changes of brain tissue were observed by eosin (HE) staining technique. The results showed that compared with IPC model group the large doses of the flavonoids could reduce the viscosity of whole blood significantly (P<0.01). The small and medium doses of flavonoids could reduce the whole blood viscosity low-shear obviously (P<0.01). The medium doses of flavonoids could reduce the midst-shear obviously (P<0.05). The large and medium dose of flavonoids could significantly improve the ATP activity (P<0.01). The medium dose of flavonoids could improve the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity significantly (P<0.01). The small dose of flavonoids could improve the Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity obviously (P<0.05). The large doses of flavonoids could reduce the content of gluin the ischemic brain significantly (P<0.01). And the others does of flavonoids could reduce the content of gluin the ischemic brain obviously (P<0.05). The large doses of flavonoids could reduce the activity of TNOS and iNOS significantly (P<0.01). The medium doses of flavonoids could reduce the activity of TNOS and iNOS obviously (P<0.05). The small doses of flavonoids could reduce the activity of iNOS obviously (P<0.05). Total flavonoids could obviously or significantly decrease the whole blood viscosity, the activity of NOS and the content of gluin the ischemic brain, increase the activity of ATPase significantly or obviously, could significantly relieve the degree of pathological injury of brain tissue of animal models.

The research of combining high resolution melting with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification technology in the mutation scanning for PAH gene / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the value of combining high resolution melting (HRM) with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for detecting mutations underlying phenylketonuria.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HRM was used for detecting small mutations in phenylalanine hydroxylase gene (PAH) of 26 phenylketonuria patients. The results were verified with DNA sequencing. MLPA was used for detecting potential deletions/duplications in the PAH gene. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was performed for additional potential mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 21 mutations were found in 44/52 alleles (84.62%), which included a dupEx4. Among the 21 types of mutation, 19 were reported previously, and the remaining two were novel mutations: c.584_585insA and IVS10+1G>T. In addition, the mutation of R243Q (25%) was the most common type in China.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The study showed that the combination of HRM and MLPA could increase the detection rate for mutation in PKU. The study has added new information to the human mutation database of PAH and provided a basis for clinical diagnosis and prenatal counseling.</p>

A exploration and study of the relationships of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) and the climate / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore and study the relationships between the popularity of HFMD and the climate in Qinhuangdao city.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HFMD cases were collected on a ten-day basis in 2009 in Qinhuangdao city. At the same time, the data about Qinhuangdao's ten-day average temperature and average humidity were provided by the Qinhuangdao Meteorological bureau. Then the collected data were analysed using the great data analysis function in the EXCELE software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results showed that the disease of HFMD had a positive relationship with seasons. The cases of HFMD began to rise at the last ten days of March and rised dramatically at the middle ten days of April; In July, the cases of HFMD arrived at peak and then decline gradually. The cases of HFMD in October were quite similar to the cases of HFMD in March. Then in November, the cases of HFMD declined rapidly. All these evidences suggested that the peak seasons of HFMD were Spring and Summer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The situations of HFMD had a significant positive relationship with the conditions of climate, such as high temperature and high humidity.</p>

Correlation factors of electrical status epilepticus during sleep in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The pathogenesis of electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) in children remains unknown. We undertook a retrospective study of epileptic children who presented with ESES to investigate the correlation factors of ESES.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty epileptic children with ESES (ESES group) and 30 age-and sex-matched epileptic children without ESES (control group) admitted to Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Tangshan between January 2000 and July 2006 were enrolled. The results of questionnaire and laboratory examinations were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nine patients had a family history of epilepsy in the ESES group, but only 2 patients in the control group (<0.05). Language disorder was found in 11 patients in the ESES group, but only 2 patients in the control group (<0.05). Thirteen patients were confirmed with epileptic syndrome in the ESES group, but only 5 patients in the control group (<0.05). Twenty five patients in the ESES group showed mental retardation, but only 5 patients from the control group (<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ESES may be correlated with family history of epilepsy, epileptic syndrome, mental retardation and language disorder.</p>

Detection of new mutations in the dystrophin gene by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disease caused by dystrophin gene mutations; 55%-65% of these pathogenic mutations are large deletion and duplication mutations that can be detected by multiplexed polymerase chain reaction. However, finding the remaining micro-mutations (substitutions, deletions or insertions of one or several nucleotides) cannot be achieved in this way. The aim of the present study was to detect mutations of the dystrophin gene in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and to establish a rapid and sensitive screening platform for micro-mutations leading to DMD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty patients negative for large deletions in the dystrophin gene by multiplex PCR were selected for further screening by DHPLC and 20 normal male without DMD family history as the control cohort. Dystrophin exons and their flanking sequences were individually amplified by genomic PCR and the amplicons showing abnormal DHPLC profile were directly sequenced to identify the position and the type of the mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After screening 68 exons covering the two deletion hotspots and 3'UTR region, four pathogenic mutations, including c.6808_6811del TTAA, c.4959_4960insA, c.8656C > T and c.8608C > T, were found in four DMD patients. Moreover, c.6808_6811del TTAA, c.4959_4960ins and c.8656C > T have not been reported previously. The first two frameshift mutations were predicted to produce premature stop codons, p.Leu2270MetfsX9 and p.Ser1654LysfsX5, respectively. The remaining two were nonsense mutations, leading to p.R2886X and p.R2870X, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Three novel and one recurrent dystrophin mutations have been identified in Chinese DMD patients. This study has demonstrated that DHPLC is an effective screening method for micro-mutation associated with DMD.</p>