Analyzing the results of finger systolic blood pressure tests in 28 healthy young adults / 中国职业医学

Objective To investigate the level of finger systolic blood pressure (FSBP) in healthy young adults. Methods A total of 28 healthy young adults were selected as the study subjects by convenient sampling method. The FSBP of the study subjects was detected at 30 and 10 ℃, and the FSBP index (Fi) was calculated. Results The FSBP of the study subjects at 30 and 10 ℃ were (102.0±16.5) and (104.4±15.2) mmHg, respectively. The FSBP in male group at 30 and 10 ℃ was (99.6±18.6) and (107.2±17.0) mmHg, respectively. The FSBP in female group at 30 and 10 ℃ was (104.4±13.9) and (101.5±2.8) mmHg, respectively. The results of factorial analysis showed that the interaction between gender and temperature on FSBP was statistically significant (P<0.05). FSBP in male group was higher at 10 than 30 ℃ (P<0.05) and higher than female group at 10 ℃ (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance for the main effect of gender, temperature, finger, or the interaction effect of gender and finger, temperature and finger for FSBP (all P>0.05). The average Fi of the study subjects was (98.0±16.6)%, with males and females having the average Fi of (100.7±20.7) % and (95.2±10.6) % respectively. The results of factorial analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference on Fi in the main effect gender and fingers or the interaction effect between them(all P>0.05). Conclusion The FSBP test could be used as a detection method for assessing peripheral microcirculation function in Chinese population. However, further research is needed to establish reference ranges and influencing factors.

Practice of two methods in occupational health risk grading and classification management in petroleum refining enterprises / 环境与职业医学

Background Most of the studies on grading and classification of occupational health compre-hensive risks for specific employers still remain in the establishment and description of methodology, and practical application studies are rarely reported. Objective To explore the application of an occupational disease hazards comprehensive risk assessment method issued by the National Disease Control and Prevention Bureau in conjunction with the National Health Commission and a self-developed occupational health grading and classification method in petroleum refining enterprises, and to provide practical experience for the implementation of differentiated law enforcement by relevant regulatory authorities. Methods Two occupational health grading and classification methods were practiced in three petroleum refining enterprises in Guangdong Province. The occupational hazards comprehensive risk assessment method was provided by the Notice on Carrying out Pilot Work of Occupational Health Classification Supervision and Law Enforcement of the National Disease Control and Prevention Bureau and the National Health Commission. The principle was to derive the occupational health risk level according to nature of occupational hazards, exposure level, and number of workers exposed to them in an employer, and then to classify them into Class A, Class B, and Class C by combining with local occupational health management status level. The occupational health grading and classification method was self-developed according to available domestic and foreign occupational health risk assessment methods. Its principle was to calculate the risk level of each workstation in an employer based on published carcinogenicity classification or LD50/LC50 of chemical toxicants, level of noise, exposure parameters such as exposure level and exposure frequency, estimate the comprehensive risk Ro of the target employer by the Romanian comprehensive risk calculation method, and then calculate a comprehensive risk Ro' weighted by the occupational health management index of the target employer and classify it into class A, class B, and class C. Finally, assessment results, scope of application, inquired indicators, advantages,disadvantages and professional competence requirements of the two grading and classification methods were compared. Results The occupational hazards that were evaluated in three enterprises in this study were benzene, toluene, xylene, gasoline, hydrogen sulfide, and noise. The exposure levels of benzene, toluene, xylene, and gasoline were all below 10% OEL (occupational exposure limit), and hydrogen sulfide and noise were disqualified. Occupational hazards such as benzene and hydrogen sulfide were serious occupational hazards in the three enterprises, and the number of workers exposed was 461, 912, and 224, respectively; the HRs (hazard ratings) of benzene, toluene, xylene, gasoline, hydrogen sulfide, and noise were level 5, 3, 2, 3, 5, and 3 respectively. The occupational health management status of the three enterprises was graded as B, A, and B, respectively by the occupational disease hazards comprehensive risk assessment method. The occupational health management index of the three enterprises was graded as B, A, and A, respectively by the occupational health grading and classification method. The comprehensive risk assessment results showed that two enterprises classified into as the highest class C and one into class B by the occupational disease hazards comprehensive risk assessment method, while all three enterprises were classified into class B by the occupational health grading and classification method. Conclusion The two grading and classification methods are not consistent in the evaluation results of petroleum refining enterprises, and there are differences in the evaluation scope, indicators to be collected, and professionalism. It is recommended that occupational health regulators should fully consider the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods and choose the appropriate assessment method according to the actual regulatory purpose.

Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Morus alba / 中国中药杂志

Morus alba, a traditional economic crop, is also a significant medicinal plant. The branches(Mori Ramulus), leaves(Mori Folium), roots and barks(Mori Cortex), and fruits(Mori Fructus) of M. alba are rich in chemical components, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, flavanols, anthocyanins, benzofurans, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, and possess hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, liver protective, immunoregulatory, and other pharmacological activities. This study analyzed the sources, classification, and functions of the main chemical components in M. alba and systematically summarized the latest research results of essential active components in M. alba and their pharmacological effects to provide references for in-depth research and further development as well as utilization of active components in M. alba.

Needs and satisfaction of parturients for postpartum visits in Putuo District, Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective To ascertain the characteristics of the parturient women in the district, the requirement and satisfaction for postpartum visits, and to explore the present situation of postpartum visits in the district, providing theoretical basis for the formulation and improvement of targeted work mechanism for postpartum visits. Methods A total of 540 parturients were selected to complete the questionnaire survey according to the proportion of parturients in each community, then statistical analysis of questionnaire information was made. Results Among the 540 parturients, 400 were primiparas and 140 multiparas.More than 94% of the respondents believed that postpartum visits were necessary.The demand for postpartum visits was different between primiparas and multiparas.The primiparas needed more guidance on the nursing of the newborn, and the multiparas wanted to have more concern for postpartum recovery and health care.Respondents had high satisfaction with postpartum visits. Conclusion The form and content of postpartum visits directly affect the satisfaction of puerperants, who need higher quality and personalized services.The professional quality of visitors should be improved by professional training.And the personalized postpartum visiting service should be properly carried out by making full use of modern means of information dissemination.And postpartum psychological health care also needs attention in this regard.

Texture analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to identify atypically enhanced small hepatocellular carcinoma and dysplastic nodules under the background of cirrhosis / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the value of texture analysis based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in the differential diagnosis of atypically enhanced small hepatocellular carcinoma (sHCC) and dysplastic nodules (DNs) in liver cirrhosis.@*Methods@#Data of 59 cases with atypical enhancement and solitary cirrhotic nodule (≤2 cm) confirmed by dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and surgical pathology specimen were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 37 cases were of atypically enhanced sHCC and 22 cases of DNS. The DWI signal characteristics of the lesions were analyzed to measure the average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the lesions, and the ADC ratio of the lesion to the liver parenchyma. MaZda software was used to manually draw the region of interest to extract the texture parameters of DWI lesions. The three sets (combination of Fisher coefficient, classification of error probability combined with average correlation coefficient and interactive information) were used to select the thirty optimal texture parameters. Raw data analysis (RDA), principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and non-linear discriminant analysis (NDA) were performed for texture classification. The difference of ADC value and ADC ratio between sHCC and DNS group was compared by independent sample t-test, and χ2 test was used to compare the count data (or rate). ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency.@*Results@#The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of DWI high-signal in the identification of atypically enhanced sHCC and DNs were 94.6% (35/37), 68.2% (15/22), and 84.7% (50/59), respectively. The ADC ratio of atypically enhanced sHCC was significantly lower than DNs, and the difference was statistically significant (t = 2.99, P = 0.002). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the diagnosis of atypically enhanced sHCC were 73.0% (27/37), 72.7% (16/22) and 72.9% (43/59), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of DWI texture analysis in diagnosing atypically enhanced sHCC were 94.6% (35/37), 95.5% (21/22) and 94.9% (56/59).The diagnostic efficiency of DWI texture analysis (AUC = 0.94) was significantly higher than DWI high-signal (AUC = 0.81) and ADC ratio (AUC = 0.72).@*Conclusion@#The texture analysis based on DWI can identify atypically enhanced sHCC and dysplastic nodules under the background of cirrhosis, and its efficacy is better than qualitative and quantitative DWI.

Biocompatibility of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells with human acellular amniotic membrane scaffold / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is commonly seen, and mainly treated with ACL reconstruction. Ligament tissue engineering treatment for ACL injury has become the current focus due to the extensive use of tissue engineering techniques in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biocompatibility of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) and human acellular amniotic membrane(HAAM)scaffolds in vitro. METHODS: hAMSCs were isolated using enzyme digestion and then identified. The fresh human amniotic membrane was subjected to decellularization using enzymatic digestion and chemical decontamination. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunofluorescence were used to detect the removal of cell components and destruction of the extracellular matrix. hAMSCs were cultured with HAAM extract (experimental group) and normal L-DMEM/F12 medium (control group). Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8. Cell adhesion and growth were observed by scanning electron microscope and inverted microscope at 14 days after co-culture with HAAM. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: hAMSCs exhibited a spiral, adherent growth under the inverted phase contrast microscope; and the cells highly expressed vimentin and lowly expressed CK-19, with osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic potential. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that human acellular amniotic epithelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells were completely removed and the extracellular matrix had no obvious damage. Immunofluorescence staining showed positive expression of type I collagen and type III collagen. The HAAM extract had no cytotoxicity to hAMSCs and exerted no effect on its proliferative activity. HAAM could promote the proliferation and adhesion of hAMSCs after incubation under the inverted microscope and scanning electron microscope. These findings indicate that HAAM has good biocompatibility and is favorable for the proliferation of hAMSCs.

An in vitro study of enhancing tendon-bone healing by human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells co-modified with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and Scleraxis gene / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Tendon-to-bone healing is a complex and slow process, which often hinders the therapeutic outcomes. To enhance the tendon-to-bone healing, increasing cell bioactivity on the contact surface is a new strategy. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) can induce the formation of blood vessel and bone tissue via many ways.However,it is unclear whether HIF-1α can strengthen differentiation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) induced by Scleraxis, a specific marker of tendon, and can be used in tendon and bone repair. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of HIF-1α in enhancing Scleraxis to modify hAMSCs aiming to promote tendon-to-bone healing and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: Passage 3 hAMSCs were infected with AdHIF-1α, AdScx, AdGFP and AdHIF-1α+AdScx. The expressions of related genes of tendon, cartilage and bone tissue were detected at 3 and 7 days after infection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Under the inverted phase contrast microscopy, the passage 3 hAMSCs were in spindle shape and presented with vortex-like adherent growth. Under the transmission electron microscopy, hAMSCs were in oval shape and had clear structure, with abundant endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Fluorescence photographs were taken at 24 hours after adenovirus infection, showing about 50% red fluorescence expression in the AdHIF-1α group, while about 70% green fluorescence expression in the AdScx and AdGFP groups. Real time-PCR results showed that at 3 and 7 days after infection, the mRNA expressions of collagen type I, Fibronectin, RUNX2, VEGF and ALP in the AdHIF-1α+AdScx group, AdHIF-1α group and AdScx group were higher than those in the AdGFP group (P < 0.05); the mRNA expressions of collagen type I, Fibronectin, RUNX2, VEGF and ALP in the AdHIF-1α+AdScx group were significantly higher than those in the AdScx group (P < 0.05). Fluorescence immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of collagen type I in the AdHIF-1α+AdScx group at 7 days after infection was higher than that at 3 days after infection. To conclude, HIF-1α can enhance the ability of Scleraxis to modify hAMSCs to promote tendon-to-bone healing by upregulating the expressions of molecular markers of tenocytes, chondrocytes and osteocytes.

Application of bundle management in enhanced recovery after surgery on liver transplantation-an experience of the large-scale center of transplantation in western China / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To explore the application of bundle management in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) on liver transplantation.Methods The multidisciplinary team of West China Hospital of Sichuan University discussed the program of ERAS on liver transplantation in 2016,and implemented this program in July 2016.A retrospective analysis was made on 220 liver transplant patients who were admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University in the period from Jan.2015 to Mar.2017.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,there were 104 patients in traditional group and 92 patients in ERAS group.The clinical indicators during and after surgery were compared between the two groups,and the applied value of ERAS on liver transplantation was analyzed.Results As compared with the traditional group,the patients in ERAS group had advantages in operative time,blood loss,postoperative stay in intensive care unit (ICU),transfusion volume in ICU,endotracheal intubation time and total hospitalization time,with significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05).Meanwhile readmission and mortality rate after one month in ERAS group was not increased.Conclusion The bundle management in ERAS on liver transplantation of West China Hospital of Sichuan University can improve the prognosis of liver transplant patients.

The value of MRI texture analysis based on gray level co-occurrence matrix to predict cervical lymph node metastasis in tongue carcinoma patients / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To evaluate the value of MRI texture analysis based on gray level co-occurrence matrix to predict cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with tongue carcinoma. Methods A total of 70 patients with tongue carcinoma confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were divided into cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis group (unilateral LN+, n=18;bilateral LN+,n=22) and no cervical lymph node metastasis(LN-,n=30). T1W, T2W and contrast-enhanced T1W images of the largest section of tumor were selected. ROI of the lesion was manually drew and GLCM texture parameters (energy, contrast, correlation, inverse difference and entropy) were extracted. The tumor length, thickness and para-lingual distance between tumor and tongue midline were also measured.Differences of all parameters were compared between LN+ group and LN- group, unilateral and bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis group, the parameters with statistically significant difference in predicting the efficiency of cervical lymph node metastasis were analyzed. The diagnostic efficiency of lymph node metastasis was calculated. Results The correlation, inverse difference and entropy based on T2WI showed significant difference (Zcor elation=2.97, tinverse dif erence=5.14, tentropy=2.41; P<0.05), entropy showed the best diagnostic efficiency, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.90, the cut off value was 7.19, the sensitivity was 80.0％, specificity was 86.7％. Only entropy showed significant difference between unilateral LN+group and bilateral LN+group (P<0.05), the AUC was 0.82, the cut off value was 7.47, the sensitivity was 90.9％, specificity was 78.8％. The index of tumor length, thickness and para-lingual distance between tumor and tongue midline all showed significant difference between LN+group and LN-group (P<0.05), the thickness showed the best diagnostic efficiency, the AUC value was 0.81, the cut off value was 11.19, the sensitivity was 78.0％, specificity was 81.7％. The index of tumor length, thickness and para-lingual distance between tumor and tongue midline showed no significant difference between unilateral LN+ group and bilateral LN+ group (P>0.05). The diagnostic sensitivity of radiologists was 65.0％ (26/40), the specificity was 80.0％ (24/32) on cervical lymph node metastasis. Conclusion Texture analysis based on T2WI can predict cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with tongue carcinoma. Entropy has certain value in predicting bilateral cervical lymph node metastasis.

Research progress on therapeutic targets of active components in Chinese herbs for treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国中药杂志

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) is a kind of metabolic liver injury, which is closely associated with insulin resistance and genetic susceptibility. Traditional Chinese herbs used in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are widely investigated in recent years. A series of recent studies show that the effects of the active components in traditional Chinese herbs on NAFLD are associated with activating AMPK signaling pathway, improving insulin resistance, modulating the activity and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and regulating intestinal flora. In this review, the potential therapeutic targets of the active components from traditional Chinese herbs for NAFLD would be summarized to provide a new thought for further research and clinical treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Comparative pharmacokinetic study of vonoprazan in acute hepatic injury rats and normal rats / 药学学报

Hepatic disease is one of the high-prevalence diseases in China, of which gastrointestinal bleeding is a common complication treated by proton pump inhibitors. Vonoprazan is a novel proton pump inhibitor which acts better than lansoprazole in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. In this study, the pharmacokinetics of vonoprazan was compared between acute hepatic injury and normal condition in rats. Results showed that the exposure (AUC) of vonoprazan was significantly higher in rats with acute hepatic injury than in normal rats, and the metabolites formation rates of vonoprazan also slowed down, which might be due to the change of activity of enzymes and transporters. This find may provide a theoretical basis for the dose regulation of vonoprazan in patients with hepatic injury.

Potent therapeutic effects of shouwu jiangqi decoction on polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance in rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Shouwu Jiangqi Decoction (SJD) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with insulin resistance (IR) in rats and to explore the underlining molecular mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 51 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: control group (n=7), model group (n=8), SJD high-dose group (n=9), SJD medium-dose group (n=9), SJD low-dose group (n=9) and DMBG group (n=9). Radioimmunoassay was used to measure serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone concentrations and qRT-PCR and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of mRNA and protein respectively of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) p85α in different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>FSH level significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control (P<0.01), and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly increase FSH level (P<0.01). LH level showed a mild increase without statistic significance in the model group compared with the control and different dosages of SJD had no significance effect on LH level, while DMBG can significantly decrease LH level (P<0.01). Testosterone level significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.01), and high-dose SJD and DMBG can significantly decrease testosterone level (P<0.01). The expression of IRS-1 as well as PI3Kp85α were significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal control group at both mRNA (P<0.001) and protein (P<0.01) level, and both high-dose SJD and DMBG can enhance IRS-1 and PI3K expression (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SJD has potent therapeutic effects on PCOS with IR in rats. The therapeutic effects of SJD on IR and ovulatory dysfunction are probably achieved through correcting the defective insulin signaling transduction.</p>

Research progress on pharmacological activities and clinical applications of Guizhi Fuling Capsule / 中草药

Guizhi Fuling Capsule (GZFL), composed of Cassia Twig, Pachyma Cocos, Cortex Moutan, Radices Paeoniae Alba, and Peach Kernel, is a compound Chinese medicine preparation refined by modern technology. Modern pharmacology study shows that GZFL has pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumor, smooth muscle relaxing, endocrine adjusting, and immunity enhancing activities. GZFL can be used in treatment of gynecological disease such as uterine fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, dysmenorrheal, and endometriosis in clinic, and it can be also used for the treatment of varicocele, hyperplasia of prostate, stroke, and carotid atherosclerosis. The phase II clinical trials of GZFL in treatment of primary dysmenorrhea in the United States of America have already finished. This paper makes a systematic review of the pharmacological activities and clinical applications of GZFL in recent years, in order to provide reference for its further development and utilization.

Regulating effect of recombinant lentivirus silencing rictor gene on mTORC2/SGK1 signal pathway and pulmonary alveolar epithelial sodium ion channel / 重庆医学

Objective To construct recombinant lentivirus silence vector aiming at rictor gene in mTORC2 specific protein, and to investigate its regulation on mTORC2/SGK1 signal pathway and the effect on pulmonary alveolar epithelial sodium ion chan-nel,as well as the role in acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and acute lung injury.Methods The interfering vector plas-mid and empty vector plasmid of target gene rictor were constructed,which and the lentivirus packaging system were co-transfected to 293T cells.The viral supernatant was collected,centrifuged,concentrated and purified for obtaining recombinant lentivirus.The virus titer was detected and the virus was infected to A549 cells.Stable cell lines were screened.RT-PCR was used to confirm the silencing situation of target gene rictor.The expression situation of various signal indexes in this pathway was detected by PCR and Western blot.Results The recombinant lentivirus of silence gene rictor was successfully constructed and transfected to A549 cell for obtaining stable cell lines.Compared with blank and control groups,the mRNA levels of rictor,downstream SGK1 andα-,β-andγ-ENaC in the shRNA-rictor group were significantly decreased (P <0.05 ).Meanwhile,the protein levels of rictor,downstream SGK1,P-SGK andα-,β-andγ-ENaC in the shRNA-rictor group were significantly decreased compared with the other two groups(P<0.05).Conclusion Silence rictor gene has the obvious regulation effect on mTORC2/SGK1 signal pathway,meanwhile affects the expression of pulmonary alveolar epithelial cellular α-,β-and γ-ENaC at gene and protein level.It is speculated that mTORC2/SGK1 may be an important signal pathway for regulating the clearance capacity of pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells on pulmonary alveolar fluid and simultaneously affecting the pulmonary edema formation.

Ginsenoside Rb1 upregulates expressions of GLUTs to promote glucose consumption in adiopcytes / 中国中药杂志

Previous studies have shown that ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of active components in ginseng, can activate insulin signaling pathway and promote translocation of glucose transporters (GLUTs) to increase glucose uptake in adipocytes. However, the effect of Rb1 on the expressions of GLUTs remains unknown. In this study, the effects of Rb1 on GLUT1 and GLUT4 were observed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and epididymal adipose tissue of db/db obese diabetic mice. Male db/db mice were treated with Rb1 by intraperitoneal injection at the dosage of 20 mg x kg(-1) for 14 d. Rb1 reduced HOMA-IR significantly (P < 0.05, n = 5), and FBG and FINS sowed declining trend after treatment with Rb1. Rb1 recovered the expressions of GLUT1 and GLUT4 and phosphorylation of AKT in adipose tissue of db/db mice. In vitro, glucose consumption in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with 10 micromol x L(-1) Rb1 for 24 h was elevated (P < 0.05, n=3), and mRNA of GLUT1 and GLUT4 were up-regulated (P < 0.05, n=3) and proteins of GLUT1 and GLUT4 were also increased. AKT was activated in adipocytes treated with Rb1 for 3 h. It can be concluded that ginsenoside Rb1 can up-regulate the expression of GLUTs in adipose tissue, in addition to activate insulin signalling pathway, which may partially account for its insulin sensitizing activity and regulating effect of glucose metabolism.

Application and development of in vitro metabolism study at early drug discovery stage / 药学学报

Drug metabolism studies, including in vivo and in vitro metabolism studies, are significant in the design of candidate compounds and screening of lead compounds at drug discovery/development stages. Compared with in vivo metabolism studies, in vitro metabolism studies have the advantages of rapidity, simplicity, without consumption of large amounts of samples and animals. Moreover, it is convenient for researchers to observe the selective interaction between compound and target. Therefore, in vitro metabolism studies are appropriate for high throughput screening of compounds which are lack of metabolism information and have been widely used during drug discovery stages. This article briefly introduced the application of in vitro drug metabolism studies based on the metabolic stability, reaction phenotyping and metabolic drug-drug interactions, aiming to raise valuable evaluation strategies for innovative drug discovery in China.

Effects of qingyang toujie mixture in combination with prednisone tablet on Th1/Th2 cytokines in patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research the effects of Qingyang Toujie Mixture (QTM) in combination with prednisone tablet on the balance of Th1 and Th2 (Th1/Th2) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of yin deficiency syndrome (YDS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 42 patients with SLE were recruited from clinics of internal medicine and hospitalization department of First Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2009 to March 2011. They were randomly assigned to the treatment group (22 cases) and the control group (20 cases) according to the random digit table. Another 12 healthy subjects were recruited as the healthy control group from employees of First Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and healthy students in physical examinations. All patients took prednisone tablet. The dosage was adjusted according to the severity of SLE activity index and the condition: 40 -60 mg per day for severe active stage; 20-40 mg per day for moderate active stage; 15 -20 mg per day for light active stage; and less than 15 mg per day for those in the stable stage, respectively. When patients' condition had been stabilized for 1 to 2 weeks, the dosage was gradually reduced according to the method of hormone reduction. In case of the recurrence of symptoms or when complicated with lupus nephritis or lupus encephalitis uncontrollable, standard shock therapy with Cyclophosphamide Injection (0.5-1 g/m2 body surface area, intravenous dripping, once every 4 weeks) was performed. Patients in the treatment group took QTM additionally, one dose daily, taken in two portions, once in the morning and once in the evening. Those in the control group took placebos additionally, one dose daily, taken in two portions, once in the morning and once in the evening. The therapeutic course was 6 months for all. No measure was taken for those in the healthy control group. Venous blood was withdrawal before and after treatment. Th1 cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-12) and Th2 cytokines (IL-10, IL-4) were detected by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the healthy control group, the serum Th1 cytokines such as IL-12 and IFN-gamma, Th2 cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-4 increased, the Th1/Th2 ratios such as IFN-gamma/IL-4 and IL-12/IL-10 decreased in the treatment group and the control group before treatment (P < 0.01). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the serum Th1 cytokines such as IL-12 and IFN-gamma decreased, the serum Th2 cytokines such as IL-10 and IL-4 decreased, the ratios of Th1/Th2 cytokines such as IFN-gamma/IL-4 and IL-12/IL-10 increased in the treatment group (all P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, IL-4 decreased, and the ratio of IFN-gamma/IL-4 increased in the treatment group (P < 0.05). Fewer patients suffered from adverse reactions in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QTM in combination with prednisone tablet was effective to improve the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines, and alleviate the toxic and adverse reactions of hormone or immune inhibitors.</p>

Expression of microRNA-646 in A549 cells treated by lipopolysaccharide and its function / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To measure the expression of microRNA-646 (miR-646) in A549 cells under different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) treatment,and to explore the possible mechanism of miR-646 in A549 cells under LPS treatment.Methods A549 cells were divided into control group and experimental groups.A549 cells from the control group were treated with RPMI-1640 and A549 cells from the experimental groups were treated with LPS (5 mg/L,10 mg/L,15 mg/L) in a duration of 24 hours.Immunocytochemical method and Western blot were used to detect the changes in surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein C (SP-C),and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the changes in miR-646 in all groups.Results Compared with control group,the expression of SP-A in cytoplasm of A549 cells were decreased in experimental groups (all P ＜ 0.05),and LPS in different concentrations induced the expression of SP-A in A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner.Compared with control group,the expression of SP-C in cytoplasm of A549 cells was decreased in experimental groups (all P ＜ 0.05).The expression of SP-C was the lowest in 10 mg/L LPS treatment group.The relative expression level of the control group of miR-646 was 0.9597 ±0.0200,in 5 mg/L LPS treatment group it was 1.6319 + 0.1325,in 10 mg/L LPS treatment group it was 2.4762 ±0.1380,and in 15 mg/L LPS treatment group it was 1.6642 ±0.0938.There were statistically significant differences between the experimental groups and control group (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion miR-646 may have a biological function in acute respiratory distress syndrome through inhibiting the transcription of SP-C.

Effect of ginsenoside Rb1 in ameliorating insulin resistance and ectopic fat deposition in obese mice induced by high fat diet / 中国中药杂志

Ginsenoside Rb1 is an active component in ginseng. Previous in vitro experiments showed that ginsenoside Rb1, could inhibit lipolysis and promote glucose transporter in adipocytes. This study focused on the effect of ginsenoside Rb1 in insulin resistance and ectopic fat deposit in obese mice induced by high fat diet and its molecular mechanism. Obese male C57/L mice induced by high fat diet were randomly divided into the diet-induced obesity group (DIO group), the ginsenoside Rb1 group (Rb1 group) and the rosiglitazone group (Rog group), and continuously fed with high fat diet. In addition, male C57/L mice fed with normal diet were selected as the normal group (NC group). Mice in Rb1 group and Rog groups were intraperitoneally injected with ginsenoside Rb1 and rosiglitazone with the dosage of 20 mg x kg(-1) and 10 mg x kg(-1), respectively. NC and DIO groups were intraperitoneally injected with the same amount of saline. Two weeks later, the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed. Three days later, the mice were killed, and their serum samples were collected to detect insulin and free fatty acid (FFA). Their livers were weighed to examine the triglyceride content, and a pathological detection was performed. Epididymal adipose tissues were weighed, and PDE3B, HSL and perilipin were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that the treatment with ginsenoside Rb1 for two weeks could improve the glucose tolerance of obese mice. Except for 0-120 min, the areas under the glucose tolerance curve (0-30 min, 0-60 min and 0-90 min) in the Rb1 group were less than that in the DIO group (P < 0.05, n = 5), with a much lower HOMA-IR (P < 0.05, n = 5). The fat level of obese mice was significantly reduced by Rbl (P < 0.05, n = 5), and so were liver weight/weight (P < 0.05, n = 8). The increased serum FFA of obese mice declined after the treatment of Rb1 (P < 0.05, n = 8). Rb1 could partially recover the expression of perilipin in adipose tissues, but without obvious change in the expressions of PDE3B and HSL and the phosphorylated activation. The above findings indicated that ginsenoside Rb1 could reduce the release of FFA and alleviate the ectopic deposit of triglyceride by up-regulating the expression of perilipin in adipose tissue, which may be one of its mechanisms for improving the insulin resistance and abnormal glucose metabolism of organisms.

Long-term behavioral and ultrastructural alterations following hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study long-term behavioral and ultrastructural alterations in a hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) model of neonatal rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by hypoxic exposure (HIBD group) or sham operation (n=30 each). A battery of behavioral tests, including Morris water maze test and sensorimotor tests, were performed at a postnatal age of 5 weeks. Nissl staining was used for counting neurons. Transmission electron microscopy was used for observing synapse structures and measuring the thickness of the postsynaptic density area and the length of the postsynaptic active area. The correlations of histological changes with the results of behavioral tests were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The HIBD group showed a significantly longer escape latency (P<0.05) and a lower frequency of original platform crossing (P<0.05) in the Morris water maze test compared with the sham operation group. The sensorimotor function test showed that the sensorimotor function in the HIBD group was worse than in the sham operation group. Nissl staining showed that the number of neurons in the HIBD group was significantly reduced (P<0.01) compared with the sham operation group. Transmission electron microscopy showed that synapses were significantly reduced in number, and that the thickness of the postsynaptic density area and the length of the postsynaptic active area were reduced in the HIBD group. The thickness of the postsynaptic density area was negatively correlated with escape latency in the Morris water maze test (r=-0.861, P<0.01), and also negatively correlated with the total score of sensorimotor function tests (r=-0.758, P<0.05) in the HIBD group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Hypoxia ischemia can lead to neuron loss and ultrastructure damage, resulting in long-term deficit of behavioral functions in neonatal rats.</p>