Challenges in the study of self-assembled aggregates in decoction of traditional Chinese medicine: A preliminary review / 药学学报

Decoction is the most commonly used dosage form in the clinical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). During boiling, the violent movement of various active ingredients in TCM creates molecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, hydrophobic interactions and electrostatic interactions, which results in the formation of self-assembled aggregates in decoction (SADs), including particles, gels, fibers, etc. It was found that SADs widely existed in decoction with biological activities superior to both effective monomers and their physical mixtures, providing a new idea to reveal the pharmacodynamic material basis of Chinese herbal medicine from the perspective of component interactions-phase structure. Recently, SADs have become a novel focus of research in TCM. This paper reviewed their relevant studies in recent years and found some issues to be concerned in the research, such as the polydispersity of decoction system, instability of active ingredient interactions during boiling, uncertainty of the aggregates self-assembly rules, and stability, purity, yield of the products. In this regard, some solutions and new ideas were presented for the integrated development and clinical application of SADs.

A convenient and time-saving method for primary culture of mature white adipocytes from mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a simple, low-cost and time-saving method for primary culture of mature white adipocytes from mice.@*METHODS@#Mature white adipocytes were isolated from the epididymis and perirenal area of mice for primary culture using a modified mature adipocyte culture method or the ceiling culture method. The morphology of the cultured mature adipocytes was observed using Oil Red O staining, and the cell viability was assessed with CCK8 method. The expression of PPARγ protein in the cells was detected with Western blotting, and the mRNA expressions of CD36, FAS, CPT1A and FABP4 were detected using RT-qPCR.@*RESULTS@#Oil Red O staining showed a good and uniform morphology of the adipocytes in primary culture using the modified culture method, while the cells cultured using the ceiling culture method exhibited obvious morphological changes. CCK8 assay showed no significant difference in cell viability between freshly isolated mature white adipocytes and the cells obtained with the modified culture method. Western blotting showed that the freshly isolated adipocytes and the cells cultured for 72 h did not differ significantly in the expression levels of PPARγ protein (P=0.759), which was significantly lowered in response to treatment with GW9662 (P < 0.001). GW9662 treatment of the cells upregulated mRNA expressions of CD36 (P < 0.001) and CPT1A (P=0.003) and down-regulated those of FAS (P=0.001) and FABP4 (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#We established a convenient and time-saving method for primary culture mature white adipocytes from mice to facilitate further functional studies of mature adipocytes.

Terpinen-4-ol inhibits proliferation of VSMCs exposed to high glucose via regulating KLF4/NF-κB signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to observe the effect of terpinen-4-ol(T4O) on the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) exposed to high glucose(HG) and reveal the mechanism via the Krüppel-like factor 4(KLF4)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB) signaling pathway. The VSMCs were first incubated with T4O for 2 h and then cultured with HG for 48 h to establish the model of inflammatory injury. The proliferation, cell cycle, and migration rate of VSMCs were examined by MTT method, flow cytometry, and wound healing assay, respectively. The content of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) in the supernatant of VSMCs was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), Cyclin D1, KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1β, and IL-18. The KLF4 expression in VSMCs was silenced by the siRNA technology, and then the effects of T4O on the cell cycle and protein expression of the HG-induced VSMCs were observed. The results showed that different doses of T4O inhibited the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs, increased the percentage of cells in G_1 phase, and decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, and down-regulated the protein levels of PCNA and Cyclin D1. In addition, T4O reduced the HG-induced secretion and release of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α and down-regulated the expression of KLF4, NF-κB p-p65/NF-κB p65, IL-1β, and IL-18. Compared with si-NC+HG, siKLF4+HG increased the percentage of cells in G_1 phase, decreased the percentage of cells in S phase, down-regulated the expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, and KLF4, and inhibited the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Notably, the combination of silencing KLF4 with T4O treatment further promoted the changes in the above indicators. The results indicate that T4O may inhibit the HG-induced proliferation and migration of VSMCs by down-regulating the level of KLF4 and inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Establishment and comparison of three human multiple myeloma cell line transplantation models in mice / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To establish three types of xenotransplantation models using human myeloma cell lines ARP1, MM.1S, and NCI-H929 and to compare the proliferation, tumor load, and biological characteristics of the three types of cells after transplantation. Methods: Suspensions of human myeloma cell lines ARP1, MM.1S, and NCI-H929 were implanted into NOD/SCID mice by subcutaneous injection or tail vein injection. The survival of the mice was observed weekly, and the tumor load was measured. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of CD138(+) cells in tumor tissue or the mouse bone marrow. CD138(+) cells and light chains were detected by immunofluorescence. Light chains in bone marow and peipheral blood were measured by ELISA, and bone disease was assessed by micro-CT. Results: Mice injected with ARP1, MM.1S, and NCI-H929 cells all formed tumors subcutaneously in about 2 weeks. Immunofluorescence detection supported plasma cell tumors. Kappa light chains were detected in the peripheral blood of ARP1 mice on day 20 after tail vein transplantation (8.2±1.0 ng/ml) . After 6 weeks of tail vein transplantation, mice in the ARP1 group showed signs of weight loss, mental depression, and dragging legs, and human CD138(+)CD38(+) cells were detected in the bone marrow (BM) . Furthermore, bortezomib (BTZ) treatment given once the tumor was established significantly reduced the tumor burden[ (5.7±0.2) % vs (21.3±2.1) %, P<0.01]. Human CD138(+)CD38(+) cells were not detected in the BM of the MM.1S or NCI-H929 groups. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the mouse models constructed by the three cell lines (ARP1, MM.1S, and NCI-H929) can be used as models for the pathogenesis and clinical research of MM.

Gastrodin injection alleviates lung injury caused by focal cerebral ischemia in rats through NGF/TrkA pathway-mediated activation of the anti-inflammatory pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of gastrodin injection for alleviating lung injury caused by focal cerebral ischemia in rats and the role of the NGF-TrkA pathway in mediating this effect.@*METHODS@#Forty SD rats were equally randomized into normal group, sham-operated group, model group and gastrodin group, and in the latter two groups, rat models of focal cerebral ischemia were established by embolization of the right middle cerebral artery. After successful modeling, the rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of gastrodin injection at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg for 14 days. After the treatment, the wet/dry weight ratio of the lung tissue was determined, the pathological changes in the lung tissue were observed using HE staining, and the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α in the arterial blood were detected with ELISA. The expressions of NF-κB p65 and TNF-α in the lung tissue were detected with Western blotting, and the expressions of NGF and TrkA were detected using immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal control and sham-operated groups, the rats in the model group showed obvious inflammatory lung injury, significantly increased wet/ dry weight ratio of the lungs (P < 0.01), increased TNF-α level in arterial blood (P < 0.01), and significantly up-regulated protein expressions of NF-κB p65 (P < 0.01), TNF-α (P < 0.01), NGF (P < 0.05) and TrkA(P < 0.05) in the lung tissue. Treatment with gastrodin injection obviously alleviated lung inflammation, decreased the wet/dry weight ratio of the lungs (P < 0.05), and significantly lowered TNF-α level (P < 0.01) and increased IL-10 level in the arterial blood in the rat models (P < 0.01); gastrodin injection also significantly decreased the protein expressions of NF-κB p65 and TNF-α (P < 0.05) and up-regulated the expressions of NGF and TrkA in the lung tissue of the rats (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The NGF/TrkA pathway may participate in cerebral ischemia-induced inflammatory lung injury, which can be obviously alleviated by gastrodin through the activation of the anti-inflammatory pathway mediated by the NGF/TrkA pathway.

Research of Influence on Inflammation of Xieheyin on PCOS-IR Mice Based on Intestinal Mucosal Barrier and TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the possible mechanism of Xieheyin in alleviating obese polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance（PCOS-IR）and reducing inflammatory response. Method:Ten of sixty SPF femlae C57BL/6J mice were randomly selected as the normal group，and the rest mice were given letrozole 0.002 g·kg^-1 combined with fecal suspension 2 g·kg^-1 for 28 consecutive days to establish model of PCOS-IR.The mice that were successfully modeled were randomized into the model group，metformin group（0.25 g·kg^-1），and low（10 g·kg^-1），medium（20 g·kg^-1），and high-dose（40 g·kg^-1）Xieheyin groups，and administered with the corresponding drugs by gavage，once a day，for four consecutive weeks. Except the normal control group， the mice in the other groups were continuously given fecal suspension combined with letrozole solution to maintain the model during the treatment. The mice were weighed once a week.Levels of fasting blood glucose （FBG） were detected by blood glucose test strips.And enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） method was used to detect serum testosterone（T），follicle stimulating hormone（FSH），luteinizing hormone（LH），fasting insulin（FINS）level，and LH/FSH and Homeostasis model assesment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） were calculated．The uterus and ovaries were weighed and fixed.Hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining was used to observe ovarian tissue pathology morphology. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of tight junction key molecular zonula occludens 1（ZO-1），occludin in colon tissues，and the expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B/Nod-like receptor protein 3（TLR4/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B/NLRP3）signaling pathway and inflammation associated proteins cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1（Caspase-1） and interleukin-1<italic>β</italic>（IL-1<italic>β</italic>） in colon tissues. Result:Compared with normal control group，the body weight of mice in the model control group increased significantly（<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Serum FINS，FBG，HOMA-IR，T，LH/FSH were significantly increased（<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The uterine organ ratio were decreased significantly（<italic>P</italic><0.01），while the ovarian organ ratio were significantly increased（<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The number of atresia follicles and cystic dilatation follicles increased significantly，and the number of corpus luteum significantly decreased，the thickness of follicular granulosa cells also decreased，while the white membrane thickness of the ovary increased. Tight junction related ZO-1，occludin proteins in colon tissues were all decreased（<italic>P</italic><0.01）.The relative expression levels of inflammation-related protein IL-1<italic>β</italic>，Caspase-1 and TLR4/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B/NLRP3 target protein signaling pathway were significantly increased（<italic>P</italic><0.05）.Compared with model control group， the body weight of mice in the low，middle and high dose Xieheyin group decreased significantly（<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The serum T，LH/FSH，FINS，FBG，HOMA-IR were significantly decreased（<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The uterine organ ratio were increased（<italic>P</italic><0.05），while the ovarian organ ratio were decreased（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. The number of cystic follicles decreased and corpus luteum increased，the thickness of follicular granulosa cells increased and be arranged normally，while the white membrane thickness of the ovary increased slightly. The expressions of ZO-1，occludin proteins were increased（<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The expression levels of IL-1<italic>β</italic>，Caspase-1 and TLR4/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B/NLRP3 target protein in the high dose group were significantly decreased（<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Xieheyin could activate intestinal TLR4/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B/NLRP3 signaling pathway，inhibit pro-inflammatory factor secretion，improve obesity and IR，which was correlated with rebuilding intestinal mucosal barrier and inhibiting intestinal inflammation．

Risk assessment of exported risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia from Hubei Province / 中华预防医学杂志

To evaluate the exported risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) from Hubei Province and the imported risk in various provinces across China. Data of reported NCP cases and Baidu Migration Indexin all provinces of the country as of February 14, 2020 were collected. The correlation analysis between cumulative number of reported cases and the migration index from Hubei was performed, and the imported risks from Hubei to different provinces across China were further evaluated. A total of 49 970 confirmed cases were reported nationwide, of which 37 884 were in Hubei Province. The average daily migration index from Hubei to other provinces was 312.09, Wuhan and other cities in Hubei were 117.95 and 194.16, respectively. The cumulative NCP cases of provinces was positively correlated with the migration index derived from Hubei province, also in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei, with correlation coefficients of 0.84, 0.84, and 0.81. In linear model, population migration from Hubei Province, Wuhan and other cities in Hubei account for 71.2%, 70.1%, and 66.3% of the variation, respectively. The period of high exported risk from Hubei occurred before January 27, of which the risks before January 23 mainly came from Wuhan, and then mainly from other cities in Hubei. Hunan Province, Henan Province and Guangdong Province ranked the top three in terms of cumulative imported risk (the cumulative risk indices were 58.61, 54.75 and 49.62 respectively). The epidemic in each province was mainly caused by the importation of Hubei Province. Taking measures such as restricting the migration of population in Hubei Province and strengthening quarantine measures for immigrants from Hubei Province may greatly reduce the risk of continued spread of the epidemic.

Research progress of laboratory diagnostic methods of dengue virus / 中华疾病控制杂志

Dengue virus(DENV) has been identified by World Health Organization as a major public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions. In recent years, dengue outbreaks have become more and more frequent in the world. In 2019, dengue outbreaks of varying degrees have occurred in the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Chongqing City in China. The laboratory diagnostic method of DENV is of great significance to the prevention and control of dengue epidemic. Therefore, the methods and strategies of DENV laboratory diagnosis are reviewed in this paper. By reviewing the traditional diagnostic methods and looking forward to the emerging diagnostic strategies, this paper aims to provide a reference to select the appropriate laboratory diagnostic scheme for the outbreak of dengue.

Construction and verification of interdisciplinary paper evaluation system:a case study on clinical medicine / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective This paper focuses on the field of clinical medicine,with the aim of verifying the feasibility of interdisciplinary literature evaluation model based on feature matching method,to provide support for further interdisciplinary scientific research evaluation.Methods Feature matching method,Delphi expert enquiry,and normalization method were adopted to establish an evaluation system in clinical medicine,which was further verified by case studies.Results The normalization coefficient reflects the difficulty of publishing articles with high impact factors.Through the process of feature matching and normalization,it was found that compared with the fields of Neurology,Psychiatry and Surgery,researchers in the fields of Oncology and Internal Medicine were more likely to publish articles with high impact factors.Conclusions Through case analysis,this study verifies the feasibility of interdisciplinary scientific paper evaluation system.The interdisciplinary paper evaluation system based on feature matching method and normalized evaluation method comprehensively considers the characteristics of various disciplines of clinical medicine and provides a new idea for the evaluation of clinical scientific research talents.

Effect of acupuncture plus medication on expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in hippocampus in rats with Alzheimer's disease / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mechanism of acupuncture plus medication on treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD).@*METHODS@#Sixty adult SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group, an electroacupuncture (EA) group, a gastrodin group and an EA+gastrodin group, 10 rats in each one. The rat model of AD was established by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose and bilateral hippocampal injection of Aβ1-40. Two weeks after modeling, the rats in the EA group and EA+gastrodin group were treated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20) "Dazhui" (GV 14) and bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36), 30 min per treatment, once a day for consecutive 4 weeks. The rats in the gastrodin group and EA+gastrodin group were treated with intraperitoneal injection of gastrodin, once a day for consecutive 4 weeks. The rats in the normal group, model group and sham operation group were not treated. The morphology of hippocampal neurons was observed by using HE staining. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in the hippocampal CA1 area was detected by using immunohistochemical method. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax protein in hippocampus was detected by using Western blot.@*RESULTS@#The HE staining results showed the arrangement of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was regular in the normal group and the sham operation group, and the cytoplasm and nucleus were clearly visible. The neurons in the model group were severely damaged; the cell arrangement was not close, and the cell morphology was incomplete. Compared with the model group, the cell morphology of each intervention group was significantly improved. The immunohistochemistry results showed that, compared with the normal group and the sham operation group, the expression of Bcl-2 in the hippocampal CA1 region in the model group was decreased (<0.05), but the expression of Bax was enhanced (<0.05); compared with the model group, the expression of Bcl-2 was increased (all <0.05) and the expression of Bax was decreased (all <0.05) in all intervention group; compared with the EA group or the gastrodin group, the expression of Bcl-2 was enhanced (<0.05) and the expression of Bax was decreased (<0.05) in the EA+gastrodin group. The result of Western blot method was consistent with that of immunohistochemistry method.@*CONCLUSION@#EA and gastrodin could significantly inhibit the expression of Bax and up-regulate the expression of Bcl-2, and the combination of EA and gastrodin has the most significant effect. This indicates that EA combined with gastrodin has synergistic effect on inhibiting the apoptosis of neurons in hippocampus in AD rats, which may be one of the mechanisms of EA plus medication on AD lesions.

Difference in intestinal absorption of Wuzhuyu decoction between normal and migraine model rats / 中国中药杂志

To compare the intestinal absorption of Wuzhuyu decoction(WZYD) between normal rats and migraine model rats, and investigate the optimized WZYD from aspect of absorption. The rat single pass intestinal perfusion test(SPIP) was adopted for optimized sample and un-optimized sample in normal and migraine model rats induced by nitroglycerin and reserpine. The contents of 8 ingredients were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and 4 absorption parameters for each ingredient were calculated and compared: unit area absorption(Mper area), absorption rate constant(Ka), apparent coefficient(Papp) and relative absorption rate(RA). The results showed that there was a great difference between normal rats and model rats in the intestinal absorption of the same WZYD. As compared with normal rats, the absorption parameters of most ingredients in optimized sample were increased in migraine model rats induced by nitroglycerin; Similar phenomena were also found in migraine model rats induced by reserpine. However, the absorption parameters of most ingredients were decreased in un-optimized sample. Therefore, pathological model rats shall be used for effective ingredient recognition based on the correlation between intestinal absorption spectra and pharmacological effects. As compared with the un-optimized samples, the absorption of effective ingredients was faster, easier and more adequate in the optimized samples, revealing their mechanism on better efficacy from the aspect of absorption.

Ecological executive function characteristics in patients with white matter lesions and its influencing factors / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective To investigate the characteristics of the ecological execution function in patients with white matter lesions ( WML) and its influencing factors. Methods 43 cases of magnetic resonance imaging( MRI) find-ings in patients with WML were selected. In the same period, 27 patients who were matched in age and educational level, and brain MRI examination showed normal were selected as the control group. The experimental group and the control group were evaluated by the behavior rating inventory of executive function-adult version ( BRIEF-A) . Results Including the each factor score, global executive composite(GEC), behavioral regulation index(BRI) and metacogniton index( MI) score of WML patients were significantly higher than the control group, the differ-ences were statistically significant (P＜0. 05). In the severe group, the BRI, MI and total score were higher than those in the moderate group and mild group. Compared with the mild group, the BRI, MI and total score in patients with moderate group were notable higher (P＜0. 05). Similarly, the scores of all factors in the severe group were all higher than those in the mild group, and the scores of inhibition, plan and organization were higher than those in the moderate group. There was a significant difference in shift, emotional control, self monitoring, initiation, work-ing memory and organization between the moderate group and the mild group ( P ＜0. 05 ) . There was statistical difference on the scores of each factor, BRI, MI and total score between group deep white matter lesions ( DWML) and group periventricular lesions(PVL) (P＜0. 05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the inhibition, emotional control, self-monitoring, MI, initiation, working memory, planning, organization and total score were positively correlated with lesion severity. There was a significant positive correlation between BRI and the level of education and the severity of the disease. At the same time, the BRI was negatively correlated with lesion site. Conclusion The each factor score, BRI, MI and total score of BRIEF-A scale are elevated in WML patients, which is related to the severity of the disease and the site of the lesion.

Correlation between Nutritional Status and Mortality in Patients with Heart Failure / 中华临床营养杂志

Objective To investigate the nutritional status of patients with heart failure and its effect on all-cause mortality.Methods A total of 351 patients with chronic heart failure,who were consecutively admitted to the East Hospital of Shanghai from March 2013 to November 2015,were put into the heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) group.They were compared to 222 controls who were admitted during the same period for preclinical heart failure.After a median follow-up time of 606 days,108 patients of the HFrEF group died,compared to 11 of the controls.Logistic regression was used to analyze correlations of all-cause mortality with the patients' body mass index (BMI),serum albumin and other factors.Results Compared to the controls,patients with chronic heart failure had lower BMI [(22.71±3.95) kg/m2 vs.(24.23±3.66) kg/m2,t=4.331,P=0.000],total cholesterol [(3.81±0.99) mmol/L vs.(4.03±0.96) mmol/L,t=2.638,P=0.009],albumin [(38.18±5.03) g/Lvs.(40.18±6.12) g/L,t=3.874,P=0.000] and prealbumin [(187.67±61.83) mg/L vs.(211.94±65.44) mg/L,t=3.937,P=0.000].Within the HFrEF group,patients with lower BMI had higher mortality (36.0％ vs.22.4％,P=0.008).Logistic regression suggested BMI,age were independent predictors of all-cause death.Conclusions Patients with chronic heart failure had high incidence of malnutrition,and those with BMI＜22 kg/m2 had higher risk of mortality.Serum albumin and BMI not only reflected nutritional status of the patients but had significant implications on prognosis.

Expression and purification of Ebola virus trimeric glycoprotein based on novel glycoengineered Pichia pastoris / 军事医学

Objective To express and purify mammalian glycosylation modified trimeric Ebola virus trimeric glycoprotein (EBOV-GP) using novel glycoengineered Pichia pastoris.Methods The EBOV-GP and EBOV-GPΔMLDΔTM genes were cloned into the pPICZ-αA vector,electrochemically converted to glycoengineered Pichia pastoris,and compared with EBOV-GP expressed in HEK-293T cells.Glycosylation was analyzed by PNGaseF and EndoH digestion,while the target protein was purified by affinity chromatography and ion exchange chromatography.N-terminal sequencing was used to determine whether the signal peptide was correctly cleaved during protein translation and gel column analysis was used to find out whether the trimeric structure was formed.Results The results of PNGaseF showed that EBOV-GP expressed by glycoengineered Pichia pastoris and HEK-293T cells had the same relative molecular mass and N-glycosylation degree.EndoH digestion showed that the N-glycosylation modification of EBOV-GPΔMLDΔTM was in a non-high mannose form.N-terminal sequencing showed that the signal peptide of the GP protein itself was correctly excised.Gel column analysis showed that the purified protein was in a trimeric form.Conclusion An EBOV-GP is obtained with complex glycosylation modification based on Glycoengineered Pichia pastoris.

Therapeutic Observation of Abdominal Electroacupuncture plus Chinese Medicinal Application at Umbilicus for Poststroke Constipation / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of abdominal electroacupuncture plus umbilicus application with Chinese medication in treating poststroke constipation.Method A total of 160 patients with poststroke constipation were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 80 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by abdominal electroacupuncture plus umbilicus application with Chinese medication, while the control group was intervened by oral administration of Phenolphthalein tablets. The constipation symptoms scores were observed before and after the treatment, and the clinical efficacies were compared.Result In the treatment group, the constipation symptoms scores were significantly changed after the treatment (P<0.05). In the control group, the scores of defecation duration and abdominal bloating were significantly changed after the treatment (P<0.05). The constipation scores in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group after the treatment (P<0.05). The recovery rate and total effective rate were respectively 66.3% and 92.5% in the treatment group, versus 40.0% and 78.8% in the control group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion Abdominal electroacupuncture plus umbilicus application with Chinese medication is an effective method in treating poststroke constipation.

Study on correlation between color and effective components contents of Glycyrrhiza uralensis / 中国中药杂志

To explore the correlation between color of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and its quality evaluation,the colors of root bark and transverse section were determined by Precision Color Reader and Visual Analyzer,and the contents of six flavonoids and two saponins in G.uralensis were determined by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）.The partial least squares regression（PLSR）method was employed to correlate the colors with component contents in G.uralensis. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the colors of root bark but significant or very significant differences（P<0.05,P<0.01）in the colors of transverse section between the wild and cultivated G. uralensis. Compared with those in the cultivated G. uralensis, the contents of liquiritin, isoliquiritin isoliquiritigenin and the contents of ammonium glycyrrhizinate, glycyrrhetinic acid were obviously significant or remarkably significant in the wild G. uralensis.The correlation results showed that there was a significant or very significant correlation between the colors and the effective component contents. This study provides a scientific basis to evaluate the quality of G.uralensis by color and a new reference for the traditional evaluation methods for Chinese drugs.

Expression and analysis of recombinant human prothrombin-2 in Pichia pastoris / 军事医学

Objective To prepare recombinant human prothrombin-2 expressed in Pichia pastoris, and assay the enzymatic and clotting activities of prothrombin-2 activated by prothrombin activator ecarin.Methods Human prothrombin-2 gene and Echis carinatus ecarin gene were synthesized separately on the basis of the cDNA sequences published in GenBank.The gene of prothrombin-2 was cloned into the expression vector pPICZαA.The expression vector pPICZαA/prothrombin-2 was transformed into glycoengineered P.pastoris, and then prothrombin-2 engineered P.pastoris was screened.The expression products were induced by methanol, purified by two-step chromatography and identified by diges-tion by PNGase F and analysis of pepetide fingerprint.The ecarin gene was cloned into the expression vector pcDNA3.1. The expression vector pcDNA3.1/Ecarin was transformed into HEK 293T cells and the culture supernatant of HEK 293T/Ecarin was collected.The reaction product of HEK 293T/Ecarin cell culture supernatant and purified prothrombin-2 was analyzed by S-2238,which was the chromogenic substrate for thrombin.Fibrinogen was used to measure blood clotting time. Results The purified protein of P.pastoris expressed prothrombin-2 culture supernatant was 37 ×103 .The relative molecular mass(Mr) of the purified protein was reduced to 35 ×103, which was consistent with the theoretical Mr of prothrombin-2 molecular weight.The purified protein was proved to be prothrombin-2 by peptide fingerprint identification. The purified prothrombin-2 processed by HEK 293T/Ecarin culture supernatant could hydrolyze S-2238 to produce yellow pNA, and D405 of pNA increased with the volume of the processed prothrombin-2 that could promote the plasma coagulation.The blood clotting time was close to that of the thrombin kit.Conclusion Prothrombin-2 is prepared by P.pastoris and activated toα-thrombin by ecarin.This technique may replace the method of extraction of prothrombin from plasma and can be used for the treatment of war wounds or for future clinical research.

Effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on the pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice.@*METHODS@#Artemisinin and a combination of artemisinin, arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin were administered together to mice via oral administration. Blood samples were collected at different time intervals and pretreated by liquid-liquid extraction. The contents of four compounds in mouse plasma were determined by a validated HPLC-MS/MS method.@*RESULTS@#Compared to single artemisinin group, the Cmax values from the combination group rose from 947 ng/mL to 1254 ng/mL. AUC(0-t) (2371 h ng/mL) was significantly higher than that from single artemisinin group (747 h ng/mL). The peak time lag and the CL values reduced at a proportion of 66%.@*CONCLUTIONS@#Arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin can markedly affect the pharmacokinetics of artemisinin.

Effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice

Objective To explore the effects of arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin on the pharmacokinetics of artemisinin in mice. Methods Artemisinin and a combination of artemisinin, arteannuin B, arteannuic acid and scopoletin were administered together to mice via oral administration. Blood samples were collected at different time intervals and pretreated by liquid–liquid extraction. The contents of four compounds in mouse plasma were determined by a validated HPLC-MS/MS method. Results Compared to single artemisinin group, the C

Immunogenicity of hemagglutinin of H7 N9 expressed in yeast Pichia pastoris / 军事医学

Objective To express the hemagglutinin of H7N9 in Pichia pastoris and analyze its immunogenicity. Methods The HA [1 -525 amino acids(aa)] of H7N9 [A/Hangzhou/1/2013(H7N9)] lacking the C-terminal transmembrane anchor-coding sequence was amplified by PCR and cloned into the expression vector pPICZαA.The plasmid pPICZ-HA7-S-was transformed into P.pastoris and the HA1-525 was detected by ELISA.Then the HA1-525 was precipitated by PEG20000.After immunization with the HA1-525 , the anti-HA7 antibody in mouse serum was detected by ELISA and hemagglutinin inhibition ( HI) test.Results The HA1-525 was expressed in P.pastoris after being induced with methanol. Western blotting confirmed that there were specific dispersion bands and the molecular weight of HA1-525 decreased to 58 × 103 after being digested by endo H.Anti-HA7 antibody was found in serum of HA1-525 immunized mice and the hemaggluti-nation-inhibition titers reached 1∶700 after the third doses.Conclusion This study shows the HA1-525 expressed in P.pastoris can induce the neutralizing antibody in mice.