Efficacy Observation of Ultrasonic Conductometric Acupoint Penetration of Wenhua Zhitong Recipe for Adenomyosis Patients / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the efficacy of ultrasonic conductometric acupoint penetration of Wenhua Zhitong Recipe (WZR) in treating adenomyosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 40 adenomyosis patients with Shen-deficiency blood stasis syndrome were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 20 in each group. Patients in the treatment group received ultrasonic conductometric acupoint penetration of WZR from the 2nd day before menstruation to the end of menstruation, while those in the control group took WZR. All patients received 3 consecutive menstrual cycles. Endometrial contents of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) were determined using SP immunohistochemical staining method before and after treatment. Clinical effect, efficacy of Chinese medical syndrome, changes of uterus volume, and contents of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) were observed before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistical difference in the total clinical effect between the two groups (P = 0.357). Efficacies for relieving abdominal pain and lumbar soreness during menstruation were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Uterus volume, endometrial levels and integrals of COX-2 and OTR decreased in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ultrasonic conductometric acupoint penetration of WZR and oral administration of WZR both could effectively improve adenomyosis patients' symptoms such as Shen deficiency, and blood stasis, reduce the foci of uterus, and relieve the pain.</p>

Chemical constituents from traditional Chinese medicine Siegesbeckia pubescens / 中国中药杂志

Column chromatography on silica gel was used to study the chemical constituents of traditional Chinese medicine Siegesbeckia pubescens. The chemical structures of the separated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data analyses. As a result, eighteen compounds were obtained and identified as 3, 4'-dimethoxy quercetin(1), 3, 3', 4'-trimethoxy quercetin(2), 3, 3'-dimethoxy quercetin(3), 7, 3', 4'-trimethoxy luteolin(4), ursolic acid(5), 2β,19α-dihydroxyursolic acid(6), 2β-hydroxyursolic acid (7), stigmasterol-7-one(8), 5α, 8α-epidioxy-24(R)-methyl-cholesta-6, 22-diene-3β-ol(9), β-sitosterol(10), 2, 6-di(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3, 7-dioxacyclo [3. 3. 0] octane (11), aurantiamide acetate (12), 3-(m-hydroxyl-p-methoxy)-N-(2'-p-hydroxyl-phenethyl)-2E-acrylamide(13), p-hydroxy benzaldehyde (14), m-hydroxy-p-methoxy benzaldehyde (15), 3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoic acid(16), monoethyl malonate(17), and p-hydroxylcinnamic acid(18). Among them, compounds 1-9, 11-18 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Quality control of traditional Chinese medicines: a review / 中国天然药物

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) are in great demand all over the world, especially in the developing world, for primary health care due to their superior merits such as low cost, minimal side effects, better cultural acceptability, and compatibility with humans. However, Chinese medicines consist of several herbs which may contain tens, hundreds, or even thousands of constituents. How these constituents interact with each other, and what the special active ones are, may be the biggest bottleneck for the modernization and globalization of TCMs. Valid methods to evaluate the quality of TCMs are therefore essential and should be promoted and be developed further through advanced separation and chromatography techniques. This paper reviews the strategies used to control the quality of TCMs in a progressive perspective, from selecting single or several ingredients as the evaluation marker, to using different kinds of chromatography fingerprint methods. In summary, the analysis and quality control of TCMs are developing in a more effective and comprehensive manner to better address the inherent holistic nature of TCMs.

Chemical constituents from rizomes of Homalomena occulta / 中国中药杂志

Column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 was used to study the chemical constituents of Homalomena occulta. The chemical structures of the separated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data analyseS. Twelve compounds were obtained and identified as 5-pentylresorcinol-b-glucoside (1), protocatechuic acid (2), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (3), vanillic acid (4), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (5), 2-furoic acid (6), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (7), (R) -malic acid (8), (R) -dimethyl malate (9), trimethyl 1,2,3-propanetricarboxylate (10), 4-hydroxytetrahydrofuran-2-one (11) and (1S, 2S, 4S)-p-menthane-1,2, 4-triol (12). Among them, compound 1 was a new natural product, and compounds 4-12 were isolated from the genus for the first time.

Association of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphisms with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)-308G/A gene polymorphisms with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using the direct DNA sequencing method, polymorphisms in the TNF-α promoter region (-308) were genotyped in 110 Han children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP group), including 52 children with nephritis and 58 children without nephritis. Plasma TNF-α levels were measured using ELISA. Ninety ethnically matched healthy children were used as the control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences in the polymorphisms of TNF-α (-308G/A) between the HSP and control groups (P>0.05). The GA genotype (29% vs 10%) and A allele frequency (18% vs 7%) in HSP children with nephritis (HSPN) were more common than in those without nephritis (P<0.05). Plasma TNF-α levels in HSPN children with GA+AA genotype (7.1±2.3 pg/mL) were significantly higher than those with GG genotype (5.7±1.5 pg/mL) (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>TNF-α-308GA genotype and A allele may contribute to the increased risk for the development of nephritis in children with HSP.</p>

Studies on glycosides from Gentiana veitchiorum / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents of Gentiana veitchiorum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical constituents were isolated by chromatography and identified by spectral data.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Five glycosides, loganic acid (1), gentiopicroside (2), isoorientin 3'-methyl ether (3), isovitexin (4), isoorientin (5) were isolated and identified.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 1-5 were isolated from this plant for the first time.</p>