Acute Toxicity of Shizaotang in Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the acute toxicity of Shizaotang in rats, in order to provide reference for clinical drug safety and subsequent toxicological efficacy experiments. Method:Totally 40 SPF SD rats were randomly divided into control group and Shizaotang group, with 20 rats in each group (10 males and 10 females). By the maximum dose method, the Shizaotang group was given the maximum concentration of Shizaotang suspension 0.3 g·mL-1 for 2 consecutive times in the maximum dosage volume within 24 h, and the control group was given normal saline. The toxicity (death, poisoning symptoms) and its severity and recovery of the rats were observed within 14 days, and the changes in body weight and feeding before and after administration were recorded. After 14 days, the rats were put to death, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (SCr), and interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) levels were measured, each tissue was weighed, and organ coefficients were calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of various organs, and evaluate the acute toxicity. Result:No animal death, obvious poisoning symptom, and visible organ abnormality were observed. Compared with the control group, there was no significant change in body weight and food consumption in the drug-administered group. There was no significant difference in the organ coefficients of rats. Serum ALT, AST, BUN, SCr, IL-2, TNF-α, and NF-κB did not change significantly, and no abnormality was observed in pathological sections of each tissue. Conclusion:The maximum oral dosage of Shizaotang in rats is 12 g·kg-1, which is 480 times of daily dosage for adults, with a good safety. This suggests that Shizaotang has a certain safety range.

Taxus chinensis ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through down-regulating TGF-β1/Smad pathway / 中国天然药物

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Renal fibrosis is closely related to the deterioration of renal function. The present study aimed to investigate protective effect of Taxus chinensis on high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced DN in rats and explore the underlying mechanism of action. The rat DN model was established via feeding high fat diet for 4 weeks and subsequently injecting streptozotocin (30 mg·kg body weight) intraperitoneally. The rats with blood glucose levels higher than 16.8 mmol·L were selected for experiments. The DN rats were treated with Taxus chinensis orally (0.32, 0.64, and 1.28 g·kg) once a day for 8 weeks. Taxus chinensis significantly improved the renal damage, which was indicated by the decreases in 24-h urinary albumin excretion rate, blood serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Histopathological examination confirmed the protective effect of Taxus chinensis. The thickness of glomerular basement membrane was reduced, and proliferation of mesangial cells and podocytes cells and increase in mesangial matrix were attenuated. Further experiments showed that Taxus chinensis treatment down-regulated the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, inhibited phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3. These results demonstrated that Taxus chinensis alleviated renal injuries in DN rats, which may be associated with suppressing TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Taxus chinensis ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through down-regulating TGF-β1/Smad pathway / 中国天然药物

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the common microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Renal fibrosis is closely related to the deterioration of renal function. The present study aimed to investigate protective effect of Taxus chinensis on high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced DN in rats and explore the underlying mechanism of action. The rat DN model was established via feeding high fat diet for 4 weeks and subsequently injecting streptozotocin (30 mg·kg body weight) intraperitoneally. The rats with blood glucose levels higher than 16.8 mmol·L were selected for experiments. The DN rats were treated with Taxus chinensis orally (0.32, 0.64, and 1.28 g·kg) once a day for 8 weeks. Taxus chinensis significantly improved the renal damage, which was indicated by the decreases in 24-h urinary albumin excretion rate, blood serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Histopathological examination confirmed the protective effect of Taxus chinensis. The thickness of glomerular basement membrane was reduced, and proliferation of mesangial cells and podocytes cells and increase in mesangial matrix were attenuated. Further experiments showed that Taxus chinensis treatment down-regulated the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, inhibited phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3. These results demonstrated that Taxus chinensis alleviated renal injuries in DN rats, which may be associated with suppressing TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Protective effect of ginseng fruit anthocyanins against acetaminophen-induced liver damage in mice / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of ginseng fruit anthocyanins (GFA) against acetaminophen (AP) induced liver damage in mice and its possible mechanism. Methods: The model of AP induced liver injury was established, and the GFA protection for liver damage was observed. Thirty-two male ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group, AP group, GFA with 200 mg/kg dose group, and GFA with 400 mg/kg group. Colorimetric method was used to assay the contents of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), activity of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of liver homogenate in mice, and observe liver tissue pathological section. Results: GFA obviously reduced the level of ALT in serum, inhibited the level of MDA, and enhanced activity of GSH in liver tissue. The H&E and Hoechst 33258 staining results indicated that GFA could obviously improve the degree of liver tissue necrosis and apoptosis, narrow the scope of necrosis, and relieve the inflammatory cell infiltration. By inflammatory factor of iNOS, COX-2 immunohistochemical staining and nitrification stress index of 3-NT immunofluorescence, GFA could inhibit nitration stress and the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: GFA has certain protective effect on AP-induced acute liver injury and its mechanism may relate to antioxidant effect, inhibition of nitrification stress, alleviation inflammation reaction and inhibiting apoptosis.

Safety and effectiveness of tumor-ablative chemotherapy combined with low intensity modified conditioning regimen for 30 patients with hematologic malignancies receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of tumor-ablative Chemotherapy combined with low intensity conditioning regiment BUCy/TBICy for patients with hematologic malignancies receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The clinical data of 30 patients with hematologic malignancies received above-mentioned therapeutic method from January 2012 to January 2013 was analyzed retrospectively, and the engraftment, GVHD, infection, conditioning-related toxicity, relapse and survival rates were evaluated. All the patients signed the informed consent before transplantation. The median follow-up duration was 20.5 (16.3-27.3) months. The results indicated that all the patients had been engrafted successfully. One year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 93.3% and 83.3% respectively. No conditioning-related toxicity occurred. The incidences of II-IV grade aGVHD was 37.9%, among which incidence of III-IV grade aGVHD was 3.4%; incidence of extensive cGVHD was 13.8%. So far, 1 case relapsed, 1 case displayed graft rejection, and poor function of graft occurred in 1 case, death occurred in 2 cases(6.7%). It is concluded that tumor-ablative chemotherapy combined with low intensity-modified BUCy/TBICy is safe and effective in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies, and it is useful to reduce relapse of hematologic malignancies after transplantation.

Effectiveness of pimecrolimus cream for women patients with sensitive skin and its underlying mechanism / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effectiveness of pimecrolimus cream 1% for sensitive skin in adult women and its underlying mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The changes of subjective symptoms and signs were evaluated before and after the application of pimecrolimus cream 1% based on the severity of pruritus (SP) and severity of burning sensation (SB) scores, and on a basic syntax and molecular substrate (molecular psychophysics) of nociception and proprioception established by temperature-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The SP and SB scores were significantly decreased in 32 patients with sensitive skin after using topical pimecrolimus cream 1% (P<0.05). Twenty (62.5%) patients showed positive capsaicin-like response (i.e. burning with consequent rapid amelioration of pruritus or burning sensation) and 6 (18.8%) showed positive camphor-like response (i.e. warming with consequent rapid amelioration of pruritus) on application sites after using the topical pimecrolimus cream 1%, and 6 (18.8%) showed negative capsaicin-like response and/or negative camphor-like response.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Pimecrolimus may rapidly inhibit or alleviate itch or burning sensation of patients with sensitive skin. The therapeutic effect of pimecrolimus is relevant to the mechanisms that activate or sensitize transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and desensitizes TRPV1 in the skin sensory afferents.</p>

Clinical and molecular genetic analysis for a patient with glycogen storage disease Ⅰa / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mutation of glucose-6-phosphatase gene (G6PC gene) in a patient with glycogen storage disease Ⅰa.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PCR was used to amplify all five exons of G6PC gene. The PCR products were directly sequenced to detect the mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A heterozygous 743G>A mutation was found in the patient and his mother, resulting in the substitution of glycine (G) by arginine (R) in codon 222(G222R) in the putative membrane-spanning domain in human G6Pase, but not in his father and his sister.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>G222R mutation in G6PC gene was first identified in a patient with glycogen storage disease Ⅰa in mainland China.</p>

Conditioning regimen containing fludarabine instead of cyclophosphamide for haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility and safety of conditioning regimen containing fludarabine (Flud) for haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Preparative regimen containing Flud 40 mgxm(-2)xd(-1) on day -7 to -3 in place of cyclophosphamide (CTX) for haploidentical HSCT was given to 35 patients with hematologic malignancies (4 standard risk, 16 high risk, 15 relapse with no remission). All donors received rhG-CSF followed by HSC harvest. One patient received peripheral blood HSCT (PBSCT), one bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and the others BM combination with PBSCT. The regimen-associated side effect, engraftment, incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and disease-free survival (DFS) probabilities were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients achieved sustained, full donor-type engraftment. Thirty-four patients obtained primary durable engraftment, and 1 who rejected graft from his mother obtained successful durable engraftment after the second graft from his father. The cumulative incidence of grade III-IV acute GVHD and chronic GVHD was 12.1% and 31.7%, respectively. With a follow-up duration of 8-25 months, 6 patients were dead, in which 3 died of relapse, 2 of acute GVHD, 1 of fungal infection, none died of regimen-associated side effect. The other 29 patients remained alive and DFS probability was 79.7%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Flud based conditioning regimens for haploidentical HSCT is safe and feasible, which reduces regimen-associated side effect, with no increasing the rate of relapse and infection, and decreases the incidence of aGVHD.</p>

Study on the effect and mechanism of ascorbic acid on renal podocytes in diabetes / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the effect and mechanism of ascorbic acid on podocyte, last barrier of glomerular filtration, in diabetic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin injection intraperitoneally were treated by ascorbic acid for 5 weeks. The levels of blood glucose (BG), HbA1c, urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and superoxide diamutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in renal cortex were measured. The podocyte ultrastructure was observed while the expression of desmin protein, a marker of podocyte injury, was examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with control group, BG and HbA1c were increased markedly in diabetic group. The activities of SOD and CAT were decreased and the concentrations of MDA were increased significantly in diabetic renal cortex. There were the increased proteinic expression of desmin, foot process effacement in podocytes and UAER markedly in diabetic rats. Compared with diabetic rats, foot process effacement and the changes of UAER were ameliorated markedly while the activities of SOD were increased, the levels of MDA and proteinic expression of desmin were decreased markedly although BG, HbA1c and the activities of CAT were no significant difference in the diabetic rats by ascorbic acid treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings suggest that there are marked injury in podocyte, last barrier of glomerular filtration, in diabetic rats and administration of ascorbic acid can protect podocyte by increasing antioxidative capacity and ameliorating the renal oxidative stress.</p>

Clinical observation on acupuncture for intervening the response in gastroscopy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture for controlling the adverse response in gastroscopy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-seven cases of gastroscopy were randomly divided into an observation group of 52 cases and a control group of 45 cases. The observation group were treated by acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), in combined with oral administration of Lidocaine; the control group were treated by simple administration of Lidocaine. Changes of the adverse response, blood pressure and heart rate, and satisfactory degrees and the willing re-examination rate were investigated in the two groups. Results In the observation group, the nausea and vomiting, salivation, restlessness, breath holding and other adverse responses in gastroscopy were significantly decreased as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01), and the blood pressure and heart rate were more stable than in the control group, and the satisfactory degree and willing re-examination rate were higher than the control group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture can effectively control the adverse response in gastroscopy.</p>

Identification of heplipin inducing apoptosis-related genes in KG-1 human leukemia cells by differential display RT-PCR / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whether Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis and explore apoptosis related differentially expressed genes in KG-1 leukemia cell before and after Heplipin induction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA distribution and DNA electrophoresis were used to prove that Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. The differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) was adopted to screen differentially expressed genes before and after Heplipin induction of KG-1 cells for 16 hours and 20 hours. The differentially expressed genes were cloned and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Heplipin could induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. There were differentially expressed genes in KG-1 cells before and after induction. Wnt13 and ATPase 3 were apoptosis related differentially downregulated genes after Heplipin induction. Conclusion Heplipin can induce KG-1 cell apoptosis. Heplipin induced KG-1 cell apoptosis is related with Wntl3 and ATPase3 (PSMC3). It is the first report that Wnt13 was detected in leukemia cell line.</p>

Effects of recombinant adenovirus encoding human apM1 gene on proliferation and nitric oxide synthase activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of recombinant adenovirus encoding human apM1 gene on proliferation and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Protein expression of apM1 in cell culture supernatant of HUVECs transfected with human Ad-apM1 was detected by double antibody sandwich ELISA. The effect of human adiponectin on cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. The total NOS and iNOS expressions were measured by chromatometre.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Human adiponectin protein level and total NOS and eNOS expressions were significant increased and iNOS expression significantly reduced in culture supernatant of HUVECs infected with Ad-apM1 compared to that in control HUVECs. The recombinant adenovirus had no influence on HUVECs growth as determined by MTT assay.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Human Ad-apM1 can be effectively expressed in HUVECs and do not influence HUVECs growth. Increased total NOS and eNOS expressions and decreased iNOS expression in HUVECs transfected with Ad-apM1 gene suggest a potential role of Ad-apM1 gene transfer for the prevention and treatment of arteriosclerosis.</p>

In vitro cultivation of dendritic cells with serum-free medium / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the protocol in vitro to incubate the dendritic cell (DC) derived from peripheral blood monocytes using serum-free medium X-VIVO 20. Peripheral blood monocytes from healthy donors were treated with 100 ng/ml GM-CSF and 500 U/ml IL-4, respectively. After cultivation for 6 days, they were treated with 100 ng/ml calcium ionophore A23187. After cultivation for 24 hours the cellular morphology was observed under invert microscope, the surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry, the proliferation of allogenetic T cells was detected by MTT colorimetry, the specific cytotoxicity of T cells primed with DC was examined by MTT assay. The results showed that in all three groups with serum-free, fetal calf serum (FCS) and human AB serum mediums, cells displayed characteristic morphological features of DC. Simultaneously CD14 expression was decreased, and CD83, HLA-DR and CDw123 expression were increased on these cells. In addition, DCs cultured with these methods could evidently stimulate the proliferation of allogenetic T cell. As compared with the two controls of serum containing groups, the cultured cells in the serum-free groups showed almost the same allo-stimulatory capability and cellular morphology and surface markers, and T lymphocytes primed with the culture-derived DC exhibited the similar killing activity to K562 (P > 0.05). It is concluded that there is no significance in DC numbers, morphology, epitope and ability to stimulate the proliferation of allogenetic T cells between DC induced by serum-free X-VIVO 20 medium and DC induced by serum-contained medium. DC cultured and induced by serum-free medium is worth using in practice widely.

Relationship between the 4G/5G polymorphism of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 gene and the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between a single nucleotide insertion/deletion(4G/5G) polymorphism located in the promoter region of the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1) gene and the pathogenesis of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome(PIHs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The 4G/5G polymorphism of PAI-1 gene in 171 PIHs patients (PIHs group) and that in 193 normal pregnant women (control group) were detected by a combination of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1)The genotype frequencies of PAI-1 gene in PIHs group were 47.4% for 4G/4G, 41.5% for 4G/5G, and 11.1% for 5G/5G. The 4G/4G genotype and 4G allele frequencies of PAI-1 gene(47.4% and 0.681) for PIHs patients were higher than those (21.2% and 0.495) for normal controls respectively (P<0.001). (2)Both the 4G/4G genotype and the 4G allele of PAI-1 gene occurred more frequently in the severe PIHs group(61.3% and 0.758) than those (35.8% and 0.623) in the mild PIHs group respectively (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences between those in mild group (35.8% and 0.623) and moderate group(42.8% and 0.625) respectively. (3) The 4G/4G genotype was significantly associated with PIHs (OR=3.34, 95%CI: 2.14-5.22).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These findings suggested that PAI-1 gene polymorphism may be a susceptible factor to the pathogenesis of PIHs and the 4G/4G genotype may be one of the major risk factors for PIHs in pregnant women.</p>

Construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid of APM1 gene and its expression In HEK 293 cells / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective To construct an eukaryotic expression vector with human adipose most abundant gene transcript 1 (APM1) gene,and to investigate the transfection and expression of pCDEF-APM1 eukaryotic expression plasmid in HEK293 cells.Methods pCDEF-APM1 eukaryotic expression plasmid was constructed by DNA recombinant method.Expression vector pCDEF-APM1 was transfected into HEK293 cells with Effectene reagent.The level of human adiponectin protein in the supernatant of cell culture media was detected with double antibody sandwich ELISA.Results The sequence of DNA fragment from constructed pCDEF-APM1 plasmid was identical to that published in GenBank.There was raised human adiponectin protein level in culture supernatant of HEK293 cells tnmsfected with pCDEF-APM1.Conclusion The pCDEF-APM1,an eukaryotic expression plasmid for APM1 gene is successfully constructed.High protein expression of adiponectin can be obtained in HEK293 cells transfected with pCDEF-APM1 eukaryotic expression plasmid.