Epidemiological Study of Sepsis in China: Protocol of a Cross-sectional Survey / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Sepsis is the leading cause of death among critically ill patients. Herein, we conducted a national survey to provide data on epidemiology and treatment of sepsis in the clinical practice in China, which has no detailed epidemiological data available on sepsis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This was a prospective cross-sectional survey from December 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016 in all provinces/municipalities of the mainland of China. The primary outcome of this study was the incidence of sepsis, and the secondary outcome was its etiology in China. Patients with sepsis admitted to the Intensive Care Units were included in this study. The demographic, physiological, bacteriological, and therapeutic data of these patients were recorded. The incidence of sepsis was estimated using the data from the sixth census in China, reported by the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission and the National Bureau of Statistics as the standard population. The independent risk factors for increased mortality from sepsis were calculated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study indicated the incidence and outcome of sepsis in China. It also showed the most common etiology of different sites and types of infection, which could guide empiric antibiotic therapy. Moreover, it provided information on the independent risk factors for increased mortality due to sepsis. The findings provide evidence to guide clinical management and may help improve the outcome in septic patients.</p><p><b>TRIAL REGISTRATION</b>ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02448472; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02448472.</p>

Extraction and isolation of Peristrophe in Peristrophe roxburghiana Brem and its content determination / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To extract and isolate peristrophine from Peristrophe roxburghiana Brem and establish a content determination method of peristrophine. METHODS: Whole plant of Peristrophe roxburghiana Brem was extracted with 60% ethanol, then purified with D101 resin and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a mobile phase consisting of 55% methanol was used for the content determination (γ = 236 nm). RESULTS: The lineal range of peristrophine was 5.0 - 50.0 mg · L-1 (r = 0.9998), the mean recovery was 97.67%, and RSD was 0.66% (n = 9). CONCLUSION: This method can be used as the basis for the further research of Peristrophe roxburghiana Brem. Copyright 2012 by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Oxysophoridine suppresses the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice: in vivo and cDNA microarray studies / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the in vivo effects of oxysophoridine on hepatocellular carcinoma in mice and to study the related mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>C57BL mice were inoculated with mouse hepatoma H22 cells subcutaneously, then divided into 5 groups (14 per group), and treated with oxysophoridine (50, 100, or 150 mg/kg) or cisplatin (4 mg/kg) for 10 days. Inhibitory rate of tumor, body weight gain, and influence indices on internal organs (liver, spleen and thymus) were evaluated. The differentially expressed genes between the oxysophoridine-treated group, and the control group were analyzed using cDNA microarray and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the tumor weight of the control group (2.75±0.66 g), oxysophoridine significantly suppressed hepatocellular carcinoma growth in mice (P <0.01), with 0.82±0.36 g, 0.57±0.22 g, and 1.22±0.67 g for the tumor weight in the low, moderate, and high dose treatment group, respectively. The moderate dose led to the highest inhibitory rate, 79.3%. Observation of body weight gain and influence on three organs showed that compared with cisplatin, oxysophoridine produced fewer side effects in vivo. cDNA microarray and qRT-PCR showed that the most significant differentially expressed genes in the tumor samples of oxysophoridine-treated mice were mostly involved in regulating apoptosis, with the Tnfrsf11b (osteoprotegerin) gene being the most significantly affected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Oxysophoridine was a promising compound for developing drugs against hepatocellular carcinoma, and its anti-hepatoma effect was probably related to osteoprotegerin activation.</p>