Repeated Whole-Body Exposure to Low-Dose Radiation Combined With Topical Application of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor and Zinc Accelerates Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats.

We reported the acceleration of skin wound healing in diabetic rats by repeated exposure to low-dose radiation (LDR). Here, we explored whether the wound healing could be further improved when LDR was combined with a topical application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or zinc. Wounds were established on the backs of type 1 diabetic rats induced by a single injection of streptozotocin. Rats were treated daily with normal saline (Diabetes), LDR, bFGF, zinc, or combined 3 treatments for 5 consecutive days with a 2-day break between each consecutive 5-day treatment. Changes in wound size, histopathology, and microvessel density were assessed on days 5, 10, and 15, respectively, once treatment is started. All treatment regimens significantly accelerated skin wound healing, tissue remodeling, and new vessel formation compared to diabetes group. However, the combined LDR plus bFGF and zinc provided a better beneficial effect on wound healing than either one of these treatments alone. Further, we found that the effects of LDR and bFGF were similar, whereas zinc alone induced a weaker response. Our results suggest that whole-body LDR plus the topical application of bFGF and zinc can further accelerate wound healing in diabetic rats.

Expression of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells, Interleukin 10 and Transforming Growth Factor ß in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that dysfunction and decrease of regulatory T cells (Tregs) correlates with insulin resistance (IR), one of the most significant mechanisms for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To examine potential relationships among Tregs, IR, blood lipid content, and related cytokines, we investigated the frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs, as well as expression levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. METHODS: Fifty-one newly diagnosed T2DM patients and 55 control individuals were enrolled. According to body mass index (BMI), the T2DM patients were grouped into non-obese and obese groups. Blood was collected in ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulant tubes for detection of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs by flow cytometry. Serum was collected to quantify IL-10 and TGF-ß levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). By comparing percentages of Tregs between non-obese and obese groups, correlation with Treg frequency, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), IL-10 and TGF-ß was examined. RESULTS: The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in the newly diagnosed T2DM group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.01). Further, levels of IL-10 and TGF-ß were also lower in the T2DM group (P<0.05). The level of IL-10 was remarkably lower in the obese group than in the non-obese and the control groups (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between non-obese group and the control group. The level of TGF-ß was lower in obese group than in the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between non-obese group and the control group. The frequency of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in the obese group was significantly lower than in the non-obese group (P<0.05). In the obese group, the percentage of Tregs negatively correlated with HOMA-IR and positively correlated with TGF-ß (P<0.05). There was no obvious correlation between Treg and HOMA-IR in the non-obese group. CONCLUSION: The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs and levels of related cytokines IL-10 and TGF-ß were precipitously decreased in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Therefore, the function of Tregs in limiting the proinflammatory milieu represents an important pathogenic mediator of the development of obesity-induced IR in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Notably, TGF-ß may play an important role in this process. Thus, enhancing expression of Tregs may improve IR in newly diagnosed T2DM patients with obesity.

Combination of chemical fingerprint and bioactivity evaluation to explore the antibacterial components of Salvia miltiorrhizae.

The aim of this study was to explore the possible antibacterial components of Salvia miltiorrhizae on Pseudomonas aeruginosa using a combination of chemical fingerprint and bioactivity evaluation. The chemical fingerprints of 32 batches of S. miltiorrhizae samples from different sources were developed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection, and then were evaluated by similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. Anti-P. aeruginosa activity was determined by microcalorimetry. Some crucial thermokinetic parameters obtained from the heat-flow power-time curves of P. aeruginosa growth in the absence or presence of these S. miltiorrhizae samples were evaluated using principal component analysis. Thereafter, multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the fingerprint-activity relationship between the chemical fingerprints and anti-P. aeruginosa activity. This established the related equation between the inhibition ratio (I, %) of S. miltiorrhizae samples on P. aeruginosa and the peak areas of the common peaks. The results showed that the 32S. miltiorrhizae samples could be grouped into three clusters according to their chemical fingerprints and anti-P. aeruginosa activities. Protocatechualdehyde, salvianolic acid B, together with three unidentified compounds might be the major components that contributed largely to the antibacterial properties of S. miltiorrhizae and should be the focus of S. miltiorrhizae quality control. Thus, this study provided a preferred way for exploring the bioactive components of medicinal plants.

[Application and prospect of "couplet medicine" techniques in preservation of Chinese medicinal materials].

Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs) are easily to be contaminated by all kinds of molds to produce various mycotoxins due to their internal factors and the external environmental conditions during the growth, harvesting, processing, and especially storage processes. This will not only affect the quality of CMMs, resulting in enormous financial loss, but also influence the safety and effectiveness of CMMs, posing potential threats to human health. With the increase in awareness of "traditional Chinese medicine health" idea, more and more attention has been paid on how to prevent and control these CMMs from being mouldy to guarantee their safety. Some physical and chemical techniques have been restricted for protecting CMMs due to their own disadvantages. As a green, safe and economic strategy for the preservation of CMMs, "couplet medicine" technique based on the principle of "protecting CMM with another CMM" has been developed: two kinds of CMMs are stored together and fight against each other to prevent mildew metamorphism, exhibiting no obvious changes in color, smell and quality. Nowadays, certain application results have been obtained for the "antagonistic storage" method based on the above mode and principle. In this paper, we would review and discuss the mechanism, practical application and the problems of "couplet medicine" technique, and provide scientific evidences for developing safe and effective tools to protect CMMs from being mouldy.

[Study on Ultrasonic-Surfactant Extraction of Total Flavonoids from Albizia julibrissin Flower by Response Surface Methodology].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the extraction technology of total flavonoids from Albizia julibrissin flower by combining surfactant with ultrasonic technology. METHODS: Using Box-Behnken central composition design and response surface methodology, the effects of surfactant concentration, liquid-solid ratio and ultrasound time on the yield of total flavonoids were studied based on the extraction rate to determine the optimum extraction conditions of total flavonoids. RESULTS: Optimum conditions for extraction of Albizia julibrissin flower were as follows: mass percentage of 2. 5% SDS,15 times of 60% ethanol,ultrasonic time of 31 min. Under these conditions,the extraction rate of total flavonoids from Albizia julibrissin flower was 0. 853%. Using this technology, the extraction yield increased by 93. 0% as compared with that using ultrasonic technology alone. CONCLUSION: The optimum extraction technology can be used for extraction of total flavonoids from Albizia julibrissin flower for its simplicity and responsibility.

[Review of scientific preservation techniques for traditional Chinese medicine becoming mouldy during storage].

All kinds of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) differed from each other with different chemical components and properties. Owing to poor conditions and technologies, and the lack of scientific preservation, most TCMs will easily become mouldy during the processes of growth, harvest, handling, translation and especially storage, which will not only influence the quality, safety and efficacy of TCMs, but also cause serious waste and economic losses, and even do great harm to human health. The process of storage is closely related to the qualities of TCMs with many interference factors. Therefore, scientific preservation of TCM during storage is crucial to prevent them from being mouldy. This review analyzed the important harm of mouldy TCMs, summarized the internal and external factors of resulting in TCMs to become mouldy. Based on the above discussion, together with the characteristics and limitations of current TCM preservation techniques, we prospect novel, scientific and reasonable preservation techniques, expecting to provide references for scientific preservation of TCMs to avoid becoming mouldy and guarantee their qualities.

Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome Among Employees in Northeast China.

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of metabolic abnormalities and has been associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome among employees in Northeast China. METHODS: Totally, 33,149 employees who received health screening in the International Health Promotion Center in the First Hospital of Jilin University were enrolled. Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein were recorded. Three definitions for the metabolic syndrome were applied, revised National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria, and the Chinese Diabetes Society (CDS) criteria. RESULTS: Overall, the age-standardized prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 22.9%, 20.6%, and 15.3% based on definitions of revised NCEP ATP III criteria, the IDF criteria, and the CDS criteria, respectively. Men had higher age-standardized prevalence than women in all three definitions (P < 0.05). The prevalence was 27.1%, 24.5%, and 20.4% for men; 17.1%, 15.4%, and 8.3% for women, respectively. The most common metabolic component with the metabolic syndrome was overweight (54.7% of men had an elevated body mass index, and 35.9% of women had central obesity). CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of employees among Northeast China have the metabolic syndrome. These findings place emphasis on the need to develop aggressive lifestyle modification for patients with the metabolic syndrome and population level strategies for the prevention, detection, and treatment of cardiovascular risk.

Acceleration of diabetic wound healing by low-dose radiation is associated with peripheral mobilization of bone marrow stem cells.

In this study we investigated the effect of repeated low-dose radiation exposure (75 mGy X ray) on skin wound healing in a rat model of diabetes. A skin wound was made on the backs of diabetic and age-matched control rats 60 days after diabetes was induced by a single injection of streptozotocin. Rats with skin wounds were immediately treated with whole-body radiation daily for 5, 10 or 15 days with a 2-day break every 5 days. Wound size was estimated 5, 10 and 15 days after wound formation. Repeated exposure of diabetic rats to low-dose radiation significantly accelerated skin wound healing compared to the nonirradiated diabetic group. Furthermore, low-dose radiation-induced improvement in healing was associated with increases in bone marrow and circulating CD31(+)/CD34(+) stem cells, vessel regeneration and cell proliferation in the wound tissue, and matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 expression. Therefore, we conclude that the acceleration of wound healing in diabetic rats by repeated exposure to low-dose radiation is associated with stimulation of bone marrow stem cell proliferation and peripheral mobilization.

[Studies on purification process of total flavones from Glechoma longituba with macroporous adsorption resin].

OBJECTIVE: To study the purification process of total flavones from Glechoma longituba with macroporous adsorption resin. METHODS: The eluting power and purified ratio of total flavones were selected as indices, the adsorbility and eluting parameters of the process were studied. RESULTS: The best result that the purity of total flavones from Glechoma longituba could reach 68. 94% was based on the followings: total flavones content in the liquid-0.383 mg/mL, feeding volume--20 mL, feeding rate--1.0 mL/min, eluting agent-5BV purify water and 10BV 30% ethanol, eluting rate--1.0 mL/min. CONCLUSION: The process is simple and convenient which can be used in the purification of total flavones from Glechoma longituba, it may has a good application foreground.

Investigation on the spectrum-effect relationships of EtOAc extract from Radix Isatidis based on HPLC fingerprints and microcalorimetry.

This work investigated the spectrum-effect relationships between HPLC fingerprints and the anti-bacterial activities of EtOAc extracts from Radix Isatidis. Fingerprints of EtOAc extracts of Radix Isatidis from various sources were established by a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The process of Escherichia coli (E. coli) growth affected by EtOAc extracts was monitored using a Thermal Activity Monitor (TAM) Air Isothermal Calorimeter by microcalorimetry. By analyzing the power-time curves, quantitative parameters, such as growth rate constant k, maximum heat-production rate P(m), appearance time t and total heat-production Q were obtained to characterize the interactions of E. coli and the EtOAc extracts from Radix Isatidis. The HPLC fingerprints were investigated using hierarchical clustering analysis. The main thermo-kinetic parameters from the power-time curves were analyzed using principal component analysis. The spectrum-effect relationships between the HPLC fingerprints and anti-bacterial activities were analyzed with multivariant correlation analysis. Close correlation existed between the spectrum-effect relationships of the EtOAc extracts. Salicylic acid in the HPLC fingerprints might be one of the anti-bacterial components. This work provides a general model of the combination of HPLC and microcalorimetry to study the spectrum-effect relationships of EtOAc extracts from Radix Isatidis, which can be used to search for principal components of Radix Isatidis on bioactivity.

[Circulated extraction of flavonoids from Glechoma longituba by ultrasonic wave].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimum condition of extraction for the flavonoids in Glechoma longituba by ultrasonic wave. METHOD: Using orthogonal test, the effects of ultrasonic power, ultrasonic time, extraction temperature and solvent concentration were considered, the comprehensive evaluation was guided by the content of the flavonoids determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometer. RESULT: The optimum condition was as follow: ultrasonic power; 800 W, ultrasonic time 90 min, extraction temperature 40 degrees C, solvent concentration 65%. The flavonoids concent is 5.228%. CONCLUSION: Using ethanol as solvent, circulated extraction of the flavonoids from G. longituba with ultrasonic wave is feasible with the optimum conditions in low temperature, short time and high production yield.