Determination of flavonoid compounds from Saussurea involucrata by liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

Saussurea involucrata produces several bioactive flavonoids that are derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway. To determine these flavonoids, a sensitive high performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry method (LC-ESI-MS) was developed. Chromatographic separation was then performed. The gradient elution was optimised to give high recoveries and satisfactory chromatographic resolution. Flavonoid detection was carried out using an ion trap as mass analyser. Parameters of the mass analyser were optimised. We used the validated LC-ESI-MS method to verify the identities of bioactive compounds, namely apigenin, luteolin, hispidulin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and rutin. Calibration curves for these five flavonoids were linear in ranges between 5.0 and 500 microg mL(-1). The limit of detection ranged from 1.5 x 10(-4) (for hispidulin) to 6.1 x 10(-3) mg mL(-1) (for rutin). Precision was well within the acceptable range (RSD < 3.0%) and the recovery rate was between 75.3 and 89.8% for each flavonoid. A method validation study showed that the LC/MS technique was a powerful analytical tool for detecting trace amounts of the flavonoid compounds in extracts of S. involucrata.

Environmental hazard analysis and effective remediation of highway seepage.

Risk assessment and minimisation of environmental hazards are critical issues to consider in the geotechnical engineering projects. A case of highway pavement seepage induced by groundwater, at a locality along the section of Hua-Qing Highway of Guangdong Province, China, is presented for environmental hazard analysis and effective remediation. The environmental hazard analyses were based on in situ hydrogeologic investigation, rock-soil testing and integrated environmental understanding. The analyses indicate that the highway seepage was caused by elevation of groundwater hydraulic pressure in low permeable strata near the highway pavement, which was controlled by landform, hydrology, weather and road structure. The risk source of groundwater 'flooding' was the groundwater and surface water in the ring-like valley around Fenshui Village. A blind-ditch system for effective remediation of the pavement seepage hazard was proposed and successfully implemented by declining groundwater table near the highway based on the comprehensive assessment of various conditions. This geotechnical accident shows that the role of groundwater is an essential factor to consider in the geotechnical and environmental engineering studies and multidisciplinary effort for risk assessment of environmental hazards is important under current global climate change condition.

[Clinical study of 63 patients with aplastic anemia by using in vitro culture of BFU-E, CFU-E, CFU-GM and of the relation between pathogenesis and treatment].

63 patients with aplastic anemia were studied by using in vitro assay for committed erythroid and granulomonocytic progenitors from the bone marrow. The T cell-mediated effects of suppression of normal hematopoiesis were observed by PBMNC of the patients when cocultured with normal bone marrow. The stimulated effects of androgen on BFU-E and CFU-E with methyl testosterone were also studied. The results showed that the PBMNC of 44.4% of the 63 patients suppressed normal hematopoiesis. 41.3% of the patients responded to methyl testosterone (MT) and 14.3% of the patients had very obvious decrease or absence of BFU-E, CFU-E and CFU-GM without evidence of immunological effects or response to androgen. According to these findings, it may be useful for clinicians to choose better therapeutic regimens for aplastic anemia. Such as BMT for the patients with hematopoietic stem cells deficiency; immuno-suppression treatment or splenectomy may be of benefit for those who suffered from immune mediated aplastic anemia (IMAA) and androstenones chosen for those sensitive to MT in vitro. There were 15 patients with IMAA treated with immuno-suppressive agents and 19 patients sensitive to MT treated with androgens. All of them had satisfactory results.

[Leukemic clonogenic assay and drug sensitivity test of homoharringtonine and cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia].

Bone marrow cells from 33 patients with AML were cultured in vitro using PHA-LCM. The test consisted of two phases: an initial liquid phase and then a semi-liquid phase as described by Dicke et al. Drug sensitivity test for homoharringtonine (H) and cytarabine (A) were performed with clonogenic assay. All patients were treated with these drugs. The results showed that PHA-induced leukemic colonies (CFU-AML) varied from 0 to 812/2 x 10(5) cells (median 175). Three patterns of cell growth were recognized in analysis: high degree (7 patients) with more than 250 CFU-AML colonies, median degree (17 patients) with 50-250 and low, degree with 0 to 49 colonies (9 patients). Drug sensitivity was closely related to the cell growth patterns as evaluated with the clinical outcome. Patients with "high" growth pattern needed more sensitive drugs. When clonogenic assay showed "low" growth pattern, all patients responded to H and A very well regardless the degree of drug sensitivity. Most patients with M3 had high or median growth patterns and relatively low sensitivity to HA. Only one of the six patients with M3 got remission.