Assessing resting-state brain functional connectivity in adolescents and young adults with narcolepsy using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

This study aimed to elucidate the alterations in the prefrontal cortex's functional connectivity and network topology in narcolepsy patients using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twelve narcolepsy-diagnosed patients from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's People's Hospital Sleep Medicine Department and 11 matched healthy controls underwent resting fNIRS scans. Functional connectivity and graph theory analyses were employed to assess the prefrontal cortex network's properties and their correlation with clinical features. Results indicated increased functional connectivity in these adolescent and young adult patients with narcolepsy, with significant variations in metrics like average degree centrality and node efficiency, particularly in the left middle frontal gyrus. These alterations showed correlations with clinical symptoms, including depression and sleep efficiency. However, the significance of these findings was reduced post False Discovery Rate adjustment, suggesting a larger sample size is needed for validation. In conclusion, the study offers initial observations that alterations in the prefrontal cortex's functional connectivity may potentially act as a neurobiological indicator of narcolepsy, warranting further investigation with a larger cohort to substantiate these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms.

Protective effect of modified Huangqi Chifeng decoction on immunoglobulin A nephropathy through toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the nephroprotective mechanism of modified Huangqi Chifeng decoction (, MHCD) in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) rats. METHODS: To establish the IgAN rat model, the bovine serum albumin, lipopolysaccharide, and carbon tetrachloride 4 method was employed. The rats were then randomly assigned to the control, model, telmisartan, and high-, medium-, and low-dose MHCD groups, and were administered the respective treatments via intragastric administration for 8 weeks. The levels of 24-h urinary protein, serum creatinine (CRE), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured in each group. Pathological alterations were detected. IgA deposition was visualized through the use of immunofluorescence staining. The ultrastructure of the kidney was observed using a transmission electron microscope. The expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) were examined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) P65, were examined by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The 24-h urine protein level in each group increased significantly at week 6, and worsen from then on. But this process can be reversed by treatments of telmisartan, and high-, medium-, and low-dose of MHCD, and these treatments did not affect renal function. Telmisartan, and high-, and medium-dose of MHCD reduced IgA deposition. Renal histopathology demonstrated the protective effect of high-, medium-, and low-dose of MHCD against kidney injury. The expression levels of MCP-1, IL-6, and TGF-ß1 in kidney tissues were downregulated by low, medium and high doses of MHCD treatment. Additionally, treatment of low, medium and high doses of MHCD decreased the protein and mRNA levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB. CONCLUSIONS: MHCD exerted nephroprotective effects on IgAN rats, and MHCD regulated the expressions of key targets in TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, thereby alleviating renal inflammation by inhibiting MCP-1, IL-6 expressions, and ameliorating renal fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-ß1 expression.

Abnormal prefrontal functional network in adult obstructive sleep apnea: A resting-state fNIRS study.

To assess prefrontal brain network abnormality in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), resting-state functional near infrared spectroscopy (rs-fNIRS) was used to evaluate 52 subjects, including 27 with OSA and 25 healthy controls (HC). The study found that patients with OSA had a decreased connection edge number, particularly in the connection between the right medial frontal cortex (MFG-R) and other right-hemisphere regions. Graph-based analysis also revealed that patients with OSA had a lower global efficiency, local efficiency, and clustering coefficient than the HC group. Additionally, the study found a significant positive correlation between the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score and both the connection edge number and the graph-based indicators in patients with OSA. These preliminary results suggest that prefrontal rs-fNIRS could be a useful tool for objectively and quantitatively assessing cognitive function impairment in patients with OSA.

Improvement of cognitive function by escitalopram and paroxetine in patients with first-episode depressive disorder and its relationship with thyroid hormone levels / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundThe incidence of cognitive impairment in patients with depressive disorder is high， and the causes and mechanisms of which deserve more attention. It is usual that the thyroid hormone levels in patients with depressive disorder alter. Further research is needed to explore whether the cognitive function changes in patients with depressive disorder are related to thyroid hormone levels. ObjectiveTo explore the improvement of cognitive function in patients with first-episode depressive disorder after escitalopram and paroxetine treatment， and to analyse its correlation with thyroid hormone levels， so as to look for potential biomarkers of cognitive function change in patients with depressive disorder. MethodsFrom March 2021 to March 2022， 120 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases， tenth edition （ICD-10） for depression and were hospitalized at Shandong Mental Health Center were selected as the research objects. They were randomly divided into two groups by random number table method with 60 patients in each group. The two groups were treated with escitalopram （starting dose 5 mg/d） and paroxetine （starting dose 20 mg/d） for 6 weeks. Before and 6 weeks after the treatment， levels of thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH）， free thyroxine （FT4） and free triiodothyronine （FT3） were tested respectively. Depression degree and cognitive function level were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） and Montreal Cognitive Assessment （MoCA）， respectively. Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between the MoCA score difference before and after the treatment and the post-treatment level of thyroid hormone. ResultsBefore and 6 weeks after the treatment， the time effect of HAMD-17 total score in both groups was statistically significant （F=1 236.568， P<0.01）. Also， the time effect， group effect as well as interaction effect of time and group of MoCA total score in both groups were statistically significant （F=79.186， 6.026， 20.417， P<0.05 or 0.01）. The time effect， group effect as well as the interaction effect of time and group for FT3 level and FT4 level were statistically significant in both groups （F=75.973， 20.287， 0.961， 84.194， 0.142， 8.299， P<0.05 or 0.01）. According to the simple effect analysis. After the treatment， the MoCA total score in both groups was higher than that before treatment， while FT3 and FT4 levels were lower than those before treatment （F=15.864， 5.421， 8.524， 6.443， 7.628， 3.639， P<0.01）. After the 6-week treatment， the MoCA total score as well as FT3 and FT4 level differences in escitalopram and paroxetine groups were of statistical significance （t=5.841， -0.705， -2.349， P<0.05 or 0.01）. The MoCA score difference before and after treatment in paroxetine group was positively correlated with FT3 and FT4 levels after treatment （r=0.276， 0.382， P<0.05 or 0.01）. ConclusionBoth escitalopram and paroxetine can improve cognitive function in patients with first-episode depressive disorder. The improvement may be related to the changes in serum FT3 and FT4 levels.

Toxicity Reduction Measures of Herbal Medicines Causing Liver Injury and Role of Herbal Medicines in Preventing and Treating Liver Injury / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Chinese herbal medicines play a great role in disease prevention and treatment， while some may cause adverse effects on the human body after of long-term application. Liver injury， one of such adverse effects， is an important check item in the development of new Chinese medicines for clinical application and has become a major reason for the withdrawal of many listed drugs from the market. With the rising concern about the safety of Chinese herbal medicines， studies about liver injury caused by herbal medicines are increasing. Most of the studies focus on liver injury caused by Chinese herbal medicines or their ingredients. To improve the safety of Chinese herbal medicines， this paper summarizes the material basis and mechanisms of several Chinese herbal medicines that cause liver injury and the measures to reduce liver injury. These measures include reducing the dose and course of administration， changing the route of administration， and altering the dosage form， compatibility， and processing. In addition， this paper introduces the biological effects and mechanisms of single Chinese herbal medicines， Chinese medicine prescriptions， and active components in the prevention and treatment of liver injury. Furthermore， this paper proposes the safe dose and efficacy-toxicity boundary of Chinese herbal medicines that may cause liver injury by referring to the modern research on toxicity reduction， clarifies the mechanisms of toxicity reduction measures， and determines the material basis of liver injury induced by Chinese herbal medicines， which will ensure the safe application of herbal medicines in clinical practice. Finally， this paper suggests that efforts should be made to strengthen the clinical research on the prevention and treatment of liver injury and elucidate the scientific connotation of the prevention and treatment of liver injury by Chinese herbal medicines by using modern science and technology， aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of liver injury.

Self-injury and changes of hormone level / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Self-injury has become a significant public health problem, especially happens in adolescents. Previous studies have suggested that self-injury is related to numerous factors. At present, the occurrence mechanism of self-injury is still unclear, and there is a lack of reliable biological markers in its diagnosis and therapeutic target so far. Previous studies have suggested that self-injury may be related to hypothalamic pituitary adrenal(HPA) axis, β-endorphins, opioids and other hormones. Hypothalamic pituitary thyroid(HPT) axis and hypothalamic pituitary gonadal(HPG) axis are endocrine systems connecting nerves and hormones. Many studies suggested that various hormones in HPT axis and HPG axis of self-injury patients with other mental disorders (such as major depression and bipolar disorder) were abnormal. At present, there are few studies on the relationship between self-injury and HPT axis and HPG axis. There are differences in results even among studies on the same hormones, and some studies involve suicide attempts and even behaviors. Some studies have confirmed that self-injury is related to suicide, expanding the possibility of exploring the correlation between self-injury and hormones. This study will review the relationship between self-injury and hormonal changes.

FMO3-TMAO axis modulates the clinical outcome in chronic heart-failure patients with reduced ejection fraction: evidence from an Asian population / 医学前沿

The association among plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), FMO3 polymorphisms, and chronic heart failure (CHF) remains to be elucidated. TMAO is a microbiota-dependent metabolite from dietary choline and carnitine. A prospective study was performed including 955 consecutively diagnosed CHF patients with reduced ejection fraction, with the longest follow-up of 7 years. The concentrations of plasma TMAO and its precursors, namely, choline and carnitine, were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the FMO3 E158K polymorphisms (rs2266782) were genotyped. The top tertile of plasma TMAO was associated with a significant increment in hazard ratio (HR) for the composite outcome of cardiovascular death or heart transplantation (HR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.13-1.91, P = 0.004) compared with the lowest tertile. After adjustments of the potential confounders, higher TMAO could still be used to predict the risk of the primary endpoint (adjusted HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01-1.74, P = 0.039). This result was also obtained after further adjustment for carnitine (adjusted HR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01-1.74, P = 0.039). The FMO3 rs2266782 polymorphism was associated with the plasma TMAO concentrations in our cohort, and lower TMAO levels were found in the AA-genotype. Thus, higher plasma TMAO levels indicated increased risk of the composite outcome of cardiovascular death or heart transplantation independent of potential confounders, and the FMO3 AA-genotype in rs2266782 was related to lower plasma TMAO levels.

Influence of mindfulness-based stress reduction plus micro-class education on the complications and knowledge mastery rate in laparoscopic appendectomy patients with diabetes mellitus / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To discuss the influence of mindfulness-based stress reduction plus micro-class education on the complications and knowledge mastery rate in surgical patients with diabetes mellitus.Methods:A total of 105 patients, diagnosed as diabetes mellitus complicated with appendicitis in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College were selected from January 2019 to January 2020. They were hospitalized for laparoscopic appendectomy and were randomly divided into the control group ( n = 52) and the study group ( n = 53) in accordance with the random number table. The patients in the control group were given routine nursing care, and the patients in the study group were given mindfulness decompression therapy combined with micro-classroom education. The blood glucose control and psychological emotion of the two groups before and after operation, and the postoperative complications and the mastery rate of disease knowledge of the two groups were compared. Results:There was no significant difference in blood glucose indexes between the two groups at baseline ( P>0.05); FBG, HbA1c and other indicators in the two groups were improved during operation and 24h after operation, but FBG (7.38±0.54) mmol/L, HbA1c (6.39±0.21)% and FBG (6.90±0.52) mmol/L and HbA1c (6.10±0.39)% in the study group were lower than those in the control group [(8.16±1.21) mmol/L, (7.53±1.05)%, (7.60±0.57) mmol/L, (6.50±0.41)%], the difference was statistically significant ( t value was 6.789-13.264, P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in SAS and SDS scores between the two groups at baseline ( P > 0.05), until discharge, the SAS and SDS scores of the treatment group were 35.81±5.49 and 42.08±4.91 respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the control group (42.21±5.53, 6.51±4.72) respectively, compared with the corresponding scale scores of the control group, the difference between the two groups after treatment was statistically significant ( t value was 5.386, 4.265, P < 0.05). Compared with 17.31% (9/52) of the control group, the incidence of complications in the study group decreased to 5.66% (3/53), there was significant difference ( χ2 value was 6.789, P < 0.05). The qualified rate of disease knowledge mastery in the study group (98.11%,52/53) was significantly higher than that in the control group (86.53%, 45/52), and the difference was significant ( χ2 value was 5.062, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The mindfulness-based stress reduction plus micro-class education can effectively control the laparoscopic appendectomy patients blood glucose, stabilize the mental emotions, increase the illness knowledge mastery degree, keep in good mood, reduce the postoperative complications and promote the fast recovery.

Embolization of the inferior phrenic artery as nonbronchial systemic artery for hemoptysis / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of embolization of inferior phrenic artery as nonbronchial systemic artery(NBSA) for hemoptysis.Methods Imaging and clinical data of 1 1 patients with inferior phrenic artery as NBSA were analyzed retrospectively, and complications and hemoptysis recurrence rate were recorded.Results Seven patients underwent enhanced CT examination and 4 patients underwent plain CT examination before embolization.Six of those patients who underwent enhanced CT examination were found abnormal arteries,and were confirmed as NBSA by angiography.The other 5 patients were found unmatch of lesion distribution and bronchial arteries during procedure,and inferior phrenic artery as NBSA were found by expanding angiography.All procedure were successfully performed,3 cases occurred hiccup and need not treatment.No serious complications occurred,such as incontinence and paraplegia.During (1 8.7 ± 1 3.8)months follow-up,only 1 patient recurrence of hemoptysis,and successful after conservative treatment,and the other 10 patients had no recurrence of hemoptysis.Conclusion The inferior phrenic artery as NBSA can induce hemoptysis.It is safe to embolization of the inferior phrenic artery,which can reduce the recurrent rate of hemoptysis.

Mucosal Immunity of IgA Nephropathy and Treatment from Pharynx / 中国中医药信息杂志

IgA nephropathy is a common primary glomerulopathy; the main clinical manifestation is hematuria, with or without proteinuria. However, the pathogenesis associated with mucosal immunity is not completely clear. At present, modern medical treatment delays the progression of IgA nephropathy mainly by controlling blood pressure, reducing proteinuria and delaying renal function failure. The method of combination of disease and syndrome of TCM has received satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of IgA nephropathy. Based on the relationship between mucosal immune and treated from pharynx, this article investigated the occurrence, development and treatment of IgA nephropathy.

Simultaneous Determination of the Costunolide and Dehydrocostus Lactone in Haoweilai Soft Capsule by HPLC / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the simultaneous determination of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in Haoweilai soft capsule. METHODS:HPLC was performed on the column of Dikma C18 with mobile phase of acetonitrile- water (V/V,55∶45) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min,detection wavelength was 225 nm,column temperature was 25 ℃,and the injection volume was 10 μl. RESULTS:The linear range were 24.00-108.00 μg/ml(r=0.999 7) for costunolide and 20.88-93.98 μg/ml for dehydrocostus lactone (r=0.999 8);RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were lower than 1%;recoveries were 98.71%-100.00%(RSD=0.25%,n=6)and 96.88%-99.18%(RSD=0.40%,n=6). CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple with good stability and reproducibility,and can be used for the simultaneous determination of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone in Haoweilai soft capsule.

Genome-Wide Identification of Genes Probably Relevant to the Uniqueness of Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) and Its Cultivars.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a popular beverage all over the world and a number of studies have focused on the genetic uniqueness of tea and its cultivars. However, molecular mechanisms underlying these phenomena are largely undefined. In this report, based on expression data available from public databases, we performed a series of analyses to identify genes probably relevant to the uniqueness of C. sinensis and two of its cultivars (LJ43 and ZH2). Evolutionary analyses showed that the evolutionary rates of genes involved in the pathways were not significantly different among C. sinensis, C. oleifera, and C. azalea. Interestingly, a number of gene families, including genes involved in the pathways synthesizing iconic secondary metabolites of tea plant, were significantly upregulated, expressed in C. sinensis (LJ43) when compared to C. azalea, and this may partially explain its higher content of flavonoid, theanine, and caffeine. Further investigation showed that nonsynonymous mutations may partially contribute to the differences between the two cultivars of C. sinensis, such as the chlorina and higher contents of amino acids in ZH2. Genes identified as candidates are probably relevant to the uniqueness of C. sinensis and its cultivars should be good candidates for subsequent functional analyses and marker-assisted breeding.

Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Rosuvastatin Calcium Capsules and Tablets in Healthy Volunteers / 中国药师

Objective:To develop an HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of rosuvastatin in plasma and study the relative bioavailability and bioequivalence of the capsules and tablets in Chinese healthy volunteers. Methods: A single oral dose (20 mg of the test or reference preparation) was given to 24 male healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study. The plasma concentration of rosuvastatin was determined by HPLC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and the bioavailability and bioequiva-lence of the two preparations were evaluated by DAS 3. 0 software. Results:After a single dose, the pharmacokinetic parameters of ro-suvastatin capsules and tablets were as follows:Tmax was (3. 56 ± 1. 68) h and (3. 63 ± 1. 56) h, Cmax was (21. 17 ± 13. 74) ng· ml-1 and (26.33 ±23.22) ng·ml-1, t1/2 was (10.68 ±5.50) h and (9.04 ±6.00) h, AUC0-t was (219.31 ±146.09) ng·h· ml-1 and (252. 43 ± 194. 96) ng·h·ml-1 , AUC0-∞ was (225. 32 ± 146. 76) ng·h·ml-1 and (257. 24 ± 194. 61) ng·h·ml-1 , respectively. The 90% confidential interval of AUC0-t, AUC0-∞ and Cmax was 81. 1%-106% , 81. 8%-105. 4% and 77. 9%-104. 5%, respectively. The mean relative bioavailability of the test preparation(the capsules) to the reference preparation(the tablets) was (100. 7 ± 54. 1)%. Conclusion:The test and reference preparations are bioequivalent.

Molecular cloning and characterization of S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase gene (DoSAMDC1) in Dendrobium officinale / 药学学报

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) is a key enzyme in the polyamines biosynthesis, thus is essential for basic physiological and biochemical processes in plant. In the present study, a full length cDNA of DoSAMDC1 gene was obtained from symbiotic germinated seeds of an endangered medicinal orchid species Dendrobium officinale, using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR technique for the first time. The full length cDNA was 1 979 bp, with three open reading frames, i.e. tiny-uORF, small-uORF and main ORF (mORF). The mORF was deduced to encode a 368 amino acid (aa) protein with a molecular mass of 40.7 kD and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.2. The deduced DoSAMDC1 protein, without signal peptide, had two highly conserved function domains (proenzyme cleavage site and PEST domain) and a 22-aa transmembrane domain (89-110). Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic relationship analyses revealed DoSAMDC1 had a higher level of sequence similarity to monocot SAMDCs than those of dicot. Expression patterns using qRT-PCR analyses showed that DoSAMDC1 transcripts were expressed constitutively without significant change in the five tissues (not infected with fungi). While in the symbiotic germinated seeds, the expression level was enhanced by 2.74 fold over that in the none-germinated seeds, indicating possible involvement of the gene in symbiotic seed germination of D. officinale.

Isolation, idetification and anti-HIV-1 integrase activity of culturable endophytic fungi from Tibetan medicinal plant Phlomis younghusbandii Mukerjee / 药学学报

A total of 52 endophytic fungi were isolated from roots and stems of Tibetan medicinal plant Phlomis younghusbandii Mukerjee. These fungal isolates were molecularly identified based on ITS sequnces and 28S sequences distributed to 12 genera, including Phoma, Chaetosphaeronema, Fusarium and Leptosphaeria, etc. Among them, the dominant genus was Phoma. Extracts of all strains were evaluated for anti-HIV-1 integrase activity by using soluable integrase expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The results showed that seven samples from five fungal endophytes PHY-24, PHY-38, PHY-40, PHY-51, PHY-53, which belonged to genus Chaetosphaeronema, inhibited strand transfer reaction catalyzed by HIV-1 integrase with IC50 values, of 6.60, 5.20, 2.86, 7.86, 4.47, 4.56 and 3.23 microg x mL(-1) respectively. In conclusion, the endophytic fungi of Phlomis younghusbandii Mukerjee are valuable for further screening anti-HIV-1 integrase agents.

Molecular characterization of a mitogen-activated protein kinase gene DoMPK1 in Dendrobium officinale / 药学学报

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, composed of MAPK kinase kinase (MAP3K), MAPK kinase (MAP2K), and MAPK, is abundantly conserved in all eukaryotes. MAPK along with MAPK cascade plays a vital regulatory role in the plant-arbuscular mycorrhiza/rhizobium nodule symbioses. However, the biological function of MAPK in orchid mycorrhiza (OM) symbiosis remains elusive. In the present study, a MAPK gene, designated as DoMPK1 (GenBank accession No. JX297594), was identified from D. officinale roots infected by an OM fungus-Mycena sp. using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods. The full length cDNA of DoMPK1 was 1 263 bp and encoded a 372 aa protein with a molecular weight of 42.61 kD and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.07. The deduced DoMPK1 protein contained the conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase catalytic domain (39-325) and MAP kinase signature (77-177). Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that DoMPK1 was highly homologous (71%-85%) to MAPK genes from various plant species and was closely related to those from monocots. Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that DoMPK1 was constitutively expressed in leaves, stems, roots and seeds, and the transcript abundance was not significantly different in the four included tissues. Furthermore, DoMPK1 transcript was markedly induced in roots at 30 d after fungal infection, with 7.91 fold compared to that of the mock inoculated roots, suggesting implication of DoMPK1 in the early D. officinale and Mycena sp. interaction and an essential role in the symbiosis. Our study characterized a MAPK gene associated with OM symbiosis for the first time, and will be helpful for further functional elucidation of DoMPK1 involving in D. officinale and Mycena sp. symbiotic interaction.

Cloning and expression analysis of a calcium-dependent protein kinase gene in Dendrobium officinale in response to mycorrhizal fungal infection / 药学学报

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play an important regulatory role in the plantarbuscular mycorrhiza/rhizobium nodule symbiosis. However, the biological action of CDPKs in orchid mycorrhiza (OM) symbiosis remains unclear. In the present study, a CDPK encoding gene, designated as DoCPK1 (GenBank accession No. JX193703), was identified from D. officinale roots infected by an OM fungus-Mycena sp. using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods, for the first time. The full length cDNA of DoCPK1 was 2137 bp in length and encoded a 534 aa protein with a molecular weight of 59.61 kD and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.03. The deduced DoCPK1 protein contained the conserved serine/threonine-protein kinase catalytic domain and four Ca2+ binding EF hand motifs. Multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that DoCPK1 was highly homologous (85%) to the Panax ginseng PgCPK1 (ACY78680), followed by CDPKs genes from wheat, rice, and Arabidopsis (ABD98803, ADM14342, Q9ZSA2, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis showed that DoCPK1 was closely related to CDPKs genes from monocots, such as wheat, maize and rice. Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that DoCPK1 was constitutively expressed in the included tissues and the transcript levels were in the order of roots > stems > seeds > leaves. Furthermore, DoCPK1 transcripts were significantly accumulated in roots 30 d after fungal infection, with 5.16 fold compared to that of the mock roots, indicating involvement of DoCPK1 during the early interaction between D. officinale and Mycena sp., and a possible role in the symbiosis process. This study firstly provided important clues of a CDPK gene associated with OM symbiosis, and will be useful for further functional determination of the gene involving in D. officinale and Mycena sp. symbiosis.

The inhibition effect of high storage temperature on the recrystallization rate during dissolution of nimodipine-Kollidon VA64 solid dispersions (NM-SD) prepared by hot-melt extrusion.

Nimodipine (NM) solid dispersions (SD) were prepared by hot-melt extrusion with polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (PVP-VA; Kollidon VA64) as the carrier, then the extrudate was stored at different temperatures (20°C, 40°C, 60°C) after milling. Conventional differential scanning calorimetry and powder X-ray diffraction revealed that the drug was present as an amorphous state in the carrier. The dissolution curves of NM from SD at 37°C in water showed that the rate of recrystallization for NM from SD stored at high temperatures was slower than that from room temperature. The single glass transition temperature (T(g) ) measured by modulated temperature DSC remained constant around 89°C and indicated that the amorphous state of the compound was not altered by heating. However, the C=O vibration of the amide function of Kollidon VA64 increased from 1658 to 1675 cm(-1) was observed in infrared spectra and implied the weakness of H-bonding between the compound and the polymer. The above-mentioned experiments clued to us that suitable postcooking for a short time is good for SD; however, the mechanisms of the changes were still not clear and need further investigation.

Expression of drculatory and pulmonary angiotensinⅡin rats with acute lung injury / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the changes in circulatory and pulmonary monary angiotensinⅡin rats with acite lung injury(ALI)and explore the role of angiotensinⅡin ALI.Method Thirty S-D rats were randomly divided into control group(n=6)and ALI group(n=24).The ALI group was further divided into four subgroups of observation at various intervals,3,6,9 and 12 hours after administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)into the femoral vein(each n=6).The indices rate,blood gas analysis,wet weight/dry weight(W/D)ratio of lung lobes,and pathological changes were successively observed at 3,6,9,and 12 hours after injury.The content of angiotensinⅡin lung tissue and blood plasma were detected at above set intervals by radioimmunoassay.Data of these assays were analyzed by one-factor analysis of variance.Results Compare with the control group,pH and PaO2 of arterial blood in ALI group decreased significantly(P＜0.05)at all intervals and PaCO2 of arterial blood in ALI group decreased significanfly(P＜0.05).at all intervals and PaCO2 of arterial blood and lung W/D weight ratio increased significantly(P＜0.05),and scores of lung histopathology denoted the lung injuried(P＜0.01).After injury of lung,angiotensin Ⅱ content increased markedly in lung homogenate and blood plasma (P＜0.05).Angiotensin Ⅱ content in blood plasma reached peak value at 9 hours,and content of angiotensin Ⅱ in lung homogenates kept on increasing at allintervals of observation.Conclusions A large amount of angiotensin Ⅱ releases into lung tissue and blood plasma during ALI,suggesting systemic and pulmonary rennin-angiotensin systems are activated.

Oxidative Damage of Mouse Liver and Lung Protein Induced by Multi-walled Carbon Nanotube Exposure / 医学研究杂志

Objective To study the protein oxidative damage and its possible mechanism caused by multi-walled nanotubes(MWCNTS)in mice.Methods Totally 20 Kun-ming mice were divided randomly into 4 testing groups(n=5 for each group),with 0.1,0.2 and 0.4mg/ml MWCNTS suspension injected groups and saline injected group as control group.After 5 days exposure,the protein carbonyl content was measured by using spectrophotometric DNPH assay to reflect the degree of protein oxidative damage.Results The results showed that the protein carbonyl content in livers in 0.2 and 0.4mg/ml MWCNTS suspension injected groups were significantly higher than that in saline group(P