[Reconstruction of teaching mode of Human Parasitology among rural order-oriented medical students in the context of curriculum ideology and politics].

To set the cultivation goal with adaptation to rural order-oriented medical students, the teaching mode of Human Parasitology was reformed in the context of curriculum ideological and political education. The new teaching mode not only enables students to harvest medical knowledge during the school education stage, but also plays a guiding role in cultivation of humanistic qualities and professional spirit, which provides a basis for cultivating general practitioners serving for grassroots healthcare.

Curculigo orchioides, a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, prevents bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

OBJECTIVE: Natural medicines derived from plants have aroused increasing interest in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. This is due to their unique characteristics as these are more suitable for long-term use compared with synthesized chemicals and have apparently fewer adverse effects. Curculigo orchioides (CO) has a long history in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in traditional Chinese medicine. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of ethanol extracts of CO on ovariectomy-induced bone loss. METHODS: Sixty female (4.5-month-old) Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to sham and OVX groups. The OVX rats were further divided into five subgroups treated respectively, with vehicle, nylestriol (1 mg/kg, i.g.) and CO extract (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg, i.g.) for 12 weeks. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) densitometry. Serum phosphorus, calcium, ACTH, corticosterone, deoxypyridinoline crosslinks to creatinine ratio (DPD/Cr), alkaline phosphate (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteoprotegerin (OPG), IL-6, and TNF-alpha were also determined. RESULTS: Administration of CO extract prevented bone loss in the trabecular bone of the tibia in ovariectomized rats without affecting the weight of the body and the uterus, and increased serum phosphorus, calcium, and OPG levels, decreased serum DPD/Cr, TRAP, ACTH, and corticosterone levels, but did not alter serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, and ALP levels in ovariectomized rats. CONCLUSION: CO ethanol extract has a definite protective effect on bone loss in ovariectomized rats by inhibiting bone resorption and increasing serum phosphorus and calcium levels, without affecting bone formation. Therefore, CO can be considered a potential antiosteoporosis herbal plant, although more studies are needed to clarify its real potential chemical constituents and their mechanism of action.