Structural characteristics of a hypoglycemic polysaccharide from Fructus Corni.

PFC-3 is a homogeneous polysaccharide extracted from the dried pulps of Fructus Corni with a molecular weight of 40.3 kDa. The crude polysaccharide was obtained and further purified by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and Sephadex G-100 columns to investigate its structure and glycemic effect. The monosaccharides in the PFC-3, determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, consisted of glucose (Glc), xylose (Xyl), and galactose (Gal) with a mass molar ratio of 2.35:12.49:1.00. The methylation analysis combined with 1D (1H and 13C), and 2D NMR (1H-1H COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) further demonstrated that PFC-3 was mainly composed of 1,3-α-D-Xylp, 1,6-α-D-Galp, 1,2-α-D-Glcp, and T-α-D-Galp, and contained a backbone fragment of →6)-α-D-Galp-(1 â†’ 2)-α-D-Glcp-(1 â†’ 3)-α-D-Xylp-(1 â†’ . The hypoglycemic effect of PFC-3 in vitro was evaluated by glucose uptake and consumption assays, and the results showed that PFC-3 concentration-dependently enhanced glucose uptake and significantly improved glucose consumption in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Furthermore, PFC-3 significantly reduced fasting blood glucose level, glycosylated hemoglobin level, amylase activity, ameliorate lipid metabolism, and hepatic lesions in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Our research provided insights into the hypoglycemic activities of PFC-3.

Structures and anti-atherosclerotic effects of 1,6-α-glucans from Fructus Corni.

In this study, two homogeneous polysaccharides (PFC-1 and PFC-2) having anti-atherosclerotic activity were isolated from Fructus Corni. PFC-1 and PFC-2 were 1,6-α-glucans with the molecular weight of 4.4 kDa and 82.0 kDa, respectively. In the in vitro experiments, PFC-1 and PFC-2 showed significant inhibitory effects on the cholesterol accumulation in RAW264.7 macrophages induced by oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDL), and the inhibitory rate of PFC-2 was 81.62%. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) were used to evaluate the anti-atherosclerotic effects of PFC-2 in vivo. The aortic root lipid area decreased by 55.01% in the PFC-2-administered group as compared to the model group. PFC-2 decreased the levels of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and malondialdehyde, increased the superoxide dismutase activity, and reduced the contents of lipid and macrophages in the aortic sinus plaque in ApoE-/- mice fed with HFD. Furthermore, PFC-2 markedly inhibited the expression of type A1 scavenger receptor (SR-A1) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) in ox-LDL-treated macrophages. Taken together, 1,6-α-glucans from Fructus Corni showed significant anti-atherogenic effect, and the mechanism is related to enhanced antioxidant activity of the ApoE-/- mice and down-regulated the expression of SR-A1 and CD36 proteins in macrophages.

Femoral supracondylar osteotomy for the treatment of valgus knee osteoarthritis in young and middle-aged patients / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical efficacy of open supracondylar osteotomy of the femoral condyle for the treatment of valgus knee osteoarthritis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From April 2008 to June 2015, 21 patients with valgus knee osteoarthritis underwent an open wedge femoral supracondylar osteotomy using the distal femur dissection plates combined with autologous iliac bone graft for the bone defect. There were 8 males (8 knees) and 13 females (15 knees), ranging in age from 30 to 54 years old, with a mean age of 41.2 years old. All the patients had valgus deformity and knee joint pain in the lateral compartment. The average tibiofemoral angle was (162.0±2.6)° which was measured on the image of preoperative lower extremity weight-bearing X-ray. Clinical outcomes were comprehensively assessed according to the bone healing time, postoperative complications, progress of knee osteoarthritis after operation, the Hospital for Special Surgery rating system (HSS), and tibiofemoral angle before and after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All 21 patients were followed up, the valgus deformity of knee joint was corrected in all patients after operation. No obvious delayed union or nonunion were found, and no serious complications were found. The HSS knee score was improved from the preoperative 57.3±3.1 to the final follow-up time 88.6±2.7. Tibiofemoral angle was improved to the postoperative(176.0±1.4)°.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Open wedge femoral supracondylar osteotomy has a clear surgical approach, and it is easy to control the bone mass of osteotomy and can effectively correct the valgus deformity and improve the function of knee joint using this method. It is an effective method for the treatment of valgus knee osteoarthritis in young and middle-aged patients.</p>

Improving the detection method for tin and its compounds in workplace air / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To improve the standard detection method of tin and its compounds in the air of workplace.METHODS: During the sample preparation,the amount of sulfuric acid for air filter membrane digestion was reduced from its original 0. 5 m L( the standard method of flame atomic absorption spectrometry) to 0. 2 m L and no acid-driving after the membrane was digested. The amount of sulfuric acid given to the series of standards was the same as that of the membrane digestion. The samples were detected by the flame atomic absorption spectrometry method. RESULTS: The improved method showed a good linear range of tin as 0. 0-80. 0 mg / L,the regression equation was