AIM To investigate the effects of iptakalim hydrochloride (Ipt) on cerebral neuronal sodium, calcium and potassium channels. METHODS The effects of Ipt on sodium, calcium and potassium channels in cultured hippocampal neurons was observed using whole-cell recording technique. RESULTS Ipt had no significant effect on Na +, Ca 2+ currents, but significantly increased the outward K + currents. This enhancement of Ipt was inhibited by synchronously application of glibenclamide. Upon the administration of Ipt 1, 10, 100 ?mol?L -1, the outward K + current was significantly increased to (121.9?8.1)%, (114.7?7.1)%, (109.1?10.0)% respectively (n=6～9, P

Object To establish a method for chemical pattern recognition on the quality assessment of Radix Astragali. Methods The contents of astragaloside in 18 samples of Astragalus Linn. in different species and origins were determinated by dual-wavelength TLCS method. The developing solvent was CHCl 3-MeOH-H 2O (65∶30∶10,), the UV detection was set at ? s=390 nm; ? R=590 nm. Astragaloside was regarded as the quality assurance of medicinal Radix Astragalus. Based on the TLCS method, the chemical data were obtained. Hierarchical clustering analyses were applied to the chemical pattern recognition. Results The content of astragaloside in Astragalus mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao and A. membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. was relatively higher than that in the other samples. This is consistent with the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China in which the two sorts of Astragalus Linn. were regarded as goods. Conclusion This method is a practicable in the quality assessment of Radix Astragali.

Background It is thought in recently that photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment method for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), but the dosage of verteporfin and its long-term efficacy and complications is rarely elucidated ever before.Objective This study was to observe the long-term efficacy and safety of 60％ dose verteporfin PDT for chronic CSC.Methods This is a retrospective study and a self-controlled design was used.The clinical data of 25 eyes of 21 chronic CSC patients who received 60％-dose verteporfin PDT in Henan Eye Institute from January 2009 to May 2010 were reviewed, with the male 18 (85.71％) and female 3 (14.29％) as well as monocular CSC 17 patients and binocular CSC 4 patients.The average ages of the patients were (43±5) years.Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) , indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), optical coherence tomography(OCT) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were examined in all the patients before and after treatment.PDT with the 60％-dose verteporfin (3.6 mg/m2) was carried out on the CSC eyes.The treated eyes were examined 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months after PDT.The BCVA,subfoveal choroid thickness,FFA and ICGA findings before and after PDT were compared.The following-up duration was 5 years or more.Results The BCVA before and 3 months after PDT were 0.5 ±0.1 and 0.9±0.2, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between them (t =19.17,P =0.00).The subfoveal choroidal thickness value 3 months after PDT was (326.56±39.47) μm,which was significantly reduced in comparison with (486.24 ±47.53) μm before PDT (t =25.17, P =0.00).FFA and ICGA showed that the leakage of fluorescein (hyperfluorescence) was disappeared in all the treated eyes.No systemic or local adverse effects and recurrence were observed during the follow-up period.Conclusions On the basis of the results of this study and available information,60％-dose verteporfin PDT seems to have a better long-term efficacy and safety than full-dose verteporfin in treating chronic CSC.

Objective To explore the effects of physiological deep-sea water(PDSW) on hyperthermal tolerance of Kunming (KM ) mice in the 45 .0 ℃ environment .Methods Deep-sea water from the south Chinese sea was processed ,and the metallic ele-ments dissolved in the DSW were analysed .The mice were randomly divided into 2 groups :the control group received tap water ;the experimental group treated with PDSW for 15 d .And then the mice were fed in the 45 .0 ℃ conditions .The survival time and histo-morphometric analyses of the brain ,lung ,heart ,liver and kidney were investigated .Results The survival time in PDSW-fed group was significantly longer than that of the control group (P< 0 .05) .Moreover ,histomorphometric analyses showed that PDSW could protect the brain ,lung ,heart ,liver and kidney of KM mice from the 45 .0 ℃ conditions .The results of western blot revealed that ex-pression of HSP72 of liver tissues for PDSW-fed group substantially increased ,when compared with the control mice(P< 0 .05) . Conclusion PDSW could improve hyperthermal tolerance of KM mice ,which maybe in the relation with expression of HSP72 pro-moted by PDSW .

OBJECTIVE： To optimize the formulation of Diosmin gel and to investigate its in vitro release property. METHODS： Diosmin gel were prepared by using Carbomer 940 as matrix. Using accumulative release rate as index， with the amount of Carbomer 940， ethanol， acetone and pH as factors， L9（34） orthogonal test was conducted. The formulation of Diosmin gel was optimized and validated. Using Diosmin ointment as reference， dialysis bag diffusion method was used to investigate in vitro release property of Diosmin gel prepared by optimal formulation. RESULTS： The optimal formulation of Diosmin gel included Carbomer 940 1.5 g， ethanol 15 mL， glycerol 8 g， pH 6. The gel prepared with optimal formulation was sticky brown-yellow semi solid， and had good coating and spreading properties. The average accumulative release rate （2 h） was （12.67±0.12）％. Results of drug release test showed that Diosmin gel released rapidly within 12 h， then gradually slowed down. The accumulative release rates were （71.93±0.42）％ （12 h） and （80.47±0.54）％ （24 h）， drug release of which were in line with Higuchi equation. Diosmin ointment was released slowly. The accumulative release rates were （41.74±0.18）％ （12 h） and （62.63±0.59）％ （24 h）. Drug release of it were in line with first-order equation. CONCLUSIONS： The formulation of Diosmin gel is optimized successfully. Prepared Diosmin gel has good drug release property.

Objective:To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block in elderly patients undergoing hip replacement under subarachnoid block.Methods:Fifty patients of both sexes, aged 65-89 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅱ or Ⅲ, with body mass index 20-30 kg/m 2, undergoing unilateral hip arthroplasty, were divided into 2 groups ( n=25 each) by a random number table method: PENG group and fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) group.In PENG group, 0.4% ropivacaine hydrochloride 20 ml was injected around the nerve innervating the hip joint capsule under ultrasound guidance.In FICB group, 0.4% ropivacaine 30 ml was injected around the nerve innervating the fascia iliaca compartment under ultrasound guidance.Subarachnoid block was performed in both groups.Visual analog scale scores and scores for satisfaction with analgesia at rest and during activity were recorded before blockade (T 0), at 10, 20 and 30 min after blockade (T 1-3) and when placed in the position for spinal anesthesia (T 4). The cumulative consumption of sufentanil, effective pressing times of analgesic pump, and development of related complications were recorded at 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after operation (T 5-8). Results:Compared with FICB group, the VAS scores at rest and during activity were significantly decreased at T 1-4, and scores for satisfaction with analgesia during activity were increased in PENG group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the cumulative consumption of sufentanil and effective pressing times of analgesic pump ( P>0.05). One patient developed postoperative delirium in group FICB, and no patients developed puncture site infection and nerve damage after operation in two groups. Conclusion:PENG block produces better analgesic efficacy than FICB when used for elderly patients undergoing hip replacement under subarachnoid block.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of 7 antipsychotic drugs on the life quality of schizophrenia patients including chlorpromazine, sulpiride, clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, and aripiprazole. METHODS: A total of 1,227 stable schizophrenic patients within 5 years onset who took 1 of the 7 study medications as maintenance treatment were followed up for 1 year at 10 China sites. Patients were evaluated by the short form-36 health survey (SF-36) at the baseline and at the end of 1 year. RESULTS: The life quality was improved obviously at the end of the follow-up. There was significant difference in body pain, vitality, and mental health (P<0.05) among these antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSION All 7 antipsychotic drugs can improve the life quality of schizophrenia patients. Atypical antipsychotic drugs, especially olazapine and quetiapine, are superior to typical antipsychotic drugs in improving life quality.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antipsychotic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Benzodiazepines ; therapeutic use ; Dibenzothiazepines ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Olanzapine ; Quality of Life ; Quetiapine Fumarate ; Schizophrenia ; drug therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Non-Camellia tea is a part of the colorful Chinese tea culture, and is also widely used as beverage and medicine in folk for disease prevention and treatment. In this study, 37 samples were collected, including 33 kinds of non-Camellia teas and 4 kinds of teas (Camellia). Traditional functions of non-Camellia teas were investigated. Furthermore, non-Camellia teas of original plants were characterized and identified by molecular methods. Four candidate regions (rbcL, matK, ITS2, psbA-trnH) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. In addition, DNA barcodes were used for the first time to discriminate the commercial non-Camellia tea and their adulterants, and to evaluate their safety. This study showed that BLASTN and the relevant phylogenetic tree are efficient tools for identification of the commercial non-Camellia tea and their adulterants. However, some sequences from original plants have not been found and there is a limitation of sequence number of original plants in GenBank. Submitting more original plant sequences to the GenBank will be helpful for evaluating the safety of non-Camellia teas.

BACKGROUNDSleep deprivation (SD) has been used in treatment of depression disorder, and could effectively improve the patients' depressive symptoms.The aim of the study was to explore the effects of SD on electroencephalographic (EEG) and executive function changes in patients with depression.

METHODSEighteen depression patients (DPs) and 21 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the present study. The whole night polysomnography (PSG) was recorded by Neurofax-1518K (Nihon Kohden, Japan) system before and after 36 hours of SD. The level of subjects' depression state was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the executive function was assessed by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).

RESULTSSignificantly decreased sleep latency (SL; before SD: (31.8 ± 11.1) minutes, after SD: (8.8 ± 5.2) minutes, P < 0.01) and REM sleep latency (RL; before SD: (79.8 ± 13.5) minutes, after SD: (62.9 ± 10.2) minutes, P < 0.01) were found after SD PSG in depression patients. Decreased Stage 1 (S1; before SD: (11.7 ± 2.9)%, after SD: (7.3 ± 1.1)%, P < 0.01) and Stage 2 (S2, before SD: (53.8 ± 15.5)%, after SD: (42.3 ± 14.7)%, P < 0.05) of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, and increased Stage 3 (S3, before SD: (11.8 ± 5.5)%, after SD: (23.6 ± 5.8)%, P < 0.01) and Stage 4 (S4, before SD: (8.8 ± 3.3)%, after SD: (27.4 ± 4.8)%, P < 0.01) NREM sleep were also found. After SD, the depression level in patients decreased from 6.7 ± 2.1 to 2.9 ± 0.7 (P < 0.01). In WCST, the patients showed significantly decreased Response errors (Re, before SD: 22.3 ± 2.4, after SD: 18.3 ± 2.7, P < 0.01) and Response preservative errors (Rpe, before SD: 11.6 ± 3.6, after SD: 9.3 ± 2.9, P < 0.05). Depression patients' RE (t = 2.17, P < 0.05) and Rpe (t = 2.96, P < 0.01) also decreased significantly compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONSD can improve depression symptom and executive function in depression patients.

Adult ; Depression ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polysomnography ; methods ; Sleep Deprivation ; physiopathology

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of Lutongning granules in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in animal models and study its mechanism of action， so as to provide laboratory data support for the clinical application of Lutongning granules and precise treatment. MethodMale SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， carbamazepine group （0.06 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， high-dose Lutongning group （2.70 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low-dose Lutongning group （1.35 g·kg^-1·d^-1） according to the stratified basic mechanical pain thresholds， with 10 rats in each group. A trigeminal neuralgia model of rats was prepared by injecting 30% talc suspension into the infraorbital foramen area of the rat. The drug groups were administered 10 mL·kg^-1 of drugs by gavage after 2 h of modeling. The normal group and the model group were administered distilled water by gavage under the same conditions once a day for 10 consecutive days. Von Frey brushes were used to determine the mechanical pain threshold of rats. A fully automated blood and body fluid analyzer was employed to detect the blood routine of rats. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was utilized to detect the pathological changes in the trigeminal ganglion and medulla oblongata tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was used to scan the ultrastructure of the medulla oblongata tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin （IL）-1， IL-6， IL-8， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， neuropeptide substance P， and β-endorphins （β-EP） in the serum of rats， and Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of IL-1β， purinergic receptor P2X7 （P2X7R）， and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p-p38 MAPK）. ResultCompared with that in the normal group， the pain threshold of rats in the model group was significantly lower （P<0.01）. The absolute value of neutrophils （NEUT#） and the percentage of neutrophils （NEUT） were significantly improved， and the percentage of lymphocytes （LYMPH） was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. The serum levels of IL-1， IL-6， IL-8， and TNF-α were significantly increased （P<0.01）. SP content in brain tissue was significantly increased， and β-EP content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The relative protein expression of IL-1β， P2X7R， and p-p38 MAPK was significantly increased （P<0.05）. HE staining and transmission electron microscopy results of medulla oblongata tissue revealed neuronal degeneration， mild proliferation of microglial cells， reduction in the number of myelinated nerves， and obvious demyelination. The trigeminal nerve fibers of rats were disarranged， and some nerve fibers showed vacuolization. Axons were swollen， and Schwann cells proliferated. Demyelination was observed. Compared with the model group， each administration group significantly increased the pain threshold of rats （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced NEUT# and NEUT， and elevated LYMPH （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The administration group significantly decreased the levels of IL-1， IL-6， IL-8， and TNF-α in serum and SP in brain tissue （P<0.01） and increased the level of β-EP （P<0.01）. They significantly down-regulated the protein expression of IL-1β， P2X7R， and p-p38 MAPK（P<0.05， P<0.01） and significantly ameliorated the pathological changes in medulla oblongata tissue and trigeminal nerves of rats. ConclusionLutongning Granules had significant therapeutic effects on trigeminal neuralgia induced by injection of talc into the infraorbital foramen of model rats， and the mechanism may be related to amelioration of P2X7R-mediated neuroinflammation and inhibition of demyelination of myelinated nerves.