AIM: To develop an HPLC method for determintion of alliin concentration in rat plasma and to study its pharmacokinetics in rat. METHODS : The plasma samples were extracted with methanol. The analysis involved a ODS-1 column as stationary phase and distilled water as mobile phase. The flow rate was 0.5mL?min -1 ,UV detection wavelength was at 220nm. 5-fluorouracil was used as the internal standard. RESULTS : The calibration curve was linear over the range from 3?g?mL -1 to 75?g?mL -1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9989 . The mean recovery was 95%. The RSD of within-day and between-day were all less than 5%. The HPLC method of determination of alliin in the plasma was established. After single dose of 300mg?mL -1 in 6 rat,the main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated to be as follows: CL( 0.048 )mg?min -1 ?kg -1 ,K_ 12 ( 0.0071 )min -1 ,K_ 21 ( 0.0093 )min -1 ,K_a(0.1915)min -1 ,t_ 1/2? ( 26.85 )min -1 ,t_ 1/2? ( 131.15 )min -1 , AUC( 6228.48 )?g?min -1 ?mL -1 . CONCLUSION : This method is quick,precise and reliable. It is shown that alliin is absorbed quickly in rat.

Paeoniflorin is the main active ingredient of Chinese herbaceous peony. This study is to investigate the protective effect of paeoniflorin (Pae) on acute brain damage induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. The mice were randomly assigned to the normal control, model control (LPS), as well as groups of paeoniflorin and lipopolysaccharide (Pae + LPS). Then the mice were administered intraperitioneally with normal saline or Pae (10, 30 mg · kg(-1)) once daily for 6 d. One hour after intrapertioneally treatment on the seventh day, each group were injected LPS (5 mg · kg(-1)) to establish the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide inflammation model except the normal group. The mice were sacrificed after 6 h and the brain homogenates were prepared and measured. The malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), succinatedehydrogenase (SDH), Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase were dectected by the colorimetric method. The levels of HO-1 and Nrf2 protein in subcellular fractions of brain tissue were detected by Western blot. The results demonstrated that the administration with paeoniflorin reduced the levels of the MDA production; significantly increase the activities of antioxidant enzyme (SOD and GSH-PX). In addition, paeoniflorin could enhance the total antioxidant capacity, decrease the level of H2O2, and increase the activities of SDH, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase. Furthermore, paeoniflorin can increase the expression of HO-1 and activate the nuclear transfer of Nrf2. Taking together, these findings suggest that paeoniflorin alleviate the acute inflammation in mice brain damage induced by LPS, which is related with its antioxidant effect and improvement of energy metabolism.
Animals ; Energy Metabolism ; drug effects ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; genetics ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Monoterpenes ; pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; metabolism

Objective: To explore the peri-operative treatment and 3 years post-operative outcome in patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis and small left ventricle. Methods: A total of 152 patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis and severe pulmonary hypertension were studied. According to left ventricular end diastolic index (LVEDI) value, the patients were divided into 2 groups: Small left ventricle (Small) group, the patients with LVEDI value≤60 mm, n=67 and Non-small left ventricle (Non-small) group, the patients with LVEDI value>60 mm,n=85. Peri-operative condition and follow-up parameters were compared between 2 groups. Results: Compared with Non-small group, Small group had increased pre-operative CVP, SPAP and decreased LVEDV, LVEDVI and RVEF at admission, all P<0.05. All patients had liver damage at admission, the indexes (except alkaline phosphatase) were higher in Small group than Non-small group, and the function was recovered prior operation by proper treatment. The immediate post-operative SPAP in Small group and Non-small group were (67.3.1±23.4) mmHg and (61.3±26.9) mmHg, P>0.05. There were 52 severe pulmonary hypertension patients received iloprost inhalation, their SPAP was decreased than non-inhalation patients at incision closing; SPAP was lower in Small group inhalation patients than Non-small group inhalation patients, all P<0.05. Post-operative LVEDVI was lower and SPAP was higher in Small group than Non-small group. At 3 years post-operation, LVEDVI, RVEF increased, NYHA classification decreased and 6MWT prolonged in both groups; while LVEDVI was lower and 6MWT was shorter in Small group than Non-small group, P<0.05. The median survival time at (3.7±1.6) years post-operation was shorter in Small group than Non-small group,P<0.05, while the mortality was similar between 2 groups (2.6% vs 2.0%),P>0.05. Conclusion: The patients with mitral valve stenosis and small left ventricle had the worse pre-operative condition and higher risk in surgery; peri-operative treatment could improve their cardiac and liver function, but they still had the shorter post-operative median survival time.

Objective Toinvestigatethechangesofcognitiveimpairmentandcerebralhemodynamics inpatientswithacutelacunarcerebralinfarctionwithin2weeksafteronset.Methods Nineteenpatients with lacunar cerebral infarction (a patient group)were consecutive enrolled in the study. Twenty-three sex-and age-matched inpatients without ischemic cerebrovascular disease or healthy volunteers of outpatient department over the same period were used as a control group. The cerebral hemodynamic features were evaluated with transcranial Doppler (TCD)breath-holding test and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)resting + adenosine stress imaging. Simultaneously,the neuropsychological tests were performed,the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA)was performed including executive capacity, structural capacity,memory (including auditory memory,visual memory,and logic memory ),information processing speed,and visual-spatial ability. Results (1 )There were no significant differences in the years of education,hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,coronary heart disease,and smoking between the 2 groups (all P>0. 05). Compared with the control group,there were significant differences in the MoCA score,visual memory,executive function,structural capacity,and information processing speed of the patient group (all P<0. 05). (2)19 patients completed the SPECT resting + load test (12 in the control group and 7 in the patient group). There were significant differences in the uptake ratio (UR)in the right basal ganglia (8. 91[-2. 48 - 5. 87]and -6. 21 [-10. 39 - 5. 42 respectively])and left frontal lobe UR (11. 62 [2. 93-16. 87]and 1. 04 [-10. 17- 3. 82]respectively)between the patient group and the control group (P<0. 05). (3)26 patients completed the breath-holding test + head-up tilt table test (n=13 in each group]. The vascular motor reactivities were 13 ± 5 on the left and 21 ± 7 on the right, and the breath-holding indexes were 0. 66 ± 0. 26 on the left and 1. 0 ± 0. 4 on the right in the patient group;the vascular motor reactivities were 24 ± 11 on the left and 30 ± 9 on the right,and the breath-holding indexes were 1. 21 ± 0. 57 on the left and 1. 5 ± 0. 4 on the right in the control group. There were significant differencesbetweenthe2groups(P<0.05).Conclusion Attheearlystageoflacunarinfarction,the patients have presented varying degrees of cognitive impairment and the changes of cerebral hemodynamics.

The external defibrillator is an emergency instrument used very widely in clinics. It plays an important role in rescuing ventricle fibrillation (VF) patients. We have designed an external defibrillator using the truncated exponential biphasic waveform. The system consists of three parts: the ECG collection module, the control module and the defibrillator module. They are introduced respectively, listing the main problems and the methods to solve them. Some experiments have been done and the corresponding results are given.
Animals ; Defibrillators ; Equipment Design ; Swine ; Ventricular Fibrillation

The contents of schisandrin, schizandrin A, B and C were determined by HPLC, and the effects of the climate factors and altitude on lignin contents were analyzed in order to select the optimal cultivation area of S. chinensis. The lignin contents were analyzed by HPLC using a ZORBAX SB-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). The column temperature and detection wave length were set at 35 degrees C and 254 nm, respectively. Methanol-water was used as the mobile phase in gradient elution mode and the flow-rate was 1.0 mL min(-1). The method had a good repeatability, stability and accuracy. The correlation of climate factors and lignins contents was analyzed by SPSS software. The results showed that the schizandrin A content in S. chinensis fruits were higher than 0.4% in Ji'an, Liuhe, Antu and Fusong in Jilin province, which met the quality requirement. It had significant linear negative correlation relationship between schisandrin, schizandrin A, B and altitude, the contents decreased with the increase of altitude. The significant negative linear fitting coefficient was 0.844 1 between schisandrin and altitude; but it had not significant correlation between schizandrin C and altitude. A significant positive correlation of climate factors and the contents of S. chinensis lignins were mainly the temperature factors (the average annual temperature, the highest temperature in July, the average temperature in July, the highest temperature in January, the average temperature in January) and precipitation factor (average annual precipitation), which reveals that higher temperature and precipitation were helpful to the formation and accumulation of lignins of S. chinensis. So the cultivation area of S. chinensis should be in the low elevations region with warm and rainy climate.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ecological and Environmental Phenomena ; Geography ; Lignin ; metabolism ; Schisandra ; metabolism

Objective To explore the change of plasma orexin A concentration and the correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and energy intake in obese children.Methods Fasting plasma orexin A concentrations,boaly mass index(BMI) and energy intake were measured in 48 obese children(obese group) and 48 healthy children(healthy control group),and these indexes were compared,the correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and BMI,energy intake were analyzed.Results 1.The plasma orexin A concentration in obese group was significantly lower than that in healthy control group(F=5.632 P=0.008).2.In obsess group,there were negative correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and BMI(r=-0.478 P=0.012),positive correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and total energy intake(r=0.503 P=0.007),fat intake(r=0.659 P=0.006) and protein intake(r=0.381 P=0.026),and there was negative correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and carbohydrate(r=-0.316 P=0.022).3.In healthy control group,there were negative correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and BMI(r=-0.491 P=0.018),positive correlation between plasma orexin A concentration and total energy intake(r=0.512 P=0.009),fat intake(r=0.406 P=0.005),protein intake(r=0.313 P=0.020),and carbohydrate(r=0.432 P=0.025).Conclusions Orexin A may be involved in regulation of energy metabolism in obese children,and the interaction between plasma orexin A and energy intake might be different in different nutritional status in children.

The roles of voltage-dependent K(+) channels during activation and damage in alveolar macrophages (AMs) exposed to different silica particles were examined. Rat AMs were collected by means of bronchoalveolar lavage, and were adjusted to 5x10(5)/mL. After AMs were exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 mug/mL) of quartz particles and 100 mug/mL amorphous silica particles for 24 h, the voltage-depended K(+) current in AMs was measured by using patch clamp technique. Meanwhile the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the viability of AMs were detected respectively. Patch clamp studies demonstrated that AMs possessed outward delayed and inward rectifying K(+) current. Exposure to quartz particles increased the outward delayed K(+) current but it had no effect on inward rectifier K(+) current in AMs. Neither of the two K(+) channels in AMs was affected by amorphous silica particles. Cytotoxicity test showed that both silica particles could damage AM membrane and result in significant leakage of LDH (P<0.05). MTT studies, however, showed that only quartz particles reduced viability of AMs (P<0.05). It is concluded that quartz particles can activate the outward delayed K(+) channel in AMs, which may act as an activating signal in AMs to initiate an inflammatory response during damage and necrosis in AMs induced by exposure to quartz particle. K(+) channels do not contribute to the membrane damage of AMs.

Objective To evaluate engraftment status of patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(Allo-HSCT) and prompt relapse of disease based on DNA polymorphism analysis technique.Methods Sixty-six cases were detected by DNA polymorphism analysis technique and 25 cases were monitored and analyzed dynamically during this period.Results After Allo-HSCT,48 patients obtained type of donors,but 13 patients did not; 5 patients showed mixed chimerism.Two cases of type of donors converted into mixed chimerism and 4 cases of mixed chimerism converted into type of donors after some time. The others' engraftment status did not change.Conclusion DNA polymorphism analysis technique can detect engraftment status of patients exactly, rapidly, which provides effective evidences of constitution for more clinical therapy projects.

The meridian research situation and various meridian hypotheses of China in the past sixty years between 1950 and 2013 are summarized in the paper; possible existed problems in the process of current meridian research are analyzed. Based on previous research results, we proposed that the essence of meridian can not be explained by the reductive analysis method, meridian research should be carried out under the guidance of overall concept of Chinese medicine theory. In this paper, combined with coherence theory of biophoton, we put forward the quantum interference hypothesis of meridian, which provides a possible research idea for meridian study.
China ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Meridians ; Models, Theoretical ; Research