Objective: To evaluate the quality of Radix bupleuri from different producing areas and make a comparison by using grey correlation analysis(GRA)and principal components analysis(PCA).Methods: Fifteen samples of Radix bupleuri were collected from different producing areas.The percentage of total ash, acid-insoluble ash, extract, saikosaponin a and saikosaponin d of Radix bupleuri from different habitats were determined.The grey correlation quality evaluation model was built for Radix bupleuri from different producing areas and the results were compared with those of PCA.Results: According to the grey correlation analysis on components in the different batches of Radix bupleuri , the samples from Shaanxi province were the most highly correlated with the optimal reference sequence (0.79), which suggested the best quality.Radix bupleuri Fructus from Hebei province was the most poorly correlated with the optimal reference sequence (0.23), which showed the worst quality.The results were basically identical with those of PCA, indicating good repeatability and stability.Conclusion: Grey incidence degree method and the established Radix bupleuri quality evaluation models can be used to evaluate the quality of Radix bupleuri .

The insufficient fund is the"bottleneck"factor restricting the development of the general practitioner education and training in China.The article attempts to investigate how to found a scientific and effective mechanism so as to provide the thinking for transforming the current status.

BACKGROUND: Disturbance of mitochondrial fission and fusion (termed mitochondrial dynamics) is one of the leading causes of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial injury. Previous studies showed that mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) conferred cardioprotective effect against myocardial I/R injury and suppressed I/R-induced excessive mitophagy in cardiomyocytes. However, whether ALDH2 participates in the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics during myocardial I/R injury remains unknown. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated the effect of ALDH2 on mitochondrial dynamics and the underlying mechanisms using the H9c2 cells exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) as an in vitro model of myocardial I/R injury. RESULTS: Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was significantly increased after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R), and ALDH2 activation largely decreased the cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Additionally, we found that both ALDH2 activation and overexpression significantly inhibited the increased mitochondrial fission after OGD/R. Furthermore, we found that ALDH2 dominantly suppressed dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) phosphorylation (Ser616) and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation (Thr172) but not interfered with the expression levels of mitochondrial shaping proteins. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the protective effect of ALDH2 against cardiomyocyte H/R injury with a novel mechanism on mitochondrial fission/fusion.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of basic immunization with different sequential immunization programs of oral live attenuated poliomyelitis vaccine(OPV)and inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine(IPV). Methods Infants above two months of age residing in Pudong New Area,Shanghai,were selected for the study,and the basic immunization program of OPV full course(O-O-O group),sequential IPV and OPV(I-I-O group),and IPV full course(I-I-I group)were administered at 2,3 and 4 months of age,respectively. Relevant adverse reactions were proactively monitored by the parents of the participants via completing their own self-observation form after immunization. Before and after immunization,blood samples were collected from the upper arm vein,and the serum was separated. The neutralizing antibody levels of poliovirus in serum were measured by micro neutralization test,and the antibody positive rate and geometric mean titer(GMT)were calculated. Logistic multivariate regression analysis was used to research the effects of group,gender,household registration,birth mass and positive rate of typeⅠ/Ⅲ antibody before immunizationon the positive rate of type Ⅰ/Ⅲ antibody after basic immunization. Results There were one case of lethargy and one case of crying in O-O-O group, one case of lethargy in I-I-O group,and one case of crying in I-I-I group. The GMTs of type I neutralizing antibody in the pre-immunization O-O-O group,I-I-O group,and I-I-I group were 41. 39,8. 21,and 12. 56,and those of type Ⅲ neutralizing antibody were 7. 57,4. 02 and 8. 08,respectively. There was no significant difference in GMT between groups for typeⅠandⅢneutralizing antibodies before immunization(F = 2. 815 and 0. 608,P = 0. 061 and 0. 545,respectively). The positive rates of type Ⅰ antibody before immunization were 24. 04%,34. 07% and 41. 00%,respectively,with significant difference between groups(χ~2= 13. 459,P = 0. 001). The positive rates of type Ⅲ antibody were 13. 94%,9. 89% and 18. 00%,respectively,with no significant difference(χ~2= 5. 188,P = 0. 075). After immunization,the GMTs of type Ⅰ neutralizing antibody were 1 311. 84,1 812. 59 and 833. 24,and those of type Ⅲ neutralizing antibody were 911. 97,1 752. 68 and 419. 50,respectively,with significant differences between groups(F = 76. 848 and 202. 632,respectively,each P < 0. 001). After immunization,the positive conversion rates of type Ⅰantibody were 98. 56%,100% and 100%,and those of type Ⅲ antibody were 99. 04%,100% and 99. 44%,respectively,with no significant difference between the two groups(χ~2= 2. 973 and 1. 045,P = 0. 122 and 0. 789,respectively). In addition,group,gender,household registration,birth mass and positive rate of typeⅠ/Ⅲantibody before immunization had no effect on the positive conversion rate of typeⅠ/Ⅲantibody after basic immunization. Conclusion All three sequential immunization programs achieved good safety and high antibody positive conversion rates after basic immunization.

Objective To observe the effect of valsartan combined with salvia miltiorrhiza ligustrazine in treating early diabetic nephropathy(DN),looking for an effective method for the treatment of early DN.Methods 51 DN patients were divided into two groups,28 cases in the treatment group were treated with valsartan and salvia miltiorrhiza ligustrazine therapy,23 cases in the control group only received valsartan treatment.Fasting blood glucose before and after treatment (FPG),2h postprandial blood glucose (2hPG),glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1 c),BUN,Scr,urine albumin excretion rate(UAER) index were detected.Results Before and after treatment,FPG,2hPG,HbA1c,UAER in the two groups had statistically significant differences (t =5.361,6.458,3.026,7.894,5.648,7.604,6.590,8.652,all P ＜ 0.05).After treatment,2hPG,HbA1c,UAER between the two groups had statistically significant differences (t =3.125,3.520,3.881,all P ＜ 0.05).No statistical difference was observed before and after treatment in two groups of BUN,Scr (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Valsartan combined with salvia tetramethylpyrazine in treatment of early DN was more effective than single valsartan treatment,and no significant adverse reactions was found in combined treatment.Therefore,the combined treatment can be used as a new method for clinical treatment of early DN.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Recently, microcarrier culture as a high concentration cel culture technology has been used in hepatocyte culturein vitro. OBJECTIVE:To periodicaly observe the morphological changes of human hepatocyte L-02 cultured by the spherical porous chitosan microcarrier. METHODS:The self-made spherical porous chitosan microcarrier sample as a support to culture human hepatocytes L-02 acted as experimental group; non-spherical porous chitosan microcarrier as a support to culture human hepatocytes L-02 as control group. Cels in two groups underwent cel count at regular time, and the morphological changes were observed in the experimental group, including inverted phase contrast biological microscope observation and scanning electron microscope observation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The quantity of cultured cels in the two groups was increased in the first 3 days and reached the peak at the 3rd day. The cel quantity in the experiment group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the three samples of the experimental group (P > 0.05). The quantity of hepatocytes adhered to the microcarrier surface was gradualy increased in the former 3 days under the inverted phase contrast biological microscope. There were lots of cel clusters on the surface of a greater part of microcarriers, with the total survival rate of more than 90%, and hepatocytes kept a good morphological structure. Under the scanning electron microscope, lots of hepatocytes adhered tightly to each other on the surface and section of microcarrier as wel as inside the microcarrier. It is indicated that the self-made spherical porous chitosan microcarrier as a support in three-dimensional environment can undergo cel culture with high concentration.

BACKGROUND:Curcumin is proved to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic roles. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and discuss the mechanisms and effects of curcumin used for the treatment of osteoarthritis METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Elseveir databases were retrieved for relevant articles published from 1973 to 2014, with the key words of “osteoarthritis, curcumin, chondrocyte, articular cartilage” in English. After the quality of the included studies was evaluated, valid data were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Curcumin prevents the occurrence and development osteoarthritis by inhibiting oxidative enzyme and scavenging free radicals. Curcumin increases production of colagen type 2 through suppressing the reduction of cartilage matrix by matrix metaloproteinases. Anti-inflammatory reaction of curcumin can be achieved by inhibiting cytosolic phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2, and 5-lipoxygenase. Curcumin inhibits interleukin-1β-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes and mitochondrial sweling. Results from clinical trials suggest that curcumin or its derivatives can reduce joint pain and improve the function of knee joints in patients with osteoarthritis. High-concentration curcuminin vitro have been demonstrated toxic effects.

Chinese herbal property theory (CHPT) is the fundamental characteristic of Chinese materia medica different from modern medicines. It reflects the herbal properties associated with efficacy and formed the early framework of four properties and five flavors in Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica. After the supplement and improvement of CHPT in the past thousands of years, it has developed a theory system including four properties, five flavors, meridian entry, direction of medicinal actions (ascending, descending, floating and sinking) and toxicity. However, because of the influence of philosophy about yin-yang theory and five-phase theory and the difference of cognitive approach and historical background at different times, CHPT became complex. One of the complexity features was the multiple methods for determining herbal property, which might include the inference from herbal efficacy, the thought of Chinese Taoist School and witchcraft, the classification thinking according to manifestations, etc. Another complexity feature was the multiselection associations between herbal property and efficacy, which indicated that the same property could be inferred from different kinds of efficacy. This paper analyzed these complexity features and provided the importance of cognitive approaches and efficacy attributes corresponding to certain herbal property in the study of CHPT.

Chinese herbal property is the highly summarized concept of herbal nature and pharmaceutical effect, which reflect the characteristics of herbal actions on human body. These herbal actions, also interpreted as presenting the information about pharmaceutical effect contained in herbal property on the biological carrier, are defined as herbal property expressions. However, the biological expression of herbal property is believed to possess complex features for the involved complexity of Chinese medicine and organism. Firstly, there are multiple factors which could influence the expression results of herbal property such as the growth environment, harvest season and preparing methods of medicinal herbs, and physique and syndrome of body. Secondly, there are multiple biological approaches and biochemical indicators for the expression of the same property. This paper elaborated these complexities for further understanding of herbal property. The individuality of herbs and expression factors should be well analyzed in the related studies.

Application of standard materials in clinical laboratory medicine plays an important role in assuring result concordance between different reagents, methods and clinical laboratories. This article provides an overview of the correct classification, selection and application of standard materials for clinical laboratory medicine.