OBJECTIVE:To distinguish between the traditional science of Chinese materia medica and the pharmacognosy and discuss the developmental direction of the traditional Chinese medicine.METHODS:The differences between the traditional science of Chinese materia medica and the pharmacognosy in rationale,research contents,medical treatment principles and identification of the quality of the traditional Chinese medicine were compared to clarify that the pharmacognosy and traditional science of Chinese materia medica are completely different concepts.RESULTS:At present,the science of Chinese materia medica is constrained by the theory of pharmacognosy,and the traditional science of Chinese materia medica is tended to be gradually replaced by the western-medicine-theory-based pharmacognosy.CONCLUSION:It is necessary to reconsider and discuss the developmental direction of the traditional Chinese medicine.Modern research on Chinese medicine should follow the natural laws of the Chinese medicine itself rather than following the development mode of the western medicines.

Objective To identify the cell death type and investigate the potential mechanism of ionizing radiation-induced neural cell death in the neonatal rat cerebral cortex.Methods The neonatal Wistar rats were given a single dose of 2.0 Gy γ-irradiation.The cell death type and characterization in cerebral cortex were identified using DNA electrophoresis,TUNEL and HE staining.The P53-and iNOS-positive cells were analyzed quantitatively using immunohistochemistry.Results The DNA and morphological characterization of death cells indicated that 2.0 Gy γ-irradiation induced apoptosis of the neural cells in neonatal rat cerebral cortex.The apoptosis indices in different cortex regions were significantly increased 4 h after irradiation,and reached the peak value at 12 h post-irradiation.The apoptosis index of neoconex was much higher than that of hippocampus(archicortex)and paleocortex,while paleocortex had lower apoptosis index than hippocampus.The quantitative immunohistoehemistry suggested that the numbers of P53 and iNOS-positive cells were not different between these three cortex regions at the same time-point after irradiation.Conclusion 2.0 Gy γ-rays induced apoptosis of the neural cells in neonatal rat cerebral codex.The response of cells to the damage effects of ionizing radiation was similar in different cortex regions;however,the apoptosis indices were different significantly.These findings imply that the developing phase or type of neural cells may play a pivotal role in the apoptosis process induced by ionizing radiation.

Objective To explore the therapeutic effects of human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-engineered rat neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation in rat model of Parkinson's disease ( PD) . Methods SD rats received a single injection of 24 μg of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) at two sites in right striatum. Then 10 days after surgery, the successful animal models of PD were divided into 3 groups: PD model group ( 2 μl transplantation media was injected in right striatum), NSC group (transplanted were 2×10~5 NSCs infected by bare lentivirus) and GDNF group (transplanted were 2×10~5 GDNF-engineered NSCs). The rotation scores were assessed 5 weeks, 7 weeks and 9 weeks after transplantation. The dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra ( SN ) were analyzed quantitatively using immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and the dopamine and its metabolites, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) were analyzed 9 weeks after transplantation by high performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC) . Results GDNF-engineered NSC transplantation could effectively improve the behavioral performance in rats. At the 5th week after cell transplantation, the rotation turns within 90 min were (993. 9±159. 1) turns, (956. 7±136. 3) turns and (433. 6±100. 9) turns in PD model group, NSC group and GDNF group respectively (F=95. 694, P = 0. 000). At the 7th week, the rotation turns within 90 min were (964. 2 ± 152.0) turns, (909. 2 ± 136. 3) turns and (399. 4±84. 4) turns in PD model group, NSC group and GDNF group respectively (F = 106. 134, P=0. 000). At the 9th week, the rotation turns within 90 min were (909. 5±152. 2) turns, (865. 5± 129. 1) turns and (312. 2±63. 7) turns in PD model group, NSC group and GDNF group respectively (F= 151. 100, P = 0.000). GDNF-engineered NSC transplantation could significantly increase the levels of dopamine and its metabolites in injured striatum. The concentrations of dopamine in injured striatum was higher in GDNF group than that in PD model group and NSC group C(7. 5±0. 8) ng/mg vs. (3.3±0.3) ng/mg and (3. 7±1. 3) ng/mg, F=59. 543, P = 0. 0003. The level of DOPAC was higher in GDNF group than that in PD model group and NSC group C(0. 9±0. 1) ng/mg vs. (0. 5± 0. 1) ng/mg and (0. 6±0. 2) ng/mg, F= 17. 293, P=0. 000]. The concentration of HVA in injured striatum was higher in GDNF group than that in PD model group and NSC group [(0. 9±0. 1) ng/mg vs. (0.5±0. 1) ng/mg and (0. 6±0. 2) ng/mg, F=35.175, P = 0.000]. Conclusions engineered NSC transplantation improves the function of dopamine system in SN and striatum, and GDNF gene therapy has potential clinical value.

Objectives To study the clinical effects and therapeutic mechanisms of the application of Chinese traditional medicine,the Decoction of Jie Du Hua Yu Tang,in the treatment of psoriasis.Meth-ods The clinical effects were observed in50patients with psoriasis vulgaris,to whom the Decoction of Jie Du Hua Yu Tang was given.The mice were used as experimental models whose tail scale epidermis was nat-urally lacking granular layer,similar to psoriatic epidermis.The mice were fed with Jie Du Hua Yu Tang and the effects on the formation of granular layer in their tail scale epidermis were noticed.Results The clinical cure rate was42%and the total response rate was90%with the Jie Du Hua Yu Tang.There was a signifi-cantly strong promoting effect on the formation of granular layer in mouse tail scale epidermis with the use of Jie Du Hua Yu Tang,in comparison with the control group.Conclusions The Decoction of Jie Du Hua Yu Tang is effective for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris.The decoction could promote the formation of granu-lar layer in mouse tail scale epidermis.The therapeutic mechanism of the decoction may be related to the inhibition of proliferation of epidermal cells.

Objective To research the functional role of thyroidal motilin and the effects of electric excitation of the paraventricular nuclei(PVN) on gastric motility and the levels of motilin in thyroid and plasma.Methods The expression of motilin in rat and human thyroid was detected by immunofluorescence staining.A phase Ⅲ-like contraction was recorded before and after thyroidectomy and after PVN excitation.The changes in concentrations of plasma FT3,FT4 and motilin were determined via radioimmunoassay (RIA).c-Fos expression of PVN after thyroidectomy and motilin expression in thyroid after PVN excitation were observed by immunohistochemical staining.Results There were motilin immunoreactive cells in rat and human thyroid.The phase Ⅲ-like contraction and concentration of motilin in plasma decreased significantly when measured on the second and fourth days after thyroidectomy(2d,P＜0.01 ;4d,P＜0.05).The expression of c-Fos in PVN after thyroidectomy was significantly increased(P＜0.05).An electric excitation of PVN could increase the concentration of motilin in plasma and thyroid and increase corresponding gastric motility in rats (P ＜0.05).The increased phase Ⅲ-like contraction by PVN excitation could be partially inhibited by administration of motilin receptor antagonist,GM-109 (P＜0.05).Excitation of PVN in thyroidectomized rats resulted in lower plasma motilin and less intense phase Ⅲ-like contraction of stomach,as compared with the sham operated control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Motilin from the thyroid may be secreted into the peripheral plasma to affect gastric motility and PVN may modulate gastric motility and motilin expression in the thyroid.

Micro-and ultrastructure of the photoreceptors and first visual ganglion in the different regions of the compound eye of the wild male and female housefly, and the projections of the photoreceptor cells within the subsequent visual centers have been studied. The morphology of the retina and lamina ganglia in the front dorsal and the equatorial regions of the male compound eye and the front ventral region of the female one, and the projections of the retina within the lamina show the sexspecific characteristics underlying the function of chasing behavior in the housefly.

The changes of the ultrastructure of the photoreceptors in the compound eye of horsefly (Tabanus mandarinus) were observed electromicroscopically at both the mid-day and mid-night. We found that there were various structural changes in cones, pigment cells, retinula cells, rhabdomeres at the two different times.The functional significance of the day and night changes of the photoreceptors and their relations to natural light illumination were discussed.

Objective To study the curative effect of CT-guided percutaneous acetic acid injection(PAI)combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)in the treatment of primary heaptocellular carconima.Methods 52 cases with primary heaptocellular carconima were divided into two groups.26 cases were treated with TACE and PAI,combined group comparing with other 26 cases treated with TACE group.Results Decrease of AFP,shrinkage of tumor mass and survival rate of 1-2 years of the combined group and TACE group were 78.3% vs 50.0%,65.4%(17/26) vs 38.5%(10/26)and 73.1%(19/26),52.6%(10/19) vs 57.7%(15/26),33.3%(5/15),respectively;with statistical significance(P

The spices, with a wide range of remarkable pharmacological effects, were limited in developing clinical drugs because of their poor solubility, high irritation and low bioavailability. Controlled release preparations can delay the release of drugs on the basis of solubility enhancement to improve bioavailability. The research on spice ingredient-loaded controlled release preparations was sum-marized in the paper for the further development of spice active ingredients.