Polysaccharides with multiple biological activities are usually considered as one of the major bioactive compounds in Chinese medicines (CMs). At present, the development of drug and functional foods related to polysaccharides have attracted a great deal of attention due to their great potential effects and diverse action mechanisms. However, quality control of polysaccharides is the bottleneck and a challenge due to their complexity and chemical diversity. Actually, the bioactivities of polysaccharides are closely related to their molecular structures. In order to ensure their safety and efficacy, the development of novel approaches based on the molecular structures for the improvement of quality control of polysaccharides is significantly important. Therefore, in this article, the relationship between biological activities and chemical structures, as well as the action mechanisms of polysaccharides from CMs were summarized first. Furthermore, saccharide mapping, a novel strategy for quality control of bioactive polysaccharides from CMs, was introduced and the application and perspectives were also discussed.
Carbohydrate Sequence ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; Quality Control

Objective: To investigate the effect of diabetes on the intensity of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a)-SUMOylation and SERCA2a activity of myocardium in experimental rats.
Methods: The 8 weeks old SD rats were divided into 2 groups, Diabetic group, with diet-induced type 2 diabetic rats and Control group, with normal rats. The systolic and diastolic cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography and left ventricular pressure measurement. The intensity of SERCA2a-SUMOylation was examined by co-immunoprecipitation and SUMOylation kit.
Results: Compared with Control group, Diabetic group had decreased systolic and diastolic cardiac functions, especially for diastolic function;decreased SERCA2a protein expression and intensity of SUMOylation;decreased SUMOylation E2 (Ubc9 ) protein expression. The protein levels of SUMO1, SAE1 and SAE2 were similar between 2 groups.
Conclusion: The intensity of SERCA2a-SUMOylation and Ubc9 decreased in diabetic myocardium which implies that SERCA2a-SUMOylation and Ubc9 were closely related to the damage of diabetic myocardium in experimental rats.

Objective To explore the associations of serum Mir-217 with silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1)and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)in type 2 diabetic patients with different urinary albumin excretion rates. Methods A total of 479 patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into normoalbuminuric(D1, n=181), microalbuminuric(D2, n=165), and macroalbuminuric(D3, n=133)subgroups. 192 normal subjects served as control group. Serum level of Mir-217 was detected by realtime PCR. Serum Sirt1, HIF-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ) levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Compared with control subjects, serum Mir-217 level was significantly increased in type 2 diabetic patients and gradually increased in D1, D2, and D3 groups(P<0. 01). The parameters of age, diabetes duration, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistant index(HOMA-IR), HbA1C, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol( LDL-C) , total cholesterol ( TC ) , triglyceride ( TG ) , serum uric acid ( SUA ) , blood urea nitrogen(BUN), HIF-1α, VEGF, and Mir-217 all were positively correlated with ACR(all P<0. 05). High density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C)and Sirt1 were negatively correlated with ACR(both P<0. 05). VEGF, HIF-1α, Mir-217, BUN, diabetes duration, LDL-C, Sirt1, and SUA were independent factors that influenced ACR(all P<0. 01). Additionally, diabetes duration, HOMA-IR, HbA1C, ACR, LDL-C, TC, TG, SUA, BUN, HIF-1α, and VEGF were positively correlated with Mir-217(all P<0. 05), while Sirt1 was negatively correlated with Mir-217(P<0. 01). Conclusion Serum Mir-217, as a possible biomarker for early diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy, may be involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy by promoting chronic inflammatory reaction, renal fibrosis, and angiogenesis.

Objective To investigate surgical technique and clinical efficacy of Sky bone ex- pander kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures.Methods Eighteen cases with osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures were treated with Sky bone expander kyphoplasty from August 2004 to November 2005.Under the local anesthesia,3.5-5ml of bone cements were injected into each pathologic vertebral body through unipedicle approach after reduction procedure was done with Sky bone expander.Results The postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 11 months, with an average of 4.5 months.Back pain was effectively relieved after the operation in all cases.No complications occurred.Conclusion The Sky bone expander kyphoplasty has the advantages of safe- ty,easy operation,minimal invasion,effective restoration of the vertebral body height and fast relief of pain.

Objective To explore the changes of CD40 and CD40 ligand(CD40L) levels and investigate their significances in children with graft-versus-host disease(GVHD)after related-donor human leukocyte antigen(HLA) matching allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT).Methods Nineteen patients with ?-thalassemia major and 1 patient with congenital inherent hemolytic anemia accepted umbilical cord blood transplantation(UCBT) and allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation(allo-PBSCT),respectively,and all cases were received successfully related-donor human leukocyte antigen matching allogeneic HSCT.Peripheral blood samples were obtained before and after transplantation,the time when GVHD happened,the expressions of CD40 and CD40L were measured by using immunofluresence asssy.Results Four UCBT children and 3 allo-PBSCT children had no acute GVHD.Thirteen children had acute GVHD(degreeⅠ-Ⅳ),the expressions of CD40L on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the patients with acute GVHD increased,especially in allo-PBSCT.Five cases of UCBT and 12 cases of allo-PBSCT patients had chronic GVHD,the expressions of CD40L+,CD25+ and CD69+ on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in patients with chronic GVHD increased obviously.The expression of CD19+CD40+ was lower than normal within 3 months after transplantation.Conclusions The high expression of CD40L+T cells in periferal blood after HSCT was related to the activation and proliferation of T cells in the development of GVHD in HSCT.

Objective To explore students nurses′acceptance of case-based group assessment. Method A total of 100 student nurses participated in the survey by a self-designed questionnaire to evaluate the perception and acceptance of the student nurses. Results The score on the acceptance of case-based group assessment was (2.44 ± 0.46). The items with higher acceptance included teamwork spirit, clinical reasoning and decision-making ability, and the items with lower acceptance were improving of nurse-patient communication and the nursing skills. Conclusions The student nurses have a good acceptance of the case-based group assessment and think this assessment method can contribute to development of teamwork spirit and competency of clinical reasoning and decision-making. On the other hand, they suggest we should strengthen the ability in nurse-patient communication and optimize the links in ability assessment.

Objective To analyze the expression of interleukin (IL)-31 in tuberculous pleural effusion,and to evaluate its diagnostic value of tuberculous effusion.Methods Seventy-one patients with pleural effusion were enrolled,including 40 cases of tuberculous pleural effusion and 31 cases of malignant pleural effusion.Luminex method was applied to detect the IL-31 expression in pleural effusion.IL-31 levels were compared using non-parametric Mann-WhitneyU test,and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC)curve was used to elvaluate the diagnostic value of IL-31 .Results IL-31 expression in tuberculous pleural effusion was significantly higher than that in malignant pleural effusion with statistical significance (529.4 ng/L vs 13.8 ng/L,U =62,P <0.01 ).Based on the level of IL-31 expression,area under the ROC curve was 0.95 with the optimum cut-off value of 67.5 ng/L.Thus,the sensitivity and specificity of IL-31 ≥67.5 ng/L for diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy were 82.5 % (95 %CI :73.3% - 94.2%)and 100.0% (95 %CI :91 .4%-100.0%),respectively.Conclusion IL-31 is highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion, which favors the differentiation of tuberculosis from malignance.

A stimulate method for determination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers ( PBDEs) and derivatives (OH-PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in egg samples was developed by gel permeation chromatography ( GPC) and dispersive solid phase extraction ( DSPE) combined with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric ( HPLC-MS/MS) and gas chroma-tography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry ( GC-NCI/MS ) . The analytes were extracted with mixture of hexane and dichloromethane (1∶1, V/V) by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and purified by 100 mg C18 dispersive solid phase extraction ( SPE) sorbents followed with gel permeation chromatography (GPC) , and then analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric (HPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-negative chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NCI/MS), respectively. The quantita-tion was carried out external standard method. The recoveries of objects were 64. 5%-97. 2% and 65. 6%-109 . 2% ( except BDE85 was 54 . 8%, OH-BDE-137 was 47 . 4%) spiked at 1 . 0 μg/kg or 5 . 0 μg/kg in egg white and egg yolk, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 20. 2%. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) for the object were 0. 01-0. 2 μg/kg.

Objective To investigate the currents impact on delayed rectifier potassium (HERG)regulated by cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in gastric cancer cells and its mechnism. Methods ① The HERG mRNA, protein and current in gastric cancer cells transfected with or without COX-2 antisense vector were measured by RT-PCR, Western blot and patch-clamp, respectively. ② cAMP concentration in gastric cancer cells transfected with or without COX-2 antisense vector was measured by ELISA. ③ The mutant HERG, which was absence of cAMP-binding domain, was constructed by PCR and transfected into gastric cancer cells. ④ The impact of COX-2 inhibitor and proglandin (PG) E2 on HERG current in gastric cancer cells transfected with or without mutant HERG was investigated by patch clamp. ⑤ The effects of agonist and antagonist of cAMP and inhibitor of protein kinase (PK) A on HERG current in gastric cancer cells transfected with or without HERG mutant were observed by patch clamp. Results ① The expression of HERG mRNA and protein in gastric cancer cells transfected with COX-2 antisense vector were not altered, but the amplitude of HERG current was diminished (P<0.05). ② The cAMP concentration in gastric cancer cells transfected with COX-2 antisense vector was lower than that in parental gastric cancer cells (P<0.05). ③ COX-2 inhibitor and PGE2 had influence on the HERG currents in gastric cancer cells. COX-2 inhibitor reduced and PGE2 enhanced the amplitude of HERG current in gastric cancer cells. However, neither COX-2 inhibitor nor PGE2 showed any negative or positive effects on currents of mutant HERG. ④ cAMP agonist enhanced the amplitude of HERG current and cAMP antagonist reduced the amplitude in gastric cancer cells. Neither agonist nor antagonist had effect on currents of mutant HERG. ⑤ PKA inhibitor did not influence the HERG current of parental gastric cancer cells and gastric cancer cells transfected with mutant. Conclusions COX-2 regulates HERG current through its catalytic product of PGE2, which binds with its receptor on the gastric cancer cells and alters cAMP level in gastric cancer cells, cAMP interacts with HERG protein by binding with cAMP-binding domain of HERG protein and exerts impact on HERG current. PKA does not participate in this process.

267 newly-diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into normoalbuminuria group [group N-UAlb, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR)<30 mg/g, n=103], microalbuminuria group(group M-UAlb, UACR 30~300 mg/g, n=88 ) , and macroalbuminuria group ( group L-UAlb, UACR>300 mg/g, n=76). The control group(group NC) consisted of 114 healthy individuals. Serum betatrophin, adiponectin(APN), and interleukin-1β( IL-1β) levels were determined with ELISA methods and the parameters of body mass index (BMI), estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR), HbA1C, fasting plasma glucose(FPG), OGTT 2h plasma glucose(2hPG), fasting insulin(FINS), OGTT 2h postprandial insulin(2hPINS), fasting C-peptide(FCP), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistant index(HOMA-IR), and blood lipid were collected. Compared with group NC, the serum betatrophin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes were obviously increased. In patients with type 2 diabetes, betatrophin levels increased along with the increase of UACR and there were significant differences in betatrophin among the three groups(P<0. 01). Betatrophin positively correlated with UACR, HbA1C, FPG, 2hPG, FINS, 2hPINS, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, and TG( r were 0. 785, 0. 225, 0. 136, 0. 241, 0. 386, 0. 223, 0. 411, 0.216,0.193,and0.298,allP<0.05),and betatrophin were also positively correlated with APN and IL-1β(rwere 0. 643 and 0. 710, both P<0. 01). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that UACR, HbA1C, FINS, and TG were independent relevant factors affecting betatrophin levels.