Objective To investigate the effects of orexin-A on learning and memory of pentyleneterazol (PTZ)-kindled epileptic rats.Methods Adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group(normal saline,NS)and PTZ group.The PTZ-kindled rats were randomly divided into,orexin-A group and NS group administrated by intracerebroventricular(i.c.v.)injection of 10μl orexin-A(1.4 nmol/μl)or 10μl NS.Using Morris water msze experiment,the ability of learning and memory was measured in all rats.Results Eighty percent of rats in PIZ group were kindled successfully after intraperitoneal injection of 35mg/kg PTZ every day for 30 days.Compared to control group,the escape latency in the PTZ-kindled rats was significantly increased in place navigation test(PNT)(F=200.956,P<0.01),whereas a remarkable reduction of time spent in the target quadrant and number of pool circlings in 120 seconds Was observed during probe trials.Following injection of orexin-A,the latency of escape platform was significantly declined in both PTZ-kindled((39.73±2.03)8,(33.76±2.96)s)and NS rats,increased the number of crossing the platform(10.83±1.80)vs(4.67±3.34).In addition,the treatment with orexin-A markedly increased swim velocity and number of pool circlings in beth groups(P<0.01),particularly to the PTZ-kindled rats.Conclusion Spatial learning and memory in the PIZ-kindled rats can be improved by treatment with orexin-A.

The combination of Angelicae sinensis Radix (Danggui, DG) and Astragali Radix (Huangqi, HQ) is a popular herb pair commonly used in clinic for the treatment of blood deficiency syndrome in China. The aim of this paper is to study the interaction of DG and HQ nourishing and tonifying blood effects by response surface method. The blood deficiency mice were induced by injecting N-acetylphenylhydrazine (sc) and cyclophosphamide (ip). The blood deficiency mice were administrated intragastrically with DG-HQ extracts (0:1, 1: 5, 2:5, 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, 5:2, 5:1, 1:0). The changes of the peripheral blood indexes and organ indexes were observed. The indexes were integrated by comprehensive index method; the interactions of DG and HQ were analyzed by the response surface diagram established with Matlab software. The results showed that DG and HQ at most of their combination ratios had synergic effect. Within the range of 1:5 - 5:1, all of the extracts of DG-HQ showed synergic effect, and among which, high-doses had better effects than low-doses. The highest value (-1) of the synergic effect was showed when DG was 10 - 40 g at the same time of HQ as 90 -180 g, and DG was 50 - 100 g at the same time of HQ as 20 - 100 g. DG-HQ at all combination dosages within Chinese Pharmacopeia (DG: 6 - 12 g, HQ: 9 - 30 g) had certain synergic effect, and Danggui Buxue Decoction (DG: 6 g, HQ: 30 g) also was at this range. The results provided scientific basis to the clinical application of DG and HQ. And the response surface method was firstly applied to quantitatively evaluate the bio-activity change of herb combination, which provided a novel way for modern basic research on the interaction of herbs.

Aim To investigate the effect of intestinal cholesterol absorption inhibitor Ezetimibe on lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells and identify the underlying mechanism.Method RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with the indicated concentrations of Ezetimibe (0,0.003,0.01 and 0.03 mol·L~(-1))for 24 hours or pretreated with the optimal concentration(0.03 mol·L~(-1))of Ezetimibe for different periods (0,6,12 and 24 h),followed by incubation with 50 mg·L~(-1) oxLDL for 24 hours,then the number of intracellular lipid droplets and lipid content were measured by using oil red O staining and HPLC; the expression of NPC1L1 was measured by Western blot.Results Pretreatment with indicated concentrations of Ezetimibe caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of intracellular lipid accumulation;pretreatment with 0.03 mol·L~(-1) Ezetimibe caused a time-dependent inhibition of intracellular lipid accumulation.It was noted that pretreatment with 0.03 mol·L~(-1) Ezetimibe for 24 hours inhibited CE by about 47%+0.1% compared with control group(oxLDL alone).Immunoblotting results showed that NPC1L1 was expressed in RAW264.7 cells and it was down-regulated after Ezetimibe treatment.Conclusions Ezetimibe causes concentration-dependent and time-dependent inhibition of lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells;it also reduces NPC1L1 expression in RAW264.7 cells.

Aim To observe the differences of tonify-ing blood effect for the combination of Danggui and Honghua ( GH) with different proportions on blood de-ficiency mice, and choose the proportion of GH which has the optimal tonifying blood effect. Methods The blood deficient mice model was induced by injection of phenylhydrazine and cyclophosphamide. On the basis of multi-attribute comprehensive index method, the op-timal dose was determined through three doses of GH 1: 1 , which was the highest frequency proportion of GH used in the “Dictionary of Chinese Medicine Prescrip-tions”. According to the optimal dose, the change reg-ulation of tonifying blood effect of GH with different proportions was observed. Results Among three do-
ses (1, 3 and 5 times of clinical dose), the tonifying blood effect of GH was best when the dosing concentra-tion of GH was clinical dose. Among nine proportions (1 : 0, 4 : 1, 2 : 1, 3 : 2, 1 : 1, 2 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 4 and 0 : 1), GH 1 : 1 had the best effect. Conclusion The results are consistent with regulations of medi-cine usage that GH 1 : 1 has the highest frequency used in Herbal Formulae, which could provide scientif-ic basis for more effective application of Danggui and Honghua in modern clinic medicine.

The metabolic effect of Fo-Shou-San on blood deficiency mice was studied by using metabolomic method. UPLC-QTOF/MS was used to analyze the plasma metabolome in blood deficiency mice. MS data were processed by MarkerLynx software. With multivariate statistical analysis of plasma metabolite profiles, a clear separation among control, blood deficiency model, and Fo-Shou-San groups was achieved. Potential biomarkers were selected according to the parameters of variable importance in the projection (VIP) and identified according to MS information and database retrieval. The metabolic network of blood deficiency was predicted via MetPA database. Twenty-two potential biomarkers were identified and used to explain the thiamine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, histidine metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, tyrosine metabolism and citrate cycle (TCA cycle). Those metabolic pathways were disturbed in blood deficiency mice, but which could be regulated nearly to normal state after Fo-Shou-San administration. In this study, the metabolomics of blood deficiency mice and the action mechanism of nourishing blood effect of Fo-Shou-San were evaluated. The physiological and metabolic state of the organism could be represented comprehensively by using metabolomics. And metabolomics can be used to evaluate the pharmacodynamics and related mechanisms of Chinese medicine and formulae.

Purpose To investigate the influence of the region of interest (ROI) selection on the repeatability of 64 slice spiral CT perfusion parameters for the peripheral lung cancer.Materials and Methods The 64 slice spiral CT perfusion images of thirty-seven patients with peripheral lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed.The perfusion parameters including blood flow (BF),blood volume (BV),Patlak blood volume (PBV),permeability surface area product (PS),and mean transit time (MTT) were obtained by using three ROI selection methods including maximum area of ROI (ROIm),round of ROI (ROIr),and volume of ROI (ROLv),and these parameters were measured by two observers repeatedly.The repeatability and reliability of the values of these perfusion parameters by using different ROI methods or measured by different observer were determined.Results The perfusion parameters derived from three ROIs all had a excellent intraobserver and interobserver agreement (ICC＞0.75).Besides,the values of the perfusion parameters by using different ROI methods had no significant difference (P＞0.05),but the data obtained by ROIm and ROIv were more stable than that obtained by ROIr.Conclusion The repeatability of the perfusion parameters obtained from above three ROIs is excellent,but ROIm and ROIv may be more suitable than ROIr to assess vascular perfusion of peripheral lung cancer.

The combination of Danggui and Honghua (GH) is a popular herb pair commonly used in clinic for the treatment of blood stasis syndrome in China. To evaluate the activating blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis effects of the combination of different proportions of Danggui and Honghua on acute blood stasis rats, and optimize the proportion of GH to have the best activating blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis effect. Acute blood stasis rat model was induced by subcutaneous injection of adrenaline and ice water bath. The blood stasis rats were administrated intragastrically with GH (1 : 0, 4 : 1, 2 : 1, 3 : 2, 1 : 1, 2 : 3, 1: 2, 1 : 4 and 0 : 1) extracts. The whole blood viscosity (WBV), plasma viscosity (PV), and high shear whole blood relative index (HSWBRI), low shear whole blood relative index (LSWBRI), and erythrocyte aggregation index (EAI) were tested to observe the effects of GH on hemorheology of blood stasis rats. And the maximum aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) was tested to observe the effect of GH on platelet aggregation index of blood stasis rats. In addition, the prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time (TT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and plasma fibrinogen (FIB) were tested to observe the effects of GH on blood coagulation function of blood stasis rats. Then principal component analysis and multi-attribute comprehensive index methods were both used to comprehensively evaluate the total activating blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis effects of GH. The results showed that the hemorheological indexes and coagulation parameters of model group both had significant differences with normal group. Compared with model group, GH (1 : 0, 4 : 1, 2: 1, 3 : 2, 1 : 1, 2 : 3, 1 : 2, 1 : 4 and 0 : 1) could improve all the blood hemorheology indexes and regulate part indexes of blood coagulation function and platelet aggregation in acute blood stasis rats. Based on principal component analysis and multi-attribute comprehensive index methods, GH 1 : 1 and GH 3 : 2 both had the best effect of blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis, and the effect of GH 1 : 1 was slightly better than GH 3 : 2. These results suggest that GH could obviously ameliorate the abnormality of hemorheology and blood coagulation function in acute blood stasis rats. The optimized proportion of GH was consistent with regulations of medicine usage that GH 1 : 1 had the highest frequency used in traditional Chinese formulae. It could provide scientific basis for more effective application of the compatibility between Danggui and Honghua in modern clinic medicine.

Objective To find the related factors of the unsuccessful unsedated colonoscopy. Methods Clinical data of 1 726 consecutive subjects who underwent colonoscopy without sedation from April 2014 to January 2015 at the second affiliated hospital of Soochow university were analyzed. Data included characteristics of the patients (age, gender, body mass index, degree of education, the bowel-cleaning drugs, previous colonoscopy experience, bowel habits, history of chronic disease, history of sport, history of abdominal or pelvic surgery, the indication of colonoscopy, mood, quality of bowel preparation, and presence/absence of colonic diverticulum), the characteristics of the physicians (procedure experience, the instrument handling method). These factors were analyzed to evaluate their impact on result of unsedated colonoscopy. Results This study included 1 726 patients (male/female: 927/799). These patients' average age was 50.04 years old, the cecal intubation rate was 91.6%, and the average intubation time was 10.27 minutes. The multiple regression analysis showed the elderly patient, lower BMI, irritability, consti﹣pation, poor bowel preparation were associated with the lower cecal intubation rate. Conclusions The elderly patient, lower BMI, irritability, constipation and poor bowel preparation were associated with the failure of unsedated colonoscopy. In clinical practice, quality improvement programs are needed to improve the rate of total colonoscopy.

Objective To investigate the value of early?phase enhancement ratio combined with peripheral vascular diameter in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions using 3.0 T dynamic contrast?enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE?MRI). Methods Sixty seven cases of patients (35 with malignant lesions and 32 with benign lesions in the breasts) were retrospectively analyzed. Their diagnoses were confirmed by surgery and pathology and all the patients underwent breast MRI plain scan and DCE?MRI in the two weeks before surgery. Lesion ROIs were drawn and time?signal intensity curves in the DCE?MRI were generated. Early?phase enhancement rate, time to peak, early?phase enhancement ratio, numbers of tumor vessel within 3 cm of the lesion and diameter of the largest vessel were recorded. Mann?Whitney U test was used to compare the difference of DCE?MRI between benign and malignant lesions, and the ROC curve was used to evaluate the efficiency of early?phase enhancement rate, early?phase enhancement ratio and vascular diameter in differentiating benign and malignant lesions. Results With breast malignant lesions, the medians of time to peak, early?phase enhancement rate, early?phase enhancement ratio, numbers of tumor vessel and vascular diameter were 2.2 s, 176.0%, 100.0%, 4 and 2.96 mm respectively, while with benign lesions of these parameters were 4.7 s, 113.3%, 81.9%, 0 and 0.00 mm respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05).When early?phase enhancement rate was used for differential diagnosis of breast benign and malignant lesions, the area under the ROC curve was 0.702 and the sensitivity and specificity were 82.86%and 56.25%with a threshold of 120.0%. When early?phase enhancement ratio was used, the area under the ROC curve was 0.854 and the sensitivity and specificity were 94.29% and 68.75% with a threshold of 86.0%. When peripheral vascular diameter was used, the area under the ROC curve was 0.896 and the sensitivity and specificity were 74.29%and 84.38% with a threshold of 2.78 mm. When early?phase enhancement ratio was combined with peripheral vascular diameter, the area was 0.925 and the sensitivity and specificity were 97.14% and 62.50%. Conclusion In the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions under DCE?MRI, early?phase enhancement ratio combining with peripheral vascular diameter has improved sensitivity.

OBJECTIVE:To study the lifespan effect of ethyl acetate extract from Polygonum multiflora(EPM)on caenorhab-ditis elegans,and to investigate its anti-aging effect. METHODS:EPM low-concentration,medium-concentration and high- concen-tration groups(25,37.5,50 mg/L,calculated by crude drug)and blank group(0 mg/L)were established to investigate the effects of EPM on the lifespan of caenorhabditis elegans. EPM group(37.5 mg/L)and blank group(0 mg/L)were established to perform re-productive test,acute heat stress test and acute oxidative stress test of caenorhabditis elegans. The effects of EPM on reproductive capacity and pressure stress of caenorhabditis elegans were investigated. RESULTS:The lifespan test,average lifespan of cae-norhabditis elegans in EPM low-concentration,medium-concentration and high-concentration groups were prolonged significantly, compared to blank group(P<0.05 or P<0.01),especially in EPM medium-concentration group. In reproductive test,the number of offspring of caenorhabditis elegans in EPM group on the second and third day were increased significantly,compared to blank group (P<0.05). In acute heat stress test and acute oxidative stress test,average survival time of caenorhabditis elegans in EPM group was prolonged significantly(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:37.5 mg/L EPM can retard the aging process of caenorhabditis ele-gans and doesn’t damage the reproductive capacity.