Objective To explore the mechanism of Shenkangwan in preventing the development of diabetic nephropathy(DN)through TGF-?1/Smad signaling pathway.Methods The diabetic rat models were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin(STZ)in male Wistar rats and randomly divided into 3 groups:model control group,Capoten group and Shenkangwan group.Another 8 normal Wistar rats served as normal control.After the rats had been treated for 8 weeks,the mRNA expressions of fibronetin(FN)and TGF-?1 were detected by RT-PCR and the protein expressions of Smad 2,Smad 3 by immunohistochemistry in the renal tissues.Results During the past 8 weeks,the blood glucose of the rats in the model control group was all over 16.7 mmol/L and they exhibited the symptoms of diabetes mellitus,such as excessive thirsty,extreme hunger,frequent urination and unusual weight loss.The mRNA expressions of FN and TGF-?1 in rat renal tissues of model control group were significantly higher than those in the rats of normal control group(P

【Objective】To observe the effect of Shenkang Pills(SP) on proliferation,extracellular matrix(ECM) secretion and cell cycle of in-vitro cultured rat mesangial cells(MC).【Methods】Sixteen Wistar male rats were randomized into 4 groups: normal serum group,Capoten(5 mg/kg) group,high-and low-dose SP(2.4 and 1.2 g/kg respectively) groups.Except the normal serum group,the rats in other groups received corresponding drugs according to the experimental design,and serum containing drug was isolated and prepared after treatment for 7 days.MC cultured with high glucose(30 mmol/L) in vitro were divided into 5 groups: A(cultured with high glucose 30 mmol/L),B(cultured with 5% normal serum),C(cultured with 5% serum containing Capoten),D and E(cultured with 5% serum containing high-and low-dose SP respectively).Another model group F(cultured with low glucose 10 mmol/L) was also established.After culturing for 72 hours,methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was used for the detection of MC proliferation,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for fibronectin(FN) content in the culture supernatant and flow cytometer for cell cycle.【Results】The proliferation of MC and FN content in supernatant were increased,and abnormal cell cycle was found in high-glucose group A.SP inhibited MC proliferation,increased the percentage of MC at G0/G1 phase,and decreased the percentage of MC at S phase and G2/M phase.【Conclusion】SP has an inhibition on MC proliferation and ECM secretion induced by high glucose,and its mechanism is probably related with the regulation of abnormal MC cell cycle.

Objective To observe the effectiveness and salty of Xiaoer Dingfeng Decoction(Decoction to stop wind in children con- vulsion)in the treatment of syndrome of primary infantile convulsion due to phlegm-heat in tonic-clonic epilepsy.Methods Totally 90 infantile patients were randomized into three groups,which were treated by Xiaoer Dingfeng Decoction,Kangxian(Capsule to treat epilepsy)and Xifeng Capsule(Capsule to calm the wind)respectively.Frequency of seizure,lasting duration,and change of electroen- cephalogram(EEG)were observed 12 months later.Results The total effective rate of Xiaoer Dingfeng Decoction group was 86. 67%,better that that of Kangxian Capsule group(P0.05). It could greatly reduce the frequency of seizure,shorten the lasting duration,and improve the EEG.Conclusion Xiaoer Dingfeng De- coctions is effective and safe for the syndrome of primary infantile convulsion due to phlegm-heat in tonic-clonic epilepsy.

Female ; Growth Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant ; Prader-Willi Syndrome ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and risk factors of elderly hospitalized patients with post-stroke hypertension (PSH).MethodsThe data including sex, age and blood pressure of 300 elderly PSH patients were analyzed retrospectively to find out the influence factors related to PSH.ResultsCompared with younger patients, the elderly patients had lower incidence of limb paralysis, disturbance of consciousness, while high frequency of headache and emesis on admission; hypertension, diabetes, smoking and alcohol abuse were significantly less frequent, while coronary heart disease and pneumonia were more common in elderly patients. Blood pressure especially systolic pressure of elderly PSH patients raised obviously .ConclusionElderly stroke patients have distinctive risk factors and clinical features, which are different from younger patients.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most serious vascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Compound preparation of huangqi and dahuang, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to preventing or treating diabetic nephropathy for several years, and has a certain protective effect on the kidney of diabetes mellitus patients. But its exact mechanism remains unknown and needs to be studied more.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of compound preparation shenkang wan on the proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix in cultured rat mesangial cells induced by high glucose.DESIGN: Randomized and controlled study.SETTING: Center of Integrated Traditional and Western Nephrology of Zhujiang Hospital and Medicine Department of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.MATERIALS: The serum pharmacological experiment was performed in Animal Experimental Center of Southern Medical University in A pril 2005.The cell culture experiment was conducted in Cell culture room of Southern Medical University from April 2005 to July 2005. Totally 16 normal Wistar male rats, weighted varied from 190 g to 220 g, were used in the study.METHODS: Sixteen normal Wistar male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal serum group, capoten group, shenkang wan group (high dose and low dose); shenkang wan was mainly constituted of huangqi,dahuang, leech, gordon guryale seed and corn stigma and made in Pharmacy Department of Zhujiang Hospital of Nanfang Medical University, agent number: 20031214). ① The rats in capoten group and high and low dose shenkang wan group were given the corresponding drugs respectively according to 5 mg/kg, 2.4 g/kg, 1.2 g/kg weight. The rats in normal serum group were given the same volume water. After treated 7 days, all rats were hocused and separated medication serum. ② Mesangial cell was cultured in vitro with different concentrations of glucose (10, 20, 30 and 40 mmol/L).The proliferation of mesangial cell was observed with the methyl-thiazoltelrazolium colorimetric assay at 24, 48, 72 hours and 96 hours. ③ Then the cultured mesangial cells were divided into six subgroups :Low glucose control group (10 mmol/L glucose), high glucose group (30 mmol/L glucose);normal serum group (30 mmol/L glucose); capoten group (30 mmol/L glucose); shenkang wan group (high dose and low dose, 30 mmol/L glucose).After cultured 72 hours, the proliferation of mesangial cell was detected with the methyl-thiazol-telrazolium colorimetric assay, the secretion and mRNA gene expression of fibronetin levels in mesangial cell were respectively detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ①Proliferation of mesangial cell induced by different concentrations glucose. ② Proliferation and secretion and mRNA gene expression of fibronectin in every group.RUSULTS: ① Effect of different concentrations glucose on the prolifera-tion of mesangial cell: Compared with low concentrations glucose(10 mmol/L), 20 mmol/L glucose could accelerate the proliferation ofmesangial cell during 96 hours experiment period, but only had a statisti-cally significant difference at 72 and 96 hours (P ＜ 0.05). 30 mmol/L glu-cose could significantly accelerate the proliferation of mesangial cell thanthat of 10 mmol/L glucose from 24 hours to 96 hours (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01),and this effect was increasing with time in 72 hours and reduced after 72hours. 40 mmol/L glucose could significantly increase the proliferation ofmesangial cell than of low concentrations glucose in 48 hours (P ＜ 0.05),and this effect was reduced after 48 hours and even conversed to restraineffect. ② Effect of different medication serum on the proliferation ofmesangial cell: The optical density value in high glucose group is obviouslyhigher than that of low glucose control group (P ＜ 0.01). Compared withhigh glucose group, the optical density value in capoten, shenkang wangroup (high dose and low dose) was decreased markedly (P ＜ 0.01 or P＜ 0.05). While the optical density value in normal serum group was showedno difference with the high glucose group (P ＞ 0.05). ③ Effect of differentmedication serum on secretion of fibronectin in mesangial cell: Content offibronectin in high glucose group was increased more markedly than that oflow glucose group (P ＜ 0.01). Compared with high glucose group, contentof fibronectin in capoten and shenkang wan group (high dose and low dose)was showed a significantly decrease (P ＜ 0.01 or P ＜ 0.05), while contentof fibronectin in normal serum group was showed no difference with thehigh glucose group (P ＞ 0.05). ④ Effect of different medication serum onexpression of fibronectin mRNA in mesangial cell: The optical density val-ue of fibronectin strip in high glucose group was brighter than that in lowglucose group and the ratio of it and β-actin were increased markedly too(P ＜ 0.01). Compared with high glucose group, the optical density value offibronectin strip in capoten and shenkang wan group (high dose and lowdose) was showed a significantly decrease and the ratio of it and β-actinwas reduced distinctly too (P ＜ 0.01), while the ratio of it and β-actin innormal serum group was showed no difference (P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION: High glucose could accelerate proliferation, increase thesecretion and mRNA gene expression of fibronectin in mesangial cell,while shenkang wan could inhibit proliferation and secretion of the extra-cellular matrix in mesangial cell induced by high glucose.

Objective To investigate the effects of Yifuning soft gelatin capsules(YSGC)on immune function in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.Methods Fifty female mature Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 5 groups:normal control, model control, diethylstilbestrol tablets(DT)and YSGC(high-and low-dose). After 4-week treatment,the serum E2 and IL-2 levels were detected by radioimmunoassay. The estrogen receptor(ER)level in spleen were detected with method of radioligand receptor assay(RRA).The pathologic changes of thymus were observed under light microscope and the body weight,thymus index and spleen index were detected too.Results YSGC could obviously increase the serum levels of E2 and IL-2,increase spleen index and ER content in the spleen of OVX rats (P

In order to identify Cimicifugae Rhizoma from its adulterants and to ensure its safe use, the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequence of Cimicifugae Rhizoma and its adulterants were amplified and bidirectionally sequenced by DNA barcoding technology. Sequence assembly and consensus sequence generation were performed by the CodonCode Aligner V3.7.1. The genetic distances were computed by MEGA 5.0. Identification analyses were performed using neighbor-joining (NJ) methods. The length of ITS2 sequence of the three origin plants of Cimicifugae Rhizoma include Cimicifuga heracleifolia, C. foetida, C. dahurica was 217, 219 and 219 bp, respectively. Their intraspecific genetic distance was much lower than the interspecific genetic distance with their closely related species. The NJ tree of ITS2 indicated that the three origin plants of Cimicifugae Rhizoma formed a monophyletic clade, Cimicifugae Rhizoma and its adulterants could be distinguished clearly. The authors proposed that ITS2 sequence was suitable for the authentication of Cimicifugae Rhizoma and its adulterants.
Base Sequence ; China ; Cimicifuga ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

AIM: To investigate the role of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the growth of Müller cells using a co-culture system in vitro . METHODS: Müller cells were cocultured with RPE cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions in Transwell chamber culture system. Müller cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. The number of cells which migrate through micropores and stay on the outer bottom side of insert systems were observed and counted. RESULTS: The activities of proliferation and migration of Müller cells when cocultured with RPE cells were significantly higher than those of the Müller cells when cultured alone at all time points under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. However, for both the coculture and control groups, there is no significant difference between the measurements at 3 and 6 hours. CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests that RPE, when co-cultured with Müller cells, can stimulate migration and proliferation of Müller cells under both hypoxic and normoxic conditions in a time-dependent manner; how-ever, there is no evidence to support the synergetic interaction of RPE and Müller cells co-cultured under hypoxic conditions.

Objective To investigate the effects of Yifuning soft capsules(YSC)on serum sex hormone level and hy-pothalamic,pituitary and plasma ?-endorphin(?-EP)levels in ovariectomized(OVX)rats.Methods After treat-ment for 4weeks,levels of serum sex hormone and hypothalamic,pituitary and plasma ?-EP were detected by radioim-munoassay.Body weight and uterus in dex were also detected.Results YSC could obviously increase serum e strogen(E 2 )level,uterus index and hypothalami c,pituitary and plasma ?-EP levels in OVX rats(P