Aortic Aneurysm ; diagnosis ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; diagnosis ; Carotid Body Tumor ; diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

The on-line monitor for the changes in the content of baicalin in Scutellariae Radix formula particles during the extraction process was conducted by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used as a reference method. Kennard-Stone (KS) was used to divide sample sets, so as to compare different pretreatment methods. The synergy interval partial least squares (SiPLS) was used to screen out modeling wave band to establish partial least-squares models. The relative error method was applied to predict forecast set samples of Scutellariae Radix in three extraction phases. The results showed that the model established by Savitzky-Golay smoothing with 11 points (SG11 points) was the best, with the root mean square with cross validation (RMSECV), root mean square error of correction (RMSEC) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of baicalin of 0.092 7, 0.134 4 and 0.114 8, respectively, the determination coefficient R2 of greater than 0.99, and the relative error of baicalin content of less than 5%. This indicates that the on-line near infrared reflectance spectroscopy could be applied in on-line monitor and quality control of the extraction process of Scutellariae Radix formula particles.
Automation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Quality Control ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared ; methods

To propose a formula method of medicated diet based on medicinal property combination patterns in this paper under the context of lack of innovation in medicated diets. By analyzing the property combination patterns of traditional Chinese medicine and commonly used foods recorded in the pharmacopoeia, medicated diet formulae were optimized by using the greedy algorithm, with the property combination patterns of classical formulae based on the syndrome differentiation and treatment. In this paper, the Baihu Rensheng decoction, which is a classical formula for treating lung and stomach heat-derived diabetes, was taken for example in the formula design. As a result, totally 18 medicated diet formulae were developed and proved to be rational in the analysis on traditional Chinese medicines and nutriology. This method expands the way of thinking for personalized diet therapies and provides theoretical basis the industrial development and clinical application of medicated diets.
Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus ; diet therapy ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Diet ; Diet Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Phytotherapy

To investigate the role of immediate-early gene c-fos in sodium selenite-induced apoptosis and its position in a possible cascade of apoptogenic genes, we compared the time-courses of expression for 5 related genes, including c-fos, during the apop- tosis induced by sodium selenite with or without blockage of c-fos expression by adding c-fos antisense oligodeoxynucleotide ( ASO) in cultured cortical neurons. The results showed that: (1) in control experiments without c-fos ASO adding, 0. 5 μmol/ L sodium selenite-induced apoptosis as revealed by electrophoretic and flow cytometric examinations; at the same time, sodium selenite also induced down-regulation of bcl-2 mRNA expression and up-regulations of mRNAs related to bax, c-fos, p53, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) genes; (2) in similar experimental conditions with c-fos ASO cotreatment, the sodium selenite-in- duced apoptosis was blocked with the up-regulation of p53 expression still emerging as before, while the changes in expressions of bcl-2, bax, AChE genes were reversed at the same time. The results suggest that c-fos ASO could play a protective role upon cortical neurons from suffering apoptosis induced by sodium selenite, and there might exist a cascade of gene expressions with p53 and c-fos genes being regulated upstream and then bcl-2, bax, and AChE genes being regulated downstream.

10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.24.015

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Chinese herbal therapy on T-lymphocyte subsets in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

METHODSTotally 36 inpatients and outpatients at Department of Nephropathy, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, from June 2011 to June 2013 were recruited in the treatment group, while 20 volunteers were recruited as the healthy control group. Patients in the IgAN group only took Chinese herbal decoctions by syndrome typing for 3 months (except those accompanied with hypertension additionally took antihypertensive agents such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and/or dihydropyridines calcium antagonist). No intervention was performed in the healthy control group. The values of Th1, Th2, and CD4+ CD25+ Treg, and red blood cell number in urine were detected using flow cytometry before and after treatment. 24 h urine protein was detected using inmmunoturbidimetry.

RESULTSCompared with the healthy control group, the CD4+ CD25+ Treg level obviously decreased in the IgAN group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). In the IgAN group, Th1, 24 h urine protein, and urine red blood cell counts were obviously lower after treatment, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal therapy could reduce urine erythrocyte number and 24 h urine protein of IgAN patients, and down-regulating Th1 expression might be its mechanism.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; Young Adult

Background Oxidative damage may cause the functional dysfunction and death of retinal vascular endothelial cells(RVECs),and further leads to the development of retinal vascular diseases.Fufang xueshuantong has a therapeutic effect on retinal vascular diseases,but little is known about its molecular mechanism.Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the protective effects and mechanism of fufang xueshuantong on injury of human RVECs induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide(t-BHP).Methods Human RVECs were isolated from healthy donor eyes and primarily cultured and then identified by flow cytometry.The third to fifth generations of cells were used in this experiments.The fufang xueshuantong solution of 0.0625,0.1250,0.2500,0.5000 and 1.0000 g/L were added in the cuhure plate with 5 × 104/L cells respectively in the experimental groups,and t-BHP of 75,100,200 and 300 μ.mol/L were added in the model control groups.MTT was used to detect the A490and survival rate of RVECs.The apoptotic rate and death rate of the cells were evaluated by double staining of Annexin V-FITC/PI.Morphology of human RVECs were examined using invert microscopy and Hoechst33258 staining.The expressions of nitro tyrosine (a marker of oxidative damage of protein)and 8-OHdG(a marker of oxidative damage of DNA)in human RVECs were assessed by the immunofluorescence staining.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of nuclear factorkappa B(NF-KB),p53,bcl-2 and bax after 6,12,24 hours t-BHP action.This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Results No significant difference was found in A490value among the normal control group,0.0625,0.1250,0.2500,0.5000 and 1.0000 g/L fufang xueshuantong groups(F =1.989,P＞0.05).The survival rates of the cells were lower in 75,100,200 and 300 μmol/L t-BHP groups compared with corresponding fufang xueshuantong groups(t =14.57,13.82,21.51,32.64,P＜ 0.01).The percentages of normal cells were evidently lower in 75,100,200 and 300 μmol/L t-BHP compared with corresponding fufang xueshuantong groups(t=14.908,5.495,17.165,26.330,P＜0.01).The numbers of deformation and death of the human RVECs increased as the elevated concentration of t-BHP,but those in fufang xueshuantong groups were less than the t-BHP groups under the invert microscopy.Compared with t-BHP groups,the expressions of nitro tyrosine,8-OHdG,NF-KB,p53 and bax were lower but the expression of bcl-2 was higher in human RVECs with the statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Fufang xueshuantong at the concentration of 0.2500 g/L showed maximally protective effect on human RVECs.Conclusions Fufang xueshuantong protects human RVECs against the t-BHP-induced injury through downregulating the expression of NF-kB,p53,bax and up-regulating the express of the bcl-2 protein.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the value of dual energy CT (DECT) in the differentiation of mediastinal metastatic lymph nodes from non-metastatic lymph nodes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: In the study, 57 surgically confirmed NSCLC patients who underwent enhanced DECT scan within 2 weeks before operation were enrolled. Two radiologists analyzed the CT images before operation. All mediastinal lymph nodes with short diameter≥5 mm on axial images were included in this study. The morphological parameters [long-axis diameter (L), short-axis diameter (S) and S/L of lymph nodes] and the DECT parameters [iodine concentration (IC), normalized iodine concentration (NIC), slope of spectral hounsfield unit curve (λHU) and effective atomic number (Zeff) in arterial and venous phase] were measured. The differences of morphological parameters and DECT parameters between metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes were compared. The parameters with significant difference were analyzed by the Logistic regression model, then a new predictive variable was established. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed for S, NIC in venous phase and the new predictive variable. RESULTS: In 57 patients, 49 metastatic lymph nodes and 938 non-metastatic lymph nodes were confirmed by surgical pathology. A total of 163 mediastinal lymph nodes (49 metastatic, 114 non-metastatic) with S≥5 mm were detected on axial CT images. The S, L and S/L of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly higher than those of non-metastatic lymph nodes (P < 0.05). The DECT parameters of metastatic lymph nodes were significantly lower than those of non-metastatic lymph nodes (P < 0.05). The best single morphological parameter for differentiation between metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes was S (AUC, 0.752; threshold, 8.5 mm; sensitivity, 67.4%; specificity, 73.7%; accuracy, 71.8%). The best single DECT parameter for differentiation between metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes was NIC in venous phase (AUC, 0.861; threshold, 0.53; sensitivity, 95.9%; specificity, 70.2%; accuracy, 77.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that S and NIC were independent predictors of lymph node metastasis. The AUC of combined S and NIC in the venous phase was 0.895(sensitivity, 79.6%; specificity, 87.7%; accuracy, 85.3%), which were significantly higher than that of S (P < 0.001) and NIC (P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS The ability of quantitative DECT parameters to distinguish mediastinal lymph node metastasis in NSCLC patients is better than that of morphological parameters. Combined S and NIC in venous phase can be used to improve preoperative diagnostic accuracy of metastatic lymph nodes.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mediastinum ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To evaluate the forecasting capability of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide ( NT-proBNP) level for Left ventricular ( LV) remodeling of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through observation of the relationship between serum NT-proBNP on the 3rd day and LV remodeling following onset of AMI. Methods Electrochemilumin-escence was adopted to determine the serum NT-proBNP level on the 3rd day after AMI attack for 106 cases of patients with anterior, anteroseptal and anterolateral AMI, with echocardiography performed to detect LV end-diastolic diameter (LVDd) and leftventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) respectively on the 3rd day and 3 months after the attack. Results The serum NT-proBNP level of AMI patients on the 3rd day averaged 1039. 28 (241. 50-1 184. 25) ng/L For AMI patients on the 3rd day and 3 months after, LVDd rose to (53?7) mm (P 0.05) from (53?8) %. NT-proBNP concentration on the 3rd day after AMI onset was positively correlated with△LVDd significantly, r =0. 403 (P 5mm during the 3 months and LVEF at the 3rd month≤40 % , AUC was 0. 893. Conclusion The test results showed serum NT-proBNP level for AMI patients on the 3rd day may be used as one of forecasting indexes of LV remodeling for AMI of advanced stage.

A strain with relative higher phytase-producing ability, Aspergillus fumigatus WY-2 was screened from soil. The optimal pH and temperature for activity of the phytase from A.fumigatus WY-2 were 5.5 and 55 ℃, respectively. The gene encoding the phytase was amplified from genomic DNA of the strain by PCR, and a 1.5 kb DNA fragment was obtained and then was cloned into vector pMD18-T. The sequencing analysis revealed that the DNA fragment contained a whole open reading frame (ORF) of phytase gene. The phytase gene was 1459 bp in length included with a 61 bp intron and encoded 465 amino acids. A signal peptide encoding 26 amino acids was found at 5′end of the gene. There were 7 potential glycosylation sites in the phytase. The present phytase showed 91% identity in nucleotide sequence and 91% identity in deduced amino acids sequence to the previously reported A.fumigatus ATCC34625 phytase.