The five flavours of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)stand for five tastes,such as pungent,sweet,sour,bitter and salt.The five flavours not only stand for the actual tastiness of herbs,but also the effect characteristic of TCM according to traditional medical theory.So this kind of situation led to a disorder of the marking standardization of five flavours.So the authors think that we should mark herbs(or TCM)based on their true tastiness,and this way maybe help us to solve the problem and to research the relationship between the flavours and the effect of the herbs(or TCM).

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects and mechanisms of cordycepin,an effective component of cordyceps militaris, on renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) and its related eIF2α/TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

METHODFirstly, 15 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups,the control group (Group A), the model group (Group B) and the cordycepin-treated group (Group C). After renal interstitial fibrotic model was successfully established by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), the mice in Group C were intraperitoneally administrated with cordycepin(5 mg x kg(-1) d(-1)) and the ones in Group A and B were administrated with physiological saline for 5 days. At the end of the study, the obstructed kidneys were collected and detected for the pathological changes of RIF, and the mRNA expressions of collagen type I (Col I) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the kidney by Northern blot. Secondly, after renal tubular epithelial (NRK-52E) cells cultured in vitro were exposed to transforming growth factor (TGF) -β with or without cordycepin, the mRNA expressions of Col I and collagen type IV( Col IV) by Northern blot, and the protein expressions of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), phosphorylated eIF2α ( p-eIF2α), Smad2/3 and phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) were tested by Western blot.

RESULTIn vivo, cordycepin alleviated RIF in model mice, including improving fibrotic pathological characteristics and mRNA expressions of Col I and α-SMA. In vitro, cordycepin induced the high expression of p-elF2α, and inhibited the expressions of p-Smad2/3, Col I and Col IV induced by TGF-β in NRK-52E cells.

CONCLUSIONCordycepin attenuates RIF in vivo and in vitro, probably by inducing the phosphorylation of eIF2α, suppressing the expression of p-Smad2/3, a key signaling molecule in TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway, and reducing the expressions of collagens and α-SMA in the kidney.

Actins ; analysis ; Animals ; Deoxyadenosines ; pharmacology ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Phosphorylation ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Smad Proteins ; physiology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; antagonists & inhibitors ; physiology

This study was purposed to investigate the changes in coagulation and fibrinolysis pathways in rabbits suffered from the acute decompression sickness(DCS). Model of DCS in rabbits was established. Survival rate and symptoms of DCS in animal model was monitored. The prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fib), fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) and D-dimers were measured before compression and at 0, 3, 24 hours after decompression by latex agglutination semiquantitative methods. The changes of plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP), fibrinopeptide A (FPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and thrombomodulin (TM) were measured by ELISA at different time points after decompression. The results showed that the model of DCS in rabbits was successfully established. There was a statistically significant extension in APTT, TT, increase of Fib concentration at 15 minutes after decompression, the changes were peaked at 3 hours and recovered at 24 hours after decompression. The concentration of FDP significantly decreased at 3 hours after decompression. The concentration of D-dimers significantly increased at 24 hours after decompression in rabbits model with DCS. FPA concentration was significantly increased at 15 minutes and recovered at 24 hours after decompression. PAP concentration was increased after decompression, but had no significant changes. PAI-1 could not be detected. TM significantly increased after decompression. It is concluded that the acute DCS significantly impacts on blood coagulation system in rabbit model. It is shown that hypocoagulation occurred at initial time and hyperfibrinolysis subsequently, which varied with time. The damage of blood vessel endothelium may be one of the causes of these variations.
Animals ; Blood Coagulation ; Decompression Sickness ; blood ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Fibrinolysis ; Male ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Prothrombin Time ; Rabbits ; Thrombin Time

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of anastomoses sequence on the hemodynamics in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and to investigate the strategy to stabilize the hemodynamics.

METHODSFrom March 2005 to March 2007, 67 patients with serious triple-vessel coronary artery lesions (male 45, female 22) with a age range from 44 to 81-years-old were enrolled for off-pump CABG. All the patients underwent left internal mammary artery-left anterior descending branch (LIMA-LAD) anastomose firstly, followed by the foreword anastomose of the other two vessels. According to the anastomose sequence of posterior descending branch (PDA) and obtuse marginal branch (OM), the patients were divided into three groups. Group I (n = 22) did the sequence of PDA-OM-aortic root (Ao). Group II (n = 14) did the sequence of Ao-PDA-OM. Group III (n = 31) did the sequence of Ao-OM-PDA. The hemodynamics markers, including heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), mean artery pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI), left ventricular-stroke work index (LVSWI) and right ventricular stroke work index (RVSWI), were analyzed before LIMA-LAD anastomose to serve as baseline. And these markers were re-measured at LIMA-LAD anastomose, immediately after LIMA-LAD anastomose, at PDA anastomose and at OM anastomose.

RESULTSAll the patients survived after off-pump CABG. Compared with the baseline, there were no significant hemodynamic changes when doing LIMA-LAD anastomose. When the anastomose finished, the hemodynamic indices improved significantly. When performing OM anastomose, HR and CVP increased significantly, and MAP, CI, LVSWI and RVSWI decreased remarkably in group I and group III, while there were no significant changes of MAP, CI and RVSWI in group II . When performing PDA anastomose, HR and CVP increased significantly, and MAP, CI, LVSWI and RVSWI decreased remarkably in group I and group II, while there were no significant hemodynamic changes in group III except HR.

CONCLUSIONProximal anastomose first when performing off-pump CABG, followed by distal anastomoses of target vessels is beneficial to those who have hard exposure and difficult anastomose of OM and PDA.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; methods ; Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump ; methods ; Coronary Artery Disease ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Coronary Vessels ; surgery ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Retrospective Studies

To explore therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined electrical stimulation on aged patients with post‐stroke depression .Methods : A total of 78 patients with post‐stroke depression were randomly and equally divided into routine treatment group (received health education based on routine treatment ) and combined treatment group (received acupuncture combined low‐frequency electrical stimulation based on routine treatment group ).After four‐week treatment , score of Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD) and therapeutic effect were compared between two groups .Results : Compared with before treatment , there was significant reduction in HAMD score in two groups after treatment ;compared with routine treatment group after treatment , there was significant reduction in HAMD score [(19.72 ± 2. 04) scores vs.(14. 94 ± 1. 86) scores] in combined treatment group , P＝0. 001 all.To‐tal effective rate of combined treatment group was significantly higher than that of routine treatment group (87.18% vs.64.1%, P＝0.018).Conclusion : Acupuncture combined low‐frequency electrical stimulation possesses significant therapeutic effect on post‐stroke depression , which is worthy of clinical application .

OBJECTIVETo investigate clinical characteristics, EEG changes and therapeutic response of benign infantile epilepsy and to study the early diagnostic methods.

METHODSClinical observation and Video-EEG monitoring were carried out in babies with convulsions at 3 - 24 months of age. In these children, febrile convulsion, symptomatic epilepsies and developmental abnormalities were excluded, and the therapeutic effect and long-term outcome were followed up.

RESULTSForty-two babies were diagnosed to have benign infantile epilepsy by two-year follow-up. Three of them had familial history of benign infantile convulsions. Nineteen percent had mild diarrhea during the onset of convulsions, cluster seizures occurred during a short period in 67% of cases and no status epilepticus occurred. Video-EEG monitoring confirmed seizures originating from temporal, occipital or multifocal areas separately in 3 patients with partial seizures. Interictal EEG background was normal and there were Rolandic small spikes during sleep in 24% of patients. Thirty-nine patients were treated with single antiepileptic drugs and the mean treatment course was 9 months. Three cases did not take medicine. All the patients were seizure free within a year.

CONCLUSIONBenign infantile epilepsy should be considered when the following characteristics occur in early stage of the disease: (1) convulsions occurring between 3 to 12 month of age and not later than 24 months of age with or without familial history of benign infantile convulsion; (2) normal psychomotor development before and after convulsion occurs; (3) no evoked factors or only mild diarrhea; (4) majority of cases have partial seizures, or secondary generalized seizures. There are often cluster convulsions during the onset stage, but no status epilepticus; (5) normal EEG background and there may be Rolandic small spikes during sleep; (6) normal neuroimaging.

Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo assess the operative methods of delayed acetabular fractures and the operative results.

METHODSThe operative approaches, procedures, results and complications of the delayed acetabular fractures between August 1993 and August 2001 in Jishuitan Hospital were evaluated retrospectively.

RESULTSThirty-two patients were followed up 49.6 months on average. Sciatic nerve palsy was found in 1 patient. Excellent functional results of hip joints were found in 3 patients, good in 16, fair in 10, and poor in 3. Ectopic bone formation was observed in 6 patients and necrosis of the femoral head in 3.

CONCLUSIONCareful selection of operative indications of delayed acetabular fractures in combination with proper operative approach and appropriate reduction and fixation, good results can be obtained.

Acetabulum ; injuries ; surgery ; Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo improve the effect of operative management of acetabular fractures.

METHODSOne hundred and seventy eight acetabular fractures were treated operatively from August 1993 to December 2000. Their functional results and complications were analyzed.

RESULTSOne hundred and twelve hips were followed up for an average of 45.7 months. Heterotopic ossification was noted in 26 hips, post-operative osteoarthritis in 22 hips, avascular necrosis of the femoral head in 8 hips, and sciatic nerve injury in 7 hips after operations. No death and infection were found in this series.

CONCLUSIONSEctopic bone formation develops at extended ilio-femoral and Kocher-Langeneck approaches. Cartilaginous injury of the femoral head is contributable to post-operative osteoarthritis, and imperfect reduction is an important factor in the genesis of osteoarthritis.

Acetabulum ; injuries ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification, Heterotopic ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Osteoarthritis, Hip ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the effects and mechanism of gambogic acid ( GA) on lipopolysaccharide ( LPS)-induced acute lung injury ( ALI) .Methods ALI model was established by the injection of lipopolysaccharide into the tail vein of mice(4mg/kg, iv).The mice were randomly divided into control group (control), model group (model), GA group(GA), and pretreatment with GA of ALI group (GA+LPS).After six hours, the wet/dry weight ratio ( W/D) of the lung, myeloperoxidase ( MPO) activity in lung tissue , total proteins and number of white blood cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF) were determined .Tumor necrosis factor-α( TNF-α) and interleukin-1β( IL-1β) were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods .Results Compared with control group, the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung, MPO activity in lung tissue, levels of total pro-teins and number of white blood cells in BALF of LPS group obviously increased , in addition the level of lung tissue TNF-αand IL-1βin LPS group were significantly higher (all P<0.01), while in GA pretreatment groups alleviated all the changes in ALI mice .Conclusions GA pre-treatment attenuated LPS-induced ALI , possibly by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines production so as to decrease the recruitment of neutrophils , reduce pulmonary edema .

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy betweenLing Gui Ba Fa (eight magic turtle techniques) time-based points selection method and ordinary acupuncture in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) due to spleen-stomach deficiency.Method Sixty patients were randomized intoLing Gui Ba Fa group and ordinary acupuncture group, 30 cases each. InLing Gui Ba Fa group, Gongsun (SP4) was selected as the host point, Neiguan (PC6) as the guest point, and Dachangshu (BL25), Tianshu (ST25), Shangjuxu (ST37), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Pishu (BL20) and Zusanli (ST36) as the adjunctive points; in the ordinary acupuncture group, Gongsun and Neiguan were selected as the major points, and Dachangshu, Tianshu, Shangjuxu, Sanyinjiao, Pishu and Zusanli were selected as the adjunctive points. The acupuncture treatments were conducted 3 times a week (the practitioner would make appointment with patient at a convenient time if Gongsun had multiple activation time points according toLing Gui Ba Fa), 10 sessions as a course of treatment. Before and after the intervention, the two groups of patients were evaluated by using the traditional Chinese medicine symptoms and syndromes scale and irritable bowel syndrome quality of life questionnaire (IBS-QOL), and clinical efficacy was also observed.Result The control rate was 86.7% inLing Gui Ba Fa group versus 73.3% in the ordinary acupuncture group, and the therapeutic efficacy ofLing Gui Ba Fa group was significantly better than that of the ordinary acupuncture group (P<0.01); after the treatment, the scores in rating symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal bloating and abdominal pain were significantly lower than those before the treatment in both groups (P<0.01), and the declines of scores inLing Gui Ba Fa group were more significant than those in the ordinary acupuncture group (P<0.01).ConclusionLing Gui Ba Fa time-based points selection method can produce a more significant efficacy than ordinary acupuncture in treating irritable bowel syndrome.