OBJECTIVE To explore the immunity-enhancing effect of ABP-AW1, a low-molecular-mass polysaccharides isolated from Agaricus blazei Murill, on immunosuppressive mice. METHODS ICR mice were ip injected cyclophosphamide 80 mg · kg-1, once daily for 3 d, to establish an immuno?suppressive mouse model. Then, ABP-AW1125, 250 and 500 mg · kg-1 were ig given to the immuno?suppressive mice,respectively, once daily for 7 d. The mouse thymus index and spleen index were calcu?lated, and the phagocytic function of phagocytes was determined using carbon clearance test. Splenic lym?phocyte proliferation was measured by MTT method. The interleukin 2 (IL-2) and interferon γ (IFN-γ) production from splenic lymphocytes was examined by ELISA. The splenic lymphocyte CD4+/CD8+ratio was determined by flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS Compared with normal control group, the thymus index, spleen index and phagocytic index of phagocytes in the immunosuppressive model mice declined (P<0.05). ABP-AW1250 and 500 mg·kg-1 treatment significantly increased the thymus index, spleen index and phagocytic index in immunosuppressive mice (P<0.05). Compared with normal control group, concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced T and B lymphocyte proliferation, respectively, and IL-2 and IFN-γproduction from splenic lymphocytes in the immunosuppressive model mice was lower (P<0.05). Compared with model group, ABP-AW1250 and 500 mg·kg-1 promoted Con A and LPS induced T and B lymphocyte proliferation (P<0.05) , and elevated IL-2 and IFN-γ production from splenic lymphocytes (P<0.05). In addition, ABP-AW1250 and 500 mg·kg-1 reversed the decreased splenocyte CD4+/CD8+ratio in immunosuppressive model mice (P<0.05). CONCLUSION ABP-AW1 has immuneity-enhancing effect on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressive mice.

AIM Xiaobuxin-Tang (XBXT) is a traditional Chinese herbal decoction which is composed of Haematitum, Flos Inulae, Folium Phyllostachydis Henonis and Semen Sojae Preparatum. The present study was to investigate if the total flavonoids extracted from XBXT (XBXT-2) had antidepressant effect. METHODS Forced swimming tests in mice and rats, and learned helplessness (LH) model of rats were adopted to affirm the antidepressant effect of XBXT-2 with the test on spontaneous motor activity. Plasma corticosterone level in the LH rats was measured with ELISA. RESULTS Single administraton of XBXT-2 at the doses of 50 and 100 mg·kg-1 (ig) significantly decreased the duration of immobility time in the forced swimming tests in mice and rats. Researches on LH model of rats indicated that XBXT-2 at doses of 50 and 25 mg·kg-1 markedly reduced the number of escape failure in shuttle box. Meanwhile, the plasma corticosterone level of the LH rats was significantly decreased. XBXT-2 50-200 mg·kg-1 had no effects on spontaneous motor activity in mice. CONCLUSION XBXT-2 possesses significant antidepressant-like effect. The mechanism may involve the inhibition of the hyperaction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Objective: To analyze the correlation between the age and the cone-beam CT (CBCT) images of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae in female skeletal class Ⅰ patients aged between 9 and 17 years, and to establish a quantitative evaluation method for calculating the age. Methods: CBCT images of 108 female skeletal class Ⅰ patients aged between 9 and 17 years were collected from Qingdao Stomatological Hospital from September, 2017 to March, 2019. The two-dimensional linear values (AH: height of anterior edge of vertebral body; H: height of middle part of vertebral body; PH: height of posterior edge of vertebral body; AP: width of vertebral body), the two-dimensional linear ratio values (AH/PH, AH/AP, AH/H, H/AP, H/PH, PH/AP) and the three-dimensional volume values of the third vertical vertebrae (C3) and the fourth vertical vertebrae (C4) were measured. By Exponential transformation of measurements and multiple linear regression analysis, the optimal index for evaluating age were screened, and the fitting degree of multiple linear regression equation (R²) and the accuracy of age estimation (SEE) were compared. CBCT images of 27 female skeletal class Ⅰ patients aged from 9 to 17 years were added from Qingdao Stomatological Hospital between April, 2019 and July, 2019, by which the accuracy of the regression equation was verified. Results: Multiple linear regression equation for age estimation based on two-dimensional linear indexes was as follows: Y=-113.928+33.743×e^AH₃^/100+58.844×e^PH₄^/100+20.590×e^AP₄^/100( "e" was a natural constant, e≈2.718), R²=0.745, SEE=1.31. Multiple linear regression equation for age estimation based on two-dimensional linear ratio indexes was as follows: Y=-0.076-2.284×e^AH₃/PH₃+3.227×e^AH₃/AP₃+2.149×e^AH₃/H₃+1.961×e^AH₄/H₄, R²=0.576, SEE=1.70. Multiple linear regression equation of age estimation by the volume index was as follows: Y=-16.828+22.184×e^V₃^{/10 000}, R²=0.555, SEE=1.71. The data of 27 new patients were tested. The CBCT measurement index of C3 and C4 vertebral bodies inferred the fitting degree (R²) and accuracy (SEE) of the equation of the age estimation. The two-dimensional linear value was superior to the two-dimensional linear ratio and the latter was superior to the three-dimensional volume value. The standard error of the estimate about them was 1.74, 2.00 and 2.37, respectively. Conclusions The two-dimensional linear index of CBCT images of C3 and C4 could be used to estimate the age of 9 to 17-year-old female skeletal class Ⅰ patients, and the accuracy of the method was higher than that of two-dimensional ratio index and three-dimensional volume index.