This paper introduces a ultra-low frequency modulated low frequency pulse transcutaneous neuromuscalar electrical stimulator.Through clinical practices,it has shown very satisfactory results.

Three butylphthalide derivatives were isolated from the Rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong using a series of isolation and purification approaches including macroporous resin, ODS-A column, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. These structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS and NMR) and identified as (3Z,3aE)-(6R,7R,2'S)-6-hydroxy-7-(2-carboxyl-2-hydroxyethylthio)-3-(2-hydroxybutylidene)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-phthalide (1), (3Z,3aZ)-3-butylidene-6,7-dihydroxy-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-phthalide 7-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-D-fructo-furanoside (2) and 3-(3-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-butylidene)-7-hydroxy-phthalide (3).

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of polysaccharide 2-1 from Gastrodia elata (PGE2-1) on blood coagulation and thrombosis.

METHODClotting time (CT) and bleeding time (BT) of mice were measured by glass method and tail-cutting method. Bleeding capacity (A540) was measured by cutting tail in 5 min. Plama recalcificatic time (RT) were measured in mice. Platelet aggregation was caused by adenosine diphosphate (ADP). Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT) were measured by reagent boxes. During thrombosis in vitro, their lengths, wet and dry weights were measured by instrument; wet weights of arteriovenous experimental thrombosis were measured and the impressive rates were analyzed.

RESULTCT and BT of groups PGE2-1 (60, 120 mg x kg(-1)) were remarkably prolonged, and bleeding capacity (A540) were significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). RT of groups PGE2-1 (30, 60, 120 mg x kg(-1)) were remarkably prolonged, and platelet aggregation (PAG) were inhibited (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Human serous TT and APTT of groups PGE2-1 (10, 20, 40 mg x mL(-1)) were remarkably prolonged (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but the difference of effect on PT had no statistic significance. PGE2-1 (30, 60, 120 mg x kg(-1)) could make the mice obviously eliminate thrombus symptom and reduce the time of restoring independent activity (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); thrombosis in vitro: Lengths, wet and dry weights of groups PGE2-1 (30, 60, 120 mg x kg(-1)) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); wet weights of arteriovenous experimental thrombosis were dramatically decreased (P < 0.01), and impressive rates were respectively 32.5%, 49.0% and 61.5%.

CONCLUSIONPGE2-1 has remarkable effects of anticoagulation and antithrombosis, so it may be the main component of the isolation from G. elata in the field of antithrombosis.

Animals ; Anticoagulants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Blood Coagulation Tests ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Gastrodia ; chemistry ; Glycoproteins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Partial Thromboplastin Time ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platelet Aggregation ; drug effects ; Prothrombin Time ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Thrombin Time ; Thrombosis ; pathology ; prevention & control

A method for the determination of Fe, Co, Mn and Ni in synthetic diamonds by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry ( ICP-AES) was proposed. The synthetic diamond sample was decomposed completely, while the sample was burned in air at 1000 ℃ for 10 h, and then a mixed acid of H2 SO4 , aqua regia and HClO4 was used for the dissolving the residue of the sample. In this method, the limits of detection of Fe, Co, Mn and Ni were 0. 0147, 0. 0018, 0. 0006 and 0. 0027 mg/L, respectively. Under the optimum condition, Fe, Co, Mn and Ni in synthetic diamond sample were determined. The values of RSDs (n=7) were less than 0. 5%. The recoveries of added standard were 94. 0%-105. 0%.

A method for the simultaneous determination of oxygen and nitrogen in synthetic diamonds by inert gas high temperature extraction-impulse heating method was proposed. The sample weight, the selection of analysis power and the calibration curves of oxygen and nitrogen were discussed. Oxygen and nitrogen in analytical samples are determined. Values of RSDs (n=7) for oxygen and nitrogen were less than 4. 5% and 4. 0% respectively. The analytical results of oxygen and nitrogen obtained by the proposed method were in good agreement with those by inert gas fusion-impulse heating method.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of salvianolic acid B (SAB) and curcumin, the extracts of Salvia Miltiorrhiza and Curcuma Longa, on the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cell (HSC), and the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) expression in it.

METHODSRat's HSC-T6 were cultured and treated by SAB or curcumin. The inhibitory effect on cell proliferation was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimthyl-2-2thiazoly)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry, and the expression levels of alpha smooth actin (alpha-SMA), collagen type I, and ERK were determined by Western blot.

RESULTSSAB and curcumin inhibited the proliferation and activation of rat's HSC-T6 in dose-dependent fashion and significantly reduced the expression level of alpha-SMA (P < 0.01). Curcumin significantly reduced the expression of collagen type I (P < 0.05). Both SAB and curcumin showed insignificant effect on the ERK expression level, but they could significantly reduce the level of phosphorylated-ERK expression, showing significant difference as compared with that in the control group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively).

CONCLUSIONSAB and curcumin could significantly inhibit the proliferation, activation of HSC, and the production of type I collagen in HSC, the mechanism may be associated with their inhibition on ERK phosphorylation.

Animals ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Curcuma ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Matrix ; drug effects ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; Rats ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMs) on inducing osteoclastic like cell (OLC) formation changes and apoptosis in ovariectomized (OVX) rats bone marrow culture in vitro.

METHODSThirty healthy three-month-old female Wistar rats were either sham-operated (Sham) or ovariectomized (OVX) and randomly divided into three groups: group A (OVX + PEMs, 18 rats), group B (OVX, 6 rats) and group C (Sham, 6 rats); group A was again randomly divided into three groups: A1, A2, A3. The frequencies adopted were 1.5, 2, 75 Hz and 30 minutes for once a day. All rats were fed with normal diet for 3 months, then the bone marrow of all rats were cultured, 2 days later, group A cells (including group A1, A2, A3) were collected and exposed to different frequencies PEMs for 2 weeks (30 min/day). In order to observe the changes of osteoclasts and count their numbers, cells were taken for Wright Giemsa staining, tartrate-resistance acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and Hoechst 33258 staining.

RESULTSTRAP staining results indicated the number of OLC in group C was the least, then was group A2, A3, A1, B. The number of OLC in group B was remarkably increased (P < 0.01; vs group C, A2). The number of OLC in group B was significantly increased (P < 0.05; vs group A1, A3). Hoechst 33258 staining results indicated the number of apoptosis of OLC in group C was more than other groups, which of group C, A2 was significantly increased (P < 0.05; vs group B).

CONCLUSIONPEMs had decreased the formation of OLC and increased the number of apoptosis of OLC in ovariectomized (OVX) rats bone marrow culture in vitro, the effects of 2 Hz was the best. PEMs would be a new way of osteoporosis therapy.

Acid Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; radiation effects ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; enzymology ; radiation effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Female ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Osteoclasts ; cytology ; enzymology ; radiation effects ; Ovariectomy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats, Wistar ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the prevalence of TET2 gene mutation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, and analyze their clinical characteristics and prognosis.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing were used to sequence exon 3 to 11 of TET2 gene.

RESULTSAmong 96 AML patients, TET2 gene mutation was detected in 13 (13.54%) patients (95%CI 6.70% - 20.38%). The median age was 54 years in mutated group and 41 years in unmutated group (P = 0.010). Mutated and unmutated patients did not significantly differ in gender, white blood cells (WBC) count at diagnosis, platelet count, PB and BM blast percentage and chromosome karyotype, excepting for hemoglobin level 84 (70 - 108) g/L in mutated group versus 70 (55 - 87) g/L in unmutated group (P = 0.032). TET2 gene mutation had no significant correlation with C-KIT, FLT3, JAK2V617F mutations, but did with NPM1 mutation. TET2 mutated patients had lower CR1 rate and 2-year overall survival than unmutated in non-M(3) patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTET2 gene mutation is more prevalent in older AML patients and has a certain correlation with clinical characteristics and outcome. It may be a molecular marker for poor prognosis in AML.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the central mechanism of moxibustion on analgesic effect.

METHODSMale Wistar rats were screened by pain threshold value before making model, and 48 rats whose pain threshold was (250 +/- 25) g were selected. Twelve male Wistar rats were randomly selected as a normal group. For the rest rats the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model was duplicated by raising in a windy, cold and wet environment combined with injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), and then they were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and a moxa volatile oil group, 12 rats in each group. The moxibustion and the moxa volatile oil igroup were treated with moxibustion and moxa volatile oil at "Shenshu"(BL 23) and "Zusanli"(ST 36), respectively, for 15 days. No interventions were added on the model group and the normal group. The pain threshold in Iinjured foot and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in rats were observed.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the pain threshold and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in the model group were increased (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the pain threshold and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in the moxibustion group were increased significantly (all P < 0.01), but no statistically significance in the moxa volatile oil group (P > 0.05). Compared with the moxa volatile oil group, the above-mentioned observative indices in moxibustion group were all increased significantly (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion has obvious analgesic effect and its mechanism may be related to the increasing expression of hypothalamic POMC and PDYN mRNA through the warming effect of moxibustion.

Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Enkephalins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Pro-Opiomelanocortin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Protein Precursors ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo discuss whether fibroblast-like cells can transform into osteoblasts under specific condition during distraction osteogenesis.

METHODSFibroblast-like cells were cultured in vitro. BMP-2, TGF-beta(1), BMP-2 and TGF-beta(1) were added into the medium, and the cellular change were observed by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry methods. The distraction was given on the membrane of fibroblast-like cells, and the cellular change were observed under the distraction.

RESULTSfibroblast-like cells from the joint could transform into osteoblasts under the effect of BMP-2 or BMP-2 with TGF-beta(1). Fibroblast-like cells from other regions could not transform into osteoblasts.

CONCLUSIONThe osteoblasts during distraction osteogenesis are multi-origin.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Rabbits ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology