Objective To explore the prognostic value of pediatric critical illness score(PCIS)and pediatric risk of mortality score(PRISMⅢ)and the accuracy for evaluating the state of children with acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods Seventy-one cases hospitalized children from 29 days to 14 years old of Hebei ARDS cooperation group were selected during the 13 months between 2005 and 2006.All cases were confirmed according to ARDS diagnostic standard.For prospective studies,the patients were scored simultaneously with PCIS and PRISMⅢ at different times:when the patients entered PICU,when the patients were in the worst situation in PICU,when the patients were diagnosed as ARDS and when ARDS was serious.The data were performed by using Logistic regression etc.Results Values of Logistic regression were P

Functional constipation (FC) is a common functional bowel disorder disease that affects life quality of a large number of people. This study aimed to explore the impact of different intensities of electro-acupuncture (EA) treatment for FC patients. Totally, 111 patients with FC meeting the Rome III criteria were randomly assigned to different intensities of EA groups (low and high intensity of EA groups) and medicine-controlled (MC) group. In EA groups, patients were treated with EA at quchi (LI11) and shangjuxu (ST37) bilaterally for 4 weeks, 5 times/week in the first 2 weeks, and 3 times/week in the last 2 weeks. In MC group, 5 mg mosapride citrate was administered orally 3 times/day for 4 weeks. Spontaneous bowel movement frequency each day was recorded using a constipation diary. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to assess the patients' psychological state. Cortisol (CORT), substance P (SP), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were evaluated at baseline and at the end of 4 weeks after treatment. As compared with the baseline, there was statistically significant increase in stool frequency every week (P<0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference among the three groups. As compared with the baseline, after 4 weeks of EA therapy, the scores of SDS and serum levels of CORT were decreased significantly in low intensity of EA group (P<0.01), and the serum levels of SP and VIP were increased significantly (P<0.05); the scores of SAS and SDS and serum levels of CORT were decreased significantly in high intensity of EA group (P<0.05), and the serum levels of SP and VIP were increased significantly (P<0.05); the serum levels of CORT and VIP were increased significantly in MC group (P<0.05). As compared with MC group, after 4 weeks of treatment, the serum levels of SP were signifcicantly increased in low intensity of EA group (P<0.01). Low and high intensities of EA could increase the stool frequency, improve the FC patient's anxiety and depression, reduce the serum levels of CORT, and increase the serum levels of SP and VIP effectively. It is concluded that both low and high intensities of EA are effective for FC patients, but there is no significant difference between the low and high intensities of EA.

To efficiently protect the endangered traditional Chinese medicine herbs is essential for the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine. On the bases of present species endanger and protection levels, problems in the traditional Chinese medicine herbs are analyzed. The endangered levels of traditional Chinese medicine herbs should refer to the standard of IUCN, and the protection levels should adopt qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine herbs. Some qualitative and quantitative factors are discussed, some useful information was also provided for the establishment of protection levels of traditional Chinese medicine herbs.
Conservation of Natural Resources ; Ecosystem ; Pharmacognosy ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal

OBJECTIVETo explore a new molecular method to authenticate Radix Trichosanthis.

METHODThree 20 mer primers based on the ITS sequence was designed. The PCR reaction system was optimized and applied to nineteen different sources of Radix Trichosanthis and nine adulterants and substitutes.

RESULTPolymorphic map of Radix Trichosanthis and its adulterants was obtained from primer TKS1-64. 560 bp and 960 bp bands were authentic markers for Radix Trichosanthis.

CONCLUSIONPrimer TKS1-64F possesses the advantages of good stability and reproducibility. This new method is named as anchored primer amplification polymorphism DNA(APAPD). It was a potential method to used in molecular identification of other meteria medica.

DNA Primers ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Trichosanthes ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Trichosanthin ; genetics ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVESearching and identifying SNP in Panax species and using multiplex allele-specific PCR (MAS-PCR) to authenticate P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.

METHODBased on genbank database of Panax species, using DNAMAN to align the sequences, identify SNP of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium. Design allele-specific primers for P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium, optimize the PCR reaction system including the usage amount of Taq, dNTP, primer, etc. Optimized system was performed with the total DNA of 20 different sources of P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium.

RESULTWhen the annealing temperature was 66 'C, the template DNA of P. ginseng could be amplified 249 bp band whereas P. quenquefolium amplified 1 049 bp band.

CONCLUSIONThe MAS-PCR have the advantages of highly specific, good reproducibility and could be identify P. ginseng and P. quenquefolium in the same PCR tube. It was a potential method to use in the molecular identification of other meteria medica.

Alleles ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Genetic Markers ; Panax ; classification ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Reproducibility of Results ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo determine the genetic diversity of Eucommia ulmoides.

METHOD260 samples of 20 populations were analyzed through radom amplified polymorphic DHA (RAPD).

RESULTTotal polymorphic loci percentage was 96.36 and the average was 38.92. 110 bands were produced with 10 random primers and 106 were polymorphic. Nei's gene diversity (H) was 0.246 1, Shannon's Information index(I) was 0.386 8, Gst was 0.424 4, indicating that 42.44% of the genetic variation was distributed among populations and 57.65% within populations.

CONCLUSIONThe genetic variation was relatively high in E. ulmoides, so the genetic diversity conservation principle should mainly focus on protection of the populations.

China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; Eucommiaceae ; classification ; genetics ; Genetics, Population ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique

OBJECTIVEStudying the gene expression profiling of different stage hairy root of Salvia miltiorrhiza, in order to find functional genes.

METHODThe contents of second metabolites were determined by HPLC and gene expression profiling was detected by cDNA microarray. cDNA labeled with a fluorescent dye (Cy5 and Cy3-dCTP) was produced by Eberwine's linear RNA amplification method and subsequent enzymatic reaction. The microarrays were scanned with a ScanArray Express scanner using ScanArray 2.0 software and quantified by signal intensities of individual spots from the 16-bit TIFF images using GenePix Pro 4.0. The linear normalization method was used for data analyze. Northern blot was used to test the gene expression results obtained by microarray. Different expressed genes were sequenced and analyzed by gap4 software, and then they were analyzed with BLASTX, BLASTN, GO and KEGG.

RESULTGrowth rate and second metabolites analysis indicated that the stage from 30 d to 45 d was the growth stage, while the stage from 45 d to 60 d was the second metabolites accumulation stage. Accordingly 30 d hairy root was chosen as a reference, which was hybridized with 45 d and 60 d hairy root separately. Total 203 different expressed genes were obtained. Northern blot showed that the result was identical with the microarray result. After sequenced, there were 172 genes clustered into 114 clusters (Unigenes). Among them, 62 unigenes had known functions, 34 unigenes were hypothetical protein, 9 unigenes were homologues with no similarity and 9 unigenes were unidentified protein with low similarity. Total 67 genes were classified into cellular component ontology, molecular function ontology and biological process ontology based on GO analysis. Total 26 genes, which represented 29 metabolic-related enzymes, were located in metabolic maps based on KEGG pathway classification.

CONCLUSIONSeveral important functional genes related to second metabolite synthesis were cloned such as P450 and copalyl diphosphate synthase genes. cDNA microarray was a useful tool for functional genomics of traditional Chinese medicine.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genomics ; methods ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; genetics ; growth & development ; metabolism

OBJECTIVESearching a new molecular method to authenticate Panax ginseng and P. quenquefolium.

METHODSingle primers based on rDNA sequences of Panax species were designed to obtain polymorphic bands of P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius and then sequenced. Four PCR primers (two forword and two reverse primers) specific to P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius were designed.

RESULTPrimer Pg-6F, Pg-479R only amplified 474 bp band for P. ginseng and primer Pq-442F, Pq-658R only amplified 217 bp band for P. quinquefolius. It is indicated that the four primers could serve as specific STS primers for Panax species.

CONCLUSIONA new way to obtain STS primers of Panax species was established. This method is more quick and efficient than SCAR-PCR method and can serve as a model to obtain molecular markers for other Chinese material medica.

Base Sequence ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal ; genetics ; Genetic Markers ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Panax ; classification ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Tagged Sites ; Species Specificity

This paper firstly introduced the acquired full length cDNA of 4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase from hairy roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Abbr: SmCMK, GenBank number: EF534309). Results of KEGG analysis showed that SmCMK was belong to the upstream of nonemevalonate pathway, the only one kinase of the pathway. The full-length cDNA was deduced as encoding 4-(cytidine 5'-diphospho)-2-C-methylerythritol kinase (designated as SmCMK), and the sequence had a 1493 bp including 5' UTR 71 bp and 3' UTR 232 bp, an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 396 amino acid residues. The deduced protein had isoelectric point (pI) of 6.78 and a calculated molecular weight about 43 kDa, similar to cloned diterpene of CMK from other species of plants such as Mentha piperita and Lycopersicon esculentum reported previously. Real time PCR results indicated that elicitors of MJ stimulated the increase of mRNA expression of SmCMK. At the same time, results of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), used to examine the accumulation of diterpenoid tanshinones in hairy roots, showed that the contents of diterpenoid tanshinones in hairy root of Salvia miltiorrhiza were increased dramatically after treated with methyl jasmonate (MJ). This result showed a positive correlation between the levels of mRNA expression and tanshinones accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza stimulated by MJ. It proved primarily that the increased expression level of mRNA of SmCMK helps to enhance tanshinones' accumulation, which will be the basis for further study on the mechanism of gene regulation of secondary metabolism of tanshinones.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Conserved Sequence ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Phenanthrenes ; metabolism ; Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; enzymology ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; enzymology ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

OBJECTIVETo establish a molecular method for the authentication of Pinellia pedatisecta and its adulterants.

METHODDNA sequences of some species from P. tenore, Typhonium and Arisaema were downloaded from GenBank, the sequences were aligned using DNAMAN. Allele-specific primers for P. pedatisecta and P. tenore were designed according to their SNPs in rpl 20 sequence. The designed primers were used to amplify 10 samples of P. pedatisecta, P. ternata and T. flagelliforme.

RESULTA 351 bp band was amplified from P. pedatisecta but not form P. ternata and T. flagelliforme by primer Pprpl149F and Pprpl484R. A 630 bp band was amplified from P. ternate and P. pedatisecta but not from T. flagelliforme by primer Ptrpl94F and Ptrpl699R.

CONCLUSIONAS-PCR has the advantages of highly specific and good reproducibility, by which P. pedatisecta can be identified from part of its adulterants quickly. It is a potential method to be used in the molecular identification of other materia medica.

Alleles ; China ; Consumer Product Safety ; DNA Primers ; genetics ; Pinellia ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Quality Control