OBJECTIVETo explore the auricular point specificity of the electric determination in stroke so as to provide the evidence for the objective study on the auricular point diagnosis in stroke.

METHODSThirty patients of stroke were selected in an observation group; 30 patients of non-stroke internal medicine disorder were in a control group A; 30 persons of healthy examination were in a control group B. In the observation group.and the control group A, beside the conventional treatment, acupuncture was applied to all the cases. In the observation group, Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanili (LI 10), Hegu (LI 4), Waiguan (TE 5), Liangqiu (ST 34), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3) were selected on the affected side. In the control group A, Yin-tang (GV 29), Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Fengfu (GV 16), Dazhui (GV 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Tianzhu (BL 10), Jiaji (EX-B 2) C4-C7 were selected. Acupuncture was given once a day in the two groups. The; treatment of one week made one session, and continuously 2 sessions were required. In the control group B, the convention physical examination was provided without any medication and acupuncture involved. The CLRH-A auricular point detector was used to detect the entire auricular point area in the subjects and the positive reaction sites of auricular points in the subjects of each group before and after treatment separately. The auricular point positive detecting score and positive point frequency were observed in the subjects.

RESULTSBefore treatment, the auricular points detecting score in the observation group was obviously higher than that in the control group A and control group B (both P<0. 05). The difference in the score between the control groups was not significant in' comparison (P>0. 05). In two weeks of treatment, the auricular points detecting score in the observation group was reduced apparently (P<0. 05). The difference was not significant before and after treatment in either the control grolip A or the control group B (both P>0.05). In the observation group, the first 15 points with high frequencies of positive reaction were naogan (AT3,4i), pizhixia (AT4), e (AT1), xin (CO15), gan (CO12), nie (AT2), zhen (AT3), shen (CO10), jiaogan (AH6a), pi (CO13) shenmen (TF4), wei (CO4), neifenmi (CO18), shenshangxian (TG2p) and erjian (HX6,7i). The differences were significant in the frequencies of positive reaction at 9 auricular points as compared with the control group A and the control group B respectively, named naogan (AT3,4i), pizhixia (AT4), e (AT1), xin (CO15), gan (CO12), nie (AT2), zhen (AT3), shen (CO10) and jiaogan (AH6a) (all P <0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe pathological degree of positive reaction about auricular points in stroke patients is higher than those in the patients of non-stroke internal medicine disease and the healthy people. It is verified that the auricular diagnostic method is specific in stroke. naogan (AT3,4i), pizhixia (AT4), e (AT1), xin (C15), gan (GO12), nie (AT2), zhen (AT3), shen (CO10) and jiaogan (AH6a) are correlative with stroke.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture, Ear ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the protective effect of Gabexate mesilate(GM)on D-galactosamine- lipopolysaccharide-indneed acute liver failure in rats.Methods The model of acute liver failure in rats was produced by injection of D-galactosamine(D-GalN)and lipopolysaccharide(LPS).The alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)in serum and malondiadehyde(MDA)content,superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-PX)activities in liver homogenate were assayed by spectrophotometry.The levels of turnout necrosis factor-?(TNF-?),interleukin-?(IL-?)and interleukin-6(IL-6)were determined by ELISA method.Hepatic pathological examination was observed.Results 25 mg?kg~(-1),50mg?kg~(1),100 mg?kg~(-1) of GM significantly decreased the serum transaminase activities,the infiltration of inflammatory cells,and MDA content,hut didn't reduce SOD and GSH- PX activities in liver homogenate.GM significantly reduced TNF-?,IL-1?and IL-6 levels in serum.Conclusions GM showed significant protective effects on acute liver failure in rats.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of different treatment protocols in treating transient synovitis of the hip (TSH) in children and to optimize the clinical treatment strategy for this condition. Methods: Ninety kids with TSH were divided into a control group, a chiropractic group and a chiropractic plus foot bath group using the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group. The control group was treated with conventional traction; the chiropractic group was given chiropractic treatment based on the control group; the chiropractic plus foot bath group was given Chinese medicine foot bath based on the chiropractic group. Traction and foot bath were conducted once daily while chiropractic was done once every other day, all with 14 d as a treatment course for a total of two courses. Changes in the visual analog scale (VAS) score and range of motion (ROM) of the hip joint in the three groups were observed, and the efficacy was compared. Results: The total effective rate was 93.3％ in the chiropractic plus foot bath group, versus 76.7％ in the chiropractic group and 66.7％ in the control group, and the total effective rate was notably higher in the chiropractic plus foot bath group than in the other two groups (both P<0.05). Respectively after the first and second treatment course, the VAS score decreased significantly in each of the three groups compared with that before treatment (all P<0.01), and the ROM of the hip joint in flexion increased significantly (all P<0.01). After two treatment courses, the VAS score was lower in the chiropractic plus foot bath group than in the other two groups (both P<0.05), and its ROM of the hip joint in flexion was larger than that in the other two groups (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Based on traction, chiropractic plus Chinese medicine foot bath can effectively reduce pain and improve motor function of the hip joint in treating TSH.

To study the pharmacokinetics characteristic of loganin, ferulic acid and stilbene glucoside in rat plasma after oral administration of Bushen Tongluo formula. The plasma samples were treated by using liquid-liquid extraction technique, the concentrations were determined by HPLC-UV. Johnson spherigel C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm) was adopted and eluted with the of mobile phase of methanol-water containing 0.01% glacial acetic acid in a gradient mode, with the flow rate at 1.0 mL x min(-1), column temperature at 30 degrees C and injection volume of 10 μL. According to the findings, loganin was determined at 235 nm, ferulic acid and stilbene glucoside were determined at 320 nm, with the sample size of 10 μL. The pharmacokinetic parameters of loganin, ferulic acid and stilbene glucoside were calculated by DAS 2. 0 software as follows: C(max) was (0.369 ± 0.042), (0.387 ± 0.071), (0.233 ± 0.044) mg x L(-1); t(max) was (0.226 ± 0.022), (0.282 ± 0.031), (0.233 ± 0.044) h; t(½β) was (6.89 ± 0.20), (10.73 ± 0.11), (6.93 ± 0.09) h; AUC(0-∞) was (1.91 ± 0.36), (3.22 ± 0.52), (1.52 ± 0.33) mg x h x L(-1); AUCO(0-t) was (1.62 ± 0.33), (2.58 ± 0.43), (1.30 ± 0.30) mg x h x L(-1); CL was (20.2 ± 4.0), (1.39 ± 0.23), (31.7 ± 6.9) L x h(-1) x kg(-1), respectively. The results showed that after the oral administration with Bushen Tongluo formula, loganin, ferulic acid and stilbene glucoside showed concentration-time curves in conformity with the two compartment model, with a rapid absorption, loganin and stilbene glucoside was excreted at a moderate speed, and ferulic acid was excreted slowly (but with the highest bioavailability). Bushen Tongluo formula can main maintain plasma concentration with three administrations everyday and so is suitable to be made into common oral preparation.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Coumaric Acids ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Iridoids ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stilbenes ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics

Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese culture, absorbing the wisdom of the Chinese people. Continuous application of new technologies makes traditional Chinese medicine research advance with the times. After several years of development, high-throughput transcriptome study has become a mature research tool in biology. This paper reviewed the advances in medicine transcriptome study, and compared two sequencing platforms, Roche's GS FLX platform and Illumina's HiSeq 2000 platform. Moreover, this paper introduced medicine transcriptome analysis process, with Panax quinquefolius and Lonicera japonica for examples, showing the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine transcriptome studies. High-throughput transcriptome studies facilitate traditional Chinese medicine research with overall understand of functional genes, give clear elucidation of metabolic pathways, lay molecular foundation for the traditional Chinese medicine research and offer modern interpretation for traditional Chinese medicine theory. However, the current study faces several difficulties, including weak molecular basis, high sequencing cost and staff shortages in data anaysis. In the future, with the development in sequencing technology, the combination of transcriptome and other genomics, such as proteome and metabolome, will lay a solid foundation for the new high-throughput screening and developing model for the traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Biomedical Research ; methods ; trends ; Forecasting ; Gene Expression Profiling ; methods ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Humans ; Lonicera ; genetics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; trends ; Panax ; genetics ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; trends ; Transcriptome ; genetics

OBJECTIVERett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which causes severe mental retardation. This study aimed at elucidating clinical features of 66 Chinese RTT cases diagnosed by The Department of Pediatric Neurology, Peking University First Hospital since 1987, and at analysis of the MeCP2 genotype / phenotype correlation.

METHODSSixty-six RTT cases were followed up every one to two years to get the information of their clinical manifestations and the response to the L-carnitine treatment which was administered to the patients at a dose of 80-100 mg/(kg d). MeCP2 mutation analysis by PCR and sequencing were performed on 39 cases.

RESULTSIn this cohort of cases, the onset of the disease occurred between 3 and 38 months of age, 89% of the cases lost their purposeful hand use at 7 months to six years of age, all the cases had stereotype hand movement which presented at 1 to 5 years of age, 85% of the cases lost language ability at 11 months to eight years of age, 21% of the cases lost the ability of walking at ages of 2 years and 9 months to 15 years. The symptoms/signs such as small head circumference, seizures, breathing irregularities, teeth grinding, scoliosis/ kyphosis were presented in many of the cases. The clinical manifestations were improved in 6 cases after L-carnitine treatment. MeCP2 gene mutation was found in 64% of the cases. Two cases with non-sense mutation C502t (amino acid change R168X) died, two cases with missense mutation C397T (amino acid change R133C) and one case with missense mutation A398T (amino acid change R133H) preserved several words.

CONCLUSIONDeceleration of the head growth, loss of acquired purposeful hand use, stereotype hand movement and language deterioration were the main characteristics of RTT. L-carnitine could improve the clinical manifestation of some cases. There are some correlations between MeCP2 genotype and phenotype.

Adolescent ; Carnitine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genotype ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; Rett Syndrome ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of a modified technique for repairing secondary defect of unilateral cleft lip.

METHODSThe incision line was designed along the oral-nasal contour line. The lateral crus of nasal alar were rotated and repositioned in order to reconstruct the nasal sill and base. V-Y plasty was performed with a muco-cartilage flap inside the nasal cavity to reset the alar cartilage backwards and correct the nasal deformity.

RESULTSSatisfactory results were achieved in all 69 patients with this modified technique. The post-operative scar was inconspicuous.

CONCLUSIONSThis modified technique with advantages of contour line incision and alar cartilage backward re-reposition is a good option for the repair of secondary defect of unilateral cleft lip.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cleft Lip ; complications ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lip ; abnormalities ; Male ; Nose ; abnormalities ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEGlomerulosclerosis is characterized by extracellular matrix accumulative and is often associated with mesangial cell proliferation. Curcumin showed a protective effect on anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) nephritis in vivo, although their cellular localization and mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, a glomerular mesangial cell line derived from fetus was used to determine whether curcumin could inhibit the cell proliferation and alter the extracellular matrix turnover.

METHODSThe cell activity was determined with MTT method. Mesangial cells were cultured in vitro and incubated with 0, 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 micromol/L curcumin. In addition,human mesangial cells were cultured with or without LPS (10 microg/ml) in presence or absence of various concentrations of curcumin (4, 16 and 200 micromol/L), respectively. The supernatant and cells were collected. Then, the levels of the collagen type IV and III protein in the supernatant were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the IL-1 beta and MCP-1 mRNA in the cells was measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after subconfluent quiescent mesangial cells were incubated with various concentrations of curcumin for 24 h in vitro.

RESULTSCurcumin at the concentration equal to or over 6.25 micro mol/L was able to inhibit the proliferation of mesangial cells in a dose-dependent manner, the optical density according to the sequential concentrations of curcumin was 0.65 +/- 0.02, 0.62 +/- 0.04, 0.56 +/- 0.01, 0.53 +/- 0.02, 0.51 +/- 0.03, 0.44 +/- 0.05, 0.41 +/- 0.07 and 0.38 +/- 0.06. Without any stimulation, human mesangial cells secreted some collagen type IV and III (10 +/- 9.13 ng/ml and 29.5 +/- 0.58 ng/ml, respectively) and expressed some MCP-1 mRNA, but did not express IL-1 beta mRNA. LPS increased the expression of collagen type IV and III in the culture medium of mesangial cells in vitro [(138.75 +/- 23.23) ng/ml and (38.25 +/- 5.38) ng/ml] and up-regulated the IL-1 beta and MCP-1 mRNA expression [(16.91 +/- 1.68)% and (76.6 +/- 6.59)%]. Yet curcumin could significantly decrease collagen type IV and III in the supernatant of cultured mesangial cells induced by LPS (20.5 +/- 1.00, P < 0.05 and 20.5 +/- 4.12 ng/ml, P < 0.05) and down-regulated the mRNA expression of IL-1 beta and MCP-1 in mesangial cells induced by LPS (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCurcumin could inhibit the human mesangial cell proliferation and alter the extracellular matrix turnover, meanwhile it could down-regulate the IL-1 beta and MCP-1 mRNA expression induced by LPS, which may be valuable in decreasing the progression of glomerulosclerosis.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL2 ; genetics ; Collagen Type III ; analysis ; drug effects ; Collagen Type IV ; analysis ; drug effects ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Glomerular Mesangium ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of core proteoglycan on the transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell induced by transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) in vitro.

METHODThe cultured HK-2 cells were divided into six groups: A. negative control group; B. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 group; C. 10 ng/ml core proteoglycan treated group; D. 100 ng/ml core proteoglycan treated group; E. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 + 10 ng/ml core proteoglycan group; F. 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 + 100 ng/ml core proteoglycan group. The changes in configuration of HK-2 cells were inspected 48 hours after adding the stimulating factor. At the same time, changes in mRNA of keratin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, vimentin were analyzed.

RESULTSCompared with group A, group B showed great changes in the morphology of cells, most cells converted into spindle shape, like fibroblast; groups E and F, especially group F showed significantly reduced spindle shape cells. Compared with group A, groups C and D had no significant changes in morphology of cells Compared with 10 ng/ml TGF-beta1 group and negative control, the mRNA expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin had significant increase, but that of keratin reduced (P < 0.05). However, after combined treatment with TGF-beta1 and core proteoglycan, alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin expression were reduced significantly, while expression of keratin was up-regulated. Single core proteoglycan treated group and negative control group had no dramatic differences (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTGF-beta1 can induce the transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell and core proteoglycan has some inhibitory effect on transdifferentiation of human renal tubular epithelial cell induced by TGF-beta1 in vitro.

Actins ; physiology ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; metabolism ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Line ; Cell Shape ; Cell Transdifferentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Tubules ; pathology ; Kidney Tubules, Proximal ; pathology ; Proteoglycans ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate mutations of ABCD1 gene in X- linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) patients in China.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction and DNA direct sequencing were employed to analyze the 10 exons of ABCD1 gene in 25 ALD patients.

RESULTSSeventeen mutations in different exons (except exons 4, 9 and 10) were identified in 18 of 25 patients. Most of the mutations were missense mutations, including R182P, G266R, H283D, S404P, N509I, R518G, L520Q, Q556R, S606L and R617C, four (H283D, S40 4P, N509I, R518G) of 10 missense mutations were novel. Also identified were 3 nonsense mutations (W132X, W242X, W595X), 1 dinucleotides deletion mutation (1414 del AG) resulting in frameshift, and 1 base pair deletion at splice acceptor site (IVS5-6 del C). Two synonymous mutations (L516L and V349V) appeared simultaneously in 2 unrelated patients, and no other mutations could be found with them in all 10 exons screened.

CONCLUSIONThere were no hot spot mutations in ABCD1 gene in China. Mutations in gene were found over 70% of patients with ALD in China. The ABCD1 gene mutations identified revealed no obvious correlation between the type of mutation and phenotype.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family D, Member 1 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; Adrenoleukodystrophy ; genetics ; pathology ; Age of Onset ; Base Sequence ; China ; Codon, Nonsense ; DNA ; chemistry ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense