OBJECTIVE: To optimize extraction process for active ingredients in seeds of Sophora alopecuroides, to provide a reference for scale production. METHODS: Active ingredients from Sophora alopecuroides were extracted by ethanol, with average yield of oxysophocarpine and oxymatrine as index, some factors affecting index were firstly evaluated by Plackett-Burman design, then taking oxysophocarpine and oxymatrine as indexes respectively, extraction conditions were optimized by Box-Behnken design, experimental data was fitted by multiple linear regression and binomial formula fitting, extraction process was optimized by response surface method, and prediction was carried out through comparing the observed and predicted value. RESULTS: Extracting times, crushing degree and solvent times had significant effects on yields of oxysophocarpine and oxymatrine; binomial equation fitted well with good predictability. optimum extraction technology of Sophora alopecuroides was as following:crushed through 65 mesh sieve, extracted 4 times with 12-fold the amount of 60% ethanol for 2 h each time; yield of oxysophocarpine and oxymatrine was 92.3%, 78.6% respectively, both deviations were small by comparing with the predicted value. CONCLUSION: This extraction process is reasonable and feasible by Plackett-Burman design and response surface analysis with good predictability. This study can provide experimental basis for further scale production of Sophora alopecuroides.

Objective To investigate whether elevated pre-procedural C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations may be relevant to early outcome in patients undergoing PCI.Method 100 consecutive patients undergoing pereutaneuous coronary intervention (PCI) were included in our study.Peripheral blood samples for CRP and IL-6 testing were withdrawn before PCI.Acute vascular complications resulted from PCI were determined by subsequently coronary angiography.The early coronary events during hospitalization were clinically followed.Results Thirty patients developed acute vessel occlusion,and another one developed subacute coronary thrombosis at 2 days after PCI.Increased levels of CRP correlated well with the occurrence of vascular complications as regards the significant difference existing amongⅠvsⅢandⅠvsⅣquartile groups,P

ObjectiveTo compare the effect of three serological methods for detection of Yersina pestis F1 antibody.MethodsF1 antibody of Yersinapestis was detected with the methods of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(EL1SA),indirect hemagglutination assay(IHA) and gold-immunochromatography assay (GICA),respectively.ResultsThe highest antibody titer was 1 ∶ 5120 by ELISA and 1 ∶ 640 by IHA.Meanwhile,the highest antibody titer of GICA was 1∶ 1280.ConclusionsEL1SA is the most sensitive method in detection of Yersina pestis F1 antibody.The sensitivity of GICA is low and that of IHA is the lowest of three serological methods.

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death.Autophagy is a highly regulated catabolic pathway responsible for the degradation of long-lived proteins and damaged intracellular organelles.However,the mechanism and guiding significance of autophagy in the development and progression of GC have remained to be elucidated.This study aimed to explore the clinicopathological significances and prognostic values of autophagy-related proteins AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 in GC.Quantum dots based immunofluorescence histochemistry (QDs-IHC) was performed to observe the expression of AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 proteins in the tissue rmicroarrays including 163 specimens of GC and 20 noncancerous gastric tissues.Simultaneously,AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 proteins were detected by Western blotting in the 10 fresh GC and corresponding normal gastric tissues.The results showed that the expression levels of both AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 proteins were higher in GC tissues than in noncancerous gastric tissues by QDs-IHC and Western blotting (P＜0.05).High AMBRA1 expression was detected in 90 of 163 (55.2％) GCs and high Beclin-1 expression was detected in 83 of 163 (50.9％) GCs.High AMBRA1 expression was closely related to depth of invasion,and lymph nodes metastasis (P＜0.05).High expression of Beclin-1 protein was correlated with tumor grade (P＜0.05).Positive correlation was observed between AMBRA1 and Beclin-1.Survival analysis indicated the high expression of AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 was an independent factor in predicting poor overall survival (OS) of GC patients.These findings suggest the high expression of AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 proteins is significantly correlated with GC progression.High AMBRA1 and Beclin-1 expression heralds worse outcome of GC patients,suggesting a novel candidate prognostic marker and a therapeutic target for GC.

The paper described the rationality of traditional and modern application of prepared decoction pieces of herbal medicine on basis of application, statistics and comparison analysis of three forms of drugs of traditional Chinese herbal pieces prepared for decoction, prepared decoction pieces in small packing and granules; and illustrated different opinions correlative to the three forms of drugs; put forward the counter-measures and proposals for the problems facing the traditional Chinese herbal pieces for decoction; the paper stated clearly that the traditional Chinese herbal pieces for decoction should not be replaced, instead, the viewpoint and the reasons on its application must be holding on; and the trend of development and expectations of the Chinese herbal pieces for decoction were predicted as well.
Dosage Forms ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; methods

Objective: To study the effect and mechanism of Shuanghua aerosol (SHA) in treating infantile upper respiratory tract infection. Methods: In the clinical study, 276 patients were randomly divided into two groups. The treated group was treated with SHA and the control group was treated with Shuanghuanglian aerosol (SHLA, 双黄连气雾剂). In the experimental study, the effects of SHA on anti-inflammation and anti-virus were observed. Results: The clinical total effective rate of SHA was 99.03% and its cure rate 65.38%, while those of the SHLA were 94.11% and 44.12% respectively, significant difference was shown between the two groups (P<0.01). Experimental study showed that SHA could inhibit the xylol induced ear swelling and the egg white induced paw swelling in mice obviously, and inhibit the proliferation of influenza virus in rat's lung. Conclusion: SHA has obvious anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effect, and has good curative effect in treating infantile upper respiratory tract infection.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in mesenteric adipose tissues and effect of angiotensin II on adipocyte differentiation.

METHODSThirty normal 8-week-old male Wistar rats were divided into groups on normal diet and high-fat diet. The rats on high-fat diet for 24 weeks developed the metabolic syndrome respectively. The mRNA and protein expression of mesenteric adipose tissue were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. Lipid drop in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and mature adipocytes were observed using oil-red O staining. The fluorescence microscope was used to detect cytosolic-free calcium in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and mature adipocytes.

RESULTSThe expressions of angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme, angiotensin II receptor type 1 in mesenteric adipose tissue were significantly increased in rats with metabolic syndrome compared with those in rats on normal diet (P <0. 05, P <0. 01). After administration of angiotensin II , no lipid droplet in 3T3 -L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes were observed, however, intensive lipid droplet in adipocyte was found after administration of captopril and candesartan. Angiotensin II increased the intracellular-free calcium concentration in preadipocytes (P < 0. 01 ) , which was blocked by captopril and candesartan; in contrast, angiotensin II effect was blunt in mature adipocyte. Captopril and candesartan partially recovered the angiotensin II -mediated increase of cytosolic-free calcium.

CONCLUSIONRAS in the mesenteric adipose tissues is active in rats with metabolic syndrome, and antagonization of RAS can recover the lipogenesis of adipocyte.

Adipocytes ; metabolism ; Adipose Tissue ; metabolism ; Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Angiotensinogen ; biosynthesis ; Animals ; Benzimidazoles ; pharmacology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Captopril ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; physiopathology ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; biosynthesis ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2 ; biosynthesis ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; immunology ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between two exonic polymorphisms of DNA repair gene XPC and the susceptibility to lung cancer.

METHODSGenotypes were determined by the primer introduced restriction analysis-PCR(PIRA-PCR) and the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) approaches, respectively, in 320 histologically-confirmed lung cancer cases and 322 age and sex frequency-matched cancer-free controls.

RESULTSMultivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals carrying at least one 499Val variant allele (Ala/Val + Val/Val genotypes) had a significantly increased risk for lung cancer (adjusted OR=1.54; 95%CI: 1.11-2.14), compared with the wild-type genotype (499Ala/Ala). Furthermore, individuals with both putative risk genotypes had a significantly higher risk (adjusted OR=2.55; 95%CI: 1.45-4.52), compared with those with both wild-genotypes. In addition, a potential super multiplicative gene-environment interaction between Ala499Val genotypes and smoking on lung cancer risk was unveiled. The odds ratios of lung cancer for individuals with both putative risk genotypes were 2.63 (95%CI=1.23-5.62) in nonsmokers and 7.36 (95%CI=3.19-17.0) in smokers, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThese findings support the hypothesis that these two XPC variants may contribute to the risk of developing lung cancer.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; ethnology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and the role of secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (SFRP2) in the earlobe keloid and find a valid way to treat the keloid with gene therapy.

METHODSThe expression of SFRP2 mRNA and protein was tested with in situ hybridization and Western Blot Analysis method in the different period of earlobe keloid.

RESULTSThe SFRP2 mRNA and protein expression at the keloid edge was significantly high in 12 month group than in 3 or 6 month groups (P < 0.01), but not than in 24 month group. The SFRP2 expression started to decrease in the keloid center 12 month later (P < 0.01). The SFRP2 expression was always higher in edge than in center during all the period (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that SFRP2 may play an important role in the development of keloid, especially at the keloid edge. The high SFRP2 expression in endothelial cells and surrounding tissue is also important. It may be a new way for gene therapy of keloid by decreasing the SFRP2 expression.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Ear ; Female ; Humans ; Keloid ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult