Objective To observe the effect of erythropoietin(EPO)in rats with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP). Methods A total of 90 male adult SD rats were randomly divided into three groups:blank control group(BC group),air control group(AC group)and DEACMP group. Time points(1,3,7,14,21 and 28 days after acute carbon monoxide poisoning)were set for measuring the changes. Pure CO were injected into the abdominal cavity of the rats from DEACMP group for several times to estab-lish DEACMP model. Rats in AC group were injected with equal volume of air by the same way. BC group were without any treatment. Morris water maze test was used to measure the cognitive behavior. The apoptosis of pyrami-dal neurons at hippocampus was measured by TUNEL. The expression of erythropoietin(EPO)in hippocampus was measured by immunohistochemistry. Results The average escaped latency of rats in DEACMP group increased after poisoning compared with rats in other two groups(P<0.05). The apoptosis of pyramidal neurons in hippocam-pus increased from day 1 after the CO poisoning. It reached the peak at day 7 and it still had a high expression at day 28. The apoptotic index in DEACMP group increased significantly compare with that of BC group and AC group (P < 0.05). The expression of EPO in hippocampus was found increased from day 1 after the CO poisoning and reached the peak at day 3. It began to reduce at day 7. The expression in DEACMP group was higher than those of other two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions It may be one of the causes of the DEACMP that the expression of EPO decreased in the middle and late stage after CO poisoning and its anti-apoptosis was decreased.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the potential risks of fungal contaminants on Panax notoginseng and Amomum tsaoko.

METHODThe primary investigation was conducted in the P. notoginseng and A. tsaoko major production areas in Yunnan. Samples of P. notoginseng and A. tsaoko were collected from drugstores and markets in 3 cities of Yunnan. Dilution-plate method was applied for the isolation of fungi, the obtained species were identified according to morphological and molecular approaches.

RESULTPaecilomyces lilacinus and Penicillium citrinum were dominant on samples of Panax notoginseng. P. lilacinus and Aspergillus flavus were dominant on samples of Amomum tsaoko.

CONCLUSIONIn Yunnan province, the major fungal contaminants on P. notoginseng are P. lilacinus and P. citrinum and the major fungal contaminants on A. tsaoko are P. lilacinus and Aspergillus flavus. There exists a potential contamination risk of citrinin on P. notoginseng and aflatoxin on A. tsaoko.

Amomum ; microbiology ; China ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Mitosporic Fungi ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Panax notoginseng ; microbiology ; Risk