OBJECTIVETo study the correlation of serum high-sensitivity protein (hs-CRP) level and the clinical score of blood-stasis syndrome as well as the clinical indexes in hypertensive patients.

METHODSLevels of serum hs-CRP, blood lipids, fasting blood glucose (FBG), body mass index (BMI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), fibrinogen (Fg), urinary albumin (UA), and score of blood-stasis syndrome (SBSS) in 117 patients were measured, and the relationship between hs-CRP and the other indexes was analyzed.

RESULTSSpearman rank correlation analysis showed that hs-CRP level was significantly positively correlated with SBSS, triglyceride (TG), FPG, BMI, LVMI, Fg, and UA, while negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).

CONCLUSIONHs-CRP is closely related with the formation and development of blood-stasis syndrome in hypertensive patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; diagnosis ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo retrospective analyze the short- and long-term therapeutic effect of TCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation on bradyarrhythmia.

METHODSData of 116 patients with bradyarrhythmia treated by TCM based on syndrome differentiation from 1995 to 2005 were collected. The changes of clinical symptoms and their outcomes as well as the 24h-dynamic cardiogram were evaluated. And a 1-5 years follow-up study was conducted to survey the heart rhythm, heart rate, drugs applied and artificial cardiac pacemaker (ACP) installation in the patients.

RESULTSAfter 3 months' treatment, the total effective rate was 91.4%. During the 1-5 years of follow-up, except 6 patients received ACP installation, all the others were alive in stable condition, and no obvious side effect was found.

CONCLUSIONTCM treatment based on syndrome differentiation has reliable and stable therapeutic effects on bradyarrhythmia.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bradycardia ; drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the curative effects of irbesartan, amiodarone and Wenxin Granule (WG), applied alone or in combination, on sinus rhythm maintenance in patients with auricular fibrillation (AF) after conversion.

METHODSForty-one patients of persistent AF, after their fibrillation being converted, were divided into three groups randomly, and treated with amiodarone (group A, n=14), irbesartan and amiodarone (group B, n=15), and WG plus irbesartan and amiodarone (group C, n=12) respectively for 6 months.

RESULTSCompared with that before treatment, the inner diameter of atria sinistrum reduced in group B and C, and the reduction in the latter was superior to that in the former (P < 0.05); the diameter of left ventricle also reduced in group C (P < 0.05); and the maintenance rate of sinus rhythm was higher in group C than that in group A (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombined therapy of Chinese and Western medicines shows synergistic effect of anti-arrhythmia.

Aged ; Amiodarone ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Fibrillation ; drug therapy ; Biphenyl Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo dynamically observe the effect of Shenshuai Mixture (SM) on repair of kidney in acute renal failure (ARF) rats.

METHODSMale SD rats were divided into 4 groups randomly, the normal group, the SM group, the verapamil group and the model control group. Except those in the normal group were treated with normal saline without modeling, all remaining rats, after being made into ARF model by intra-muscular injection of glycerin, were treated with SM, verapamil and normal saline respectively via gastrogavage. Renal function, renal pathology, mRNA expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected once every day from the 1st day to the 5th day. Results (1) BUN and Scr levels increased markedly 24 hrs after modeling, but the Scr level in the two treated groups was significantly lower than that in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with that in the model group and the verapamil group, renal function was better in the SM group on the 3rd day (P < 0.01), and approach to normal level on the 5th day. (2) Renal pathological changes alleviated in every phase of ARF in the SM group than that in the model group, especially part of tubule regeneration could be seen on the 3rd day (metaphase), and renal structure was rehabilitated on the 5th day (convalescence), prior to those in the model group. (3) At the 3rd day expression of EGF mRNA and PCNA in tubule epithelial cell (TEC) increased remarkably in the SM group, higher than those in the model and verapamil group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSM could promote renal tissue regeneration and rehabilitation, and shorten the course of ARF through up-regulating mRNA expression of EGF in TEC.

Acute Kidney Injury ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo investigate the vasorelaxation effect of emodin and its relationship with NO-cGMP signal pathway.

METHODSChanges of tension of rat thoracic aortic rings were measured by MedLab biologic signal collection system, and the activity of total nitric oxide synthase (tNOS), constitutive NOS (cNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) in endothelium after being treated with emodin was determined with nitric acid reductase method.

RESULTSEmodin relaxed the phenylephrine and potasium chlorate induced contraction of aortic rings, either with or without intact endothelium, in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment of no-specific potassium channel blocker strontium chloride (CsCL) could attenuate the vasorelaxation effect of emodin on aortic rings without intact endothelium, but it could not inhibit vasorelaxation of emodin on aortic rings with intact endothelium. This vasorelaxation action of emodin (40 micromol/L) could be partial blocked by NOS inhibitor L-NAME and guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ, with the vasorelaxation range dropped to 64.76 +/- 13.73% and 6.28 +/- 4.79% respectively. Moreover, emodin (40 micromol/L) increased iNOS activity significantly.

CONCLUSIONThe concentration-dependent vasorelaxation effect of emodin might act by activating the NO-cGMP pathway in vascular endothelium.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; cytology ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Emodin ; pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Jingui Shenqi Pill (JSP) on morphology of spinal cell apoptosis in rats injured by 192Ir irradiation.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty rats were randomly divided into four groups: the model group, the JSP group, the prednisone group and the normal group. Corresponding pharmaceutics were given to rats once a day for 14 days respectively. Then except rats in the normal group, the others received 192Ir interstitial irradiation with the dosage of 22 Gy using back-fixing technology. The injured segments of spinal cord were taken out for HE staining, TUNEL examination and observation with electron microscope 8 hrs, 24 hrs and 4 weeks after irradiation.

RESULTSHE staining examination showed no obvious histological change in rats 8 and 24 hrs after irradiation, but pathological changes, as tissue rarefaction and hemorrhage did found in white matter of spinal cord shown by TUNEL 4 weeks later. Electron microscopic examination and TUNEL staining showed that as compared with the model group, the apoptotic index in the JSP and predinisone treated groups was significantly lower (P < 0.01) 8 hrs after radiation, but it showed insignificant difference between groups at the time points of 24 hrs and 4 weeks after radiation (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONJSP could act against apoptosis of gliocyte in spinal cord of rats in early stage after brachytherapy, indicating that JSP possessing a prednisone-like action.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Brachytherapy ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Iridium Radioisotopes ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Radiation Injuries ; pathology ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; pathology ; radiation effects

OBJECTIVETo observe dynamically the expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and P-selectin (Ps) in the vascular endothelium in rats with pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and the effect of Safflower Injection (SI).

METHODSRats were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group and the treatment group. PTE model was induced by intravenous injection of auto-blood clots, and SI was injected intravenously immediately after modelling with 2 ml/(kg d) for 5 days to the rats in the treatment group. Animals were sacrificed in batches at the 1st, 3rd, 24th, 72nd and 120th h after embolization to observe the pathological changes and detect the protein and mRNA expressions of ICAM-1 and Ps in pulmonary vascular endothelium by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization respectively.

RESULTSPathological observation showed obvious embolism in pulmonary arteries and inflammatory reaction after modelling, which was abated after SI treatment. ICAM-1 and Ps expressions were elevated at the 3rd and the 1st h after embolization respectively (both P < 0.01), which also were abated in the treatment group.

CONCLUSIONSI may alleviate pulmonary injury in PTE rats by down-regulating the expressions of ICAM-1 and Ps.

Animals ; Carthamus tinctorius ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; blood ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Pulmonary Embolism ; blood ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Selectins ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and explore the mechanism of Bushen Antai Recipe (BAR) on pregnancy rate and number of implantation site in blastocyst implantation dysfunction (BID) mice induced by indomethacin.

METHODSPregnant mice were divided into 3 groups randomly: the normal group, the model group and the BAR group. Tap water was given orally to the rats in the normal and model groups, and BAR to the rats in the BAR group from the first day of pregnancy for 5 or 8 days; on the 3rd and 4th day dissolvent was injected subcutaneously twice per day in the normal group, while indomethacin (4.33 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously twice per day in the other two groups to establish implantation dysfunction model; serum estrogen (E) and progesterone (P4) levels were detected on the 5th and 8th day; the pregnancy rate and number of implanted site was observed and the receptors of E and P4 in endometrium of uterus were examined by immunohistochemistry on the 8th day.

RESULTSThe pregnancy rate and number of implanted site was 27.3% and 5.3 +/- 0.7 respectively in the model group, significantly lower than those in the normal group (90.9%, 13.3 +/- 2.8), and the BAR group (72.7%, 10.7 +/- 2.2, P < 0.05). Serum E level was higher in the BAR group than that in the model group on the 5th and 8th day, and even higher than that in the normal group on the 8th day; serum P4 level was lower in the model and BAR groups than that in the normal group on the 5th day (P < 0.01), but higher in the BAR group than that in the model group on the 8th day. Immunohistochemical observation showed that expressions of E and P4 receptor increased remarkably in the BAR group than those in the model group.

CONCLUSIONBAR increases the pregnancy rate and number of implanted site of indomethacrne induced BID mice through regulating E and P4 levels and enhancing the expressions of their receptors in the endometrium.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Embryo Implantation ; drug effects ; Embryo Implantation, Delayed ; drug effects ; Estrogens ; blood ; Female ; Indomethacin ; Mice ; Pregnancy ; Progesterone ; blood ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of epimedium flavonoids (EF) in regulating immunosenescence via nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) related signal transduction pathway.

METHODS(1) The apoptosis index (AI) of splenic lymphocyte in aged rats was monitored by flow cytometry, that of young rats was taken as control. (2) The differential expression profile of NF-kappaB related signals in aged rats allocated in the control group (aged rats, group A), the EF treated group (group B), the PDTC (a NF-kappaB inhibitor) treated group (group C) and the PDTC plus EF treated group (group D), was determined and the main significant molecules in them were analyzed with gene microarray of 96 genes related to NF-kappaB signal pathway.

RESULTSExcessive apoptosis of T lymphocyte cell was seen in aged rats, and it was significantly suppressed in group B and D. In group B, 73 genes were up-regulated to different extent, including 10 of the NF-kappaB/Rel/IB gene family, transduction signal molecule member of NIK/IKK/I B/Rel/NF-kappaB, NF-kappaB regulatory target genes, trans-membrane receptors, transcription factors, and receptor protein, etc. But the up-regulation on NF-kappaB gene family could not be seen in group C and that on others were also alleviated, while in the group D, the NF-kappaB gene family and its related transduction pathway were still activated to some extent. The NF-kappaB gene family showed a markedly common feature after EF intervention, either used alone or in combination with PDTC, i.e. the significant upregulated NF-kappaB1, NF-kappaB2, Rel B and I Bepsilon, and activated NIK/IKK/I B/Rel/NF-kappaB pathway.

CONCLUSIONEF can suppress the excessive apoptosis of splenic lymphocyte in aged rats and activate Rel/NF-kappaB/ I B/IKK and their signal transduction pathway to up-regulate NF-kappaB through adjusting I Bepsilon and I Balpha, which may be the essential mechanism of EF in rebuilding the immune homeostasis of T lymphocyte apoptosis and retarding immunosenescence.

Aging ; drug effects ; immunology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the characteristic of TCM syndrome in children with stomachache and its relationship with the gastroscopic feature.

METHODSThe relationship between macroscopic syndrome differentiation and microscopic syndrome differentiation in 300 children with stomachache was analyzed by means of clinical syndrome differentiation and gastroscopic examination.

RESULTSThe total disease detectable rate of gastroscopic examination was 98.3%. Dampness-heat syndrome and deficiency-cold syndrome were the syndromes that most commonly be detected by either macroscopic or microscopic syndrome differentiation. And the two methods of differentiation showed better coherence in superficial gastritis.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical effect of TCM therapy on children stomachache could be improved through integrative Chinese and Western medical approach, by conducting syndrome differentiation referring to the gastroscopic features, which could conduct microscopic guidance to the clinical macroscopic syndrome differentiation.

Abdominal Pain ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional