BACKGROUND: Clozapine is a common antipsychotic drug for treating psychotic patients. Some reports suggest that it can cause chromosomal aberration of human cells. This study was designed to analyze the effect on mutagenesis of human generative cells and genetics toxicity of generative cells.OBJECTIVE: To research the effect of clozapine on human sperm chromosome with testing system ex vivo.DESIGN: Randomized controlled observation on the basis of human sperm chromosome.SETTING: Center of Psychological health, the First Hospital affiliated to Chongqing Medical University.MATERIALS: Human sperm was selected from healthy adult males who were not received mutagenesis factors within half a year. Clozapine was provided by the Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory of Shanghai. Ovum was selected from female golden shrewmouse aged 6-8 weeks. Ovum was fertilized and washed with BWW culture medium containing 0.3% or 3.5% human serum albumin. After fertilization, ovum was cultured with ovi-culture medium containing 10% serum of shrewmouse.METHODS: At three days before experiment, shrewmouse was muscularly injected with 40 unit/ampoule preganat mares esrum gonadotrophin, and then with 30 unit/ampoule human chorionic gonadotrophin. Semen was maintained in aseptic beaker and made 5 mL sperm suspension after washing, centrifugation and capacitation. The suspension was equally put into 5centrifuged tubes. 40 mg/L bleomycin A5 was added into one tube to regard as positive control, one tube was regarded as negative control without adding any reagent, and other tubes were added with clozapine at the concentrations of 200, 400 and 800 μg/L, respectively. Ovarium mound cells and pellucid zone in ovum were wiped out with 0. 1% alidase and pancreatin, and then, equally transplanted into a blank gutta in five culture medium. Sperm chromosome was established with stepped fixed air technique.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sperm rate and broken amount of chromosomal structural aberration.RESULTS: When concentration of clozapine was at 200, 400 and 800 μg/L,respectively, sperm rate and broken amount of chromosomal structural aberration were not significantly different from those in blank control group, and there was also no significant difference among three concentration groups. However, there was significant difference between 40 mg/L bleomycin A5 group and negative control group (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Clozapine cannot damage human sperm chromosome through detecting the effect of mutagen on breakage of chromosome with testing system ex vivo, but it has other genetics toxic mechanisms on human sperm chromosome.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize and analyze the characters, pathogenesis and influencing factors of various tremors, so as to provide evidence for the identification, prevention and treatment of various tremors in clinic.DATA SOURCES: A computer-based online search of Medline database was undertaken to identify articles about tremor published in English between January 1998 and May 2005 with the keyword of "tremor". Meanwhile, Chinese relevant articles published between January 1998 and May 2005 were searched with computer in Chinese full-text journal net by using the keyword of "tremor" in Chinese. STUDY SELECTION: The data were primarily checked. Inclusive criteria: ① articles about the classification, etiological factors and influencing factors of tremor; ② retrospective investigation on specific events. Exclusive criteria: repetitive studies.DATA EXTRACTION: Totally 48 articles were collected, and 31 repetitive studies were excluded. Of the other 17 ones accorded with the inclusive criteria, 9 were the investigations about tremor, and 8 were the specific cases of tremor.DATA SYNTHESIS: Tremor is classified mainly according to its manifestations and the etiological factors of basic disease. Mechanical tremor,reflexion of central nervous system and central oscillator are the pathogenesis of tremor. According to the manifestations, tremor canbe classified into static tremor, kinetic tremor, essential tremor, postural tremor, unfixed tremor. According to the different etiological factors, tremor can be classified into enhanced physiological tremor, essential tremor syndrome (classical essential tremor, orthostatic tremor, task-specific tremor, undetermined tremor), dystonic tremor, cerebellar tremor, Holmes tremor, peripheral neuropathic tremor, drug-induced and toxic tremor and psychogenic tremor,and different treatments should be adopted according to different etiological factors in clinic.CONCLUSION: Tremor has similar manifestations, but the pathogenesis are different, so different treatments should be adopted according to different etiological factors in clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies of mental health status in undergraduates are reviewed by literatures in mental health standard, measurement and influential factors. It is aimed to analyze the current status of mental health in undergraduates and provide references for related research of mental health, psychological counseling and psychological health in undergraduates. DATA SOURCES: The China Journal Full-text Database (CJFD) and Wanfang database were undertaken to id entify related articles published from January 1995 to August 2005 with the key words of "psyche of undergraduate, mental health, health standard" in Chinese. References of retrieved articles were searched. Mental health related books were retrieved such as Health Psychology, Psychic Health Measurement and so on.STUDY SELECTION: The data were selected primarily, and related articles of mental health standard, measurement and influential factors were included. Studies unrelated to undergraduates were screened out, and fulltexts of the other literatures were looked up.DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 40 articles of mental health standard,measurement and influential factors in undergraduates were selected, of which 17 articles accorded with topic and content were collected. There were 4 articles of mental health standard, 6 literatures (listing 6 types and 20 kinds of questionnaires and tests) of measurement and 7 literatures (6articles) of influential factors.DATA SYNTHESIS: Main content of mental health was intellective health, emotional health and spiritual health. ①No mental health standard was authorized and generally accepted in internal and external studies at present. The four signs of mental health designed by World Psychiatric Association (WPA) were praised and identified, which were harmony of body,intelligence and emotion; adaptation of the environment and modesty in each other; well-being; bringing ones ability into full play and living effective living. Mental health standard of Chinese undergraduates was composed of normal cognition, good emotion, perfect personality, coordinated interpersonal relation and appropriate self-consciousness. ②Present commonly used-mental health measurement for undergraduates was various, but there still was some disadvantage. Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) and University Personality Inventory (UPI) were commonly used at abroad. Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was commonly used at home. ③Major factors influencing mental health of undergraduates were family, environment, age,sex, school, subject, religion and so on, and speciality had obvious effect on mental health of undergraduates.CONCLUSION: The importance of mental health of undergraduates is realized gradually by scholars, and more and more scholars at home and abroad study the mental health of undergraduates. How to design exact mental health standard and precise mental health measurement for undergraduates deserve further investigation. Meanwhile, it is necessary to deeply analyze the correlation between speciality and mental health of undergraduates.Fan BB, Zhang CH.Standard and evaluation of mental health in undergraduates.

BACKGROUND: Auditory evoked potential P50 (AEP-P50) is a cerebroeilectrophysiological index to directly reflect normal inhibitory function of brain.OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of AEP-P50 of sensory gating (SG)in model rats with Alzheimer disease (AD).DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal study.SETTING: Neuroscience Institute of Kunming Medical College.MATERIALS: A total of 24 healthy female SD rats, aged 4-6 months,weighing 200-300 g, were randomly divided into experimental group, control group and normal group with 8 in each group. Morris water maze was consisted of round pool and lucite plant. Pool was divided into platform,left, right and bilateral quadrants. METHODS: The experiment was carried out in the Neuroscience Institute of Kunming Medical College from September 2003 to March 2005. ① Experimental group: Bilateral fimbria-fornix was transected to induce AD models; control group: Except fimbria-fornix, cortex and callus were transected; normal group: Rats were not treated with any operation. ② One week after modeling, all rats were tested with Morris water maze which contained localizing navigational ability and spatial seeking ability in order to determine successful models. Each rat was trained 4 times a day for successive 5 days. The duration from putting in pool to finding out platform was regarded as the escape latency (EL) which could reflect localizing navigational ability. Swimming trace of rats which searched platform within 1 minute could reflect spatial seeking ability. ③ AEP-P50 was recorded with "condition (C)-test (T)" auditory double clicks stimuli, additionally,differences of AEP-P50 among the three groups were compared at the same time. C-P50 amplitude, T-P50 amplitude, T/C and absolute value of difference of S2-S1 amplitude were calculated. Measurement data were compared with one-way analysis of variance among groups and with t test intergroup.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Morris water maze, I.e., comparison between localizing navigational ability a nd spatial seeking ability; ② comparison of AEP-P50 of rats among three groups.RESULTS: All 24 rats were involved in the fin al analysis. ① results of Morris water maze: With increase of training time, mean latency was shortened. The latency was decreased in the first 3 days and then stabilized gradually. Latency in experimental group was longer than that in normal group and control group (P ＜ 0.05). Swimming traces in normal group and control group were located at platform quadrant, and they were accounted for 45.23% and 39.7% of total quadrant, respectively. There was significant difference as compared with other quadrants (P ＜ 0.01). Swimming traces of rats in experimental group were accounted for 28.31%, 29.84%,20.47% and 21.38% in platform, right, bilateral and left quadrants, respectively; however, there was not significant difference (P ＞ 0.05). Swimming trace was randomly located in four quadrants. ② Results of AEP-P50 of SG: C-P50 amplitude and absolute value of difference of S2-S1 amplitude were (21.00±2.85), (15.26±4.07) μV in control group and (17.04±5.32), (10.85 ±4.24) μV in normal group, which were obviously higher than those in experimental group [(9.67±3.77), (2.89±2.61) μV, P ＜ 0.01].T-P50 amplitude and C-P50 amplitude were 0.25±0.18 in control group and 0.39±0.16 in normal group, which were lower than those in experimental group (0.92±0.41, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: ① Transection of bilateral fimbria-fornix can be used to establish AD animal models successfully. ② AD model rats whose bilateral fimbria-fornix is transected have deficiency of SG.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction can not only directly cause depression, but also indirectly influence psychological mood so as to cause negative effect during therapeutic process at various degrees.OBJECTIVE: To study the psychological mood and related factors of the inpatients with cerebral infarction.DESIGN: Cross-section observation.SETTING: Neurological Department of Meizhou People's Hospital of Guangdong Province.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 91 inpatients with cerebral infarction were selected from Meizhou People's Hospital of Guangdong Province from 2000 to 2002. All patients were diagnosed as cerebral infarction with clear mind and stable illness with CT. They were inquired to answer questionnaires individually.METHODS: ① Ninety-one patients with cerebral infarction were inquired questionnaires individually with Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Selfrating Depression Scale (SDS). Both scales contained 7 questions and the total scores were 0-21 points. If scores were more than 9 points, patients were diagnosed as anxiety or depression. ② Induction of depression and anxiety was evaluated on the aspects of physical and social factors. Physical factors included dizziness, headache, agrypnia, active disorder of limbs (muscle force was lower than grade 4 and patients could not walk individually) and poor response (pulmonary infection, urologic infection, bedsore,hemorrhage of alimentary tract, febrile, etc.). Social factors included age,sex, marriage, education, careful degree, economic status (whether patients were able to afford all cost of hospitalization or not) and overtime of hospitalization (＞ 1 month). Results were assessed with Binary analysis. The relative risk of value was expressed as Exp (B), and B means partial regression coefficient.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation among depression, anxiety,physical factor and social factor of patients with cerebral infarction.RESULTS: All 91 patients were involved in the final analysis. ① Correlation of depression with physical and social factors. Of the 91, 38 patients (41.8%) suffered from depression. Therefore, depression was closely correlated with physical and social factor. Physical factors of induction of depression, such as headache, dizziness, active disorder of limbs and poor response, wereas higher than those patients who did not have (P ＜ 0.01).Social factors of incidence of depression of patients who had poor care and overtime of hospitalization were increased (P ＜ 0.01). Onset of depression was not related to age, sex, marriage, educational level, economic status and sleeping status (P ＞ 0.05). ② Correlation of anxiety with physical factor and social factor: Of the 91 patients, 28 cases (30.8%) had anxiety;therefore, anxiety was closely correlated with physical and social factors.Physical factors of induction of anxiety, such as poor response and slow recovery of paralysis, were higher than those patients who did not have (P＜ 0.05). Social factors of induction of anxiety in female patients who had high educational level, poor care and poor economic status were increased (P ＜ 0.05). Onset of anxiety was not related to age, marriage, time of hospitalization, headache, dizziness and asomnia (P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Anxiety and depression are the most common psychological disturbances in patients with cerebral infarction, which are closely correlated with physical and social factors. Thus psychotherapy and care should be performed in inpatients with cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) is an objective method of hearing examination in clinic in recent years. ASSR has the frequency specificity as compared with previous auditory brainstem responses (ABR).OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy of ASSR in objective hearing assessment.DESIGN: A case-control observation.SETTING: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.PARTICIPANTS: The subjects in the normal hearing group were the 21 undergraduates (42 ears) were enrolled, they all had not any symptoms of ear disease, without history of noise exposure and disease of vestibule system, and they were normal in otoscopy. The outpatients and inpatients with neurosensory deafness were selected from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. All the children cases worn hearing aids, and had the speech ability, and cooperated in the examination. The main types included 6 ears of sudden deafness,8 ears of presbycusis, and 20 ears of neurosensory deafness due to other unknown causes. Central lesions were excluded by MR examination, and all the patients agreed with the enrollment. The results of pure-tone audiometry were all flat or descending audiogram. According to the severity of hearing damage, the patients were divided into mild deafness group (13ears), moderate deafness group (9 ears) and moderate-to-severe deafness group (12 ears).METHODS: ① The pure-tone audiometry was performed at the frequencies of 0.125-8 000 Hz in a sound insulation room. The auditory threshold grades of the subjects with normal hearing all accorded with the standards of GB-7583-87 expected value distribution. The average value of air-conduction auditory thresholds of pure-tone audiometry at the frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz was calculated. ② ASSR measurement was performed with the synchronous stimulation pattern in a sound and electromagnetic shielding room, including 8 points for both ears of the same stimulation intensity and the carrier frequency tones of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz respectively.③ ABR examination was performed by click sounds with sparse waves in a sound and electromagnetic shielding room, and insert earphones were used.The threshold results were judged according to the minimal stimulation sound intensity of the distinguishable Ⅴ wave. ③ The results of pure-tone audiometry were compared with those of ABR examination, and the results of ASSR measurement in different hearing groups were processed with analysis of variance, multi-classification discrimination based Bayes standard and q test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The thresholds of pure-tone audiometry, ASSR measurement and ABR examination, and the correct rate analyzed by the multi-classification discrimination based Bayes standard were mainly observed.RESULTS: The indexes of the 42 ears in the normal hearing group, 13, 9 and 12 ears in the mild, moderate and moderate-to-severe deafness groups were all involved in the analysis of results. ① The ABR values were accorded with the actual hearing levels, and the closest to the ASSR thresholds at 1-2 kHz; ASSR reflected induction rates at different frequencies were gradually decreased with the aggravation of hearing damage, and that at each frequency varied with the changes of hearing level, the induction rates of ASSR responses were all 100% for the subjects with normal hearing and patients with mild deafness, but those for the patients with moderate and moderate-to-severe deafness were decreased (0.5 kHz: 77.8%,92.8%; 4 kHz: 88.9%, 85.7%). At different frequencies, the ASSR thresholds in the moderate-to-severe deafness group were significantly higher than those in the normal hearing group (P ＜ 0.05). The ASSR thresholds at 0.5 and 4 kHz in the moderate-to-severe deafness group were significantly higher than those in the mild deafness group (P ＜ 0.05). The ASSR threshold at 2 kHz in the mild deafness group was significantly higher than that in the normal hearing group (P ＜ 0.05). The ASSR thresholds at 4 kHz in the everedeafness group were significantly higher than those in the normal hearing group and mild deafness group. ② The incorrect discriminations of actual pure-tone audiometry were analyzed with the interactive clustering discriminant analysis of ASSR measurement and actual pure-tone audiometry, and the results showed that the correct rate of discrimination was 100% in the normal hearing group; Only 1 of the 12 cases in the mild deafness group was incorrectly judged, and the correct rate was 92%; Only 1 of the 19 cases in the moderate deafness group was incorrectly judged, and the correct rate was 89%; the correct rate in the moderateto-severe deafness group was 83%.CONCLUSION: The results of ASSR measurement can detect the incorrect discrimination of objective hearing condition by taking the results of pure-tone audiometry as the standards. ASSR has an acceptable accuracy for deafness higher than mild level in estimating objective hearing, and it has a better prospect of application in practice.

BACKGROUND: Brain injury often causes secondary cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, which aggravate the brain damages. Cerebral surgery can induce the increase of oxygen free radical in plasma, which may aggravate brain damage. As a new drug to induce and maintain anesthesia, the role of propofol in brain protection is more conspicuous.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of propofol on the serum concentration of S100B in patients undergoing neurosurgery, analyze its relation with the score of mini-mental state examination (MMSE) after 6 months, and evaluate the brain protective effects of propofol.DESIGN: A randomized and concurrent controlled trail.SETTINGS: Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Neurosurgery,Central Laboratory, Wuhan General Hospital of Chinese PLA; Staff Room of Anesthesiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University.PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with acute craniocerebral injury, who were randomly selected from the Department of Neurosurgery, Wuhan General Hospital of Chinese PLA from January to June 2004, were divided into propofol group (n=15) and isoflurane group (n=15) according to the method of random number table.METHODS: The patients accepted the removal of intracranial hematoma and/or focal cerebral contusion and laceration by craniotomy under general anesthesia. In the propofol group, the patients were pumped with propofol (4-8 mg/kg per hour) perioperatively, and the anesthesia was maintained with intravenous injections of fentanvl (1-2 μg/kg per hour) and vecuronium (0.02-0.03 mg/kg per hour). In the isoflurane group, the patients inhaled isoflurane (0.8-1.2 MAC) perioperatively, and the anesthesia was maintained with intravenous injections of fentanvl (1-2 μg/kg per hour)and vecuronium (0.02-0.03 mg/kg per hour). The serum concentration of S100B was detected with enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA)before operation, at 2 hours after the beginning of the operation and at the end of the operation respectively. After 6 months, 23 patients were evaluated by the indexes of localization, recordance, calculation and attention,memory, speech and spatial sense in MMSE, and the scores were recorded.The total score of MMSE was 30 points, the higher the scores, the better their intelligence.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of the brain injury marker of S100B at each time point perioperatively, MMSE scores at 6 months postoperatively, and the correlation between them were mainly observed in both groups. RESULTS: The blood samples of the 30 patients were all involved. For the follow-up after 6 months, 3 and 4 cases died in the propofol group and isoflurane group respectively, and totally 23 patients were followed up and evaluated by MMSE. ① The serum S100B at 2 hours perioperatively and that at the end of the operation were increased as compared with the preoperative one in both groups; At the end of the operation, it was significantly lower in the propofol group than in the isoflurane group (P ＜ 0.05).The S100B showed an ascending process before the operation, at 2 hours after the beginning of the operation and at the end of the operation. ② The MMSE score in the propofol group was not significantly higher than that in the isoflurane group [(22.33±5.96), (19.91±6.13), t=0.9603, P ＞ 0.05). ③ The S100B content at the end of the operation had a significant negative correlation with the MMSE score after 6 month (r=-0.487, P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: The clinical anesthetic dose of propofol can reduce the increase of the serum concentration of S100B perioperatively, ameliorate the cognitive ability of the patients at 6 months postoperatively, and attenuate the occurrence of dysnoesia.

BACKGROUND: Dyslexia is the most common in the study of learning disabilities, it can affect various aspects of children, including behaviors,cognition, emotion, social adaptation, etc., and seriously block their obtaining of knowledge and improvement of ability in children.OBJECTIVE: To study the changing law of regional cerebral blood oxygenation in children with Chinese dyslexia in the process of recognizing Chinese characters, and investigate the neurophysiological basis of dyslexia in children.DESIGN: A case-control study.SETTING: Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.PARTICIPANTS: The study was carried out in Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June to September in 2003. Forty-five primary students of 8 to 12 years old, who were grade 3 to 5 in Wuhan city,were enrolled in this study, including 26 dyslexic children (dyslexia group)and 19 normal readers (control group). All the enrolled children were righthanded. Informed consents were obtained from all the participants and their parents (guardians) after explanation of aims and steps of this study.METHODS: The functional near-infrared imager (fNIRI) was applied to detect the changes of cerebral blood oxygenation in left prefrontal lobe of dyslexic children and normal children in the primary processing (viewing passively, reading aloud, producing an action word) and secondary processing of Chinese characters (outputting task, action words association) of Chinese characters.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of cerebral blood oxygenation in the primary processing and secondary processing of Chinese characters were observed in both groups.RESULTS: All the 26 children with Chinese dyslexia and 19 normal children were involved in the analysis of results. ① Changes of the contents of blood oxygenation in the primary processing of Chinese characters:When viewing the Chinese characters passively, the contents of blood oxygenation on channel A, B and C were all higher in the dyslexia group than in the control group (0.378 0, 0.134 6; 0.085 8, 0.051 9; 0.109 3, 0.069 2;P ＜ 0.05); there was no obvious difference on channel D between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05). When reading aloud, the contents of blood oxygenation on channel A, B, C and D were all unobviously higher in the dyslexia group than in the control group (P ＞ 0.05). In the process of generating action words, the contents of blood oxygenation on channels A and C were all higher in the dyslexia group than in the control group (0.411 2, 0.139 7;0.141 3, 0.078 4; P ＜ 0.05), and there were no obvious differences on channels B and D between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05). ② Changes of the contents of blood oxygenation in the secondary processing of Chinese characters: In the process of outputting task, the changes of blood oxygenation was lower in the dyslexia group than in the control group (-0.025 7, 0.089 0,F=16.25, P ＜ 0.01); In the process of action words association, the changes of blood oxygenation was obviously higher in the dyslexia group than in the control group (0.073 0, -0.072 1, F=15.59, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: The cortexes of left prefrontal lobe in dyslexic children are activated in the process of recognizing Chinese characters, but the degree and pattern of activation are different from those of normal children.The functional abnormalities of specific brain area may be the biological basis of Chinese dyslexia.Song RR, Wu HR.Changes of regional cerebral blood oxygenation in recognizing Chinese characters in children with Chinese dyslexia.

BACKGROUND: Ephedra, a Chinese medicine, is often used to treat obesity with relatively satisfying results recently. However, the effects of Ephedra on the perimenopausal and postmenopausal obese women remain unclear.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of oral Ephedra decoction on body mass and the levels of blood lipids, blood glucose and hormone in ovarietomized obese rats.DESIGN: A completely randomized and controlled experiment.SETTING: Institute of Physiology and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in the Key Laboratory of Pre-clinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province and the Laboratory of Institute of Physiology and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences,Lanzhou University from February 2006 to June 2006. Forty-four healthy female SD rats were randomly divided into four groups with 11 rats in each group, namely sham-operated group, ovariectomized group, estrogen replacement therapy group and Ephedra group.METHODS: ① After having been narcotized by cloraminone (110 mg/kg),rats were underwent a bilateral ovariectomy except those in the sham-operated group, which were also operated, but their ovaries were not cut off. ②Rats in the sham-operated group and ovariectomized group were subcutaneously injected with sesame oil (0.2 mL/each rat) every day postoperatively till the end of the experiment. ③ The rats in the estrogen replacement therapy group were given estradiol (1 mg/kg) by subcutaneous injection every day postoperatively till the end of the experiment. ④ The rats in the Ephedra group freely drank 1% water extracts from Ephedra postoperatively, later the concentration of Ephedra gradually increased to 8% on the sixth day, which lasted until the end of the experiment. ⑤ The food intake was monitored daily, and body mass was measured every ten days. ⑥ At the end of the experiment, all the rats were fasted for 12 hours and collected blood samples for the measurement of serum indexes. The body mass and body length were measured to calculate the Lee's index [(g)×103/body length (cm)] at the same time.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Body mass and Lee's index at different time points in each group. ② Food intake at different time points in each group. ③ Levels of blood lipids and blood glucose in each group. ④Levels of estrogen, progesterone and insulin in each group.RESULTS: Forty-four rats all entered the analysis of results. ① Result of body mass and Lee's index at different time points: The body masses on the 20th, 30th, 40th and 50th days in the ovariectomized group were (256.4±14.3),(271.3±16.1), (276.4±12.7), (285.7±24.2) g, which were significantly higher than those in the sham-operated group [(226.5±11.5), (241.8±12.6),(243.1±13.5), (251.1±22.4) g, P ＜ 0.05-0.01], and the Lee's index in the ovariectomized group was greater than that in the sham-operated group(317.2±13.5, 280.4±11.2, P ＜ 0.01). The body masses on the 40th and 50th days in the estrogen replacement therapy group were (243.7±14.8) and(246.2±11.9) g, which were significantly lower than those in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01), and the Lee's index (289.9±13.5) was lower than that in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.01). The body masses on the 40th and 50th days in the Ephedra group were (245.4 ±14.1) and(252.4±14.9) g, and the Lee's index was 294.4±11.0, which were all lower than those in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.05). ② Result of Food in take at different time points: The food intakes on the 30th, 40th and 50th days in the Ephedra group were (17.8±2.4), (22.3±3.9), (26.1±3.5) g per day,which were decreased as compared with those in the ovariectomized group[(25.9±4.7), (28.5±5.3), (32.8±5.5) g per day, P ＜ 0.05]. ③ Levels of blood lipids and blood glucose: The levels of triglyceride, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the ovariectomized group were (1.73±0.32), (1.45±0.50), (0.78±0.19) mmol/L, which were higher than those in the sham-operated group [(0.94±0.29), (1.05±0.30), (0.08±0.11) mmol/L, P ＜ 0.01]. After the estrogen replacement therapy, the levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-C and blood glucose were (1.10±0.34),(1.14±0.30), (0.17±0.05), (5.88±1.21) mmol/L, which were lower than those in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01), but the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was higher than that in the ovariectomized group [(1.11±0.31), (0.88±0.21) mmol/L, P ＜ 0.05]. The levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C in the Ephedra group were (0.97±0.16), (1.11±0.20), (0.59±0.07) and (0.45±0.061) mmol/L, which were lower than those in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). ④ The serum levels of estrogen, progesterone and insulin in each group: The serum levels of estrogen and progesterone in the ovariectomized group were lower than those in the sham-operated group [(17.09±9.00), (28.51 ±7.99) μg/L;(58.69±12.11), (62.73±10.93) μg/L, P ＜ 0.01], the serum level of insulin was higher than that in the sham-operated group [(31.74±6.69),(23.75±6.66) mU/L, P ＜ 0.01]. The serum levels of estrogen in the estro gen replacement therapy and Ephedra group were (36.03±8.83) and (30.18±8.61) ng/L, which were higher than those in the ovariectomized group(P ＜ 0.05-0.01), the level of insulin were (21.34±4.57), (24.86±6.20) mU/L,which were lower than those in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01).The serum level of progesterone in the Ephedra group [(17.68±6.19) μg/L]was lower than that in the ovariectomized group (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Ephedra can promote loss of body mass, reduce levels of the blood lipids and insulin, and increase the serum levels of hormones in ovariectomized obese rats.

BACKGROUND: Taohong Siwu Tang is made up of Taoren, Honghua,Danggui, Chishao and Chuangxiong. Paeoniflorin is one of the major effective components in Radix Paeoniae Rubra Extracts and Taohong Siwu Tang, and it can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis and has the effect of anti-acute myocardial ischemia.OBJECTIVE: To compare the serum concentration of paeoniflorin in mice after intragastric administration (i.g.) of Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts and Taohong Siwu Tang.DESIGE: Rndomized controlled observation.SETTING: Department of Pharmacy and Department of Basic Medicine,Hebei North University.MATERIALS: The trial was performed in the first laboratory of Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University during February to June 2005.Eighty involved Kunming mice of either gender and of clean grade, with body mass of 18 to 22 g, were purchased from Experimental Animal Center, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Taoren, Honghua, Danggui, Chishao, Shengdi and Chuanxiong 6 Chinese herbs were all purchased from Zhangjiakou Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.METHODS: ①Blank serum was isolated from eight mice which were fasted for 12 hours. Control sample solution of paeoniflorin was added into blank serum. Acetonitrile was used to deposit protein, the solution was centrifugated and isolated ,and 20μL supernatant was taken to obtain regression equation. ② Seventy-two Kunming mice were randomized into Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts group and Taohong Siwu Tang group, with 36 mice in each. After being fasted for 12 hours, the mice in each group were intragastric administration of Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts and Taohong Siwu Tang, respectively and the concentration of paeoniflorin was 300 mg/kg.1 mL blood was taken respectively at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 180 minutes after intragastric administration and prepared into serum sample (6 mice at each time point in each group). The time to peak and difference in peak concentration of serum paeoniflorin were compared between intragastric administration of Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts and Taohong Siwu Tang.The concentration of paeoniflorin was measured with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Chromatographic condition: chromatographic column YWG-C18 (250×4.6 mm,10 μm). The mobile phase was methanolKH2PO4 (0.05 mol/L) (38∶62) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detective wavelength was set at 230 nm. The column temperature was 25 ℃.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum concentration of paeoniflorin after administration of Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts and Taohong Siwu Tang in mice.RESULTS: Seventy-two mice were used for Radix Paeoniae Rubra extr acts and Taohong Siwu Tang tests, and all of them entered the stage of result analysis without deletion. ① Chromatographic isolation results: Paeoniflorin could be well isolated from other components. The linear range for detection of paeoniflorin was 5.40-646.0 μg/mL. The mean recovery rate was 93.6% and the limit of detection was determined as 1.08 mg/L. ②Comparison of concentration of serum paeoniflorin of mice between two groups: The concentration of serum paeoniflorin in the Radix Paeoniae Rubra extracts group and Taohong Siwu Tang group reached the peak at 30 and 60 minutes after intragastric administration, respectively. The peak concentration of paeoniflorin of Taohong Siwu Tang group was lower than that of Radix Paeoniae Rubraextracts group [(36.27±5.72) mg/L vs.(46.82±5.29) mg/L, P ＜ 0.01 )].CONCLUSION: The concentration of serum paeoniflorin is significantly decreased after intragastric administration. It was further confirmed the decreased concentration of the crude paeonifiorin in the mice sera might result from promotion of its metabolic conversion by other chemical components in the complex prescription. This result needs further investigation.