Adolescent ; Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; blood ; complications ; genetics ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Male ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Regression Analysis

Objective To establish the model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with selective motor neuron disorder by organotypic spinal cord cultures, and analyze the role of astrocyte in the pathagenisis of ALS.Methods Organotypic spinal cord cultures were prepared using lumbar spinal cord slices from 8-day-old SD rat pups. The threohydroxyaspartate (THA) was applied into culture medium to establish ALS organotypic spinal cord cultures model. Motor neurons survival was evaluated by monoclonal SMI-32 immunohistochemical staining and glial fibrillary acidic protein staining to show astrocyte survival.Results Compared with the control group, there was significantly astrogliosis in the anterior horn and surrounding white matter in THA 100 μmol/L group, and the level of gliosis was increased followed the elongation of THA interference time. With the increasing of the number of astrocyte, the morphology of astrocyte was changed.Conclusion There is significantly astrogliosis in the anterior horn and the time of astrogliosis is markedly earlier than the time of motor neuron loss in the ALS model intervented with THA.

Acetylcholine ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Choline O-Acetyltransferase ; metabolism ; Cholinergic Agonists ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Kidney Tubules ; cytology ; metabolism ; Lateral Ventricles ; drug effects ; Male ; Natriuresis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Toxic effects of L7 lyophilized powder of extracellular active components (L7-LPEAC), extracted from the Algae-lysing bacteria L7, on Chlorella pyrenoidosa were studied according to the changes of effective photosynthesis rate (EPR), the protein content, the chlorophyll a content and the MDA content of algae. The results showed that the growth of alga was promoted at low concentrations of L7-LPEAC (0.80 g/L, 1.25 g/L). The 96 h-EC50 and 120 h-EC50 upon Chlorella pyrenoidosa are 5.75 g/L and 2.55 g/L, respec tively. The chlorophyll a content increased firstly and then decreased at high concentrations of L7-LPEAC (≥2 g/L), so did the protein content. Compared with the control group, there is a significant statistics diff erence (P

Objective To explore the importance of gene diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy(SMA),and improve the clinical diagnosis of SMA by analyzing the electrophysiological and gene characteristics of SMA.Methods Fifteen cases with SMA including 9 male and 6 female were enrolled in this study.The age was 5 months to 12 years.The 15 cases were subdivided into 3 clinical types,5 cases of type Ⅰ including 3 male and 2 female aging 5-18 months;7 cases of type Ⅱ including 4 males and 3 females aging 5 months-3 years;3 cases of type Ⅲ including 2 male and 1 female aging 3-12 years.They were all characterized by symmetric muscle weakness(more proximal than distal)associated with atrophy,absence or marked decrease of deep tendon reflexes,loss of voluntary movement and inability to sit or stand.The clinical characteristics and changes of electromyography(EMG)and nerve conduction velocity were assessed in all cases by using Danish Medoc Keypoint myoelectricity and evoked potentials inducer.The survival of motor neuron(SMN)gene was detected by PCR and restriction endonuclease spectrum analysis in 10 cases.Results EMG analysis found 94% patients had spontaneous potential,90% patients had increased duration of motor unit,and amplitude increased in 89% patients.Motor nerve conduction velocity was determined in 78 nerves.Motor nerve compound action potential wave amplitude decreased in 52 nerves,among them,distal latent period prolonged and motor conduction velocity reduced slightly in 36 nerves.Sensory nerve conduction velocity was determined in 45 nerves and remained normal.The SMN gene detection revealed deletion of exon 7 and 8 in 9 cases,deletion exon 7 in 1 case.The SMN gene detection in 10 patients and their parents didn't find any deletion of exon 7 and 8.Conclusions The definite diagnosis of SMA will rely on the typical clinical characteristics,changes of EMG and gene deletion analysis.Gene diagnosis of SMA lays a basis for prenatal diagnosis.

Objective To explore the effect of glucocorticoids on nuclear factor - ?B expression and Th2 cytokines and the relationship of these two factors. Methods Thirty BALB/c mice were divided randomly into normal control groups, asthmatic groups and budesonide inhalation group. The expression of NF - ?B was observed by immunocytochmical staining; IL - 4, IL - 5, IFN - ? proteins in HALF were measured by ELISA. Results The percentage of cells of active NF - ?B, IL - 4 and IL - 5 protein in BALF of asthmatic group was significantly higher than that of control group, which was significantly reduced by budesonide(P

Nineteen compounds were isolated from the whole plants of Aconitum tanguticum by various of chromatographic techniques and their structures were determined through spectral analysis (1D, 2D-NMR and MS) and comparison with the literature data. These compounds were identified as 5-hydroxymethy furfural (1), 5-acetoxymethyl furfural (2), pyrrolezanthine [5-hydroxymethyl-1-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) -ethyl] -1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde] (3), lichiol B (4), phthalic acid dibutyl ester (5), 3, 4-dihydroxy phenylethanol (6), 3, 4-dihydroxy phenylethanol glucoside (7), salidroside (8), p-hydroxy phenylethanol (9), p-hydroxybenzoie acid glucoside (10), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (11), gastrodin (12), 1-(3, 4-dimethoxyphenyl) -1, 2-ethanediol (13), p-hydroxy benzaldehyde (14), p-hydroxy acetophenone (15), 3, 4-dihydroxy phenyl ethyl acetate (16), syringic aldehyde (17), ethyl beta-D-fructopyranoside (18), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester (19). Compounds 3 and 4 were isolated from the Ranunculaceae family for the first time, and compounds 2, 6 and 9-19 were isolated from the Aconitum genus for the first time, and compounds 1 and 5 were isolated from the species for the first time.
Aconitum ; chemistry ; Benzyl Alcohols ; chemistry ; Furaldehyde ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Phenols ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jinying Capsule (JC) in treating pelvic inflammatory disease patients with accumulated damp-heat syndrome (ADHS).

METHODSTotally 328 patients were recruited in a prospective, positive drug parallel controlled, and multi-center clinical trial. Of them 213 patients in the treatment group took JC (0.5 g per capsule), 4 capsules each time, 3 times per day, while 115 patients in the control group took Kangfuyan Capsule (KC, 0.4 g per capsule), 3 capsules each time, twice per day. The course of treatment was 4 weeks for all. Scores of Chinese medical syndromes, visual analogue scale (VAS) of the lower abdominal pain, and European quality of life-five dimension scale (EQ-5D) were observed before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment.

RESULTSThere were 204 patients in the treatment group and 109 in the control group who completed this trial. The total effective rate of Chinese medical syndrome was 89.71% (183/204 cases) in the treatment group and 76.15% (83/109 cases) in the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with before treatment in the same group, EQ-5D scores increased, and VAS scores of the lower abdominal pain decreased in the two groups after treatment. EQ-5D scores was 0.857 ± 0.157 in the treatment group, obviously higher than that in the control group (0.753 ± 0.126, P < 0.05). VAS scores of the lower abdominal pain was 2.14 ± 1.23 in the treatment group, lower than that in the control group (2.33 ± 1.24), but with no statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). No adverse reaction occurred in the two groups.

CONCLUSIONJC was superior to KC in improving Chinese medical syndrome and quality of life of pelvic inflammatory disease patients with accumulated damp-heat syndrome.

Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Safety ; Syndrome

Atmosphere ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) with the occurrence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and the effects of Bushen Tongdu Decoction (BTD) on serum TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1, levels in patients.

METHODSSeventy five AS patients were assigned to two groups, 30 in the group I treated with Azulfidine and35 in the group II treated with BTD. ELISA was adopted to detect the levels of TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1, in patients before and after 24-week treatment. Meantime, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured as well. Besides, the levels of TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1 in 30 healthy persons were also detected for normal control.

RESULTSBefore treatment, as compared with normal control, the TNF-alpha increased and TGF-beta1 decreased (P < 0.01) in the two treatment groups; the serum level of TNF-alpha was positively correlated with ESR and CRP (r = 0.296, r = 0.249; P < 0.05), but the serum level of TGF-beta1 showed no correlation with them (r = -0.222, r = -0.203; P > 0.05). After treatment, TGF-beta1 increased, while TNF-alpha, CRP and ESR decreased in group II (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONBTD can regulate TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1 levels to suppress the immune inflammatory reaction so as to treat AS.

Adult ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; blood ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult