OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of American Ginseng Capsule (AGC) on the liver oxidative injury and the Nrf2 protein expression in the liver tissue of rats exposed by 900 MHz cell phone electromagnetic radiation.

METHODSTotally 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the model group, the Shuifei Jibin Capsule (SJC) group, and the AGC group,10 in each group. Rats in the normal control group were not irradiated. Rats in the rest three groups were exposed by imitated 900 MHz cellular phone for 4 h in 12 consecutive days. Meanwhile, rats in the SJC group and the AGC group were intragastrically administrated with suspension of SJC and AGC (1 mL/200 g body weight) respectively. Normal saline was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. The histolomorphological changes of the liver tissue were observed by HE staining. Contents of malonic dialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX)were detected by colorimetry. The Nrf2 protein expression of hepatocytes was detected by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, hepatocyte nucleus was atrophied or partially disappeared, the contents of liver MDA and Nrf2 protein obviously increased (P <0. 05, P <0. 01); contents of liver SOD and GSH decreased (P <0. 05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, karyopyknosis was obviously attenuated and approached to the normal level in the SJC group and the AGC group. The contents of liver MDA and Nrf2 protein expression decreased (P <0. 05), and the contents of liver SOD, GSH, and GSH-PX obviously increased (P < 0.05) in the SJC group. The contents of liver MDA and the Nrf2 protein expression decreased (P < 0.05), and contents of SOD and GSH obviously increased in the AGC group (P <0.01, P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe electromagnetic radiation induced by 900 MHz cell phone could affect the expression of Nrf2 protein, induce oxidative injury, and induce abnormal morphology of liver cells. SJC and AGC could promote the morphological recovery of the liver cells. Its mechanism might be related to affecting the expression of Nrf2 protein and attenuating oxidative damage of liver cells.

Animals ; Cell Phone ; Electromagnetic Radiation ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Liver ; Male ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Panax ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Objective To examine whether neonate′s cord blood T-lymphocytes is related to infant temperament.Methods Twenty-five healthy babies were randomly chosen in Changsha from Jul.2005 to Aug.2005 and their cord blood was drown when they were born. CD4+ and CD8+ counts, CD4+%, CD8+%, CD4+/ CD8+ratios were obtained using flow cytometry analysis. Infant temperament were measured after 1-4 months( mean age 2.52 months) with parent response to carey revised infant temperament questionnaire(EITQ/RITQ) administered.Results The percentage of CD4+ T-cell subsets to total lymphocytes correlated negatively with persistence scores (r=-0.43 P=0.033). However, CD8+%, CD8+ and CD4+ counts, CD4+/ CD8+ ratios were not correlated with temperament traits.Conclusions The lower CD4 %, the better infants' persistence.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of chronic psychological stress on vascular endothelial dysfunction rats and to explore the intervention and mechanism of Tongxinluo (TXL) on it.

METHODSForty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (with no modeling), the endothelial dysfunction group (the HCY group), the psychological stress group (the model group), and TXL group, ten in each group. Rats in the latter three groups were fed with 3% high methionine diet to duplicate vascular endothelial dysfunction (VED) model. In addition, chronic psychological stress was applied in VED rats using repeated binding method. TXL at the dose of 1.2 g/kg body weight was given by gastrogavage. The plasma endothelin (ET) and angiotensin II (Ang II), serum cortisone (CORT) were detected by radioimmunoassay. The serum nitric oxide (NO) was detected by nitrate reductase. Ultrastructural changes of aortic endothelial cells were observed by transmission electron microscope. Serum levels of norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCompared with the plasma ET level and the serum NO level in the HCY group (161.70 +/- 13.96 pg/mL and 26.82 +/- 13.03 micromol/L), the plasma ET level obviously increased (178.25 +/- 21.85 pg/mL) (P < 0.05) and the serum NO level decreased (24.91 +/- 9.95 micromol/L, P > 0.05), levels of CORT, NE, and E obviously increased in the model group (all P < 0.05). Ultrastructural changes of aortic endothelial cells were obviously injured. Compared with the model group, the plasma ET level (154.74 +/- 13.27 pg/mL), Ang II, CORT, NE, and E obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), the serum NO level obviously increased (34.44 +/- 18.35 micromol/L, P < 0.05). Ultrastructural changes of aortic endothelial cells were obviously improved.

CONCLUSIONSChronic psychological stress could obviously aggravate endothelial injury in VED rats. TXL showed protection on the vascular endothelial structure and function.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Stress, Psychological ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of the mRNA expressions of myocardial cytoskeletal proteins in endotoxemic rats.

METHODSThirty-seven Wistar rats were randomized into two groups with injection of 10 mg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or normal saline through the femoral vein. The cardiac function of the rats was monitored continuously for 24 h, and the morphological changes of the cardiac myocytes were observed with HE staining and electron microscope. The mRNA levels of myocardial cytoskeletal proteins including actin, tubulin and desmin were determined by RT-PCR.

RESULTSNo significant difference was found in the number of CD3(+)T lymphocytes in the TILs between different groups. After the immunotherapy, the peLPS injection resulted in significant impairment of the cardiac function and myocardial microstructure of the rats with reduced heart rate and left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP). The mRNA expression of actin in the cardiac myocytes measured by fluorescence optical density was reduced significantly 8 h after LPS injection, and that of tubulin was decreased significantly 24 h after LPS treatment; desmin mRNA expression showed no significant variation after LPS injection.

CONCLUSIONLPS can significantly impair the cardiac function of the rats possibly by inducing damages of the myocardial cytoarchitecture and causing changes in the mRNA expressions of such cytoskeletal proteins as actin and tubulin.

Actins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Endotoxemia ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Female ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tubulin ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the association of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase(PAF-AH) activity in children with primary nephrotic syndrome(PNS).Methods The plasma PAF-AH activity was measured in 78 children with PNS who were divided into 3 groups:steroid-responsive nephritic,steroid-dependent nephritic,steroid-resistent nephritic,after they had been given steroid for 6 months.The plasma PAF-AH activity were also measured in 60 healthy children at the same age,with spectrophotometric assay,at the ame time,the blood cholesterol was measured.Results The blood cholesterol has positive correlation with the plasma PAF-AH activity,there was no significant difference of the blood cholesterol among 3 groups in nephrotic syndrome children,there was a significant difference in the plasma PAF-AH activity among 3 groups in PNS children,but there was no significant difference in the plasma PAF-AH activity between the groups of steroid-responsive nephritic and healthy children.Conclusion Plasma PAF-AH activity is related to the sensibility to steroid treatment in children′s PNS,and the plasma PAF-AH activity in steroid-resistent nephritic is higher than steroid-dependent nephritic.It is a question that if gene mutation is related with PAF-AH activity.

Fifty-eight samples belonging to 7 species of Arisaematis Rhizoma and its adulterants were collected. The ITS2 locus was employed as a DNA barcode and amplified, sequenced and assembled for all of the collected samples. Then, ITS2 sequences have been annotated using HMM-based method. The intra- and inter-specific variations were calculated and NJ tree was constructed using MEGA 6.0 software. The results showed that inter-specific K2P distances were significantly larger than intra-specific distances for all of the three origin species of Arisaematis Rhizoma. Furthermore, three origin species, Arisaema amurense, A. erubescens and A. heterophyllum, can be respectively formed to be a single branch with high bootstrap values. It is concluded that ITS2 can be used to correctly identify Arisaematis Rhizoma from its adulterants and the application of ITS2 in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine has an important prospective.
Arisaema ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

Objectives To explore the effects of aging on midgastric transverse band(MTB)and gastric emptying.Methods In our prospective study,57 healthy volunteer were divided into young, middle and old-age groups.After taking test meal labeled by 99mTc-iethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid(99mTc-DTPA), the pictures were collected using double probe single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT).Stomach in each frame of the pictures was divided into proximal, midgastric transverse band(MTB)and distal parts.And half gastric emptying time,gastric remnant rate at 90 min, areas of different gastric parts were tested and calculated respectively.Results Half gastric emptying time of whole stomach was(43.24± 11.87)min,(42.07 ± + 9.31)min and(45.81 ± 10.73)min in young,middle and old-age groups, respectively, with P＞0.05.Among young, middle and oldage groups, half gastric emptying time was(38.09 ± 10.26)min,(37.33 ± 9.28)min and(26.74 ± 12.07)min in proximal stomach, and it was(38.35 ± 12.96)min,(37.73 ± 7.46)min and(46.41 ± 10.74)min in distal stomach,respectively.The half gastric emptying time was significantly reduced in proximal stomach and increased in distal stomach in old-age group(both P＜0.05).The gastric nuclide remnant rate at 90min in total stomach was(30.38 ± 19.32)％,(29.03 ± 10.36)％ and(31.92 ± 13.47)％ ,in young, middle and old-age groups, respectively, with P＞0.05.This rate in proximal stomach was(25.01 ± 12.35)％,(26.36± 15.29)％ and(19.54±8.47)％ among three group, respectively.The rate in proximal stomach was(42.25 ± 12.36)％,(41.56 ±± 9.33)％ and(56.05 ± 11.72)％ among three group,respectively.The gastric remnant rate at 90min was reduced in proximal stomach and was increased in distal stomach significantly in old-age group(both P＜0.05).Compared with young and middle-age group,the old-age group showed no difference in areas of total stomach in all the time, while the areas were reduced in proximal stomach and increased in distal stomach significantly from 30 min to 90 min(all P＜0.05).Total stomach versus proximal and distal stomach showed no difference in count/pixel ratio in all time,while a count/pixel ratio was reduced in proximal stomach and increased in distal stomach significantly from 30 min to 90 min(both P＜ 0.05).Both areas and count/pixel ratio of MTB at 60 min and 90 min were significantly increased in old-age group(both P＜0.05).Conclusions The total gastric emptying is not delayed along with aging, while the gastric emptying is increased in proximal stomach and reduced in distal stomach in the elderly.This abnormity of intragastric distribution of food might be related with larger area of midgastric transverse band.

Objective To release the correlation of point mutation of platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase(PAF-AH)gene and primary nephritic syndrome (PNS).Method According to the effect of hormonal therapy,94 children with PNS were divided into three groups:steroid-sensitive nephritic syndrome(SSNS),steroid-resistent nephritic syndrome(SRNS),steroid-dependent nephritic syndrome(SDNS).The point mutation of PAF-AH gene (G994T) were identified by molecular biology technique in children with PNS and 239 healthy children were set as control group.Results No statistics differences were found relating to the genotype and allele frequencies between patients with PNS,SSNS,SRNS and normal controls.But it is confirmed that the genotype and allele frequencies among patients with nephritic type nephritic syndrome (NTNS)was higher than patients with simple type nephritic syndrome(STNS) and normal controls.SDNS was higher than both SSNS and normal controls.The number of relapses during the first year after onset was significantly higher in the patients who were heterozygous for the mutant allele (GT) or homozygotes (TT) than in those of the GG homozygotes.Conclusion Most PNS children with PAF-AH gene mutation occurred at position 994 were NTNS.The risk of relapse during the treatment period was higher in patients with PAF-AH gene mutation occurred at position 994.

Veregen™ and Fulyzaq are the first two botanical drug products that were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market in the US in recent years. Additional herbal medicines, including Compound Danshen Dripping Pills, Fuzheng Huayu Tablets, Xuezhikang Capsule, Guizhi Fuling Capsule, Kanglaite Capsule and Kanglaite Injection, have filed the investigational new drug (IND) application to the FDA and are in phase II or phase III clinical development. In order to gain better understanding of the process of botanical drug approval in the US, this article examines the aforementioned drugs by looking at their composition, indication, prior clinical experience and clinical development process, and summarizes key features that enabled IND filing and marketing approval by the FDA.
China ; Drug Approval ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Nonprescription Drugs ; therapeutic use ; United States ; United States Food and Drug Administration

0.05),while the level of IL-8,TNF-? and endotoxin changed significantly during CRRT(Pa