The medicinal plant resource reserve refers to the natural resources of medicinal plants in a certain time and a certain region within the scope of the volume. In recent years, with the demand of medicinal plant resources surging and the change of the environment and human intervention factors, the medicinal plant resources reserve had accelerated pace of change. It is the prerequisite and basis for the development and utilization of medical plants that how to quickly and accurately attain reserve of some medicinal plants resources, the selection of suitable and accurate estimating method is reliable basis and can guarantee medicinal plant reserve survey, and also is one of the key reserve investigation of success. This paper systematically summarized the estimation method of medicinal plants in recent 30 years, and discussed the basic principle, the estimation model of development and evolution, advantages and disadvantages and applicability, and it aimed to improve the accuracy about reserves survey of medicinal plant resources, and provide scientific and reliable support data to medicinal plants resources for sustainable development and utilization of resources.
China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Models, Statistical ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development

Human xanthine oxidase is considered to be a target for therapy of hyperuricemia. Cichorium intybus is a Chinese plant medicine which widely used in Xinjiang against various diseases. In order to screen the inhibitors of xanthine oxidase from C. intybus and to explore main pharmacological actions of cichory a compound collection of C. intybus was built via consulting related references about chemical research on cichory. The three-dimensional crystal structure of xanthine oxidase (PDB code: 1N5X) from Protein Data Bank was downloaded.. Autodock 4.2 was employed to screen the inhibitors of xanthine oxidase from cichory 70 compounds were found to possess quite low binding free energy comparing with TEI (febuxostat). C. intybus contains constituents possessing potential inhibitive activity against xanthine oxidase. It can explain the main pharmacological actions of cichory which can significantly lower the level of serum uric acid.
Chicory ; chemistry ; Databases, Protein ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; chemistry ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Molecular Structure ; Xanthine Oxidase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism

Objective Previous studies indicated that activation of Toll-like receptor4 (TLR4) was involved in the progression and instability of atherosclerotic plaque.Anti-inflammatory effects were shown in statins. However,the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been well explored.We test the hypothesis that a por- tion of these anti-inflammatory effects are mediated by regulation of TLR4 expression.Methods One hundred twenty-one subjects (22 normal persons,17 patients with stable angina and 82 patients with ACS) were recruited. 41 patients with ACS were randomized to atorvastatin 10 mg/d or atorvastatin 40 mg/d on top of routine anti-anginal treatment.Serum level of hsCRP,blood lipids,TLR4 expression on CD_(14)~+ monocytes were measuered before and after one month treatment.TLR4 expression on CD_(14)~+ monocytes were quantified via flow-cytometry.Results hsCRP and TLR4 expression on CD_(14)~+ monocytes in patients with ACS were higher than patients with stable angina and normal persons(hsCRP,ACS:11.1?14.3 vs stable angina:2.5?2.7 mg/L vs normal:2.3?4.2 mg/L,P

Human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells were induced into differentiation by 5 mmol/L hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA). Their nuclear matrix proteins (NMPs) were selectively extracted and subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis.The results of protein patterns were analyzed by Melanie software. The spots of differentially expressed NMPs were excised and subjected to in situ digestion with trypsin. The maps of peptide mass fingerprinting were obtained by MALDI-TOFMS analysis, and were submitted for NCBI database searches by Mascot tool.There were twelve spots changed remarkably during the differentiation induced by HMBA, nine of which were identified. The roles of the regulated proteins during the MG-63 differentiation were analyzed. This study suggests that the induced differentiation of cancer cells is accompanied by the changes of NMPs, and confirms the presence of some specific NMPs related to the cancer cell proliferation and differentiation. The changed NMPs are potential markers for cancer diagnosis or targets for cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vasa vasorum (VV) have been believed to be rare or non-existent in small-caliber intracranial arteries. In a series of human cerebral artery specimens, we identified and examined the distribution of VV in association with co-existing intracranial atherosclerosis. METHODS: We obtained cerebral artery specimens from 32 consecutive autopsies of subjects aged 45 years or above. We scrutinized middle cerebral artery (MCA), vertebral artery (VA), and basilar artery (BA) for the presence of adventitial VV. We described the distribution of VV, and the characteristics of co-existing atherosclerotic lesions. RESULTS: Among 157 intracranial arteries, adventitial VV were present in 74 of the 157 specimens (47%), involving MCA (n=13, 18%), BA (n=14, 19%), and VA (n=47, 64%). Although qualitatively these 74 adventitial VV distributed similarly in arteries with or without atherosclerotic lesions (disease-free arteries n=4/8; arteries of pre-atherosclerosis n=17/42; and arteries of progressive atherosclerosis n=53/107), the presence of adventitial VV in intracranial VA was associated with a heavier plaque load (1.72±1.66 mm2 vs. 0.40±0.32 mm2, P < 0.001), severer luminal stenosis (25%±21% vs. 12%±9%, P=0.002), higher rate of concentric lesions (79% vs. 36%, P=0.002), and denser intraplaque calcification (44% vs. 0%, P=0.003). Histologically, intracranial VA with VV had a larger diameter (3.40±0.79 mm vs. 2.34±0.58 mm, P < 0.001), thicker arterial wall (0.31±0.13 mm vs. 0.23±0.06 mm, P=0.002), and a larger intima-media (0.19±0.09 mm vs. 0.13± 0.04 mm, P=0.003) than VA without VV. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated the distribution of adventitial VV within brain vasculature and association between vertebral VV and progressive atherosclerotic lesions with a heavier plaque load and denser intraplaque calcification.
Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Autopsy ; Basilar Artery ; Brain ; Cerebral Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis* ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Phenobarbital ; Vasa Vasorum* ; Vertebral Artery

Objective To investigate and analyze the situation of urban and rural neglected children aged 3-6,in China,so as to provide basis for the analysis and comparison on relevant risk factors.Methods 1163 urban children aged 3-6 (with 49.6％ males and 4.5％ with minority ethnicity) were investigated from 25 cities of 14 provinces,autonomous regions and municipalities in the whole country.Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used.Again,using the same sampling method,4096 rural children (of whom 50.6％ were males with 6.2％ as minorities) were chosen from 26 cities of 10 provinces or municipalities.Identification of children being neglected was based on “Child Neglect Evaluation Norms of Children Aged 3-6 Years in Urban/Rural China”.SPSS-Windows 13.0 was employed for data analysis.Scores,frequency/degrees,age,sex and types (physical,emotional,educational,safety,medical and social) of children under negligence on every group of the regions,were calculated.x2 test (Chi-Square) and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) were processed to determine the significance of their differences.Results The overall frequencies of negligence were 28.0％ and 53.7％ respectively among the urban and rural children aged 3-6,while the total degrees of negligence were 42.2 and 44.4 respectively.Significant difference was found between children from the urban and the rural areas (P＜0.05).Significant difference was also found between urban and rural children on every age group (P＜0.05).The frequencies of negligence among males were 32.6％ and 55.9％ respectively in urban and rural areas while among females,the figures appeared to be 23.7％ and 51.6％ respectively.The degrees of negligence were 42.7 and 44.6 among male while 41.8 and 44.3 among female children,in the urban or rural areas.Significant differences were found on male or female between urban and rural groups (P＜0.05).Frequencies of negligence in urban children aged 3-6 for the six types were from 5.1％ to 12.9％,with the frequency in rural areas as 13.1％-26.6％.Significant difference was found between urban and rural group for any other type (P＜0.05),in addition to the safety type.The degrees of negligence in urban children aged 3-6 for the different type were between 39.4 and 43.4,while in the rural areas as from 36.5 to 48.2,with significant difference for every type (P＜0.05).The degrees of negligence related to education,emotion,or physical strength were more serious on children from the urban than from the rural areas.The highest frequency of child negligence was seen in the single-parent families on both urban and rural groups (42.9％ and 60.0％ respectively),with no significant difference found (P＞0.05).The urban and rural children aged 3-6 were mainly involved in single item of negligence,with incidence rates as 16.5％ and 22.7％ and proportions as 58.9％ and 45.1％ respectively,despite the factors as age or sex.Conclusion There were large differences on the situation of negligence between the urban and rural children aged 3-6.The frequencies and degrees of negligence in every age group and different sex for children living in the rural areas were higher than those urban children.The frequency of negligence among boys was higher than girls for both urban and rural areas.The rural children had suffered more serious negligence than the urban children at any other type,in addition to the ‘ safety'.Both urban and rural children had the highest frequency of negligence in single-parent family,and were mainly suffered from single item of negligence.

BACKGROUNDBasic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) plays important roles in retina degeneration, light injury, mechanical injury, especially in retina ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI). This study was to investigate the therapeutical effect of bFGF on RIRI and its mechanisms.

METHODSExperimental RIRI was induced by increasing intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eyes of 48 rats. These rats were divided into normal control, ischemia-reperfusion and bFGF-treated groups. Histological and ultrastructural changes of in the retina of different groups were observed, and the number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) was quantitatively analyzed under microscopy. Apoptotic cells were detected using the TdT-dUTP terminal nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method. The expression of caspase-3 was determined by streptavidin peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry. Atomic absorption spectrum method was used to evaluate the intracellular calcium changes.

RESULTSAt the early stage of retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury, retina edema in the treated group was significantly eliminated compared with the untreated ischemic animals. RGCs in the bFGF-treated group was more than those in the untreated ischemic group during the post-reperfusion stages. In ischemic group, apoptotic cells could be found at 6th hour after reperfusion and reached the peak at 24 hours. At 72nd hour no apoptotic cells could be found.The changes in caspase-3 expression had a similar manner. The intracellular calcium of rat retina began to increase at 1st hour, reached the peak at 24 hours, and began to decrease at 72 hours. The change of the three markers in the treatment group showed a similar pattern, but they were all relatively less obvious.

CONCLUSIONApoptosis may play a vital role in RIRI. bFGF may has therapeutical effects on RIRI by inhibiting the increase of intracellular calcium and caspase-3 expression.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Calcium ; analysis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; analysis ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Retinal Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo determine the levels of carnitine in plasma and daily excretion of carnitine in urine of healthy adults so as to provide the reference standard for studying the changes of carnitine in patients.

METHODSCarnitine in plasma and urine was assayed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The levels of total carnitine (TC), free carnitine (FC) and acetyl-carnitine (AC) in fasting plasma and the daily excretion of TC, FC and AC in urine were assayed in 40 healthy adults (20 men and 20 women) with standard diet.

RESULTSGood linearity (r 2 > or = 0.999) was observed in assaying TC, FC and AC. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 9.1% and bias lower than 5.6%. It was showed that the plasmatic levels of TC, FC and AC in healthy men [(53.1 +/- 8.5), (41.2 +/- 6.1), (6.2 +/- 0.6) mumol/L] were significantly higher than those in healthy women [(45.4 +/- 5.6), (35.2 +/- 4.9), (5.7 +/- 0.7) mumol/L] (P = 0.002, 0.002, 0.035). The daily urinary excretion of TC, FC and AC in healthy men [(386.1 +/- 22.9), (180.5 +/- 31.8), (33.8 +/- 3.3) mumol] were also significantly higher than those in healthy women [(240.1 +/- 35.6), (112.7 +/- 22.6), (29.3 +/- 4.3) mumol] (P < 0.0005, < 0.0005, < 0.0005) when the adults were given standard diet. Both the plasmatic levels and the daily urinary excretion of TC, FC and AC were of significantly positive correlation with lean body mass (LBM) (r = 0.501-0.856). The (TC-FC)/FC ratios in plasma were 0.29 +/- 0.05 for male and 0.29 +/- 0.04 for female.

CONCLUSIONGood precision and accuracy were observed in assaying carnitine with HPLC. After standard diet, both the level of carnitine in fasting plasma and the daily urinary carnitine excretion of healthy adults were positively correlated with LBM.

Acetylcarnitine ; blood ; urine ; Adult ; Carnitine ; blood ; urine ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Reference Values ; Sex Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of glutathione (GSH) and sodium selenite on the metabolism of arsenic in the liver, kidney and blood of mice exposed to iAsIII through drinking water.

METHODSThe mice were randomly divided into control, arsenic, GSH and sodium selenite group, respectively. And each group had eight mice and the mice were exposed to 50 mg/L arsenite by drinking water for 4 weeks. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with GSH (600 mg/kg) and sodium selenite (1 mg/kg) for seven days from the beginning of the fourth week. At the end of the fourth week, liver, kidney and blood were sampled to assess the concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsenic acid (MMA), dimethylarsenic acid (DMA) by hydride generation trapping by ultra-hypothermia coupled with atomic absorption spectrometry.

RESULTSThe liver DMA (233.76 +/- 60.63 ng/g) concentration in GSH group was significantly higher than the arsenic group (218.36 +/- 42.71 ng/g). The concentration of DMA (88.52 +/- 30.86 ng/g) and total arsenic (TAs) (162.32 +/- 49.45 ng/g) in blood of GSH group was significantly higher than those [(45.32 +/- 12.19 ng/g), (108.51 +/- 18.00 ng/g), respectively] of arsenic groups(q values were 3.06, 6.40, 10.72 respectively, P < 0.05). The primary methylated index (PMI) (0.65 +/- 0.050) and secondary methylated index (SMI) (0.55 +/- 0.050) in liver sample of GSH group were significantly higher than those (0.58 +/- 0.056, 0.44 +/- 0. 093) in arsenic group. In blood samples, the PMI (0.85 +/- 0.066) in GSH group was significantly higher than that (0.54 +/- 0.113) in arsenic group (q values were 3.75, 5.26, 4.21 respectively, P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was identified between sodium selenite and arsenic groups in liver, kidney or blood samples. And no significant difference was detected in kidney samples among all arsenic exposing groups.

CONCLUSIONExogenous GSH could promote the methylated metabolism of iAsIII, but sodium selenite showed no significant effects.

Animals ; Arsenic ; analysis ; metabolism ; Arsenic Poisoning ; metabolism ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Glutathione ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Sodium Selenite ; pharmacology ; Water Supply

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features of non-epileptic seizures associated with cerebral palsy (CP) in children.

METHODSA total of 1 198 children with CP (age: 9 months to 6 years) were enrolled. The children with paroxysmal events were monitored by 24 hrs video-EEG (VEEG) to make sure the seizures were epileptic or non-epileptic. The symptoms, age, CP types and EEG features were observed in children with non-epileptic CP.

RESULTSFive hundred and seventy-eight children (48.24%) presented paroxysmal events. The seizures were epileptic in 231 children (19.28%) and non-epileptic in 322 cases (26.88%). In the 322 cases of non-epileptic CP, the paroxysmal events were of various kinds, including non-epileptic seizure tonic, seizure shake head, shrug shoulder or head hypsokinesis, cry or scream, panic attacks, sleep myoclonic and stereotyped movement. One hundred and fifty-eight (49.1%) out of the 322 children demonstrated nonspecific EEG abnormalities. One hundred and eleven children (34.5%) were misdiagnosed as epilepsy in primary hospitals. The CP children less than one year old showed higher frequency of non-epileptic seizures than the age groups over 1 year and 3 to 6 years. The frequency of non-epileptic seizures was the highest in children with spastic CP (168 cases, 52.2%), followed by dyskinetic CP (69 cases, 21.4%) and mixed type CP (65 cases, 20.2%).

CONCLUSIONSThe paroxysmal events in children with CP partially are non-epileptic seizures and it is important to differentiate non-epileptic from epileptic seizures. The frequencies of non-epileptic seizures may be associated with a child's age and CP type.

Cerebral Palsy ; Diagnostic Errors ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Seizures ; diagnosis