Objective To investigate the roles of adrenomedullin(ADM) and endothelin-1(ET-1) in left-to-right shunt congenital heart disease(CHD) complicated with congestive heart failure(CHF).Methods Plasma ADM and ET-1 concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in heart failure stage and recovery period of 18 infants with left-to-right shunt CHD.Also 20 healthy infants acted as control group were measured.Results Plasma concentrations of ADM and EF-1 were significantly higher in heart failure stage of left-to-right CHD infants than those in their recovery period,and both in their heart failure stage and in their recovery period were higher than that in control group(P

Acute Disease ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Budesonide ; therapeutic use ; Child, Preschool ; Graft vs Host Disease ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases ; drug therapy ; Male ; Treatment Outcome

BackgroundOur previous study determined that tetrandrine (Tet) has an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human Tenon capsule fibroblasts ( TCFs ) in vitro,but its mechanism is poorly understood.ObjectiveThis study was to investigate the effect mechanism of Tet on human TCFs.MethodsHuman TCFs were isolated and cultured from scleral tissue of donor using explant technique.The cells were identified by vimentin antibody staining and morphology.The third generation of cells were seeded in the culture plate at the density of 1 × 105 cells/ml.Twenty-four hours after inoculation,the Tet of 1 × 10-5 mol/L was added in the well of culture plate,and the cells cultured only in 1640 medium served as the control group.The apoptosis of the cells was assessed by TUNEL,and the expressions of bax,bel-2,transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2 ) in TCFs were detected using immunochemistry.Results The cultured cells showed the features of the fibroblasts in shape with the positive response for vimentin.A number of TUNEL positive cells were seen in Tet group and no TUNEL positive response was found in control group.The expression levels (A value) of bax,bcl-2 and TGF-~ protein in TCFs were 0.577 ± 0.009,0.430±0.012 and 0.341 ±0.017 in Tet group,and those in control group were 0.320±0.015,0.819±0.021 and 0.624±0.014 respectively,showing statistically significant differences between two groups( t =33.277,-35.356,-28.093,P＜0.01 ).Conclusions Tet suppresses the proliferation of human TCFs through up-regulating the expression of bax and down-regulating the expressions of bcl-2 and TGF-β2 in vitro.

In previous case report entitled "Multidetector CT findings of a congenital coronary sinus anomaly: a report of two cases" by Chou et al. (Korean J Radiol 2008;9:S1-S6), there were mistakes. "The Figure 1A and 1B are the MDCT findings of normal coronary sinus of a normal individual." "The Figure 1C to 1E are the MDCT findings of congenital coronary sinus anomaly in 60-year-old woman with Ebstein's anomaly." "The Figure 2J and 2K are illustration of atresia of the right atrial ostium of the coronary sinus with/without PLSVC"

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery on postoperative pain and discomforts in patients with mixed hemorrhoids.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty cases of mixed hemorrhoids who received Milligan-Morgan operation were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture group, a sham electroacupuncture group and a blank group, 40 cases in each one. At the same time of basic treatment, the electroacupuncture was applied at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery in the electroacupuncture group, while shallow needling without electrical stimulation at sham acupoint (1 cm next to acupoint) was applied 30 min before surgery in the sham electroacupuncture group, while no treatment was given before the surgery in the blank group. The total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation, the number of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation, the self-score of most severity pain in the first 24 h after operation and sleeping time in the night of surgery were observed.

RESULTSThe differences of the numbers of cases who received additional anesthetic in the operation had no statistical significance among the three groups (all P > 0.05), but compared with the sham electroacupuncture group and blank group, the total dose of painkillers in the first 24 h after operation was reduced in the electroacupuncture group [(2.43 +/- 1.08) tablets vs (3.23 +/- 1.33) tablets, (3.10 +/- 1.22) tablets], and the score of most severity pain was also decreased (6.65 +/- 1.00 vs 7.48 +/- 0.96, 7.25 +/- 1.19), besides, the sleeping time in the night of surgery was increased [(220.63 +/- 85.50) min vs (162.00 +/- 92.69) min, (151.50 +/- 80.01) min, all P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture at Changqiang (GV 1) and Chengshan (BL 57) 30 min before surgery has effects of preemptive analgesia on postoperative pain for patients with mixed hemorrhoids.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Hemorrhoids ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pain, Postoperative ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of different pH on rectum permeability of chlorogenic acid and geniposide.

METHODFour kinds of Reduning suppositories of different pH were separated and put into the rectum to study the suppositories in vitro and the content of chlorogenic acid and geniposide samples was determined by HPLC to calculate the permeation in 24 hours.

RESULTWith increase of pH within 2.5-7.4, the steady state flux of chlorogenic acid was increased, but the steady state flux of geniposidesamples was steady.

CONCLUSIONAdjusted the pH can increase the rectum permeability of active ingredients in Reduning auppositories.

Animals ; Chlorogenic Acid ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Iridoids ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Permeability ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rectum ; metabolism ; Suppositories ; pharmacokinetics

To control the quality of Humulus scandens, the quality standard was established in this study. According to the method recorded in the Appendix of Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 Edition) , the water and ash inspections were carried out. The component luteoloside and cosmosiin in Humulus scandens were identified and assayed by TLC and HPLC. The results showed a strong characteristics microscopic of Humulus scandens, and trichoromethane-methanol-formic acid (10: 3: 0. 3) as the mobile phase of TLC, the spots at 365 nm with a UV lamp was clear. The 16 batches of samples were analyzed by HPLC with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and phosphate solution (0.2%) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL · min(-1) and detected at 350 nm. The content of luteoloside was 0.015%- 0.651% (average 0.148%); the content of cosmosiin was 0.003%-0.118% (average 0.036%). The linear calibration curve of luteoloside and cosmosiin was acquired in the ranges of 0.011-0.364 g · L(-1) (r = 1.000 0) and 0.003-0.096 g · L(-1) (r = 1.000 0), respectively. The average recovery was 100.5% and 98.5%, respectively. The methods are convenient and reliable, which can be ap- plied for quality assessment of Humulus scandens.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; standards ; Humulus ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Quality Control

The theoretical basis of the alcohol precipitation process control was provided, the alcohol precipitation was optimized and the relationship equation was got. The monod glycoside, loganin and paeoniflorin were used as the evaluation indexes to determine the impact factors of alcohol precipitation techniques of Liuwei Dihuang decoction by the Plackett-Burman experimental design and the levels of non-significant factors were identified. Then, Box-Behnken response surface methodology was used to research and discuss the critical process parameters influence the effect of alcohol precipitation and draw interaction between key process parameters and the correlation equation with index components. Through the establishment and solving the quadratic regression model of composite score, the optimum preparation conditions of alcohol precipitation techniques of liuwei were as follows: stirring speed was 580 r x min(-1), standing time was 17 hours, alcohol concentration was 34%, the density of Liuwei Dihuang decoction was 1.13. The response surface methodology for optimized alcohol precipitation techniques of Liuwei Dihuang decoction is. reasonable and feasible.
Chemical Precipitation ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; chemistry

Chelating ligand method has been used to synthesize baicalin-metal (Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+) complexes (BMC). The composition and structure of BMC were characterized by the element analysis, ultraviolet spectrum (UV), infrared spectrum (IR), mass (MS) and thermal gravitational analysis (TGA). MTT was used to analyze the effects of BMC on SMMC-7721 cell proliferation. PI staining method and Annexin-V/FITC double staining method were used to analyze the effects of BMC on the cell cycle and apoptosis of SMMC-7721 cell. Fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of BMC on Bcl-2 gene and Bax mRNA, flow cytometry was used to analyze BMC on the expression of Bcl-2 protein and Bax protein. The antineoplastic activity and mechanism of action of BMC was explored comprehensively. The results showed that three new kinds of BMC (molar ratio of 2 : 1) were successfully prepared, the complexes molecular formula are: Na2Ni(C21H16O11)2 x 10H2O, Na2Co(C21H16O11)2 x 8H2O and Na2Cu(C21H16O11)2 x 8H2O. According to the results of cell cycle and apoptosis detection, BMC stopped cells at G0/G1 phase to S phase and G2/M phase. Gene and protein detection showed that under the given concentration and time, BMC can downregulate the expression of Bcl-2 gene in SMMC-7721 cells, and significantly decrease the expression of Bcl-2 protein, at the same time, with the increase of expression of Bax gene, the Bax protein's expression increased significantly. Which indicates that BMC restrain cell proliferation and cell apoptosis by stopping cell cycle, reducing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing that of Bax; The anti-tumor activities of three kinds of complexes were: baicalin-copper (BC-Cu) > baicalin-cobalt (BC-Co) > baicalin-nickel (BC-Ni) > baicalin (BC), showing the dose-response relationship.
Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cobalt ; Copper ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Metals ; Nickel ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Erythema ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Fever ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Transplantation, Homologous