Aim To study the activation of Nrf2 in-duced by baicalein ( BAI ) , and its protection against carbon tetrachloride ( CCl4 ) , ethanol and acetamino-phen ( APAP )-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods A reporter gene assay was conducted in human normal liver L-02 cells to detect the activation of transcription factor Nrf2 induced by baicalein. APAP ( 10 mmol · L-1 ) , CCl4 (10 mmol·L-1 ) and Ethanol (100 mmol · L-1 ) were used to induce hepatotoxicity in L-02 cells. After the pre-incubation with Baicalein (0, 1, 10, 25, 50, 100 μmol·L-1 ) for 15 min, cells were administrated with or without those above hepatotoxins. 48 h later, cell viability was detected by 3-(4, 5-dim-ethylthiazol-2-yl ) 2 , 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Results Baicalein (25, 50 μmol· L-1 ) induced the activation of Nrf2 ( P <0. 01 , P <0. 05) in the reporter gene assay. As compared with control, three hepatotoxins ( APAP, CCl4 , Ethanol ) all decreased cell viability ( P<0. 01 ) , and baicalein significantly reversed such decreases in a concentra-tion-dependent manner ( P<0. 01 ) . Conclusion Ba-icalein can induce the activation of transcription factor Nrf2 , which is probably one of the mechanisms con-tributing to the protection of baicalein against hepato-toxins (APAP, CCl4, Ethanol)-induced hepatotoxici-ty.

AIM: To compare the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer ( RNFL ) thickness and peripapillary topographic map's parameters between amblyopic eyes and non -amblyopic eyes in adolescent with anisometropic amblyopia by optical coherence tomography(OCT).
METHODS: Thirty - four juveniles with anisometropic amblyopia were selected. Peripapillary RNFL thickness and peripapillary topographic map were measured by frequency domain OCT with both eyes in all participants, and the differences between amblyopic eyes and non -amblyopic eyes were compared.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in average thickness of peripapillary RNFL and in any other region of peripapillary RNFL. The disc area in amblyopic eyes was bigger than that in non - amblyopic eyes ( t =2. 8054,P= 0. 0263). The disc area in amblyopic eyes were significantly related to the thickness of nasal RNFL and the rim area(r= 0. 7592,0. 7501;P= 0. 0289,0. 0321).
CONCLUSION: There existed some difference in peripapillary structure between amblyopic eyes and non-amblyopic eyes in adolescent with anisometropic amblyopia.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthralgia ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles

Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Silicosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

Objective To investigate the onset of left ventricular remodeling (LVRM) after acute myocardium infarction (AMI) and its changes within 6 hours in dogs on echocardiography. Methods AMI was induced in 14 dogs by ligating the left anterior descending arteries. Eight myocardium infarcted models were successful and were sacrified for pathological study. The indices of LVRM: wall infarction thickness (WIT), the wall motion score index (WMSI), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were evaluated before and 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5 h and 6 h after operation. Results Compared with the pre-operation, WIT and LVEF were decreased (P<0.01), LVESV and WMSI were increased (P<0.01), and LVEDV was increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) at every time point after operation. WIT had no significant difference at 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 5h and 6h after operation (P＞0.05). LVEDV, LVESV were higher (P<0.05) and LVEF was lower (P<0.05 or P<0.01) at 4 h, 5 h, and 6 h than at 1 h, and 2 h after operation. WMSI was higher at 3 h, 4 h, 5 h, and 6 h than at 1h (P<0.05). Conclusions In our experiment, LVRM occurred at 1 h after AMI in dogs. Thus echocardiography may evaluate early LVRM.

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in clinical efficacy on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) between electroacupuncture (EA) and dyne-35 and to explore the effect mechanism.

METHODSSixty-five patients were randomized into an EA group (33 cases) and a western medication group (32 cases). In the EA group, the selected acupoints were Danzhong (CV 17), Qimen (LR 14), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3), etc. After the arrival of qi, electric stimulation was attached to the acupoints for 30 min. The treatment was given 3 times a week. In the western medication group, dyne-35 was prescribed on the 5th day of natural menstruation or withdrawal bleeding, one tablet a day, continuously for 21 days. The treatment cycle was 3 months in the two groups. The menstrual condition, body mass, body mass index (BMI), serum testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH/FSH were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was assessed in the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 90.6% (29/32) in the EA group and was 93.3% (28/30) in the western medication group. The efficacy was similar in the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of LH and LH/FSH were all reduced significantly in the two groups (all P < 0.01). After treatment, T level in serum was reduced apparently in the western medication group (P < 0.05). Before and after treatment, the differences in body mass and BMI in the EA group were more significant than those in the western medication group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA is the effective method for PCOS, similar to that of dyne-35. The effect of it for weight loss is superior to dyne-35 and no apparent adverse reactions happen. The effect mechanism of EA is related to the regulation of serum sexual hormone levels and their ratio, as well as to the regulation of body lipid metabolism.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Cyproterone Acetate ; administration & dosage ; Drug Combinations ; Electroacupuncture ; Ethinyl Estradiol ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; blood ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Young Adult

Rutaecarpine (Rut) is a type of indole quinazoline alkaloid exracted from Ruticarpum. Studies showed that Rut has a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-hypertension, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-thrombus formation. Currently, many scholars are committed to developing it into a new antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory drug with all new mechanisms. But studies found that Rut is a highly fat-soluble drug with low water and oil solubility. Its high insolubility is the main obstacle in its oral absorption and application, which greatly reduced its bioavailability. Therefore, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD) was used as the inclusion material to prepare Rut-HP-beta-CD inclusion complex in this experiment, in order to increase its water solubility and bioavailability. In this experiment, the inclusion complex was prepared by the stirring-freeze-dry method. The preparation process was optimized by the orthogonal test, with the inclusion rate as the index, and molar ratio between host and guest molecules, inclusion temperature, time and stirring speed as the impacting factors. Moreover, the inclusion complex was verified by detecting the apparent solubility, thin layer chromatography, microscopic identification, melting point detection and dissolution study. The results showed that under the conditions of the molar ratio between Rut and HP-beta-CD of 1: 1, temperature at 60 degrees C, inclusion time of 4h and stirring speed at 600 r x min(-1), the inclusion rate of Rut-HP-beta-CD reached 91.04%. Therefore, the preparation process of Rut-HP-beta-CD inclusion under the optimum conditions is simple and feasible, with a highest inclusion rate and reproducibility, and could significantly improve Rut's solubility and bioavailability, and provide a reliable experimental basis for its clinical application.
2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin ; Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Rutaceae ; chemistry ; Solubility ; beta-Cyclodextrins ; chemistry

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and practicability of training technique in hemiplegia.Methods313 stroke patients with hemiplegia were divided randomly into the control group and training group, and treated with integrative training technique for hemiplegia impairment during 3 months. Locomotor recovery and the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) of patients in two groups were assessed before and after one, two and three months training respectively, using Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation.ResultsAfter treatment, FMA, FIM and the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation of the patients in the training group improved significantly ( P<0.001), the effectiveness was better than that of the control group ( P<0.05～0.001).The scales of FMA and FIM were proportional to the scale of impairment in community rehabilitation.ConclusionThe training technique for hemiplegia has ideal rehabilitation effectiveness.

The cupping spot is considered as one kind of skin change due to cupping treatment. With literature regarding cupping spot, the influencing factors and value of cupping spot in clinical diagnosis and treatment were analyzed, which could make a further exploration on the action mechanism of cupping treatment. The literature showed that the formation of cupping spot was related with cupping temperature, pressure, cup-retaining time, cupping area, individual difference and health condition, etc; cupping spot had the ability to assist diagnosis, prevent disease, cure disease and evaluate clinical efficacy. Previous studies on cupping spot have already made some progress, and played a positive significance on finding cupping rule and studying its mechanism. However, the research for this area is still in the primary stage, which needed deeper study to reveal scientific connotations of cupping spot.
Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Skin ; anatomy & histology ; blood supply

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Chinese medicine tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in cultured penis corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cell (PCSMC) in rabbits.

METHODSBy using laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM), the [Ca2+]i fluorescence signal changes was investigated in cultured PCSMC loaded with Ca2+ indicator Fluo-3/AM and divided into potassium chloride(KCl) group and norepinephrine (NE) group. Compared with verapamil (Ver), the effects of TMP was observed in different concentrations on [Ca2+]i increase induced by high potassium and NE.

RESULTSTMP had no obvious effect on resting PCSMC [Ca2+]i. It was found that 1, 10, 100 mumol/L TMP significantly inhibited [Ca2+]i increase induced by high potassium-depolarization. The peak inhibition rates were (38.6 +/- 3.0)%, (44.1 +/- 2.4)% and (53.7 +/- 4.1)% respectively. TMP could also inhibit cytosolic calcium pool release induced by 1 mumol/L NE. The peak inhibition rates were (13.9 +/- 2.7)%, (21.2 +/- 1.9)% and (29.5 +/- 3.6)% respectively.

CONCLUSIONSTMP can inhibit rabbit PCSMC [Ca2+]i significantly by suppressing voltage-dependent calcium channel and cytosolic calcium pool release. The effect, similar to Ver, signifies the important mechanism of erectile dysfunction (ED) therapy.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Penis ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology