OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy and risk of long-term administration for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who cannot tolerate the standard treatment.

METHODSForty-six CHC patients who had proven intolerant to standard treatments were treated with low-dose IFN (non-pegylated IFN: 60 to 300MIU QOD, or pegylated IFN: 50 to 90 mug/w) plus ribavirin (RBV; 0.6g to 0.9 g/d) for 72 weeks.

RESULTSForty-three (93.5%) of the patients were able to tolerate the long-term treatment with low-dose IFN plus RBV. Only three patients experienced severe side effects (low white blood cell and platelet counts) that required treatment withdrawal. The virology response rates over treatment time were: rapid virologic response (RVR): 10.9%; early virus response (EVR): 30.4%; 24 week virologic response: 45.7%; and, 48 week virologic response: 47.8%. B-sonographic imaging revealed that three patients experienced improved liver morphology through the treatment course. The patients who achieved RVR, EVR, or 24 weeks virologic response also attained higher 48 week virologic response. The 24 week virologic response had the strongest predictive value of good prognosis.

CONCLUSIONSOur study demonstrated that long-term treatment with low-dose interferon plus ribavirin is effective for patients who are otherwise intolerant to standard treatment. In these patients, low-dose IFN plus RBV can obtain a high virologic response rate at 48 week. Furthermore, the 24 week virologic response is sufficiently predictive of treatment success. As with any treatment regimen, it is important for healthcare workers to monitor the disease status and potential side effects throughout the course of therapy.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferons ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo establish the HPLC fingerprint method and compare the changes of chemical compositions of the processed products from Sinapis alba.

METHODThe procedure of HPLC analysis was performed on a agilent TC-C18 (2) column at 35 degrees C with the acetonitrile -0.1% phosphoric acid in gradient elution as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm, and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (Version 2004 A) was applied to analyze the similarity.

RESULTThe average similarities among the processed products were over 0.96, the standard HPLC fingerprint and five main chromatographic peaks with the isolated compounds was obtained and identified.

CONCLUSIONThe established methods with two solvents are suitable for the HPLC fingerprints determination which elementary elucidate the scientific intensions of breaking the enzyme for glycosides.

Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Sinapis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish HPLC fingerprint for the identification of Cassia obtusifolia and compare chemical constituents of the raw and roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia.

METHODChromatographic fingerprint of C. obtusifolia was investigated by RP-HPLC and the gradient elution mode was applied to chromatographic separation. Data were analyzed by fingerprint similarity evaluation software to compare the similarity of the samples for identifying the main chromatographic peaks furthermore.

RESULTHaving compared the HPLC fingerprint of the raw and roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia were compared preliminarily, and 12 main chromatographic peaks were identified.

CONCLUSIONHPLC method can be used in quality control and identification of the raw and roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia.

Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cooking ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Hot Temperature ; Seeds ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the contents of diterpenoid pigments in the different processed products of Gardenia jasminoides.

METHODThe separation of Crocin 1, Crocin 2, Crocin 3, Crocetin were determined simultaneously by HPLC on a kromasil C18 column at 35 degrees C with the m methanol-acetonitrile-0.3% formic acid anhydrous in gradient elution as the mobile phrase. The detection wavelength was set at 440 nm and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1).

RESULTThe obtained linearity of the four components was better over 0.9995 and the average recoveries were 97.77%, 100.05% , 98.40%, 101.02%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, accurate with good reproducibility. The results showed that the remarkable variation regulations appear among the different processed products.

Carotenoids ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results

OBJECTIVETo establish methods of RP-HPLC respectively for content-determination of two types of constituents in the Cassia obtusifolia respectively, and tp determine the constituents between the raw and roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia in order to distinguish the difference of those seeds.

METHODHPLC systems consisted of Alltima C18 (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm), column temperature at 30 degrees C, flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). Two different mobile phases and detection wavelengths: I , ACN-THF-0.1% H3 PO4 (17 : 3:80), 278 nm; II , MeOH-0.1% H3PO4 (79:21), 254 nm. Analyzed and compared the content of the two types of constituents between the raw and roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia.

RESULTThe calibrate curves of 5 constituents were linear (r > 0.999 7). The precision and repeatability were perfect (RSD < 1.6%, 1.8%). The samples were stabile during 24 h.

CONCLUSIONThe study provide a better universal reference for evaluating and controlling the quality of C. obtusifolia pieces.

Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Hot Temperature ; Seeds ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the contents of iridoid in the different processed products from Gardenia jasminoides.

METHODContents of geniposide and genipin gentiobioside in products were determined simultaneously by HPLC. A kromasil C18 column at 35 degrees C was used with the acetonitrile-0.3% formic acid anhydrous (12:88) as the mobile phrase. The detection wavelength was set at 238 nm and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1).

RESULTThe obtained linearity of the two components was good with that the relative coefficients (r) were over 0.9994 and the average recoveries were 101.8%, 99.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, accurate with good reproducibility. The results showed contents of two components are difference in the different processed products.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Iridoids ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare the contents of chromones in the different isolation and purification procedures from Saposhnikovia divaricata.

METHODThe separation of six chromones was determined simultaneously by HPLC on a Kromasil C18 column at 35 degrees C with the methanol-0.1% phosphoric acid in gradient elution as the mobile phrase. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1).

RESULTAll the obtained correlation coefficient of the six components was over 0.9995 and the average recoveries were not less than 97% (RSD <5%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe method is simple, accurate with good reproducibility. Results showed the better preparation procedure is water-decoction and ethanol-precipitation with resin separation and silica gel purification.

Apiaceae ; chemistry ; Chromones ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective To evaluate the protective effect of Yersinia pestis capsular antigen F1 and recombinant rV270 on mice after immunization with them.Methods According to body weight,40 female Balb/c mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into four experimental groups(Fl-10 μg + aluminum adjuvant,F1-20 μg + aluminum adjuvant,rV-10 μg + aluminum adjuvant,and rV-20 μg + aluminum adjuvant) and a control group,8 in each group.Mice in experimental groups were immunized with the natural antigen F1 and recombinant antigen rV270 adsorbed to 25％ aluminum adjuvant and the control group was immunized with the same amount of aluminum adjuvant.Each mouse was immunized at the hind leg muscle with 100 ml immunizing agent,then a booster immunization was done once on the 21st day after the first immunization.The blood of all mice was collected on the 8th week after the first immunization,serum antibody titers were detected by ELISA and the data of antibody titers were analyzed by t test for comparison between groups.At the same time the mice were injected subcutaneously with 2000-fold LD50 of Yersinia pestis virulent strain 141,after 14 days,the protective effect of immunization was analyzed.Results The control group did not produce antibody.Antibody geometric mean titers (GMT) of the F1-10 mg + aluminum adjuvant and F1-20 mg + aluminum adjuvant groups were 1 ∶ 30443.9,and 1 ∶21527.8,respectively,and compared between the two groups,the difference was not statistically significant (t =1.1282,P ＞ 0.05).The GMTs of the rV-10 μg + aluminum adjuvant and rV-20 μg + aluminum adjuvant groups were 1 ∶ 13957.3 and 1 ∶18100.9,respectively,and compared between the two groups,the difference was not statistically significant(t =0.9408,P ＞ 0.05 ).After subcutaneous injection with Yersinia pestis virulent strain 141,all mice died in the control group but all survived in the experimental group.Conclusion The immune activity of natural antigen F1 and recombinant rV270 is high,which can be used as the main component of subunit vaccine in the plague subunit vaccine study.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the chemical constituents of the roasted seeds of Cassia obtusifolia to illuminate the change of its effective components before and after roasted.

METHODCompounds were separated by silica gel chromatography, and their structures were evaluated by spectral analysis and chemical evidence.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated from the ethanol extract. Their structures were identified as chrysophanol (1), physcion (2), 8-methoxylchrysophanol (3), beta-sitosterol (4), emodin (5), obtusin (6) and obtusifolin-2-O-beta-D-(6'-O-acetyl) glucopyranside (7).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-7 were isolated from the roasted seeds of C. obtusifolia for the first time, and compound 7 was a new compound.

Cassia ; chemistry ; Cooking ; Hot Temperature ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Seeds ; chemistry

A high affinity polyclonal antibody-based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the quantification of zeranol in bovine urine. On the basis of urine matrix studies, the optimized dilution factors producing insignificant matrix interference were selected as 1:5 in pretreatment. In the improved ELISA, the linear response range was between 0.02 and 1 microg/ml, and the detection limit was 0.02 microg/ml for the assay. The overall recoveries and the coefficients of variation (CVs) were in the range of 82% to approximately 127% and 3.5% to approximately 8.8%, respectively. Thirty-six bovine urine samples spiked with zeranol (ranging from 0.2 to 10 microg/ml) were detected by the ELISA and liquid chromatography (LC) method, and good correlations were obtained between the two methods (R(2)=0.9643). We conclude that this improved ELISA is suitable tool for a mass zeranol screening and can be an alternative for the conventional LC method for zeranol in bovine urine.
Animals ; Calibration ; Cattle ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Indicator Dilution Techniques ; Zeranol ; immunology ; urine