The study of peptide drugs has been an important direction in research and development of new drugs. However, lots of natural macromolecular peptides are limited in clinical use by their metabolic instability and low bioavailability. In recent years, the active small peptidomimetics open up a new hotspot of peptide drug development with the characteristics of low molecular weight, high bioactivity and structural modification. Many peptidomimetics are on the market or on the clinical study. This paper elaborated the small peptidomimetics approved by American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2005 to 2014, and reviewed their researching status with source, synthetic method, chemical structure, marketing time, indication, clinical efficacy and safety. Research prospects in this field were discussed.
Biomedical Research ; trends ; Peptidomimetics ; United States ; United States Food and Drug Administration

As an important part of Chinese medicinal materials, uncommon-territorial herbs are also the most complex parts in the herbal medicine markets. Through years of investigation on the key markets of Chinese herbal medicine, the meaning of uncommon-territorial herbs, their historical evolution, origin and characteristics were clarified in this paper, and some countermeasures were put forward for its development.
Biological Evolution ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; history ; Herbal Medicine ; history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; History, Ancient ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo explore the differentiation mechanism of population biology between "Cangzhu" and "Baizhu", commonly used traditional Chinese drugs.

METHODThe wild populations of Atractylodes in Anhui Province were investigated successively, in which specimens were studied, and the cultivated population was observed.

RESULTThe wild A. macrocephala and A. lancea, A. lancea subsp. luotianensis and A. lancea presented a series of successive transitions, which was caused by the change of ecological environment. A. macrocephala, A. lancea and A. lancea subsp. luotianensis were extreme types of the series of transitions, which were the germplasm of "Baizhu", "Cangzhu" and "Hancangzhu". The transitional types between A. macrocephala and A. lancea were similar of A. japonica, whose effect was the intermediate of "Baizhu" and "Cangzhu".

CONCLUSIONThe development and differentatiation of commodites, the source of germplasm and the selection of geo-herbs of "Baizhu", "Cangzhu" and "Hancangzhu" are corresponding with the development of population biology of genus Atractylodes.

Altitude ; Atractylodes ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; growth & development ; Biodiversity ; Biological Evolution ; China ; Plant Leaves ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; classification ; growth & development ; Population Dynamics

Objective To study the expression and the relation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)and matrix metal proteinase-2(MMP-2)in rectal cancer and evaluate their roles in rectal carcinogen- esis and development.Methods The expression of VEGF and MMP-2 in 52 cases of rectal cancer was de- tected by immunohistochemical SP technique.12 cases normal rectal tissue served as the control group.Re- suits The expression of VEGF in rectal carcinoma(67.3 %)was much higher than that in control group(P

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of human swine streptococcosis occurred in some areas of Jiangsu Province from late summer to autumn since 1998.Methods The epidemiologic and clinical features of 42 cases were collected and analyzed.The bio- chemical features of strains isolated from patient's blood or cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) were tested,and the homogeneity were compared among 15 Streptococcus suisⅡ.Results All patients had acute infection toxe- mic symptoms such as chill,fever,headache and malaise etc.Toxic shock syndrome or meningitis syndrome were the major clinical manifestations.Forty two cases of human swine streptococosis were classified into 3 types:the rates of general,shock and meningitis type were 7.1% (3/42),38.1% (16/42) and 54.7%(23/42),respectively.Ten patients were died of shock type,32 were cured.Strain isolated from patients was identified as Streptococcus suisⅡby API-Strep,the biochemical reactional code was 0641473,and appraised result was 99.9%.There was highly homogeneity in the strains of Streptococcus suisⅡisolated from patients and sick pigs identified by genomic fingerprinting.Com- bined therapy of large doses of penicillin G and ceftriaxone was effective in these patients.Conclusions Human swine streptococosis is zoonosis caused by Streptococcus suisⅡand the clinical manifesta- tions are variable.In the cases of shock type,the onset of disease is stormy and the fatality rate is very high.While the prognosis of general and meningitis type is good and the majority of the cases are cured by effective antibiotic therapy.

OBJECTIVETo explain the molecular evidence of revision of taxonomic placement of Peucedanum decursivum based on the nrDNA ITS sequence.

METHODPCR amplification, DNA sequencing and cladistic analysis.

RESULTThe ITS sequences and phylogenetic tree of 5 species of Angelica were and Peucedanum were acquired, in which 5 species were divided into 2 groups, Angelica group and Peucedanum group. P. decursivum was placed in the Angelica group.

CONCLUSIONP. decursivum belongs to genus Angelica. The scientific name of P. decursivum should be revised as A. decursivum. A. decursivum and P. praeruptorum should be used as crude drug respectively.

Angelica ; classification ; genetics ; Apiaceae ; classification ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics

A new sesquiterpene hydroquinone (1) was isolated from a deep sea sediment derived fungus, Phialocephala sp.. Its structure and stereochemistry were established on the basis of spectroscopic data and optical rotation. This compound was tested for cytotoxicity against P388 (murine leukemia cell) and K562 (human leukemia cell) cell lines, and displayed strong cytotoxic effects with IC50 value of 0.16 and 0.05 micromol x L(-1), separately.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ascomycota ; chemistry ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hydroquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia P388 ; pathology ; Mice ; Molecular Structure

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between polymorphisms of DNA repair gene XRCC1 and susceptibility to radiation injury.

METHODSIn 1:1 case-control study, 113 abnormal chromosome workers exposed to ionizing radiation were selected as cases and 113 normal chromosome as controls who matched with case for sex, age (+/- 5 years), nation, type of work, the same or more but in 2 years work length and the same similar levels of the cumulative exposure radiation dose. Genotypes were analysed using PCR based restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques.

RESULTSThe frequency of XRCC1 26304TT allele in case group (18.58%) was significantly higher than that in control group (7.08%), with OR for radiation damage being 3.47 (95% CI 1.43 - 8.44, P < 0.05). No association was observed between XRCC1 G27466A and G28152A and susceptibility to radiation injury.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation of XRCC1 C26304T is related with the susceptibility to radiation injury. The polymorphisms of XRCC1 G27466A and G28152A are not found to have association with abnormal chromosomes.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Chromosome Aberrations ; DNA Repair ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Radiation Injuries ; genetics ; X-ray Repair Cross Complementing Protein 1

OBJECTIVEThe microscopic structure and histochemical localization of the Polygonatum sibiricum, P. cytonema, P. filipes, P. zanlanscianense and P. odoratum was studied.

METHODScanning electron microscope (SEM) and digital biological microscope (DBM) were applied in the research.

RESULTVenation bundle showed in three types included collateral, amphivasal and incomplete amphivasal bundles. Morphological differences of venation bundles could be seen under the fluorescence microscope. Calcium oxalate existed in the mucilage cells looked similar to columnar crystals under SEM. In rhizome of Polygonatum, polysaccharides presented in mucilage cells, saponins and volatile oil were found in ground tissue.

CONCLUSIONMicrostructure difference of rhizomes would be used for identification of the Polygonatum plants. Polysaccharides and saponins are distributed in different cells of Polygonatum plants.

Calcium Oxalate ; analysis ; Histocytochemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; Polygonatum ; chemistry ; ultrastructure ; Polysaccharides ; analysis ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; ultrastructure ; Saponins ; analysis