Antiparkinson Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Levodopa ; therapeutic use ; Parkinson Disease ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy

Clinical Trials as Topic ; Drug Therapy ; methods ; trends ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Headache ; classification ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of cistanche total glycosides (CTG) on dopaminergic neuron in substantia nigra (SN) of model mice of Parkinson's disease (PD).

METHODSExperimental mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, the normal control group, the model group, the high (400 mg/kg), moderate (200 mg/kg) and low (100 mg/kg) dose CTG groups. Mouse model of chronic PD was induced by peritoneal injection of MPTP (1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-ttrahydropyridine) 30 mg/kg for 5 successive days. Climbing test was used to estimate the neurobehavior of mice on the 7th and 14th day (D7 and D14) after initiating MPTP injection; meantime, quantitative immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the number of dopaminergic neuron in SN and expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in striatum.

RESULTSThe average time of climbing in the high dose CTG group on D7 and D14 was significantly shorter than that in the model group (P < 0.01). The mean optic density (OD) of TH in striatum was higher in the three CTG groups than that in the model group on D7 (P < 0.01); but on D14, significance only showed in the high and moderate dose CTG groups (P < 0.01). Moreover, the MPTP induced decrease of TH positive neuron could be antagonized by CTG, but significant difference only showed between the high dose CTG group and the model group at the two time points of observation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCTG could improve the neurobehavior of PD model mice significantly, and inhibit the decrease of nigral dopaminergic neurons and TH expression in striatum.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Cistanche ; chemistry ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Random Allocation ; Substantia Nigra ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Qingre Yulin Decoction (QYD) on male infertility caused by accessory gland infection (AGI) with randomized controlled trial (RCT).

METHODSSixty infertility outpatients were equally divided into two groups randomly, the QYD group treated with modified QYD and the control group with antibiotic plus vitamin E, both for 3 months with another 6 months' follow-up. Pregnant rates, routine test of sperm and expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) were determined.

RESULTSThe healed rate was 26.7% (8 cases), the markedly effective rate was 43.3% (13 cases), the effective rate was 16.7% (5 cases), and the total effective rate was 86.7% in the QYD group, while in the control group it was 6.7% (2), 30.0% (9), 40.0% (12) and 76.7% respectively, showing higher healed rate and total effective rate in the former than those in the latter. Sperm quality of infertility patients with AGI decreased obviously, manifesting short ened average liquefaction time, reduced concentration, survival rate and vitality of sperm. These abnormal changes were improved after treatment in both groups, and the efficacy was better in the QYD group than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONInfertility patients with AGI were manifested as oligospermatism and asthenospermia, which may not be the definite outcome of AGI. QYD is able to improve sperm quality, especially sperm vitality in infertility patients with AGI and therefore increase pregnant rate of their wives.

Adult ; Bacterial Infections ; complications ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Epididymitis ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Prostate ; drug effects ; pathology ; secretion ; Prostatitis ; complications ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To discuss the relationship between heart rate (HR) and heart rate differences (HRD) at different time points in head-up tilt test (HUTT) and the occurrence of postural tachycardia syndrome(POTS) in children and adolescents.Methods:A total of 217 children and adolescents diagnosed as POTS, who complained of syncope or presyncope, were chosen as POTS group (aged 6 to 16 years). During the same period, 73 healthy children and adolescents with matching gender and age were selected as control group.All subjects underwent HUTT from October 2000 to November 2019.Get HR (HR0, HR5, HR10) in baseline, HUTT 5 min and 10 min, HRD (HRD5, HRD10) of HR in HUTT 5 min and 10 min minus HR in baseline.Results:(1) HR5, HR10, HRD5, and HRD10 were higher in the POTS group than those in the control group( P<0.05). (2) Univariate Logistic regression: There was a correlation between HR5, HR10, HRD5, HRD10 and the risk of POTS( P<0.01). (3) Multivariable Logistic regression: For each additional unit of HRD5 and HRD10, the risk of POTS increased by 27% ( OR=1.27, 95% CI1.16 to 1.36) and 28% ( OR=1.28, 95% CI1.20 to 1.38). Conclusion:HR and HRD are related with the occurrence of POTS in children and adolescents, but HR and HRD at different time points of HUTT play the little role on the effect size of the occurrence of POTS.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of rhubarb in regulating aquaporin-4 in rats with blood-brain barrier damage after acute cerebral hemorrhage (CH).

METHODSCH model was induced by stereospecific injection of auto-blood into caudate nucleus of rats, and the brain water content and neurological defect were detected to evaluate cerebral edema and neurological defect level. Also, the blood-brain barrier damage was observed by Evan's blue staining; the changes of blood-brain barrier tight junction and astrocyte end feet at different time points were observed with electron microscope; and the AQP-4 mRNA and protein expression were measured with RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSRhubarb showed effects in reducing cerebral edema. Evan's blue result indicated the blood-brain barrier was evidently damaged at the 12th hour after CH, with blood-brain barrier tight junction damaged and astrocyte end feet process swelled obviously, but these changes could be relieved by rhubarb. The AQP-4 mRNA and protein expression in rats increased significantly 24 hrs after modeling (P < 0.05) and reached the peak value at 72 hrs, and decreased gradually after then. Rhubarb also showed inhibiting transcription and translation of AQP-4 gene.

CONCLUSIONRhubarb could alleviate cerebral edema via reducing blood-brain barrier tight junction damage and astrocyte end feet process swelling, which might be realized by the inhibition on transcription and translation of AQP-4 gene.

Animals ; Aquaporin 4 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Blood-Brain Barrier ; drug effects ; Brain Edema ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum

OBJECTIVETo observe the curative effect of integrated Chinese and Western medicine on acute cerebral infarction (ACI).

METHODSTwo hundred and seventy-nine ACI patients were assigned to two groups. The control group (140 cases) was treated with Western medicine by staging and the treated group (139 cases) was given TCM therapy according to syndrome differentiation on the basis of Western medicine. The end point was set at the 90th day of the administration. The curative effect was assessed by Chinese stroke scale (CSS), National Institutes of health stroke scale score (NIHSS), Rankin scale and Barthel index (BI).

RESULTSAt the end point of the trial, the total effective rate was 73.38% in the treated group and 61.43% in the control group, the former was superior to the latter (P<0.05). There were 66 cases (47.14%) in the control group and 80 cases (57.55%) in the treated group with improvement rate of NIHSS > or =40%, 65 cases (46.43%) with their Rankin scale within 0-2 grade in the control group and 78 cases (56.12%) in the treated group, 60 cases (42.86%) in the control group and 71 cases (51.08%) in the treated group with BI > or =85, 61 cases (43.57%) in the control group and 72 cases (51.80%) in the treated group with improvement rate of CSS > or = 46%, comparison between them showed significant differences (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTCM therapy accord-ing to syndrome differentiation combined with Western medicine by staging shows better curative efficacy on ACI.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; Cerebral Infarction ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Bushen Yanggan Recipe (BSYGR) on the function and morphology of nigrostriatal system in Parkinsonian model rats with long-term levodopa treatment.

METHODSUnilateral Parkinsonian rat models were established by injecting 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and ventral segmental area (VTA). Animals were randomly divided into four groups, the sham control group, model control group, levodopa group and levodopa plus BSYGR group. The content of striatal dopa (DA), digydroxy-phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanilic acid (HVA) or the THmRNA expression level in the midbrain were measured.

RESULTS(1) Levels of striatal DA, DOPAC, HVA, DOPAC/DA, HVA/DA decreased in the model control group by about 90% as compared with those in sham control group (P < 0.05). These parameters in the levodopa group were higher than those in the sham control group, while in the levodopa plus BSYGR group, they were lower than those in the levodopa group (P < 0.01), approaching the levels in the sham control group (P > 0.05). (2) Striatal TH activity in the model group was lower than that in the sham control group significantly, but higher than that in the levodopa group, while in the levodopa plus BSYGR group, it showed a level obviously higher than that in the levodopa group (P < 0.05). (3) Levodopa plus BSYGR group had a higher midbrain THmRNA expression level than that in the levodopa group.

CONCLUSIONBSYGR could effectively reduce the side effects resulting from the long-term treatment of levodopa.

Animals ; Corpus Striatum ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Levodopa ; pharmacology ; Male ; Parkinson Disease ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective:To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and response time of cardioinhibitory type vasovagal syncope (VVS-CI) in children.Methods:The clinical data of 56 children with syncope or pre-syncope were retrospectively analyzed and they visited specialist clinic for syncope and were diagnosed as VVS-CI in the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from December 2012 to September 2019.Based on height and weight, BMI was calculated, and divided into low BMI group (35 cases) and normal BMI group (21 cases). Between the 2 groups, baseline heart rate, head-up tilt test (HUTT) positive response heart rate, baseline head-up tilt test (BHUT) positive response time, and sublingual nitroglycerin-provocated HUTT (SNHUT) positive response time were compared.The correlation between BMI and positive response time was analyzed.SPSS 22.0 software was applied for statistical analysis.Results:There were no significant differences in age, sex, duration of disease and number of syncope between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). No significant differences were found in baseline heart rate and positive response heart rate between the 2 groups [(78.5±15.3) times/min vs.(72.8±8.7) times/min, t=1.223, P=0.230; (44.0±13.9) times/min vs.(47.0±10.0) times/min, t=-0.664, P=0.511]. Compared with normal BMI group, BHUT positive patients/SNHUT positive patients were higher in low BMI group (27/8 cases vs.9/12 cases, χ2=4.839, P=0.027), and the positive response time of BHUT was shorter [(13.1±4.6) min vs.(23.7±9.5) min, t=-2.691, P=0.023]. There were no significant differences in SNHUT positive response time between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). Low BMI was correlated with BHUT positive response time ( r=0.750, P=0.005). Normal BMI was not associated with BHUT positive response time ( r=0.316, P=0.217). There was no correlation between low BMI and normal BMI and SNHUT positive response time ( r=0.177, P=0.431; r=0.021, P=0.940). Conclusions:Low BMI is positively correlated with BHUT positive response time of children with VVS-CI.The time it takes for syncope occurrence was shorter in children with low BMI than that in normal BMI.

OBJECTIVENeuroinflammation with microglial activation has been implicated to have a strong association with the progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss in Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the activation profile of microglia in 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium (MPP+)-induced hemiparkinsonian rats. Triptolide, a potent immunosuppressant and microglia inhibitor, was then examined for its efficacy in protecting dopaminergic neurons from injury and ameliorating behavioral disabilities induced by MPP+.

METHODSThe rat model of PD was established by intranigral microinjection of MPP+. At baseline and on day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21 following MPP+ injection, the degree of microglial activation was examined by detecting the immunodensity of OX-42 (microglia marker) in the substantia nigra (SN). The number of viable dopaminergic neurons was determined by measuring tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive neurons in the SN. Behavioral performances were evaluated by counting the number of rotations induced by apomorphine, calculating scores of forelimb akinesia and vibrissae-elicited forelimb placing asymmetry.

RESULTSIntranigral injection of MPP+ resulted in robust activation of microglia, progressive depletion of dopaminergic neurons, and ongoing aggravation of behavioral disabilities in rats. Triptolide significantly inhibited microglial activation, partially prevented dopaminergic cells from death and improved behavioral performances.

CONCLUSIONThese data demonstrated for the first time a neuroprotective effect of triptolide on dopaminergic neurons in MPP+-induced hemiparkinsonian rats. The protective effect of triptolide may, at least partially, be related to the inhibition of MPP+-induced microglial activation. Our results lend strong support to the use of immunosuppressive agents in the management of PD.

1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ; antagonists & inhibitors ; toxicity ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; CD11b Antigen ; analysis ; metabolism ; Cell Count ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; physiology ; Disability Evaluation ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Dopamine ; metabolism ; Encephalitis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Epoxy Compounds ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Gliosis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; prevention & control ; Herbicides ; antagonists & inhibitors ; toxicity ; Immunosuppression ; methods ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Microglia ; drug effects ; immunology ; Neurons ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; drug therapy ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Substantia Nigra ; drug effects ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; analysis ; metabolism