High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to determine the content of three major components in Citri Reticulatae Semen(CRS), including limonin, nomilin, and obacunone. The chromaticity of the CRS sample during salt processing and stir-frying was measured using a color difference meter. Next, the relationship between the color and content of the salt-processed CRS sample was investigated through correlation analysis. By integrating the oil bath technique for processing simulation with HPLC, the changes in the relative content of nomilin and its transformation products were analyzed, with its structural transformation pattern during processing identified. Additionally, RAW264.7 cells were induced with lipopolysaccharides(LPSs) to establish an inflammatory model, and the anti-inflammatory activity of nomilin and its transformation product, namely obacunone was evaluated. The results indicated that as processing progressed, E~*ab and L~* values showed a downward trend; a~* values exhibited a slow increase over a certain period, followed by no significant changes, and b~* values remained stable with no significant changes over a certain period and then started to decrease. The limonin content remained barely unchanged; the nomilin content decreased, and the obacunone increased significantly. The changing trends in content and color parameters during salt-processing and stir-frying were basically consistent. The content of nomilin and obacunone was significantly correlated with the colorimetric values(L~*, a~*, b~*, and E~*ab), while limonin content showed no significant correlation with these values. By analyzing HPLC patterns of nomylin at different heating temperatures and time, it was found that under conditions of 200-250 ℃ for heating of 5-60 min, the content of nomilin significantly decreased, while the obacunone content increased pronouncedly. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity results indicated that compared to the model group, the group with a high concentration of nomilin and the groups with varying concentrations of obacunone showed significantly reduced release of nitric oxide(NO)(P<0.01). When both were at the same concentration, obacunone showed better performance in inhibiting NO release. In this study, the obvious correlation between the color and content of major components during the processing of CRS samples was identified, and the dynamic patterns of quality change in CRS samples during processing were revealed. Additionally, the study revealed and confirmed the transformation of nomilin into obacunone during processing, with the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of obacunone significantly greater than that of nomilin. These findings provided a scientific basis for CRS processing optimization, tablet quality control, and its clinical application.
Mice ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Limonins/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Citrus/chemistry* ; Color ; Benzoxepins/chemistry* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and its risk factors in very preterm infants (VPIs) during hospitalization in China. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study was performed on the medical data of 2 514 VPIs who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 28 hospitals from 7 areas of China between September 2019 and December 2020. According to the presence or absence of EUGR based on the evaluation of body weight at the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks or at discharge, the VPIs were classified to two groups: EUGR group (n=1 189) and non-EUGR (n=1 325). The clinical features were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of EUGR and risk factors for EUGR were examined. RESULTS: The incidence of EUGR was 47.30% (1 189/2 514) evaluated by weight. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher weight growth velocity after regaining birth weight and higher cumulative calorie intake during the first week of hospitalization were protective factors against EUGR (P<0.05), while small-for-gestational-age birth, prolonged time to the initiation of total enteral feeding, prolonged cumulative fasting time, lower breast milk intake before starting human milk fortifiers, prolonged time to the initiation of full fortified feeding, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were risk factors for EUGR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to reduce the incidence of EUGR by achieving total enteral feeding as early as possible, strengthening breastfeeding, increasing calorie intake in the first week after birth, improving the velocity of weight gain, and preventing moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in VPIs.
Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Objective:To analyze the effectiveness and safety of the treatment strategies for vascular restenosis after stent implantation in atherosclerosis obliterans (ASO) .Methods:The clinical data of 5 cases who had received drug‐perfused balloon from January to July in 2016 and 15 cases who had received femoral artery retrograde endarterectomy from June 2012 to July 2016 after presenting reocclusion or restenosis atherosclerosis lesions were reviewed retrospectively .The effects of surgery and complications in follow‐up period were analyzed .The effectiveness ,availability and safety of the above two methods were assessed .Results:The 20 patients had acquired an adequate blood perfusion in their distal limbs and got warmer on their feet after underwent drug‐perfused balloon and stent implantation or femoral artery retrograde endarterectomy .In addition ,they could have good palpitation in dorsal artery of feet and have better feelings on account of relieving pain .In the follow‐up ,no restenosis case had been found among them .Conclusions:The application of the stent angioplasty after using drug‐perfused balloon and femoral artery retrograde endarterectomy on vascular restenosis after stent implantation in atherosclerosis lesions proved to be effective and safe ,greatly reducing the restenosis or reocclusion frequency .

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channels in migraine mechanism in rats by measuring the changes in expression of TRPM8 in the trigeminal nerve of rats with migraine.

METHODSTwenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into a blank control group and a model group. Nitroglycerin (10 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously in the back of the neck once a week for 5 weeks, to prepared a rat model of migraine without aura. Normal saline was injected subcutaneously instead of nitroglycerin in the control group. At 4 hours after the final injection, behavior scoring of all rats was performed, and then the trigeminal nerve ganglions of rats in both groups were collected for measurement of expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), protein kinase A (PKA), and TRPM8 using immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence, and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSThe behavior score in each week during the rat model preparing was significantly higher in the model group than in the control group (P<0.05). The expression of NMDAR, PKA, and TRPM8 in the model group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). Both the behavior score and the expression of NMDAR were positively correlated with the expression of TRPM8 (r=0.822 and 0.794 respectively; P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSTRPM8 may be involved in migraine mechanism probably by activation of the NMDAR pathway.

Animals ; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases ; analysis ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; etiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; analysis ; physiology ; TRPM Cation Channels ; physiology

OBJECTIVEGua Sha and Blood-letting at the acupoints were Chinese traditional therapies for heatstroke. The purpose of present study was to assess the therapeutic effect of Gua Sha on the DU Meridian and Bladder Meridian combined with Blood-letting acupoints at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) and Weizhong (BL 40) on heatstroke.

METHODSAnesthetized rats, immediately after the onset of heatstroke, were divided into four major groups: Gua Sha group, Blood-letting group, Gua Sha combined with Blood-letting group and model group. They were exposed to ambient temperature of 43 °C to induce heatstroke. Another group of rats were exposed to room temperature (26 °C) and used as normal control group. Their survival times were measured. In addition, their physiological and biochemical parameters were continuously monitored.

RESULTSWhen rats underwent heatstroke, their survival time values were found to be 21-25 min. Treatment of Gua Sha combined with Bloodletting greatly improved the survival time (230±22 min) during heatstroke. All heatstoke animals displayed and activated coagulation evidenced by increased prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), D-dimer, and decreased platelet count, protein C. Furthermore, the animals displayed systemic inflammation evidenced by increased the serum levels of cytokines interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Biochemical markers evidenced by cellular ischemia and injury/dysfunction included increased plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were all elevated during heatstroke. Core temperatures (Tco) were also increased during heatstroke. In contrast, the values of mean arterial pressure were signifificantly lower during heatstroke. These heatstroke reactions were all signifificantly suppressed by treatment of Gua Sha and Blood-letting, especially the combination therapy.

CONCLUSIONGua Sha combined with Blood-letting after heatstroke may improve survival by ameliorating systemic inflflammation, hypercoagulable state, and tissue ischemia and injury in multiple organs.

Animals ; Blood Coagulation Disorders ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Bloodletting ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Cytokines ; blood ; Heat Stroke ; physiopathology ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Ischemia ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo study proteins correlated with the mechanical properties of engineered cartilage by screening significantly changed proteins during cartilage formation by comparative proteomic analysis.

METHODSHuman chondrocyte, cultured and expanded, were seeded onto a polyglycolic acid/polylactic acid (PGA/PLA) scaffolds. After 4 weeks of culture in vitro, the constructs were divided into three groups. There were 6 specimens in each group. For the regular in vitro culture group (A), the constructs were kept in culture at the original condition for an additional 6 weeks. For in vivo groups, the constructs were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice for either 6 weeks (B) or 12 weeks (C). All specimens were harvested for gross observation, average wet weight and volume measurement, histology, immunohistochemistry and biomechanics to evaluate the results. Meanwhile, comparative proteomic analysis was performed for each group, and those proteins involved in extracellular matrix with at least 2 folds up-regulation were chosen for further exploration. The correlations between Young's modulus and the relative content of the selected proteins were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient.

RESULTSAll these samples in the three groups eventually formed hyaline-like cartilage structure. Specimens in C and B groups were similar with adult articular cartilage in appearance, and had multiple mature lacuna in histology. However, those specimens in A group had loose texture with irregular hypertrophy lacuna. Specimens implanted for 12 weeks in vivo had better wet weight (372.5 +/- 35.4) mg and Young's modulus (8.68 +/- 2.65) MPa than those cultured in vivo for 6 weeks (346 +/- 34.5) mg, (3.25 +/- 1.24) MPa (P < 0.01). In group A, they were (184.4 +/- 12.28) mg and (0.7 +/- 0.23) MPa. This study had detected 44 proteins in ECM by comparative proteomic analysis, then chosing the greatest ratio of 6 up-regulation proteins compared between C and A groups. The correlation results indicated the content of Decorin, Chondroadherin and Fibromodulin were linear correlation with the mechanical properties of engineered cartilage (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSComparative proteomic analysis could provide large scale information of associated proteins, making it profit for advanced research on the relationship between extracellular matrix and mechanical properties of engineered cartilage by combination with tissue reconstruction techniques.

Animals ; Cartilage ; cytology ; metabolism ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Fetus ; cytology ; Humans ; Mice, Nude ; Proteome ; metabolism ; Proteomics ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds

AIMThe purpose of this study was to conduct quantitative research on bone height and bone mineral density of palatal implant sites for implantation, and to provide reference sites for safe and stable palatal implants.

METHODOLOGYThree-dimensional reformatting images were reconstructed by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in 34 patients, aged 18 to 35 years, using EZ Implant software. Bone height was measured at 20 sites of interest on the palate. Bone mineral density was measured at the 10 sites with the highest implantation rate, classified using K-mean cluster analysis based on bone height and bone mineral density.

RESULTSAccording to the cluster analysis, 10 sites were classified into three clusters. Significant differences in bone height and bone mineral density were detected between these three clusters (P<0.05). The greatest bone height was obtained in cluster 2, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 3. The highest bone mineral density was found in cluster 3, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 2.

CONCLUSIONCBCT plays an important role in pre-surgical treatment planning. CBCT is helpful in identifying safe and stable implantation sites for palatal anchorage.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Cluster Analysis ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Dental Implants ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Orthodontic Anchorage Procedures ; instrumentation ; Palate ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the vertical bone height and the bone density of the palate for implants placement using cone beam CT(CBCT)and to provide references to the safe and stable placement of palatal implants.Methods Three-dimensional reformatting images were reconstructed with the selected CBCT scanning data of 34 patients aged 18 to 35 yeras,by means of EZ implant software.The vertical bone height was measured at 20 interesting sites of palate.Bone density was measured at 10 sites that could support 3.0mm long implants.The data of the vertical bone height and bone density were analyzed by Kmeans cluster analysis.Results According to the cluster analysis results,the 10 sites were classified into 3 clusters.There were statistical differences among these three clusters in bone height and bone density(P＜0.05).The ISD result showed that the greatest mean value of vertical bone height was obtained in cluster 2,followed by cluster 1 and cluster 3;the highest bone density was founded in cluster 3,followed by cluster 1 and cluster 2.Conclusions Evaluation of the sites for palatal implant placement with cone beam CT would be helpful in safe and stable implantation.

An FPGA-Based Image Guided Surgery Hardware Platform has been designed and implemented in this paper. The hardware platform can provide hardware acceleration for image guided surgery. It is completed with a video decoder interface, a DDR memory controller, a 12C bus controller, an interrupt controller and so on. It is able to perform real time video endoscopy image capturing in the surgery and to preserve the hardware interface for image guided surgery algorithm module.
Algorithms ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Software ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation