OBJECTIVETo establish a characterization system of traditional Chinese medicinal properties in line with modern scientific cognition regularity, in order to reveal properties of traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian and relations of effects of medicinal properties.

METHODBy collecting data about traditional Chinese medicinal properties recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2005 Edition), literature and data about pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicines recorded in the Chinese Materia Medica, by using the method of association rules, the authors dug pharmacological effect rules corresponds to relevant medicinal property combinations, with the medicinal property combination of traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian as the target.

RESULTIt was found that either obvious different pharmacological effects or identical pharmacological characteristics existed in traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian.

CONCLUSIONWith the aim to explore the correlations between traditional Chinese medicine medicinal properties and pharmacological effects, the authors linked the traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern research achievements, in order to provide the ideas and methods for interpreting mechanisms of medicinal properties.

Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; Liver Diseases ; drug therapy ; Meridians

Objective To investigate the effect of costimulatory molecules 4-1BB/4-1BBL on T cell activation with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)patients.Methods The expression of NF-kB mRNA and p38 MAPK mRNA of T cells with 20 SLE patients and 20 normal controls before activation,after activation and blocked bv 4-1BB/4-1BBL were detected bv RT-PCR.The protein levels of p-p38 MAPK and NF-kB were detected by Western blot.Results The expression of NF-kB mRNA and p38 MAPK mRNA and the protein expression of NF-kB and p-p38 MAPK of T cell with SLE patients were higher than that of normal controls(P＜0.01).There were more expression of NF-kB mRNA,p38 MAPK mRNA,NF-kB protein and p-p38 MAPK protein of T cell with SLE patients stimulated by anti-CD3 monoantibody(P＜0.01).In anti-4-1BB monoantibody blockage group,there were decreased expression of p38 MAPK mRNA and p-p38 MAPK protein(P＜0.01).but not the decreased NF-kB mRNA and protein expression.Conclusion Costimulatory molecule 4-1BB plays a critical role in T cell activation of SLE by p38 MAPK signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the role of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ in severe Mycoplasma pneumonia among children.Methods One hundred and forty children with M.pneumoniae pneumonia (65 severe and 75 non-severe) who were hospitalized were enrolled along with forty other children as controls.X-ray was assessed.The proportions of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+FoxP3+cells were determined by flow cytometry.Results Both severe and non-severe children had decreased CD4+CD25+FoxP3+cells as compared with control subjects in acute phase (0.87 ± 0.66％ vs.3.88 ± 2.00％,P ＜ 0.01 and 1.17 ± 0.70％ vs.3.88 ±2.00％,P ＜0.01,respectively).The levels of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+cells in severe children were lower than those in non-severe children in acute phase and recovery phase (0.87 ±0.66％ vs.1.17 ±0.70％,P ＜0.05 and 1.66 ±0.85％ vs.3.61 ± 1.45％,P＜0.01,respectively).Both severe children and non-severe children expressed higher CD4+CD25+FoxP3+cells in recovery phase than in acute phase (1.66 ± 0.85 ％ vs.0.87 ± 0.66％,P ＜0.01 and 3.61 ± 1.45％ vs.1.17 ±0.70％,P ＜0.01,respectively).Conclusion The expression of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs may play a role in the onset of severity of mycoplasma pneumonia and the low express of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+Tregs in children infected with M.pneumonia may increase the susceptibility to severe mycoplasma pneumonia.

This research aims to construct a lentiviral expression vector carrying the extracelluar domain (ED) of human hepatocyte growth factor receptor (C-Met), and to express it in transfected 293T cells. The extracellular domain of C-Met was amplified by RT-PCR, ligated with lentiviral expression vector p RRL-CMV-ED, and then expressed in 293T cell line. The expressed protein was purified and identified by RT-PCR and Western blot. The enzyme digestion and sequence analysis showed that the lentiviral expression vector p RRL-CMV-ED was constructed correctly. The size of amplified genes was about 2 700 bp. The purified protein with Ni-affinity column was about 105 kD analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The Western blot and ELISA results showed that the expressed protein which could bind to HGF specifically was the extracelluar domain of human hepatocyte growth factor receptor. This research may lay a foundation for further study of anti-C-MET monoclonal antibody and neutralizing antibody.
Genetic Vectors ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

Objective To improve the different diagnosis between autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP) and pancreatic cancer(PC) by a retrospective analysis of clinical symptoms and serological features.Methods The analysis included 36 patients who had postoperative pathological,serological findings consistent with Asian AIP standards and 95 patients who had postoperative pathological consistent with PC pathological standards.All patients were admitted by the surgery department of our hospital from January,2003 to October,2011.A retrospective comparative analysis of the clinical manifestations,serology data of these AIP and PC patients was conducted.And summary the differential diagnosis characteristics of AIP and pancreatic cancer in the clinical symptoms,the serology.Results The features of different diagnosis:(1) The age of patients with PC was higher than AIP((60.9 ±9.0) years vs.(53.56 ± 14.6) years,t =3.48,P ＜0.05),and AIP preferred to male groups (x2 =2.88,P =0.09).(2) The clinical features of AlP and PC with the age characteristics were easily confused.Both clinical features were relatively typical in younger age which could be found earlier and relatively insidious in the older age which might be found with delay.(3) AIP were often complicated by biliary system inflammations(AIP =47.2％,PC =12.6％,x2 =18.12,P ＜ 0.05),while PC were usually complicated by the cysts in liver and kidney (PC =29.5％,AIP =0,x2 =13.50,P ＜ 0.05).(4) The high titer in CA199 had a higher value in the diagnosis of PC (concentration:group AIP =20.51 (9.55,86.5) kU/L,group PC =326.50 (94.38,10393.00) kU/L; positive rate:group AIP =35.70％ (10/28),group PC =86.70％ (65/75),P =0.000).The high titers in amylase (concentration:group AIP =103.50 (72.00,252.00) U/L,group PC =46.50 (21.65,96.90) U/L; positive rate:group AIP =45.00％ (9/20),group PC =19.40％ (7/36),P =0.043),lipase(concentration:group AIP =340.50(152.05,495.80) U/L,group PC =107.40(23.40,177.26) U/L,P =0.005 ; aspartate aminotransferase (positive rate:group AIP =75.00％ (27/36),group,PC =55.90％ (52/93),P =0.046) andγ-glutamyltranspeptidase (positive rate:group AIP =79.40％ (27/34),group PC =57.10％ (52/91),P =0.022) had higher values in the diagnosis of AIP.The significant increases in CA199 were not the basis which excluding AIP.Conclusion AIP as a unique type of chronic pancreatitis can be distinguished from PC on distinctive clinical,serological characteristics.

OBJECTIVETo study the pharmacologic action of Artemisia burning products.

METHODSThe extractions of Artemisia burning products were determined by spectrophotometry. The scavenging ability of Artemisia burning products on DPPH was evaluated. The chemical components and structures of Artemisia burning products were analyzed by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS).

RESULTSThe scavenging ability of extractions from Artemisia burning products was the strongest. Thirty-six chemical components were detected, and the 5-tert-Butylpyrogallol among them had a stronger anti-oxygen capacity, its scavenging free radical ability was 1.55 times and 1.21 times as strong as VitC and BHT, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe scavenging free radical ability of 5-tert-Butylpyrogallol extracted from Artemisia burning products is stronger than the natural antioxidant of VitC and artificial synthetic of BHT.

Artemisia ; chemistry ; Free Radical Scavengers ; chemistry ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Spectrophotometry

The purpose of this study is to explore depression metabolic markers in rat hippocampus and to investigate the anti-depressant effect of genipin and its mechanisms using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabonomics. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) procedure was conducted to establish the depressive rat model. At the beginning of the third week, genipin low dose (25 mg x kg(-1)), middle dose (50 mg x kg(-1)), high dose (100 mg x kg(-1)), and venlafaxine (50 mg x kg(-1)) were given to the CUMS rats separately once daily for two weeks except control and model groups. Rat hippocampus was analyzed by 1H NMR based metabonomics after drug administration for 2 weeks. Significant differences in the metabolic profile of rat hippocampus of the CUMS treated group and the control group were observed with metabolic effects of CUMS including decreasing in glycine and N-acetylaspartate, increasing in inositol, glutamate, lactate, glutamine, taurine and alanine. Genipin showed ideal antidepressive effects at a dose of 50 mg x kg(-1) in rats, decrease of inositol, glutamate, lactate, alanine were observed, while glycine and N-acetylaspartate were increased. Important influence has been found on normal nervous system function of these significant changed metabolites, which suggests that the antidepressant effect of genipin may be played by enhancing the activity of neurons in hippocampus, repairing and improving the function of the neuron. The metabonomics approach is an effective tool for the investigation of the anti-depressant effect and pharmacologic mechanisms of genipin.
Alanine ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Aspartic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Chronic Disease ; Depression ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Glycine ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Inositol ; metabolism ; Iridoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Lactic Acid ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Metabolomics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

At present, studies on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) properties are mostly restricted to a single or two kinds of medicinal properties, but deviated from the holism of the theoretical system of TCMs. In this paper, the characteristics of pharmacological effects of different property combinations of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian were take as the study objective. The data of properties of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was collected from the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2005). The data of pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was collected from all of literatures recorded in Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CNKI) since 1980, Science of Chinese Materia Medica (Yan Zhenghua, People's Medical Publishing House, 2006) and Clinical Science of Chinese Materia Medica (Gao Xuemin, Zhong Gansheng, Hebei Science and Technology Publishing House, 2005). The corresponding pharmacological effects of property combinations of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian was mined by the method of association rules. The results of the association rules were consistent with the empirical knowledge, and showed that different medicinal property combinations had respective pharmacological characteristics, including differences and similarities in pharmacological effects of different medicinal property combinations. Medicinal property combinations with identical four properties or five tastes showed similar pharmacological effects; whereas medicinal property combinations with different four properties or five tastes showed differentiated pharmacological effects. However, medicinal property combinations with different four properties or five tastes could also show similar pharmacological effects. In this study, the medicinal property theory and the pharmacological effects of TCMs were combined to reveal the main characteristics and regularity of pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian and provide a new way of thinking and method for revealing the mechanism action of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian and discovering the pharmacological effects of TCMs distributing in the stomach meridian.
Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Meridians ; Stomach ; drug effects ; Stomach Diseases ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study topiramate's new functions according to the medicinal property combinations, in order to apply the traditional Chinese medicinal theory in discovering new purposes of old drugs.

METHODAccording to New Traditional Chinese Medicinal Families--Chemical Traditional Chinese Medicines, the authors found out topiramate's property. Then based on the therapeutic principle of diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy and lung cancer, as well as the relations of efficacies and medicinal property combinations, they summarized the corresponding medicinal property combination modes, compared topiramate's medicinal property combination mode with corresponding medicinal property combination modes of these diseases, and predict topiramate's new functions.

RESULTAccording to the comparison, the corresponding medicinal property combinations were consistent with topiramate's medicinal property combinations as evidenced by corresponding literatures, whereas other medicinal property combinations were not.

CONCLUSIONBased on medicinal property combination modes, the authors screened topiramate's new functions according to e of TCM clinical experience, discovered topiramate's therapeutic effects on diabetes, hypertension and lung cancer in addition to epilepsy, and explore new drug function according to medicinal property combination modes, which could help greatly shorten the new drug R&D period.

Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Fructose ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy

The prescription combinations of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) focuses on the taste and channel tropism, the Qi movement, as well as the compatibility according to multiple combination principles and medicinal property and flavor combination of several traditional Chinese medicines. With the in-depth study on the prescription compatibility, researchers have realized that the medicinal property theory is the core of TCM combinations. However, there is no definite method for combinations based on medicinal properties. In this paper, the authors put forward an method for designing prescription combinations based on bipartite graph and the greedy algorithm. With the medicinal property combinations of Siweilurong Pills for example, the authors proved this method could provide ideas for quickly choosing herbal medicines for prescription combinations, and discussed the prospect of this method in substituting previous and endangered herbal medicines and banned medicinal materials.
Algorithms ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy