Objective To investigate the effects of a training program based on virtual reality on static and dynamic balance perfor-mance in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods From June, 2014 to June, 2016, 46 patients with PD were randomly divided into control group (n=23) and experimental group (n=23). The control group received routine balance training, while the experimental group re-ceived balance training of virtual reality, for six weeks. They were assessed with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part 3 (UP-DRS3), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), TimedUp and GoTest (TUGT) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) before and after training. The envelope area, anteroposterior standard deviation (AP-SD), mediolateral standard deviation (ML-SD) of centre of pressure (COP) were also measured with posturography. Results The scores of BBS, TUGT and HAMD improved in both groups after training (t>2.657, P<0.05), and improved more in the experimental group than in the control group (t>2.426, P<0.05). The score of UPDRS3 and the parameters of pos-turography improved in the experimental group (t>2.626, P<0.05), and improved more than that in the control group (t>2.112, P<0.05). Con-clusion Virtual reality rehabilitation is more effective than routine balance training on the static and dynamic balance function in patients with PD, and may release their depression.

Aim To explore the differences in hyper-trophic marker genes such as atrial natriuretic peptide ( ANP) , brain natriuretic peptide ( BNP) and β-myo-sin heavy chain (β-MHC) genes in different models of cardiac hypertrophy. Methods Respectively using re-nal abdominal aortic coarctation ( AAC) , arteriovenous fistula ( AVF) and isoproterenol ( ISO) methods to es-tablish C57BL/6 mouse model of cardiac hypertrophy. After modeling, each mouse ’ s body weight ( BW ) , heart weight ( HW) and left ventricular weight ( LVW) were weighed, and the heart weight ( HW/BW) and left ventricular index ( LVW/BW ) were calculated;myocardium by HE staining, pathological morphologi-cal changes were observed; myocardium by immuno-histochemistry, ANP, BNP and β-MHC protein ex-pression was observed;myocardium by Real-time PCR detection, ANP, BNP and β-MHC mRNA expression was observed. Results Compared with control group, HW/BW and LVW/BW were increased in three mod-els. Through the light microscope, each mouse model showed varying degrees of cardiac hypertrophy. ANP, BNP and β-MHC were increased in the protein and mRNA expression. Compared with AAC group, AVF and ISO groups’ myocardial tissue ANP, BNP and β-MHC expression were decreased in the protein and mRNA expression. Conclusions Three cardiac hy-pertrophy models are successful. Cardiac tissue ANP, BNP and β-MHC expression in AAC model exceeds AVF and ISO model.

In China, traditional Chinese medicines （TCMs） have been used in clinical applications for thousands of years. The successful hyphenation of high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） and mass spectrometry （MS） has been applied widely in TCMs and biological samples analysis. Undoubtedly, HPLC/MS technique has facilitated the understanding of the treatment mechanism of TCMs. We reviewed more than 350 published papers within the last 5 years on HPLC/MS in the analysis of TCMs. The present review focused on the applications of HPLC/MS in the component analysis, metabolites analysis, and pharmacokinetics of TCMs etc. 50% of the literature is related to the component analysis of TCMs, which show that this field is the most popular type of research. In the metabolites analysis, HPLC coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry has been demonstrated to be the powerful tool for the characterization of structural features and fragmentation behavior patterns. This paper presented a brief overview of the applications of HPLC/MS in the analysis of TCMs. HPLC/MS in the fingerprint analysis is reviewed elsewhere.

In order to clarify the metabolism pathways of scandoside methyl ester, the analysis of metabolites profiling in four kinds of liver microsomes was performed by using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/ electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS). The data obtained from the 0 h-incubation and the 2 h-incubation were compared and analyzed. After incubation, 5 metabolites of scandoside methyl ester were found in rat, Beagles, rhesus monkey and human liver microsome. The results showed that scandoside methyl ester's major metabolic pathway in the liver microsomes is hydrolysis, oxidation and reduction reactions, and there are certain kinds differences between species. The study provides a research base for further research about iridoid compounds in vivo metabolic pathways.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dogs ; Esters ; metabolism ; Humans ; Iridoids ; metabolism ; Macaca mulatta ; Microsomes, Liver ; metabolism ; Rats ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Aim To explore the protective effects of lithium chloride ( LiCl ) on neurous injuries and phos-phorylation of tau protein at serine262 induced by okada-ic acid( OA) . Methods The neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells were differentiated by all-trans-retinoic acid ( AT-RA) . The differentiated SK-N-SH cells were treated with OA to establish the Alzheimer′s disease cellular model. SK-N-SH cells′ viability and proliferation were measured by SRB test. Giemsa staining was used to observe cell morphology. The neurite length of SK-N-SH cells was measured by Image-Proplus software. Syn-aptophysin and phosphorylated tau protein at serine262 expression levels were tested by Western blot. Results The SK-N-SH cells which were treated with 10 μmol ·L-1 ATRA for 7 days displayed mature neuronal fea-tures. The synaptic length of SK-N-SH cells became longer. And the levels of serine262 phospho-tau was sig-nificantly elevated. 20~100 nmol·L-1 OA effectively inhibited the viability of differentiated SK-N-SH cells in a concentration-dependent manner and in a time-de-pendent manner. The OA treatment induced obvious synaptic atrophy in differentiated SK-N-SH cells. And the phosphorylation level of tau protein serine262 also greatly increased. The pretreatment with 10 mmol · L-1 LiCl significantly ameliorated the synaptic atrophy, the decrease of synaptophysin expression and the in-crease of tau phosphorylation at serine262 induced by OA in differentiated SK-N-SH cells. Conclusion LiCl could effectively inhibit OA-induced synaptic atro-phy in differentiated SK-N-SH cells, and it could also result in the increase of synaptophysin expression and the decrease of the phosphorylation of tau protein at serine262 .

Melittin exhibits high antibacterial potency against drug-resistant bacteria. However, the clinical utility of melittin is limited by its serious hemolytic activity. Thus, the need for developing novel melittin analogues with high antimicrobial activity and low hemolytic activity has grown. We designed, synthesized, and evaluated 20 novel melittin analogues with varying hydrophobic, polar or positively charged amino acids. The results showed that 8 compounds had antimicrobial activity (MIC: 1-4 μg·mL^-1) against gram-positive pathogens equal to or better than that of melittin, and 16 compounds had low hemolytic activity (HC₅₀ ≥ 11.9 μg·mL^-1). Compounds 13 (MIC: 2-4 μg·mL^-1) and 15 (MIC: 1-2 μg·mL^-1) showed equal or better antimicrobial activity against both susceptible and resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium compared to melittin (MIC: 4 μg·mL^-1). Compound 13 (HC₅₀: 24.0 ± 4.3 μg·mL^-1) displayed noticeably decreased hemolytic activity compared to melittin (HC₅₀: 5.3 ± 0.4 μg·mL^-1). This work established a base for further study on the structure-activity relationships and structure-toxicity relationships of melittin.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy and safety of Jingui Shengqi Pill in treating partial androgen deficiency in aging males (PADAM), and to explore the new approach in improving the quality of life in PADAM patients.

METHODSForty patients with PADAM were treated with JSP, the efficacy was evaluated with international index of erectile function (IIEF) scoring, PADAM questionnaire scoring, hormone, prostatic specific antigen (PSA), etc., and the data before treatment were compared with those after treatment in the same group.

RESULTSAfter 3 months of treatment, PADAM scoring and IIEF scoring were all significantly improved. Symptoms regarding physical ability, vasomotion, and psychical and mental condition all got improved more markedly than symptoms regarding sexual hypofunction. The serum level of testosterone was 3.85 +/- 0.36 before treatment and 5.02 +/- 0.83 after treatment (P < 0.05); luteinizing hormone of 7.33 +/- 2.14 and 4.84 +/- 1.43 (P < 0.01), follicle-stimulating hormone of 10.22 +/- 4.48 and 6.47 +/- 3.28 (P < 0.01), respectively. The level of PSA failed to change significantly (1.94 +/- 0.55 and 2.06 +/- 0.47, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONJSP is effective and safe in treating PADAM, the mechanism of it is different from supplementing extrinsic androgen. It may have produced the effect by means of favorably regulating the condition of sex hormone to improve the balance of pituitary-sex gland axis, so it has more extensive clinical application.

Aged ; Androgens ; deficiency ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Testosterone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the methods of culturing and identifying mouse myeloid semimature dendritic cell (smDC) in vitro.

METHODSMyeloid monocytes derived from 6-week-old C57 BL/6 mice were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 ng/ml recombinant murine granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and 20 ng/ml recombinant murine interleukin (IL)-4 for 9 days. Then cells were incubated with 40 ng/ml tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) for 24 hours to obtain smDC. Meanwhile, smDC was differentiated into mature dendritic cell (mDC) or immature dendritic cell (iDC) by treatment with 1 micro/m1 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or without LPS. The morphological features of smDC were assayed by inverted microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Surface markers such as CD11c, CD4O, CD8O, CD86, and MHC-II were tested by flow cytometry. IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, and IL-10 in the supernatant were tested by ELISA. The activation of allogene lymphocyte (BALB/c mice) stimulated by C57BL/6 myeloid smDC in mixed lymphocyte reaction was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 in vitro.

RESULTSThe shape of smDC was round or oval-shaped, and the diameter of smDC was about 15 microm. The length of smDC dendrite was between 5 to 10 microm. smDC, iDC, and mDC all expressed high level of CD11 c. The expressions of MHC-II, CD40, CD80, and CD86 on smDC were higher than those of iDC and lower than those of mDC. IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-12 secretion of smDC was significantly lower than that of mDC (P < 0.01), and IL-12 was significantly lower than that of iDC (P < 0.05), while no significant difference of IL-1beta and IL-6 secretion was found between smDC and iDC (P > 0.05). Furthermore, IL-10 secretion was not significantly different among these three kinds of DCs (P > 0.05). The effect of allogene lymphocytes activation on smDC was significantly lower than that of mDC and positive control (P < 0.01), but had no significant difference when compared with that of iDC and negative control (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSsmDC may be a relatively independent dendritic cell sub-population in terms of function and morphology. It is a feasible way to induce myeloid monocytes to differentiate into smDC using GM-CSF, IL-4, and TNF-alpha in vitro.

Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytokines ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Monocytes ; cytology ; immunology

To identify the active components in Bufo melanostictus Schneider and clarify the difference between fresh and dried Venenum Bufonis, a UPLC-Orbitrap MS method has been established. The separation was performed with gradient elution of acetonitrile and water (with 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase. By comparing their retention time and high resolution mass data of Venenum Bufonis extracts, 39 effective components were primarily identified by MS/MS analysis in positive ion mode. Twenty-six of them were bufadienolides. There were significant differences in the main composition between fresh and dried Venenum Bufonis. There are fewer bufadienolides in fresh toad venom.
Amphibian Venoms ; chemistry ; Animals ; Bufanolides ; chemistry ; Bufonidae ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVECancer is one of the leading causes of death in China. The study aimed to examine the temporal trend of cancer mortality rate during 1989-2008 in urban and rural areas of China.

METHODSThe mortality data of all cancers from 1989 to 2008 from National Cancer Registry database were sorted and checked. Age standardized mortality rates were calculated by the direct methods using the China population of 1982 and World Segi's population. Joinpoint regression was performed to obtain the annual percentage changes (APC) in mortality rates. The top ten cancer sites were calculated and analyzed. The mortality rates were compared with statistics of the United States.

RESULTSFrom 1989 to 2008, the trend of crude cancer mortality increased with an annual percentage change (APC) of 1.0%. After age standardization, the mortality rate was significantly decreased, with an APC of -1.2%. In urban areas, lung cancer was the most common cancer of death, whereas in rural areas, stomach cancer and esophageal cancer remained top cancers of death. Especially, in both urban and rural areas, the mortality of lung cancer was on increase. The mortality rates of stomach and esophageal cancers showed a decrease in urban areas. Compared with the cancer mortality rates of the United States, the Chinese cancer mortality rate in males remained highest. The decreasing trend of cancer mortality in females of China was less obvious than that of the United States.

CONCLUSIONSThe crude mortality rates of cancer in China show an increase whereas the age standardized mortality raters has declined between 1989 and 2008. Cancer is still a major public health issue threatening people's life in China. Effective intervention for cancer control and prevention is needed in the future.

China ; epidemiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; mortality ; Male ; Mortality ; trends ; Neoplasms ; mortality ; Registries ; Rural Population ; Sex Factors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; mortality ; United States ; epidemiology ; Urban Population