OBJECTIVETo investigate the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb, in order to explore the bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity of prepared rhubarb and the objective authenticity for attenuating toxicity by processing.

METHODNormal and pathological animals were adopted simultaneous to investigate the effect of total extracts from prepared rhubarb within a high dose range (2.0, 5.4, 14.7, 40.0 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) on normal state, biochemical index and histopathology of experimental animals. The factor analytic approach was used to analyze the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb.

RESULTThe factor analytic approach was used to extract two common factors from the nine biochemical indexes. The firs common factor was mainly dominated by HA, LN and TGF-β1, and could be explained as fibrotic factors. The second common factor was mainly dominated by ALT, AST and ALP, and could be explained as cellular factor. The results of the factor analysis suggested that prepared rhubarb showed significant bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity, which could protect liver in CC14 injured chronic hepatic injury, but had a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals. The pathological examination showed consistent results with the factor analysis. Under comparable dosages, prepared rhubarb showed a stronger liver protecting effect than crude rhubarb, with a lower toxicity.

CONCLUSIONAlthough prepared rhubarb has a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals, it has also a significant therapeutic effect to animals with liver injury. The results proved the symptom-based prescription theory and the scientificity of the symptom-based medication. The symptom-based prescription theory is important to correctly realize the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of traditional Chinese medicines and guide the symptom-based medication.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Toxicity Tests

Objective To study the relationship between peripheral blood hemoglobin (HB) and blood pres- sure.Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis in 1153 subjects aged 29-83 years.Waist circumfer- ence,HB,blood pressure,high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL- C),triglycerides (TG),total cholesterol (TC) were determined.Results ①With the increasing of blood pres- sure,HB had a clearly increasing trend (HB,normotensive:137.5?14.7 vs prehypertension:143.4?14.4 vs hy- pertension:144.3?13.8 g/L,P

With low molecular weight chitosan and poloxamer 188 as the joint carriers, ginsenoside Rg3 solid dispersions were prepared by using the solvent evaporation method for an in vitro dissolution test. Subsequently, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (X-RD) were adopted for a phase analysis. The results showed that the 60 min in vitro cumulative dissolution rate of ginsenoside Rg3 solid dispersions prepared with low molecular weight chitosan and poloxamer 188 at the ratio of 2:1 exceeded 90%, and the drug was dispersed in carriers in an amorphous state. Therefore, ginsenoside Rg3 solid dispersions prepared with low molecular weight chitosan and poloxamer 188 could help significantly improve the drug dissolution, with a practical application value.
Chitosan ; chemistry ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; Molecular Weight ; Poloxamer ; chemistry ; Solvents ; chemistry

In order to evaluate the characteristics of the spray drying of total flavonoids of Epimedium extracts assisted with soybean polysaccharide, a certain percentage of soybean polysaccharide or polyvidone were added to the total flavonoids of Epimedium extract to conduct the spray drying. The effect of soybean polysaccharides against the wall sticking effect of the spray drying was detected, as well as the powder property of total flavonoids of Epimedium spray drying powder and the dissolution in vitro behavior of the effective component. Compared with the total flavonoids of Epimedium spray drying powder, soybean polysaccharide revealed a significant anti-wall sticking effect. The spray drying power which had no notable change in the grain size made a increase in the fluidity, improvement in the moisture absorption and remarkable rise in the dissolution in vitro behavior. It was worth further studying the application of soybean polysaccharide in spray drying power of traditional Chinese medicine.
Epimedium ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Particle Size ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; Powders ; Soybeans ; chemistry

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signal is one of the important ways in eukaryotic cell,which adjusts and controls the structure and function of the cell. MAPKs in eukaryotes include p38, ERK, JNK and ERK5, etc. With the deepening research,we found that the activation of p38, ERK, JNK signal pathways were closely related with osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage injury. MAPKs are the key signaling systems involved in the production of matrix metalloproteinases and the regulation of cartilage cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. Expecially the matrix metalloproteinases can accelerate the degradation of articular cartilage. So it has been the new spot in pathogenesis of osteoarthritis study.
Animals ; Cartilage, Articular ; pathology ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Osteoarthritis ; etiology ; pathology

To prepare ginseng saponin Compound K with ultrasound-assisted total zymolytic ginseng saponins. The conversion rate was taken as the index to detect the pre-treatment factors such as ultrasonic power and ultrasonic time, as well as the impact of enzymatic factors, such as pH value, temperature, concentration of substrate, dosage of enzyme and reaction time, on the conversion rate. The response surface method was used to optimize the preparation conditions. The enzymolytic products were identified with MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. The results showed that the optimum conditions of the ultrasound-assisted enzymolysis were 250 W for ultrasonic power, 15 min for ultrasonic time, 5.5 for enzymolytic pH, 50 degrees C for enzymolytic temperature, 36 h for enzymolytic time, 4:5 for enzymolytic dosage: substrate and 1.0 g x L(-1) for concentration of substrate. The relative molecular mass of reaction products was 622.4. Therefore, the nuclear magnetic map verified that the reaction product was rare ginseng saponin Compound K. Under the above conditions, based on the total zymolytic ginseng saponins, the conversion rate of rare ginseng saponin Compound K was 6.91% in proportion to the total of ginsenosides. The process features gentle reaction conditions, high conversion rate and simple and reliable process, which is suitable for industrial production.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Enzymes ; chemistry ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ultrasonics ; methods

Objective To study the gene mutation of a Chinese family with Alport syndrome and to perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis before embryo implantation.Methods Next generation sequence analysis was done for checking COL4A3,COL4A4 and COL4A5 genes in the Alport syndrome family members.Array comparative genomic hybridization(CGH) was used to detect the embryos.Results A mutation c.2605G ＞ A was found and identified in COL4A5 gene of all of the Alport syndrome patients in the family,but COL4A3 and COL4A3 genes were normal in all of the detected people.After searching for the mutation database,the mutation c.2605G ＞ A of COL4A5 gene was related to the X-linked dominant Alport syndrome.Three embryos were detected by using the preimplantation genetic diagnosis.Among these embryos,there were two male and one female.One of the male embryos was chromosomal aneuploidy,which was 45,XY,-16 and the other was normal.This normal embryo was implanted,and after 20 weeks the prenatal amniocentesis diagnosis approved that the fetus was normal.Conclusions The mutation of COL4A5 gene (c.2605 G ＞ A) is the cause of Alport syndrome in this family,which indicates that next generation sequence analysis proves to be an accurate and rapid method to detect Alport syndrome disease.Meanwhile array CGH can be used to reduce birth rates as a useful preimplantation genetic diagnosis method.

AlM:To evaluate the expression of transcriptional factor lslet-1 in retina in experimental retinal neovascularization induced by oxygen.
METHODS: The murine retinal neovascularization were induced by hyperoxia exposure. The morphological observation of retinal neovascularization was performed using angiography by fluorescein dextran injection under the fluorescence microscope, and the new blood vessels were quantified after 5d in room air (17-day-old) by counting the vascular epithelial cell nuclei protruding into viteous cavity using HE stain. Realtime PCR and Western blot were used to examine retinal lslet-1 level in postnatal 7,12, 14,17 and 26d respectively.
RESULTS: A lots of new blood vessels were demonstrated in the mouse retina in hyperoxic group by fluorescein angiography and histological method. Moreover, no significant difference was found in retinal lslet-1 level in postnatal 7d between hyperoxic group and control group, but was significantly higher in postnatal 12, 14 and 17d mice compared with control mice. However, mice at postnatal 26d, expression of lslet-1 in retina decreased to normal level.
CONCLUSlON: ln processing mouse model of retinal neovascularization, sustained hypoxia retinal tissue induce retinal neovascularization by increas the expression of transcription factor lslet-1.

Objective To study the role of hematopoietic growth factor(HGF)of placenta chorionic villus in fetal hematopoiesis during embryo ontogeny by observation of the appearance time and the content changes with the fetal growth, which was compared with HGF in cord blood. Methods Thirty embryo villus (2 g each) and 30 cord blood (2 mL each) were collected separately from early pregnant stage(6- 8 weeks), middle pregnant stage(16-22 weeks)and late pregnant stage (37-42 weeks). The levels of HGF were detected by enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay. Results HGF were produced on the early pregnant stage and the content of FL-T3,IL-3 increased gradually.There were significantly differences at different stages(P

0.05);Compared to Gram-negative bacilli group of sputum culture,Gram-positive cocci group had significant diffe-rence in the incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction and microcirculatory disorders(Pa