Amyloid beta-Peptides ; analysis ; Animals ; Frontal Lobe ; drug effects ; physiology ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; physiology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sodium Azide ; pharmacology ; Space Perception

Animals ; Enterovirus A, Human ; genetics ; Enterovirus Infections ; virology ; Humans ; Reverse Genetics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of rhodiola on expression of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenesis in aortic atherosclerotic plaque of rabbits.

METHODSThirty male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups equally, i. e. the control group (A) fed with common diet and treated with distilled water, the high fat diet group (B) and the rhodiola group (C) fed with diet containing 1.5% cholesterol and treated respectively with distilled water and rhodiola (1 mL/kg per day), all the treatments were administered via gastrogavage once a day for 9 successive weeks. Level of blood lipids in various groups was determined and compared at the end of the experiment. Meanwhile, the tissue sample of aorta was taken for observation through HE and Sudan red staining, for detecting the CD34 positive response intensity by immunohistochemical staining and the VEGF expression by Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSDetermination of blood lipids showed that in Group C, TC was 42.01 +/- 1.99 mmol/L, TG 4.83 +/- 0.75 mmol/L and LDL-C 38.40 +/- 0.74 mmol/L, all lower than those in Group B (70.74 +/- 2.66 mmol/L, 8.75 +/- 0.78 mmol/L and 51.05 +/- 0.34 mmol/L, respectively), showing statistical difference between groups (P < 0.05). The intima/media tunica thickness ratio and the CD34 positive area of plaque in Group C were all lower than those in Group B (0.35 +/- 0.03 vs 0.43 +/- 0.03 and 29.12 +/- 2.56% vs 39.28 +/- 3.48%, P <0.05). Besides, the VEGF expression in atherosclerotic plaque was also lower in Group C than that in Group B.

CONCLUSIONRhodiola has the effects of inhibiting atherosclerosis formation, decreasing the VEGF expression and suppressing the angiogenesis in the plaque.

Animals ; Aorta ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; Random Allocation ; Rhodiola ; chemistry ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Shexiang Baoxin Pill (SBP) in intervening atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (AS-MI) in experimental animals, and inspect its influences on angiogenesis.

METHODSTwenty male New-Zealand rabbits were made into AS-MI model, and randomly divided into 2 groups equally. Group A was fed with high-fat diet for control; Group B was fed with high-fat diet but intervened with SBP. The cardiac function and the positive area of plaque were determined. The CD34 positive response intensity at infarcted marginal zone and aorta vessel wall, and the capillary density of myocardium were measured by immunohistochemical staining. In addition, the protein expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared to Group A, the cardiac function was obviously improved (P<0.05) and the plaque positive area (%) was significantly decreased in Group B (45.82 +/- 3.68 vs 82.56 +/- 4.97, P<0.01). The CD34 positive response intensity and the capillary density as well as VEGF and VEGFR-2 expressions in infarcted marginal zone in Group A were higher than those in Group B (P<0.01); but these parameters at aorta vessel walls were lower in Group A than in Group B (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSBP could advance the angiogenesis in the marginal zone of infarction, improve heart function, and embarrass angiogenesis in atherosclerotic plaque.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; metabolism

Hemangiopericytoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms ; pathology

Racemic (±)-F18 (10-chloromethyl-11-demethyl-12-oxo-calanolide A), an analog of nature product (+)-calanolide A, is a new anti-HIV-1 nonnucleoside reverse transcript inhibitor (NNRTI). A successful enantioseparation of (±)-F18 offering (R)-F18 and (S)-F18 was achieved by a chiral stationary phase prepared HPLC. Their absolute configurations were determined by measurement of their electronic circular dichroisms combined with modem quantum-chemical calculations. Further investigation revealed that (R)-F18 and (S)-F18 shared a similar anti-HIV activities, however, (R)-F18 was more potent than (S)-F18 against wild-type virus, K101E mutation and P225H mutation pseudoviruses.
Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; Pyranocoumarins ; chemistry

Objective To determine the risk factors of light perception and no light perception appearenee after vitrectomy for pro-liferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Design Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants 242 patients (288 eyes) who un-derwent vitrectomy for PDR. Methods 288 eyes of participants from 2002 to 2006 at Beijing Tongren Eye Center were reviewed. Cases that had postoperative visual acuity of light perception (LP) and no light perception (NLP) were recorded and PDR stages, traction reti-nal detachment involving macula, postoperative retinal detachment, postoperative vitreous hemorrhage, postoperative neovascular glauco-ma and re-operations were analyzed. Main Outcome Measures Postoperative complications, PDR stage, macular disorder. Results Subjects were divided into two groups. LP/NLP group included eyes that had postoperative visual acuity of light perception and no light perception (totally 14 eyes in this group). Another group (control group) included eyes that had postoperative visual acuity of hand mo-tion or better (totally 274 eyes in this group). When compared with control group, the LP/NLP group had significantly higher prevalence of PDR 6, traction retinal detachment involving macula, postoperative retinal detachment, postoperative vitreous hemorrhage, postopera-tive neovascular glaucoma and reoperation (P value was 0.042, 0.048, 0.048, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Conclusion Risk factors of light perception and no light perception after vitrectomy for PDR include PDR stage 6, traction retinal detachment involving macula, postoperative retinal detachment, postoperative, vitreous hemorrhage, postoperative neovascular glaucoma and re-operation. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2009, 18: 251-253)

Objective To investigate the effect of electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root on improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function in rabbits with acute complete spinal cord injury. Methods Model of paraplegia was built by injuring spinal cord in rabbits. Then, the rabbits with electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root were set as experimental group and those without set as control group. Normal rabbits were set as normal group. Under aseptic condition, portal vein blood was collected for quantitative determination of endotoxin and bacterial culture ; and liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected for bacterial culture and strain identification. Liver, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and small intestines were collected from experimental group and control group for pathological HE staining; while small intestine were observed by light and electron microscopes. Results In control group, the intestinal mueosal barrier and the other organs were destroyed obviously, with higher level of Serum endotoxin and higher rate intestinal flora translocation than that in experimental group and normal group. In the experimental group, the electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root could improve motility of the denervated intestine, with more defecation content, less destruction of the intestinal mucosa and lighter other organ damage compared with control group, serum endotoxin level was significantly reduced compared with control group but showed no statistical difference compared with normal group, with obvious decrease of bacterial translocation rate. Conclusions After spinal cord injury in rabbits, electrical stimulation of S_3 nerve root can facilitate intestinal tract motility, improve intestinal mucosal barrier function and hence alleviate endotoxemia and intestinal bacterial translocation, as is beneficial to reducing SIRS and MOBS.

BACKGROUND:Chinese medicine therapy is effective for patients with mild-to-moderate lumbar spinal stenosis and also has a better long-term effect than surgical patients, which can enhance perioperative efficacy and prevent spinal restenosis. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy on lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS:Eighty-four patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis were randomly and equaly divided into treatment group and control group. Treatment group were treated with “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy; patients in the control group were treated according to the guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of common disease in orthopedics and traumatology promulgated by China Association of Chinese Medicine, once a day, continuous for 2 weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After treatment, the visual analog scale score in the treatment group was improved significantly (P < 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Scores on subjective symptom and daily life between the treatment and control groups (P < 0.05). The effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (P< 0.05). These findings indicate that “Tongmai songjin yigu” massage therapy is better than traditional massage, but clinical large-sample studies are required.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Zhu's "neck seven needles" in treating cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. Method Ninety-six patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy were randomized to two groups. The treatment group received Zhu's "neck seven needles" therapy and the control group, cervical vertebra traction therapy. Both groups were treated once every other day, for a total of 10 days. The symptoms were scored using the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2) before and after treatment. Result The SF-MPQ-2 score decreased significantly in both groups of patients after treatment compared with before. It decreased more in the treatment group than in the control group and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). The total efficacy rate was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion Zhu's "neck seven needles" is clinically more effective than conventional cervical vertebra traction in treating cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.