BACKGROUND: The morbidity of cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis is rather high in senile patients, which affects the life quality.OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of gushukang, the Chinese herbal patent for kidney tonification on senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis.DESIGN: Random control study based on patients.SETTING: Orthopedics department in a provincial hospital of traditional Chinese medicine.PARTICIPANTS: Fifty cases of senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis collected from the inpatients and outpatients in Henan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from .June 2002 to December 2003.METHODS: Fifty cases of senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis were randomized into experimental group(30 cases) and the control(20 cases) . In experimental group, gushukang was prescribed, 10 g/time and twice a day. In the control, jingfukang was prescribed, 6 g/time,twice per day. The course of treatment was 6 months.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To observe the improvement of therapeutic effects, X-ray manifestation, bone density, serum calcium and phosphorus before and after treatment in two groups.RESULTS: The therapeutic effects were obtained in both groups. The effective rate was 93％ in treatment group, better than the control (75％) ( P ＜ 0.05). Concerning to remote ultrasonic conductive speed in radius(SOS), it was(3 934 ± 125) and(3 990 ± 105) m/s before and after treatment respectively in experimental group; and was(3 935 ± 110) and(3 940 ± 123) m/s in the control, indicating significant difference( P ＜ 0. 05) . The difference in SOS before and after treatment in the control was not significant ( P ＞ 0.05).There was no remarkable difference in serum calcium and phosphorus before and after treatment in two groups( P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Gushukang, Chinese herbal patent for kidney tonification,provides better therapeutic effects on senile cervical spondylosis complicated with osteoporosis.

Objective To construct a cDNA substractive library of dermal papilla cell (DPC) in patchy and normal area of alopecia areata with technique called suppression substractive hybridization. Methods Total mRNA was isolated form DPC of patchy and normal area. Moreover, double strand cDNAs were synthesized in turn. cDNA from patch and normal area then were restricted and divided into two groups and ligated to the specific adaptor 1 and adaptor 2 respectively. After cDNAs from patchy and normal area hybridized with each other twice and underwent two times of nested PCR, then PCR products were ligated with arms of T/A plasmid vectors to set up the substractive library. Results cDNA substractive library of DPC in patchy and normal area of alopecia areata was set up successfully with highly subtractive efficiency. The amplified library contained 120 positive clones, in which 90 positive subclones contained 100 500bp inserts. Conclusion The cDNA substractive library of DPC in patchy and normal area of alopecia areata is a highly efficient one and lays a solid foundation for screening and cloning new and specific genes from patchy and normal DPC of anagen hair follicle in DPC of alopecia areata.

Using gene fusion technology, polypeptide fusion tags can be engineered into target proteins at the genetic level.The resultant recombinant proteins may possess the biochemical properties of the imported fusion tags.Therefore, it is possible to take advantage of fusion tags to improve and evaluate protein expression, to detect and track protein targets, and to purify and characterize proteins.However, it is necessary to eliminate any influence of the fusion tag in structural characterization experiments or in isolating pharmaceutical proteins.Scientists must therefore remove fusion tags prior to structural and functional analyses when fusion tags are suspected of interfering with the biological activity of a protein or influencing its behavior.The fusion tag can be removed by several methods including harsh chemical treatment, mild enzymatic cleavage by endoprotease or exoprotease, and intein-mediated self-cleavage.Here the literature is reviewed in relation to principles, applications, and approaches of each method.

AIM: To prepare flexible nanoliposomes made from active ingredients,phillyrin and volatile oil,from forsythia suspense and study their transdermal delivery system.METHODS: Flexible nanolipsomes of phill-yrin(WN group) and phillyrin in combination with forsythia volatile oil(OWN group) were prepared by the meth-od of membrane-dispersion.Its appearance and particle sizes were measured.Transdermal experiments were carried out on the modified Franz diffusion pool through in vitro mouse skin.HPLC was applied to determining the phillyrin content to compare transdermal rate and cumulative permeation amount of various flexible nanoliposomes.RESULTS: The particle size of the WN group was(180.7 ? 13.69)nm,the Zata potential was-48.8 mV,the average encapsulation percentage was(82.53 ? 2.68)%;the particle size of the OWN group was(212.3 ? 15.31)nm,Zata potential was-51.2 mV,the average encapsulation percentage was(70.49 ? 1.06)%.The accu-mulated permeation amount of the OWN group in 8 hours was(291.92 ? 23.22) ?g/cm2,its transdermal permea-bility in 8 hours was 36.49 ?g/(cm2.h),which was 6.10 folds that of the WS group and 1.92 folds that of the WN group.This difference had statistical significance(P

Objective Using the effect of microneedle array to investigate the feature and rule of transdermal drug delivery of sinomenine hydrogel patch.Methods The microneedles with different length and sinomenine hydrogel patch were prepared;The isolated rat skin was pretreated by different needle-shapes of microneedle array and different timepoints with the same needle-shape,and then sticked the sinomenine patch.The permeation rates of sinomenine were studied using a Franz diffusion cell and compared with passive diffusion of the rat skin untreated.Sinomenine content was measured by HPLC.Results The permeation rates of sinomenine via the skin pretreated with 100 and 200 ?m microneedles were 40.7 and 52.4 times to those of the untreated.The permeation rates of sinomenine via the skin pretreated 7 min with 200 ?m microneedles is 142.0 times to those of the untreated.When skins were pretreated using 200 ?m microneedles with different force, the drug permeation rates were increased with the force increasing.When the force exceeded 5 N,the drug permeation rates were equilibrium.Conclusion When transdermal drug delivery by using microneedle array-hydrogel patch,the permeation rates increase significantly.The needle-shape,skin pretreating time,and force of the microneedles play the important roles in the transdermal drug delivery.

To evaluate the protective effect of anti-digoxin antiserum on hypoxic injury myocardium and its mechanism.Methods It was observed that different concentration anti-digoxin antiserum effect on endogenous digitalis-like factor and cell membrane ATPase activity in hypoxic myocardium model.Results The level of endogenous digitalis-like factor was remarkably higher,cell membrane ATPase activity were remarkably lower in hypoxic group than those of normal group;anti-digoxin antiserum can resume membrane ATPase activity.Conclusion Rise of endogenous digitalis-like factor was basic of molecular biology of myocardial damage during myocardial hypoxia.Anti-digoxin antiserum has lightened myocardial injury and has protective effect on hypoxic myocardium by against effect of endogenous digitalis-like factor.

Aim To evaluate the protective effect of anti_digoxin antiserum on hypoxic injury myocardium and its mechanism. Methods It was observed that different concentration anti_digoxin antiserum effect on endogenous digitalis_like factor and cell membrane ATPase activity in hypoxic myocardium model. Results The level of endogenous digitalis_like factor was remarkably higher, cell membrane ATPase activity were remarkably lower in hypoxic group than those of normal group; anti_digoxin antiserum can resume membrane ATPase activity.Conclusion Rise of endogenous digitalis_like factor was basic of molecular biology of myocardial damage during myocardial hypoxia. Anti_digoxin antiserum has lightened myocardial injury and has protective effect on hypoxic myocardium by against effect of endogenous digitalis_like factor.

This article was aimed to study the effect ofXiao-Qing-LongDecoction (XQLD) on plasma AngⅡ, ALD, Na+-k+-ATPase content, and plasma AT1 and AT2 mRNA expressions in Cor pulmonale rats, in order to further explore the mechanism of ventilating lung qi for diuresis. A total of 60 Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group and XQLD, with 20 rats in each group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to determine the AngⅡ, ALD and Na+-k+-ATPase content. The fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the AT1 and AT2 mRNA expression. The results showed that compared with the normal group, the AngⅡ, ALD and Na+-k+-ATPase contents in the model group were significantly increased (P< 0.05, orP< 0.01). Compared with the model group, the AngⅡ, ALD and Na+-k+-ATPase contents in the XQLD group were obviously decreased (P< 0.05). Compared with the normal group, AT1 mRNA expression was increased; and AT2 mRNA expression was decreased in the model group (P<0.05, orP< 0.01). Compared with the model group, AT1 mRNA expression was decreased; and AT2 mRNA expression was increased in the XQLD group (P < 0.01). It was concluded that XQLD can effectively regulate the AT1 and AT2 mRNA expressions, influence ALD content to ventilate lungqi for dieresis.

Objective To evaluate the possible causes of misdiagnosis of minimal breast carcinoma (MBC). Meth-ods The possible causes of misdiagnosis of 90 cases of MBC confirmed by pathology were retrospective analyzed. Accord-ing to the maximum diameter of the lesion, 90 cases were divided into 0.5-1.0 cm group (n=55) and≤0.5 cm group (n=35). And these two groups were subdivided into correct and misdiagnosed groups. The two-dimensional ultrasound findings were observed by using SIEMENZ S2000, GE vivid7 and GE vivid9 color Doppler ultrasound instruments, and reasons of misdiag-nosis were analyzed. Results There were 32 cases were misdiagnosed in 90 patients with MBC. There was significant differ-ence in boundary of misdiagnosis between diameter 0.5-1.0 cm group and≤0.5 cm group. There were significant differences in boundary and calcification between misdiagnosed group and correct group in diameter 0.5-1.0 cm group (P<0.05). There were also significant differences in A/T ratio and accompanying by multiple benign nodules between misdiagnosed group and correct group in diameter≤0.5 cm group (P<0.05). Conclusion The misdiagnosis in MBC is because of different lesion sizes. The misdiagnosis happens in the maximum diameter of the lesions between 0.5-1.0 cm that showed manifestation of sharp edges, no micro-calcification in sonographic features of benign. The misdiagnosis happens in maximum diameter of le-sions≤0.5 cm that manifested as the aspect A/T ratio<1 and characterized by multiple nodules.

The safety of Chuangyuling (CYL) dressing-a multifunctional medicine carrying biomaterial was evaluated in order to provide foundation for the application of CYL as material used in the wound healing. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extract solution was compounded with scaffolds (gelatin and Bletilla hyacinthine gum), and then frozen and dried to form spongy and porous material CYL. According to the standard of biological evaluation of medical devices that was instituted by the ministry of health of China, the biological evaluation of CYL dressing was conducted. The results showed that all the contents of biological evaluation test consisting of acute toxicity, skin irritation, sensitization and cytotoxicity met the requirement of standards. It was concluded that the biomaterial carrying TCM (CYL dressing) is safe for application of wound healing.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/*administration & dosage ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity ; Gelatin ; Occlusive Dressings ; Phytotherapy ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; Wound Healing/*drug effects