Objective To explore an efficient preparation method of pseudo-ginsenoside Rg2, pseudo-ginsenoside Rh1, and pseudo-PPT, as to provide theoretical basis for the preparation of pseudo-ginsenosides and pseudo-PPT. Methods Ginsenosides Re, Rh1, and PPT as raw material, via a simple three-step called acetylation, elimination-addition and saponification achieve the preparation of 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-ginsenoside Rg2, 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-ginsenoside Rh1, and 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-PPT. The detailed structure elucidation of the compounds were obtained by NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and IR. Results The production rates of 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-ginsenoside Rg2, 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-ginsenoside Rh1, and 20 (E/Z)-pseudo-PPT were 41%/13%, 43%/11%, and 56%/15%, respectively. Among them, 20 (Z)-pseudo-PPT was identified as new triterpenoid. Conclusion The method through the price relatively cheap and easy gain reactants ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rh1, and PPT prepared active better pseudo-ginsenoside Rg2, pseudo-ginsenoside Rh1, and pseudo-PPT, the method for the preparation of other types of pseudo-ginsenoside provides a new train of thought. At the same time, the method is simple and the yield is high.

Deflazacort (DFZ, a prodrug) is well absorbed and rapidly metabolized into the active metabolite 21-hydroxydeflazacort (21-OH DFZ) after oral administration. The aim of this study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties of 21-OH DFZ in healthy Chinese volunteers after a single and multiple oral administration of DFZ tablets under fed condition. Twelve volunteers (six males and six females) were administered a single dose of 6 mg or 12 mg or 24 mg of DFZ in three different periods separately, according to the 3 x 3 Latin square design. Between each administration period there was a washout period of one week. The multiple-dose study of 12 mg dose DFZ per day for 7 consecutive days was started after a 1 w washout period when the single-dose study completed. The pharmacokinetic parameters of 21-OH DFZ after the single oral administration of 6 mg, 12 mg and 24 mg DFZ tablets were as follows: (37.7 +/- 11.6), (61.5 +/- 17.7) and (123 +/- 23) ng x mL(-1) for C(max); (1.90 +/- 0.32), (1.96 +/- 0.27) and (2.13 +/- 0.34) h for t1/2; (96.6 +/- 25.9), (190 +/- 44) and (422 +/- 107) ng x h x mL(-1) for AUC(0-14 h), respectively. After the multiple dose administration, the mean plasma concentration at steady-state C(av) was (7.00 +/- 1.66) ng x mL(-1) and the degree of plasma concentration fluctuation DF was 7.7 +/- 1.2. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic characteristics of 21-OH DFZ in healthy Chinese volunteers were linear over the dose range of 6 to 24 mg. No significant gender differences were found in the pharmacokinetics of 21-OH DFZ in healthy Chinese volunteers. After the multiple dose administration of 12 mg DFZ for 7 d, no accumulation of 21-OH DFZ in healthy Chinese volunteers was observed.
Administration, Oral ; Area Under Curve ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnenediones ; pharmacokinetics ; Tablets

Adolescent ; Adrenalectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Pelvis ; surgery ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ureteral Obstruction ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the academic level and the popularity of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology in China in 2005.

METHODSWe used bibliometrics to analyze statistically the original articles of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology cited by Chinese periodicals included in the Wanfang Data in 2005.

RESULTS(1) 699 published papers in the journal in 2005 were cited 1673 times and 44 of them were cited 720 times in total. (2) The papers published in the Chinese Journal of Hepatology were cited by journals in China starting from 1993 through 2005. Of all the cited articles, 1.49% of them were cited in the same year as they were published. (3) Non-specific rate of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology was 96.17%, and self-cite rate was 3.83%. (4) Papers published in the Chinese Journal of Hepatology were cited by 400 Chinese periodicals, 99 of them are journals included in the Chinese Science Citation Database, and 110 of them are Chinese core periodicals.

CONCLUSIONThe Chinese Journal of Hepatology is one of the high level academic Chinese periodicals. This journal reflects the progress in research on liver diseases in China.

Bibliometrics ; China ; Gastroenterology ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Periodicals as Topic

OBJECTIVETo develop a rapid and reproducible method for the culture of human fetal hair follicle bulge cells, and observe the plasticity of its differentiation into sebaceous gland in vitro.

METHODSThe bulge cells isolated from fetal human hair follicles by enzymatic digestion (digestion method) and manual microdissection (conventional method) were cultured and passaged respectively, the efficiency and biological features of cells were investigated , the clone forming efficiency was assayed by MTT, and the expression of K19 was further compared by immunocytochemistry (ABC). The morphological change and the expression of EMA of bulge cells were also observed after induction.

RESULTSBy conventional method, 8-10 bulges were harvested in one hour, 40%-50% of their cells were found to adhere to the culture plate after culturing for 48h, and they became confluent after 14 days. In comparison, about 100 bulges were harvested in one hour by digestion method, the adherence efficiency of their cells was 30% after cultivation for 12h and became confluent after 7 days. The cells grew larger with time, with irregular shape and droplets of lipid around the nucleus. The clone forming efficiency of bulge cells cultured by digestion method was (18.2 +/- 2.1) %, which was much higher than that of cells obtained by conventional method[ (12.7 +/- 3.4) %, P < 0.05]. Immunocytochemistry staining showed that positive staining of K19 was observed in most of the bulge cells, with a large amount of brown granules in the cytoplasm.

CONCLUSIONHuman hair follicle bulge cells can be efficiently cultured and multiplied in vitro, and they retained the characteristics of stem cells. And they have the potential to differentiate into sebaceous glands by induction in vitro.

Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Fetal Stem Cells ; cytology ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; Humans ; Sebaceous Glands ; cytology

This study aimed to examine whether ophiopogonin D (OP-D) is capable of protecting cardiomyocytes against DOX-induced injury and the mechanisms involved. H9c2 cells were cultured. MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability and toxicity. Mito-tracker as fluorescence probe was used to measure ROS content raised from mitochondria. The mRNA and protein expression of ATF6alpha, GRP78 and CHOP were analyzed using real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The results showed that a significant endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) was induced upon exposure of H9c2 cells to DOX as indicated by the increase in the expression of ERS related proteins, which was paralleled with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decrease in the viability of H9c2 cells. Whereas, DOX-induced ROS accumulation and up-regulation of ERS related proteins were partially abolished by pretreatment with OP-D. Consequently, a DOX-induced ERS was mitigated by application of OP-D. Similarly, DOX-induced decrease in cell viability was partially attenuated by either inhibiting CHOP or pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant. Moreover, cardiac ultrastructural abnormalities seen in mouse receiving DOX injections were obviously ameliorated by pretreatment of OP-D. Taken together, the present study proved that OP-D protects cardiomyocytes against DOX-induced injury, at least in part, through reducing ROS accumulation and alleviating ERS.
Acetylcysteine ; Activating Transcription Factor 6 ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antioxidants ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Doxorubicin ; adverse effects ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; drug effects ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Spirostans ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factor CHOP ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo study the academic level, subject location, influence, readership, degree of usage and recognition by the readers of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology.

METHODSBy referring to the "Chinese & T Journal Citation Reports" edited by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, the numbers, types, pertinent diseases, funding statues, citing, and the intervals between receiving and the publication of all the articles published in the 72 issues of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology were statistically analyzed. The work units and the geographic locations of the authors were also analyzed.

RESULTSDuring the past ten years, 2,437 articles were published, 27.4 percent of the total received. Of the published articles 892 were on viral hepatitis (36.6%), 428 on liver fibrosis or cirrhosis (17.6%), 421 on liver cancer (17.3%), and 696 on other subjects (28.6%). The impact factor and the total cited numbers of the articles of the journal were among the top five in the profession. Some other reference indexes used to evaluate the periodicals of the journal were better than average level of other periodicals in China. The number of references of each original article in this journal averaged 4.6, most of which were English ones. The average number of the authors of each articles were 4.5, and 89.7 percent of all the articles were written by two authors. Only one article was from an American author (first author), and the others first authors were all from 31 provinces, main cities and PLA institutions in China. Of the total 2,437 articles, 71.7% (1,744) were from the following: Chongqing (387), Shanghai (381), Beijing (315), Guangdong (227), PLA institutions (212), Zhejiang (115), and Hubei (107).

CONCLUSIONThe Chinese Journal of Hepatology is a periodical which has been highly regarded by professionals and has a great influence in academic fields.

Bibliometrics ; China ; Gastroenterology ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Periodicals as Topic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility and safety of the treatment for thoracolumbar fractures with transpedicular intracorporeal hydroxyapatite grafting and pedicle screw fixation via paraspinal approach.

METHODSFrom June 2007 to December 2008, 19 cases of thoracolumbar fractures were treated with transpedicular intracorporeal hydroxyapatite grafting and pedicle screw fixation via paraspinal approach. There were 7 female and 12 male, ranging from 21 to 57 years of age (mean 40.8 years) at surgery. The time from injury to surgery varied from 1 d to 5 d (mean 2.9 d). Nineteen patients all suffered from single thoracolumbar fracture with the distribution of injury level being T(11) in 1, T(12) in 5, L(1) in 9, and L(2) in 4. According to Denis fracture classification, there were 5 compression fractures and 14 burst fractures. The mean preoperative ratio of the anterior height of the body was 57.2%, kyphosis angle was 17.6° and occupation of spinal canal was 27.7%. The mean preoperative load-sharing classification of spine fractures was 5.2. Based on the ASIA neurologic grading system, preoperative neurological function was grade B in 2 cases, C in 9 and D in 8.

RESULTSMedian operating time was 83.8 min (range 60-95 min) and median blood loss was 133 ml (range 90 - 200 ml). Infection did not occur in any of the patients and the operative incisions were healing well. Average follow-up time was 19.2 months (range 12 - 36 months). At the latest follow-up, the height of the anterior border was corrected to 88.4%, the kyphosis angle was 6.1°, and the occupation of spinal canal was 8.2% on average. The postoperative neurologic function of all 19 patients was improved with grade D in 2 cases and E in 17. There were no instances of instrumentation failure and no patient had persistent postoperative back pain.

CONCLUSIONSTranspedicular intracorporeal hydroxyapatite grafting and pedicle screw fixation via paraspinal approach could provide reliable neurologic improvement in patients with incomplete neurologic deficit, and could prevent the development of kyphosis.Furthermore, it has the obvious advantages of less invasive and blood loss, and decreases the risks of postoperative lumbodorsal pain.

Adult ; Bone Screws ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Durapatite ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult