Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector was employed for simultaneous determination of six components and specific chromatograms analysis in Liuwei Wuling tablets with gradient elution of acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% phosphoric acid as mobile phase. The results showed that six components containing specnuezhenide, phillyrin, schisandrin, schisantherin A, schizandrin A and schizandrin B were separated well under the analytical condition. The average recoveries ranged from 98.96% to 100.5% with RSD less than 2. 0%. Twenty-five common peaks were selected as the specific chromatograms of Liuwei Wuling tablets with schisantherin A as the reference peak. Similarities calculated by cosine of angle, correlation coefficient and peak area ratio similarity (PAR) were all above 0. 95, indicating a good similarity between the reference and twenty batches of samples. Grubbs test and cluster analysis indicated that the established HPLC fingerprints and HPLC quantitative analysis can be used efficiently in the quality control of Liuwei Wuling tablets.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Tablets ; chemistry

The rennin angiotensin system has been recognized for many years as a key regulator in systemic blood pressure and the metabolism of water and salt. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2(ACE2) is the first human homolog of angiotensin converting enzyme which efficiently hydrolyze the angiotensin Ⅱ to vasodilator angiotensin 1-7.ACE2 is now implicated in cardiovascular,renal, lung disease and serves as a receptor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.

AIMTo investigate the in vitro influencing factors on drug release from matrices with sodium alginate as the hydrophilic polymer.

METHODSSodium alginate hydrophilic matrix tablets were prepared by direct compression method with theopylline as a model drug. The in vitro influencing factors on drug release behavior from matrices were studied by investigating the swelling, water uptake and erosion characteristics of pure sodium alginate matrices.

RESULTSThe results showed that drug release rate and drug release mechanism were both related to the viscosity of sodium alginate used in matrices, pH values and ionic strength of dissolution media and rotation speeds.

CONCLUSIONSodium alginate can be tailor-made to suit the demands of applicants in sustained delivery systems as a good candidate of hydrophilic polymer.

Alginates ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glucuronic Acid ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Hexuronic Acids ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Solubility ; Tablets ; Theophylline ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Viscosity

OBJECTIVETo introduce a safe and simple method to improve the effect of face lifting.

METHODSDuring face lifting three anatomic dissection was applied. All the cases were performed with transferring the SMAS flap from the anterior ear to the posterior and fixing platysma flap with deep fascia of mastoid region, then removed fixed and sutured skin flap.

RESULTS12 cases with satisfying effect were followed up for 6 - 12 months. No complications were found such as facial nerve injuring.

CONCLUSIONThe application of pedicle SMAS flap and platysma flap in face lifting is simple and safe.

Aged ; Face ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck Muscles ; transplantation ; Rhytidoplasty ; methods ; Surgical Flaps

The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques indluding silica gel, reverse phase silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and pre-HPLC and identified by their physicochemical properties and spectral data. Sixteen phenolic compounds had been isolated and n-butanol extracts which were fractionated from the ethanol extract of Oplopanax horridus roots bark. Their structures were identified as below, including 7 phenylpropanoid compounds, ferulic acid (1), 3-acetylcaffeic acid (2), caffeic acid (3), homovanillyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), 3-hydroxyphenethyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), 3, 5-dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), and 3-dimethoxycinnamyl alcohol 4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7). Three coumarins, scopoletin (8), esculetin (9) and 3'-angeloyl-4'-acetyl-cis-knellactone (10). And 6 lignan compounds, (+)-isolaricires-inol-9'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (11), 3, 3'-dimethoxy-4, 9, 9'-trihydroxy-4', 7-epoxy-5', 8-lignan-4, 9-bis-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (12), (+)-5, 5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (13), (-)-5,5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (14), (-)-pinoresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (15), and (+)-5, 5'-dimethoxylariciresinol 9'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (16). All compounds were isolated and identified for the first time from this plant All the constituents except compounds 4, 6, 12 and 13 were obtained for the first time from the genus Oplopanax.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Oplopanax ; chemistry ; Phenols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo investigate the tissue distribution of the diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) in solid lipid nanoparticles loaded garlic oil (GO-SLN) in rats.

METHODThe gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) method was established to determined the DADS and DATS simultaneously in the biological samples of rats after administration of 0.5 mL garlic oil injection or GO-SLN (containing about 10 mg garlic oil) via jugular vein cannula. The conditions for gas chromatographic separation were as follows. The oven temperature was set at 110 degrees C and maintained for 15 min. Temperatures at the injection port and detector were 180 degrees C and 300 degrees C, respectively. Ultra-pure nitrogen (purity > 99.999%, Shenyang Kerui Special Gases Co. Ltd., China) was used as a carrier gas and made-up gas at flow-rates of 1 mL x min(-1) and 60 mL x min(-1), respectively. All injections were carried out in the split injection mode with a split ratio of 1:10.

RESULTThe GC-ECD method was fit for determing the concentration of DADS and DATS in garlic oil. The distribution character of GO-SLN in rats had changed to some extent and the concentration of GO-SLN in tissues was higher than that of GO-Injection.

CONCLUSIONThe SLN can elevate the passive targeting of drugs and lengthen their action time in tissues.

Allyl Compounds ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Disulfides ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Garlic ; chemistry ; Male ; Nanoparticles ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Plant Oils ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sulfides ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics

Aim To explore the effects of miR-7 on astrocyte activation and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Following isolation and culturing, astro-cytes extracted from rat cortex were treated with culture solution (control group), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF, an agonist of astrocyte activation), miR-7 mimic+CNTF, miR-7 mimic control+CNTF, miR-7 inhibitor+CNTF and miR-7 inhibitor control+CNTF, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA ex-pression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR). The protein expression of GFAP, EGFR, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3(STAT3) and phosphoryla-ted STAT3 (p-STAT3) was measured using Western blot. Wild type pGL3-EGFR and mutant pGL3-EGFR-m recombinant plasmids were constructed and then co-transfected with miR-7 mimic into HEK293T cells,re-spectively. The luciferase activity of reporter gene was measured. In addition,astrocytes were treated with ei-ther EGFR siRNA or S31-201 (an inhibitor of STAT3),followed by the incubation with miR-7 inhib-itor and CNTF. Both qRT-PCR and Western blot were subsequently used to detect the mRNA and protein lev-els of GFAP. Results The expression levels of GFAP and EGFR as well as p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio in CNTF group were higher than those in control group (P <0.01). When compared with CNTF group,GFAP and EGFR levels and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio significantly decreased in miR-7 mimic+CNTF group but increased in miR-7 inhibitor+CNTF group(P<0.01). In com-parison with control group, transfection with miR-7 mimic markedly reduced the luciferase activity of wild type EGFR (P <0.01). Moreover, miR-7 inhibitor-induced up-regulation of GFAP expression was almost completely reversed by either EGFR siRNA or S31-201 pretreatment (P<0.01). Conclusion miR-7 antag-onizes the activation of astrocytes from rats by inhibi-ting the EGFR/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of bone scintigraphy in the preoperative diagnosis of sacral tumor. Methods Preoperative 99Tcm-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) whole body bone scintigraphy was performed in total of 103 patients with sacral tumor for whole body survey and radionuclide uptake in the sacral tumor. Of these 103 patients,39 had SPECT. According to the osteoblastic reaction in bone SPECT studies,patterns of tumor with a "hot" lesion was defined as type Ⅰ,a "cold" lesion accompanied with partial uptake was defined as type Ⅱ,a purely "cold" lesion was defined as type Ⅲ,and a "cold" lesion with marginal uptake which produced "doughnut sign" was defined as type Ⅳ. Imaging interpretation was correlated with the final pathologic diagnosis. Results Of the 103 patients,18 ( 17.5% ) had polyostotic involvement. About 46.6% (48/103 ) in planar and 84.6% ( 33/39 ) in SPECT showed decreased uptake at sacrum. Of the bone metastatic patients (n =21 ) ,12 (51.7%) had sole metastasis to sacrum. Tumor with type Ⅰ (6/6) or type Ⅱ (16/19) uptake was likely to be a malignancy,whereas type Ⅲ uptake tended to occur in the benign disease in those patients without polyostotic involvement( 5/7 ),and type Ⅳ was all appeared in giant cell tumors( n = 5 ). Conclusions Preoperative bone scintigraphy is useful in examination of polyostotic involvement for the patients with sacral tumor,but it is limited for diagnosing isolated sacral metastatic disease. Tumor uptake on bone scintigraphy can be helpful in differential diagnosis of sacral tumor.

To investigate oral health status in the residents of Sichuan Province, southwest China, a cross-sectional study was performed using the latest Oral Health Survey Basic Methods recommended by the World Health Organization. A multistage stratified random cluster-sampling method was used to enroll participants from the following three groups: children aged 3–5 years, adolescents aged 12 years, and people aged 65–74 years. In these three groups, the mean numbers of teeth that were affected by caries were 3.28, 0.86 and 5.13, respectively, resulting in a prevalence of 63.47%, 37.20%and 83.20%, respectively. Relative to the high rate of decayed teeth, the prevalence of fillings was very low in all age groups (0.97%, 7.24% and 5.43%, respectively). In the 12-year-old adolescent group, only 3.61%had good pit and fissure sealing. In addition, the rate of dental fluorosis was 24.80%, and the Community Fluorosis Index value was 0.39. In the elder group, the community periodontal index was 2.92. The prevalence in the elderly of having lost at least one tooth was 75.54%. Additionally, 4.44%of these participants were edentulous. The incidence of dental prosthesis was 51.75%, the proportion with a removable partial denture, a fixed denture, full dentures, dental implants and an informal fixed bridge was 21.59%, 11.45%, 4.64%, 0 and 16.67%, respectively. In this study, 8.2%of the elderly participants were affected by different types of oral mucosal lesions. Among such lesions, recurrent aphthous ulcers were most prevalent (2.69%) and oral lichen planuses were second (1.6%). The conclusion presented in this survey is that oral diseases, especially dental caries and periodontal disease, are frequent and common in Sichuan province, China. Moreover, the treatment rate is very low, and primary prevention and treatment options are therefore urgently needed in this population.

BACKGROUNDThe incidence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) appeared to be increasing in China, but very few nosocomial outbreaks have been reported. Our hospital had experienced an outbreak of VRE since March 2008 to March 2009. The objective of this study was to analyze the molecular features of the isolates and the control measures used to eradicate a VRE outbreak in a tertiary institution in China.

METHODSWe characterized VRE isolates from 21 infected and 11 colonized inpatients from a single hospital by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), the analysis of Tn1546-like elements and virulence genes detection. Infection control measures, including more environmental disinfection, screening for VRE colonization, contact precautions, education and strict antibiotic restriction, were implemented to control the outbreak.

RESULTSDuring the outbreak, a total of 32 VRE strains were obtained. There were 21 strains found in Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU), 9 isolates from Geriatric Ward, and two from other units. All the isolates harbored the vanA gene, however, four of them exhibited the VanB phenotype. Meanwhile, MLST analysis revealed that all isolates belonged to clonal complex (CC) 17. With the infection-control measures, the epidemic was constrained in two units (EICU and Geriatric Ward). After March 2009, no further case infected with VRE was detected in the following one-year period.

CONCLUSIONThe outbreak was controlled by continuous implementation of the infection control programme, and more rigorous infection control policy is needed.

China ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Enterococcus faecium ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections ; microbiology ; transmission ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vancomycin Resistance ; genetics ; physiology