There is an increasing interest and popularity of Chinese herbal medicine worldwide, which is accompanied by increasing concerns about its effectiveness and potential toxicity. Several ingredients, such as polyphenolic compounds berberine, flavonoids, and curcumin, have been studied extensively by using various animal models. Effectiveness of treatment and amelioration of metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, has been demonstrated. This review summarizes the major checkpoints and contributing factors in regulation of exogenous and endogenous lipid metabolism, with particular emphasis centered on triglyceride-rich and cholesterol-rich lipoproteins. Available experimental evidence demonstrating the lipid-lowering effect of berberine, flavonoids and curcumin in cell culture and animal models is compiled, and the strengths and shortcomings of experimental designs in these studies are discussed.

Objective Discussing the clinical features, early diagnosis and therapeutic methods of aortic dissection (AD). Methods We analyzed and concluded the clinical datum of 33 AD patients in our hospital. Results The rate of male to female was 5.6 to 1 among all patients, average age 60, hypertension accounted for 81.8 percent. There were 26 patients (78.8 percent) suffered an acute pain, of who 22 patients got a pain in anterior chest.There were 22 of 26 patients diagnosed AD through echocardiography, 20 and 11 patients confirmed AD by MRI or CT respectively among all 33 patients. 13 patients had abnormal ECG, 10 ST-T segment changed, 12 left ventricular hypertrophy or hyper-voltage. Hypertension patients were treated through a infusion of nitroglycerin or nitroprusside by intervenous drop or by vein pump firstly to decend systolic blood pressure to the level of 100~120 mmHg and heart rate to 60~70 bpm,combining with the use of beta blocker, calcium antagonist and rennin- angiotensin inhibitor. 27 patients’ pain alleviated gradually even disappeared after controling their blood pressure, whose state of illness became to stable. 2 persons did the operation of aortic replacement in emergency. 6 persons died for aortic dissection broken in one week or one month. Conclusions The clinical manifestations of AD are complex, and the rate of false or leak diagnosis is high. Radiology studies including echocardiography, MRI or CT may be very important to enhance the ability of diagnosing AD early and to guide the treatment. Taking medical treatment is primary in emergency. Operating the replacement of aorta is an effective measure to treat AD.

Objective To evaluate the impact of respiratory motion on lung dosimetry using 4D-CT during lung cancer radiotherapy.Methods Ten cases were randomly selected from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated in our department.The 4D-CT machine was adopted for simulation before treatment and 10 respiratory phases were obtained for each patient.Target volumes were delineated on the maximum intensity projection (MIP) images,and plans were generated on average intensity projection (ALP) images.Plans were transferred to CT images of each respiratory phase,and we calculated the dosage on lungs and subsequently evaluated the volume dosage to lungs and the entire body.Results The mean dosage to lungs are greatly affected by the respiratory phase.This difference also depended on tumor location.When it was inside the lung,the average dosage shows the same trend as the respiratory motion,with the change rate of 2.18％,which was less than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =4.189,P ＜ 0.05).When the tumor was located nearby the lung,the mean dosage showed the opposite trend with respiratory motion,with the change rate of 3.76％,which was also less than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =25.007,P ＜ 0.05).The effect of respiratory motion on V5,V10,V20 of body was small,and the magnitude of change for whole body dosages were 0.47％,0.28％,0.17％ respectively,which was smaller than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =11.371,11.188,11.377,P ＜ 0.05).Volume dose of lung V5,V10,V20 and lung volume change trends were the same,and the magnitude of change for lung volume dosages were 2.39％,1.91％,1.80％ respectively,and were smaller than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =2.279,2.298,2.485,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The mean dosage to lungs shows a great difference between different respiratory phases.More attention should be paid when evaluating the lung volume during treatment planning.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between syndrome differentiation and CT quantitative diagnosis of fatty liver. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen cases of fatty liver verified clinically accepted plain CT scan after syndrome differentiation (syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency, syndrome of intermingled phlegm and blood stasis, syndrome of phlegm-dampness blocking internally, syndrome of deficiency of liver and kidney, syndrome of interior dampness-heat), and then the CT values of the liver and the spleen were measured respectively. RESULTS: It was shown that there was a correlation between the syndrome differentiation and the fatty infiltration in the liver. Significant differences of the distribution of fat and the ratio of liver-spleen were found among the five different syndromes (P<0.05). Diffused, mild fatty liver mainly displayed syndrome of stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency. CONCLUSION: Syndrome differentiation of fatty liver is correlated with CT quantitative diagnosis, which can be discriminated by the ratio of liver-spleen.

This study aims to evaluate the bioactivity of five components of the traditional Chinese medicine complex prescription Jiangzhi granules against hepatocellular steatosis.

Aged ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Epithelioid Cells ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemangiosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mastectomy, Radical ; Neoplasms, Second Primary ; metabolism ; pathology ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Objective There is little population-based data on the prevalence and the environmental or genetic determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in China. The purpose of this paper is to study LVH in relation to systolic blood pressure and the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion(I/D) polymorphism in Chinese. Methods We recorded 12-lead ECG (CardioSoft, v4.2) in 1365 residents in the Jingning County, Zhejiang Province, China. LVH was defined according to the gender-specific Sokolow-Lyon and Comell product ECG criteria. Results Regardless of whether the Sokolow-Lyon or Comell product ECG criteria was used, the prevalence of LVH (20.7% and 4.8%, respectively) significantly (P<0.0001) increased with male gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.33 and 7.15) and systolic blood pressure (per 10 mm Hg increase, OR 1.46 and 1.33). If the Sokolow-Lyon criteria was used, the prevalence of LVH was also influenced by alcohol intake (OR 1.44, P=0.03) and body mass index (OR 0.83, P=0.0005). The association between the Sokolow-Lyon voltage amplitude and the ACE I/D polymorphism was dependent on antihypertensive therapy (P=0.01). In 1262 untreated subjects, but not 103 patients on antihypertensive medication, the ACE DD compared with Ⅱ subjects had significantly higher Sokolow-Lyon voltage amplitudes (29.8±0.6 vs. 28.0±20.5 mV, P=0.02) and higher risk of LVH (OR 1.74, 95% CI: 1. 12-2.69, P=0.01). Conclusion LVH is prevalent in Chinese, and is associated with systolic blood pressure and the ACE D allele. The genetic association might be modulated by antihypertensive therapy.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Ningdong Granule (NG) on serum levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) of children patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS).

METHODSTotally 90 TS children patients were randomly assigned to the NG group, the NG + Tiapride group (abbreviated as the combined treatment group), and the Tiapride group, 30 in each group. Besides,another 30 healthy children were recruited as the healthy control group. Patients in the NG group were treated with NG (consisting of all gastrodia rhizome, Codonopsis pilosula, Ophiopogon japonicus, white peony root, Rhinocerotidae, oyster, earthworm, licorice root, etc.), one dose daily, administered by dissolving it in boiled water, taken in two portions in the morning and in the evening respectively. Patients in the Tiapride group took Tiapride Tablet, 50 -100 mg each time, twice daily. The dosage was adjusted according to individual difference and changes of pathogenic conditions. The maximal dosage was 300 mg per day. Those in the combined treatment group were treated with equal dose of NG and Tiapride Tablet in combination. The treatment course was 3 months for all. Changes of pathogenic condition before and after treatment were assessed by Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS). Serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha were detected by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after treatment.

RESULTS(1) The total effective rate of the NG group, the combined treatment group, and the Tiapride group was 79.3%, 83.3%, and 67.9%, respectively. It was the lowest in the Tiapride group (P < 0.05). It was significantly higher in the combined treatment group than in the NG group (P < 0.05). (2) The post-treatment YGTSS score was obviously lower in each group after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05). The posttreatment YGTSS score was obviously lower in the NG group and the combined treatment group than in the Tiapride group (P < 0.05), but with no statistical difference between the fromer two groups (P > 0.05).(3) Compared with the healthy control group before treatment, serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha (pg/mL) were 124.95 +/- 22.78 and 209.52 +/- 21.69 in the NG group, 126.14 +/- 25.65 and 208.97 +/- 22.46 in the combined treatment group, 123.00 +/- 24.26 and 205.10 +/- 26.16 in the Tiapride group, being higher than those in the healthy control group (64.56 +/- 27.59 and 78.13 +/- 33.42; P < 0.05). After treatment, serum levels of of IL-12 and TNF-alpha were 104.67 +/- 16.84 and 183.01 +/- 24.95 in the NG group, 109.04 +/- 16.81 and 179.87 +/- 23.45 in the combined treatment group, significantly lower than before treatment (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-12 or TNF-alpha in the Tiapride group between before treatment (123.00 +/- 24.26 and 205.10 +/- 26.16) and after treatment (117.75 +/- 16.79 and 199.76 +/- 33.21; P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNG could modulate abnormal serum levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha in TS children patients, which might be one of its pharmacodynamic mechanisms for treating TS.

Adolescent ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Tourette Syndrome ; blood ; drug therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Thirty healthy women and 101 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were recruited. According to serum testosterone (T) level and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ,the correlation of T and body mass index (BMI) with insulin resistance was analyzed. The results showed that there were 39. 8％ normal,24. 5％ overweight,and 35.7％ obese among 101 PCOS patients. However,there were no significantly differences in BMI, fasting plasma glucose ( FPG ), triglyceride ( TG ), total cholesterol ( TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ( HDL-C ), and HOMA-IR levels between PCOS patients with hyperandrogenemia ( T ≥ 0. 51 μg/L) and normal androgenemia ( T ＜ 0. 51 μg/L). BMI, FPG, TG, TC, and LDL-C levels were higher and HDL-C level was lower in patients with insulin resistance( HOMA-IR ≥ 2. 29 ) than in patients without insulin resistance ( HOMA-IR ＜ 2. 29, P＜0. 05 or P＜ 0. 01 ). Serum T levels were not significantly different between two groups. HOMA-IR was significantly correlated with BMI(P＜0. 01 ), not with serum T, suggesting that the gain of body weight is correlated with insulin resistance independent of serum T level.

To explore the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by comparing the therapeutic efficacy of methods for fortifying the spleen and replenishing qi, warming yang and fortifying the spleen and warming yang to move water.