The paper reviewed compositions and pharmacological effects of eight antidiabetic herbal drugs that have been approved by health regulatory agency for commercial use in China. Investigators attributed the hypoglycemic effect of these products to their ability to restore the functions of pancreatic tissues and cause an increase in insulin output, to inhibit the intestinal absorption of glucose, or to the facilitation of metabolites in insulin-dependent processes. Treatment with herbal drugs has an effect on protecting beta cells and smoothing out fluctuations in glucose levels. The use of these naturally derived agents in conjunction with conventional drug treatments such as an chemical agent or insulin permits the use of lower doses of the drug and/or decreased frequency of administration which decreases the side effects most commonly observed.
Animals ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Insulin Resistance ; Panax ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rehmannia ; chemistry

Utilization of spaceflight technology will benefit the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine study. Many countries, such as USA or Russia, have conducted extensive experimental research with plants in the regenerative life-support system in space stations as well as the research on breeding or chromosomal aberration after spaceflight. The space botany is still in its preliminary stage in our country. Research has mainly been focused on breeding under space-environment. In addition, many experiments have been conducted with the spaceflown plants to investigate the growth, development, biochemical and physiological changes, as well as the inheritance and variation. Little has been done with regard to the facility development to contain the spaceflying seeds and no research has been reported on plant growth in spacecrafts. Medicinal plant study has certain characteristics and advantages in our country where small biological vessels are developed for the spaceflown seeds, which are then distinguished to microgravity group and radiation exposed group with analytical instrument. However, research has been carried out in medicinal plant breeding or inheritance. In future research, more effort should be directed to the study of medicinal plants as an important link of a future biological life support system as well as to the health care of astronauts by.
Ecological Systems, Closed ; Life Support Systems ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; growth & development ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Space Flight ; Weightlessness

Objective To investigate the better regimen of combined cyclophosphamide pulse therapy with corticosteroids in the treatment of Pemphigus. Methods Intravenous cyclophosphamide was given weekly in a dosage of 600 mg to those Pemphigus patients whose conditions couldn't be improved by corticosteroids (oral prednisone 1.2～1.5 mg/kg/d) alone. Results Ten patients with Pemphigus received weekly cyclophosphomide therapy in addition to corticosteroid. Patients conditions improved quickly, without side effects. Conclusions Cyclophosphamide weekly pulse therapy combined with corticosteroids is a good regimen in the treatment of Pemphigus.

This paper reviewed the phytochemical and pharmacological research progress in Leontopodium medicinal plants, including the resource distribution, the chemical constitutes, the pharmacological activities and clinical application. The review has provided some information for the study and development of Leontopodium medicinal plants in future.
Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Flavanones ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Isoquinolines ; isolation & purification ; Nephritis ; drug therapy ; Oils, Volatile ; isolation & purification ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Plant active components characterized of many different structures and activities on multiple targets, have made them to be the important sources of inhibitors on HIV-1. For finding leading compounds with new structure against HIV-1, three key HIV-1 replicative enzymes (reverse transcriptase, protease and integrase) were used as screening models. The in vitro activities of 45 plant derived components isolated from Schisandraceae, Rutaceae and Ranunculaceae were reported. Within twelve triterpene components isolated, eight compounds were found to inhibit HIV-1 protease, in these eight active compounds, kadsuranic acid A (7) and nigranoic acid (8), inhibited both HIV-1 protease and integrase; Among fifteen lignans, meso-dihydroguaiaretic acid (15) and kadsurarin (16) were active on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and 4, 4-di(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenly)-2, 3-dimethylbutanol (13) active on HIV-1 integrase. All of the six alkaloids, seven flavones, and five others compounds were not active or only with low activities against HIV-1 replicative enzymes. Further studies of the triterpene components showing strong inhibitory activities on HIV-1 were warranted.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Flavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Guaiacol ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HIV Integrase ; drug effects ; HIV Protease ; drug effects ; HIV Reverse Transcriptase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Ranunculaceae ; chemistry ; Rutaceae ; chemistry ; Schisandraceae ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

The TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) transdermal plaster (also known as "cataplasma") are flexible adhesive patches used for treatment of pain, resulted from arthritis, sprain and bruise, tendovaginitis, lumbar spine protrude, neuralgia, hyperosteogeny ache, abdominal discomfort and metastatic cancer, etc. Since the 1980's, investigators in China have used this modern patch delivery system for herbal drugs and obtained satisfactory results especially from the treatment of various types of pain associated with bone diseases, abdominal discomfort, and tumors, etc. The production of TCM cataplasma was successfully scaled up in early 90's and the commercial product line for an antirheumatic agent was first established in Shanghai by Leiyunshang Group. Thus far, a number of products in the form of TCM cataplasma became commercially available in the market, and clinical investigations with these products indicated that topically applicable herbal preparations, especially in the form of cataplasma, are preferred formulations with respect to the treatment comfort of the patient. Compared to the traditional preparations which utilize rubber and rosin as adhesives, cataplasma is advantageous in that the lipophilic and hydrophilic ingredients of the herbal extracts are solubilized and then "gellified" with the organic polymers, and that the drug matrix containing up to 40%-70% of water serves as a "drug reservoir" that will sustain the quick and continuous release of herbal ingredients over several days across the skin. While there are conventional remedies for palliation of pain and discomfort associated with bone diseases or cancers, administration of oral medicinal herbs combined with topical agents such as TCM cataplasma may significantly alleviate the symptoms and improve their quality of life. This article provides a review on three aspects, which include the process development, characteristics and developmental status of TCM cataplasma, and future development of such a technology.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; complications ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pain ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Phytotherapy ; Skin Absorption ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Compared with other countries, the industrialization of medicinal plant tissue culture is more important for our country because China is consuming and exporting the most amounts of herb materials in the world. Each year, many papers and patents are published on cell cultures of popular medicinal plants, such as Taxus sp., Catharanthus roseus, and Panax ginseng, and, meanwhile, the research on organ cultures of medicinal plants is increasing very quickly, which is deepening the study of medicinal plant tissue culture. During the past 30 years, Chinese scientists have cultured many medicinal plant cells, organs and hairy roots. In addition, the large-scale cultures have been tested on medicinal plants, such as Catharanthus roseus, Panax notoginseng, Anisodus acutangulus, Lithospermum erythrorhizon, and Taxus chinensis. However, the bioreactor size is not big enough for the commercial cultivation and we have not mastered the culture technique on a large scale. We should clearly understand the importance and great potential benefit of medicinal plant tissue culture and develop the tissue culture techniques for the modernization of TCM. To develop the technique that we have the property right, the pioneering spirit is needed in our research, and, meanwhile, it should be pointed out emphatically the collaboration is indispensable among scientists from different research fields.
Bioreactors ; Catharanthus ; growth & development ; China ; Culture Media ; Culture Techniques ; methods ; trends ; Fermentation ; Industry ; Panax ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Taxus ; growth & development

Cholelithiasis is one of the clinically common and frequently encountered diseases. In this paper, the Chinese Meteria Medica and prescriptions utilized to treat cholelithasis were discussed in four aspects. In addition, we discussed the clinical effect and mechanism of actions of these drugs in order to provide some reference for future drug development in this area.
Animals ; Cholelithiasis ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish fluorescent quantitative PCR method for detecting human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6).

METHODSAccording to the specific sequence of human herpes virus type 6 genes, the primers and the fluorescent probe (TaqMan) were designed and synthesized. The fragment generated from HHV 6 gene as template was cloned into the pMD18-T vector which was constructed from the pUC 18. And the positive recombinant plasmid was 1:10 diluted and used as standard quantitative template to make the standard curve for sample detection.

RESULTSThe standard curve indicated the linear relationship between Ct (cycle threshold) and template concentration. The clinical samples from 135 cases were detected by this system, 16 cases among 135 were positive.

CONCLUSIONThe fluorescent quantitative PCR method for the detection of human herpes virus type 6 is simple and accurate, and this method may be helpful to clinical diagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA Primers ; DNA Probes ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Female ; Herpesvirus 6, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; diagnosis ; virology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Roseolovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Young Adult

Objective: To evaluate osteotomy, bone shortening and lengthening by one stage with external fixation for a large bone defect following open femoral fracture. Methods: From April 2014 to April 2019, 11 consecutive patients with a large bone defect following open femoral fracture were treated at Department of Orthopaedics, The Sixth People’s Hospital of Shanghai. They were 9 males and 2 females, with an average age of 40.5 years (from 18 to 70 years). The left side was involved in 6 cases and the right side in 5. All their primary open fractures had deteriorated into osteomyelitis and bone defects after treatment. Their bone defects averaged 60.5 mm after thorough debridement. Postoperative X-ray examinations were taken regularly. Bony union time and index, time till removal of external fixator, external fixation index, flap survival, soft tissue healing, visual analogue scale (VAS), Association for Studying and Application of Methods of Ilizarov (ASAMI) scores for bone healing and lower limb function were recorded. Results: All the patients were followed up for 9 to 30 months (mean, 21.9 months). The bony union time averaged 10.5 months (from 5.2 to 22.3 months). The bony union indexes averaged 52.9 d/cm (from 33.4 to 73.3 d/cm). The time till removal of external fixator averaged 15.5 months (from 9.8 to 27.5 months). The external fixation indexes averaged 86.0 d/cm (from 60 to 113 d/cm). All the bone nonunions healed with no recurrence of osteomyelitis. Complications like union failure, refracture at ends of bone lengthening or fracture, or leg length discrepancy>2.5 cm, happened in none. The VAS scores ranged from 0 to 3 points. By ASAMI evaluation, the bony union was excellent in 10 cases and good in one case, and the lower limb function was excellent in 3 cases, good in 7 cases and fair in one. Conclusion Osteotomy, bone shortening and lengthening by one stage with external fixation is a reliable treatment for large femoral bone defects because this strategy can remove the lesions and restore the femoral length at the same time.