Biological evaluation is a critical approach by which the quality standardization of traditional Chinese medicines can be linked to the clinical efficacy and safety, which has become an important aspect in the develop-ment of quality standardization of Chinese medicines. In this article, the necessity and feasibility of the biological e-valuation research were analyzed. Further, the main progress achieved as well as the major problems about the re-search and applications of the biological evaluation of traditional Chinese medicines were discussed, to bring forward a point for consideration or discussion.

Objective To establish the characteristic biothermokinetic methods in different extract fractions of Radix Isatis using Escherichia coli as model bacteria under biothermodynamics. MethodsMicrocalorimetry was used to obtain the characteristic metabolic growth power-time curves and biothermodynamic parameters of bacteria affected by different extract fractions of Radix Isatis, and evaluate the differences among the different extract fractions of Radix Isatis. Results Different extracting fractions of Radix Isatis could inhibit or promote the growth and metabolism of E. coli in different levels. Water-extract fractions and residues could promote its growth while organic solvent extract fractions did the opposite. Furthermore, with the decline of the solvent polarity, the inhibiting rate of organic solvent extract fraction was decreased and the generation time of bacteria was prolonged. There were steady and distinct differences among the different extract fractions in the characteristic metabolic growth power-time curves, such as the maximum power value's decrease and peak time's delay of water-extract fraction and residue, the specific power enhancement in later stage of organic solvent extract fraction. ConclusionMicrocalorimetry is a new and useful mean for the study on the biothermodynamic parameters and characteristics of Radix Isatis which can be helpful to investigate the other models using microcalorimetry.

BACKGROUND:Non-heart beating donors have become the most promising source of donor in recent years. Tofurther improve donor preservation solution, on the basis of conventional storage solution hypertonic citrate adenine solution, artificial cordyceps was added to prepare artificial cordyceps compound solution. It is hoped to reduce donor injury and to elevate donor quality by antioxidation. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preservation effect of artificial cordyceps compound solution on isolated renal from non-heart-beating rats. METHODS: Medulas of 39 Sprague-Dawley rats were injured. Withoutin vitro respiratory and circulatory supports, non-heart-beating models were established and randomly divided into three groups: artificial cordyceps compound group (n=15), hypertonic citrate adenine solution group (n=15) and physiological saline group (n=9). The kidneys of rats in different groups were stored in artificial cordyceps compound solution, hypertonic citrate adenine solution and physiological saline at 4℃. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the hypertonic citrate adenine solution group, after 6 and 12 hours of preservation, morphological injury was mild, apoptotic index, malondialdehyde, Bax and Caspase-3 expression levels decreased, superoxide dismutase activity and Bcl-2 expression increased; after 24 hours, the degree of injury was similar, malondialdehyde content decreased, and superoxide dismutase activity increased in the artificial cordyceps compound group. These findings indicated that the preservation effect of artificial cordyceps compound on antioxidation and inhibition of apoptosis was better than that of hypertonic citrate adenine solution in non-hearting beating rats.

BACKGROUND:It is important to produce and save a large amount of high-activity feeder cel s for the culture of human embryonic stem cel s.
OBJECTIVE:To establish the optimal method for isolation and culture of Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts, and to evaluate the feasibility of preparing feeder layers for culture of human embryonic stem cel s.
METHODS:Embryonic fibroblasts were isolated and cultured by different concentrations of trypsin from Kunming mouse fetuses in vitro. The biological characteristics and growth rule of mouse embryonic fibroblasts were investigated, and then the feeder layers for human embryonic stem cel s culture were produced. The growth of human embryonic stem cel s on the prepared feeder layer was tested.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The optimal fetal age for preparing Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layer was 13.5 days. Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts at different concentrations grew wel with high purity and active proliferation by trypsin digestion method. There was no significant difference in the survival rate of cel s after cryopreservation for 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. The cel s were proliferative from the second to fourth passage and declined sharply after the fifth passage. Human embryonic stem cel s which grew on Kunming mouse embryonic fibroblasts feeder layers were stil to remain the typical undifferentiated morphology and were strongly positive for alkaline phosphatase and periodic acid-Schiff after long-term subculture. The
mouse embryonic fibroblasts can be used as the stable and high-quality feeder cel s for human embryonic stem cel s.

The patterns of efficient components recognition and quality control for Chinese materia medica (CMM) have been the difficult and hot topics for CMM modernization.To get a radical and significant breakthrough in the investigation on the efficient component recognition and quality control standard for CMM,a tentative idea about efficient component recognition and quality control pattern for CMM based on constituent knock-out/knock-in is initially proposed in this article on the foundation of retrospective and prospective analyses.And its main aim is to provide some creative and practical ideas and methods to recognize the key efficient components of CMM precisely and quickly,and to meet with the requirements that the quality control standards for CMM will be effectiveness-related,quantitative and accurate,controllable and assessable.

This paper arranged and generalized the study of nature of Chinese material medica systematicly on the basis of retrospective study.And discussed the main problems of the study of Chinese material medica nature,then,proposed some suggestions of thought and methods of Chinese material medica nature in future study.

Rhubarb anthraquinone derivatives (AQs) have been documented to have both therapeutic and toxic effect on liver and kidney, leading to a complex puzzle to assess their benefits and risks. In this study, the tissue distributions of AQs in SD rats after orally administrated extracts of raw and prepared rhubarb were examined whether they undergo different uptake. The total rhubarb extract (14.49 g x kg(-1) of body weight per day od, counted on the quantity of crude material) was administrated orally for 12 weeks. The concentrations of the AQs in different tissues were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The five major AQs, aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophynol and physcion, could all be detected in the liver, kidney and spleen, while only rhein, aloe-emodin and emodin reached the quantitative limit. The tissue concentrations of AQs in raw rhubarb group were higher than that in steamed rhubarb group with rhein > emodin > aloe-emodin in the same tissue. On the whole, the tissue distribution of rhein was higher than that of emodin and aloe-emodin in liver, spleen and kidney. AQs could not be detected in those tissues after drug withdraw for 4 weeks, which suggested scarcely any accumulative toxicity of rhubarb. The result indicated that raw rhubarb had more tissue toxicity than steamed rhubarb and rhein may be one of the major poisonous ingredients. The results were concordant with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of toxicity-attenuating effect of processing.

Objective Kunming strain(KM) mice were used as animal models. Nontoxic dextran conjugated with tetramethylrhodamine(TMR)and fluorecein isothiocyante(FITC)was microinjected to two of the 2-cell blastomere as molecular probe to trace the development fate of the blastomere ,in order to figure out the mechanisms of the formation of Em-Ab axis. Methods FITC- dextran was injected to zygote in order to make sure if it is noxious. Two blastomeres of 2-cell embryo were injected FITC- dextran and TMR- dextran respectively. Results When labeled embryo develeped to blastocyst, distribution of progeny of 2-cell embryo blastomeres can be detected.Conclusion The cells of blastomere randomly distributed either embryonic parts or extraembryonic parts of blastocyst.

Objective:To investigate the influence of different decoction containers on the chemical components in Fufang Baidu decoctions to provide scientific evidence for the establishment of rational decoction method for traditional Chinese medicine decoctions. Methods:The method of UPLC was adopted to study the influence of different decoction containers on the content of astilbin, forsytho-side A and forsythoside in Fufang Baidu decoctions. Results:With the different containers, the content change regularity was as fol-lows:porcelain pot >stainless steel pot> decocting machine of Chinese herbs> earthen pot> glass pot. Conclusion:Decocting ma-chine for Chinese herbs can be an substitute for traditional boiling utensils.

OBJECTIVETo determine the difference on purgative biopotency of different processed products of rhubarb and compare rhubarb before and after preparation.

METHODThe prime biopotency of rhubarb reference substance was determined by comparing with the control substance of sennoside B using rat purgative model. Comparing with calibrated rhubarb reference substance, the bioactivity different processed products of rhubarb was determined by the 2,2',2" method.

RESULTThe purgative biopotency of crude rhubarb was 825.22 U x g(-1). The purgative biopotency of alcohol-processed rhubarb was 699.05 U x g(-1), The purgative biopotency of steamed rhubarb were 459.76 U x g(-1). Carbonized rhubarb cannot be determinate.

CONCLUSIONCrude rhubarb showed a significantly declineing purgative biopotency after being processed, alcohol-processed rhubarb showed less than crude rhubarb and followed by steamed rhubarb. Carbonized rhubarb lost almost all purgative bioactivity.

Animals ; Cathartics ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Senna Extract ; pharmacology