OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effects of Xinfeng Capsules (XFC), a traditional Chinese medicine for invigorating the spleen to resolve dampness and dredging collaterals, on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anemia, and to investigate its mechanism. METHODS: Forty patients with RA and anemia were divided into three groups: XFC-treated group (n=20), Tripterygium glycosides Tablets (TGT)-treated group (n=10) and methotrexate (MTX)-treated group (n=10). The patients in each group took corresponding medicine for three months. The response rates of the three groups were evaluated after treatment. The general symptoms and specific signs and symptoms of RA were observed before and after the treatment. The indexes of blood routine examination and some other laboratory indexes such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and blood levels of rheumatoid factor (RF), iron, C-reaction protein (CRP), immunoglobins (Ig), complements 3 and 4, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and erythropoietin (EPO) were all examined and compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total response rate in the XFC-treated group was similar to those both in the TGT-treated and MTX-treated groups. The effects on relieving specific symptoms of RA in the three groups were also similar. The ESR and serum levels of RF, CRP, IgG, IgA and IgM were all decreased after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the three groups, and there were no significant differences among those laboratory indexes in the three groups after treatment. The XFC displayed more obvious effects on improving the general symptoms of patients with RA and anemia, increasing the blood levels of hemoglobin, iron and IL-10, while decreasing the serum level of TNF-alpha and regulating the serum EPO level, as compared with those in the TGT-treated and MTX-treated groups. CONCLUSION: The XFC for invigorating the spleen to resolve dampness and dredging collaterals was developed on the basic principle of regulating spleen. It can obviously improve the symptoms and laboratory indicators of RA. Such effects may be related to maintaining the balance of cytokines, regulating the serum level of EPO and increasing the serum iron level in patients with RA and anemia.

Altitude ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; instrumentation

Acclimatization ; physiology ; Adolescent ; Altitude ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; blood ; Oxygen ; physiology ; Pulmonary Gas Exchange ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; Altitude ; Extremities ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; physiology ; Motor Activity ; physiology ; Movement ; physiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for prescriptions audit before payment in hospital pharmacy. METHODS:The management measures of prescriptions audit and intervention before payment in our hospital were introduced. 1 200 outpatient pre-scriptions within 1 year before and after management were subjected to a statistical analysis. The effects of prescriptions audit be-fore payment were evaluated through analyzing and comparing qualification rate of prescription and unqualified prescriptions. RE-SULTS:Our hospital adopted a series of measure to realize prescriptions audit and intervention before payment by clinical pharma-cists,such as using information audit system,formulating audit standard,educating pharmacists,establishing audit job system, prescriptions review and feedback system,setting up communication system,etc. Of the total audited 189 665 prescriptions, 14 581(7.69%)failed to audit and 606 prescriptions hadn’t been revised after 1 year management,with effective intervention rate of 95.84%. Compared with before management,the prescription qualification rate increased from 88.83% to 98.67% after manage-ment(P<0.01). The quantity of overdose,inconformity with medical insurance,overload and other conditions reduced to 0. CON-CLUSIONS:It is feasible for pharmacists to audit and intervent prescriptions before payment in hospital pharmacy to improve pre-scription qualification and promote rational drug use in the clinic.

RT-PCR amplification of ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene was successfully performed based on the total RNAs extracted from ginseng hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4 using a modified guanidine isothiocyanate-method. Sequence analysis of this gene revealed that its sequence was consistent with the sequence of a previously reported ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene (GenBank No. AB009030). This gene was inserted into pMD-119T simple vector and transformed into E.coli DH5?. Furthermore antisense plant expression vector of this gene was constructed using the pBI121 vector, laying foundation for studies on antisense regulation of ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene.

OBJECTIVETo verify the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions by studying the targeted distribution of major components in stewed rhubarb in the rat model with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODNormal SD rats (control group, n = 5) and the AP model induced with intraperitoneal cerulein (model group, n = 5) were taken as the experimental objects. Rats of the two groups were orally administered with stewed rhubarb granules (20 g x kg(-1)). Their heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were collected two hours after the administration. Such constituents as emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, rhein and aloe-emodin and their concentrations in each tissue homogenate were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-mass-mass.

RESULTAloe-emodin and physcion in stewed rhubarb whose concentrations in liver and kidney of normal rats were higher than that in pancreatic tissues, while the distribution spectrums and concentrations of the remaining components in pancreatic tissues had no significant difference with that of other organs. The concentrations of emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein and chrysophanol in stewed rhubarb in pancreatic tissues of the AP model group were higher than that in other tissues and organs, while their concentrations in pancreatic, renal and splenic tissues were notably higher than that in the normal group.

CONCLUSIONIn the conditions of AP, effective components in stewed rhubarb show a targeted distribution feature in pancreas, which provides experimental basis for the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Anthraquinones ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Organ Specificity ; Pancreatitis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between serum load level of HBV-DNA and therapeutic effect of oxymatrine in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSForty-four patients of chronic hepatitis B were divided into two groups, the treated group was treated with oxymatrine 0.4 g/d by intramuscular injection for 3 months, the control group was treated with some liver protecting agents to estimate the therapeutic effect. The serum level of HBV-DNA was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe seroconversion rate of HBV-DNA and HBeAg in the treated group was 43.47% and 43.47% respectively, which was obviously better than those in the control group respectively (P < 0.05), the quantity of HBV-DNA decreased after treatment from 10(6.83 +/- 1.27) copy/ml to 10(3.35 +/- 3.08) copy/ml. Among them, in patient with HBeAg negative conversion, the pretreatment quantity of HBV-DNA was 10(6.30 +/- 1.42) copy/ml, while in those with no HBeAg negative conversion, it was 10(7.23 +/- 1.23) copy/ml, the difference was significant.

CONCLUSIONOxymatrine is effective in treating chronic hepatitis B. The therapeutic effect is better for patients with lower quantity of serum HBV-DNA.

Adult ; Alkaloids ; therapeutic use ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Quinolizines

Animals ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds ; toxicity ; Rats

Head ; surgery ; Humans ; Neck ; surgery ; United States