The genus Salvia in the family Lamiaceae with nearly 1 000 species, is widespread in temperate and tropical regions around the world. Many species of genus Salvia are important medicinal plants with a long history of which Danshen (the dried roots and rhizomes of S. miltiorrhiza) is one of the most popular herbal traditional medicines in Asian countries. The chemical constituents from Salvia plants mainly contain sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, steroids and polyphenols etc, which exhibit antibacterial, antidermatophytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antiplatelet aggregation activities and so on. In this article, the development of new constituents and their biological activities of Salvia genus in the past five years were reviewed and summarized for its further development and utilization.
Diterpenes ; isolation & purification ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Salvia ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; isolation & purification ; Triterpenes ; isolation & purification

AIM: To evaluate the effects of simulated acute ischemia and reperfusion on L-type calcium current (ICa,L) in ventricular myocytes from diabetic and non-diabetic rabbits.METHODS: Using whole-cell patch clamp techniques, ICa,L was measured in left ventricular myocytes isolated from 6-week alloxan-induced diabetic rabbits and age-matched control ones at baseline, 5 min of simulated ischemia, and 5 min of reperfusion.RESULTS: There were no significant differences on baseline maximum ICa,L densities between diabetic and control ventricular myocytes. In control cells (n=11), maximal ICa,L densities of baseline, ischemia and reperfusion were (-8.36±1.63)pA/pF, (-5.90±1.75)pA/pF and (-4.22±1.02)pA/pF, respectively. The ICa,L of ischemia was less than that of baseline (P<0.01), while the ICa,L of reperfusion was less than those of baseline (P<0.01) and ischemia (P<0.05). In diabetic cells (n=9),the ICa,L of baseline, ischemia and reperfusion were (-7.55±1.62)pA/pF, (-6.05±1.58)pA/pF and (-5.12±1.13)pA/pF, respectively. Only ICa,L of reperfusion was less than that of baseline (P<0.01), while ICa,L of ischemia was not significantly different from that of baseline (P>0.05) or reperfusion (P>0.05).CONCLUSION: ICa,L in diabetic ventricular myocytes represents blunted response to acute ischemic injury, being decreased more slowly than that in control cells. Post-ischemic reperfusion is still a potent inhibitor against ICa,L in both diabetic and non-diabetic cells. This study may be indicative of the mechanism about ischemia-reperfusion injury to diabetic myocardium and the therapy for diabetic patients with ischemic heart disease.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Qingkailing injection for cerebrovascular diseases by systematic review of clinical trials. Methods Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of Qingkailing injection on cerebrovascular diseases from 38 articles on clinical trials published from 1994 to 2008 in Chinese journals with the software RevMan5.0. Sensitivity analysis was taken to analyze the results of trails with different inclusion criteria. Results 38 clinical control trails were included for efficacy analysis, a fixed effects model was chosen and the value of odds ratio (OR) was 3.26 with the 95% confidence interval from 2.71 to 3.92. Conclusions Qingkailing injection may have positive effect on cerebrovascular diseases, its efficacy need to be confirmed with high-quality randomized controlled trials.

Biocompatible Materials ; analysis ; Chromatography ; methods ; Chromatography, Gas ; methods ; Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Paraquat ; analysis ; Pesticide Residues ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) with branch-foundation acupoint combination on the indices regarding pituitary-target gland axis in aging rats with yang deficiency, so as to explore its regulating mechanism on aging rats with yang deficiency.

METHODSForty healthy Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a model group, an EA group and an EA control group, 10 rats in each group. Except the normal control group, the rats in the rest 3 groups were all treated with subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 40 d, followed by intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone for 7 d to establish aging model with yang deficiency. After the successful establishment of model, the EA group was treated with EA at "Guanyuan" (CV 4), "Housanli" (ST 36) and "Baihui "(GV 20) while the EA control group was treated with EA at "Zhongji" (CV 3) "Yinlingquan" (SP 9) and "Yintang" (GV 29); the rats in the normal control group and model group were immobilized and fixed during the same time period. The treatments were given 6 times per week totally for 4 weeks. With radiation immunity analysis method, the 8 biological indices of pituitary-target gland axis, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), tetraiodothyronine-4 (T4), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were detected to observe the changes of their content.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were reduced in the model group (P<0.05, P< 0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the serum level of TSH, T3, T4 and E2 were increased in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01) while those of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the EA control group, the content of TSH was increased in the EA group without statistical significance (P>0.05), that of T3, T4 and E2 was increased (all P<0.05) and that of ACTH, CORT, FSH and LH was significantly reduced (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination has benign regulating effects on the key hormones of pituitary-target gland axis, which could effectively improve the dysfunction of pituitary-target gland axis that is caused by aging with yang deficiency; the efficacy of electroacupuncture with branch-foundation acupoint combination is superior to that of adjacent control acupoint combination.

Acupuncture Points ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Aging ; blood ; metabolism ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Estradiol ; blood ; secretion ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; secretion ; Humans ; Pituitary Gland ; secretion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; secretion ; Yang Deficiency ; blood ; metabolism ; therapy

Objective To study the effects of the interaction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the receptor of AGEs (RAGE) on apoptosis of mice podocytes. Methods Podocytes were exposed to soluble AGEs such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), carboxymethyl-lysin (CML)-BSA, AGE-BSA and matrix-bound AGEs (AGE-modified collagen Ⅳ ), and to different concentrations of AGE, such as 10 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 100 mg/L. Apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used for the quantification of apoptotic andnecrotic podocytes after Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and propidium iodide (PI) labeling. Apoptosis was described as the ratio of apoptotic cells to the total number cells under the high-power field, siRNA was transfected into podocytes through combining Dharmacon on Targetplus SMART pool siRNA reagents and Amaxa RNAi nucleofection kit. Results The apoptosis rate was higher in podoeytes exposed to either CML-BSA or AGE-BSA than that exposed to BSA. There was a two- to three-fold increase in apoptosis when podocytes were cultured in AGE-modified collagen Ⅳ as compared with native collagen Ⅳ. The apoptotic response of podocytes to AGE-BSA exposure occurred in a dose-dependent manner. Podocyte necrosis occurred only at the highest concentration of AGE-BSA(100 mg/L). AGE-BSA failed to induce apoptosis in podocytes transfected with RAGE siRNA. RAGE-specific gene knockdown did not significantly reduce the apoptosis of podocytes cultured in AGE-modified collagen IV. Conclusions The AGE-RAGE interaction plays a major role in the apoptosis of podocytes triggered by soluble AGEs, but not by matrix-bound AGEs. Reduction of AGE burden and RAGE expression may be important therapeutic approaches to prevent the progression of kidney disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sirolimus ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

AIM:To report the safty and efficiency of intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with macular edema (ME) due to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).METHODS: A consecutive series of patients with ME due to BRVO who were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab injection (2.5g/0.1L) were retrospectively studied. Patients underwent complete ophthalmoscopic examination, including Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, and/or flurescence angiographic testing at baseline and follow-up visits.RESULTS: There were 32 eyes of 32 consecutive patients who received at least one intravitreal bevacizumab injections (range from 1 to 3). The mean length of follow-up was 4.7 (range from 3 to 8) months. The mean visual acuity improved from 20/200- at baseline to 20/100- at 1 month and 20/100+ at 3 months and last follow-up (P＜0.01). The mean central 1mm macular thickness was 483μm at baseline and decreased to 275, 314,and 301μm at 1 month,3 months, and last follow-up (P＜0.01)respectively.No adverse side effects were observed following injections in any eyes.CONCLUSION: Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) showed a marked decrease in ME secondary to BRVO, improvement in visual acuity and lack of adverse side effects.

?AlM: To study the correlation between monocular mild myopic juvenile myopia degree and dominant eye.
? METHODS: Totally 158 patients with juvenile monocularly mild myopia in our hospital from December 2012 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, and cylindrical mirror astigmatism was used for spherical equivalent conversion. On the basis of the myopic degree, they were divided into three groups, 30 cases in group A (-0. 25~-0. 75D), 92 cases in B group (-1. 0~-2. 0D), 36 cases in group C (-2. 25 ~ -3. 0D). The card hole method was selected to measure dominant eye for subjectsat nearly 33cm and 5m. After glasses correction of ametropia, the far and near dominant eyes were received measurement again.
?RESULTS:The monocular mild myopia of dominant eye was compared with the non-dominant eye adjustment function, and there was no significant difference ( P>0. 05 ) . The dominant eye, non - dominant eye mean diopter and other correlations of eyes in the three groups were compared, and there was no significant difference (P>0. 05). The dominant eye of three groups at 5m was compared, and there was significant difference (P<0. 05). The dominant eye of three groups at 33cm was compared, and there was significant difference (P<0. 05). Dominant eye at different visual distance was compared, and there was significant difference (P<0. 05). Monocular uncorrected eye was compared with dominant eye mild afte myopia glassesr, and there was significant difference (P< 0. 05).
?CONCLUSlON: The formation of myopic anisometropia is related to the degree of clearly seeing objects, although glasses correction can improve the clarity and visual, but affect the choice of the dominant eye, because the myopic anisometropia appears most early in the dominant eye, therefore optician correction stage, which should be taken into consideration, and avoid the severity of the adolescent myopia.

Objective:To explore the clinical signiifcance of the protection of superior petrosal vein (SPV) in the microneurosurgery for acoustic neuroma. Methods:From January 2009 to July 2011, 149 cases of acoustic neuroma microsurgery were observed. hTe difference in hematoma in surgical area, cerebellar hematoma and cerebellar edema were compared between a SPV without protection group (SPVWP group, n=8) and a SPV protection group (SPVP group, n=141). Results:In the 149 patients with acoustic neuroma, the SPV was reserved in 141 patients. In the SPVWP group (8 patients), hematoma in the surgery area occurred in 4 patients, cerebellar edema in 5, and cerebellar hemorrhage in 3. In the SPVP group (141 patients), hematoma in the surgery area occurred in 40 patients, cerebellar edema in 56, and cerebellar hemorrhage in 12. hTere was signiifcant difference in the incidence of cerebellar hemorrhage (χ2=3.84, P=0.05), no signiifcant difference in the incidence of hematoma in the surgical area (χ2=0.646, respectively, P=0.422), and no significant difference in the incidence of cerebellar edema (χ2=0.611, P=0.434) between the SPVWP group and the SPVP group. Conclusion:In acoustic neuroma surgery, the SPV should be protected, which may reduce the risk of cerebellar hemorrhage.