Objective To investigate the protective effects and molecular mechanism of peroxisome proliferate-activated receptor α(PPARα) activation on acute myocardial damage induced by isoproterenol (Iso) in rats. Methods Thirty male Wistar rats, weighting 160～180 g, were randomly divided into control group, Iso group, fenafibrate(FF) group(each n=10) according to physique quantity. Acute myocardial injury caused by Iso abdomen cavity injection induced ischemia was established and the protective effects of peroxisome proliferate-activated receptor α activation were accessed by the level of ereatine kinase(CK), lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) in serum as well as the activities of myoperoxidase(MPO) in myocardium, and the protein expressions of PPABα in myocardium by Western blot. Results The level of serum CK in control group, lso group and FF group, was (62.41±9.47),(101.71±11.05),(75.64±11.73)kU/L, respectively(F= 34.34, P<0.01). Whereas the level of serum CK in Iso group and FF group was higher than that in control group(P<0.01 or<0.05), the level of serum CK in FF group was lower than that in Iso group(P<0.01). The levels of LDH in these three groups were (5912.20±204.44), (6365.78±137.10), (6089.76±169.60) U/L, respectively(F= 17.54, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the levels of LDH in Iso and Fir groups were significantly increased(P<0.01 or<0.05). But the level of LDH in FIr group was decreased compared with that in Iso group(P<0.01). The activities of myocardial MPO in these three groups were (1.95±0.10),(3.89±0.17),(2.49±0.19)U/g, espectively(F=391.68,P< 0.01). The activities of myocardial MPO in Iso and FF groups were higher than that in the control group (all P< 0.01), while the activities of myocardial MPO in FIr group were lower than that in lso group(P<0.01). The protein expressions of PPARα in myocardium of these three groups were 251.57±10.95,191.97±10.74,215.08±9.61, respectively(F=82.69, P<0.01). Conclusion PPARα activation by its actor FF can exert protective effects on the acute myocardial ischemia injury induced by lso in rats through inhibiting the release of inflammatory cell factors.

The tuberous roots of Aconitum carmichaeli are largely used in traditional Chinese medicine and widely grown in Jiangyou, Sichuan, China. During the growth process, this medicinal plant releases a large amount of allelochemicals into soil, which retard the growth and development of near and late crops. Therefore, a pure culture experiment was thus carried out by seed soaking to study the allelopathic effects of extracts from tuberous roots of A. carmichaeli (ETR) on the seed germination and young seedling growth of Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens, and Medicago sativa, the late pasture grasses after cultivation of A. carmichaeli. The results showed that three pasture grasses varied significantly in seed germination and young seedling growth in response to ETR concentrations. Seed germination of M. sativa was stimulated by low ERT concentration (0.01 x g(-1)), while all of pasture grass seeds germinated poorly in solution with 1.00 g x L(-1). Seed soaking with 1.00 g x L(-1) also inhibited significantly the growth of pasture young seedlings, with M. sativa showing the highest seedling height reduction of 42.05% in seeding height, followed by T. repens (40.21%) and L. perenne with about 11%. Cultivation of L. perenne could thus be beneficial to increase whole land productivity in A. carmichaeli-pasture grass cropping systems. In addition, hydrolysis of protein, starch, and inositol phosphates was blocked and free amino acids, soluble sugars and phosphorus were decreased in seeds by seed soaking with ETR, which could be one of the reason for the inhibition of seed germination. There was a significant reduction in root vigor, nitrate reductase, and chlorophyll after the seed treatment with ETR, indicating the suppression of nutrient uptake, nitrate assimilation, and photosynthesis by allelopathic chemicals in ETR, which could lead to the slow growth rate of pasture grass seedlings.
Aconitum ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Allelopathy ; China ; Pheromones ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Poaceae ; drug effects ; growth & development

Objective To explore the relationship of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and carotid plaques in patients with coronary heart disease and analyze the related factors of carotid plaques.Methods This study enrolled 209 patients.13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) was used to assess Hp infection.Based on the results of 13C-UBT,patients were divided into infection-positive group (101 patients) and infection-negative group (108 patients).The incidence of carotid plaques was detected by color Doppler,and plasma homocysteine (Hcy),total cholesterol (TC),low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),fibrinogen (Fbg),high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured and compared.Results The incidence of carotid plaques in infection-positive group(69.31％,70/101) was higher than that in infection-negative group (55.56％,60/108),and there was significant difference (P =0.040).There was significant difference in hs-CRP between infection-positive group and infection-negative group [(3.91 ± 1.91) mg/L vs.(2.65 ± 1.15)mg/L] (P =0.041).There were no significant difference in Hcy,TC,LDL-C,Fbg between infection-positive group and infection-negative group (P ＞ 0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that Hp infection was correlated with carotid plaques in patients with coronary heart disease.The severity of Hp infection had no significant effect on the incidence of carotid plaques.Conclusions Hp infection-positive patients with coronary heart disease may have a higher incidence of carotid plaque,regardless of Hcy,LDL-C,Fbg and TC level.This study shows that Hp is correlated with carotid plaque.The severity of Hp infection has no significant effect on the incidence of carotid plaque.

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized from the extract of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma and the optimization of synthesis was studied. The absorbance of UV-visible spectroscopy was determined under the different influencing factors such as extracting time of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powder, reation temperature of synthesis, volume of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma extract and concentration of AgNO3 to seek the optimization conditions. By means of FT-IR, TEM, DLS and XRD, the silver nanoparticles were characterized. The results showed that when the boiling time of Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma powder was 5 min, resultant temperature was 25 degrees C, the volume ratio of 0.1 g x mL(-1) Fagopyri Dibotryis Rhizoma extract and 1 mmol x L(-1) AgNO3 was 1 to 10, and the reaction time was 3.5 h, the obtained silver nanoparticles had mean size about 27 nm and Zeta potential about -34.3 mV with good uniformity and dispersivity. Therefore, the green synthesis method of silver nanoparticles using extract of traditional Chinese medicine is stable and feasible.
Fagopyrum ; chemistry ; Light ; Metal Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; ultrastructure ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Particle Size ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Scattering, Radiation ; Silver ; chemistry ; Silver Nitrate ; chemistry ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Temperature ; X-Ray Diffraction

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin and metabolic syndrome(MS) in children and adolescents with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Methods Four elementary schools and 4 middle schools were selected from Haidian district in Beijing with representative cluster sampling.Two hundred and eighty obese children(obese group),65 obese children with NAFLD(NAFLD group) and 264 normal weight children(healthy control group) aged 7 to 18 years were recruited from the 8 schools with uncompletely randomized sampling.Data including questionnaire,anthropometric measurements,B type ultrasonographic examination for liver were collected and fasting blood laboratory assay were determined.Variables including triglyceride(TG),adiponectin,alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were skewed distribution and natural logarithmical transformations were performed.Chi-square test for category and multiple binary Logistic regression analysis were used to statistical analysis.Results Body mass index(BMI) and waist circumference(WC) in obese group and NAFLD group were higher than those in healthy control group.All the chi-square tests for trend among the 3 groups were statistically significant(P

By retrieving the clinical research literature of treatment functional dyspepsia by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from January 2004 to December 2014 based on China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI), we would establish a TCM decoction database for treating functional dyspepsia in this study. One hundred and sixty-four literature were included, involving 159 prescriptions, 377 medicines, in a total of 1 990 herbs. These herbs can be divided into 18 categories according to the effectiveness; and qi-regulating herbs, blood circulation herbs, and antipyretic herbs ranked top three ones according to the frequency of usage of the herbs, whose medicine usage frequency accounted for 51.81%. Usage frequency of 16 herbs was over 30, and Atractylodes, Radix, Poriaranked top three according to the usage frequency. Medicinal properties were divided into 9 kinds according to the frequency statistics, and the top three were warm, flat, and cold. Taste frequency statistics were classifiedinto 9 kinds, and the top three were acrid, sweet, and bitter. In frequency statistics of the meridian tropism of herbs, it was classifiedinto 11 kinds, and the top three were spleen, stomach, lung. The analysis can provide a reference for treatment and study of TCM of functional dyspepsia.
China ; Databases, Bibliographic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Dyspepsia ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Internet ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Stomach ; physiopathology

Objective To observe the bacteriostatic effect of single herbs, traditional complex prescription and ultra-micro powder of Qiweibaizhusan. Methods The inhibiting zone and MIC of single herb and compound of Qiweibaizhusan on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Eubacterium aerofaciens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella sp, Saccharomyces cerevisiaes and Candida glabrata were measured by filter paper method. Results The growth of the tested bacteria and yeast except Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella sp were inhibited by ginseng. The antibacterial effect of licorice was the best, and only Pseudomonas aeruginosa’s growth was not inhibited by licorice. The growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Eubacterium aerofaciens were inhibited by Agastache rugosa. The growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Eubacterium aerofaciens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were inhibited by Poria cocos. Only Eubacterium aerofaciens’s growth was inhibited by Radix aucklandiae and fried Atractylodes macrocephala. The growth of all the bacteria and yeast were not inhibited by Radix puerariae. The growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Eubacterium aerofaciens and Salmonella sp were inhibited by the traditional decoction and ultra-micro powder of complex prescription of Qiweibaizhusan, and all the MIC of ultra-micro powder were smaller than the traditional decoction. Conclusion The main antibacterial component of Qiweibaizhusan was ginseng and licorice. The inhibiting effect of ultra-micro powder on bacteria was better than traditional decoction of Qiweibaizhusan in vitro.

Objective To explore the value of serum chromogranin A (CgA) in clinical diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN).Methods From January 2011 to December 2012,87 GEP-NEN patients were enrolled,which included 50 patients with lesions and 37 patients without lesions after surgery.Eighty-four healthy subjects were taken as control group.The serum CgA levels of all subjects were measured with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Nonparametric test,receiver operating characteristic curve and Cox regression univariate analysis were performed for analysis.Results The median of serum CgA level of GEP-NEN patients with lesions was 97μg/L,which was significantly higher than that of patients without lesions after surgery (42 μg/L,Z=3.451,P=0.001) and healthy control (47 μg/L,Z=3.149,P=0.002).The value of 95 μg/L was taken as diagnostic cut-off value for healthy controls,patients without lesions and patients with lesions,the sensitivity and specificity were 54.0％ and 90.1％,respectively.The median of serum CgA level of the patients with distant metastasis was 231 μg/L,which was higher than that of patients without distant metastasis (46 μg/L,Z=3.340,P=0.001).After treatment,the serum CgA levels of 12 patients with complete remission,partial remission or stable tumor decreased more than 20％ of baseline values.The serum CgA levels of five patients increased more than 20 ％ of baseline values and the tumors of them showed progress.Cox regression analysis showed that there was no correlation between CgA levels of patients with lesions and prognosis (r=1.000,P=0.252).Conclusion Neuroendocrine marker CgA has high diagnostic value in GEP-NEN,and can be used as an important biomarker in clinical diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of GEP-NEN.

Objective To explore the occurrence site, clinical manifestations, endoscopic and radiographicfeatures, pathologiccharacteristics, diagnosis, treatmentandprognosisof gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN).MethodsFrom January 2000 to June 2010,medical records of 87 GEP-NEN patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were collected. The neuroendocrine properties of the tumors were determined by immunohistochemistry staining of neuroendocrine markers Syn and CgA.Then according to histology and proliferation activity, the GEP-NEN tumors were classified as neuroendocrine tumor (G1 and G2 grade), neuroendocrine carcinoma (G3 grade) and mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma (G3 grade).Results36 cases (41.4％) of GEP-NEN tumors were in pancreas, followed by 18 cases in rectum (20.7％), 9 cases in stomach (10.3％) and 6 cases in duodenum (6.9％).Total 69 of 87 GEP-NEN cases (74.7％) were nonfunctional tumors, a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms or symptoms caused by local tumor compression were the most first symptoms, and no one case presented carcinoid syndrome.The manifestations of endoscopy and radiographic image were tumor occupying lesion.Of 87 GEP-NEN cases, 69 cases were neuroendocrine tumor (79.7％), 13 cases were neuroendocrine carcinoma (14.9％) and 5 cases were mixed adenoendocrine carcinoma (5.4％).The percentage of grade G1, G2 and G3 tumors were 64.9％、 14.9％ and 20.2％ respectively.Muscularis or serosa infiltration were found in 22 GEP-NEN patients (47.8％) at the first visit, lymphatic metastasis was in 18 cases (20.7％) and distant metastasis were in 18 cases (20.7％), mostly migrated to liver.Immunohistochemistry staining positive rates of CgA and Syn were 74.2％ and 88.1％.A total of 79 patients (90.8％) were underwent surgery.The 1-, 3-and 5-year survival rates were 76.9％, 54.2％and 41.7％ during follow-up.ConclusionsGEP-NEN may occur at any part of the digestive system,the clinical manifestations are variable.Endoscopy and radiographic examination play an important role in tumor diagnosis, but final diagnosis is mainly based on pathological detection, and surgery is the main treatment option.The prognosis of the tumor is correlated with the pathological classification,grading and condition of distant metastasis.

Objective To explore the expression,correlation and clinical significance of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (GEP-NEN).Methods From October 1995 to December 2012,the paraffin tissue specimens of 114 pathological diagnosed GEP-NEN were collected.The expressions of mTOR and VEGF at protein level were detected with EnVision immunohistochemical staining method.Chi-square test was performed to compare the differences in the expressions of mTOR and VEGF among every clinicopathological factors of patients.Spearman's correlation analysis was used to find out the correlation between the expressions of mTOR and VEGF.Kaplan Meier method and Log-rank test were implemented for survival analysis.Results The overall positive expression rates of mTOR and VEGF in GEP-NEN tissues were 66.7％ (76/114) and 71.1％ (81/114),respectively.The expressions ofmTORand VEGF at protein level were not correlated with gender,age,functional status of tumor,location of tumor,grading and classification of tumor and distant metastasis (all P＞0.05).The co-expression rate of mTOR and VEGF in GEP-NEN tissues was 51.8％ (59/114).The expression of mTOR was positively correlated with the expression of VEGF at protein level (r=0.205,P=0.029).Among 82 followed-up patients,the mean survival time of patients with mTOR positive or negative expression was 8.3 and 7.9 years,and respectively,and there was no statistical significance (x2 =0.201,P=0.654).The mean survival time of patients with VEGF positive or negative expression was 9.6 and 5.9 years,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (x2 =4.415,P=0.036).Among the patients with G1 grading tumor,classified as neuroendocrine tumor and without distant metastasis,the survival time of patients with positive VEGF expression was longer than that of patients with negative VEGF expression (11.8 years vs 7.3 years,x2 =5.349,P=0.021; 11.2 years vs 6.8 years,x2=6.375,P=0.012; 11.2 years vs 7.2 years,x2 =4.630,P=0.031).Conclusions mTOR and VEGF proteins are highly expressed in GEP-NEN with different location,grading and classification.The expression of them is positively correlated.The prognosis of GEP-NEN patients with positive VEGF expression is better.