OBJECTIVETo explore the distribution features of Chinese medical constitutions in different ages population, thus providing scientific evidence of constitution process theory.

METHODSRecruited were 21 948 cases from a survey of Chinese medical constitutions and health conditions in 9 provinces or municipalities across China (including Jiangsu, Anhui, Gansu, Qinghai, Fujian, Beijing, Jilin, Jiangxi, and Henan) from Dec 2005 to Jan 2007. The body constitution type of individual was diagnosed using discriminant analysis on the basis of Chinese medical constitution questionnaire. By using correspondence analysis, the correlation between the general population, genders, ages, and Chinese medical constitution types was studied.

RESULTSConstitutions of yin-deficiency type, wetness-heat type, qi-depression type, and special diathesis type often occurred in the population ranging 15 -24 years old. Gentleness type mostly occurred in the population ranging 25 -44 years old. During this time period, phlegm-wetness type and wetness-heat type were liable to occur in males, while blood-stasis type was liable to occur in females. Qi-deficiency type and yang-deficiency type were most often seen in those older than 45 years. Phlegm-wetness type and blood-stasis type body constitution were also liable to occur in those older than 45 years.

CONCLUSIONSThe distribution features were different in different Chinese medical constitutions. Different constitution types exist in different genders. Different constitution types exist different ages population.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Constitution ; China ; Discriminant Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Qi ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Yang Deficiency ; Yin Deficiency

Animals ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; metabolism ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Swimming

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Guanidines ; analysis ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Threshold Limit Values ; Workplace

OBJECTIVE: To analyze 113 patients with drug-induced liver disease(DILD) so as to clinically validate the international generally-accepted diagnostic criteria.METHODS: 113 DILD cases were reviewed and categorized according to international generally-accepted diagnostic criteria and then graded separately by Maria clinical scale and DDW-J scale to analyze the correlations.RESULTS: 113 out of 822 patients with liver diseases were DILD(13.7%),among whom 17 were of hepatocellular type(15.0%),92 cholestasis type(81.5%) and 4 mixed type(3.5%).Application of Maria clinical scale and DDW-J scale led to different number of DILD cases diagnosed.DILD were mostly induced by antihyperlipidemic drugs and immunosuppressants followed by anticoagulant drugs.CONCLUSION: DDW-J scale,which is more close to clinical diagnostic criteria,contributed to the standardization of the diagnostic criteria of DILD,yet it has its limitations as well.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Qingzhen Decoction (QZD) on measles.

METHODSAdopting the randomizing digital table, 62 patients with measles were assigned to two groups, 32 in the treated group and 30 in the control group. All patients were treated with routine therapy, but QZD was given to the treated group additionally for 5 days. Changes of clinical symptoms, blood routine and liver function before and after treatment were observed, and the medical cost was calculated.

RESULTSAfter the 5-day treatment, the normalization rate of irritative cough in the treated and the control group was 88.9% (24/27) and 56.0% (14/25) respectively, that of conjunctival congestion was 90.0% (27/30) and 65.5% (19/29) respectively, showing significant differences between groups (P<0.05). The liver function normalization rate in the two groups was 28.6% (2/7) and 25.0% (2/8), and the average medical cost yen 740.7 and yen 749.3, respectively. The total effective rate in the two groups was 96.9% and 93.3% respectively, showing insignificant difference between groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONQZD could actively improve the respiratory symptoms like irritative cough and the inflammatory symptoms of eye like conjunctival congestion in patients with measles.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Measles ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

The study is aimed to explore a rapid method to extract DNA from fried Chinese medicinal products. The alkaline lysis buffer was made of sodium hydroxide, 1% PVP and 1% TritonX-100 and Tris-HCl solution was neutralized, through heat cracking and neutralization two step to extract DNA from processed and prepared products of traditional Chinese medicine. Then universal primes were used to amplify PCR products for fired Chinese medicinal materials. The results indicated the optimized alkaline lysis method for extracting DNA is quick and easy. Extracting of the different processed Sophora japonica of DNA concentration was (420.61 ± 123.91) g x L(-1). Using 5% Chelex-100 resin purification can improve the DNA concentration. Our results showed that the optimized alkaline lysis method is suitable for Chinese medicinal materials for quickly DNA extraction.
Alkalies ; chemistry ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hydrolysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sophora ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the alloxan-induced myocardial fibrosis in mice and discuss the possible mechanism.

METHODSDiabetes was produced by a single injection of alloxan (70 mg/kg, i.v.) in mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, model group, ursolic acid group (UA, 35 mg/kg, p.o.) and benazepril group (5 mg/kg, p. o.), and continuous administrated for 8 weeks. The blood glucose was measured 24 hours after the last administration. Detected the specific biochemical of myocardial tissue: superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroxyproline(HYP). Using masson staining to observe the morphology of the myocardial tissue. Immunohistochemistry was employed to determine the protein levels of TGF-beta1.

RESULTSCompared to normal group, the blood glucose, heart index, myocardial tissue MDA, HYP level were increased, and SOD activities were decreased in the diabetic mice, Masson stain showed that myocardial cells disarranged, myocardial collagen fibrosis hyperplasia. Meanwhile, the protein expression of TGF-beta1 was increased in model group. The UA group improved all the above significantly.

CONCLUSIONUA improves the myocardial collagen fibrosis in diabetic mice induced by alloxan, its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the expression of TGF-beta1 and antioxidation.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; pathology ; Fibrosis ; Hydroxyproline ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oxidative Stress ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

BACKGROUND:Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) serve as a major cell source for smooth muscle cells,but the heterogeneity of cells derived from ESCs result in difficulty to obtain high purity smooth muscle cells.OBJECTIVE:To construct a double expression vector of puromycin resistance (pac) gene and enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) gene driven by smooth muscle specific SM22α promoter (pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP),in addition,to detect its availability and specificity in ESCs.DESIGN,TIME AND SETTING:The observational experiment of gene level was performed at the Cardiovascular Institute,General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region from April 2007 to September 2008.MATERIALS:ESCs line R1 with number SCRC-1011TM was purchased from American ATCC Company.The pSM22α-EGFP vector was constructed by our laboratory.And the pIRES2-EGFP,pSM2C and pSuper.basic vectors were purchased from Invitrogen Company.METHODS:SM22α promoter was cloned from pSM22α-EGFP by polymerase chain reaction.CMV promoter of pIRES2-EGFP vector was replaced by SM22 promoter to establish pSM22α-IRES2-EGFP.Pac gene,excised from pSM2C by HindⅢ/Clal digestion,was sub-cloned into pSuper.basic to establish pSuper-PAC.After BgⅢ/Accl enzyme digestion of pSuper-PAC,pac gene fragment was obtained,which was further sub-cloned into pSM22α-IRES2-EGFP to produce pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP.ESCs were transfected with pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP using lipofectamine.Positive clones were selected by G418 and induced to differentiate and further identified by amplification of pac gene by RT-PCR.Differentiated cells were immunostained by SM α-actin,and expression of SM α-actin and EGFP was observed simultaneously under fluorescence microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Sequencing result of pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP;Amplification of pac gene;EGFP expression;as well as SM α-actin immunostaining.RESULTS:Three segments of 261 bp,664 bp,and 5000 bp were obtained by HindⅢ/Clal digestion,which was coincident with expectation,and the sequencing results showed that pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP vector was successfully constructed.Amplification of pac gene identified 4 ESCs clones successfully transfected.After induction of differentiation,partial portion of differentiated cells expressed EGFP,accompanied by positively stained by SM α-actin antibody.CONCLUSION:pSM22α-PAC-IRES2-EGFP vector was successfully constructed.ESCs clones transfected with this vector expressed pac gene and EGFP gene,and the expression of EGFP is smooth muscle specific.

Objective To investigate the contribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)variation in folate metabolism pathway genes and its interaction with environmental risk factors to the etiology of NTD. Methods In 275 families from central China, a total of 278 aborted fetal tissues or blood samples were collected from NTD individuals, 478 maternal and/or paternal blood samples were also obtained as controls. Folate supplementation, maternal diabetes mellitus and medication before pregnancy and during the first trimester of pregnancy were investigated. SNP analyses of all samples were performed by CEQ 8800. Case-parent control study and transmission/disequilibrium tests (TDT) were performed according to environmental cofactors stratification to evaluated 28 SNP in 12 folate pathway genes associated with human NTD. Results Only gene MTHFR rs1801133 was significantly associated with NTD, and synergistic effects of environmental risk factors (no folate supplementation and maternal diabetes) were shown on the occurrence of NTD. Linkage disequilibrium between BHMT rs3733890 and NTD existed in case of no folate supplementation,whereas the genotype alone did not contribute to the etiology of NTD. Other SNP were not significantly associated with NTD. Conclusions MTHFR rs1801133 is a risk factor of NTD, but BHMT rs3733890 is not an independent risk factor. Further investigations in folate and methionine cycle genes are requird in larger scale to enclose the interactions between gene and gene, or gene and environmental factors.

OBJECTIVETo construct a prokaryotic expression system to serially express Alloferon-1 and to determine the anti-tumor activity of its products in vitro.

METHODSAn artificial fusion gene containing 6 x His-EK-8 x Alloferon-1-EK-6 x His sequences was constructed by linking primer PCR. By using routine molecular biological methods, the artificial fusion gene was cloned and its prokaryotic expression system was then constructed. SDS-PAGE and BioRad Agarose Image Analysor was applied to measure the expression and output of the target recombinant products 8 x rAlloferon-1-EK. Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and EK digestion and Sephadex G-50 chromatography were performed to extract 8 x rAlloferon-1-EK and rAlloferon-1-EK, respectively. The proliferation of KB, SGC and HL-60 tumor cells was tested by using MTT method after treatment with directly synthesized Alloferon-1 (sAlloferon-1), Aloferon-1-EK (sAlloferon-1-EK) and rAlloferon-1-EK.

RESULTThe target artificial fusion gene and its prokaryotic expression system pET42a-8 x rAlloferon-1-EK-E. coliBLDE3 with the expected sequences were obtained. Under inducement of IPTG, the prokaryotic expression system expressed the target serial recombinant protein 8 x rAlloferon-1-EK and its output was approximate 30 % of the total bacterial proteins. 8 x rAlloferon-1-EK and rAlloferon-1-EK were obtained through Ni-NTA and Sephadex G-50 columns. sAlloferon-1, sAlloferon-1-EK and rAlloferon-1ìrAlloferon-EK showed similar remarkable effects of inhibiting the growth and proliferation of KB, SGC and HL-60 cells in vitro within 25 approximately 100 microg/ml concentration range (P<0.01), and there were no significant differences in the inhibiting effects among the three agents (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONA prokaryotic expression system to serially express rAlloferon-1 has been successfully constructed. The product rAlloferon-1-EK has a similar anti-tumor activity compared to both the synthesized Alloferon-1 and Alloferon-1-EK in vitro.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Vaccines ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Growth Inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; HL-60 Cells ; Helicobacter pylori ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; KB Cells ; Peptides ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology