AIM To prepare diosgenin nanosuspensions.METHODS The nanosuspensions prepared by media milling method were solidificated by freeze drying method.With particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) as evaluation indices,stabilizer kind,ratio of diosgenin to stabilizer,ratio of preliminary nanosuspension volume to grinding bead amount,milling time,lyoprotectant kind and its amount as influencing factors,single factor test was applied to screening preparation and solidification processes.The morphology of nanosuspensions was observed,then the particle sizes and polydispersity indices of nanosuspensions and freeze-dried powder were determined.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 6:1 for ratio of diosgenin to Pluronic F127 (stabilizer Ⅰ),50:1 for ratio of diogenin to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS,stabilizer Ⅱ),1:4 for ratio of preliminary nanosuspension volume to grinding bead amount,120 min for milling time,and 8％ PEG-6000 and 2％ mannitol as lyoprotectants.The average particle size and polydispersity index of rod-like or flaky nanosuspensions were (348.1 ±14.2) nm and 0.244 ± 0.059,respectively,which were lower than those of freeze-dried powder.At room temperature,the particle sizes of nanosuspensions and freeze-dried powder remained stable within 35 d and 3 months,respectively.CONCLUSION The physical stability of diosgenin freeze-dried powder is superior to that of its nanosuspensions,which can be used after being reconstituted.

Objective To assess the feasibility of using PET molecular imaging to evaluate the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine FuZhiSan (FZS) on the model of aging Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. Methods Twenty aged AD rats (Sparague-Dawley rats,male) were randomly divided into FZS treated group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Another 10 healthy adult rats were as blank controls. Morris water maze record system was used for cognitive function assessment. Before and after FZS treatment 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11 C-2- [4'-(methylamino) phenyl] benzothiazol-6-ol ( PIB )PET imaging was undertaken. After post-treatment imaging procedures the brain tissues of all animals were taken for histochemical study,such as staining with HE,congo red,amyloid β (Aβ) immunofluorescence,5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence and NeuN immunofluorescence. Paired t-test was performed with SPSS 13.0 software for the data analysis. Results The cognitive dysfunction of aging AD rats was improved after FZS treatment. The escape latency in FZS treated group was significantly shorter than that of control group ((32.5 ±10.8) s vs (102.6±8.8) s,t =15.7987,P=0. 0001). Diffuse neuronal loss and Aβ deposition were detected in the hippocampus and cortex in the aged AD rats. The imaging data showed that brain glucose metabolism was amended in FZS treated group while the abatement of amyloid deposition was not significant. Immunofluorescence results indicated that the neuronal proliferation was more remarkable in FZS treated group. Conclusions It may be feasible to use PET imaging as a method to evaluate the therapeutic effect in AD rats. FZS may ameliorate memory dysfunction of aged AD rats. Its mechanism may be partly contributed to the enhancement of the neuronal proliferation and survival.

AIM To optimize the preparation of two inclusion compounds of erinacine A and to evaluate their stabilities.METHODS With feed ratio,milling time and milling speed as influencing factors,inclusion rate and yield as evaluation indices,the preparation was optimized by orthogonal test.The obtained inclusion compounds were characterized by infrared spectrophotometry and TLC,whose stabilities at high temperature (60 ℃),strong light (3 000 1x) and high humidity [(90 ±5)％] were investigated.RESULTS The optimal β-cyclodextrin inclusion conditions were determined to be 5 ∶ 1 for feed ratio,60 min for milling time,and 300 r/min for milling speed,the inclusion rate and yield were 20.66％ and 88.21％,respectively.The optimal hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion conditions were determined to be 25 ∶ 1 for feed ratio,90 min for milling time,and 400 r/min for milling speed,the inclusion rate and yield were 69.25％ and 96.31％,respectively.The inclusion of Hericium erinaceus 80％ ethanol extract was physical process without composition change.At high temperature and strong light,two inclusion compounds' appearance showed no obvious change with little loss of erinacine A,which was just the contrary at high humidity.The inclusion effect of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion compound was better than that of β-cyclodextrin inclusion compound.CONCLUSION Both β-cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin inclusion compounds of erinacine A exhibit good heat stability and light stability,but deliquescence can easily happen to them.

Objective To investigate the immediate oral feedback after objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) for postgraduate year 1 & 2 surgery residents (PGY1 & 2).Methods 37 PGY1 and 38 PGY2 wereevaluated.The examination was composed of 6 stationsand limited to15 minutes per station.Each station was evaluated by centesimal system score.Immediate oral feedback was given in the last2 minutes.A questionnaire was given to each resident and examiner at the end of OSCE.All data analyses were conducted using SPSS version 22.0,repeated measures ANOVA and LSD test were used,and correlations were tested by the Pearson correlation test.Results The average scores for PGY1 & 2 were (68.97 ± 5.40) and (68.35 ± 5.00),the between-and inter-round differences in average score were not statistically significant.There was no significant correlation about theevaluation of the residents' performance during OSCE between the examiners and the residents.The necessity and effectiveness of immediate oral feedback were confirmed by both the examiners and the residents.Conclusions Immediate oral feedback isfeasible with limited impact on OSCE score,but the plan should be furtherrefined.Follow-up study isnecessary to identify the long-term effect on the clinical competency.

Adolescent ; Astrocytoma ; classification ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Brain Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Retrospective Studies ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo define the effects of Astragalus membranaceus on the atrial dynamics and ANP secretion in the perfused beating rabbit atria.

METHODThe experiments have been done in isolated perfused beating rabbit atria. ANP was measured by radioimmunoassay in the atrial perfusate in real-time base.

RESULTA. membranaceus (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 g L(-1)) could increase atria stroke volume from (694.70 +/- 0.01) microL g(-1) (P<0.05) to (1,003.00 +/- 8.80) microL g(-1) (P<0.001); (1,120.00 +/- 17.71) microL g(-1) and (1,195.00 +/- 8.21) microL g(-1) (P<0.001), respectively, and its could difference increase atrial pulse pressure from (0.82 +/- 0.01) kPa to (0.86 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.01); (0.96 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.001) and (1.02 +/- 0.01) kPa (P<0.001), respectively; A. membranaceus obviously increased rabbit atrial dynamics with dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously, A. membranaceus inhibited ANP secretion. Nifedipine (1.0 micromol L(-1)), a L-type Ca2+ channel inhibitor, and KB-R 7943 (10.0 micromol L(-1)), an inhibitor of reversed Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger, blocked the effects of A. membranaceus-induced augmentation of atrial dynamics but failed to modulation the inhibition of A. membranaceus on ANP secretion.

CONCLUSIONA. membranaceus increases the atrial dynamics via Na+ -Ca2+ exchanger and L-type Ca2+ channel and negatively modulates ANP secretion in beating rabbit atria.

Animals ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; metabolism ; secretion ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Heart Atria ; drug effects ; metabolism ; secretion ; Male ; Myocardial Contraction ; drug effects ; Nifedipine ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

In this study, a self-designed powder needleless injection system was compared with subcutaneous injection using a needle and syringe to deliver tetanus toxoid (TT) into mice to elicit immunity. First of all, factors influencing the prepartion of TT into powder by being absorbed on aluminium hydroxide were investigated and the micromeritic characters of Al (OH)3-TT powder were observed with optical microscope and laser particle analyzer. The results showed that salt concentration and absorption time had an enhancive effect on drug loading, but the pH value and temperature did not influence the absorption reaction obviously. The absorption reaction was optimized with sodium chloride concentration of 0.4 mol x L(-1) and lasting for 10 min. The average diameter of Al(OH)3-TT powder prepared with conditions optimized above was (60.6 +/- 4.4) microm. The immunization effect of TT was determined through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the concentration of IgG antibody elicited by TT. With delivery of Al(OH)3-TT (of 30 microg TT) by powder needleless injection to mice, the IgG antibody concentration were (6.19 +/- 0.52) and (10.70 +/- 0.78) U x L(-1) after immunization of 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, while the values were (4.25 +/- 0.58) and (7.48 +/- 0.57) U x L(-1) by subcutaneous injection (of 20 microg TT) using a needle and syringe. The results suggested that the self-designed powder needleless injection of Al(OH)3-TT was comparable to subcutaneous injection with a good immunity.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; administration & dosage ; Aluminum Hydroxide ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Drug Compounding ; Female ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Injections, Jet ; Male ; Mice ; Particle Size ; Powders ; Tetanus Toxoid ; administration & dosage ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects on thyroid function in patients of Hashimoto's thyroiditis treated with aconite cake-separated moxibustion and option the better therapeutic program.

METHODSEighty-five cases were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (42 cases) and a western medication group (43 cases). The moxibustion group was treated by aconite cake-separated moxibustion therapy with acupoints of two groups [(1) Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4); (2) Dazhui (GV 14), Shenshu (BL 23), Mingmen (GV 4)] alternatively and oral administration of 25 microg Euthyrox everyday. The western medication group was oral administration of 25 microg Euthyrox everyday. Indices of thyroid function before and after treatment and clinical effect were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThe clinical total effective rate and effective rate of thyroid function were 25.0% (10/40), 87.5% (35/40) in moxibustion group respectively, 7.53% (3/40) and 57.5% (23/40) in western medication group, with significant differences between two groups (both P < 0.05). Content of serum free thyroxine index (FT4) increased significantly in the moxibustion group after treatment (P < 0.01); content of serum supersensitive thyrotropin (S-TSH) in the moxibustion group was lower than that of western medication group, and contents of serum FT4 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were higher than those of western medication group, but with no significant differences (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAconite cake-separated moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV 4) and Mingmen (GV 4) combined with oral administration of Euthyrox can improve clinical symptoms and thyroid function in patients of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is better than simple oral administration of Euthyrox.

Aconitum ; chemistry ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hashimoto Disease ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Thyroid Gland ; physiopathology ; secretion ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; Thyrotropin ; blood ; Young Adult

Objective:To explore the possible associated factors and parameters of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) among the elderly in Changsha.Methods:In the investigation of chronic diseases among the elderly in Changsha and the promotion and popularization of community standardized prevention and control, 500 elderly people >65 years old in Yuhua District of Changsha City were selected by multi-stage sampling method. Polysomnography (PSG) was used to detect sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and collect physical examination indexes. A total of 70 cases met the diagnostic criteria of OSAHS apnea hypopnea index were divided into mild (42 cases), moderate (16 cases) and severe (12 cases). 20 cases of non OSAHS were selected as control group. The general information, PSG level and dynamic blood glucose level were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between ambulatory blood glucose level and sleep apnea hypopnea index in OSAHS patients.Results:There were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), girth ratio, smoking history, drinking history, apnea frequency, longest duration of hypoventilation, lowest oxygen saturation, supine apnea index and non supine apnea index between OSAHS group and control group ( P<0.05). The amplitude of blood glucose fluctuation was positively correlated with sleep apnea hypopnea index ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Among the many associated factors on OSAHS, BMI and the ratio of neck circumference to length and body position have the most notable influence. Patients with OSAHS are more prone to blood glucose fluctuations, and gradually worsen with the progression of OSAHS. Therefore, we should take targeted intervention measures.

Mastery learning is a competency-based mixed education method, which divides complex medical education contents into several teaching units according to the degree of difficulty and sets minimum passing standard for each teaching unit. Formative assessment was used to evaluate whether the learners had reached the mastery standard and finally mastered the knowledge through pass-continue or fail-repeat approach. The learners who had reached the mastery standard were usually able to use their knowledge more freely in clinical practice, and were able to accomplish more complex tasks through their own judgment with less supervision.