After studying the discipline of chemical components distribution in peony root, it was found that the content distribution of albiflorin, paeoniflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and paeonol was inhomogeneous in different parts of peony root, as same as in different roots belonging to a same plant. Therefore, in order to minimize the effects of different qualities of materials on experimental result, the content changing percentages of four chemical components was chosen as indicators to study processing method of Paeoniae Radix Alba. The processing technique of Paeoniae Radix Alba was put peony roots in the boiled water for at most ten minutes, and cut them into 2-3 mm slices after peeling the root bark, finally dry them in a oven under 55 degrees C, which was similar to the traditional processing method used in Bozhou. And the peeling, boiling and drying methods would affect the contents of albiflorin, paeoniflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and paeonol on several levels.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

To ensure the stability of chemistry components and the convenience of operation, ultrasound method was chosen to study in this investigation. As the total common peaks area in chromatograms was set to be evaluation index, the influence on the technology caused by extraction time, ethanol concentration and liquid-to-solid ratio was studied by using single factor methodology, and the extraction technology of Paeoniae Radix Alba was optimized by using response surface methodology. The results showed that the extracting results were most affected by ethanol concentration; liquid-to-solid ratio came the second and extraction time thirdly. The optimum ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions were as follow: the ultrasonic extraction time was 20.06 min, the ethanol concentration in solvent was 72.04%, and the liquid-to-solid ratio was 53.38 mL · g(-1), the predicted value of total common peaks area was 2.1608 x 10(8). Under the extraction conditions after optimization, the total common peaks area was 2.1422 x 10(8), and the relative deviation between the measured and predicted value was 0.86%, so the optimized extraction technology for Paeoniae Radix Alba is suitable and feasible. Besides, for the purpose of extracting more sufficiently and completely, the optimized extraction technology had more advantages than the extraction method recorded in the monogragh of Paeoniae Radix Alba in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, which will come true the assessment and utilization comprehensively.
Paeonia ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVEAn UPLC method was developed to evaluate the quality of Paeoniae Radix by simultaneously determining four components, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and paeonol in Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction pieces.

METHODThe UPLC chromatographic column was ACQUITY UPLC® HSS T3. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.05% phosphoric acid water with gradient elution. The column temperature was 30 °C and detection wavelength was 230 nm with a flow rate of 0.4 mL · min(-1). A linear model was obtained through principal component analysis (PCA), and PCA scores were used to evaluate the quality of Radix Paeoniae Alba decoction pieces comprehensively.

RESULTPaeoniflorin, albiflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and paeonol could be well separated from other components, and the results of specificity, precision, repeatability, linearity, recovery rate and stability reached the standards, respectively. The content of paeoniflorin in 9 batches of Paeoniae Radix Alba decoction pieces was below the standard given by Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition). Using the comprehensive scoring method with principal component analysis, the results showed that the samples from Zhejiang province have better quality than those from Anhui and Shandong provinces.

CONCLUSIONThe method established in this study can effectively determine the content of paeoniflorin, albiflorin, benzoylpaeoniflorin and paeonol, which could be used for quality control of Paeoniae Radix Alba.

Objective To evaluate the overall effect of transsphenoidal microsuegery for 23 patients with non-adenomas disease intrasellar region.Methods A toal of 23 patients with non-adenomas disease in- trasellar region,7 cases of Rathke's cleft cyst,3 cases of craniopharyngiomas,2 cases of meningiomas,2 ca- ses of pituitary tuberculous granuloma,5 cases of pituitary abscess,2 cases of empty sella,2 cases of chord- mas,were treated via sublabio-septo-sphenoidal microsurgery.Results There were among the 23 patients, groos total removal of the disease were achieved in 14 cases,subtotal removal in 7 cases,and partial removal in remain 2 cases.Diminished visual activity and visual field defects were improved in 13 cases.Menstrual disorder in all female cases and sexual disturbance in male were improved.There was no death in group. Conclusion Microsurgical technique via transsphenoidal approach is a safe and effective one for the treatment of patients with non-adenomas disease intrasellar region.

A cDNA sequence of Arnebia euchroma AP2/ERF named AeAP2/ERF was cloned by in silico cloning in this study, using ACX71873 sequence from Lithospermum erythrorhizon as the probe sequence. Some characters of the AP2/ERF gene and encoded protein sequences were predicted and analyzed by the bioinformatics methods, including general physical and chemical properties, hydrophobieity, signal peptide, secondary structure, localization sites in cells. Results showed that the 876 bp long gene included a 1 077 bp ORF and encoding 205 amino acid. The AeAP2/ERF protein had no signal peptide, it was a hydrophilic proteins located in nucleus. The function of the AP2/ERF protein was mainly involved with metabolism controlling and signal transduction.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Boraginaceae ; classification ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Computer Simulation ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Transcription Factors ; chemistry ; genetics

The aim of this Post-Marketing Surveillance study was to assess efficacy, safety and acceptance of acarbose treatment in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients under day-to-day practice conditions. A total of 2 480 patients were enrolled by 231 physicians throughout China into an open, prospective, uncontrolled, nonrandomised, multi-centre study. Main efficacy parameters were the changes in fasting and postprandial blood glucose concentrations as well as in HbA1c levels after acarbose treatment. The majority of patients had been previously treated with other oral anti-diabetic medication or insulin and received concomitant anti-diabetics during the mean observation period of 13.5 weeks. Most patients started on a daily acarbose dose of 50 mgt. i. d. Acarbose treatment reduced fasting blood glucose concentrations by 56. 1 mg/dl ( 18 mg/dl glucose = 1 mmol/Lglucose) and 2h-postprandial values by 111.3 mg/dl over the studyperiod. HbA1c decreased by 1.9％ and body weight by 0.9 kg. 76 acarbose-related adverse events occurred; two patients experienced serious adverse events.The attending physicians assessed treatment efficacy as "very good" or "good" for 90.1％ of the patients, tolerability for 89.1％ and acarbose acceptance for 87.1％ of the patients. Acarbose is efficacious, safe and well accepted by Chinese type 2 diabetic patients under day-to-day routine conditions, both as anti-diabetic mono therapy and in combination with other anti-diabetic drugs.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cadherins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Ki-67 Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; physiopathology ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the effects of implementing the health education in the Central Fund Program to control endemic fluorosis in Guizhou.Methods The samples were randomly surveyed to evaluate knowledge awareness in students and households as well as the habit formation after implementing the integrated program which mainly consisted of installing the improved stoves,supported by the Central Funds and health education in 5 counties.Results After health education,the rates of knowledge awareness in the students and the households were 94.80%(15 562/16 415)and 88.23%(4482/5080),respectively,and increased significantly compared with those before intervention[44.20%(26 364/59 645),22.81%(3082/13 510)],the difference being significant(χ2=13 324.05,6546.24,P＜0.01).The rates of drying corn and chili with the coal fire were 5.61% (57/1016)and 5.41%(55/1016),respectively,and decreased significantly compared with those before intervention [77.41%(1076/1390),78.92%(1097/1390)],the difference being significant(χ2=1214.49,1270.92,P＜0.01).The rates of washing corn and chili were 99.51%(1011/1016)and 94.59%(961/1016),respectively,and increased significantly compared with those before intervention[84.60%(1176/1390),76.55%(1064/1390)],the difference being significant(χ2=154.80,143.32,P＜0.01).The rates of using the uncovered and unventilated iron stoves and table stoves were 4.71%(38/807)and 8.37%(60/717),respectively,and decreased significantly compared with those before intervention[29.99%(14 483/48 299),98.33%(95 070/96 685)],the difierence being significant(χ2=243.51,25 282.99,P＜0.01).Conclusions Implementing the health education is the basis for the integrated measures for controlling the endemic fluorosis in the endemic regions.The consciousness and activity of the target people have been enhanced greatly.The good behaviors in the target people are forming,the expected goal is reached.

Objective To explore the influence of stoves and mode of coal-burning on the prevalence of endemic fluorosis in Guizhou Province.Methods Three previous severe endemic villages and two mild villages(as control)were investigated by ways of random sampling in the present and retrospect epidemiological study on stove usage,coal burning mode and the severity of disease.Results Before the 1990's Of 20th century all the households in the previous severe endemic villages used the open stove without ventilated pipe(chimney)and dehydrated the corn over the coal-fire of the open stoves in house,which resulted in severe pollution of the corn and indoor air by fluoride.After the 1990's,each household,although still dried the corn with the coal fire,used the table stoves and iron stoves increasingly year by year,which resulted in the decrease of the emitted fluoride from the coal fire significantly,reduced the fluoride pollution of the indoor air and the main food,thus the incidence of endemic fluorosis consequently decreased. On the other hand, most of the households in the previous severe endemic villages such as Lianhe and Yuanzi still used the open, unventilated stove without chimney, very few installed chimney leading to outside of the room,the rates being 51.3%(41/80)and 41.7%(35/84),respectively.It was concordant to the high incidence of endemic fluorosis.Compared with 1979,the detective rates of dental fluorosis in the crowd aged above 8 years old were increased significantly in Hehua Village in 2006,90.51%(248/274)and 96.08%(392/408),respectively(χ2=7.85,P＜0.01).Conclusions The usage of stoves and mode of coal-burning significantly influence the incidence of the endemic fluorosis caused by domestic coal-burningin Guizhou Province,and inappropriated use of stove and the mode of coal burning are the key factors in cause the prevalence of the severe fluorosis in endemic regions in Guizhou.

Objective To explore the effect of different processing and drying methods of corn and hot pepper on fluorine content in coal-burning type of the endemic fluorosis areas, and to screen food processing and drying methods which meet the quality requirements of grain drying and able to effectively reduce the total fluoride intake of local population. Methods Farmers of endemic fluorosis area in Bijie, Guizhou province were divided into 3 groups: sun-baked drying group, stove drying group with air-tight cover and stove drying group with no cover, 10 households in each group. Corn and fresh hot pepper and samples dried for 2 weeks, or 1, 3, 6-month were collected, and water and fluoride content were detected, and the total daily fluoride intake were calculated in accordance with the "Determination of Water in Food" (GB/T 5009.3-2003) and "Determination of Fluorine in Foods"(GB/T 5009.18-2003). Results Fluoride content in fresh corn and dried for 2 weeks, or 1, 3, 6-month [of sunbaked drying group: (1.40 ± 0.16), (1.56 ± 0.14), (2.15 ± 0.47), (2.70 ± 0.64), (4.06 ± 1.75)mg/kg, stove drying group with air-tight cover: (1.41 ± 0.16), (2.39 ± 0.56), (4.60 ± 0.97), (8.46 ± 5.55), (11.36 ± 3.60)mg/kg,stove drying group with no cover: (1.40 ± 0.13), (4.69 ± 3.97), (4.47 ± 2.77), (9.65 ± 6.47), (26.12 ± 14.52)mg/kg] and pepper[sun-baked drying group: (5.41 ± 1.61), (16.60 ± 7.62), (32.60 ± 7.88), (50.26 ± 17.60),(240.20 ± 272.49)mg/kg, stove drying group with air-tight cover: (754 ± 2.95), (3238 ± 11.50), (119.18 ± 156.45),(224.00 ± 196.58), (495.70 ± 417.29)mg/kg, stove drying group with no cover: (4.82 ± 1.25), (44.30 ± 13.48),(122.89 ± 66.43), (334.23 ± 166.05), (531.01 ± 397.40)mg/kg] increased with elongation of drying time, and the group difference was significant(F = 44.77, 128.71, 126.87, 41.61, 53.63, 170.63, all P ＜ 0.05), with the largest rate of increase in stove drying group with no cover, and the lowest in sun-baked drying group;fluoride was significantly lower (t = 7.93,63.07,5.36,11.98,55.76,7.45, all P ＜ 0.05) after sample washing;total fluoride intake per person per day was 2.57 mg in local adult when ate washed and sun-baked corn, peppers, the total fluoride intake were 5.92, 8.14 mg when ate the food processed by other two drying methods and washed corn, peppers,respectively. Conclusions In the coal-burning type of fluorosis endemic area, should take appropriate health education measures, and instruct local residents to use sun bake their edible corn and pepper for human consumption, and cultivate a habit of washing corn and pepper before cooking, which can reduce the population total fluoride intake, and control endemic fluorosis.