Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Vision, Ocular

Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; HSP72 Heat-Shock Proteins ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; metabolism ; Synovial Membrane ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism

The secondary metabolites of plants are important sources of natural drugs. Betula plants have abundant pharmacological value, complex mechanism and wide applications, which are closely related to the triterpenoids of theirs. Triterpenoids in Betula species are mainly divided into dammarane-type, ocotillol-type, oleanane-type, lupane-type and cycloaltunane-type. The extracts of Betula species have varieties of activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, etc. And the biosynthetic pathways of triterpenoids after 2,3-oxidosqualene are split into four branches of dammarenediol-II, lupeol, cycloartenol and amyrin according to the different oxidosqualene cyclases. This review summarizes the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and biosynthetic pathways of triterpenoids in Betula plants. It provides a reference for the research and development of new drugs and the production of these triterpenoids in microbial cell factories by synthetic biology methods.

Objective To study the influence of different body serum iron levels on follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),luteinizing hormone (LH) and uterine ovarian index,and explore the body serum iron level effects on female mice sexual maturity further.Methods 36 three weeks C57BL/6J female mice were randomly divided into the normal control group,strengthen-iron 1 group and strengthen-iron 2 group,12 cases in each group.The normal control group with normal diet(310mgFe/kg),strengthen-iron 1 group and strengthen-iron 2 group were given high -iron diets(respectively with 465mgFe/kg and 620mgFe/kg) after born 3 weeks.each group body,uterus and ovary mass after 2 weeks were checked;colorimetric method was used to detect the serum iron level;the serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone(LH) were detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay.Results The body of mice serum iron levels,uterine ovarian index (uterine ovarian wet mass/body mass) and follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) level of strengthen-iron 1 group and strengthen-iron 2 group were higher than those of normal control group (F =9.11,11.11,7.09,all P ＜ 0.01).Luteinizing hormone (LH) level of the strengthen-iron group was higher than those of normal control group (F =3.89,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Uterine ovarian index,follicle stimulating hormone level and luteinizing hormone level were affected with increased serum iron level;It suggests that the increasing serum iron level can cause female mice sexual maturity in advance.

Background A main cause of visual impairment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is vitreous hemorrhage and retinal detachment due to contraction of fibrovascular membrane.To explore the pathogenic mechanism of fibrovascular membrane is a new target for the prevention and management of PDR.Objective This study was to determine the change in expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) and pigment epithelium derived factor(PEDF) in the proliferative membranes of patients with PDR after intravitreal injection of avastin,an anti-VEGF agent.Methods This study was approved by the Medical Ethic Committee of Tianjin Medical College,and written informed consent was obtained from each patient before enrollment.A prospective randomized-controlled study was designed.Twenty-six eyes of 24 patients with PDR scheduled for surgery were enrolled from January to June,2008 in Tianjin Medical College Eye Hospital.The patients were randomized into the simple vitrectomy group and avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,with matched gender,age and disease duration.1.25 mg (0.05 ml) of avastin was intravitreally injected prior to surgery,and vitrectomy was performed 10 days after injection in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,and only vitrectomy was given in the simple vitrectomy group.Preretinal membrane was collected during the surgery.Expression of VEGF,CTGF and PEDF in the preretinal membranes was assayed by immunochemistry.Results VEGF,CTGF and PEDF were expressed in the cytoplasm.The rate of VEGF expression in the preretinal membranes was 30.77％ in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,showing a significant reduction in comparison with the simple vitrectomy group(100.00％)(U =4.000,P＜0.01).The rate of expression CTGF was remarkable elevated in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group compared with the simple vitrectomy group (92.31％ vs.62.54％)(U=7.500,P=0.048).However,no significant difference was found in the expression rate of PEDF between the two groups(100.00％ vs.92.31％) (U =65.500,P =0.299).Conclusions The results suggest that intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs resulted in the decrease of VEGF expression and increased CTGF expression in proliferative membranes from patients with PDR.

Objective To investigate the positive rates of food allergen (fx5),mixed molds (mx1),phadiatop and house dust mites (d1) allergen-specific serum immunoglobulin E(sIgE) in children with asthma or cough variant asthma (CVA).Their age distribution characte-ristics were also compared and analysed.Methods Blood samples of 597 asthmatic children aging from 6 months to 16 years old were applied to fx5,mx1,pha-diatop and d1 test by using fluoroenzyme-immunometricassay,UniCAP100.The positive rate of fx5,mx1,phadiatop and d1 were compared.Age distribution characteristics of children with positive sIgE were analysed.Results 1.The positive rate of fx5,mx1,pha-diatop and d1 were 34.6%,30.0%,35.2% and 23.5%,respectively.2.The highest positive rate of phadiatop and d1 were highest in children of 6-16 age group(67.8% and 46.3%);The positive rate of fx5,mx1 peaked in children of 2 years and 5 years separately(44.1% and 53.6%);3.Among 181 children with mx1 positivity 90 cases manifested phadiatop negativity.4.Sixty-five percent of children with clinically diagnosed asthma or CVA presented positivity in test in fx5,mx1 or phadiatop at least.Conclusions Two thirds asthma and CVA patients exist sIgE.Asthmatic infants mainly manifest food allergen sensitization.The positive of phadiatop increased with age.Positivity of mx1 increased with age ≤5 years old in children,and it decreases in older children(≥6 years old).Mx1 is one of the main allergens in asthmatic children.

The aim of the paper is to reveals the variations of Dendrobium officinale amino acids in different strains and parts for breeding excellent varieties, and providing scientific basis for the expanding of medicinal or edible parts. The contents of 17 amino acids in 11 strains of D. officinale were determined by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis method. The total amino acids content of leaves was from 6.76 to 7.97 g per 100 g, and the stems was from 1.61 to 2.44 g per 100 g. As the content of amino acids in leaves was significantly higher than that of stems, and the composition was close to the ideal protein standard proposed by FAO/WHO. The leaves of D. officinale had the good prospect for the development of functional foods. The 9 x 66 strain which with high yield and polysaccharide content had the highest amino acids content both in stems and leaves, indicated crossbreeding could improve the quality of varieties. Compared the amino acids content of D. officinale in two main harvest periods, the harvest time has a significant impact on amino acids content of D. officinale. This study demonstrates that the harvesting time of D. officinale stems is suitable for leaves as well, which is the period before bolssom.
Amino Acids ; chemistry ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; classification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; classification

This paper revealed the accumulation regularity of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents of Dendrobium officinale leaves, which have provided basis for the development and utilization of the leaves. The polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents of three D. officinale strains leaves collected in different growing periods were determined by phenol-sulfric acid method and hot-dip method respectively. The results showed that the content of polysaccharides in leaves was 4.45% -12.17%, and was about a quarter in stems. The alcohol-soluble extracts content in leaves was 7.45% - 29.34%, and was 1.5 times that of stems. The quality variation of polysaccharides in leaves was closely related to the phenophase. The leaves with lower level of metabolism in three stages: winter, early germination stage and deciduous period, which led to lower content of polysaccharides. The leaves at the vigorous growth stage with higher content of polysaccharides. The alcohol-soluble extracts were closely associated to the formation and germination of buds. The content of alcohol-soluble extracts peaked before sprout, and promoted the growth of new shoots.
Dendrobium ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; metabolism ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Polysaccharides ; analysis ; metabolism ; Seasons

Objective To investigate the lesionsin theleft thalamus and to explore their correlation with executive functionin patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease(SIVD)by using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods Fourteen patients with vascular dementia (VaD), 14 patients with vas-cular cognitive impairment without dementia(VCIND)and 14 normal controls (NC) were recruited. The quantitative analy-sis of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), Choline (Cho), myoinositol (MI) and Creatine (Cr) resonance signals in region of interests (ROI) in the left thalamus were measured. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values in the same region were examined by using DTI. The relationship were analyzedamong the MRS, DTI ratios and cognitive impairment reflect-ed in MMSE and trail making test(TMT). Results The NAA/Cr ratio showed a gradual decrease in the left thalamus of VaD andVCIND patients compared with controls(F=3.656, P=0.038). There was no significant difference in NAA/Cr ra- tiobetween VaD and VCIND patients.Compared with controls, patients with VaD and VCIND demonstrated increased MD value in the left thalamus(F=3.882, P=0.030).There was no significant difference in MD value between VaD and VCIND patients (P>0.05). There were no correlations between NAA/Cr, MI/Cr, Cho/Cr value and DTI parameters in the ROI (P>0.05). TMTb time was positively associated with Cho/Cr(r=0.520,P=0.001 ) and with MD value in the left thalamus (r=0.305, P=0.044). Conclusions Combination of 1H-MRS with DTI can provide the valuable informationon the potential lesions in the thalamus in patients with SIVD. The Cho/Cr and MD values in the leftthalamus may be correlated with ex-ecutive function.

In recent years, more and more attention was payed to the study of andrographolide. Andrographolide has the extensive pharmacological actions, such as anti-tumor, dephlogisticate and antibiosis and anti-virus. It was dected that andrographolide had the action of anti-tumor in gastric cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer. The anti-tumor mechanism of andrographolide was versatile, for instance, andrographolide can induce the apoptosis of cancer cell, inhibit the cell cycle, and increase the antitumor activity of lymphocyte. The following review was about the recent progress of study on the anti-tumor mechanism of andrographolide.
Andrographis ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; immunology ; Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry