AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of intravitreal injection of triamcinolone combined macular grid photocoagulation treatment for macular edema.
METHODS: Totally 150 cases (150 eyes) with macular edema in our hospital from July 2009 to November 2013 were selected, which were randomly divided into study group (75 cases, 75 eyes) and control group (75 cases, 75 eyes) . The cases in control group were treated with macular grid photocoagulation treatment, those in the study group used triamcinolone acetonide combined macular grid photocoagulation treatment. Best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) , parallel optical coherence tomography ( OCT) and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) were detected before treatment, after treatment 7d, 1, 3, and 9mo.
RESULTS:After the treatment, patients' vision were significantly improved in two groups (P<0. 05). In the study group 7d, 1, 3, and 9mo after operation, the visual acuity was better than the control group and preoperative (P<0. 05); fovea macular neurosensory layer thickness decreased significantly (P<0. 05). In the control group, the point omentum macular neurosensory retinal thickness was not statistically significant at 7d, 1, 3, and 9mo after operation compared with before treatment (P>0. 05). Fovea macular neurosensory retinal thickness in the study group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0. 05). Intraocular pressure of 7 cases in the study group increased slightly, and were normal after treatment.
CONCLUSION: Triamcinolone acetonide combined macular grid photocoagulation treatment is accurate, can effectively improve the visual acuity, reduce macular edema, it is safe and reliable, and suitable for clinical application.

AIM: To observe the effects of Dispel Stasis Decoction(Radix et Rhizowa Salviae multiorrhizae,Rhizoma Sparganii,Rhizoma Curcumae,etc) on TNF-? and E_2 in rats with endometriosis(EMS),and to observe its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. METHODS: Endometriosis rat models were made by autograft of endometrium in abdomen.Four weeks after operation,EMS model rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a model group,3 Dispel Stasis Decoction groups and a danazol group.All the rats were treated for three weeks respectively,and then anaesthetised and killed.The ectopic endometrium's focuses were observed by microscope,the levels of TNF-? and E_2 in the serum of all groups were measured by radioimmunoassay.The method of body twist and ear edema of mouse were used to the analysis the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of Dispel Stasis Decoction. RESULTS: The survived graft shrinked and the number of the glanduls decreased in rats of Dispel Stasis Decoction group.The levels of TNF-? and E_2 in the serum were significantly lower than that of the model group.Also,Dispel Stasis Decoction could inhibite the ear edema of the mouse induced by dimethylbenzene and the body twist of the mouse caused by acetic acid notablely. CONCLUSION: Dispel Stasis Decoction inhibited growth of the graft and showed a significant therapeutic effects on EMS model rat.It also has notable functions of anti-inflammatory and analgesic.This may be related to its inhibition of TNF-? and E_2 levels.

Some new types of microemulsion using phospholipids as the main surfactant were prepared for electrokinetic chromatography and the quantitative structure-retention relationship of neutral solutes in these microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) systems was studied by solvation parameters model.By using dynamic coating capillary, and with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dodecyl benzene as the marker of electroosmotic flow and microemulsion droplets, a total of 17 kinds of stable microemulsions containing soybean phospholipids or other surfactants were prepared and the linear salvation energy relationship equations were developed for these MEEKC systems with 26 small neutral compounds.The coefficients of linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) equations were used to evaluate the similarity of two MEEKC systems.Results indicated that LSER characteristics of phospholipids-MEEKC systems were similar to those of other microemulsion systems.The volume and hydrogen bond basicity of solutes were mostly contributed to the retention in MEEKC.The different types and concentration of oil phase had no evident influence on the retention.

Objective To explore the relationship between plasma mannose-binding lectin (MBL), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and body mass index in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods 45 newly diagnosed GDM pregnant women and 45 healthy women (control group) were selected in this study. Plasma concentration of MBL and LPS were measured. All the groups were sub-divided into obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) and non-obesity (BMI < 25 kg/m2) subgroup. The relationships of levels of plasma LPS, MBL with BMI were analyzed. Results The level of plasma MBL in GDM group was significantly lower than that in control group(P < 0.05), while the concentration of LPS in serum was much higher than that in healthy pregnant women (P < 0.05). Pearson analysis showed the level of MBL in GDM group was negatively correlated with BMI(r=-0.28, P<0.05), serum LPS concentration was positively correlated with BMI(r = 0.62, P < 0.05) and LPS was negatively correlated With MBL(r = -0.43, P < 0.05) . The above correlations were not found in control group. Conclusion Serum MBL and LPS maybe two important risk factors for those pregnant women being overweight, and could offer great significance for the prevention and treatment of GDM.

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a newly-developed method in transcriptome research, it can afford more accurate transcription information and be more quickly by using Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. RNA-Seq has been widely used in various biological fields. Genuine traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with good quality and therapeutic effect, were always praised highly and used by famous physicians. The geo-herbalism formation of TCM is based on the product of the gene expression at specific space and time. So it has been a research hotspot to analyze the mechanism of biosynthesis through RNA-Seq in the study on the secondary metabolism of medicinal plant. This article mainly illustrates the RNA-Seq and its advantages, it also discusses the potential application in genuine TCM, and it can provide useful information for other researchers.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Gene Expression Profiling ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; RNA ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Transcriptome

Fifty-eight samples belonging to 7 species of Arisaematis Rhizoma and its adulterants were collected. The ITS2 locus was employed as a DNA barcode and amplified, sequenced and assembled for all of the collected samples. Then, ITS2 sequences have been annotated using HMM-based method. The intra- and inter-specific variations were calculated and NJ tree was constructed using MEGA 6.0 software. The results showed that inter-specific K2P distances were significantly larger than intra-specific distances for all of the three origin species of Arisaematis Rhizoma. Furthermore, three origin species, Arisaema amurense, A. erubescens and A. heterophyllum, can be respectively formed to be a single branch with high bootstrap values. It is concluded that ITS2 can be used to correctly identify Arisaematis Rhizoma from its adulterants and the application of ITS2 in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine has an important prospective.
Arisaema ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; classification ; genetics

In order to identify Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix using ITS2 barcodes, genomic DNA from sixty samples was extracted and the ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer) regions were amplified and sequenced. The genetic distances were computed using MEGA 5.0 in accordance with the kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree was constructed. The results indicated that for Aucklandiae Radix (Aucklandia lappa), Vladimiriae Radix (Vladimiria souliei and V. souliei var. cinerea), Inulae Radix (Inula helenium), Aristolochiae Radix (Aristolochia debilis) and Kadsurae Radix (Kadsura longipedunculata), the intra-specific variation was smaller than inter-specific one. There are 162 variable sites among 272 bp after alignment of all ITS2 sequence haplotypes. For each species, the intra-specific genetic distances were also smaller than inter-specific one. Furthermore, the NJ tree strongly supported that Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix can be differentiated. At the same time, V. souliei (Dolomiaea souliei) and V. souliei var. cinerea( D. souliei var. cinerea) belonging to Vladimiriae Radix were clearly identified. In conclusion, ITS2 barcode could be used to identify Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix. Our study may provide a scientific foundation for clinical safe use of the traditional Chinese medicines.
Aristolochia ; classification ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Quality Control

The ITS2 barcode was used to accurately identify Albiziae Cortex, Albiziae Flos and their adulterants in this study. A total of46 samples from Albiziae Cortex, Albiziae Flos and their adulterants were collected. The ITS2 regions were amplified and sequenced. Sequences were assembled using the CodonCode Aligner. The genetic distances of ITS2 region were calculated using MEGA 5.0. BLAST1, nearest distance and phylogenetic tree (NJ-tree) methods were used to assess the identification efficiency of the ITS2 barcode. The results revealed that the intraspecific genetic distances of Albizia julibrissin were lower than the interspecific genetic distances between A. julibrissin and its adulterants. The identification efficiency of ITS2 barcode using BLAST1 was 100%. The NJ-tree showed that A. julibrissin and their adulterants can be easily differentiated according to their monophyly. The ITS2 barcode is suitable to be as a barcode to identify Albiziae Cortex, Albiziae Flos and their adulterants.
Albizzia ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Flowers ; classification ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control

In this paper, the chloroplast psbK-psbI intergenic spacers of 18 species of Dendrobium and their adulterants were amplified and sequenced, and then the sequence characteristics were analyzed. The sequence lengths of chloroplast psbK-psbI regions of Dendrobium ranged from 474 to 513 bp and the GC contents were 25.4%-27.6%. The variable sites were 71 while the informative sites were 46. The inter-specific genetic distances calculated by Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) of Dendrobium were 0.006 1-0.058 1, with an average of 0.028 4. The K2P genetic distances between Dendrobium species and Bulbophyllum odoratissimum were 0.093 2-0.120 4. The NJ tree showed that the Dendrobium species can be easily differentiated from each other and 6 samples of the inspected Dendrobium species were identified successfully through sequencing the psbK-psbI intergenic spacer. Therefore, the chloroplast psbK-psbI intergenic spacer can be used as a candidate marker to identify Dendrobium species and its adulterants.
Chloroplasts ; DNA, Chloroplast ; genetics ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; classification ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics

ObjectiveTo assess the cause of tadalafil failure and the feasibility of successfully rechallenging nonresponding patients.Methods A total of 80 consecutive erectile dysfunction ( ED ) patients who claimed poor response to tadalafil were enrolled into the study.A self-administered tadalafil-use questionnaire composed of eight questions was applied to assess how they had used tadalafil.Subjects were given thorough instruction based on individual answers and four doses of tadalafil 20mg.After a 2-week follow-up,end point efficacy of rechallenge was evaluated using the sexual encounter profile (SEP),which was recommended by international advisory panel in 2004.ResultsA total of 45 subjects had one or more areas of major suboptimal use of tadalafil:21.2％ did not know that sexual stimulation was necessary for tadalafil to work,87.5％ attempted to use tadalafil less than four times,57.5％ took a maximal dose less than 20 mg,and 84％ felt nervous or anxious.Of the 65 patients undergoing tadalafil rechallenge,30 patients answered “yes” to SEP2 and SEP3.The response rate to rechallenge was 46.2％ ( 30/65 ).ConclusionsInappropriate use of tadalafil was major cause of tadalafil non-pesponse.The efficacy of tadalafil could be improved to a better extent by education of patients.