Objective To investigate the relationship between drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis and adult carotid artery atherosclerosis. Methods In 2009, 285 participants aged over 40 from drinking-water type of endemic arsenism areas and 293 residents aged over 40 from control areas were investigated in Yingxian county,Shanxi province. Portable-type B mode color ultrasound was used to examine the carotid artery of all participants.The carotid atherosclerosis were diagnosed and graded through the ultrasonograms. Content of water arsenic and hair arsenic of 10 people randomly selected in every villages were detected. Results A total of 5 villages with drinkingwater type of endemic arsenicosis as observation group and 5 villages without drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis as control group were investigated. The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis within observation group were 35.09%(20/57), 55.74%(34/61), 38.46%(20/52), 36.51%(23/63) and 46.15%(24/52), respectively,and standardized prevalence rates were 32.5%, 33.8%, 34.9%, 46.2% and 47.3%, respectively and the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis within control group were 18.18%(10/55), 30.77%(16/52), 20.00%(10/50),18.67% (14/75) and 21.31% ( 13/61 ), respectively; the standardize prevalence rates were 22.4%, 17.7%, 10.7%,24.6%, 18.9%, respectively. The standardize prevalence rates were higher in observation group [39.50%(113/285) ]than that in control group[39.50%(113/285), T = 26, P ＜ 0.01 ]. The severity of adult carotid atherosclerosis (composition of 4 - 7 scores ) was compared between observation group [ 17.70%(20/113 )] and control group [ 14.06% (9/64) ], and the difference was insignificant(x2 = 0.26, P ＞ 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence rate of carotid atherosclerosis in drinking-water type of endemic arsenicosis areas is higher than that of the control areas.The study provides evidence that arsenic poisoning can cause atherosclerosis.

Objective To evaluate the intervention effects of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) on the patients with first episode schizophrenia. Methods A total of 80 patients with first episode schizophrenia were randomly divided into study group (n =40) and control group (n =40). The study group was treated by routine drugs and psychiatric nursing after two weeks combining with CBT while the control group was treated only by routine drugs and psychiatric nursing. Both groups were assessed with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Nurses Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation (NOSIE) , Scale of Social-skill for Psychiatric Inpatients (SSPI) , and Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90) before and after CBT intervention. The scores of those scales were compared between two groups. Results There were significant differences after CBT intervention in all factors, total negative factors and total positive factors of NOSIE, total score of SSPI and PANSS (P<0.01) between two groups. Factors score of interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, panic, paranoid ideation, and psychosis of SCL-90 in the study group decreased significantly after intervention. Conclusions It is suggested that CBT can improve social function and quality of life and facilitate recovery of the first-episode schizophrenia patients.

To investigate the protective effect of Yiqi Huoxue decoction on the kidney in diabetic goto-Kaizaki (GK) rats. Eight Wistar rats were used as normal control group. According to body weight and blood glucose, 16 GK rats were randomly divided into model control group and Yiqi Huoxue group, with 8 rats in each group. Drugs were administrated for 6 weeks. The rats were weighed and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were measured weekly; the glycosylated hemoglobin (HbALc) and 24 h metabolic rate were measured at the end of third and sixth weeks, at the same time, urine was collected to measure urinary glucose (U-GLU), urinary creatinine (U-CREA) and total proteinuria (U-TP) by biochemical method and calculate 24 h protein excretion rate (UAER). At the end of treatment, rats were sacrificed in anesthesia, and creatinin (CREA), uric acid (UA) and cholesterol (CHOL) were detected by biochemical method and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was detected by manual method with the blood drawn from heart. Both kidneys were taken and weighed to calculate the renal hypertrophy index. The kidneys were placed into neutral formalin and observed under light microscope for pathological change after Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The results showed that as compared with the normal control group, FBG, HbALc, 24 h Metabolic rate, U-GLU, UAER, serum CREA, UA and CHOL levels, as well as renal hypertrophy index were significantly increased (<0.05) in the model group, while the body weight growth rate, serum GSH-Px level were significantly reduced(<0.05); in addition, renal glomerular injury and structural changes were observed in the model group. As compared with the model group, serum GSH-Px level was significantly increased (<0.05) in the Yiqi Huoxue group, While FBG, HbALc, 24 h Metabolic rate, U-GLU, UAER, serum CREA, UA and CHOL levels, as well as renal hypertrophy index were significantly reduced (<0.05); meanwhile, renal glomerular injury and structural changes were improved in the Yiqi Huoxue group. The results showed that Yiqi Huoxue decoction can significantly increase serum GSH-Px level, reduce FBG, HbALc, 24 h metabolic rate, U-GLU, UAER, serum CREA, UA and CHOL levels, as well as renal hypertrophy index, and improve renal pathology in diabetic GK rats.

Isatidis Radix is the dried root of the Isatis indigotica, with pharmacological effects such as heat-clearing and detoxification, cooling blood and pharyngeal relief, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. It is often used clinically to prevent and treat influenza and other diseases. In this paper, relevant domestic and foreign literatures in recent years were summarized, and it was found that Isatidis Radix lignans, indole alkaloids, polysaccharides, etc. were the main active components against influenza virus. Then its pharmacological effects and the mechanism of action were reviewed, providing a basis for in-depth research on the antiviral effect of Isatidis Radix.
Antiviral Agents/pharmacology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Isatis ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Plant Roots ; Polysaccharides