A comprehensive evaluation of zinc and iron nutritional status was conducted in 203 children aged 2-7 years with anorexia. 147 of them took 3-7 mg of zinc sulfate?kg-1?d-1 for 60 days. The purpose of the study were to explore the relationship between zinc supplementation and the nutritional status of iron.Nutritional survey by 3-day-record method pre-and post zinc treatment showed that the average intakes of energy, protein, zinc, iron before treatment were 994kcal/d, 30.8g/d, 4.9mg/d, 7.6mg/d and were only 71%, 68%, 49%, 76% of RDA respectively. After treatment they reached 91%, 89%, 70%, 113% of RDA.There were significant positive correlations between zinc contents in serum or hair and hemoglobin (HB) or serum ferritin (SF) of the children with anorexia. After administration of zinc , the iron status of the children improved in some and fell in others. There were significant differences in some indices between the two groups before treatment. By stepwise discriminant analysis, a discriminant equation was obtained;Y = 3.591 - 0.175X1- 0.0152X2- 0.144X3+ 0.706X4(X1 = age, X2 = hair zinc,X3 = Hb, X4 = growth)If Y0, iron status may improve.

OBJECTIVETo analyze and compare the volatile constituents from M. biondii and M. liliflora.

METHODThe volatile constituents were extracted by head-space solid-phase microextraction, and analyzed by GC-MS.

RESULTSeventy two constituents were identified from M. biondii and M. liliflora, the content of the 25 constituents in both samples were similar, while the kinds of the constituents were obviously different.

CONCLUSIONThe volatile constituents were different between M. biondii and M. liliflora.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Magnolia ; chemistry ; Solid Phase Microextraction ; Volatilization

OBJECTIVETo observe the absorption and concentration of berberine hydrochloride (BH) in gastric, entric, colonic tissue after intragastric administration of BH-containing carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan pellets for evaluating colon-specific drug delivery characteristics of the pellets.

METHODBH-containing carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan pellets (pellets group) and BH-containing carboxymethyl cellulose suspension (control group) were intragastric administrated to rats at the dose of 50 mg x kg(-1), respectively. A high performance liquid chromatography method determinated BH concentration in rat plasma and tissue. Drug delivery index (DDI) was calculated.

RESULTThe range of BH in plasma and tissue in rats were 0.025 2-2.52 mg x L(-1) (r = 0.999 2) and 0.126-25.22 mg x L(-1) (R > 0.99),respectively. The detection of BH in plasma and tissue were 10 microg x L(-1) and 8 microg x L(-1), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC(0 --> infinity)) in the plasma samples of pellets group was 0.477 times that of the control group; in the gastric, entric, colonic tissue, the AUC(0 --> infinity) of pellets group was as much as 0.187, 0.228, 2.00 times that of the control group, respectively. The DDI of the pellets was 0.392 4, 0.478 6, 4.193 in the gastric, entric, colonic tissue of the rat, respectively.

CONCLUSIONCarboxymethyl konjac glucomannan pellets may be a useful carrier of BH for colon-specific delivery.

Absorption ; Animals ; Berberine ; metabolism ; Calibration ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Implants ; Female ; Intestines ; metabolism ; Male ; Mannans ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Organ Specificity ; Rats ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Converting two poorly water-soluble crystalline drugs to co-amorphous drug systems by ball milling, quench-cooling, or cryo-milling method can improve stability of the drug, enhance dissolution rates, and reduce adverse reactions of the single drug. Co-amorphous system has been used to solve problems of co-administration of medicines. Formation and intermolecular interactions of co-amorphous drug systems may be verified by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Stability of co-amorphous drug systems is influenced by their glass transition temperature (Tg) and intermolecular interactions. The theoretical Tg values and the interaction parameter x are calculated by Gordon-Taylor equation and the Flory-Huggins equation, respectively. Thus, co-amorphous drug systems are analyzed theoretically at molecular level. Co-amorphous drug systems provide a new sight for the co-administration of medicines.
Calorimetry, Differential Scanning ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Cimetidine ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Compounding ; Drug Stability ; Glipizide ; chemistry ; Indomethacin ; chemistry ; Naproxen ; chemistry ; Ranitidine ; chemistry ; Simvastatin ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Spectrum Analysis, Raman ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Temperature ; X-Ray Diffraction

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of Securidaca inappendiculata.

METHODColumn chromatographic techniques were applied to isolate constituents. A combination of MS and NMR spectroscopy was used to identify structures of constituents.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated from the CHCl3 fraction and their structures were elucidated as 3, 4-dihydroxybezoic acid (1), 3-hydroxy-4-methoxylbenzoic acid (2), coniferaldehyde (3), 7-hydroxy-1, 2, 3, 8-tetrame thoxyxanthone (4), 1, 3, 8-trihydroxy-4-methoxyxanthone (5), 1, 3, 8-trihydroxy-2-methoxyxanth-one (6), 1, 3, 6-trihydroxy-2,7-dimethoxyxanthone (7).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-6 were isolated for the first time from the genus. The antioxidant activities of compounds 3-6 were assayed by the method of DPPH and compound 3 showed the IC50 value of 4.14 microg x mL(-1).

Antioxidants ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Securidaca ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Objective To evaluate whether immunization with △A146 Ply could confer protections against pneumococcal infections in murine models and to reveal the possible role of △A146 Ply-specific IgG in the protection elicited.MethodsBALB/c mice were immunized intraperitoneally with △A146 Ply or PBS plus alum.Fourteen days after the third immunization,mice were intranasally challenged with serotype 14 and 19F Streptococcus pneumoniae.Three days after inoculation,lungs were removed from mice and homogenized in PBS,followed by plated on red cell plates.Viable bacteria were counted after overnight incubation.As to the sepsis models,vaccinated mice were challenged intraperitoneally with different dosage bacteria of D39 and serotype 3 strain.The numbers of CFU log10 were compared by Mann Whitney U test and survival rates were analyzed using log-rank test.Passive protection was used to evaluate the role of △A146 Ply-specific IgG in the protection against otherwise lethal infection resulted from D39.Results ELISA analysis demonstrated higher titer specific antibody responses to △A146 Ply was produced after 3 times immunization.Mice boosted twice with △A146 Ply survived significantly longer than that for mice boosted once with △A146 Ply in Alum adjuvant,which were significantly longer than that of control group.Immunization with △A146 Ply was effective in reducing the numbers of pneumococcal strain 31614(serotype 14) and 31693(serotype 19F),which resulted in 50-and 20-fold decreases in bacterial load in the lungs respectively when compared to control protein-immunized mice.60% of vaccinated mice survived the infection with pneumococcal D39 of 1200 CFU.60% protection was achieved when mice intraperitoneally infected with D39 and received △A146 Ply-specific IgG,whereas no mice survived the infection when they were passively administered with △A146 Ply-specific IgG depleted antisera.Conclusion Immunization with △A146 Ply could confer protection against pneumococcal infections,and protection elicited was mediated by △A146 Ply-specific IgG.

Objective:To explore the relationship among cardioversion ,cerebral infarction (CI) and N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) level in patients with heart failure (HF) complicated atrial fibrillation (AF) . Methods :A total of 150 HF + AF patients received intravenous drip of amiodarone for cardioversion therapy .Ac‐cording to cardioversion results ,they were divided into cardioversion group (n=100 ) and non‐cardioversion group (n=50) ,NT‐proBNP level change was observed in two groups before and after cardioversion .According to CI on‐set or not ,patients were divided into CI group (n=20) and non‐CI group (n= 130) ,NT‐proBNP level was com‐pared between two groups before and after onset .Results :Within 48h after administration ,a total of 100 patients (66.67% ) recovered to sinus rhythm .Compared with before cardioversion ,NT‐proBNP level significantly reduced [(967.04 ± 366.16) pg/ml vs .(496.21 ± 142.54) pg/ml] after cardioversion in cardioversion group ,and was signifi‐cantly lower than that of non‐cardioversion group (996.76 ± 351.28) pg/ml , P<0.01 all . In CI group ,compared with small size CI group ,there were significant rise in NT‐proBNP level [ (784.21 ± 231.26) pg/ml vs .(1983.24 ± 32.96) pg/ml ,(3562.19 ± 1468.32) pg/ml] in medium and large size CI group , P< 0.05 or <0.01 .Conclusion:NT‐proBNP level at hospitalization possesses predictive value for drug cardioversion effect in HF + AF patients . NT‐proBNP level is related with CI onset .After acute CI ,the higher NT‐proBNP level is ,the larger infarct size is , the poorer prognosis is .

OBJECTIVETo study release mechanism of berberine hydrochloride (BH) from carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan pellets for colonic delivery.

METHODThe pellets were prepared by ionotropic gelation technique. The effects of the kinds of enzyme and enzyme concentration of dissolution media on the release of BH and the erosion properties of the pellets were studied.

RESULTCompared with the dissolution media without enzymes, the release of BH and the erosion of the pellets were increased obviously in the media with rat cecal and colonic content or beta-mannase, the degradation of the carrier material of pellets by enzymes was the main factor which result in the erosion of the pellets. With the increased of beta-mannase concentration, the release of BH and the erosion of the pellets increased, the amount relationships of the release of BH and the erosion of the pellets were approximately 1:1. The release of BH exhibit Peppas equation, the n value was more than 1.

CONCLUSIONThe release mechanism of BH from the pellets was enzymatic erosion-controlled, which indicates the potential of the pellets to serve as a colon-specific drug delivery system.

Animals ; Berberine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Biological Transport ; drug effects ; Colon ; metabolism ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Mannans ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta-Mannosidase ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVEIn vitro enzymatic degradation of carboxymethy konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) were studied to evaluate the feasibility of CMKGM used as carrier materials to prepare colon-specific drug delivery systems.

METHODThe solutions with rat gastrointestinal tract (GIT) contents or with commercial enzymes were chosen to stimulate in vivo GIT environment, respectively. Enzymatic degradation of CMKGM were studied by viscometic procedure. Degradation kinetics of CMKGM and konjac glucomannan (KGM) by enzymes, the effects of the degree of substitution (DS) of CMKGM and the pH of solution on its susceptibility to degradation were investigated.

RESULTCMKGM were degraded mainly in the simulated cecal and colonic media, but not in the simulated gastric and enteric media. Degradation of KGM and CMKGM by enzymes obeyed Michaelis-Menton kinetics. CMKGM with lower DS were more susceptible substrates. CMKGM were more susceptible substrates in solution with pH 6. 0-6. 8.

CONCLUSIONCMKGM had colon-specific enzymatic degradation characteristics and could be used as carrier materials to prepare colon-specific drug delivery systems.

Amorphophallus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Cecum ; enzymology ; Colon ; enzymology ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Kinetics ; Mannans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; beta-Mannosidase ; metabolism

Objective: To explore the influence of metacognitive group intervention on resilience of college students with social anxiety disorder. Methods: Forty-eight college students with social anxiety disorder were randomized into two groups. The control group (24 patients) received systemic desensitization, and the experiment group (24 patients) received metacognitive group psychological intervention. Social anxiety score, mental health and resilience score were compared before and after intervention of two groups. Results: The total scores of SCL-90 and the sub-scores of each dimension were significantly decreased after intervention, especially among the experiment group (P<0.05). No significant difference were found in the total score of SCL-90 and the scores of each factor at the last follow-up and after intervention in the experiment group (P>0.05). For control group, the total scores of SCL-90 and sub-scores of each dimension increased at the last follow-up compared with after intervention. Compared with before intervention, the LSAS and HAMA scores of the two groups significantly decreased, and the ER 89 score increased (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the LSAS, HAMA, and ER 89 scores at the last follow-up and after intervention in the experiment group (P>0.05). For control group, the LSAS and HAMA scores at the last follow-up increased, and the ER 89 score decreased compared with after intervention (P<0.05). The LSAS and HAMA scores in the experiment group were significantly lower, and the ER 89 score was significantly higher, than those of the control group after intervention and at the last follow-up (P<0.05). Conclusion Metacognitive group psychological intervention can effectively improve resilience among college students with social anxiety disorder, helps reducing anxiety symptoms and promote social self-confidence and initiative.