No abstract available.
Scrub Typhus*

BACKGROUND: The root of the plant Rosa rugosa has been reported to have an anti- hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effect in experimental animals. But its definite anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic substance has not yet been identified. In this study, we found the hydrolysable tannins of the hot water extract of the Rosa rugosa root had those effects, and named it as Rosanin. And its mode of actions were evaluated. METHODS: Three groups of streptozotocin-injected rats and two groups of buffer-injected control rats were given 10 mg/Kg/ml of Rosanin, or glibenclamide, or water by nasogastric tubes for three weeks. Blood sugar, insulin, triglyceride and GLUT4 mRNA levels were checked in the fasting state. Liver, kidney and pancreatic specimens were observed by light microscopy. RESULTS: All the water-treated, glibenclamide-treated and Rosanin-treated diabetic rats had significantly higher blood sugar levels compared to that of normal control rats (p< 0.001, p< 0.001 and p< 0.05, respectively); but Rosanin-treated diabetic rats had significantly lower blood sugar level compared to those of glibenclamide-treated and water-treated diabetic rats (p< 0.05 and p< 0.001, respectively). In the Northern blot analysis from the experimental rats' hind limb skeletal muscle RNA, all the diabetic rats showed variously decreased levels of GLUT4 mRNA compared to those of normal control rats. The water-treated diabetic group showed a 66% decline (p< 0.001); the glibenclamide-treated diabetic group led with a 2% decline; and the Rosanin-treated diabetic group revealed a 23% decline (p< 0.05). All three groups of diabetic rats had significantly lower insulin levels compared to that of normal control rats (p< 0.01), but glibenclamide-treated diabetic rats and Rosanin-treated diabetic rats had significantly higher insulin level compared to that of water-treated diabetic rats (p< 0.05, each). Furthermore, Rosanin treatment significantly decreased plasma blood triglyceride levels of streptozotocin-injected diabetic rats compared to water-treated and glibenclamide-treated, streptozotocin-injected diabetic rats (p< 0.05 and p< 0.01, respectively). The light microscopic observation of pancreatic specimens of the Rosanin-treated diabetic group showed more intact islet cells than the water-treated diabetic groups. Liver specimens of the Rosanin-treated diabetic group showed a normal appearance, but those of the water-treated diabetic groups showed severe spotty hepatic necrosis and many regenerating hepatic cells. CONCLUSION: Rosanin has an anti-hyperglycemic effect. This effect is due, in part, through the enhancement of the GLUT4 mRNA expression, the stimulation of insulin secretion in hyperglycemia, and through the preservation of pancreatic beta cells from the destructory damages of the streptozotocin. Further, it has anti-hypertriglyceridemic and hepatotoxicity-relieving effects in streptozotocin-injected diabetic animals. Abbreviations : Rosanin, the high molecular weight hydrolysable tannins of the hot water extract of the Rosa rugosa root; has an average molecular weight of about 830,000; it mainly consists of D-glucose units linked by the 1-->4 gulcoside bonds and phenolic acids, such as ellagic and gallic acid1).
Abbreviations ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Blotting, Northern ; Extremities ; Fasting ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative* ; Glucose* ; Glyburide ; Hepatocytes ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertriglyceridemia ; Insulin ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Islets of Langerhans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Microscopy ; Molecular Weight ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Necrosis ; Phenol ; Plants ; Plasma ; Rats* ; RNA ; RNA, Messenger* ; Rosa* ; Streptozocin ; Tannins ; Triglycerides ; Water

To investigate the changes in refractive error following strabismus surgery, we stratified a total of 32 exotropic patients; 11 patients with horizontal recess/resect procedure in one eye; 11 patients with lateral rectus recession in one eye; and 10 patients with medial rectus resection in one eye. The cycloplegic refraction and corneal topography were examined prospectively in each group. We found a significant decrease in the refractive power at 180degrees meridian resulting in with the rule astigmatism in lateral rectus muscle recess group (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in the refractive power at 90degrees meridian resulting in against the rule astigmatism in medial rectus resection group in the first week after surgery (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant change due to mixture of the two procedures in recess/resect group. The changes in refractive power in four months after surgery gradually recovered to preoperative state in each group except 90degrees meridian in medial rectus resection group. These results indicate that the changes in refractive error in one week after strabismus surgery involved steepening of 180degrees meridian in medial rectus resection group, and flattening of 180degrees meridian in lateral rectus muscle recession group. However, there was no statistically significant change due to mixture of the two procedures in recess/resect group.
Astigmatism ; Corneal Topography ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Refractive Errors* ; Strabismus*

Dioscorea species continue to be used in traditional Chinese medicine, and represent a major source of steroid precursors for conventional medicine. In the previous study, We isolated glycoprotein (GDB) from Dioscorea batatas, characterized, and demonstrated immunostimulating activity in C57BL/6 mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism whereby GDB activates macrophages. Macrophages activation by GDB was investigated by analyzing the effects of GDB on nitric oxide (NO) production, iNOS expression, mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, and transcription factor activation. In the presence of IFN-gamma, GDB strongly stimulated macrophages to express iNOS and produce NO. Furthermore, the activation of p38 was synergistically induced by GDB plus IFN-gamma , but SB203580 (a p38 inhibitor) inhibited GDB plus IFN-gamma-induced p38 activation. This study indicates that GDB is an important activator of macrophages. Furthermore, due to the critical role that macrophage activation plays in innate immune response, the activation effects of GDB on macrophages suggest that GDB may be a useful immunopotentiating agent.
Animals ; Dioscorea ; Glycoproteins ; Imidazoles ; Immunity, Innate ; Macrophage Activation ; Macrophages ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Nitric Oxide ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases ; Pyridines ; Transcription Factors