OBJECTIVE: To establish the method for rapid identification of the quality of Cortex moutan radicis and similar aromatic Chinese herbs by headspace gas chromatography (HSGC). METHODS: The constituents of headspace gas from Chinese herbs, such as Cortex moutan radicis,Radix cynanchi paniculati and root-bark of Paeonia lactiflora. were analyzed by HSGC. RESULTS: The characteristic finger-print headspace chromatograms of these three drugs were different from one another. Cortex moutan radicis stored for 4 years under common conditions contained only traces of paeonol. CONCLUSION: HSGC was simple, quick and accurate in identifying and controlling the quality of aromatic Chinese herbs.

OBJECTIVE:To study the dissolution rate of total puerariae flavones(TPF)bioadhesive sustained-release tablet,and to determine its bioadhesive force to animal stomach and small intestine in vitro METHODS:Using rotating basket method,the dissolubility summation was determined with 0 1mol/L HCl as dissolution medium at speed of 100r/min,single-index model,Weibull distributing model,Higuchi equation and zero-class model were used to imitate the dissolution curve The biggest absolute error,the biggest relative error and AIC were used as comprehensive indices to select the best imitating model A new apparatus made by ourselves was used to compare the adhesive force between the sustained-release tablets and popular tablets in adhering to rabbits'stomach or small intestine RESULTS:The results showed that the dissolution rate in vitro imitated in single-index model was the best Bioadhesion study showed that there were obvious differences between bioadhesive sustained-release tablets and non-bioadhesive tablets in adhering with gastric mucosa and small intestines mucosa(P

Objective To explore alterations of cognitive function and P300 in depressed patients with Parkinson's disease(PD).Methods Zung's self-rating depression scale(SDS) and Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD) were used to divide the 67 patients with PD into two groups, PD with depression and PD without depression. The cognitive function and P300 were measured, further comparing and the correlation analysis were made.Results The score of Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) in the PD patients was in normal extent,but significantly lower than that in the normal controls(P

Animals ; Cycadopsida ; chemistry ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Female ; Flavones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Isoproterenol ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

Objective To explore the effect of behavioral training on the differentiation of neural stem cells in the dental gyrus (DG) in rats with hippocampus infarction. Methods Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into infarction plus behavior training group, infarction group and control group. Photochemistry method was used to induce hippocampal infarction in rats of the infarction plus behavioral training group and infarc-tion group. At 1 day after surgery, Morris water maze training was used for infarction plus behavioral training group, free-movement without training was performed for infarction group. Double staining immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-expression of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) with neuronal nuclei ( NeuN ) or glia fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the DG at different time points. Results Few BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double staining cells were observed in the DG of control rats. In the infarction group and infarction plus behavioral training group the number of BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double-stained cells increased in the DG on the opposite side compared with the control group on 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days after surgery (P < 0.05 ). There observed significantly more BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP double-stained cells in the infarction plus behavioral training group than that in the infarction group on the 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th days after surgery ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Behavioral training can accelerate the differentiation of neural stem cells to neuron and astrocyte, by which to promote the re-covery of neural functions.

Objective To investigate the effects of p-cresol on human umbilical vein endothelial cells.Methods The effects of p-cresol on endothelial cell growth,cell cycle,cell morphological change and p21 protein were detected by the CCK-8 assay,flow cytometry assay,inverted microscope and Western blotting.Results P-cresol could inhibit the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells in dose-and time-dependent manners (all P ＜ 0.05).The human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with p-cresol became elongated processes,cloudy cytoplasm,and irregular shapes.The p-cresol stopped human umbilical vein endothelial cells at cell cycle G1 and had no effect on cell apoptosis.The p-cresol could increase protein expression of p21 in a dose dependent manner (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion P-cresol can increase protein expression of p21,induce cell cycle arrest at G1 stage and inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Professor LI Zhi-dao, according to acupoint selection of syndrome differentiation in TCM basic theory, concluded a new therapy, namely "tonifying three qi" that is mainly based on three acupoints in the Conception Vessel. This method is consisted of Danzhong (CV 17), Zhongwan (CV 12) and Qihai (CV 6) in the Conception Vessel, which could successively nourish clear qi, stomach qi and original qi. In clinic, according to the severity of symptoms of three qi, the acupoints are selected flexibly, which could respectively treat deficiency of heart-lung qi, deficiency of stomach-spleen qi and deficiency of original qi. Some examples are also given in the article.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; China ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Qi

To improve the inulinase application in biotechnology, the characteristic of inulinase from Kluyveromyces marxianus YX01 was investigated. The inu gene of K. marxianus YX01 was transformed into Pichiapastoris GS115 host cells with molecular biology techniques. Then we achieved the heterologous expression of exo-inulinase whose molecular mass was about 86.0 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Furthermore, six His-tag was added to the inulinase and a two-step method was applied in the purification of inulinase, including concentration via dialysis by polyethylene glycol 20 000 and metal Ni-NTA Agarose affinity adsorption. The purification factor of purified protein was 3.6 and the recovery rate of enzyme activity was 33.1%. We characterized the purified inulinase. The optimum temperature was 60 degrees C and pH was 4.62. When inulin and sucrose were used as substrates, the K(m) and V(max) values were 80.53 g/L vs 4.49 g/(L x min) and 183.10 g/L vs 20.20 g/(L x min), respectively. In addition, metal ions including Mn2+, Ca2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+ exhibited different degrees of inhibition on the enzyme activity, and Cu2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+ exhibited the most significant inhibition. Our findings might lay a good foundation for industrial application of inulinase.
Glycoside Hydrolases ; chemistry ; genetics ; Industrial Microbiology ; Inulin ; Kluyveromyces ; enzymology ; genetics ; Pichia ; Sucrose ; Temperature

Accreditation ; Laboratories ; standards ; Pathology ; standards