Professor LU Zhi-zheng, one of the first traditional Chinese medicine masters, is good at using tenuifoliain clinical practice, which often brings unexpected surprises. Lu said, tenuifolia is a mild herbal medicine with the nature of upward dispersion and outward penetration but not dryness. Tenuifolia has the following functions: making people conscious, relieving sore throat, diverging incubated diseases, regulating functional activities of qi, sending up Yang, dispelling wind evil and eliminating dampness, and activating collaterals to relieve pain. When well used, it will not only enhance the effect of monarch drug, but also restrict the impetuosity nature in a prescription, achieving better efficacy.
Adult ; Brassicaceae ; chemistry ; Dizziness ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; drug therapy ; Stomach Diseases ; drug therapy

MicroRNAs (miRNA) plays an important role in biological development and disease occurrence and development, and acts as a "main switch" in biology. Among patients of essential hypertension, around 1/3 would suffer left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Hence, essential hypertension becomes an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. And miRNAs plays an important role in the occurrence and development of LVH. This paper reviewed the role of miRNA in regulating the stress signaling pathway, defined its impact on the occurrence of LVH, and further emphasized the opportunities and challenges of miRNA as a biomarker and therapeutic target.
Essential Hypertension ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; genetics ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; complications ; genetics ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Risk Factors ; Signal Transduction ; genetics

Objective To compare negative expiratory pressure (NEP)technique with conventional test in detecting expiratory flow limitation (EFL)in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases( COPD) patients. Methods EFL was measured with NEP technique and conventional method respectively in 72 COPD patients;EFL was measured with NEP technique in 20 COPD patients who failed to perform conventional test. Results EFL was detected in 54 of the 72 COPD patients. NEP test was successfully performed on the 20 patients, and 19 of them were found with EFL. The level of forced expired volume in one second percentage( FEV_1 % ) of the patients with 2-score group (46. 92 ± 12. 74) % and 3-score group (33. 35 ± 8.96)% were significantly lower than that of the 1-score group(63. 60 ±16.65)%. Area under curve of NEP technique and conventional test in ROC is 0. 903 and 0. 761 respectively. Conclusions As compared with conventional test, EFL detected with NEP technique is more reliable in evaluating dyspnea of COPD patients. It is simple and doesn't require any cooperation of the patients. NEP technique can be applied in COPD patients who fail to receive conventional test.

The methyl group plays an important role in the rational drug design. Introducing methyl into small molecules has become an important strategy of lead compound optimization. The application of methyl in drug design is reviewed in this paper. Methyl can modulate the physicochemical, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic properties by ortho effect, inductive effect, and conformational effect. It also improves the metabolic stability as a soft metabolic point. In addition, introducing methyl into drug molecules can also be applied as a strategy in new uses of old drugs and generate me-too drugs.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of mind-refreshing and orifice-opening needling method plus swallowing disorder therapeutic apparatus for deglutition disorder of stroke patients in convalescence stage.Methods:A total of 136 patients conforming to the inclusion criteria were randomized into three groups by the random number table,including group A of 46 cases,group B of 44 cases and group C of 46 cases.Patients in group A received swallowing disorder therapeutic apparatus treatment,patients in group B received mind-refreshing and orifice-opening needling method treatment,and patients in group C received mind-refreshing and orifice-opening needling method plus swallowing disorder therapeutic apparatus treatment.The treatment was given once a day for 10 d as a course,the whole treatment lasted for 4 courses.Therapeutic evaluation items including water-swallowing test (WST),standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and modified Barthel index (MBI) were measured before treatment,after treatment and at follow-up visit (2 months after treatment).Results:After treatment,scores of WST and MBI in all three groups increased significantly (all P＜0.05),while the SSA score dropped significantly (all P＜0.05).After treatment and during follow-up visit period,score of WST in group C was significantly higher than that in group A and group B (both P＜0.05),while the difference between group A and group B showed no statistical significance (P＞0.05);the SSA score in group C was substantially lower than that in group A and group B (all P＜0.05),the difference between group A and group B showed no statistical significance (P＞0.05);the MBI scores in group B and group C were substantially higher than that in group A (all P＜0.05),the difference between group B and group C showed no statistical significance (P＞0.05).After treatment and during follow-up visit period,the differences in overall therapeutic effect between group A and group B showed no statistical significance (P＞0.05),while the overall therapeutic effect in group C was substantially better than that in group A and group B (all P＜0.05).Conclusion:Both mind-refreshing and orifice-opening needling method and swallowing disorder therapeutic apparatus can alleviate symptoms of deglutition disorder of stroke patients respectively,and the combination of two methods can improve the therapeutic effect.

In order to investigate the mechanism, the correlation between the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and 5-HMF were studied. Required samples were retrieved from Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process. Statistical quality control (SQC) was used to analyze the response values acquired by the electronic nose. At the same time, the content of 5-HMF was detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the above two. Experimental results showed that SQC model established by response values of all samples could show the change law of odor in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and changes of 5-HMF content was dropped after the first increase. Correlation analysis showed that the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process and 5-HMF were significantly correlated (P < 0.05). Sugar degradation reaction and the Maillard reaction may be one of the mechanisms of the odor change in Crataegi Fructus stir-fried process.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Crataegus ; chemistry ; Furaldehyde ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; Hot Temperature ; Odorants ; analysis ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

To investigate the effect of Tanreqing injection on immune activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with lung cancer. The peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with lung cancer and healthy persons were separated by the density gradient centrifugation method for subsequent experiments, with those from healthy persons as the positive control. The effect of Tanreqing injection on stimulating the proliferation of lymphocytes with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was determined by MTT method. The effect of Tanreqing injection on the lymphocyte secretions of IFN-γ and TNF-α and the subset ratio of lymphocytes cultured separately or with Tanreqing injection of different concentrations were examined by ELISA and flow cytometry (FCM) respectively. In addition, the LDH release assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of cytotoxic T cells (CTL) and natural killer cells (NK). According to the findings, all of immunological indexes of lymphocytes from patients with lung cancer were weaker than that of healthy persons, but with the obvious increases in proliferation activity and IFN-γ and TNF-α secretions of lymphocytes co-cultured with Tanreqing Injection (P < 0.05). Among lymphocyte subsets co-cultured with Tanreqing Injection, CD3+, CD3+ CD4+ and CD3- CD16 + 56+ cell ratios notably increased, whereas CD4+ CD25+ Treg cell ratio obviously decreased (P < 0.05). In the meantime, Tanreqing injection can markedly promote the cytotoxicities of CTL and NK (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Tanreqing injection shows a significant effect in promoting the immune activity of lymphocytes from patients with lung cancer and their anti-tumor immunity.
Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; genetics ; immunology ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; immunology ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; physiopathology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; drug effects ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; immunology

Objective To investigate the treatment outcomes of 41 patients with suprasellar and pineal germinoma who are treated in our department in recent 18 years,and to explore related therapeutic strategies.Methods A total of 41 patients with concurrent suprasellar and pineal germinoma who were treated in our department from January 1996 to August 2013 were enrolled.There were 35 male patients and 6 female patients,and the median age was 16 years (range 5-39 years).Five patients had pathologically confirmed germinoma and 36 patients had clinically diagnosed germinoma.Conventional radiotherapy was performed for 33 patients, and intensity-modulated radiotherapy was performed for 8 patients.Combined-modality chemoradiotherapy was performed for the 5 patients with pathologically diagnosed germinoma.The 6 MV X-ray was applied for radiotherapy;6 patients received whole ventricular irradiation and a boost in tumor region, 16 received whole-brain radiotherapy and a boost in tumor region,and 19 received craniospinal irradiation and a boost in tumor region.The median radiation dose for tumor region was 45.0 Gy (37.8-50.0 Gy),and the median dose for prophylactic irradiation was 25.0 Gy (17.8-35.0 Gy).The survival was caculated using Kaplan-Meier method.Results The number of patients followed were 26 at 5-years.The 5-year overall survival rate and relapse-free survival rate were 95% and 85%,respectively.Relapse and metastasis were noted in 8 patients,and 3 of them died.There were 4 patients with spinal cord metastasis,1 patient with ventricular dissemination,and 3 patients with periventricular relapse.Among the 22 patients who did not undergo spinal irradiation,4(18.2%) experienced spinal cord metastasis,and all the other 19 patients who underwent spinal irradiation did not experience spinal cord metastasis.The 8 patients undergoing intensity-modulated radiotherapy and the 5 patients undergoing combined-modality chemoradiotherapy did not experience treatment failure during follow-up.Conclusions Radiotherapy for intracranial germinoma has a good therapeutic effect,and the patients with suprasellar and pineal germinoma who do not undergo spinal cord irradiation have a high failure rate.It is suggested to perform spinal cord irradiation for patients with suprasellar and pineal lesions.

Objective The purpose of this work was to compare the efficacy of narrow band imaging-assisted transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURB) with conventional white light imagingassisted TURB in primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.Methods Several databases were searched,including Cochrance Libarary,PubMed,Embase,Wanfang,VIP,CNKI and CBM.The endpoints were biochemical failure in 3 months,1 year and 2 years.We performed a meta-analysis of the published data.The results are expressed as risk ratio (RR),with the corresponding 95％ confidence interval (CI).Results The final analysis included seven trials comprising 1889 patients.Biochemical failure in 3months (RR0.73,95％ CI 0.55-0.96;P =0.02),1 year(RR 0.69,95％ CI 0.58-0.80;P ＜ 0.01) and 2 years (RR 0.58,95％ CI 0.41-0.82;P =0.002) were fewer in patients who received narrow band imagingassisted TURB.The recurrence rates of 3 months,1 year and 2 years were 14.44％,29.35％ and 30％ in white light imaging group.The recurrence rates of 3 months,1 year and 2 years were 3.61％,9.35％ and 12.59％ lower in narrow band imaging group compared with white light imaging group.Conclusions Narrow band imaging-assisted TURB was superior to conventional white light imaging-assisted TURB in primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer in 2 years.

Objective To compare clinical outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)cycle by using fresh and cryopreserved-thawed testicular and epididymal spermatozoa in azoospermic patients.Methods Between September 2006 and May 2007,208 azoospermic patients underwent in vitro fertilization(IVF)were treated in Center of Reproductive Medicine,Peking University Third Hospital.Those couples were divided into two groups based on their wishes,including 171 cases in fresh group and 37 cases in cryopreserved-thawed group.The cryopreserved testicular or epididymal spermatozoa were thawed and recovered before ICSI procedure iu thawed group.The outcomes of ICSI in each group were compared.including clinical outcomes(two pronuclear fertilization,high quality embryo,clinical pregnancy and embryo implantation)and pregnancy outcomes(spontaneous miscarriage,gestational weeks and neonatal birth weight).Results (1),The utilization rate were 92%(23/25)in cryopreserved-thawed testicular spermatozoa and 100%(12/12)in epididymal spermatozoa.(2)Between fresh and cryopreserved-thawed groups,no statistical difference was observed in two pronuclear fertilization rate[62.25%(973/1563)vs.64.53%(282/437),P=0.960],high quality embryo rate[78.9%(768/973)vs.79.1%(223/282),P=0.985],clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer[44.4%(60/135)vs.46.9%(15/32),P:0.688]and embryo implantation rate[29.3%(84/287)vs.33.3%(23/69),P=0.508].(3)No significant difference between flesh and cryopreserved group was found in spontaneous miscarriage rate (11%vs.7%,P＝1.000),gestational weeks(single birth:39.0 weeks vs.38.7 weeks,P:0.538;twins:36.8 weeks vs.36.3 weeks,P=0.571)and birth weight(single birth:3409 g vs.3350 g,P=0.699;twins:2584 g vs.2635 g,P=0.703).Conclusion It suggested that tissue from the azoospermic patients who underwent diagnostic testieular and epididymal biopsy should be eryopreseved for IVF-ET.