AIM : To observe the effect of stress and ovariectomy on behavior activity in mice and the prevention and therapy of the TCM complexⅠcomposed of spine date seed and common anemarrhena rhizome. METHODS : The effect of stress and ovariectomy were investigated on bedtime, survival time under hypoxia, climbing time on the string and number of times of the activity in mice, and the prevention and therapy of TCM the complexⅠwere observed. RESULTS : The effect of stress, ovariectomy, stress and ovariectomy were different on bedtime, survival time under hypoxia and climbing time on the string and the number of times of the activity in mice. The effect of stress and ovariectomy on previous parameters was stronger than that of stress or ovariectomy lonely in mice. The stress and ovariectomy resulted in sleep impairment, the decreasing of the survival time under hypoxia and climbing time on the string, and the increasing of the number of times of the activity in mice. CONCLUSION : The TCM complex I can alleviate the high sensitivity to the environment in mice with ovariectomy and stress, which is similar to the mechanism of human climacteric syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo identify triacylglycerols in coix oil.

METHODHigh performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry was used for identification. The experiment was operated under the conditions: spray voltage at 3 000 V, capillary temperature at 250 degrees C, APCI vaporizer temperature at 400 degrees C, and corona current of 4 microA. Sheath gas pressure (high purity liquid nitrogen) was 35 kPa. Mass spectra were obtained over the m/e range of 300 to 900 amu, scan duration of 1s and Q1 peak width at 0.7. The stationary phase was Zorbax Extend C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). The mobile phase: dichloromethane-acetonitrile (35:65), flow rate: 1 mL x min(-1); column temperature: 25 degrees C.

RESULT12 triacylglycerols were identified by HPLC-MS method.

CONCLUSIONThe result can be used to identify the components in a fingerprint chromatogram of coix oil and its related injection product.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Coix ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Plant Oils ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Triglycerides ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo examine whether ischemic preconditioning (IPC) can protect neuron against delayed death in CA1 subfield of hippocampus following reperfusion of a lethal ischemia in rats, and explore the role of p53 and bax in this process.

METHODSWe examined the effect of IPC on delayed neuron death, neuron apoptosis, expressions of p53 and bax gene in the CA1 area of hippocampus in the rats using HE staining, flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry technique.

RESULTSIPC enhanced the quantity of survival cells in the CA1 region of hippocampus (216 +/- 9 cells/0.72 mm2 vs. 30 +/- 5 cells/0.72 mm2, P < 0.01) , decreased the percentages of apoptotic neurons of hippocampus caused by ischemia/reperfusion (2.06% +/- 0.21% vs. 4.27% +/- 0.08%, P < 0.01 ), and weakened the expressions of p53 and bax gene of hippocampus compared with ischemia/reperfusion without IPC.

CONCLUSIONIPC can protect the neurons in the CA1 region of hippocampus against apoptosis caused by ischemia/reperfusion, and this process may be related to the reduced expressions of p53 and bax.

Animals ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Genes, p53 ; Hippocampus ; injuries ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; methods ; Neurons ; physiology ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of total flavonoid fraction of Asttragalus complanatus on blood pressure in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) and hemodynamics in anesthetized SHR.

METHODBlood pressure was recorded with tail-culf method and hemodynamics was recorded with polygraph after administration of total flavonoid fraction of Asttragalus complanatus.

RESULTTotal flavonoid fraction of Asttragalus complanatus (100, 200 mg.kg-1) could decrease blood pressure of conscious SHR(decreasing 7.1%, P < 0.05 and 9.3%, P < 0.01 respectively). Meanwhile, there was no significant change in heart rate(HR). R Br (200 mg.kg-1) could decrease total peripheral resistance (TPR) (decreasing 20%, P < 0.05) but did not influence the cardiac output(CO) and heart rate in anesthetized SHR.

CONCLUSIONTotal flavonoid fraction of Asttragalus complanatus possesses obvious hypotensive effect, mainly by means of decreasing the TPR.

Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cardiac Output ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Vascular Resistance ; drug effects

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of MRI in brachial plexus injury.Methods Total 98 patients with brachial plexus injury were examined by MRI before operation.Fifty-four of 98 patients MR imaging were obtained by 0.5 Tesla scanner and other 44 patients were obtained by 1.5 Tesla scanner.The scanning sequences include: SE T_1WI,T_2WI,FFE T_2WI and T_2WI SPIR. Exploration of the supraclavicular plexus was carried out and the MR imaging were compared with the operative finding in 63 patients.Thirty-five patients who had not surgery were followed-up.Results MR imaging found pre-ganglionic injuries in 45 patients and post-ganglionic injuries in 56 patients.Pre-and post-ganglionic injuries simultaneously in 16 patients among them.MR imaging can not find injury sings in 13 patients.The positive rate was 86.73%.MR imaging finding of pre-ganglionic injuries include:(1) Spinal cord edema and hemorrhage,2 patients (4.44% ).(2)Displacement of spinal cord,17 patients (37.78%).(3)Traumatic meningoceles,37 patients (82.22%).(4)Absence of roots in spinal canal, 25 patients(55.56% ).(5)Scarring in the spinal cnanl,24 patients (53.33%).(6)Denervation of erector spine,13 patients (28.89%).MR imaging finding of post-ganglionic injuries include:(1)Trunk thickening with hypointensities in T_2WI,23 patients (41.07%).(2)Nerve trunk complete loss of continuity with disappeared of nerve structure,16 patients (28.57%).(3)Continuity of nerve trunk was well with disappearance of nerve structure,14 patients(25.00%).(4)Traumatic neurofibroma,3 patients (5.36%).Conclusion MR imaging can reveal Pre-and post-ganglionic injuries of brachial plexus simultaneously.MR imaging is able to determine the location (pre-or post-ganglionic)and extent of brachial plexus injury,provided important information for treatment method selection.

Objective To improve recognition and imaging diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor.Methods To collect the dates of 12 patients with aneurysmal bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor were proved by operation and pathology from January 2003 to October 2006. Analyzed and summarized their imaging manifestations and correlation with pathohistology.Results Six lesions were located in epiphysis and metaphysic regions of long bone.Six lesions were located in pelvis.All cases showed a cystic lesion with expanded and osteolytic,eccentric 10 cases and centric 2 cases.Four cases display trabeculate,the margin is well define with a rim of bone sclerosis in 2 cases.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)scans were available in 10 patients.All case showed cystic,dilated lesions with solid areas. Eight cases manifested single or multitude solid nodules in big cystic wall.Two cases appeared solid masses with multitude cysts.The sign of multitude fluid-fluid level,best seen on T_2-weighted images,was present in all patients.Seven cases emerged soft-tissue masses.MR found indicative of large amounts of hemosiderin in one cases.Eight cases were examined by spiral CT with plain scanning and enhancement scanning. Reconstructed image were CTA and 3D-MPR(three dimensions multiplanar reconstruction)imaging.All cases showed cystic,dilated lesions with solid areas.The sign of multitude fluid-fluid level was present in 6 patients.The solid areas and cystic-wall of lesions showed contrast enhancement in 8 patients.3D-MPR imaging showed supply blood vessel of tumors in 3 cases.Arteriovenous malformation did not found in all patients.The surgeons'operative findings and the gross specimens were studied in all patients.All lesions were composed of solid areas and cystic areas.The diagnosis of pathology were ABC with GCT(grade Ⅱ)in 10 cases and ABC with GCT(grade Ⅲ).Conclusion Aneurysmai bone cyst secondary to a giant cell tumor is not rare.Adequately recognizing the pathologic basis of ABC,and selecting imaging techniques correctly (X-ray and MRI,or X-ray and CT)is especially important to diagnose a giant-cell tumor with secondary aneurysmai bone cyst.When an eccentric,expanded,lytic tumor with a cystic-solid lesion in epiphysis of long bone or pelvis shows multiple fluid levels,a giant-cell tumor with secondary aneurysmai bone cyst components should be sufficiently considered.

Maize is one of the most important food crops. Rice black-streaked dwarf virus is a maize rough dwarf disease pathogen. The occurrence and transmission of maize rough dwarf disease brings great damage to maize production. The technology of using artificial miRNA to build antiviral plant has been proven effective in a variety of plants. However, such trials in maize have not been reported. We designed primers based on the sequence of maize zea-miR159a precursor and sequence of function protein genes and silencing RBSDV coding genes in RBSDV genome. We constructed amiRNA (artificial miRNA) gene for silencing RBSDV coding gene and gene silencing suppressor. We constructed pCAMBIA3301-121-amiRNA plant expression vector for transforming maize inbred lines Z31 by using agrobacterium mediated method. After molecular analysis of transgenic maize, homozygous lines with high miRNA expression were selected by molecular detection for a subsequent natural infection experiment. We studied the severity of maize rough dwarf disease according to a grading standard (grade 0 to 4). The experiment results showed that the disease resistance of transgenic homozygous maize with the anti-rough dwarf virus amiRNA vector was better than that of wild type. Among the transgenic maize, S6-miR159 transgenic maize had high disease resistance. It is feasible to create new maize variety by the use of artificial miRNA.
Disease Resistance ; genetics ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Plant Diseases ; genetics ; virology ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; Reoviridae ; pathogenicity ; Zea mays ; genetics

To establish an HPLC-MS method for simultaneous determination of matrine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine in rat plasma after oral administration of herbal preparation, namely Sanwu Huangqin decoction, and the pharmacokinetic porameters were calculated as well. Matrine, oxymatrine, oxysophocarpine, and internal standard pseudoephedrine were extracted from plasma with liquid-liquid extraction, then separated on a Kromasil C18 column by using acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid (10 : 90) as mobile phase. Electrospray ionization (ESI) source was applied and operated in positive ion mode. The linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range of 10 -5 000 ng x mL(-1) for matrine, 2 - 1 000 ng x mL(-1) for oxymatrine, and 2 - 1 000 ng x mL(-1) for oxysophocarpine. The extraction recovery was 89.1% - 93.5%, 83.9% - 91.3%, and 85.4% - 88.0% accordingly. The inter- and intra- day precision (RSD) was below 15.0% calculated from quality control (QC) samples. Matrine, oxymatrine and oxysophocarpine concentration time profile conformed to a two-compartment pharmacokinetic model. The method was shown to be effective, convenient, and suitable for simultaneous pharmacokinetic study of matrine, oxymatrine, and oxysophocarpine in rat.
Administration, Oral ; Alkaloids ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinolizines ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; methods

OBJECTIVEHirschsprung's disease (HD), one of the most common causes resulting in lower intestinal obstruction in children, is prone to be misdiagnosed or to be missed from diagnosis because of its atypical clinical symptoms and inconspicuous morphological findings by barium enema X-ray. Recently, this situation has been largely ameliorated by increased comprehension of anorectal kinetics and improvement of instrument for measurement of anorectal pressure. By now, anorectal manometry (ARMM) has been regarded as a routine means for functional assessment and diagnosis for anorectal disease. Nevertheless, the accuracy rate of diagnosis of HD in neonate by ARMM remains to be elucidated. In this study the clinical evaluation of anorectal manometry as an early diagnostic method for neonates with Hirschsprung's disease was appraised.

METHODSForty-two HD patients defined by pathological study of rectal tissue obtained via rectal mucous membrane biopsy or operation were recruited in this study. ARMM was performed in liquid transmission using PC polygraph high rate gastrointestinal dynamical detection system (PC Polygraf HR, CTD-synectics, Sweden), with 4-lumen catheter with which a small 5-cm-long balloon was connected at the terminus. All children were positioned on their left side or back during the procedure and the pressure transducers were placed in the mid-axillary line level. The results of ARMM performed before operation or biopsy were compared with the results of barium enema X-ray testing. The decrease of internal anal sphincter pressure as rectoanal inhibitory reflex (RAIR) was measured based on the fluctuation curve of pressure detected. HD was defined when no decrease of anal catheter pressure was detected after insufflation (RAIR positive), and suspected HD state was assessed with the presentation of incomplete relaxation or positive/negative results coexisted (RAIR abnormal) in canal.

RESULTSThirty patients (71.43%) were diagnosed as HD by ARMM including 18 patients who showed negative response to RAIR and 12 patients whose response was abnormal. While barium enema examinations were carried out in all the 45 patients, the results showed 5 HD patients and 14 suspected HD patients, giving an overall diagnostic accuracy of 45.24%. There were also 16 patients with positive ARMM response and negative barium enema findings together, and 5 patients with negative ARMM results and positive barium enema findings at the same time. There was a significant difference between the two diagnostic methods (chi(m)(2) = 4.76, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAnorectal manometry seems to be a more reliable method for diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease in neonate than barium enema X-ray. Because ARMM is a simple, safe and non-invasive method, it can be used as a screening test of choice in neonates with clinically suspected HD. But for final diagnosis, it is reasonable to combine ARMM with other diagnostic methods in HD patients.

Anal Canal ; physiopathology ; Barium Sulfate ; Enema ; Hirschsprung Disease ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Manometry ; Rectum ; pathology ; physiopathology

To investigate the changes in bcl-2, bax expression and neuron apoptosis in the hippocampus after the blockade of cervical lymphatics, the model of lymphostatic encephalopathy was established by occluding and removing both the superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes in rats. The animals were sacrificed at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 14 d after operation. H and E staining was used to observe the structure of brain tissues and TUNEL staining was used to detect in situ cell apoptosis in the hippocampus. The expression of bcl-2 and bax in the hippocampus were examined by RT-PCR. The results showed that cerebroedema appeared at day 2 and was most serious at day 5 after the blockade of cervical lymphatics. The number of TUNEL positive cells began to increase at day 2 and reached the maximum at day 5. The expression of bax began to increase at day 1 and reached the maximum at day 2. The expression of bcl-2 began to decrease at day 1 and dropped to the minimum at day 5. The items mentioned above recovered to control level at day 14. These results suggest that lymphostatic encephalopathy following the blockade of cervical lymphatics result in changes in bcl-2 and bax expression in the hippocampus and that apoptosis is the main form of neuron death.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; physiology ; Female ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic System ; physiology ; Male ; Neck ; Neurons ; cytology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism