Objective: To explore the effect of different amounts of branches on medicinal quality of T. chinense. Methods: Wild T. chinense taken from Jurong, Guli, and Maoshan was used as experimental materials. T. Chinense was divided into five levels according to the number of branches. The first level has 1-3 branches, 4-6 branches as second. The third level has 7-9 branches, 10-20 branches as fourth, and the fifth level has 20 or more branches. Quality of T. chinense was measured by growth indicators and effective components. Results: The quality of T. chinense in different levels was significantly different. The difference of dry weight of T. chinense could be up to 25 times, fifth level was 5.710 6 g, but the first level was only 0.224 5 g. The content of effective components and branch number were negatively correlated, flavonoids and kaempferol contents of T. chinense in level 1 were significantly higher than those in other levels which were 4.02% and 3.38 mg/g. In different branches levels of T. chinense, there was a significant positive correlation between flavonoids and kaempferol contents, but there was a significant negative correlation between kaempferol content and root crude of T. chinense. Conclusion: The number of T. chinense branches has a great impact on its quality, the more branches, the higher yield, and the lower content of active ingredient.

Objective: To study the anti inflammatory, antipyretic and analgetic actions of Kangleifengshi capsules. Methods: The anti inflammatory action was observed by adjuvant arthritis and other inflammatory models. The antipyretic action was surveyed by pyretic rat induced by yeast. The analgetic effect was tested by sprain mice. Results: The experiments proved that the capsule has significant preventing and treating effects on rat adjuvant arthritis, strong inhibition on many kinds of inflammatory models, antipyretic action on pyretic rat induced by yeast and notable angalgetic action on sprain mice induced by acetic acid. Conclusion: Kangleifengshi Capsules has better anti inflammatory, antipyretic and analgetic effects.

In order to explore reasonable artificial cultivation pattern of Thesium chinense, the biological characteristics and nutrients change in the process of winter dormancy of T. chinense was studied. The phenological period of T. chinense was observed by using fixed-point notation and the starch grains changes were determined dynamically by PAS-vanadium iron hematoxylin staixjing method. Soluble sugar and starch content were measured by anthrone-sulfuric acid method and amylase activity was determined by DN'S method. The results showed that the normal life cycle of T. chinense was two years. T. chinense was growing by seed in the first year, but growing by the root neck bud in the second year. During the process of dormancy, starch and soluble sugar could mutual transformation in different periods. T. chinense had sufficient carbohydrate to maintain growth and also a lot of small molecules to improve their ability to fight against adversity.
Plant Dormancy ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Santalaceae ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Seasons ; Starch ; analysis ; metabolism

Objective To explore the effect of carvedilol on ACE2 gene and protein expression in chronic heart failure rats after myocardial infarction.Methods The heart failure model was induced by acute myocardial infarc- tion (AMI) through ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery.One month after operation,rats were randomized to receive placebo or carvedilol 2 mg/(kg?d),by gavage.Sham-operated rats were used as the control group.Hemodynamies,body mass and left ventrieular mass index,plasma and myocardial level of angiotensin Ⅱ were determined.ACE2 gene and protein expression was assessed by using RT-PCR and Western Blot.Results The mortality of placebo and Carvedilol groups were 20%,compared with 0% in sham operated rats.Carvedilol significantly improved LVEDP,LVSP,+dp/dt_(max) and-dp/dt_(min) in CHF rats but all the hemodynamics data were still inferior than that of controls.Plasma and myocardial angiotensin Ⅱ level were increased significantly in CHF placebo rats than those of control rats (plasma Ang Ⅱ:CHF:194?19 vs controls:132?15 ng/L,myocardium Ang Ⅱ:CHF:6.7?0.4 vs control:3.8?0.3 ng/g,P

Adolescent ; Apolipoproteins E ; blood ; Humans ; Hyperlipoproteinemias ; complications ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Kidney Diseases ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; blood supply ; pathology ; Male ; Thrombosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of HCMV infection on the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted (RANTES) so as to explore the possible mechanism of the immune-pathological changes caused by HCMV infection.

METHODSExpression of both IL-8 and RANTES mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. Secretion of IL-8 and RANTES protein was quantitated by enzyme linked immune-sororbant assay (ELISA).

RESULTSAfter HCMV infection, the expression of IL-8 in HEL cells was found to be increased gradually concomitant with the prolonged infection time at both the transcriptional level and the protein level. By the time of 72 h.p.i, as compared with mock-infected cells, IL-8 mRNA expression was increased up to 12-fold and IL-8 protein up to 9-fold in HCMV-infected cells. The expression of RANTES mRNA was occurred at 8 h.p.i, with a maximum at 24 h.p.i, since then it remained relatively high level. The expression of RANTES protein peaked at 24 h.p.i, then dropped sharply and was almost undetectable by the time at 72 h.p.i.

CONCLUSIONHCMV infection of HEL cells may induce the transcription of IL-8 gene as well as the production of IL-8 orotein. HCMV may down-regulate extra-cellular production of RANTES protein.

Cells, Cultured ; Chemokines ; genetics ; immunology ; Cytomegalovirus ; physiology ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; genetics ; immunology ; virology ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; immunology ; virology ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnancy

To separate and identify chemical signals which induce Thesium chinense haustorium formation, the components of T. chinense roots secretion collected with XAD-4 resin were detected by GC-MS. The effect of DMBQ as exogenous signals to induce haustorium formation in T. chinense was studied. Fifty-three compounds of 9 types had been detected, including hydrocarbons, esters, organic acids, ketones, alcohols, nitrogen containing compounds, phenolic acids, aldehyde and quinine. It is worth noting that the 2, 5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone has the core structure of 1,4-benzoquinone, which may play an important role in the parasitic relationship of Prunella vulgaris and T. chinense: DMBQ worked effectively on inducing haustoria, but induction effects vary widely in different concentrations. DMBQ with the concentration of 1 μmol x L(-1) showed the best effect of the inducing ability with a ratio of 110.52 when treated to induce haustoria.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Magnoliopsida ; chemistry ; physiology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; physiology ; Prunella ; chemistry ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence and clinical characteristics of the A to G mutation at nucleotide 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) gene in familial diabetes in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province of China.

METHODSThe mt3243 A to G mutation in 770 randomly selected, unrelated probands of diabetic pedigrees were screened by PCR-RFLP technique and PCR-direct sequencing. Genetic and clinical analyses were further performed in the probands and their family members.

RESULTSThirteen diabetic patients (13/770, 1.69%) with mt3243 A to G mutation were detected. Eleven diabetic patients and 8 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) first-degree relatives of these 13 probands were also found bearing the mutation. Seventeen patients were associated with sensory hearing loss. In the 24 patients harboring the mutation, the majority had lower body mass index (BMI), 18 showed typical maternal inheritance, 15 had sensory hearing loss, 13 had insulin resistance and 14 required insulin therapy due to secondary failure to oral hypoglycemic agents.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation of mt3243 A to G in the mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) gene is an important cause of diabetes in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Province of China. Mitochondrial gene mutation diabetes (MDM) is clinically characterized by early onset, emaciation, maternal inheritance, sensorineural hearing loss, and lower islet beta cell function, and some have insulin resistance.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Deafness ; genetics ; Diabetes Mellitus ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; genetics ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Prevalence ; RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl ; genetics

This study was aimed to investigate coagulation factor VII level in uremic patients with chronic renal failure and to explore theirs influence factors. The plasma levels of coagulation factor VII were detected in 30 uremic patients with chronic renal failure before and after hemodialysis for 1 month, the factor VII activity (FVII:C) was determined by one-stage coagulation method, while activated factor VII (FVIIa) was measured by one-stage coagulation method using recombinant soluble tissue factor, and factor VII antigen was detected by ELISA. The results showed that: (1) The FVIIa, FVII:C and FVIIAg levels in chronic uremic patients before hemodialysis were 4.00 +/- 0.86 microg/L, (148.5 +/- 40.4)% and (99.8 +/- 21.1)% respectively, which were significantly increased, as compared with healthy controls [2.77 +/- 1.02 microg/L, (113.1 +/- 33.0)% and (73.7 +/- 18.3)% respectively, P < 0.05]. (2) After hemodialysis the FVIIa, FVII:C and FVIIAg levels in uremic patients significantly enhanced to 5.56 +/- 1.45 microg/L, (200.8 +/- 68.7)% and (124.1 +/- 19.3)% respectively (P < 0.05). (3) The abnormal increase of coagulation factor VII was positively correlated with levels of blood uria nitrogen and serum creatinine before hemodialysis but not after hemodialysis. It is concluded that the enhanced levels of coagulation factor VII in chronic uremic patients suggested abnormal activated state, herperactivity and elevated production of factor VII which correlated with renal functional injury. The abnormality of factor VII in uremia may be aggravated by hemodialysis. Coagulation factor (FVII) may be a risk factor for cardiovascular events in uremic patients who especially had been accepted long-term hemodialysis.
Adult ; Aged ; Factor VII ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; etiology ; Renal Dialysis ; Risk Factors ; Uremia ; blood ; complications ; therapy

The possibility of immunotherapy for lymphoma by single FasL-Fas way was investigated. After pBillneo-mFasL was transformed into competent E. coli DH5alpha and amplified, the plasmid DNA was prepared and purified from the DH5alpha. To determine the primary structure and inserting direction of mFasL cDNA gene in pBillneo-mFasL, the plasmid DNA was cleaved by restriction enzyme, and the mFasL cDNA of pBillneo-mFasL was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the DNA sequence of the PCR product was analysed by automatic DNA sequencing. After pBillneo-mFasL was transfected into COS-7 cells by liposome, the COS-7 cells were selected with G418 selective medium, and the expressing levels of mFasL cDNA on the COS-7 cell membrane was assayed by Western Blot. After the COS-7 cells higher expressing mFasL protein and mouse lymphoma cell line Yac-1 expressing Fas were cocultured for 5 hours, the suspending Yac-1 cells were collected and labeled by annexin V/PI kit. The apoptosis rate of the Yac-1 cells was tested by flow cytometry. The EcoRI cleaving products of pBillneo-mF asL included 920 bp and 7227 bp fragments. Its Hind III cleaving products included 1293 bp and 6807 bp fragments. These results showed: (1) the length of DNA sequence containing mFasL cDNA within pBillneo-mFasL is the same as theoretical length; (2) the inserting of mFasL cDNA in pBillneo-mFasL was in positive orientation. The expected 890 bp DNA fragments of mFasL cDNA (from ATG to +36 bp following TAA) emerged in PCR product with pBillneo-mFasL as a template. The sequencing result of the PCR product equaled the known mFasL cDNA sequence in the gene bank. The COS-7 cells transfected by pBillneo-mFasL and selected with G418 culture medium expressed more mFasL membrane protein assayed by Western Blot. After the COS-7 cells were cocultured with Fas(+) Yac-1 cells in different E:T ratios (1:1, 5:1 and 10:1) for 5 hours, the apoptosis rates of Yac-1 cells were (22 +/- 4.8)%, (32.18 +/- 7.8)%, and (51.8 +/- 5.4)%, respectively. These were obviously different from the control group (P < 0.01), in which the COS-7 cell was transfected by pBillneo (not carrying mFasL gene). It was concluded that lymphoma cells highly expressing Fas can be effectively killed through single Fas-FasL way in vitro.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; COS Cells ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Immunotherapy ; Lymphoma ; pathology ; therapy ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Mice ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; fas Receptor ; analysis