Adult ; Aged ; Astragalus membranaceus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

[Objective]To explore the optimal time for the surgical operation on patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine. [Methods]The clinical symptoms,the persistent time of the symptoms and the interval from exacerbation to operation in 168 patients with OPLL were analyzed.[Results]The average time was 27.6 months from the onset of myelopathy to the operation on patients with OPLL,and 17.4 months from the decrease of muscle strength in extremities to the operation,and 5.3 months from the symptomatic exacerbation of the extremities especially the decrease of muscle strength in lower extremities to the operation.[Conclusion]The patient should be treated earlier by surgical operation after his/her illness has been diagnozed as OPLL.It is the optimal time for surgical operation when the patient has imaging change of hypertrophy or ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and severe compression of spinal cord(more than 60% spinal canal stenosis),or the decrease of muscle strength in extremities especially in lower extremities.

Sixty-three morphological traits from 743 specimens of the 41 taxa within the cultivated Lonicera japonica were observed and measured, such as the height of plants, the length of leaf, the width of leaf, the length of anther, the alabastrum's number of one branch, the color of alabastrum and so on. A numerical taxonomy is presented by using the cluster analysis, principal components analysis (PCA) and factor analysis. Sixteen of 63 characters were screened by means of PCA and used for cluster analysis of 41 taxa with the method of Ward linkage and average euclidean distance. The cluster analysis showed that the 41 taxa could be divided into 5 groups when the Euclidean distance coefficient was 11.84. The factor analysis indicated that the shape of leaf, color of alabastrum, the pilosity and color of twiggery were of significance for the cultivated L. japonica classification. The results of this study will be a base for the core collection and breeding of L. japonica.
Breeding ; China ; Flowers ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics ; Quantitative Trait Loci

Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Research Design

Traditional Chinese medicine market is a typical market with information asymmetry, which may lead to "lemons" problem. Third-Party Certification is efficient path to solve the problem of information asymmetry. For this reason geo-authentic and commodity classes certification seems to be very important. But as we know, information asymmetry happen in the stages of traditional Chinese patent medicines market. So a signaling transfer mechanism, which can deliver the quality signal, is badly needed in TCM market. This paper analysis and design of signaling transfer mechanism based on Third-Party Certification, which called quality prestige index of TCM enterprises (QPITCM). QPITCM can display quality information as a signal run through the TCM market.
Certification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; economics ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Quality Control

This paper employed UPLC-Electrospray Ionization /Quadrupole-Time of Flight-Mass /Mass Spectrometry( UPLC-ESI/Q-TOF-MS/MS) to analyze the chemical constituents in the stems of Nelumbo nucifera. The stems of N. nucifera were extracted with 75% methanol, and we applied an Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.8 μm) to UPLC analysis with water methanol-water( containing 0.05% formic acid) in gradient as mobile phase. The eluates were then detected by ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Results indicated that 22 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids were indendified. Among them, one alkaloid may be a new compound and a component was found in the Lotus for the first time. We fully identify the composition of the Lotus stems for the first time, Which could provides theoretical foundation for further study and utilization of the medicinal resources.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Nelumbo ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

We collected 22 cultivated population of Lonicera japonica from 17 areas. The characteristics of non-glandular hairs were observed and measured by the scanning electron microscopy. The principal components analysis and correlation analysis were conduct based on length and density of L. japonica. The results showed a significant negative correlation between length and density of non-glandular hairs, and the characteristics of non-glandular was not corrrelated significantly with latitude. The correlation results indicated that the density was a key to separate "Damaohua" and "Jizhuahua". The contribution of climate and soil was important to the cultivated population. This reminded that the characteristics of non-glandular hairs were affected by environmental and genetic interaction.
Lonicera ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; ultrastructure

Objective To study the change of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the development of renal fibrosis and evaluate the diagnostic value of blood MMP-2 level in renal fibrosis.Methods Thirty three patients with chronic glomerulonephritis were divided into proliferation group(n=18) and fibrosis group(n=15) according to renal fibrosis degree in renal pathology.Another 8 healthy subjects were used as control group.The levels of pro-MMP-2 and MMP-2 in serum were measured with the method of SDS-PAGE enzymography.Then the levels of pro-MMP-2 and MMP-2 in serum were compared between various groups.Results The serum MMP-2 level in proliferation group was much higher than that in control group(P0.05).Conclusion There is a significant difference of serum MMP-2 between suffering group and normal control group.Therefore the detection of serum MMP-2 level can be conducive to understand the development of disease and estimate prognosis.

Objective To identify the effects of parenteral nutrition (PN) on the gene expressions of rat intestinal inflammatory cytokincs and receptors and to explore the role of these changes in PN-related intestinal impairment. Methods Totally 12 male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into the control group and the PN group. A silastic catheter was inserted into the right jugular vein of each rat. No food or water was administered to the PN group except for a continuous 24-hour PN infusion through the silastic catheter in the jugular vein. The control group, while being regularly fed, was administered with an infusion of normal saline through the silastic catheter in thc jugular vein. After 7 days, intestinal tissues were taken for electron microscopy and real-time PCR array to analyze thc microstructure change in rat intestine and thc gene expressions of inflammatory cytokines and their receptors. Results Electron microscopy revealed atrophy of microvillus, engorgement of mitochondria, cell-cell junction breakage, and several apoptotic bodies in the PN group and normal intestinal microstructure in the control group. Compared with the control group, the PN group showed an up-regulation in the gene expressions of interferon γ, interleukin-1 receptor type I , interlcukin-8 receptor type b and a down-regulation in the gene expressions of CC chemokine ligand 17 (CCL17) , CCL19, CCL21, CCL22, CCL9, CXC chemokine receptor 3, CC chemokine receptor 3 ( CCP3 ), CCR7, CCR5, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-10. Conclusions PN influences the gene expressions of rat intestinal inflammatory cytokincs and receptors. The expression of cytokine interferon γ increases and that of interleukin-10 declines, and the expressions of CCL19, CCL21, CXC chemokine receptor 3, CCR3,CCR7, and CCR5 decline. The alterations of these genes may be associated with the impairment of intestinal immune and mechanical functions.

Objective:To investigate the effect of simvastatin on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)and its receptor in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC).Methods:Cells were randomly divided into simvastatin group,tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?)group,simvastatin+TNF-?group,interleukin-1?(IL-1?)group,simvastatin+IL-1?group and control group.The effects of TNF-?,IL-1?and simvastatin on the protein levels of VEGF and its receptor in HUVEC were studied by immunocytochemistry.Results:The protein levels of VEGF and its receptor in TNF- ?group and IL-1?group were significantly higher than those of control group,and simvastatin decreased the protein levels of VEGF and its receptor in TNF-?group and IL-1?group.Conclusion:Simvastatin can decrease the protein levels of VEGF and its receptor in HUVEC. [