OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect on mice immunity activity of Dendrobium devonianum polysaccharides and Dendrobium candidum polysaccharides. METHODS: Cultured splenic lymphocytes of mice in vitro to observe the influence of Dendrobium devonianum polysaccharides and Dendrobium candidum polysaccharides separately cooperated with ConA on proliferation of splenic lymphocyte and content of IFN-γ and IL-2. In animal experiments, respectively offered Dendrobium devonianum polysaccharides and Dendrobium candidum polysaccharides to mouse in different dosage, after 14d, copied the model of toe swelling induced by SRBC to observe the effect of Dendrobium polysaccharides on toe swelling and viscera index. RESULTS: Medium dosage groups of two Dendrobium polysaccharides both can stimulate the proliferation of splenic lymphocyte observably; medium and high dosage groups both can promote the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 in splenic lymphocyte: In addition, high dosage groups of two Dendrobium polysaccharides both can increase toe swelling and spleen index of mouse obviously, but every dosage groups have no effect on thymus index of mouse. CONCLUSION: To some extent, Dendrobium devonianum polysaccharides and Dendrobium candidum polysaccharides can improve the immunity activity of mouse.

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy differences between dog-days medicinal vesiculation and regular-day medicinal vesiculation for perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), and observe their effects on serum immune globulin E (IgE) and interleukin-4 (IL-4).

METHODSSeventy-two patients were randomly divided into a dog-days moxibustion group (34 cases) and a regular-day moxibustion group (38 cases). In the dog-days moxibustion group, medicinal vesiculation was applied on the 1st dog-day, 2nd dog-day and last dog-day in summer by lunar calendar, 3 treatments per dog-day for totally 9 times. In the regular-day moxibustion group, the moxibustion was given on the regular day for continuous 9 times. The symptom score, rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) and the level of IgE and IL-4 were compared before and after treatment in two groups; the short-term and two-year efficacy evaluation were performed too.

RESULTSThe short-term total effective rate was 88.2% (30/34) in the dog-days moxibustion group, which was not significantly different to 86.8% (33/38) in the regular-day moxibustion group (P>0.05). The long-term total effective rate was 97.1% (33/34) in the dog-days moxibustion group, which was significantly superior to 81.6% (31/38) in the regular-day moxibustion group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum IgE, IL-4 and RQLQ were significantly reduced (all P<0.01), but the difference between two groups was not significant (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONMedicinal moxibustion could be taken as a regular treatment for PAR, which could be performed during the whole year, and dog-days moxibustion could be considered as an enhanced method for prevention and treatment of PAR.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

The external defibrillator is an emergency instrument used very widely in clinics. It plays an important role in rescuing ventricle fibrillation (VF) patients. We have designed an external defibrillator using the truncated exponential biphasic waveform. The system consists of three parts: the ECG collection module, the control module and the defibrillator module. They are introduced respectively, listing the main problems and the methods to solve them. Some experiments have been done and the corresponding results are given.
Animals ; Defibrillators ; Equipment Design ; Swine ; Ventricular Fibrillation

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Bushen Huoxue Compound (BHC) on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF mRNA in retinal Muller cells under high glucose condition or advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) condition by using serum pharmacological method.

METHODSThe retinal Müller cells of 5-7 days post-natal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were cultured with modified enzyme-digestion method. Purified retinal Muller cells were cultured in normal conditions, high glucose condition (50 mmol/L) or AGEs (50 mg/L and 100 mg/L) conditions, and BHC-containing serum was added to culture medium. The LDH leakage and VEGF expressions were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, the relative expression of VEGF mRNA was tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, expressions of VEGF and VEGF mRNA were significantly increased in the high glucose group, the low dose AGEs group and the high dose AGEs group (all P < 0.01). The LDH leakage was obviously increased in the high dose AGEs group, when compared with the normal control group and the high glucose group (P < 0.01). The LDH leakage, expressions of VEGF and VEGF mRNA were obviously decreased by BHC-containing serum both in high glucose and AGEs conditions (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). BHC-containing serum had no significant effect on the LDH leakage and expressions of VEGF and VEGF mRNA in normal conditions (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAGEs intervention could obviously lower the stability of Müller cell membrane. Up-regulated expressions of VEGF and VEGF mRNA in cultured Müller cells could be induced by AGEs or high glucose. BHC-containing serum could stabilize the stability of Müller cell membrane, inhibit the transcription of VEGF mRNA and decrease the protein expression of VEGF, which might be one of important mechanisms for preventing and treating diabetic retinopathy.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ependymoglial Cells ; Glucose ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

OBJECTIVETo analyze the fungal composition in Massa Medicata Fermentata based on culture dependent method and independent PCR-SSCP technique.

METHODFungi were directly isolated from Massa Medicata Fermentata samples. The obtained strains were identified according to morphology and DNA sequence. Meanwhile the total fungal DNA was extracted from Massa Medicata Fermentata samples, the cultural independent PCR-SSCP technique based on β-tubulin gene were used to identify the mycobiota.

RESULTAccording to cultural method, Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus oryzae were present in Massa Medicata Fermentata samples, while A. flavus and A. niger were present in fried Massa Medicata Fermentata samples. In contrast, 5 species were obtained by PCR-SSCP technique, A. flavus was overlapped with fungal taxa derived from culture dependent method; A. ambiguu and A. s ivoriensis were dominant with relative abundance of 57% and 35% respectively, while the relative abundance of A. flavus was as low as 4%. None species was obtained from fried Massa Medicata Fermentata samples.

CONCLUSIONPCR-SSCP based on β-tubulin gene could distinguish fungi into species, culture dependent method combined with culture independent method could better understand the fungal composition associated with Massa Medicata Fermentata fermentation.

Fermentation ; Fungi ; isolation & purification ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Tubulin ; genetics

Objective To investigate the relationship between the genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2 DM)and mitochondrial DNA base variants in elderly patients.Methods PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)analysis was used to screen base variants at position 3243 and 3426 of mitochondrial DNA in 186 elderly cases with T2 DM and 170 healthy controls,and DNA sequence was confirmed.Results No carrier of 3243 A→G variant or 3426 A→G variant was found in both groups,however there was 1 case with 3290 T→C variant in diabetic group.Conclusions No significantly association was found between mitochondrial DNA 3243 or 3426 base variants and the predisposition of type 2 diabetes mellitus in elderly patients.

0.05).Frequencies of P12A12 genotype and A12 allele in DN group were significantly decreased respectively,when compared with DN-0 group(for P12A12 genotype,9.1% vs 18.1%,P=0.034,OR=0.453;for A12 allele,4.5% vs 9.0%,P=0.041,OR=0.479). Conclusion The observations suggest that P12A polymorphism of PPAR?2 gene is associated with Chinese type 2 diabetic nephropathy,and A12 allele may protect the development of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients of Chinese.

This study examined the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy at different time windows on learning and memory ability of rats with cerebral infarction and the underlying mechanism. Two hundred SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group, sham-operated group, model group and EA+TMS group, and each group was then divided into five sub-groups in terms of the different time to start treatment post operation: 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. Cerebral infarction models were established in the model and the EA+TMS groups by left middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). After treatment for 14 d, the Morris water maze test was applied to examine the spatial learning and memory abilities of rats. In infarcted area, the expression of caspase-3 was immunohistochemically detected, and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to measure the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA. The results showed that in EA+TMS group compared with model group at the same treatment time windows, the escape latency was substantially shortened, the expression of caspase-3 was considerably decreased and the expression level of Bcl-2 mRNA significantly increased (P<0.05). In the EA+TMS sub-groups, the escape latency was shortest, the expression level of caspase-3 lowest, and the expression level of Bcl-2 mRNA highest at the treatment time window of 24 h. It was concluded that EA combined with TMS can promote neurological function of rats with cerebral infarction by increasing the expression level of Bcl-2 mRNA and decreasing the expression of caspase-3. The best time window is 24 h after perfusion treatment to ischemia.

Objective To study the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the rehabilitation of rats with cerebral infarction. Methods One hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham-operated control group, a model group and a TMS group with 25 rats in each group. A cerebral infarction model was established in the latter two groups by left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). TMS was started at either 12 or 24 hours after reperfusion, and sham-TMS was given to the first two groups at the same time points. The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA were measured by RT-PCR after 14 days. Results Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA were detected in all groups. The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA in the TMS-12 h group, and that of BDNF mRNA in the TMS-24 h group were significantly higher than in the other groups. Conclusions The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA in the brains of rats after cerebral infarction peak when TMS is administered 12 h and 24 h after reperfusion, respectively. TMS might have protective and rehabilitative effects on rats after cere-bral infarct.

Objective To study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the expression of the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 gene (Bcl-2) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after cerebral infarction. Methods One hundred Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into a normal group, a sham-operated control group, a model group and an EA plus TMS group. A cerebral infarction model was established in the latter two groups using left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Five-member subgroups of the EA plus TMS group were then treated at 6, 12, 24,48 and 72 hours after reperfusion. Sham EA plus TMS was given to similar sub-groups from the other groups at the same time points. The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA were measured using a RT-PCR at the 14th day. Results Positive expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA was detected around the infarction in all groups. The average expression of both was significantly higher in the EA plus TMS group than in the model group. Bcl-2 mRNA peaked when the therapy was administered at 24 hours and BDNF mRNA at 48 hours.Conclusions The expression of Bcl-2 mRNA and BDNF mRNA is maximized when EA plus TMS is administered 24-48 hours after cerebral infarction. EA plus TMS does have protective and rehabilitative effects on rats after cerebral infarction.