Volatile oil components and the contents and types of amino acid in spica of Prunella vulgaris were analysed by GC-MS and amino acid analyzer. Esters, fatty acids, aromatic hydrocarbon, ketone and several alcohol compounds were identified by mass spectrum comparison. In these ingredients, beta-ionone smelled aroma of cedar, raspberry, nerolidol showed weak sweet soft orange blossom flavor, neroli tasted sweet and fresh, nerolidol tasted sweet with light aroma of wood, hexadecanal showed a weak aroma of flowers and wax, alpha-sinensal had rich and fresh sweet orange flavor. To some extent, these types of aromatic substances can affect the taste of herbal tea or decoction made of Spica Prunellae. Among amino acids detected, natural amino acids accounted for a larger proportion, and those natural amino acids showed bitterness, slight bitterness, sourness (freshness), sweetness, slight sweetness, sourness (slight freshness). The results indicated that bitter and slightly bitter amino acids have the greatest impacts on the sense of Spica Prunellae.
Amino Acids ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; Prunella ; chemistry ; Taste

Data mining, as known as knowledge discovery in databases, is a non-trivial process of revealing the implied, previously unknown and potentially useful information from the massive data. In recently years, the applications of data mining in the field of pharmaceutical research of traditional Chinese medicine have widespread. Especially in the field of the heritage of experiences of na-tional medical masters, data mining plays an important role. In this study, we would expound of the use of methods of data mining in the heritage of experiences of national medical masters, and analyze their advantages and disadvantages, such as association rules, Bayesian networks, neural networks, and decision trees.
Data Mining ; Databases, Pharmaceutical ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neural Networks (Computer)

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a new ,effective and radical method to cure atrial fibrillation .Within a period after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) ,coagulation system is activated in patients ,then thrombus incident such as cerebral embolism may happen .The present article made a review on its mechanism .

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nitriles ; poisoning ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVEIsobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) combined with mass spectrometry were used to screen differentially expressed plasma proteins in cold stress rats.

METHODSThirty health SPF Wistar rats were randomly divided into cold stress group A and control group B, then A and B were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 5): A1, A2, A3 and B1, B2, B3. The temperature of room raising was (24.0 +/- 0.1) degrees C, and the cold stress temperature was (4.0 +/- 0.1) degrees C. The rats were treated with different temperatures until 12 h. The abdominal aortic blood was collected with heparin anticoagulation suction tube. Then, the plasma was separated for protein extraction, quantitative, enzymolysis, iTHAQ labeling, scx fractionation and mass spectrometry analysis.

RESULTSTotally, 1085 proteins were identified in the test, 39 differentially expressed proteins were screened, including 29 up-regulated proteins and 10 down-regulated proteins. Three important differentially expressed proteins related to cold stress were screened by bioinfonnatics analysis (Minor histocompatihility protein HA-1, Has-related protein Rap-1b, Integrin beta-1).

CONCLUSIONIn the experiment, the differentially expressed plasma proteins were successfully screened in cold stress rats. iTRAQ technology provided a good platform to screen protein diaguostic markers on cold stress rats, and laid a good foundation for further. study on animal cold stress mechanism.

Animals ; Blood Proteins ; chemistry ; Cold Temperature ; Mass Spectrometry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Stress, Physiological

Objective To evaluate the CT findings of pancreatic carcinoid tumors.Methods The CT imaging data of five patients with pancreatic carcinoid tumors confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed.Results The tumors ranged in maximum diameter from 2.0 to 11.0 cm with a mean of 6.4 cm. On unenhanced CT,the tumors were slightly hypodense relative to the pancreatic parenchyma,homogenous in 2 cases,and heterogenous in 3 cases.One tumor showed calcification.After contrast material injection, the solid component of the tumor showed marked heterogenous enhancement on the arterial phase scanning in 3 cases,and mild heterogenous enhancement in 2 cases.The degree of tumor enhancement was less intense than the surrounding pancreatic parenchyma due to necrosis of various degree,which led to the cystic appearance of the tumor in 1 ease.On the portal phase scanning,all tumors showed marked enhancement similar to that of the pancreatic parenchyma.On the delayed phase scanning,the degree of enhancement was more intense than the surrounding pancreatic parenchyma in 1 case.Liver metastases with retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy and peripancreatic vessels invasion were seen in 1 case.No dilatation of the biliary tract or pancreatic duct was present.Conclusion The CT features of pancreatic carcinoid tumors included infrequent dilatation of the biliary tract or pancreatic duct and unusual vascular involvement,calcification within the mass,marked enhancement similar to that of the surrounding pancreatic parenchyma during the portal phase scanning and more intense during the delayed phase scanning.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of curcumin derivatives B06 on myocardium from type 2 diabetic rats.

METHODSThirty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, normal control group (NC group), high fat group (HF group), high fat treatment group (FT group), diabetes mellitus group (DM group) and diabetes treatment group (DT group) (n = 7). The late four groups were fed with high fat food, after four weeks of high fat feeding, the rats from DM group and DT group were injected with low dosage of streptozocin intraperitoneally to induce diabetes mellitus, FT group and DT group were gavaged with curcumin derivatives B06 at the dosage of 0.2 mg/kg x d. The blood glucose and lipid were detected biochemically, blood insulin was assayed by ELISA and the insulin resistance index was calculated, the morphology of myocardium was observed by light and transmission electron microscopy, the protein expression of AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPKalpha) and phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (p-AMPKalpha) in myocardium were tested by Western blot.

RESULTSThe level of blood glucose, lipid, insulin and the insulin resistance index were increased in HF group and DM group, but they were decreased after the treatment with B06. The expression of AMPKalpha and p-AMPKalpha were decreased, but they became increased after the treatment of B06. There were increased collagen fibers in interstitium and expansion of mitochondria in cytoplasm of myocardium from DM group, but they were ameliorated in B06 treatment group.

CONCLUSIONIt is suggested that B06 may relieve the damage of myocardium from type 2 diabetic rats and the increased expression of AMPKalpha and p-AMPKalpha may be involved in it.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; physiopathology ; Heart ; drug effects ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin

BACKGROUNDThe antiepileptic effect of the anterior thalamic nuclei (ANT) stimulation has been demonstrated; however, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic ANT stimulation on hippocampal neuron loss and apoptosis.

METHODSSixty-four rats were divided into four groups: The control group, the kainic acid (KA) group, the sham-deep brain stimulation (DBS) group, and the DBS group. KA was used to induce epilepsy. Seizure count and latency to the first spontaneous seizures were calculated. Nissl staining was used to analyze hippocampal neuronal loss. Polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were conducted to assess the expression of caspase-3 (Casp3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2), and Bcl2-associated X protein (Bax) in the hippocampal CA3 region. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences between the four groups.

RESULTSThe latency to the first spontaneous seizures in the DBS group was significantly longer than that in the KA group (27.50 ± 8.05 vs. 16.38 ± 7.25 days, P = 0.0005). The total seizure number in the DBS group was also significantly reduced (DBS vs. KA group: 11.75 ± 6.80 vs. 23.25 ± 7.72, P = 0.0002). Chronic ANT-DBS reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampal CA3 region (DBS vs. KA group: 23.58 ± 6.34 vs. 13.13 ± 4.00, P = 0.0012). After chronic DBS, the relative mRNA expression level of Casp3 was decreased (DBS vs. KA group: 1.18 ± 0.37 vs. 2.09 ± 0.46, P = 0.0003), and the relative mRNA expression level of Bcl2 was increased (DBS vs. KA group: 0.92 ± 0.21 vs. 0.48 ± 0.16, P = 0.0004). The protein expression levels of CASP3 (DBS vs. KA group: 1.25 ± 0.26 vs. 2.49 ± 0.38, P < 0.0001) and BAX (DBS vs. KA group: 1.57 ± 0.49 vs. 2.80 ± 0.63, P = 0.0012) both declined in the DBS group whereas the protein expression level of BCL2 (DBS vs. KA group: 0.78 ± 0.32 vs. 0.36 ± 0.17, P = 0.0086) increased in the DBS group.

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrated that chronic ANT stimulation could exert a neuroprotective effect on hippocampal neurons. This neuroprotective effect is likely to be mediated by the inhibition of apoptosis in the epileptic hippocampus.

Animals ; Anterior Thalamic Nuclei ; physiology ; Apoptosis ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Epilepsy ; pathology ; therapy ; Hippocampus ; pathology ; Kainic Acid ; pharmacology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seizures ; prevention & control

BACKGROUNDElectrical stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) appears to be effective against seizures. In this study, we investigated changes in glucose metabolism during high-frequency stimulation of ANT in epileptic rats.

METHODSThree groups of rats were used: (1) a stimulation group (n = 12), (2) a sham stimulation group (n = 12) with seizures induced by stereotactic administration of kainic acid (KA), and (3) a control group (n = 12) with sham surgery. Concentric bipolar electrodes were stereotaxically implanted unilaterally in the ANT. High-frequency stimulation was performed in each group except the sham stimulation group. Microdialysis probes were lowered into the CA3 region of the hippocampus unilaterally but bilaterally in the stimulation group. The concentrations of glucose, lactate, and pyruvate in dialysate samples were determined by an ISCUS microdialysis analyzer.

RESULTSThe extracellular concentrations of lactate and lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR) of epileptic rats were significantly higher than in control rats (P = 0.020, P = 0.001; respectively). However, no significant difference in the concentration of glucose and pyruvate was found between these groups (P > 0.05). Electrical stimulation of ANT induced decreases in lactate and LPR in the ipsilateral hippocampus (KA injected) of the stimulation group (P < 0.05), but it did not influence the glucose metabolism in the contralateral hippocampus (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrated that the glycolysis was inhibited in the ipsilateral hippocampus of epileptic rats during electrical ANT stimulation. These findings may provide useful information for better understanding the mechanism of ANT-deep brain stimulation.

Animals ; Anterior Thalamic Nuclei ; physiology ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Epilepsy ; metabolism ; therapy ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Glycolysis ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To construct the recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pRNAT-U6,1- siEdg4 which curries small interfering RNA(siRNA)of Edg4 and observe the silencing effect of Edg4 gene targeted siRNA in ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3.Methods The Edg4 gene-targeted hairpin siRNA sequence was designed according to the Edg4 sequence in Genbank,and the two complementary oligo nucleotide strands were synthesized and annealed and inserted into the pRNAT-U6.1 plasmid to build a recombinant Edg4 siRNA eukaryotic expression vector,which was sequenced and identified to contain the correct Edg4 siRNA sequence.The human ovarian carcinoma cell lines SKOV3 were transfeeted with the vector using lipofeetamine method.The efficiency of transfecting cells was observed with fluorescent microscope and the mRNA expression level of Edg4 gene was detected by real time quantitative PCR.The LPA levels in cell supernatants were detected using a biochemical method.And the apoptosis of SKOV3 cells induced by the vector was evaluated by flow cytometry.Results The recombinant eukaryotic expression vector was confirmed to contain correct Edg4 siRNA sequence by PCR and sequencing.After transfection large amounts of green fluorescence were seen in plasma and nuclei of SKOV3 cells and the positive cell rates were 64%.The expression level of Edg4 mRNA in transfeeted SKOV3 cell line was significantly decreased (0.05?0.01 vs 0.29?0.04,P