Objective To investigate precipitants of epileptic seizure, and to explore the correlation between various precipitants and relationship between precipitants and clinical features of epilepsy.Methods Data were collected from 154 patients attending a tertiary-care epilepsy clinic of Nanjing Brain Hospital between April 2015 and April 2016.The patients with epilepsy were older than 16 years, had a clinical history of one year or more, and one seizure at least a year and one seizure at least in the latest three months.An enclosed questionnaire was combined with open interview to identify and characterize seizure precipitants and clinical characteristics of patients.Patients were asked respectively whether there were some precipitants three months before and during last three months.Correlation between seizure precipitants and relationship between precipitants and clinical characteristics, such as age, gender, course, seizure frequency and so on, were calculated.Results A total of 125 (81.2%) participants reported at least one precipitant.Common precipitants (in descending order) were as follows: emotional stress (56.0%), sleep disorder (38.4%), fatigue (27.2%), missed medication (20.0%).There were one to six different precipitants for one patient, and 60.8% of patients had two or more precipitants.There was a correlation between emotional stress and sleep disorders as well as fatigue (χ2=4.665, 8.668;P<0.05).Patients with idiopathic epilepsy were more sensitive to sleep disorders.There was no relationship between total precipitants and clinical features such as age, gender, age of onset, duration, type of seizure, seizure frequency, number of drug taking and so on.Conclusions Seizure precipitants were found widespread.The most common precipitants were found to be emotional stress, sleep disorders, fatigue and missed medication.There existed a correlation between emotional stress and sleep disorders as well as fatigue.There was no connection between total precipitants and patient′s demographic characteristics as well as clinical features.However, the type of seizure precipitants was different in patients with different demographic and clinical characteristics.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of tuina plus foot bath with Chinese medicine for patients with diabetic foot (DF) in early stage.Methods:A total of 70 patients with early-stage DF were randomly allocated by the random number table into two groups,with 35 cases in each group.Patients in the control group received conventional medication,while patients in the observation group received tuina plus foot bath with Chinese medicine on the basis of conventional medication.The clinical efficacy was compared after 2 courses of treatment.Results:After treatment,intra-group comparisons of ankle-brachial index (ABI) showed statistical significance in both groups (both P＜0.05).The curative rate was 83.3％ in the observation group,with the total effective rate of 96.7％,versus 29.4％ and 76.5％ in the control group,respectively,and the between-group comparisons showed statistical significance (both P＜0.05),indicating a better effect in the observation group.Conclusion:Tuina plus foot bath with Chinese medicine has a good therapeutic effect for DF patients in early stage.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Yufeng Capsule (YFC), a Chinese herbal preparation with function of clearing Heat-toxin in treating premonitory symptoms of apoplexy in middle and old aged patients.

METHODSOne hundred and fourteen patients with premonitory symptoms of apoplexy were treated with YFC and compared with 57 patients treated with Venoruton for control. The changes of clinical symptoms, anti-oxidation capability, blood lipid, blood sugar and hemorrheological parameters were observed.

RESULTS(1) The therapeutic effect in the YFC group was cured in 42 cases (36.84%), markedly effective in 38 (33.33%), effective in 28 (24.58%) and the total effective rate was 94.74%, while in the control group, the corresponding numbers were 9 (15.79%), 8(14.04%), 20(35.09%) and 64.91% respectively, the difference between the two groups in cure rate, markedly effective rate and total effective rate was significant (P < 0.05); (2) The whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hemagglutination index and red blood cell deformity index in the YFC group were significantly improved after treatment (P < 0.01) and the improvement was better than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); (3) Levels of serum malonyldialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), blood lipids and glucose were markedly improved in the YFC group (P < 0.05) after treatment, and showed a significant difference to those in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYFC has obvious effect in treating premonitory symptoms of apoplexy patients, it could markedly improve the hemorrheologic parameters, regulate blood lipids and blood glucose metabolism, and strengthen the anti-oxidation capability of patients.

Aged ; Blood Viscosity ; drug effects ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Erythrocyte Deformability ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; Ischemic Attack, Transient ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

Chinese materia medica resource (CMM resource) is the foundation of the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In the study of sustainable utilization of CMM resource, adopting innovative theory and method to find new CMM resource is one of hotspots and always highlighted. Pharmacophylogeny interrogates the phylogenetic relationship of medicinal organisms (especially medicinal plants), as well as the intrinsic correlation of morphological taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, chemical constituents, and therapeutic efficacy (ethnopharmacology and pharmacological activity). This new discipline may have the power to change the way we utilize medicinal plant resources and develop plant-based drugs. Phylogenomics is the crossing of evolutionary biology and genomics, in which genome data are utilized for evolutionary reconstructions. Phylogenomics can be integrated into the flow chart of drug discovery and development, and extends the field of pharmacophylogeny at the omic level, thus the concept of pharmacophylogenomics could be redefined in the context of plant pharmaceutical resources. This contribution gives a brief discourse of knowledge pedigree of pharmacophylogeny, epistemology and paradigm shift, highlighting the theoretical and practical values of pharmacophylogenomics. Many medicinally important tribes and genera, such as Clematis, Pulsatilla, Anemone, Cimicifugeae, Nigella, Delphinieae, Adonideae, Aquilegia, Thalictrum, and Coptis, belong to Ranunculaceae family. Compared to other plant families, Ranunculaceae has the most species that are recorded in China Pharmacopoeia (CP) 2010. However, many Ranunculaceae species, e. g., those that are closely related to CP species, as well as those endemic to China, have not been investigated in depth, and their phylogenetic relationship and potential in medicinal use remain elusive. As such, it is proposed to select Ranunculaceae to exemplify the utility of pharmacophylogenomics and to elaborate the new concept empirically. It is argued that phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship of medicinally important tribes and genera within Ranunculaceae could be elucidated at the genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels, from which the intrinsic correlation between medicinal plant genotype and metabolic phenotype, and between genetic diversity and chemodivesity of closely related taxa, could be revealed. This proof-of-concept study regards pharmacophylogenomics as the updated version of pharmacophylogeny and would enrich the intension and spread the extension of pharmacophylogeny. The interdisciplinary knowledge and techniques will be integrated in the proposed study to promote development of CMM resource discipline and to boost sustainable development of Chinese medicinal plant resources.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Knowledge ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics

Tissue engineering composites for bone defect treatment is currently a hot spot of the research field.Mechanical loading on tissue engineering composites is important to bone formation and related research has attracted more and more attention.In the field of tissue engineering research,the establishment of a standardized animal model is the basis of experimental research for exploring the effects of different mechanical loading on in situ repair of bone defect and its action mechanism.This paper reviews the approaches used to establish experimental model of bone defect under mechanical loading such as animal selection,defect preparation,fixation and loading mode in order to provide a reference for related research.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at abdomen acupoints plus tuina for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH).Methods:A total of 70 patients with LIDH were randomized into an observation group and a control group,with 35 cases in each group.The observation group was treated with acupuncture at abdomen acupoints plus tuina,while the control group was treated only with tuina treatment.The clinical efficacy was observed after one course of treatment.Results:The cure rate and the total effective rate of the observation group were 83.3％ and 96.7％,respectively.The cure rate and the total effective rate of the control group were 39.4％ and 78.8％,respectively.There were significant differences in the cured rate and the total effective rate between the two groups (both P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score between the two groups before treatment (P＞0.05).After treatment,the JOA scores of both groups increased significantly,and the intra-group differences were statistically significant (both P＜0.05);the JOA score of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion:Acupuncture at abdomen acupoints plus tuina has a better therapeutic effect than tuina alone in the treatment of LIDH.

Objective To observe the distribution of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) and the effects on expression of apoptosis relative proteins Caspase 3 and Bcl-2 after intravenous transplanted into ischemic rat brains.Methods MSCs from SD rats were cultivated and proliferated in vitro and marked with CFSE.MSCs were then intravenously transplanted into middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)models of SD rats.The rats were killed at different time points to observe the distribution of MSCs under fluorescence microscoDe as well as the effects on expression of apoptosis relative proteins Caspase 3 and Bcl-2 using immunohistochemical method.Results Density of Caspase 3 in immunohistochemically positive area in transplantion group were(2.81±0.35)%,(3.98±0.67)%,(5.58±0.92)%,(3.51±0.63)%,(1.64±0.29)%in 6,12,24,72 hours and in 7 days,respectively,and decreased significantly compared with those of control group[(3.92±0.44)%,(5.23±0.30)%,(6.89±0.57)%,(4.39±0.57)%,(2.29±0.21)%],the difference being significant(t=4.37,3.34,2.60,2.32,3.90,P＜0.05 or＜0.01).The density of Bcl-2 in immunohistochemically positive area in transplantation group were(4.70±0.16)%,(5.61±0.26)%,(3.00±0.28)%respectively in 6,12 hours and in 7 days,which had improved significantly compared with those of control group[(3.28±0.27)%,(4.54±0.59)%,(2.15±0.62)%],the difference being significant(t=8.32,3.25,2.54,P＜0.05 or＜0.01).Conclusions Bone marrow MSCs can exert protective effects on brain ischemia and reperfusion injury possibly by down-regulating Caspase 3 and up-regulating Bcl-2.

Objective To transplant the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(UCMSCs) derived from human umbilical cord into cisterna magna of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) rat model,and to observe their survival,proliferation and differentiation in the rat brain.Methods UCMSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord of babies delivered after full-term normal cesarean section,and labeled by bromodeoxyuridine(BrdU).Pregnant rats were randomly divided into experimental group(n=6) and control group(n=1).HIE models were built by ligating both sides of the uterine arteries of full-pregnant rats(21 days) in experimental group rats for 15 minutes.The neonatal rats in experimental group were divided into stem cells group(n=24) and PBS group(n=19) at random.The labeled UCMSCs were injected into cisterna magna of the rats in stem cells group,while PBS was injected into the rats of PBS group.In 1,2,3 and 4 weeks after transplantation,the brain tissue section slides were immunohistochemically stained with antibodies against BrdU,Nestin,neuron specific enolase(NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP),and thionin.Control group with normal delivery was tested as concurrent control.Results At 1 week after transplantation,BrdU,Nestin,NSE and GFAP positive cells were found in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the rats in stem cells group rats.The number of BrdU-positive and Nestin-positive cells increased(Pa0.05).The NSE-positive and GFAP-positive cells gradually increased from 1-4 weeks post transplantation and comparisons between groups had statistical significance(Pa

Background Hyaluronic acid is a mucopolysaccharide existing in extracellular matrix and having good biocompatibility.Using chemical crosslinking method can improve the physical properties of the material,so cross-linked hyaluronic has potential clinical application value.Objective The present study was to evaluate the histocompatibility and biological security of cross-linked hyaluronic acid as ophthalmic implant material.Methods Cross-linked hyaluronic acid implant material was prepared according to the criteria of Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices (GB/T16886.5-2003).Eighteen 8-week-old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into the experimental group and the control group.Cross-linked hyaluronic acid material with 5.0 mm diameter was implanted into corneal stroma interlaminationally in the experimental group,and only corneal stromal interlaminational pocket was made without any implanting material in the control group.Biological response of cornea was assessed in vivo from 1 week through 3 months after operation by slit lamp microscope.The corneas were obtained 2 weeks,1 month and 3 months respectively for histopathological examination.Mouse embryonic fibroblasts were cultured in cross-linked hyaluronic acid film plate,medical silicone material culture plate and regular culture plate respectively for 24 hours,and the cell growth state and morphology were observed under the inverted microscope and scan electron microscope.MTT assay was used to test the relative growth rate of the cultured cells 48 hours after cultured using extracted liquid of hyaluronic acid implant material.Results Cross-linked hyaluronic acid implant material showed a well healing to the corneas of rabbits during the observation duration,without obvious inflammatory response and neovascularization.The arrangement of stromal fibers was uniform in order,and no infiltration of inflammatory cells was seen under the light microscope.The cells grew well after cultured with cross-linked hyaluronic acid film and regular medium for 24 hours,but in the silicone culture group,fewer of adherent cells and more floating cells were found.The relative growth rate of the cells was 87.50％ 48 hours after cultured with extracted liquid of hyaluronic acid implant material.Conclusions The cross-linked hyaluronic acid material has good histocompatibility and biological security in rabbit cornea tissue.

In recent years, the incidence of infections caused by invasive fungal pathogens has increased dramatically. However, most antifungal agents used in clinic have many drawbacks and cannot meet the demand of the clinical use. Therefore, for the development of new generation of antifungal agents, it is of great significance to find antifungal lead compounds with novel chemical scaffolds and new mode of action. Novel antifungal lead compounds reported in recent years are reviewed. Their chemical structures, antifungal activity and structure-activity relationship are discussed in detail, and current problems and trends in future research are also emphasized.
4-Butyrolactone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cholestanols ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cycloleucine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Fungi ; drug effects ; Heterocyclic Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lactones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Naphthoquinones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Pyridines ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship