Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling plus tuina in treating senile functional constipation. ＜br> Methods: Ninety elderly patients with functional constipation were randomized into two groups. Forty-six patients in the treatment group were intervened by warm needling plus tuina; the other forty-four patients in the control group were intervened bySan Huang tablet. ＜br> Results: In the treatment group, 19 patients were cured, 24 cases showed improvement, 3 cases failed, and the total effective rate was 93.5%; in the control group, 16 patients were cured, 18 cases showed improvement, 10 cases failed, and the total effective rate was 77.3%. There was a significant difference in comparing the therapeutic efficacy (P＜0.05), and the therapeutic efficacy of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group. ＜br> Conclusion: Warm needling plus tuina can produce a higher therapeutic efficacy than takingSan Huang tablet in treating senile functional constipation.

Glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids are the component of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch root that has been used for various medicinal purposes in traditional oriental medicine for thousands of years. Macrophages as a principal component of immune system play an important role in the initiation, modulation and final activation of immune response against pathogens. In the present study, glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids was investigated the anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage cell line of RAW264.7. Well-grown RAW264.7 cells were collected and randomly divided into the blank control group, the LPS(1 mg x L(-1)) group, the dexamethasone (5 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group, the glycyrrhizin acid (400, 80, 16 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group and the licorice flavonoids (200, 40, 8 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in 24-well plates, pre-incubated for 4 h with different concentrations of dexamethasone, glycyrrhizin acid, or licorice flavonoids. Then cells were stimulated for 20 h with LPS. The supernatant of culture medium was collected from each well and determinated the concentrations of cytokines by means of BioPlex mouse cytokines assay. Compared with the control group, the LPS group could significantly induced relatively high levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor( GM-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1β), regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (KC), eotaxin, interleukin(IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, and IL-17 secretion (P < 0.05). The glycyrrhizin acid significantly inhibited IL-1β, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, Eotaxin and TNF-α secreted by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). The expression levels of IL-6 and Eotaxin were observably decreased in the licorice flavonoids with LPS group (P < 0.05). The data presented here suggested that the glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids modulate various cytokines secreted by macrophages and were important anti-inflammatory constituent of Licorice.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cytokines ; genetics ; immunology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice

To study the anti-inflammatory activity of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. In the study, the liquichip-based high-throughput synchronous detection technique for 23 inflammatory factors, uniform design, comprehensive weight method were adopted to study the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin in inhibiting the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264. 7 cells and multiple inflammatory cytokines. In the study, the uniform design table U₉ (9³) was adopted to design doses of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. The liquichip technique was used to detect the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin on the 23 cytokines expressed in LPS-induced mouse macrophage RAW264. 7 inflammation model. The traditional Chinese medicine component optimization software and the improved least angle regression algorithm were used to analyze the dose-effect relationship among the three components and the cytokine inhibition rate and produce the regression equation. The comprehensive weight method was applied to get the optimal dose ratio of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin with highest efficacy of 25:2:13 and verify the optimal dose ratio. The verification results were consistent with the prediction trend, indicating the accuracy of the mathematical model for predicting the experiment. The experimental results showed the multi-target and multi-level efficacies of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin and the high anti-inflammatory activity of their combined administration, which provides powerful basis for subsequent drug development.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Cytokines ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; immunology ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; RAW 264.7 Cells

OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanisms involved in the ligustrazine alleviation of the pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with chronic cor pulmonale (CCP) during exacerbation.

METHODSSeventy patients of COPD and CCP with acute exacerbation were randomly and equally divided into control group and treatment group. The control group received standard treatment with antibiotics, antiasthmatic and expectorant medications, and oxygenation; and the ligustrazine treatment group received ligustrazine treatment (80 mg/d; i.v.; for 2 weeks) in addition to the standard treatment. Before and at the end of 2 week treatment, the clinic responses of the two regimens were evaluated, plasma levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) were determined; arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2, mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), outflow tract of right ventricle (RVOT), and internal diameter of right ventricle (RV) were measured.

RESULTSGood clinic benefits were achieved in both the standard and ligustrazine regimens, plasma level of ET-1, values of mPAP, RV and RVOT decreased significantly, plasma level of NO and PaO2 values decreased (all P < 0.01 vs pre-treatment to all parameters). Compared with the control group, ligustrazine greatly enhanced the clinic efficacy from 77.1% to 97.1% (P < 0.05), and also resulted in more significant changes of all these parameters (P < 0.01 vs control group for all parameters). For both groups, the levels of plasma ET-1 were positively correlated with values of mPAP, RVOT, and RV (r = 0.710, 0.853, and 0.766, respectively, all P = 0.000), and negatively correlated with plasma NO and PaO2 (r = - 0.823, and - 0.752, respectively, all P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONLigustrazine is effective in treating pulmonary artery hypertension during acute exacerbation of COPD and CCP in patients from the plateau area. The observed changes in the plasma levels of NO and ET-1 in response to ligustrazine treatment suggest that ligustrazine may act through the selective effect on pulmonary blood vessels to enhance the synthesis and release of NO and suppress those of ET-1 from lung vascular endothelial cells, thus reducing pulmonary artery pressure and decreasing pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Altitude ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Chronic Disease ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; drug therapy ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Pulmonary Artery ; physiopathology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; drug therapy ; Pyrazines ; therapeutic use ; Respiration

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint application withChan Wu gel cream plus five notes therapy in treating cancer pain.Method Eighty patients with cancer pain were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The treatment group received acupoint application withChanWu gel cream at the corresponding acupoints of the affected organ in association with the five notes therapy; the control group was intervened by the three-step analgesic ladder recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). The quality of life and pain intensity were scored before and after the intervention.Result The quality of life and pain degree were significantly changed after the treatment in the two groups (P<0.01). The quality of life and pain intensity of the treatment group were significantly different from that of the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint application withChan Wu gel cream plus five notes therapy is effective in mitigating cancer pain and improving the quality of life.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; pathology ; Male

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) and chronic continuous hypobaric hypoxia (CHH) on hemodynamics under basic normoxia and acute hypoxia conditions and to find the difference of two types of chronic hypoxia. Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: Control group (CON), 28 days IHH group (IHH28), 42 days IHH group (IHH42), 28 days CHH group (CHH28) and 42 days CHH group (CHH42). The rats in IHH groups were treated with intermittent hypoxia (11.1% O2) mimicking 5 000 m altitude in a hypobaric chamber for 28 or 42 d, 6 h a day, respectively. The rats in CHH groups lived in the hypobaric chamber with the same degree of hypoxia like IHH rats except half an hour in normoxia each day for feeding and cleaning. The body weight of rats was measured once a week. The parameters in hemodynamics, such as mean artery blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximum change rate of left ventricular pressure (+/-LVdP/dt(max)) were recorded under basic normoxia and acute hypoxia conditions through catheterization technique. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in myocardium of rats were measured by biochemical method. The weights of whole heart, left and right ventricles were measured separately. The results showed: (1) The basic HR and MAP in CHH42 rats were lower than those in CON, IHH and CHH28 rats (P<0.05). (2) IHH showed a cardioprotection against acute hypoxia and reoxygenation injury, manifested as the result that the changes of HR, MAP, LVSP, and +/- LVdP/dt(max) were smaller than those in CON rats during acute hypoxia and reoxygenation. CHH showed a rather strong cardioprotection during acute hypoxia, manifested as the result that the decreases of HR, MAP, LVSP, and +/- LVdP/dt(max)were much smaller, but it did damage during reoxygenation, manifested as the result that the recovery of hemodynamics was the worst among three groups (P<0.05). (3) The antioxygenation of heart was increased in both IHH and CHH rats compared with that in CON rats manifested by the increased SOD activity and decreased MDA content (P<0.05, P<0.01). (4) IHH had no effect on heart weight, but CHH rats showed an obvious right ventricular hypertrophy compared with CON and IHH animals (P<0.01). The result indicates that IHH can induce a more effective cardioprotection with no much side effect, which might have a potential value for practical use.
Altitude ; Animals ; Heart ; physiopathology ; Hemodynamics ; Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular ; pathology ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVENan'ao County in Guandong Province is a high-risk area of esophageal cancer in Southern China. Of the suspected etiological factors in the environment, N-nitrosamines and their precursors have received the greatest attention.

METHODSSixty samples of the diet ingested by the inhabitants were collected and detected for volatile N-nitrosamines and their precursors. Five N-nitrosamines detected by Gas Chromatography-Thermal Energy Analyzer were N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine, N-nitrosopiperidine and N-nitrosomethyl-benzylamine.

RESULTSThe average content of 5 volatile N-nitrosamines in the diet was 312.0 micrograms/kg (median). The daily intake of the nitrosamines was 286.5 micrograms/head/day. Only the ability to exogenously synthesize N-nitrosopiperidine was powerful among 5 volatile N-nitrosamines. By a computerized stepwise regression analysis and curve fitting, we studied the correlation among the nitrosamines, the precursors and the major food items in the samples.

CONCLUSIONIt demonstrated that a relatively high content of volatile N-nitrosamines was present in the diet collected in the area.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Diet ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitrosamines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors ; Volatilization

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the DNA vaccine containing idiotypic gene fragment of human B-cell lymphoma cell line Namalwa could elicit the specific anti-idiotypic immune response in vivo. The candidate gene fragment of the lymphoma cell, variable region of heavy chain (VH) of the membranous immunoglobulin, was amplified using Ig superfamily primers by means of RT-PCR. Also, the intact cDNA of murine monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-3) was cloned and used as the adjuvant molecular. The two gene fragments of VH and MCP-3 were fused together by 8aa linker peptide with recombinant PCR. Subsequently, the fusion gene fragment was cloned into eukaryonic expression vector pcDNA3.1 to construct DNA vaccine plasmid. Prior to the immunization, the transient transfection coupled with RT-PCR was performed to prove that the recombinant plasmid could express in eukaryonic cells in right way. Then two groups of mice were immunized by intramuscular injection with DNA vaccine and mock plasmid pcDNA3.1 respectively. Three times of injection were performed with 100 micro g plasmid respectively at the beginning of the experiment and 2, 4 weeks after the first injection for all the groups. FACS analysis was chosen to detect the antibodies recognizing lymphoma cells at different time following vaccination. The results demonstrated that specific anti-idiotypic antibody could be detected in the group of DNA vaccine immunized mice as early as eight weeks after the first immunization. Further test demonstrated that the anti-idiotypic antibody could maintain for at least twenty weeks with high titer. Anti-idiotypic antibodies were elicited in three of five mice of the DNA vaccine immunized group. The Abs of DNA vaccine immunized mice could only recognize Namalwa cell line instead of another unrelated human cell line A549. There is no cellular response detected in the DNA vaccine immunized mice. It is concluded that the DNA vaccine containing fused MCP3-VH sequence could elicit specific anti-idiotypic antibody against B-cell lymphoma in vivo and could be used in further study of DNA vaccine against B-cell lymphoma. The results would provide the basis for further studies and optimization of this therapeutic strategy on patients with B-lymphoproliferative disease.
Animals ; Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic ; blood ; COS Cells ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Chemokine CCL7 ; Cytokines ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Immunoglobulin Variable Region ; genetics ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology

BACKGROUNDInterleukin 16 (IL-16) can be detected by ELISA in pleural effusion (PE) and its concentration is higher than in serum. This study investigated the cellular sources of IL-16 in PE.

METHODSThe samples of PE were collected from 34 patients who were newly diagnosed having PE in the pleural cavity. We performed cell culture to purify the pleural mesothelial cells (PMC), Wright staining to count the purity and immunocytochemical stain to identify the cultured cells. The intracellular IL-16 expression was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The different cells in PE were first separated by magnetic cell sorting (MCAS) then the separated cells were cultured in RPMI1640 with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). We extracted the supernatant and detected IL-16 concentration by ELISA. The IL-16 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTSThe percentages of cells which secreted IL-16 were: CD3(+)CD8(-) cells ((74.27 ± 15.56)%, n = 34); CD3(+)CD8(+) cells ((69.86 ± 18.55)%, n = 34); CD19(+) cells ((45.30 ± 18.77)%, n = 15); CD14(+) cells ((16.91 ± 16.69)%, n = 15); and PMC ((2.05 ± 1.85)%, n = 7). The concentrations of IL-16 in the supernatant from cultured cells were: CD4(+) cells ((102.50 ± 42.51) ng/L, n = 5); CD8(+) cells ((92.58 ± 18.34) ng/L, n = 5); CD19(+) cells ((79.85 ± 5.62) ng/L, n = 5); CD14(+) cells ((58.51 ± 25.38) ng/L, n = 5); and PMC ((18.14 ± 8.37) ng/L, n = 5). In lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages and PMC, we could observe the cells that expressed IL-16 protein. In paraffin-embedded sections, we also could observe by immunohistochemistry the CD4(+)IL-16(+) cells, CD8(+)IL-16(+) cells, CD19(+)IL-16(+) cells, and CD14(+)IL-16(+) cells.

CONCLUSIONSIL-16 in PE is mainly secreted by T lymphocytes, including CD3(+)CD8(-) cells and CD3(+)CD8(+) cells. CD19(+) cells and CD14(+) cells can also secrete IL-16, but the percentage of PMC that can secrete IL-16 is very low.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD19 ; metabolism ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-16 ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion, Malignant ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Young Adult