The genus Salvia in the family Lamiaceae with nearly 1 000 species, is widespread in temperate and tropical regions around the world. Many species of genus Salvia are important medicinal plants with a long history of which Danshen (the dried roots and rhizomes of S. miltiorrhiza) is one of the most popular herbal traditional medicines in Asian countries. The chemical constituents from Salvia plants mainly contain sesquiterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, steroids and polyphenols etc, which exhibit antibacterial, antidermatophytic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, antiplatelet aggregation activities and so on. In this article, the development of new constituents and their biological activities of Salvia genus in the past five years were reviewed and summarized for its further development and utilization.
Diterpenes ; isolation & purification ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Salvia ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; isolation & purification ; Triterpenes ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of Xuezhikang on serum MCP-1 and endothelial function of brachial artery in patients with chronic heart failure but with normal cholesterol level. METHODS:Patients with chronic heart failure (NYHAⅡ-Ⅳ) were randomly allocated into two groups(n=24 each). Both groups received routine treatment in accordance with the guide of CHF treatment,additionally,the treatment group received Xuezhikang 0.6 g bid for 8 weeks. Serum levels of MCP-1 before and after treatment were measured by ELISA and endothelial function of brachial artery was detected by ultrasonography. RESULTS:In Xuezhikang-treated group compared with the control group,serum level of MCP-1 decreased significantly(P

Objective To investigate the expression and location of Borna disease virus(BDV)nucleoprotein in transfected oligodendrocytes,and then to explore its expression mechanisms in oligodendroglial cell(OL)and their effects on cell proliferation.Methods We used PCR to detect BDVp40 gene fragments in transfected OL,laser confocal microscopy and Western blot method to detect the expression of nuclear protein and its intracellular location in the cell,MTT to detect the influence of cell proliferation by nuclear protein on the OL.Results We had detected the BDVp40 gene fragments in transfected oligodendrocytes.The nucleoprotein can be positioned in the cytoplasm and cell membrane by laser scanning confocal microscope;Western blot results showed that there is nucleoprotein in the constitutive protein,but was not detected in the cytoplasm.MTT tests showed that nucleoprotein expressed in OL can inhibit cell proliferation.Conclusion It is indicated that the transfected OL stablely express of BDV nucleoprotein,and itslocation is in the cell structure of proteins,particularly in the cytoplasm and more richer in cell membrane,that indicating they may play a key role in cell signal transduction or into the cell-mediated viral infection.BDV nucleoprotein inhibit proliferation of OL,which maybe an important mechanism of Borna disease virus persistant infection and produce symptoms.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Borna disease virus (BDV) in viral encephalitis patients in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and to analyze phylogenetic development of BDV in this area. Methods The gene fragments of BDV were amplified by real time nested reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 60viral encephalitis (VE) patients. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect p40 antibody in the cerebrospinal fluid from those patients who were confirmed as BDV p24 positive in previous study and those patients who were detected as BDV positive by PCR in the present study.The confirmed p40 positive samples were used for BDV gene cloning and sequencing, which were subsequently compared with the sequences of overseas standard strains, including He/80, H1766 and strain V by software MEGA and DnaSP4.0. The virus phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the above data. Results The positive rate of BDV p24 by PCR was 10. 08% (12/119) and the positive rate of BDV p40 by PCR was 5.88% (7/119). The cerebrospinal samples from two patients were detected as nucleoprotein antibody positive by ELISA, which resulted in a positive rate of 1.68%. The results of gene sequence analysis showed that the sequences of 6 cases among the 7 BDV positive patients were exactly same as the sequence of German horse-origin He/80 strain. Only one synonymous mutation was detected in the remaining one case. Reconstructed gene phylogenetic tree showed a hybrid China (Ningxia)- German and Japan branch was formed by the BDV stain isolated from VE patients in Ningxia and the overseas BDV standard stains. Conclusions BDV infection may exist in VE patients in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which may be associated with close contact between human and animals. The gene sequence of stains isolated from patients in Ningxia is highly homological with the overseas standard strain, which suggests that the domestic BDV may come from overseas, while domestic strains with mutations couldn't be excluded.

Objective To discuss the levels of inhibitory protein Ga-2 (Gαi2) in hippocampus of brain and the effects of Gαi2 on neuronal intracellular Ca2+ level in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury model of rats.Methods Ninety SD rats were randomly (random number) assigned to sham group (n =30),ischemic-reperfusion (IR) group (n =30),Pertussis toxin (PT) group (n =30).The blood flow of right common carotid artery of rat was blocked for 90 min to make ischemia reperfusion model.The levels of Gαi2 in hippocampus was assayed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting after ischemia reperfusion for 6,12,24 h in each group.The average fluorescence values of intracellular Ca2+ levels in hippocampus of rats in three groups were detected by using Flow CytoMeter (FCM).Neuronal cell apoptosis was measured by TUNEL.Results After restoration of middle cerebral artery blood flow for different lengths of time,the levels of hippocampus Gαi2 and Ca2+ levels in IR group were significantly higher than those in Sham group (P ＜0.01).The hippocampus Ca2+ levels in PT group were higher than those in IR group (P ＜ 0.01).The apoptotic rates of neurons in PT group were lower than those in IR group (P ＜0.05).Conclusions The level of Gαi2 in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury model was increased.Gαi2 might reduce the calcium ion concentration of neurons after cerebral ischemia and rcduce the neuronal cell apoptosis in this model.Gαi2 might play a role in protecting neuron from cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury.

Objective To investigate the value of CT in the diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma.Methods Fifteen surgical operations of dedifferentiated liposarcoma in 11 patients, confirmed by pathology, underwent plain (n=15) and contrast enhanced (n=12) CT scans. Two of the 12 lesions underwent dynamic multi-phase contrast scans. The CT features and the corresponding pathological basis were analyzed.Results The lesions were divided into 3 groups according to the fatty component and its distribution. The CT appearances were as follows: (1)a well delineated fatty component in the lesion and a closely apposed non-fatty region in 10 cases including 5 initial (5/5, 100%) and 5 recurrent (5/10, 50%), which depicted an abrupt transition from the well-differentiated area to the high-grade sarcoma component under microscope; (2)fatty component within the lesion was less than 10% in 3 recurrent (3/10, 30%); (3)fatty masses and non-fatty masses separately distributed in 2 recurrent cases (2/10, 20%). Contrast enhanced CT scan showed moderate to marked inhomogeneous enhancement in the early phase in all 12 lesions, and delay enhancement was also observed.Conclusion Dedifferentiated liposarcoma exhibited specific appearances as well delineated fatty component and closely apposed non-fatty region with apparent enhancement. Dynamic contrast CT scans play important roles in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma, and help pre-surgical grading and pathological sampling.

Objective To apply the oral gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast agents for evaluating the gastric motility abnor‐mality in the patients with anxiety disorder .Methods Twenty patients with anxiety disorder complicating upper digestive tract symptoms without organic pathological changes were enrolled as the anxiety disorder group .Twenty healthy volunteers were en‐rolled as the control group in this study .The two groups orally took gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast agents .The antral contrac‐tion frequency ,antral contraction amplitude amd MI were measured at each time point .GER was calculated .The the gastric motility parameters in the patients with anxiety disorder were evaluated .Results The antral contraction frequency and MI at initial 2 min had no statistical difference between the anxiety group and the control group .The antral contraction amplitude ,antral contraction frequency amd MI at each time point during 5 -10 min after contrast in the anxiety disorder group were significantly decreased compared with the control group ,and the differences were statistically significant (P< 0 .05) .After 20 min ,GER in the control group was significantly higher than that in the anxiety group ,the difference was statistically significant (P<0 .05) .Conclusion O‐ral gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast agents is a economic ,strongly operable ,non‐invasive and highly repeatable method for evalu‐ating the gastric motility .

Objective To evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA ) in medical treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) .Methods A total of 19 patients with CT-confirmed CSDH in our department from Mar 2014 to Aug 2015 received an in-travenous dose of 1g TXA in the first week ,and followed by a maintenance oral dose of 250 mg TXA three times a day for 1 - 5 months (2 .73 ± 1 .05) months .These patients received a follow-up period of 6 - 10 months .Hematoma volume and neurological functions were compared before and after treatment .Results The therapeutic outcome was divided into effectiveness and ineffec-tiveness .Thirteen cases (68 .4% ) were effective ;six cases (31 .6% ) were ineffective .Among them ,three patients (15 .8% ) whose neurological functions deteriorated underwent surgery ,one patient (5 .3% ) who did not show any improvement with initial one month of TXA underwent surgery ,one patient (5 .3% ) stopped the treatment due to the side-effect of drug ,one patient (5 .3% ) lost .Conclusion Results of this preliminary study show that the administration of TXA is effective and safe in treating CSDH .

Background and purpose:With the widespread use of screening of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, prostate cancers at organ-conifned stage are increasing in newly diagnosed cases. However, some defects remain in conventional monoexponential diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for differentiating organ-conifned prostate cancer from benign lesions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to obtain biexponential apparent diffusion parameters of prostate organ-conifned cancer, chronic prostatitis in peripheral zone (PZ) and normal PZ tissue, and to compare with monoexponential apparent diffusion coeffcient (ADC) for differentiating prostate cancer from prostatitis lesions. Methods:Sixteen patients with pathologically confirmed prostate organ-confined cancer in PZ, 14 with prostatitis underwent conventional (b-factors 0, 1 000 s/mm2) and 10b-factors (0-3 000 s/mm2) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).The monoexponential ADC value and biexponential parameters fast ADC (ADCf), fraction of ADCf (f), slow ADC (ADCs) value for prostate cancer, prostatitis and normal tissues were calculated and compared. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed for those parameters.Results:Biexponential and monoexponential parameters were obtained for 18 prostate cancers, 18 prostatitis and 37 normal PZ tissues. The ADC value of prostate cancer tissues was remarkably lower [(0.83±0.11)×10-3 mm2/s] than that of other tissues (P<0.01), while the ADC value of prostatitis [(1.45±0.19)×10-3 mm2/s] was lower than that of PZ [(1.67±0.31)×10-3 mm2/s] (P<0.01). Prostate cancer tissues had low-er ADCf [(1.54±0.23)×10-3 mm2/s],f [(45.8±5.4)%] and ADCs [(0.52±0.15)×10-3mm2/s] than the other tissues (P<0.01). The ADCf,f and ADCs were higher in PZ [(3.90±0.40)×10-3, (67.3±8.2)% and (1.51±0.36)×10-3 mm2/s] than prostatitis [(3.06±0.49)×10-3, (47.9±3.9)% and (0.91±0.29)×10-3 mm2/s) (P<0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of ADCf and ADC were similar in differentiating cancer and prostatitis (0.96vs 0.94) (P>0.01), but the AUC off and ADCs in differ-entiating cancer from prostatitis (0.83 and 0.80) were signiifcantly lower than that of ADC (P<0.01).Conclusion:The biexponential DWI provided additional tissue characterization parameters for different prostate tissues. ADCf yielded comparable accuracy with ADC in identiifcation of prostate organ-conifned cancer. The biexponential parameter could further improve the diagnostic effcacy.

Objective To observe the effects of lactobacillus complex capsules in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods A hundred AECOPD patients were divided into 2 groups: the therapy group(n = 50) with conventional and lactobacillus complex capsules therapy, and the control group with conventional therapy only. Parameters before and after therapy were compared, which included length of hospital stay, arterial blood gases, dyspnea grade, respiratory function test, markers of inflammation, anorexia score, diarrhea, fungi infection, breathing rate, death rate and side-effects of lactobacillus complex capsules. Results After 7 days of treatment, the blood leukocyte count and neutrophil ratio in the therapy group were lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The rate of anorexia score ≤ 2 in the therapy group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the rest parameters among the two groups(P > 0.05). There were no side-effects, such as skin rash and diarrhea, to be observed in the therapy group. Conclusion Oral lactobacillus complex capsule can be safe, anti-infective and improve appetite in patients with AECOPD.