In this paper, the process performance indexes (PPIs) P(p) and P(pk) were introduced and applied to evaluate the process capability and quality consistence of Chinese medicine products. The historical quality analysis data of Qingkailing injection were collected and taken as the research object. The confidence intervals of P(p) and P(pk) were estimated based on the Bootstrap sampling methods. Results showed that the value and width of the confidence interval P(p) of were smaller that of P(pk) suggesting that the P(pk) index was more sensitive than P(p) in process capability analysis. Within the production period concerned, the P(pk) values estimated from different quality indexes of Qingkailing injection, such as baicalin, cholic acid, geniposide and total nitrogen, were 1.122, 2.055, 1.564 and 0.891, respectively. It could be found that the cholic acid had the highest process capability, followed by the geniposide and baicalin. The total nitrogen had the lowest process capability, indicating that it is necessary to reinforce the quality management of total nitrogen related manufacturing processes. The case studies demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of PPIs, which are convenient to be used in production practice of Chinese medicine.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; standards ; Injections ; Quality Control

The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established and validated within the framework of quality by design (QbD). The system of microcrystalline cellulose-de-ioned water was used in this study. The median granule size and bulk density of granules were identified as critical quality attributes. Plackeet-Burmann experimental design was used to screen these factors as follows: dry mixing time, the impeller and chopper speed of dry mixing, water amount, water addition time, wet massing time, the impeller and chopper speed of wet massing and drying time. And the optimization was implemented with the central composite experimental design based on screened critical process parameters. The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established based on the quadratic polynomial regression model. Since the P-values of both models were less than 0.05 and values of lack of fit were more than 0.1, the relationship between critical quality attributes and critical process parameters could be well described by the two models. The reliability of design space, illustrated by overlay plot, was improved with the addition of 95% confidence interval. For those granules whose process parameters were in the design space, the granule size could be controlled within 250 to 355 μm, and the bulk density could be controlled within a range of 0.4 to 0.6 g x cm(-3). The robustness and flexibility of the high shear wet granulation process have been enhanced via the establishment of the design space based on the QbD concept.
Cellulose ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Water

This study was aimed to find out the correlation between chemical component contents and physical prop-erties of tanshinone extract powders. The contents of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA from 50 batches of tanshi-none extract powders were determined by HPLC. And the physical properties were determined by classical methods. The correlation analysis between component contents and physical properties were also investigated. The results showed that two sets of variables had good intraclass correlation, especially for the contents of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA, among D10, D50, D90, there were relatively strong correlation between the bulk density and tapped density, between the Hausner ratio and compressibility index. The angle of repose had a certain correlation with the uniformity, Hausner ratio and compressibility index, but with no strong correlation. The correlation coefficient be-tween two sets was below 0.400, suggesting there was a not so good inter-group correlation. After the canonical cor-relation analysis, three pairs of canonical variables had significant correlations with correlation coefficients being 0.851, 0.674 and 0.565, respectively. It was concluded that there was a good intraclass correlation for each of physi-cal and/or chemical quality set, but the correlation between the two sets was bad. Canonical variables performed bet-ter inter-group correlation compared with original variables, indicating there was a certain correlation between chem-ical and physical quality attributes of tanshinone extract powders.

Abstract: The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established and validated within the framework of quality by design (QbD). The system of microcrystalline cellulose-de-ioned water was used in this study. The median granule size and bulk density of granules were identified as critical quality attributes. Plackeet-Burmann experimental design was used to screen these factors as follows: dry mixing time, the impeller and chopper speed of dry mixing, water amount, water addition time, wet massing time, the impeller and chopper speed of wet massing and drying time. And the optimization was implemented with the central composite experimental design based on screened critical process parameters. The design space of the high shear wet granulation process was established based on the quadratic polynomial regression model. Since the P-values of both models were less than 0.05 and values of lack of fit were more than 0.1, the relationship between critical quality attributes and critical process parameters could be well described by the two models. The reliability of design space, illustrated by overlay plot, was improved with the addition of 95% confidence interval. For those granules whose process parameters were in the design space, the granule size could be controlled within 250 to 355 μm, and the bulk density could be controlled within a range of 0.4 to 0.6 g x cm(-3). The robustness and flexibility of the high shear wet granulation process have been enhanced via the establishment of the design space based on the QbD concept.

Objective Acute type A aortic dissection associated pregnancy severely threatens the lives of both the mother and her ferus.We retrospectively reviewed our clinical experience with this life-threatening condition in six cases.Methods Between January 2007 and February 2012,6 women with acute type A aotic dissection associated pregnancy were treated by our group,with an average of 3 1 years (range 24 -37 weeks)and a mean gestation weeks of 24.5 (range,12 -38 weeks ).The etiology was Marfan syndrome in 4 cases and gestational hypertension in 2.The pathology was the modified Stanford type A3S in I case,A2C in 2 and A3C in 3.- Five patients were treated surgically and 1 medically.Surgical operations were performed under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass or deep hypothermic circulatory arrest,including Bentall procedure in 1case,Bentall + Sun's procedure in 2,ascending aortic replacement + Sun's procedure in 2.Results The woman treated medically and her fetus died from aortic rupture 9 days after admission.The cardiopulmonary bypass and cross clamp time and circulatory arrest time averaged 167 rninites(range,75 -210 minites) and 98 minites(range,83 - 145 minites) and 23.5minites(range,19 -27 minutes),respectively.Five patients treaed surgically survived the operation.Three fetuses survived rand two fetuses died.After a mean follow-up of 2.2 years (range,1 - 3.5 years ),5 patients were doing well.CT angiogram detected nonmal aortic and valvular structures,with no signs of distal dilation.Three babies were normal in development and neurocognitive functios.Conclusion Palients with aortic dissection associated with pregnancy should be operated on ugently and medical treatment carries high risks of aortic rupture and maternal and fetal death.Methods of surgical repair,peffusion techniques and delivery should be chosen based on the underlying aortic pathology and gestational age,so as to maximize the safety of the mother and her baby.

Objective To study the effects of parthenolide on osteoclast differentiation of RAW264. 7 cell induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL). Methods The mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells induced by RANKL was used alone as the control group, different concentrations of par-thenolide (0.5, 1, 2 μmol/L) were added to culture the RAW264.7 cells. On the third, fifth and seventh day, the tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining method was used to detect osteodast-like cells and the cell number was count;the contents of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP5b) in the Culture supernatant of each groups were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the expression of osteodast marker gene alcitonin receptor (CTR) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in each groups were detected by realtime-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the seventh day. We use Chi-square test and t test to test the differences between groups by SPSS 17.0. Results In different culture conditions, RANKL could always induce the RAW264.7 cell differentiate into mature osteoclasts. Compared with the control group at the same time control group, on the third, fifth and seventh day, he number of mature osteoclasts induced were obviously decreased in groups adding different concentration of PAR; the number of induced osteoclasts decreased along with the increase of parthenolide concentration, on the seventh day in 0.5, 1, 2 μmol/L concentration PAR groups, the number of mature osteoclasts compared with the control group were descended 36.3%, 40.8%, 49.3%(t=7.758, 8.742, 10.56;P<0.05);the contents of TRAP5b in the culture supernatant were consistent with the cell counting results on the seventh day (P<0.05). The expression of CTR and MMP-9 by TRAP positive osteoclasts decreased along with the increase of parthenolide concentration, and the 2 μmol/L group was the lowest. Compared with the control group, there were statistically significant differences with the different PAR concentration groups 0.5, 1, 2 μmol/L (P<0.05). Conclusion Parthenolide can inhibit RANKL induced RAW264.7 differentiation into osteoclast cells, and the inhibition is dose dependent.

Objective To investigate the proliferation rule after autografl vein in autografl of vein and repairing arterial defect,discuss the minuteness structure changes related to time,and provide morphological date for the prevention and treatment of restenosis in clinic application.Methods Sixty canine femoral veins (3.5 cm and 5.5 cm) were excised,reversed and grafted to repairing femoral arterial defect using end- to-end anastomosis.During the period of 30-180 days excised the grafted veins,observed ultrastrural changes of endothelium,microstructural components relative content and patency in grafted veins through angiography, lipht microscope.Results Angiography show that the grafted vein wall get gradually thicker,vascular cavity get slender,and vessel elasticity shrinkage.Light microscope chalrify the ultrastructural changes of endotheh- um,the three lamine structure of grafted vascular wall could not be identified.Conclusion Grafted femoral veins had obviously arteriosclerosis trend after it was transplanted to the arterial system.Two months after the transplantation is the crisis time of the proliferation of the vascular wall.The effect of the proliferation of the grafted veins vascular wall and the impact of the hi-pressure of blood can lead some canine ruptured to die from pseudoaneurysms.

Betulinic acid is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid, which has antiretroviral, antimalarial, and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study is to investigate the HBV DNA replication inhibition in the mouse model with betulinic acid. Hydrodynamic injection method via the tail vein with the Paywl. 3 plasmid was used to establish the animal mode (n = 15), and the mice were randomly divided into the PBS control group (n = 5), Betulinic acid treatment group (n = 5) and lamivudine control group (n = 5). The day after successful modeling , the mice would have taken Betulinic acid (100 mg x kg(-1)), lamivudine (50 mg x kg(-1)), PBS drugs orally, once daily for 7 days, blood samples were acquired from the orbital venous blood at 3, 5, 7 days after the administering, HBsAg and HBeAg in serum concentration were measured by ELISA and the mice were sacrificed after 7 days, HBV DNA southern detections were used with part of mice livers. The results showed that betulinic acid significantly inhibited the expression of HbsAg in the mice model at the fifth day compared with the control group, and there was no significant differences between the effects of lamivudine and the PBS control group; both the betulinic acid and lamivudine groups had no significant inhibition for the HBeAg expression; the HBV DNA expressions of the liver tissue from the betulinic acid and lamivudine groups were inhibited compared with the control group. Taken together, these results reveal betulinic acid can inhibit the HBsAg expression and replication of the liver HBV DNA in the mouse model.
Acute Disease ; Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; DNA Replication ; drug effects ; DNA, Viral ; biosynthesis ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; virology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology ; Virus Replication ; drug effects

Objective To explore the effect of dendritic cells (DC) modified with transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) gene on the expressions of CD28/CTLA-4:B7 costimulatory molecules in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in the Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Methods Thirty inbreeding line, healthy, female Lewis rats were divided randomly into 6 groups: normal group, EAMG group, DC treatment group, pcDNA3-TGF-β1-DCtreatment group, pcDNA3-DC control group and normal saline group. The rats were immunized with the AChR protein extracted from electric organ of Narcine timilei and CFA in the groups except normal group. 2×106 pcDNA3-TGF-β1-DCs/rat were injected subcutaneously into the backs of the rats which had been immunized 5 d earlier with AChR+CFA. The rats in DC treatment group, pcDNA3-DC control group and normal saline group were injected in parallel with untreated DC, pcDNA3-DC and normal saline, respectively. Seven weeks after the first immunization, the expressions of CD28 mRNA and CTLA-4 mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the levels of B7-1 and B7-2 on the surface of PBMC were examined using flow cytometry. Results (1)The low expression of CD28 mRNA and rare expression of CTLA-4 mRNA were found in the normal rats, and both expressions increased markedly in EAMG rats (P＜0.001). Compared to those in EAMG group, the expression of CD28 mRNA decreased and CTLA-4 mRNA was upregulated after the treatment with pcDNA3-TGF-β1-DC (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in the expressions of CD28 mRNA and CTLA-4 mRNA among the EAMG group, DC treatment group, pcDNA3-DC control group and normal saline group (P＞0.05). (2) The expressions of CD28, CTLA-4, B7-1 and B7-2 on the surface of PBMC were rare in normal rats, which increased significantly in EAMG rats (P＜0.001). The levels of CD28, B7-1 and B7-2 in pcDNA3-TGF-β1-DC group were lower than those in EAMG group (P＜0.01), but the level of CTLA-4 was higher than that in EAMG group (P＜0.05). They showed no statistically difference among the EAMG group, DC treatment group, pcDNA3-DC control group and normal saline group (P＞0.05). Conclusions The expressions of CD28/CTLA-4:B7 costimulatory molecules are abnormal in the rats with EAMG. The regulation of CD28/CTLA-4:B7 costimulatory pathways may play a critical role in the mechanism of the treatment with DC transfected with pcDNA3-TGF-β1 in the incipient EAMG rats.

BACKGROUNDAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by overproduction of beta-amyloid (Abeta), with the subsequent pathologic deposition of Abeta which is important for memory and cognition. Recent studies showed murine models of AD and AD patients inoculated with Abeta(1-42) peptide vaccine had a halted or delayed pathological progression of AD. Unfortunately, the clinical phase IIa trial of Abeta(1-42) peptide vaccine (AN1792) was halted prematurely because of episodes of menigoencephalitis in 18 of the vaccinated patients. The vaccination of BALB/c or Tg2576 transgenic mouse with Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine is safe and the immune effects are satisfactory. This study further characterizes the specific humoral immune responses in adult rhesus monkeys induced by Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine.

METHODSFive male adult rhesus monkeys were injected intramuscularly with Abeta(1-15) peptide vaccine at baseline and at weeks 2, 6, 10, 14, 18 and 22. The titers and IgG isotypes of the antibody against Abeta(1-42) in serum was measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The specificity of the antibody against Abeta(1-42) was determined by Western blot. The Abeta plaques in Tg2576 transgenic mouse brain were stained with the antiserum using immunohistochemistry method.

RESULTSAt the eighth week after the vaccination, antibody against Abeta(1-42) began to develop significantly in serum. The titers of the antibody increased following vaccine boosted and reached 1:3840 at the twenty-fourth week, then decreased after the termination of inoculation. The IgG1 was accounted for the highest level in the antiserum pool. The antibody against Abeta(1-42) showed high specificity. The Abeta plaques in Tg2576 transgenic mouse brain were labeled with the antiserum.

CONCLUSIONAbeta(1-15) vaccine can induce vigorously specific humoral immune responses in adult rhesus monkey.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; immunology ; Animals ; Antibody Formation ; Antibody Specificity ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin Isotypes ; blood ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Peptide Fragments ; immunology ; Vaccination