Berberine (BBR) is a type of alkaloids isolated from Coptidis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex and has been used to treat bacterial gastroenteritis, diarrhea and other digestive diseases for more than 1 000 years. According to recent studies, berberine has been found to have multiple pharmacological activities, including lowering blood glucose and lipid, anti-inflammation, antioxidation, relieving type 2 diabetic nephropathy (DN), diabetic cardiovascular disease, diabetic peripheral neuropathy ( DPN) and other complications. In this article, the authors summarized the literature reports about the effects of BBR in lowering blood glucose and preventing and treating the above type 2 diabetes and its complications, in order to provide reference to further studies and promotion of BBR's application.
Animals ; Berberine ; administration & dosage ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Humans

Using isoeugenol as the sole carbon source,a novel strain,producing high amounts of vanillin from isoeugenol,was isolated from soil.According to the physiological and biochemical characteristics and its 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis,it was identified as Bacillus fusiformis.The initial results showed that 4.20 g/L vanillin was obtained by bioconversion of 2% isoeugenol with Bacillus fusiformis.

Objective To improve the diagnosis and treatment of testicular masses associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia(CAH).Methods A 25-year-old man presented with bilateral testicular nodules.Physical examination revealed palpable multiple nodules in the bilateral testes and epididymides as well as enlarged and hard right testis with uneven surface.Biochemical examination showed testosterone(T) of 18.7 nmol/L,17?-(OH)P＞20.0 ng/ml,positive results of rapid ACTH stimulation test and dexametha- sone suppression test.B-ultrasound demonstrated diffuse testicular lesions with nodules in parts of the bilater- al testes.Bilateral testicular nodules were biopsied,and pathological diagnosis was interstitial cell hyperplasi- a.Positive staining for?-inhibin was observed immunohistochemically.The clinical characteristics of testicular masses associated with CAH were reviewed in combination with the literature.Results Based on medical history,imaging,laboratory and pathologic examinations,the patient was diagnosed with testicular masses as- sociated with CAH.He received oral cortisol at dose of 40 mg daily for 2 weeks,and then at dose of 30 mg daily as maintenance therapy.After treatment of 8 months,B-ultrasound showed complete regression of the testicular tumors.Follow-up of 24 months showed no recurrence of the tumor.Conclusions For patient with bilateral testicular masses,endocrinological evaluation and clinical history taking are indicated to exclude testicular interstitial cell hyperplasia associated with CAH.By oral steroid replacement therapy,hormone-sen- sitive testicular masses can regress.

Objective To evaluate retrospectively the role of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT associated with MRI in the localization of epileptogenic foci. Methods Sixty-seven patients with medically resistant epilepsy were included from 2003 to 2008. All underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI for presurgical evaluation as well as post-surgical evaluation 12 to 65 months after operation. Based on postoperative seizure occurrence, patients were divided into two groups. One group was free of seizures ( Engel classification Ⅰ, Group 1) and the other was with postoperative seizure occurrence of any type ( Engel classification Ⅱ-Ⅳ, Group 2). X2-test or Fisher's exact test was used for the statistical analysis. Results About 71.6% (48/67) patients were defined as group 1, and 19 patients were group 2 ( 11 were Engel Ⅱ , 5 were Engel Ⅲ, and 3 were Engel Ⅳ ). In Group 1, no statistically significant difference was found between concordant (45/63) and discordant findings (3/4) with regard to 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI images (Fisher's exact test, P ＞0.05). For 41 patients that showed focal abnormality both on MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT, 80.5% (33/41) were found in group 1. For 20 patients that showed focal lesions on MRI while with multi-focal or generalized abnormal metabolism on 18F-FDG PET/CT, 11 (55.0%) were in group 1 and9 (45.0%) were group 2. There was no significant difference (33/41 vs 11/20, X2 =4.34, P ＜0.05 ). Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT associated with MRI may offer more helpful information for pre-surgical evaluation and prediction of prognosis of epileptic patients.

Objective To evaluate the value of ultrasound-guided nasotracheal intubation in the patients undergoing oral maxillofacial surgery by comparing with blind intubation.Methods Forty ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients of both sexes,aged 18-75 yr,weighing 45-90 kg,scheduled for elective oral maxillofacial surgery,were randomly divided into blind intubation group (group B,n =20) and ultrasound group (group U,n =20) according to a random number table.Nasotracheal intubation was performed after routine topical analgesia and conscious sedation.The front end of catheter was adjusted to the aditus glottidis according to the sound of respiratory air,and tracheal intubation was placed when the strongest inspiratory phase appeared in group B.A linear array probe (frequency 7-15 MHz) was used,and the images of glottis expansion and wired catheter insertion were visualized in the thyroid cartilage window in U group.Before intubation and at 0,1,3 and 5 min after successful intubation,mean arterial pressure (MAP),HR and SpO2 were recorded.The development of responses to intubation was recorded during intubation.The successful intubation at first attempt,the number of intubation,intubation time,and postoperative complications such as sore throat or hoarseness were recorded.Results Compared with group B,the number of intubation was significantly reduced,intubation time was shortened,the rate of successful intubation at first attempt was increased,the failure rate of intubation and incidence of sore throat and hoarseness were decreased,and no significant changes were found in the parameters of hemodynamics and incidence of responses to intubation in group U.No intraoperative awareness of intubation occurred in patients.Conclusion Compared with blind intubation,ultrasound-guided nasotracheal intubation can raise the probability of successful intubation at first attempt,reduce the number of intubation,and shorten intubation time,and it is safe and convenient and provides significant value clinically for the patients undergoing oral maxillofacial surgery.

Prepulse inhibition ( PPI) is the suppression of the startle reflex when the startling stim-ulus is preceded by a non-startling stimulus ( the prepulse) . It is an operational measurement of sensorimotor gating mechanism to help the brain adapt to the complex environment,which could be top-down modulated by attention and other higher cognitive processes. Deficits of PPI and the top-down modulation of PPI are closely related to psychiatric diseases. Research papers published from January 2001 to October 2016 related to PPI in psychiatric disorders were searched in the Chinese and English databases. Results showed that schizo-phrenic patients and their relatives showed deficits in baseline PPI as well as the attentional modulation of PPI,and more importantly,the attentional modulation of PPI rather than the baseline PPI was more related to the symptom severity. Patients with Tourette'' s syndrome showed PPI impairment,while patients with obsess-ive compulsive disorder had lower levels of PPI. PPI deficits in bipolar disorder patients were gender-depend-ent. Studying PPI and the top-down modulation of PPI could provide a basis to study the interaction of senso-ry processing and attention,and facilitate the researches of neural mechanism underlying the deficits of senso-ry gating. To establish advanced paradigms of PPI,new cognitive components could be introduced,such as at-tention,emotion,motor control,compulsivity and so on,thus improving the specificity of PPI test and promo-ting the PPI test as new biomarker and endophenotype in various psychiatric disorders.

AIM:To investigate the role of danshensu on Smad signal transduction in rat hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)stimulated with transforming growth factor(TGF-?1).METHODS:The rat HSCs was isolated with collagenase by in situ-liver recirculation perfusion and cultured in vitro.MTT colorimetric assay was used to detect proliferation of HSCs treated with different concentration of danshensu.The expressions of ?-SMA and T?R I and II were observed by immunocytochemitry,indirect immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting when HSCs stimulated with TGF-?1 and with different concentrations of danshensu for 24 h.RESULTS:(1)Danshensu at the concentration from 0.0625 mmol/L to 1 mmol/L prevented the proliferation of HSCs in a dose-dependent manner(P

Objective To study the relationship between the dynamic change of free DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)and the tissue injury in the patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage.Methods 54 cases of hypertensive intracerebral hemor-rhage were divided into 3 groups according to the glasgow coma scale(including 17 mild cases,21 moderate cases and 16 severe ca-ses).2 mL of CSF was collected for extracting free DNA on 1,3,7,15 d after stroke onset.The free DNA level was measured by the fluorescent real-time PCR.Results The free DNA level in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the mild and mod-erate groups.The free DNA level in the abnormal intracranial pressure group was higher than that in the normal intracranial pres-sure group;the intracranial infection group was higher than the non-infection group.Conclusion The free DNA level has certain value for diagnosing the craniocerebral injury in hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage and is conducive to monitor the occurrence of postoperative complications.

Animals ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Female ; Lung Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urethane ; toxicity

Objective:To study the improving effect of curcumin on cardiac function and its influence on myocardial collagen concentration in rats with myocardial infarction (MI).Methods:A total of 60 healthy adult male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=10,survived rats n=9)and operation group [n=50,left an-terior descending artery was ligated,they were randomly divided into following four groups,on 28 d the treatment and survived rats in every group were:myocardial infarction (MI)group (n=9),control group (received intraper-itoneal injection of mixed solution,n= 10)and curcumin group (received intraperitoneal injection of curcumin, 100mg·kg-1 · d-1 n= 12)].After four weeks,M-mode echocardiography was used to measure left ventricular shortening fraction (LVFS),left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)and heart rate (HR).Masson staining was used to detect the myocardial fibrosis alteration after MI.Immunohistochemistry was used to measure expressions of myocardial collagen type Ⅰ and Ⅲ,and ratio of collagen Ⅰ/Ⅲ.Results:Compared with MI group and control group,after four weeks,there were significant rise in LVFS [(17.23±1.97)%,(19.34±0.83)% vs.(26.70± 1.15)%]and LVEF [(42.08±5.50)%,(41.63± 1.81)% vs.(56.76±2.49)%],significant reductions in HR [(433.16±20.05)beats/min,(433.04±24.17)beats/min vs.(403.96±7.08)beats/min],concentrations of myo-cardial collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ,and ratio of collagen Ⅰ/Ⅲ [(13.5±0.9),(13.9±1.0)vs.(10.3±1.6)]in curcumin group,P <0.01 all.Masson staining indicated that acute myocardial infarction can cause significant left ventricular interstitial fibrosis.Conclusion:Curcumin could significantly improve cardiac function and inhibit myocardial fibro-sis level in rats with acute myocardial infarction.