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.

Eight phenolic compounds were isolated from Rhododendron phaeochrysum var. agglutinatum and their sructures were identified as phaeochrysin (1), (2R)-4-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl) -2-butanol (2), (-) -rhododendrol (3), rhododendrin (4), (+) -isolariciresinol (5), (-) -lyoniresinol (6), lyoniresinol-9'-O-β-D-xylopyranoside (7), and dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl-3a-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (8). Compound 1 is new, and compounds 2, 5-8 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; Phenols ; chemistry ; Rhododendron ; chemistry

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis secondary to ischemia and hypoxia is the main cause of spinal cord dysfunction. Because of the decrease in atmospheric pressure, patients living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are in a hypoxic environment, which is very unfavorable for the recovery of spinal cord injury. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can improve the postoperative function of patients with incomplete spinal cord injury, and its effect is better on the plateau than at normal altitudes.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on traumatic spinal cord injury in patients living on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau.METHODS: This prospective, open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial was performed at the Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, China. In total, 164 patients with incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury were equally and randomly assigned to a control group and a hyperbaric oxygen therapy group. Patients in the control group were treated with pedicle screw fixation and decompressive laminectomy. In addition to the surgical treatment performed in the control group, patients in the hyperbaric oxygen group underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy at 0.2 MPa once a day for four treatment courses. Ten treatment sessions constituted one course, and each course was separated by a 5- to 7-day rest interval. The primary outcome was the modified Barthel index to assess activities of daily living. The secondary outcomes were the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale grade, sensory score, and motor score. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, China (Approval number: QHC011K). Written informed consent was provided by a relative or legal representative of each patient after they had indicated that they fully understood the treatment plan. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The partial results demonstrated that after four treatment courses (55-61 days), the modified Barthel index and ASIA tactile, pain, and motor scores were higher in the hyperbaric oxygen group than in the control group. The ASIA grades were significantly different between the hyperbaric oxygen group and control group. The proportion of patients with ASIA grades D and E was higher in the hyperbaric oxygen group than in the control group. In this trial, we aim to determine the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the treatment of incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury in patients living on the plateau and to provide clinical evidence for treating incomplete traumatic spinal cord injury in these patients.

The chromatographic fingerprint was established by eluting with the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.2% formic acid water on an Agilent TC-C18 (2) column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). Six chromatographic peaks were identified by HPLC-MS/MS method. Ten batches of Glycyrrhizea Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle were determined, and the similarity was arranged from 0.72 to 0.99. Good precision, stability and repeatability were obtained, and this study provides a reference for the quality control of Glycyrrhizea Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata Cum Melle.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry

Objective To evaluate whether the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire (GerdQ) symptom score could reflect the acid exposure indicated by 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring in patients with GERD, and to further validate the clinical application value of GerdQ.Methods From November 2008 to March 2010, 134 GERD patients from outpatient department with heartburn and acid reflux symptoms were enrolled.All the patients had undergone endoscopy examination, 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and GerdQ scoring.According to 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring result, acid exposure group and none acid exposure group was divided by the percentage of time that pH was lower than 4 over 4.2% or DeMeester score over 14.72, the difference of GerdQ score was assessed.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of GerdQ score was drawn according to DeMeester score and the percentage of time that pH was lower than 4 as the gold standard.With SPSS 17.0 statistical software, the ratio was compared with the u test and Chi-square test, comparison between groups with t test.Results The BMI of acid exposure group was higher than that of none acid exposure group(t= 2.365, P= 0.019).The GerdQ score of acid exposure group (8.51± 2.34) was significantly higher than that of none acid exposure group (6.67 ± 2.79), the difference was statistically significant (t = 4.002, P = 0.000) .ROC curve was drawn according to DeMeester score over 14.72 as gold standard; the area under curve (AUC) was 0.70.When the critical value of GerdQ score was 7.5, Youden index was up to 0.3365, the sensitivity of diagnosis was 0.6909 and specificity was 0.6454.The percentage of time that PH was lower than 4 over 4.2% as the gold standard, the AUC of GerdQ score was 0.663.When the critical value of GerdQ score was 7.5, Youden index was up to 0.2790, the sensitivity of diagnosis was 0.6600 and specificity was 0.6190.Conclusions GerdQ score greater than 7.5 can better reflect acid exposure at the lower esophageal.There is stronger association between GerdQ score with the DeMeester acid exposure score over 14.72 than with the percentage of time that pH lower than 4 over 4.2% as the critical value for acid exposure.Obesity may aggravate the transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation leading to occurrence of GERD symptoms.

Objective To discuss the perioperative management of cirrhotic patients undergoing abdominal operation. Methods From Jan. 2000 to Jul. 2007, 93 patients with PHT underwent operation in our hospital. We retrospectively analyzed the data according to different therapy result. Results 21 cases developed postoperative ascites. The occurrence of ascites in patients dealt with PHT and coexistent other abdominal disease was 7% and 12% respectively for Child A and B grade patients. The occurrence of ascites in patients dealt with only abdominal disease was 13% and 17% respectively for Child A and B grade patients. The occurrence of ascites in patients dealt with PHT and abdominal disease was amazingly 83% for Child C cases. Patients suffered from tumors didn't have more risk of ascites than the other patients. Conclusion The proper perioperative management of patients can decrease the mortality. To deal with PHT together with abdominal operation is reasonable for patients in Child A or B liver function, and it would not increase the postoperative ascites. For the selective patients, we must try our best to decrease the ascites preoperatively to improve the condition.

Objective To explore the effect of 1-alpha,25-dihydroxy-cholecalcifero(1,25(OH)2D3)on liver fibrosis and its mechanism. Methods Degree of liver fibrosis was assessed through pathological detection and blood biochemical examination of liver function. Immunohistochemical assay was used to detect expressions of α-SMA,TGF-βand collagen I to observe activation level of hepatic stellate cells. Impact of 1,25(OH)2D3 on CD4+T cell differentiation was analyzed by flow cytometry,ELISA,and RT-PCR. Results 1,25(OH)2D3 improved the structure of the liver tissue and liver fibrosis. Expressions of collagen I ,TGF-βandα-SMA were significantly ele-vated in the liver tissue in rats with fibrosis(P < 0.05)but were markedly decreased after treatment with 1,25 (OH)2D3(P < 0.05). After 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment,the proportion of Th17 cells reduced while that of Th2 in-creased;concentration levels of IFNγ,IL-17A,and IL-22 markedly declined but IL-4 elevated(P>0.01);and ex-pressions of RORγt and T-bet decreased whereas GATA3 expression increased(P>0.01);as compared with those in the control group. Conclusions 1,25(OH)2D3 can alleviate the degree of liver tissue by lowering HSC activation and regulating Th cell differentiation.

Biological characteristic of Salvia miltiorrhiza f. alba in field was studied. HPLC method was used to determine the lipophilic constituents (dihydrotanshinone, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone, tanshinone II (A) and miltione) and hydrophilic constituents (salvianolic acid, rosemarinic acid). The results showed that the fresh weight of S. miltiorrhiza f. alba which cropped for 2 years was decreased by 80.47%, while dry weight decreased by 79.42%. The normal diameter of the root was 0.3-0.5 cm, however, the diameter was 0.2-0.4 cm after 2 years, it was said that the decrease of the root diameter was the main reason for the decrease of the yield. The average contents of dihydrotanshinone, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone, tanshinone II (A), miltione, salvianolic acid and rosemarinic acid were decreased by 35.26%, 32.26%, 19.35%, 3.39%, 64.40%, 66.93% in plant which continuously cropped for 2 years, respectively. The yield and active constituents were mostly effected in the plant of S. miltiorrhiza f. alba, which continuously cropped for 2 years.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Linear Models ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Time Factors

Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radius ; injuries ; surgery ; Radius Fractures ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore syndrome and treatment laws for treating diseases of the pulmonary system by establishing database based on clinical works by modern famous veteran doctors of Chinese medicine (CM).

METHODSClinical experience and literature of medical records in clinical works by modern famous veteran doctors of CM were taken as data source. Database was established by fields and program design. On these bases, data mining methods such as frequency analysis, cluster analysis, factor analysis, and correlation laws were performed in syndrome and treatment laws for treating diseases of the pulmonary system.

RESULTSEstablished were database capable of literature searching, information statistics, data mining of modern famous veteran doctors of CM. A total of 34,414 data were input, including medical records and notes 28,045 items (81.49%) and clinical experience 6,369 items (18.51%). In medical records and notes, there were 14,048 items (50.09%) in male and 9,466 items (33.75%) in female, and the ratio of male to female was 1.48:1. There were 4,531 items (16.16%) with no marked gender in medical records or notes. Data mining such as correlation analysis, cluster analysis, factor analysis, correlation laws in more fields could be realized.

CONCLUSIONSMedical records and notes were dominated in data collected in this paper. The prevalence of pulmonary diseases was obviously higher in males than in females. The trend of concentrated manifestations in related fields for pulmonary diseases could be surfed by this database. Diagnosis and treatment laws for treating diseases of the pulmonary system could be found by various adaptive data mining targeting different fields. Multi-variables of symptoms, syndromes, prescriptions, and herbal drugs could be data mined in large samples of clinical literatures.

Data Mining ; Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Veterans