This experiment aimed to explore and research the process of preparing baicalein and wogonin through liquid fermentation with Bacillus natto. Active enzymes of produced by B. natto was used for the biological transformation of baclin and wogonoside, in order to increase the content of the haicalein and wogonin in the scutellaria. With the content of the baicalein and wogonin as evaluating indexes, the effects of carbon source, nitrogen source, the types and suitable concentration of inorganic salt, medium pH, granularities of medical materials, liquid volume in flask, shaking speed, liquid-to-solid ratio, fermentation time on the fermentation process were studied. The optimal process conditions for liquid fermentation of scutellaria were 1.0% of peptone, 0.05% of NaCl, pH at 6, the granularities of medical materials of the scutellaria screened through 40-mesh sifter, 33% of liquid, shaker incubator speed at 200 r x min(-1), liquid-to-solid ratio of 5:1, temperature at 37 degrees C, fermentation for 6 days, baclin's conversion rate at 97.6% and wogonoside's conversion rate at 97% in the scutellaria. According to the verification test, the process was stable and feasible, and could provide data reference for the industrial production.
Bacillus subtilis ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Fermentation ; Flavanones ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; metabolism ; Glucosides ; metabolism ; Soy Foods ; microbiology

Objective ToexplorethevalueofspectralCTimaginginmultiGparameterquantitativeanalysisoflungcancerwithdifferent pathologicaltypes.Methods SpectralCTimagesof72patientswithlungcancerprovedbypathologywereanalyzed,includingadenocarcinoma (ADC)in44cases,squamouscellcarcinoma(SQCC)in23casesandsmallcelllungcancer(SCLC)in5cases.Theslopeof40－100keVspectralattenuationcurve(λH),effectiveatomicnumber(EffectiveGZ),Calciumconcentration,hydroxyapatite(HAP)concentration, normalizediodineconcentration(NIC)and Waterconcentration were measuredandcomparedrespectively.The O n eG W a y analysisof variance (ANOVA ) was used and a value of P＜0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results (1 )O n plain C T ,there were statisticallysignificantdifferencesinEffectiveGZandλHamongthreeGdiseasegroups(F＝3.423,P＝0.04,F＝3.476,P＝0.038,respectively). (2)IncontrastGenhancedarterialphase,theWaterconcentrationandλHshowedstatisticallysignificantdifferencesamongthreegroups (F＝6.303,P＝0.003,F＝5.833,P＝0.005,respectively).(3)Invenousphase,thedifferenceinNICandλH wasstatisticallysignificant amongthegroups(F＝3.974,P＝0.023,F＝6.766,P＝0.002,respectively).(4)Apairwisecomparisonshowedtherewerestatistically significantdifferencesinallquantitativeparametersofspectralCTbetweenADCandSQCCgroups.ROCcurveanalysisshowedthat thosequantitativeparametersinvenousphaseappearedtohavehighdiagnosticefficiencyindifferentiatingADCfromSQCC,especiallyfor theλHinVP,withaAUCof0.754,sensitivityof79.5%,specificityof69.6%andthresholdvalueof1.78.Conclusion CTSpectral multiGparameterimagingprovidesanewsupplementarymethodforpreoperativediagnosisofADCandSQCC,andλHinvenousphase hasthehighestvalueindifferentiatingADCfromSQCC.

OBJECTIVETo compare the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of alpha-asarone in lipid emulsion and aqueous solution for injection and study the feasibility of lipid emulsion of alpha-asarone as the parenteral drug delivery system.

METHODHPLC was used to determine the drug concentration in rat plasma and mice tissues after intravenous (i.v.) administration of lipid emulsion and aqueous solution of alpha-asarone at a single dose (40 mg x kg(-1)), respectively.

RESULTThe plasma concentration-time profiles of lipid emulsion and aqueous solution of alpha-asarone after intravenous administration of them are similar and the drug concentration-time data were fitted to a two-compartment open model. The results of tissues distribution showed that distribution contents of alpha-asarone from lipid emulsion and aqueous solution in vivo are similar in lungs but lipid emulsion increased the uptake in livers and spleens, and decreased the uptake in hearts and kidneys for alpha-asarone.

CONCLUSIONThe plasma concentration-time profiles of alpha-asarone in lipid emulsion and aqueous solution are similar, but lipid emulsion significantly altered the tissue distribution of alpha-asarone, which may be beneficial to decrease its potential toxicity to heart and kidney.

Animals ; Anisoles ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Emulsions ; chemistry ; Female ; Injections, Intravenous ; Kinetics ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Distribution

OBJECTIVETo investigate the metabolic regulation and apoptosis of Sailong bone extracts on rat osteoblast cells in vitro.

METHODSailong bone fat-soluble extract, Sailong bone ethanol extract and Sailong bone aqueous extract were extracted with super critical fluid extraction (SCFE) , and Sailong bone boiling water component was extracted with distilled water directly. MTT assay was applied to determine the proliferation of the cell promoted by four Sailong bone extracts and PAS assay for the aqueous proportion of the cell at different doses.

RESULTSailong bone fat-soluble and aqueous extract (each 10 mg x mL (-1)) could significantly improve the proliferation of rat osteoblast cells ROS 17/2. 8 (P < 0. 01). Compared with the blank, the proportion of xub-G, of the different extracts from Sailong bone is reduce evidently. The result have shown the extracts from Sailong bone could reduce the rate of aqueous of cell and could suspend the aqueous.

CONCLUSIONSailong bone can promoting the proliferation, degrading the rate of the apoptosis and delay the development of osteoblast to be the substitute of the bone of tiger as a Chinese materia medica.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone and Bones ; chemistry ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Materia Medica ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rodentia ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate penetration characteristics of artemether and the effect of different permeation enhancer on transdermal permeation of artemether through rat skin.

METHODThe permeation experiments were performed using rat skin on modified Franz diffusion cells in vitro. The concentrations of artemether in receptor compartment at specified time points were determined by HPLC.

RESULTThe permeating ratio through human skin of artemether solution was Js (2.78 +/- 0.78) microg x cm(-2) x h(-1), the quantity of drug penetrated through and accumulated in the skin by the end of the experiment were (69.07 +/- 3.01) microg x cm(-2), (58.93 +/- 3.56) microg x cm(-2) respectively. Four different permeation enhancers can improve the transdermal permeation of artemether.

CONCLUSIONArtemether have the potential to be developed to new transdermal preparation.

Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic ; chemistry ; Animals ; Artemisinins ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Permeability ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Skin ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objective To study the neuronal apoptosis and expressions of apoptosis-related genes in the hippocampal CAI region after cerebral ischemia in gerbils and investigate the protective effects of mild hypothermia. Methods Seventy-two gerbils were randomized equally into sham-operated group, hypothermic sham-operated group, normothermic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group and hypothermic IR groups, and 5-minute forebrain iscbemia was induced in the latter 2 groups by bilateral common carotid artery obstruction. Normothermic or mild hypothermic condition was applied to the groups after the operation as indicated. At 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation, 6 gerbils were selected from each group for behavioral test using open field test, followed by detection of neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampal CAI region using TUNEL staining and by immunohistocheraistry for p53 and nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) expressions. Results In normothermic condition, the 5-minute forebrain ischemia induced significant enhancement of the exploratory activities in the gerbils 1, 3 and 7 days after the operation (P<0.05). This enhancement was observed only 1 day after the operation in mild hypothennic condition (P<0.05). Increased neuronal apoptosis and up-regulated expressions of p53 protein and NF-kBin the hippocampal CA1 region occurred after the forebrain ischemia as shown by TUNEL staining and immunohistochemistry, and all these changes were significantly inhibited by the application of mild hypothermia (P<0.05). Conclusions Up-regulated p53 and NF-kB protein expression in the hippocampal CA1 region might be one of the mechanisms for ischemia-induced neuronal apoptosis in gerbils, and mild hypothermia may produce protective effects against these changes for brain protection following the iscbemia.

This study was aimed to explore whether bortezomib can sensitize HL-60 cells to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and to investigate its possible mechanism. The HL-60 cells were treated by different concentrations of TRAIL combined with subtoxic concentration of bortezomib. The proliferative inhibition of treated HL-60 cell was analysed by MTT assay. The cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI double staining and the expression of caspase-8 was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the subtoxic concentration of bortezomib combined with 10 ng/ml of TRAIL enhanced apoptosis of HL-60 cells, as compared with TRAIL used alone; the expression of caspase-8 increased correspondingly. It is concluded that subtoxic concentration of bortezomib can sensitize HL-60 cells to TRAIL and its mechanism may be related to upregulation of caspase-8 expression.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Boronic Acids ; pharmacology ; Bortezomib ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDLow back pain (LBP) is a major medical and social problem among working populations and is associated with high medical expense, loss of productivity, and disability. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of LBP among soldiers and evaluate the possible causative factors in military training. The results may provide an insight into changes needed in military training that will reduce the occurrence of LBP among soldiers.

METHODSA cross-sectional survey was conducted in a group of young soldiers in China to estimate the prevalence of LBP and evaluate possible causative factors in military training.

RESULTSThe survey was distributed to 1659 soldiers, of whom 1624 responded. LBP was reported by 425 of the 1624 (26.2%) soldiers. The prevalence of LBP was higher in the armored force (51.3%) than in the artillery (27.5%) or infantry (11.9%). A multivariate logical regression analysis identified night training, 5 km cross-country race, and grenade-throwing training as military training risk factors for LBP.

CONCLUSIONSThe relatively high incidence of LBP among soldiers was related to night training, 5 km racing, and grenade throwing. Modifications in these training methods should enhance the health of recruits and lower the incidence of LBP.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; epidemiology ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the distribution of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase gene (LCAT) 608C/T polymorphism in Chinese Han population and the relationship of the polymorphism association with the occurrence of atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.

METHODSThe lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase gene 608C/T polymorphism is identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in 150 patients with ACI and 122 healthy controls matching age and sex.

RESULTSThe distribution of LCAT 608C/T gene polymorphism was in accordance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The CT genotype frequency (14.0%) and T allele frequency (7.0%) in ACI group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). The concentration of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in 608CC subgroups were significantly higher than those in 608CT subgroups both in ACI group and in control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe LCAT 608C/T polymorphism is possibly a predisposing factor in ACI happening of Chinese Han population. T allele frequency is possibly concerned with the metabolism of HDL-C.

Aged ; Alleles ; Cerebral Infarction ; etiology ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical manifestations and to make genetic analysis in a pedigree with myotonic dystrophy disease.

METHODSThe proband and available family members were identified by neurological examination. The clinical manifestation of 8 patients (including the proband) was analyzed; the electromyographic data of 5 patients were compared with 6 other family members. Blood samples were obtained from the 7 patients of the family (excepting II6). DM(1) and DM(2) gene were amplified by PCR, tested by agarose electrophoresis, then analyzed by genetic analyzer.

RESULTSMyotonia and muscle weakness were the main manifestations associated with heart block (7/8) and cataract(6/7). Electromyologram showed myopathic abnormalities not only in patients but also in other members of the family (5/6). The CTG repeats in DM1 and CCTG repeats in DM2 were all in normal range.

CONCLUSIONThere likely to be new mutants in this DM pedigree and further study is needed.

Adult ; Base Sequence ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Myotonic Dystrophy ; genetics ; Myotonin-Protein Kinase ; Pedigree ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics