OBJECTIVE:To study the new formula of effective components in TCM for anti-allergic rhinitis (AR),and pro-vide reference for developing TCM preparations for anti-AR. METHODS:Using pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (0-13.5 mg/kg), total alkaloid extracts of Aconitum carmichaelii (0-21.18 mg/kg),volatile oil of asari radix (0-0.0092 mL/kg) in Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction as formula objects,uniform design method was used for drug grouping,and multiple regression analysis was con-ducted for the behavioral scores before and after administration,contents of histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum of AR guinea pigs to obtain the best formula. Using Xinqin granule,Loratadine tablet,Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction respectively as positive control,efficacy of the best formula was verified from aspects of behavioral scores before and after administration,con-tents of histamine and IgE of AR guinea pigs. And the safety of the best formula was preliminarily observed through acute toxicity test in mice. RESULTS:The best formula was as follow as pseudoephedrine hydrochloride 11.25 mg/kg,total alkaloid extracts of A. carmichaelii 21.18 mg/kg,volatile oil of asari radix 0.0045 mL/kg. Compared with each positive drug group,there were no sig-nificant differences in behavioral scores before and after administration in the best formula group(P>0.05). While compared with Xinqin granule group and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction group,histamine content in serum in the best formula group was signifi-cantly reduced (P<0.05);compared with Xinqin granule and Loratadine tablet group,IgE content in serum in the best formula group was significant decreased (P<0.05). Median lethal dose of the best formula was 1822.04 mg/kg. CONCLUSIONS:The screened best formula shows better effect than Xinqin granule and Mahuang Fuzi Xixin decoction in terms of reducing histamine content in serum,better than Loratadine tablet and Xinqin granule in terms of reducing IgE content in serum,with good safety, which indicates the feasibility of TCM effective component formula to a certain degree.

Objective Xerophthalmia is a common disease of the ocular surface .Lupus nephritis ( LN) may induce changes in the ocular surface , which has aroused increasing attention in ophthalmology .This study was to observe the morphological changes of the tear meniscus in LN patients with xerophthalmia after treated with artificial tears . Methods This clinical trial included 60 LN patients with xerophthalmia (120 eyes) and another 60 without.The xerophthalmia group received artificial tear eye-drops for 1 month. The tear meniscus height (TMH), tear meniscus depth (TMD), and tear meniscus area (TMA) were measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography ( AS-OCT) before and after intervention . Results There were significant differences between the xe-rophthalmia and control groups in the baseline TMH ([0.159 ±0.051] vs [0.269 ±0.053] mm, P<0.01), TMD ([0.154 ± 0.012] vs [0.198 ±0.007] mm, P<0.01), and TMA ([0.021 ±0.069] vs [0.052 ±0.021] mm2, P<0.01).After 1 month of intervention with artificial tears, the xerophthalmia patients showed dramatically increased TMH ([0.179 ±0.014] vs [0.159 ± 0.051] mm, P<0.01), TMD ([0.163 ±0.015] vs [0.154 ±0.012] mm, P<0.01), and TMA ([0.040 ±0.017] vs [0.021 ± 0.069] mm2, P<0.01). Conclusion AS-OCT, with its advantages of clearly and objectively imaging and measuring the cross section of the tear meniscus , can be applied to the diagnosis and assessment of xerophthalmia in LN patients , and artificial tear eye-drops can effectively relieve their xerophthalmia symptoms .

Objective:Acute retinal necrosis syndrome(ARNS) is a rare disease with high blinding rate.The surgery of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection is considered an effective treatment of ARNS.The study investigated the effect of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection treating ARNS.Methods:A consecutive 16 eyes of 16 patients with ARNS were treated with vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection.The 5 eyes without retinal detachment were photocoagulated from the posterior border of necrosis to the ora serrata.The 11 eyes with retinal detachment were treated with subtotal retinal photocoagulation,air/fluid exchange and silicone oil injection.The follow-up time were 6 months at least,16 months in average.Results:The final best-correcting visual acuity was counting fingers in 3 eyes(18.8%),0.02-0.3 in 7 eyes(43.8%),0.4-0.6 in 5 eyes(31.3%),0.7 in 1 eye(6.3%).The silicone oil was uneventfully removed in 14 patients(87.5%) from 3 to 12 months.No one had a recurrent retinal detachment.Conclusion:There is a favorable effect in ARNS with the treatment of vitrectomy,endolaser photocoagulation and silicone oil injection.

Objective: Fungal keratitis is one of the most common diseases leading to blindness.It has a high incidence in China,and its early diagnosis and treatment are of vital importance.We aimed to investigate the value of laser confocal corneal microscopy in the clinical diagnosis of fungal keratitis.Methods: We conducted laser confocal corneal microscopy on 37 patients suspected of fungal keratitis,and compared the results with those obtained from the corneal tissue smears and fungal cultivation.Results: The fungus-infected corneas histologically exhibited defected epithelial cells,damaged subepithelial nerves and disordered stroma with reduced transparence.The hyphae showed bright,disordered,interlaced thread-or short rod-like structures.The positive rates of smear examination,fungus cultivation and laser confocal corneal microscopy were 48.65,62.16 and 78.39% for the 37 eyes,75.00,87.50 and100% for the 16 untreated eyes,and 28.57,42.85 and 61.90% for the other 21 pretreated eyes.Conclusion: Confocal laser corneal microscopy,rapid,effective and noninvasive,can be used as an important new alternative in the diagnosis of fungal keratitis

In order to cultivate the students’ abilities of thinking and practicing and enhance their comprehensive abilities in microbiology experiment, the authors try to search for some new teaching ways and assessment methods in microbiology experimental teaching and also attempt to make some improvement in the textbook and adjustment in teaching schedule so as to develop the students into specialized talents.

Animal models with kidney disease are generally divided into two types. One belongs to the models which imitate human kidney disease by the artificial operations, such as anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody nephritis, Heymann nephritis, anti-Thyl. 1 antibody nephritis, BSA nephritis and puromycin nephropathy. The other one pertains to the models which make themselves kidney disease, and appear the pathological characteristics naturally as like as human, such as HIGA mice with IgA nephropathy and NZB/WF1 and MRL/1pr mice with lupus nephritis. In addition,the transgenic animal models with kidney disease can also be established by the modern molecular biologic techniques including gene knockout and siRNA transfection. As for the studies related with kidney disease in pharmacodynamics and pharmacology of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), it is important to understand deeply the features of each animal model with kidney disease, and select accurately the proper models according to the different experimental objectives, and then, build the special models provided with the combination of disease with syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore,it is the developmental direction for the further study to establish animal models with kidney disease, which should possess the characteristics of syndrome in TCM.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; etiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Streptozocin

AIM: To investigate the pathologic changes in the brain and its underlying mechansims during ischemia-reperfusion of rat hindlimbs.METHODS: SD rats were divided into the normal(N), sham(S), 4 h ischemia without reperfusion(I), and 4 h ischemia-2, 6,12,18 or 24 h reperfusion (I-R) groups at random. Ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion were established with the occlusion or/and re-opening of the terminal of abdominal aorta, respectively. The pathologic changes in the brain tissue were morphologically observed. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS ) mRNA, and iNOS protein and the nitrotyrosine, a marker of peroxynitrite (ONOO -),in the brain tissue were detected with RT-PCR and immunohistochemical technique, respectively. The brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were spectraphotometrically measured.RESULTS: Hydropic degeneration and severe injury to neurons were only showed in I-R group. Expressions of iNOS mRNA and protein were demonstrated in I-R, I and S groups, which were maximal in I-R 6 h group. iNOS positive neurons and microglias were more spread in I-R 6 h group than those in S and I groups. NT positive neurons were localized in the cerebral cortex and hippcampus of I-R 6 h group. The contents of MDA markedly increased, while the activity of SOD significantly decreased in I-R 6 h group compared to the N, S and I groups. There were no significant changes in MDA and SOD in N, S and I groups.CONCLUSION: Severe ischemia-reperfusion of rat hindlimbs could induce brain injury, and its mechanisms might be related to enhanced expression of iNOS -NO-ONOO - in the brain.

AIM:To investigate the pathologic changes in the brain and its underlying mechansims during ischemia-reperfusion of rat hindlimbs.METHODS:SD rats were divided into the normal(N), sham(S), 4 h ischemia without reperfusion(I), and 4 h ischemia-2, 6,12,18 or 24 h reperfusion (I-R) groups at random. Ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion were established with the occlusion or/and re-opening of the terminal of abdominal aorta, respectively. The pathologic changes in the brain tissue were morphologically observed. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA, and iNOS protein and the nitrotyrosine, a marker of peroxynitrite (ONOO-)，in the brain tissue were detected with RT-PCR and immunohistochemical technique, respectively. The brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were spectraphotometrically measured.RESULTS:Hydropic degeneration and severe injury to neurons were only showed in I-R group. Expressions of iNOS mRNA and protein were demonstrated in I-R, I and S groups, which were maximal in I-R 6 h group. iNOS positive neurons and microglias were more spread in I-R 6 h group than those in S and I groups. NT positive neurons were localized in the cerebral cortex and hippcampus of I-R 6 h group. The contents of MDA markedly increased, while the activity of SOD significantly decreased in I-R 6 h group compared to the N, S and I groups. There were no significant changes in MDA and SOD in N, S and I groups.CONCLUSION:Severe ischemia-reperfusion of rat hindlimbs could induce brain injury, and its mechanisms might be related to enhanced expression of iNOS-NO-ONOO- in the brain.

Objective To study the expression of gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRH receptor) in the stomach of Sprague-Dawley rat exposed to light stress. Methods We established illumination stressed models that the rats were exposed to continuous light(totally 64 rats, 32 rats for experiment and control group, respectively). Then,stomachs were taken from the rats when the rats exposed to continuous light for 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 4 weeks and their control groups, respectively.The localization and the expression of GnRHR and GnRHR mRNA in stomachs mucous membrane were detected using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time PCR. Results Immunoreactivity was displayed mostly in the parietal cells in gastric gland. There were not differences of this distribution in all groups of constant illumination and their control. The immunoreactive materials were distributed on membrane and in cytoplasm of all positive cells, but not in nuclei. The level of GnRHR in rats exposed to continuous illumination were higher from one week to four weeks compared with that in control(P<0.05), and the level of GnRHR reached the peak when rats were exposed to constant illumination for two weeks (P<0.01). The quantity of GnRH mRNA in rats exposed to continuous illumination were higher from three weeks to four weeks compared with that in control(P<0.05). Conclusion The expression of GnRHR in digestive tract was effected by illumination stress.GnRH might regulate digestive function by interaction with GnRHR, suggesting that GnRH may be acted as a hormone, not only responded to normal physiological function of digestive tract but also responded to stress activity.

Objective To prepare the phmaceutical reference materials of total lactones extract from ginkgo leaf for quantitative analysis.Methods A HPLC determination method was developed to investigate the uniformity and stability of the reference extract of ginkgo leaf total lactones using with bilobalide, ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B and ginkgolide C as the indexes.Three laboratories participated in the collaborative calibration test.Results The four components in reference extract had good uniformity and stability with RSD less than 2.0%;the marked values of the four components had been determined through statistical data analysis which provided by assigned traceability values.The values of bilobalide, ginkgolide A, ginkgolide B, and ginkgolide C were 39.54%, 29.03%, 15.96% and 11.69%, respectively.Conclusion The reference extract of ginkgo leaf total lactones can be prepared for quality control in future quantitative analysis.