Objective To investigate the technique and application of nasolacrimal duct imaging using MR hydrography.Methods Eight healthy volunteers(16 lacrimal ducts)and 17 patients affected by primary epiphora(32 lacrimal ducts)underwent MRl with three.dimensional fast recovery fast spin echo (3D-FRFSE)MR dacryocystography(MRD)sequence after sterile saline solution had been instilled into the conjunctival sac.For all patients affected by primary epiphora,FRFSE T2-weighted oblique coronal and axial images were obtained after MRD.All patients(32 lacrimal ducts)underwem lacrimal endoscopy.which served as a standard of reference for confirming MR findings.Results Eight cases of 16 normal lacrimal passages were showed by MR hydrography with administering topical sterile saline solution,which demonstrated the lacrimal sac well and whole course of the nasolacrimal duct.Endoscopic findings confirmed nasolacrimal duct obstruction secondary to chronic non-specific inflammation:the color of the mucosa of the nasolaerimal ducts was grey-red,and the obstructive sinuses were filled with nonelastic grey-white membrane.The accuracy of 3D-FRFSE MRD sequence in diagnosing obstructive level was 78%(25/32). The lacrimal ducts above the obstructive level showed watery hypo-intensity on 3D-FRFSE MRD.and the lacrimal ducts below the obstructive level could not be showed.Abnormal findings were presented in all cases of obstructive nasolacrimal ducts with Axi-FRFSET2 WI and Cor-FRFSET,WI sequences:long T2 fluid signals were seen in the lumens of tlle lacrimal sac and(or)nasolacrimal duct above the obstructive level. equal or slightly long T2 soft-tissue signals were seen in the lumens of the nasolaerimal duct below the obstructive level.and the mucosa of the ducts thickened Conclusion MR imaging performed after the topical administration of sterile saline solution can reveal normal nasolacrimal duct and is feasible in evaluating obstructive nasolacrimal ducts.

Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of spinal divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) during remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia in a rat model of incisional pain.Methods Thirtytwo male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 240-260 g,aged 2-3 months,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =8 each) using a random number table:control group (group C),incisional pain group (group I),remifentanil group (group R),and incisional pain + remifentanil group (group I+R).In group C,normal saline was infused for 60 min at a rate of 0.1 ml · kg-1 · min-1.A 1-cm longitudinal incision was made through skin,fascia and muscle of the plantar aspect of the left hindpaw in sevoflurane-anesthetized rats,and normal saline was infused intravenously for 60 min at a rate of 1.0 μg · kg-1 · min-1 at the same time in group I.In group R,remifentanil was infused for 60 min at a rate of 1.0 μg · kg 1 · min-1 In group I+R,the model of incisional pain was established,and remifentanil was simultaneously infused for 60 min at a rate of 1.0 μg · kg-1 · min-1.At 24 h before normal saline or remifentanil infusion and 6,24 and 48 h after the end of infusion (T0-3),the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal paw withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured.All the rats wcrc sacrificed after the last measurement of pain thresholds,and the spinal cord was removed for determination of DMT1 with/without iron-responsive element [DMT1 (+)IRE and DMT1 (-)IRE] expression (by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry).Results Compared with group C,the MWT was significantly decreased,and the TWL was significantly shortened at T1-3,and the expression of spinal DMT1 (-) IRE was significantly up-regulated in I,R and I+R groups (P＜0.05).Compared with I and R groups,the MWT was significantly decreased,and TWL was significantly shortened at T1-3,and the expression of spinal DMT1 (-) IRE was significantly upregulated in group I+R (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the expression of spinal DMT1 (+) IRE between the four groups (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion Spinal DMT1 (-)IRE activation may be involved in the mechanism underlying remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia in a rat model of incisional pain.

4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase is a key enzyme of phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway in higher plant and may regulate the biosynthesis of ferulic acid in Angelica sinensis. In this study, the homology-based cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique were used to clone a full length cDNA encoding 4-coumarate coenzyme A ligase gene (4CL), and then qRT-PCR was taken for analyzing 4CL gene expression levels in the root, stem and root tissue at different growth stages of seedlings of A. sinensis. The results showed that a full-length 4CL cDNA (1,815 bp) was obtained (GenBank accession number: KT880508) which shares an open reading frame (ORF) of 1 632 bp, encodes 544 amino acid polypeptides. We found 4CL gene was expressed in all tissues including leaf, stem and root of seedlings of A. sinensis. The expressions in the leave and stem were increased significantly with the growth of seedlings of A. sinensis (P < 0.05), while it in the root showed little change. It indicates a time-space pattern of 4CL gene expression in seedlings of A. sinensis. These findings will be useful for establishing an experiment basis for studying the structure and function of 4CL gene and elucidating mechanism of ferulic acid biosynthesis and space-time regulation in A. sinensis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Angelica sinensis ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Coenzyme A Ligases ; genetics ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; Molecular Sequence Data

The objects of research on the resources chemistry of Chinese medicinal materials (RCCMM) are promotion of efficient production, rational utilization and improving quality of CMM and natural products. The development of TCM cause depends on the efficient utilization and sustainable development of CMM, hinges on the technologies and methods for using and discovering medicinal biological resources, stand or fall on the extension of industy chains, detailed utilizaion of resource chemical components by multi-way, multi-level. All of these may help to the recycling utilization and sound development of RCMM. In this article, five respects were discussed to the RCCMM researches and resources recycling utilization ways and goals and tasks. First, based on the principle of resource scarcity, discovering or replacing CMM resources, protecting the rare or endangered species or resources. Second, based on the multifunctionality of CMM, realizing the value-added and value compensation, and promoting the utilization efficiency through systermatic and detailed exploitation and utilization. Third, based on the resource conservation and environment-friendly, reducing raw material consumption, lowering cost, promoting recycling utilization and elevating utilization efficiency. Fourth, based on the stratege of turning harm into good, using the invasive alien biological resources by multi-ways and enriching the medicial resources. Fifth, based on the method of structure modification of chemical components, exploring and enhancing the utility value of resouces chemical substances. These data should provide references and attention for improving the utilization efficiency, promoting the development of recycling economy, and changing the mode of economic growth of agriculture and industry of CMM fundamentally.
Agriculture ; economics ; trends ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; economics ; trends ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; Materia Medica ; chemistry ; economics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; trends ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development

The industrialization chains and their products, which were formed from the process of the production of medicinal materials-prepared drug in pieces and deep processed product of Chinese material medica (CMM) resources, have generated large benefits of social and economic. However, The large of herb-medicine castoff of "non-medicinal parts" and "rejected materials" produced inevitably during the process of Chinese medicinal resources produce and process, and the residues, waste water and waste gas were produced during the manufactured and deep processed product of CMM. These lead to the waste of resources and environmental pollution. Our previous researches had proposed the "three utilization strategies" and "three types of resources models" of herb-medicine castoff according to the different physicochemical property of resources constitutes, resources potential and utility value of herb-medicine castoff. This article focus on the conversion efficiency of resources model and analysis the ways, technologies, practices, and application in herb-medicine cast off of the conversion efficiency of resources model based on the recycling economy theory of resources and thoughts of resources chemistry of CMM. These data may be promote and resolve the key problems limited the industrialization of Chinese material medica for long time and promote the realization of herb-medicine castoff resources utilization.
Biotransformation ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; methods ; Drug Industry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Materia Medica ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo optimize the conditions of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for curcumin in Curcuma longa.

METHODOptimum extraction conditions were studied by orthogonal tests. The extracts were analyzed by HPLC.

RESULTThe optimal extraction conditions were pressure 25 MPa, temperature 55 degrees C, static time 4 h, dynamic time 5 h, flow rate of CO2 3.5 L x min(-1), co-solvent ethanol 30% (mL x g(-1)).

CONCLUSIONIt is feasible to extract curcumin by SFE.

Carbon Dioxide ; Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid ; methods ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Curcumin ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Ethanol ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pressure ; Temperature ; Time Factors

Objective To analyze the surveillance results and grasp the situation of Keshan disease in Wudalianchi city Heilongjiang province.Methods In 2009,Kaifa village was selected as the surveillance point in Wudalianchi city,total resident population were monitored by routine clinical examination and 12-lead electrocardiogram(ECG) tracing.Suspected cases with Keshan disease were taken chest X-ray,and Keshan disease was diagnosed based on Keshan Disease Diagnostic Criteria (WS/T 210-2011).Results A total of 795 people were investigated,including 397 males and 398 females.Eighteen people were found to be the patients with Keshan disease,of which 13 cases were latent Keshan patients,5 cases were chronic Keshan patients.The overall detection rate was 2.27％,aged 24 to 83 years old.There was no acute type and subacute type of Keshan disease in the surveillance point.Twenty nine cases of abnormal ECG were detected,the detection rate was 3.65％ (29/795),of which the 18 patients with Keshan disease were all had abnormal ECGs,mainly taken the form of ST-T changes and completely right bundle branch blocked.Six cases of male patients with Keshan disease were detected,the detection rate was 1.52％ (6/397); 12 cases of female patients with Keshan disease were detected,the detection rate was 3.01％ (12/398).Conclusions There is still potential and chronic Keshan disease cases in Wudalianchi city.We must keep on the monitoring on Keshan disease,master the dynamical changes of the disease conditions,and carry out the targeted prevention and control of Keshan disease.

ObjectiveTo clarify the causative effect of citreoviridin toxins(CIT) as well as nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein on rat myocardial injury at biochemical level.Methods According to 2 × 2 factorial design,48 healthy male Wistar rats aged 4-week were randomly divided into four groups:exposed to CIT along with nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein,nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein,exposed to CIT and control groups.After the rats in each group began to be fed with selenium and protein deficiency and(or) adequate fodder for 3 months,8 mg/kg body weight of CIT was fed daily to the rats in the two CIT toxin groups for two months.After that the CIT dose was raised up to 10 mg/kg body weight each day within the final 2 weeks.At the experimental endpoint,all the rats were sacrificed by femoral artery bleeding after ether anesthesia,and serum and heart specimens were collected for biochemical analysis by detecting serum Tn-Ⅰ and albumin,serum activities of CK and GSH-Px,myocardial SOD and T-AOC.ResultsThe interactions between Se & protein and CIT in rat final body weight,serum albumin,and Tn-Ⅰ was observed(F=8.186,6.160,19.183,all P＜ 0.05),whereas interactions in rat body weight of 12 weeks,serum GSH-Px,CK as well as myocardial SOD,T-AOC activity were not found (F=1.633,1.987,0.075,0.474,1.145,all P ＞ 0.05).Under the nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein,serum albumin and Tn-Ⅰ level in the groups with CIT toxin[ (42.88 ± 1.19) g/L,(668.6 ± 55.8) ng/L,respectively]were lower than that of the group without CIT toxin[ (47.59 ± 1.05)g/L,(989.3 ± 49.2)ng/L,respectively,all P ＜0.05].The main effects of selenium and protein on rat body weight of 12 weeks,serum GSH-Px,myocardial SOD and T-AOC were statistically significant between different groups (F =96.860,58.086,4.475,25.485,all P ＜ 0.05).Rat body weights of 12 weeks in the two groups of nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein[ (186.33 ± 7.89),(197.83 ± 7.89)g] were all lower than others[ (274.08 ± 7.89),(265.42 ± 7.89)g,all P ＜ 0.05]; serum GSH-Pxs in the two groups of nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein[ (317.5 ± 102.6),(296.9 ± 90.5)U/L] were all lower than others[ (926.1 ± 110.9),( 1181.7 ± 85.9)U/L,all P ＜ 0.05] ; myocardial SODs in the two groups of nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein [ (65.22 ± 5.91 ) × 106, (62.68 ± 5.61 ) × 106 U/kg] were all lower than others [(74.07 ± 7.24) × 106, (80.07 ± 5.91) × 106 U/kg,all P＜ 0.05]; myocardial T-AOCs in the two groups of nutritional deficiency of selenium and protein[ (1.138 ± 0.086) × 106,(0.806 ± 0.081 ) × 106 U/kg] were all lower than others[(1.688 ± 0.105) × 106,(1.163 ± 0.086) × 106 U/kg,all P ＜ 0.05].Conclusions Animal model with selenium and protein deficiency is successfully established.However,the results of biochemical index tested in the experimental rats show no regularity effect,which needs to be checked again in the future study.

ObjectiveTo observe the morphological feature of myocardial changes in adult rat exposed to citreoviridin(CIT) with selenium and protein deficiency.MethodsAccording to 2 × 2 factorial design,48 healthy male Wistar rats aged 4-week were randomly divided into four groups:group Ⅰ (Se-Pro-CIT+,low selenium and low protein plus CIT group),group Ⅱ (Se-Pro-CIT-,low selenium and low protein without CIT group),group Ⅲ (Se+Pro+CIT+,adequate selenium and adequate protein plus CIT group),and group Ⅳ (Se+Pro+CIT-,adequate selenium and adequate protein without CIT group),12 rats in each group.After one week of normal adaptive feeding,all the rats were fed with selenium and protein deficiency feed for 2 months,and then the animals in group Ⅰ and group Ⅲwere fed with 8 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 of CIT for 2 more months,after that the CIT dose was increased to 10 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 for the final 2 weeks.At the end of the experiment,all the rats were sacrificed by femoral artery bleeding,and body and heart weight were measured.Heart weight index was calculated and histopathological changes were observed under light microscope.Results Heart weight indexes of the 4 groups(Se-Pro-CIT+,Se-Pro-CIT-,Se+Pro+CIT+ and Se+Pro+CIT- groups) were (3.65 ± 0.45) × 10-3,(3.05 ± 0.19) × 10-3,(3.83 ± 1.06) × 10-3 and (3.31 ± 0.52) × 10-3,respectively.The results of factorial analysis showed that the effects of CIT on heart weight index were statistically significant(F =8.524,P ＜ 0.05 ),the effects of Se + Pro were not statistically significant(F =1.347,P ＞ 0.05),and there were no interactions between the two factors (F =0,048,P ＞ 0.05).Morphologically,tissue fibrosis around branch coronary artery in group Ⅰ rats,plenty of cardiocyte pycnosis in group Ⅱ,and myocardial scattered necrotic foci in group Ⅲ were observed,accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration in group Ⅲ,and normal myocardial structure in group Ⅳ rats.Conclusions Citreoviridin plays a major role in causing myocardial injury( degeneration and necrosis) and CIT combined with selenium and protein deficiency can aggravate the

OBJECTIVESTo examine the gene expression profile of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during entochondrostosis of mice and explore the expression rules and effects between BMP-2 and VEGF, and to detect the expression of VEGF in BMP-2 induced entochondrostosis in vivo.

METHODScDNA microarray technique with 34,000 genes was used to analyze the gene expression profiles during entochondrostosis in the limbs of mice embryo from E10 to E14. Pathway analysis of BMP-2 and VEGF was performed with GCOS1.2 software. An experimental model of femoral muscular pouch in 20 mice was adopted. The expression of VEGF was examined by in situ hybridization method and immunohistochemical method in BMP-2 induced entochondrostosis in vivo.

RESULTSThe expression signals of VEGF mRNA and VEGF appeared in cytoplasm during condensation of mesenchymal cell. As the mesenchymal cells differentiated into precartilage, the expression signals decreased in mesenchymal cells, but increased in chondrocytes and kept getting denser in the process of cartilage maturity. The peak expression of VEGF mRNA and VEGF in the experimental group appeared on the 14th day, accompanied by numerous hypertrophic chondrocytes. When mature cartilage calcified and new bone trabecula formed, the expression of VEGF mRNA and VEGF decreased in chondrocytes, but still expressed moderately in the osteoblasts and osteocytes.

CONCLUSIONSThe finding reveals a complex pattern of gene coexpression of BMP-2 and VEGF during the critical period of entochondrostosis. It's feasible for the clinical application of BMP-2 in orthopedics.

Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; genetics ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Male ; Mice ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism