OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of interferon (IFN) therapy and risk of long-term administration for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients who cannot tolerate the standard treatment.

METHODSForty-six CHC patients who had proven intolerant to standard treatments were treated with low-dose IFN (non-pegylated IFN: 60 to 300MIU QOD, or pegylated IFN: 50 to 90 mug/w) plus ribavirin (RBV; 0.6g to 0.9 g/d) for 72 weeks.

RESULTSForty-three (93.5%) of the patients were able to tolerate the long-term treatment with low-dose IFN plus RBV. Only three patients experienced severe side effects (low white blood cell and platelet counts) that required treatment withdrawal. The virology response rates over treatment time were: rapid virologic response (RVR): 10.9%; early virus response (EVR): 30.4%; 24 week virologic response: 45.7%; and, 48 week virologic response: 47.8%. B-sonographic imaging revealed that three patients experienced improved liver morphology through the treatment course. The patients who achieved RVR, EVR, or 24 weeks virologic response also attained higher 48 week virologic response. The 24 week virologic response had the strongest predictive value of good prognosis.

CONCLUSIONSOur study demonstrated that long-term treatment with low-dose interferon plus ribavirin is effective for patients who are otherwise intolerant to standard treatment. In these patients, low-dose IFN plus RBV can obtain a high virologic response rate at 48 week. Furthermore, the 24 week virologic response is sufficiently predictive of treatment success. As with any treatment regimen, it is important for healthcare workers to monitor the disease status and potential side effects throughout the course of therapy.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferons ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

The commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials is a measure of the quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which directly impacts on the safety and effectiveness of clinical medicines. It is an urgent problem to establish a set of standards which can both interpret the scientific connotation of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials and play a significant role on clinical medicines as well as markets. This paper reviews the research methods of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials such as sensory evaluation, chemical assessment, biological evaluation, and cited the applications of various methods for the classification of TCMs. It provides technical support for establishing standards of the commodity specification and grade of Chinese medicinal materials, and also constructs scientific basis for clinical rational drug use.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; economics ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo separate and identify the chemical constituents of Blumea riparia.

METHODThe compounds were separated and purified by repeated silica gel, Sephadex LH -20 column chromatographiy. The structures of these compounds isolated were identified by analysis of their spectral data, physical and chemical properties.

RESULTSix flavonoids were isolated from B. riparia. and their structures were identified as eriodictyol-7, 4'-dimethyl ether (1), eriodictyol-7, 3'-dimethyl ether (2), eriodictyol-7-methyl ether (3), quercetin-7, 3', 4'-trimethyl ether (4), tamarixetin (5), rhamnocitrin (6).

CONCLUSIONCompound 1-6 were obtained from B. riparia for the first time.

Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic effect of Jiangya Yishen granules(JYG)combined with amlodip-ine on elderly patients with essential hypertension(EH)and its impact on serum levels of glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)and renalase protein.Methods:A total of 125 elderly EH patients treated in our hospital were selected.According to random number table,they were divided into amlodipine group(n=40),JYG group(n=40)and combined treatment group(n=45,received amlodipine combined with JYG).Each group received corresponding treatment for eight weeks.Therapeutic effect,antihypertensive effect,serum levels of renalase protein and HbA1c were compared among three groups before and after treatment.Results:Total effective rate of combined treatment group was significantly higher than those of amlodipine group and JYG group(88.9％vs.65.0％vs.70.0％),P＜0.05 or＜0.01;compared with amlodipine group and JYG group after treatment,there were significant improve-ments in blood pressure variability indexes(P＜0.05 or＜0.01),significant rise in renalase protein level[(1380.17 ±120.13)pg/ml vs.(1480.17±110.93)pg/ml vs.(1845.43±112.38)pg/ml],and significant reduction in HbA1c level[(5.92±0.35)％vs.(5.83±0.36)％vs.(5.31±0.35)％]in combined treatment group,P=0.001 all.Conclusion:Jiangya Yishen granules combined with amlodipine can strengthen antihypertensive effect,reduce HbA1c level and increase renalase protein level in elderly patients with essential hypertension,which can benefit the patients.

Objective To explore the roles of pharmacists in medical treatments and pharmaceutical cares in cardiovascular specialty.Methods By analysis of the cases such as treatment strategy adjustment,individualized administration,drug interactions,drug induced disease,special populations and preventive usage of antimicrobials in cardiovascular department,advices were proposed by clinical pharmacists from various perspectives to optimize treating plans.Results and Conclusion Clinical pharmacists helped to deal with drug-related-problems through going deeper into clinical practices.Clinical pharmacists will help to improve the outcomes in clinical therapy and ensure medication safety by using professional knowledge.

Objective To introduce the experience of clinical pharmacists in coronary care unit (CCU).Methods The paper expounds the experience of clinical pharmacists in CCU from these aspects:the use of antimicrobial agents,adjustment of usage and dosage of drugs in special patients,normalize route of administration,concern on drug interactions,medication reconciliation,and the implementation of medical education for guardian of patients.Results and conclusion The clinical pharmacists play a proper role in rational drug use in CCU.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of lead exposure on copper and copper metalloenzyme and the intervention effect of quercetin.

METHODSTwenty-four specific pathogen-free male Sprague-Dawley rats of good health were randomly divided into control group (n = 8), lead acetate group (n = 8), and lead acetate + quercetin group (n = 8). The rats in lead acetate group were poisoned by drinking water with 1 g/L lead acetate for 8 weeks, while the rats in control group were fed by drinking water with sodium acetate of the same volume for 8 weeks; the rats in lead acetate+quercetin group were intraperitoneally injected with quercetin (30 mg × kg-1 × d-1) for 8 weeks while drinking water with lead acetate. The Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory abilities of rats. The lead and copper levels in the serum, hippocampus, cortex, and bone were measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The level of advanced glycation end products, activity of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), and content and activity of ceruloplasmin (CP) in the hippocampus and serum were measured using a test kit. HE staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the hippocampus.

RESULTSThe Morris water maze test showed that the latency in lead acetate group (52.50±12.04 s) was significantly longer than that in control group (28.08±7.31 s) (P<0.05), and the number of platform crossings was significantly lower in the lead acetate group than in the control group. Compared with those in the control group, the lead levels in the cortex and hippocampus in lead acetate group increased 2.72-fold and 3.79-fold, and the copper in the cortex and hippocampus, and serum free copper levels in lead acetate group increased 1.15-fold, 1.48-fold, and 6.44-fold. Compared with the control group, the lead acetate group had a lower content of CP in the hippocampus (1.23±0.40 U/mg provs0.78±0.08 U/mg pro) and 31.81%and 19.49%decreases in CP content and Cu/Zn SOD activity. Free copper level in serum was positively correlated with the latency and lead levels in the serum, cortex, and hippocampus. The escape latency of rats in lead acetate + quercetin group was decreased by 42.15% (P<0.05). The lead levels in the cortex and hippocampus in lead acetate + quercetin group (0.246 ± 0.58 µg/g and 0.202±0.049 µg/g) were significantly lower than those in lead acetate group (0.391±0.49 µg/g and 0.546±0.120 µg/g), but the free copper and copper levels in the hippocampus and cortex were not significantly reduced. The lead acetate + quercetin group had higher Cu/Zn SOD activity and CP content in the hippocampus than the lead acetate group (P < 0.05). The light microscope observation showed that the number of cells in the hippocampus was reduced with disordered arrangement in the lead acetate group; with quercetin intervention, the hippocampus damage was reduced.

CONCLUSIONLead exposure results in disorder of copper homeostasis, while quercetin may alleviate the damage induced by lead to some extent.

Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; chemistry ; Copper ; blood ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; Homeostasis ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Organometallic Compounds ; toxicity ; Quercetin ; pharmacology ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with remarkable ethnic and geographic distribution in southern China and Southeast Asia. Alternative to genetic changes, aberrant epigenetic events disrupt multiple genes involved in cell signaling pathways through DNA methylation of promoter CpG islands and/or histone modifications. These epigenetic alterations grant cell growth advantage and contribute to the initiation and progression of NPC. In this review, we summarize the epigenetic deregulation of cell signaling in NPC tumorigenesis and highlight the importance of identifying epigenetic cell signaling regulators in NPC research. Developing pharmacologic strategies to reverse the epigenetic-silencing of cell signaling regulators might thus be useful to NPC prevention and therapy.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; genetics ; Carcinoma ; Cell Cycle ; genetics ; CpG Islands ; genetics ; DNA Damage ; genetics ; DNA Methylation ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; GTP Phosphohydrolases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; genetics ; metabolism ; ras Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; rho GTP-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective·To investigate the influence of blocking receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) on macrophages infiltration in diabetic wound healing. Methods·Ninety-six male C57BL/6J mice (8-week-old) were divided into diabetic group (n=72) and normal group (n=24) randomly. Diabetic mice were induced by streptozocin multiple intraperitoneal injection. One full-thickness excisional wound (diameter of 9 mm) was created by a sterilized punch. Diabetic mice were divided into 3 groups in which different topical treatments were applied to the wounds. Anti-RAGE antibody were applied in group R, rabbit IgG applied in group I, normal saline applied in group C. Normal mice were applied with saline topically (group N). All treatments were repeated on day 3 and day 7 after wounded. The wound healing conditions were observed. The wound and surrounding tissues from animals in each group were excised on day 1, 3, and 7 after wounded. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to investigate the changes of macrophages infiltration in quantity. Macrophages were also analyzed with respect to morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results·① The wound closure ratio of group R was higher than those of group C and group I on day 14 after being wounded (P=0.000). ② On day 1, the numbers of macrophages in group R and group N were both bigger than those of group C and group I, but smaller on day 14 (P=0.000). ③ The morphological characters of macrophages also existed great differences under TEM. Conclusion·Number and morphology of macrophages are both abnormal in diabetic wound in a RAGE pathway depending manner. Based on macrophages, it suggests that impaired healing of diabetic wound is closely related to RAGE pathway.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the main risk factors for asthma in Chinese children, and to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of asthma.

METHODSThe databases including CNKI, Wanfang Data, China Biology Medicine disc, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched for studies on risk factors for asthma in Chinese children published up to September 2017. Stata 12.0 was used for the Meta analysis.

RESULTSA total of 24 case-control studies were included, with 5 309 cases in the case group and 6 404 cases in the control group. The Meta analysis showed that a family history of asthma (OR=5.246, 95%CI: 3.435-8.011), a family history of allergy (OR=4.627, 95%CI: 2.450-8.738), atopic constitution (OR=4.659, 95%CI: 2.511-8.644), allergic rhinitis (OR=11.510, 95%CI: 6.769-19.574), a history of eczema/dermatitis (OR=4.919, 95%CI: 3.514-6.886), a history of allergies (OR=4.732, 95%CI: 2.802-7.989), a history of food allergies (OR=5.890, 95%CI: 3.412-10.166), a history of drug allergies (OR=4.664, 95%CI: 2.637-8.252), mold contamination at home (OR=2.483, 95%CI: 1.671-3.690), flowers at home (OR=1.748, 95%CI: 1.383-2.209), a history of house decoration (OR=2.823, 95%CI: 2.206-3.935), and cesarean section (OR=1.894, 95%CI: 1.166-3.077) were risk factors for asthma in children, while breastfeeding was a protective factor against asthma (OR=0.508, 95%CI: 0.396-0.653).

CONCLUSIONSThe development of asthma in Chinese children is associated with a variety of factors, among which a family history of asthma, a family history of allergy, atopic constitution, a history of allergies, allergic comorbidities, cesarean section, and bad family environment can increase the risk of asthma in children, while breastfeeding can reduce the risk.

Asthma ; etiology ; Breast Feeding ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Risk Factors