Objective: To establish the methods for extraction and isolation of punicalagin from pomegranate peel, and further study the purification and quantification of punicalagin. Methods: Using an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method, punicalagin in pomegranate peel was extracted at room temperature by 50% ethanol with 20-fold volume of raw material. The content of punicalagin in the crude extract was determined by HPLC. To optimize the purification process of punicalagin, static adsorption and desorption experi-ments were employed to study five kinds of macroporous adsorbent resins (D101, A8-8, NKA-9, HPD-100 and HPD-500) for the one with the highest purification efficacy of punicalagin. In addition, the technical parameters of the macroporous adsorbent resin were opti-mized to obtain punicalagin with higher purity. Punicalagin was further separated and purified by using a reverse phase MCI GEL CHP20P column. Results:HPD500 resin showed the best ability to absorb and separate punicalagin in among five kinds of macro-porous adsorbent resins. The best technical parameters were as follows:the mass concentration of sample solution was 15 mg·ml-1 , the loading amount was 2BV, the pH was 2 and the eluting solvent was 8BV of 30% ethanol. With the best process as described a-bove, the content of punicalagin extracted from pomegranate peel increased from 10. 3% to 30. 7%. The obtained punicalagin could be further purified to 61. 3% from 30% in ethanol eluate by the reverse phase MCI GEL CHP20P column. Conclusion:HPD500 resin is the most effective in the purification of punicalagin from pomegranate peel, and the content of punicalagin can be dramatically increased after the purification by a reverse phase MCI GEL CHP20P column. The optimized process shows good reproducibility and stability.

Objective:To clone and express the full length cDNA of human CD38. Methods:The full length cDNA of the human CD38 antigen was amplified from total RNA of Daudi cell by RT-PCR, and it was inserted into pGEM-T. The validity on the sequences was confirmed by automatic DNA sequencing. Inserting the valid CD38 gene into pcDNA3.1(+) plasmid to obtain recombinant mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1(+)/CD38Z; Using lipofectin gene transfer technique system, recombinant expression vector containing CD38 gene was transfected into COS7 cells. The expression of CD38 molecules on the surface of COS7 cells was detected by FACS and immunohistochemical technique. Results:DNA sequencing showed that the cloned full length cDNA sequence was identical with reported. The result of FACS and immunohistochemical technique indicated that CD38 molecules were expressed on the surface of COS7 cells. Conclusion:The full length cDNA of human CD38 is obtained, recombinant mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1(+)/CD38Z is successfully constructed, and the CD38 molecules is expressed on the surface of COS7 cells,this may facilitate studies on the biochemistry and function of CD38 antigen.

Adolescent ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; complications ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; complications ; Scimitar Syndrome ; complications ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To investigate the full-term newborn′s weight in Zhengzhou city and nearby areas around Zhengzhou in Henan province.Methods Each group newborn′s weight was divided with sex and city.We studied the regularity of full-term newborn′s weight,and examined the cause of the newborn′s weight rising.Results The average newborn′s weight in Zhengzhou was (3449.06?453.97) g,which in nearby areas around Zhengzhou was (3352.07?429.91) g.The average newborn′s weight in Zhengzhou was 86.97 g higher than other cities (P

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical efficacy of Suogudan Granule (SGDG) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSNinety patients with RA were randomly divided into the treated group and the control group. The treated group was administered orally with SGDG 6 g each time, thrice a day, while the control group with the combined therapy of Fenbid Capsules 0.3 g each time, twice a day and Tripterygium tablet 20 mg each time, thrice a day. The treatment course for both groups was 6 weeks. The changes of clinical symptoms and signs, and laboratory indices such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), antistreptolysin O (ASO), routine examination of blood and urine, liver and kidney function, etc. before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTS(1) The total effective rate in the treated group (88.0%) was obviously higher than that in the control group (67.5%) with significant difference (P < 0.05). (2) The improvement in arthralgia, joint swelling, time of morning stiffness, 15-meter walking, analgesia initiation and persistence in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but there was no obvious difference in improvement of joint tenderness, range of joint motion, grip strength, and initiating detumescence time (P > 0.05). (3) The improvement in ESR and RF in the treated group was better than that in the control group with significant difference (P < 0.05). The negative-conversion rate of ASO in the treated group was also higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). (4) No evident abnormality in blood, urine, liver or kidney function was found in either group.

CONCLUSIONSGDG is effective and safe for the treatment of RA.

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Aged ; Antistreptolysin ; analysis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Blood Sedimentation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Preparations ; administration & dosage ; Rheumatoid Factor ; analysis ; Tripterygium

A fused functional gene of human OPG and Mhsp65 was amplified by PCR,and cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a.The BL21(DE3) strain of E.coli was transformed using the recombinant plasmid pET-28a-OPG-HSP65 and the expected protein was expressed by induction with IPTG.Result of SDS-PAGE indicated that the expected recombinant protein of 23 kDa was expressed with high yield as inclusion body.The fusion protein could be specifically recognized by both the anti-His antibody and anti-human OPG monoclonal antibody in Western blot analysis.The purified and refolded fusion protein could inhibit osteoclast proliferation and bone absorption in vitro.The results of mouse ear swelling assay and expressions of TNF-?,IFN-? and IL-17 mRNAs detected by real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that the fusion protein had an anti-inflammation activity.The results suggest that the fusion protein of human OPG and Mhsp65 may act as a potential therapeutics for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of paraformaldehyde fixation on measuring the protein-protein interaction by fluorescence resonance energy transfer(FRET)to resolve the problem of FRET efficiency calculation in excess-movement cells.Methods:The C terminals of TCR ? chain(TRA)and TCR ? chain(TRB)genes,which were ideal for protein-protein interaction research,were fused with ECFP and EYFP gene respectively by fusion PCR and transferred into target cell.A grou Pcells were fixed in paraformaldehyde(0.5%)for 0.5~1h and another left alive,then these cells were subject to ECFP/EYFP FRET calculation with confocal laser scanning microscope.The ECFP/EYFP FRET efficiencies in live and fixed cell were analyzed and compared.Results:There is no significant statistical difference between the ECFP/EYFP FRET efficiencies of live cell and cell fixed with lower paraformaldehyde concentration and shorter incubation time.Conclusion:fixation with low-concentration paraformaldehyde and short-time incubation has no distinct influence on measuring protein-protein interaction,and facilitated the FRET calculation in excess-movement cells.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Thrombasthenia ; classification ; diagnosis

Modified electro-convulsive therapy (MECT) is one of the most potent treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains a second-line option due to significant side effects, such as transient memory loss. The relationship between therapeutic efficacy and cognitive impairment warrants further investigation to develop improved treatment regimens. In this review, we examine recent evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies aiming to identify structural and functional brain changes specifically associated with both the antidepressant effects and the amnesic outcomes of MECT. MECT induces widespread alterations across multiple brain systems. Increases in gray matter volume (GMV) have been observed in the prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices, as well as in subcortical regions such as the hippocampus (HP), amygdala, and striatum. Strengthening of myelination has also been reported along the dorsolateral prefrontal-limbic pathways. Functional changes include increased spontaneous neural activity in prefrontal areas, reorganization of intrinsic connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), and altered functional connectivity (FC) among the DMN, salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN). Correlational studies have identified structural and functional alterations linked to antidepressant efficacy, including right hippocampal volume enlargement, prefrontal cortical thickening, reduced iron deposition in the striatum, decreased FC within certain DMN nodes, and enhanced effective connectivity from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the right angular gyrus. In contrast, the amnesic effects have been associated with increased volumes in the left hippocampus and bilateral dentate gyrus; enhanced FC in the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC); increased FC between the right ventral anterior insula and DLPFC; and reduced FC in the left thalamus and bilateral precuneus. Changes in the hippocampus appear to correlate with both antidepressant efficacy and memory impairment. Clinical studies have found no significant correlation between the severity of memory impairment and the reduction in depressive symptoms, suggesting that the therapeutic and adverse effects may arise from distinct regional or subregional mechanisms. Supporting this hypothesis, recent findings show that increased right hippocampal volume is significantly associated with reduced depression scores, whereas increased volume in the left dentate gyrus correlates with declines in delayed recall performance. Additionally, enhanced connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and middle occipital gyrus (MOG) has been linked to mood improvement, while decreased FC between the mid-hippocampus and angular gyrus has been associated with impairments in memory integration. In conclusion, current evidence suggests that the antidepressant and memory-impairing effects of MECT may localize to distinct hippocampal subregions. These effects likely result from differential modulation of local neural activity and functional connectivity, leading to divergent behavioral outcomes. Given that both effects may originate in deep and spatially constrained structures such as the hippocampus, small-sample studies and conventional methodologies may fail to differentiate them effectively. Future research should employ large-scale, longitudinal designs utilizing high-field MRI and multimodal neuroimaging to characterize MECT-induced structure-function coupling in the hippocampus and its integration at the network level. Additionally, multiscale analyses spanning molecular, circuit, and network dimensions would be beneficial.

Objective To evaluate the status and equity of resource allocation for community vaccination services in Zhejiang Province.Methods A descriptive analysis was conducted,and Gini coefficient and Theil index were used to analyze the reasonableness and the demographic equity of resource allocation for community vaccination services in Zhejiang Province in 2013.Results The Gini coefficient of vaccination clinic and clinic staff based on population distribution in Zhejiang Province were 0.403 6 and 0.355 4,respectively.The total Theil index of vaccination clinic and clinic staff were 0.204 4 and 0.207 1,respectively.Both vaccination clinic and clinic staff,Theil index within the region were far higher than inter -regional Theil index.Conclusion The demographic equity of resource allocation for community vaccination services in Zhejiang Province should be improved.The disparity within the region is the main reason of unequal in resource allocation for community vaccination service.