Animals ; Cadmium Chloride ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Estradiol ; toxicity ; Female ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uterus ; drug effects ; pathology

Objective To study the effects of sulodexide on renal NF-κB activation and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) expression in diabetic rats and elucidate the possible mechanism of sulodexide in preventing diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods Wistar rats were fed with high-sucrose-high-fat diet and injected with a low dose of STZ (streptozotocin,35 mg/kg) into abdominal cavity to induce diabetes.DM rats were randomly divided into non-treated group of treatment,blood glucose (BG),triglyceride (TG),cholesterol,serum creatinine (Scr),urea nitrogen (BUN),24 h urinary albumin excretion (UAE) were measured.HE staining was performed in renal tissues for light microscopy examination of mean glomerular volume (MGV).MCP-1 expression was detected by immunohistochemical method.NF-κB activation was determined by Western blot. Results Compared with NC group,DM group and DMS group had significant elevated BG,TG and TC levels (all P＜0.01).There were no significant differences of BG,TG or TC levels between DM group and DMS group.Compared with NC group,DM group and DMS group had significant increased Scr,BUN,UAE levels (all P＜0.01).Scr,BUN,UAE levels were significantly lower in DMS group than those in DM group [(39.1±0.88) μmol/L vs (41.0±2.16) μmol/L,(9.12±1.06) mmol/L vs (9.87±0.19) mmol/L； (19.92±0.96) mg/24 h vs (25.99±0.52)mg/24 h,all P＜0.05].Compared with NC group,the MGV of DM group was significantly increased [(7.47±1.11)×105 μm3 vs (4.22±1.09)×105 μm3,P＜0.01].Compared with DM group,the MGA of DMS group was significantly reduced [(6.64±0.71)×105 μm3 vs (7.47±1.11)×105 μm3,P＜0.05],but was still increased compared with that of NC group (P＜0.01).Compared with NC group,the MCP-1 expression of DM group was significantly higher [(12.17±1.94)/HPF vs (1.19±0.70)/HPF,P＜0.01].MCP-1 expression in DSM group was significantly lower than that of DM group [(9.22± 1.61)/HPF vs (12.17±1.94)/HPF,P＜0.01],but still higher than that of control group (P＜0.01).Compared with NC group,the NF-κB activity was significantly higher in DM group [(0.89±0.07) vs (0.24±0.03),P＜0.01].Compared with DM group,NF-κB activity of DMS group was significantly lower [(0.27±0.01) vs (0.89±0.07),P＜0.01].There was no significant difference of NF-κB activity between DMS group and NC group. Conclusion Sulodexide has protective effects on diabetic nephropathy,and one of the mechanisms may involve the inhibition of NF-κB activation as well as the suppression of MCP-I expression.

Medically unexplained dyspnea refers to a group of patients presenting marked dyspnea without structural alterations of organs/systems after thorough examinations. This clinically neglected group of patients accounts for about 14% of patients with dyspnea in secondary health care. They appear very difficult to manage clinically. In this paper an organized approach used to diagnose medically unexplained dyspnea is presented. Breathing re-training is recommended as a therapy for those "difficult to treat patients".
Breathing Exercises ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dyspnea ; diagnosis ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; diagnosis ; therapy

Objective:To study the secondary metabolites of fungus Gliocladium sp. that helps accelerate the growth of A. roxburghii.Method:Compoud isolation by chromatography and structure elucidation by chemical and spectral analyses.Result:Five compounds were obtained and elucidated as:8(E)-N-(2′-hydroxypalmityl)-1-O-β-gly-copyranosyl-3-hydroxyl-9-methyl-2-octodecanine-4,8-diene(Ⅰ),N-(2′-hydroxytetracosanoyl)-1,3,4-trihydroxy-2-octodecanine(Ⅱ),7,22-diene-3-hydroxy-6,9-epidioxyergosta(Ⅲ),ergostol(Ⅳ) and α-palmitin(Ⅴ).Conclusion:Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ were obtained from Gliocladium sp. for the first time.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of different kind of methods in the management of hydrofluoric acid burn in early postburn stage in rabbits.

METHODSThirty-three rabbits were inflicted with burn by 55% of hydrofluoric acid covering 5% TBSA, and were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. A (n = 13, with 5 ml.kg(-1).h(-1)of isotonic saline intravenous infusion), B (n = 10, with isotonic saline and 50 g/L of calcium gluconate infusion in dose of 20 mg/kg at different time points), and C (n = 10, with the same treatment as B group, and with excision of burn wound at 0.5 post burn hour) groups. The serum levels of fluorine and calcium were determined before and after various postburn hours, and the mortality rate was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS(1) The serum level of fluorine in A (8.37 +/- 2.62 mg/L) and B (8.59 +/- 2.25 mg/L) groups reached the peak value at 1 postburn hour (PBH), which was 107 times higher than that before the burn injury. The serum level of fluorine in B group was significantly lower than that in A group at 24 PBH (P < 0.05), while that in C group declined to (6.20 +/- 0.23) mg/L, which was obviously lower than that in A and B groups (P < 0.01). (2) The serum calcium level declined after burns, reaching the lowest level at 8 to 12 PBH. and began to increase at 24 PBH. Compared with normal calcium value, the serum level of calcium in A, B and C groups declined to as much as 46%, 32% and 26%, respectively. Statistically significant difference was found between C and B groups (P < 0.01). (3) The mortality rate in the three groups within 72 PBH were 30.8%, 12.5% and 0.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONEarly removal of burn area and calcium supplementation could help quickly decrease blood fluorine, reverse the fatal hypocalcemia and the multiple systemic toxic injury in rabbits inflicted with hydrofluoric acid injury.

Animals ; Burns, Chemical ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Calcium ; blood ; Calcium Gluconate ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Elective Surgical Procedures ; Fluorine ; blood ; Hydrofluoric Acid ; adverse effects ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Skin Transplantation ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVELamiophlomis rotata is a common wild herb in Tibetan traditional medicine with important medicinal and economic value. The paper examines the wild distributions, exploitation regime, and situations.

METHODA variety of research methods, such as literature survey, specimens inspection, market information collection in major Chinese herbal markets, questionnaire of herbalists and employers of local governments and institutions, and field quadrat survey and AcrGIS as well, have been used for this work.

RESULTTotal stock of wild resources of L. rotata is ranging from 3 713.49 tons to 6 896.56 tons (2 519-3 314 t in Qinghai, 490-1 414 t in Gansu, 641-1 167 t in Sichuan, and 422-999 t in Tibet, respectively), acceptable harvest quantity of the herb is ranging from 908-1 675 t per year, and actual harvest quantity is 2 520 t annually far beyond the acceptable harvest quantity.

CONCLUSIONHarvesting quantity of L. rotata is far more than that of acceptable, suggesting that utilization pattern of this wild resource plant is unsustainable. L. rotata seems to act as an indicating plant of degraded ecosystem of high-altitude grassland, shrub grassland, and wetland, and distributes in those degraded and degrading plateau ecosystems, and the plant is facing with pressure of ecological protection and wild resource population degradation. Wild population monitoring and standard cultivation are of importance for although they are far from implementation due to shortage of related basic studies.

China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Ecosystem ; Lamiaceae ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo establish scientific and efficient quality control standard of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii through two quantitative parameters.

METHODThe contents of isoimperatorin and volatile oils in 29 commercial samples from 22 localities of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii were determined by HPLC and the method in the pharmacopoeia respectively. The data were statistically analyzed.

RESULTOnly 3 of 29 samples met the required standard in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005 edition), 87% of samples newly produced in 2005 not met the standard. Statistics showed that the contents of volatile oils and isoimperatorin should reach 1.63% and 0.17% respectively when the samples meet requirement of criterion with more than 80% probability. The contents of volatile oil and isoimperatorin were not significantly different (P < 0.05) in the samples of 2005 and 2003, while the contents of isoimperatorin were significantly different between Notopterygium incisum and N. forbesii samples.

CONCLUSIONSince the criterion of volatile oils in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2005 version) for Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii is too high to satisfy for most Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii samples, it is suggested to reduce it to 1.6% (mL x g(-1)). The content of isoimperatorin is proposed to add to the quality standard of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii as above 0.2% (mg x g(-1)).

Apiaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Furocoumarins ; analysis ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rhizome ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the appropriate culture medium, process of seeds germination and seedlings growth, and optical measures for seedling management of Notopterygium incisum.

METHODGermination time and duration, germination potential and germination ratio were determined through controlled temperature, photoperiod, culture medium and seedling depth in illumination incubators.

RESULTThe appropriate temperature was 15 degrees C, and the most suitable culture medium was A6 (mixture of sawdust, vermiculite, charcoal, and perliet), and the most suitable semination depth is 1-1.5 cm.

CONCLUSIONHigh-qualified seedlings can be germinated through the dormancy-broken seeds, and soil and other culture mediums with high organic matter content and loosing texture are suitable for germination and seedlings raising of N. incisum.

Apiaceae ; growth & development ; Germination ; Light ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; Seeds ; growth & development ; Soil ; Temperature

Growth suitability as assessment indicators for medicinal plants cultivation was proposed based on chemical quality determination and ecological factors analysis by Maxent and ArcGIS model. Notopterygium incisum, an endangered Chinese medicinal plant, was analyzed as a case, its potential distribution areas at different suitability grade and regionalization map were formulated based on growth suitability theory. The results showed that the most suitable habitats is Sichuan province, and more than 60% of the most suitable areawas located in the western Sichuan such as Aba and Ganzi prefectures for N. incisum. The results indicated that habitat altitude, average air temperature in September, and vegetation types were the dominant factors contributing to the grade of plant growth, precipitation and slope were the major factors contributing to notopterol accumulation in its underground parts, while isoimperatorin in its underground parts was negatively corelated with precipitation and slope of its habitat. However, slope as a factor influencing chemical components seemed to be a pseudo corelationship. Therefore, there were distinguishing differences between growth suitability and quality suitability for medicinal plants, which was helpful to further research and practice of cultivation regionalization, wild resource monitoring and large-scale cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine plants.
Apiaceae ; growth & development ; China ; Ecosystem ; Environment ; Geographic Information Systems ; Soil ; chemistry ; Temperature

OBJECTIVEFive heavy metals (Hg, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr) and arsenic (As) contents in 57 samples of from 19 localities in Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii sourcing from two plants Notoperygium incusum and N. forbesii has been analyzed to evaluate the content standard of heavy metal and arsenic for drafting the herbal medicine quality.

METHODICP-AES method was applied to determine As, Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr and CAAS method was applied to determine Hg.

RESULTHg can not be determined through CAAS, and little Pb was determined except in limited N. forbesii samples from certain sites, while the contents of Cu in most samples are higher than 20 mg x kg(-1). As in N. forbesii samples, and Cd in N. incisum samples are higher or approximate the limitation of related standard of medicinal plants and production. Cr varies from different localities, ranging from 0.48 to 8.36 mg x kg(-1) for N. incisum and 1.44-8.03 mg x kg(-1) for N. forbesii.

CONCLUSIONReferring to the related standards of medicine and vegetable, the heavy metals and arsenic contents of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii samples from traditional producing areas are confirmed the propositional standard, i. e., Pb < or = 5.0 mg x kg(-1), Cd < or = 0.3 mg x kg(-1), Hg < or = 0.2 mg x kg(-1), Cu < or = 28.0 mg x kg(-1), As < or = 2.0 mg x kg(-1), and Cr < or = 1.0 mg x kg(-1). Of these five heavy metals, Cu is much over the limitation standard, which suggested that GAP base of Rhizoma et Radix Notopterygii must be selected in lower Cu environmental condition in main producing area.

Apiaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; Arsenic ; analysis ; Cadmium ; analysis ; China ; Chromium ; analysis ; Copper ; analysis ; Ecosystem ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry