The marine biological source of mineral drugs recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 version) mainly including pearl, nacre, clam shell, common oyster shell, ark shell, cuttle bone, and sea-ear shell are widely used in clinical. Calcium carbonate and a small amount of protein are the main components in this type of drugs. In this paper, a systematical and comparable study were carried out by determination of calcium carbonate by EDTA titration method, the crystal of calcium carbonate by X-Ray powder diffraction and the total amino acids (TAAs) of the hydrolyzed samples by ultraviolet spectrophotometry method. As a result, the crystal structure is calcite for common oyster shell, mixture of calcite and aragonite for nacre and sea-ear shell, aragonite for the other drugs. The content of calcium carbonate ranged from 86% to 96%. Cuttle bone has the highest amount of TAAs among the seven drugs which reached 1.7% while clam shell has the lowest content of 0.16% on average. In conclusion, an effective method was developed for the quality control of marine mineral drugs by comprehensive analysis of calcium carbonate and TAAs in the seven marine mineral drugs.
Amino Acids ; analysis ; chemistry ; Animal Shells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Calcium Carbonate ; analysis ; chemistry ; Crystallization ; Edetic Acid ; chemistry ; Mollusca ; chemistry ; classification ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; analysis ; chemistry ; standards ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seawater ; Species Specificity ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet ; X-Ray Diffraction

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Fengshi No. 1 (FS1) in treating patients with active stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSPatients with RA were randomly divided into two groups, the 40 patients in the treated group were treated with combined therapy of methotrexate (MTX), sulfasalazine (SSZ) and FS1, and the 20 in the control groups were treated with MTX and SSZ alone.

RESULTSIn the treated group, the total effective rate was 97.5%, the clinical controlled and markedly effective rate 95.0% and the occurrence rate of side-toxic reaction 10.0%, as compared with those in the control group, 60.0%, 20.0% and 45.0% respectively, the difference was significant (chi 2 = 11.91, 32.23 and 7.67 respectively, all P < 0.01). The effect in the treated group was superior to that in the control group in abating joint swelling and pain, improving function of joint, reducing immune indices and ameliorating iconographic features (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFS1 not only has the effects of anti-inflammation, analgesis, regulating immune reaction, but also could retard the occurring of bone destruction, reduce the toxic-side effects of MTX and SSZ.

Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Sulfasalazine ; therapeutic use

Objective:To evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of two new nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), JB25 and JB26, in combination with 3 approved drugs (AZT, EFV, SQV)in vitro.Methods:The serially diluted 10 concentrations of JB25 and JB26 were combined with 7 serially diluted AZT, EFV and SQV respectively.The combination was added to 384 cell culture plates and then cocultured with HIV-1 ⅢB infected MT-2 cells for 3 days. Finally, the HIV-1 production was determined by measuring the expression of reporter genes of TZM bl cells. The data were analyzed by MacSynergy Ⅱ software.Results:The average capacity of synergism/antagonism of JB25 with AZT, EFV and SQV was 244.45/-5.05(nmol/L)~2%, 119.58/-65.93 (nmol/L)~2% and 145.83/-0.32 (nmol/L)~2% respectively;the average capacity of synergism/antagonism of JB26 with AZT, EFV and SQV was 398.90/0(nmol/L)~2%, 103.62/-0.49(nmol/L)~2% and 138.473/-0.27 (nmol/L)~2% respectively. Conclusion:Two new NNRTIs JB25 and JB26 develop synergism when combined with 3 approved drugs, respectively. MacSynergy Ⅱ software could evaluate the anti-HIV-1 activity of drug combination.

We predicted the anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) active components and mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza based on network pharmacology. The active components of S. miltiorrhiza were obtained through TCMSP, PubChem database and literature research. The potential targets of the active components and HBV infection were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards databases, respectively. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by String database. Cytoscape software was adopted to construct a visual network of active component-disease target and perform topological analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID platform. The molecular docking of key components and core targets was carried out by AutoDock Vina software. We screened out a total of 38 active components and 178 disease-component overlapping targets. Enrichment analyses obtained 405 related GO items and 68 signaling pathways, such as T/B cell receptor signaling pathways, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and mTOR signaling pathway. According to the results of molecular docking, most characteristic components of S. miltiorrhiza (miltionone Ⅱ, miltirone, protocatechuic acid, lithospermic acid, protocatechualdehyde) showed good affinity with the key targets (PIK3CA, APP, STAT3,AKT1 and mTOR). Furthermore, the anti-HBV activity of lithospermic acid, the representative active component of S. miltiorrhiza, and its regulation on PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling pathways were investigated in an HBV replicating mouse model. Animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee of Hubei University. The results showed that lithospermic acid significantly inhibited HBV DNA replication, reduced serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels, and decreased the phosphorylation protein expression levels of AKT and mTOR in liver, indicating that lithospermic acid might exert the anti-HBV activity by regulating PI3K/AKT and mTOR signaling pathways.

Aim To evaluate the effects of salvianolic acid B ( Sal B ) on bone metabolism and its potential mechanism in high fat diet ( HFD) mice.Methods Thirty C57BL/6J male mice were divided into three groups with 10 mice each, namely normal , HFD and HFD+Sal B.HFD and HFD+Sal B mice were treated with HFD, and HFD+Sal B group mice were also with Sal B (125 mg· kg -1· d-1).After 12 weeks' treat-ment, femurs were harvested .The effects of Sal B on biomechanical strength were evaluated by biomechani-cal tests, and the effects of Sal B on bone microstruc-ture were evaluated by Safranin O/fast green staining and hematoxylin and eosin staining .The expression of nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB)-p65 and NADPH ox-idase 4 ( Nox4 ) and cathepsin K in femurs was deter-mined by immunohistochemical staining . Results Maximum load and elastic load significantly decreased ,and the trabeculae became thinner and irregular in the femurs of HFD mice , while Sal B treatment could re-verse the descending biomechanical strength and the disorganized femurs bone micro-structures in HFD mice.In addition, the expressions of Nox4, NF-κB-p65 and cathepsin Kmarkedly increased in HFD mice , and Sal B possessed the ability to down-regulate the ex-pression of Nox4, NF-κB-p65, and cathepsin K in the femurs triggered by HFD .Conclusions Sal B treat-ment improves bone metabolism via regulating Nox 4/NF-κB/cathepsin K signaling pathway in HFD mice . The findings contribute to the understanding and exten-sion of the applications of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its constituents on osteoporosis .

Breast cancer has the highest incidence rate among all women's malignant tumors worldwide.Surgery,radiotherapy and chemotherapy are three major treatments,while most patients showed adverse effects or complications during or after the treatment,including lymphedema,gastrointestinal reactions and leukopenia,which cause severe impact on patients' recovery and quality of life.Moxibustion has been used and certified to alleviate adverse effects of surgery or chemoradiotherapy for breast cancer.We have summarized literatures in recent years and suggest more systematic research in the future for the underlying mechanism.

OBJECTIVETo explore whether fractional anisotropy (FA) value could be taken as a quantitative indicator for tracing and reexamining amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and to analyze the correlation between FA value and integrative medical treatment.

METHODSTotally 18 ALS patients were recruited in this study. All patients received diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using 3. OT (Propeller HD) MRI twice. Six regions of interest (ROI) were selected to measure FA values. Survival analyses were performed in 11 cases of end point events.

RESULTS(1) Three ROI (cerebral peduncle, posterior limb of internal capsule, and corona radiata) all indicated that FA value was the highest in patients with mild health status scale of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/HSS). (2) There was statistical difference in the means of FA values in cerebral peduncle, posterior limb of internal capsule, and corona radiata of 18 cases between initial examination and reexamination (P < 0.01). (3) Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed the survival rate of ALS patients decreased as time went by, with the median survival time of 48 months.

CONCLUSIONSFA value was inversely proportional to the severity of ALS, the more severe, the lower FA values. FA value was an objective indicator for assessing the severity of ALS. ALS is an incurable disease till now. Integrative medical treatment might become one direction for ALS patients.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Anisotropy ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine

OBJECTIVETo observe the anti-tumor effect of combination TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) with aspirin on liver cancer cell line, SMMC-7721.

METHODSThe survival fraction of SMMC-7721 cells was measured by MTT assay, apoptosis rate and cell cycle was determined by flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related gene was identified by western blot.

RESULTSThe survival fraction of SMMC-7721 cells treated with 300 ng/ml TRAIL, 3 mmol/L or 10 mmol/L aspirin alone was 82.76%, 81.34% and 71.29% respectively, and the survival fractions of SMMC-7721 cells treated with TRAIL and 3 mmol/L or 10 mmol/L aspirin were 43.54% and 37.8% respectively. The apoptosis rates of SMMC-7721 cells induced by TRAIL and 3 mmol/L or 10 mmol/L aspirin were higher than that induced by TRAIL or aspirin alone (34.76% and 38.56% vs 21.25%, 1.89% and 6.08%), and G0/G1 arrest was observed under TRAIL and aspirin. The expression of Bcl-2 in SMMC-7721 cells treated by 3 mmol/L or 10 mmol/L aspirin decreased markedly, but no effect on Bax.

CONCLUSIONThe cooperative anti-tumor effect of aspirin and TRAIL may be related to the inhibition of the expression of Bcl-2 by aspirin

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; Aspirin ; pharmacology ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of different preparation methods on the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL) of paclitaxel-loaded polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PTX-PBCA-NPs) and optimize the preparation of PTX-PBCA-NPs.

METHODSWith DL and EE as the major indexes, the qualities of PTX-PBCA-NPs produced by the interfacial polymerization and emulsion polymerization method were compared. The optimized prescription was obtained by orthogonal design.

RESULTSThe ranges of EE of PTX-PBCA-NPs with the two methods were both 94.39%-99.23%. The highest DL with interfacial polymerization was (1.07-/+0.03)%, as compared to (0.86-/+0.01)% with emulsion polymerization. The optimized preparation conditions resulted in the mean size of PTX-PBCA-NPs of 235.6 nm, DL of 0.80%, and EE of 95.71%.

CONCLUSIONThe EE of PTX-PBCA-NPs prepared by the above two methods is consistent with the requirement of the Pharmacopoeia of China, and PTX-PBCA-NPs containing higher DL can be obtained via interfacial polymerization.

Delayed-Action Preparations ; chemical synthesis ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Enbucrilate ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; Polymerization

OBJECTIVETo examine whether acupuncture treatment would improve outcome in chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

METHODSA randomized, controlled trial at two centers of 64 randomized patients aged 18 to 70 years with chronic Achilles tendinopathy was conducted from July 2007 to April 2010, with follow-up until October, 2010. These patients were randomly allocated into an acupuncture treatment group (acupuncture group) and an eccentric exercises group (control group). The validated Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire was completed at baseline and 8, 16, and 24 weeks. The pain at rest and after activity was accessed at baseline and 8 weeks with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

RESULTSAfter randomization into the acupuncture group or control group, one patient was loss of follow-up. The mean VISA-A score improved signifificantly after 8 weeks in the acupuncture group to 67.1 points [95% confifidence interval (CI), 64.1-70.2] and in the control group to 48.5 points (95% CI, 45.5-51.6) with an additional 18.6 points increase in acupuncture treatment patients (P=0.0000). Acupuncture treatment resulted in a significant increase from baseline in VISA-A of 25.8 after 16 weeks and 28.4 after 24 weeks. Whereas, in the control group the increase from baseline in VISA-A were 10.0 and 16.6 after 16 and 24 weeks, respectively (P=0.0000). The VAS diminished by 2.0 cm after activity, and by 1.5 cm at rest after 8 weeks in the control group. In the acupuncture group, the pain scores diminished significantly more than in the control group, with pain reduction of 3.7 cm after activity (P=0.0000) and 3.2 cm at rest (P =0.0000).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture intervention could improve pain and activity in patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy compared with eccentric exercises.

Achilles Tendon ; pathology ; Acupuncture ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tendinopathy ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Visual Analog Scale