Total 149 strains of endophytic bacteria were isolated from different healthy organisms of Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. from Xinjiang. The fermented liquids of these strains were screened by TLC and analysed by HPLC, and the glycyrrhizinic acid monoammonium salt was taken as standard control at the same time. Only one endophtytic bacterial stain of Bacillus subtilis could produce Glycyrrhizinic acid monoammonium salt analogue.

Objective To investigate clinical characteristics of relapsing polychondritis(RP)and to improve early recognition for it.Methods Clinical and laboratory data of 56 patients with RP were analyzed retrospectively.Results Ratio of number of male patients to female ones was 1.2.Age at onset was(46?11)years(ranging from 27 to 71)and average interval between onset and diagnosis was(21? 35)months,(8?6),(16?31)and(29?37)months for patients initial onset with auricle,respiratory tract and joints involved,respectively.Site involved included airway in 40 patients(71.4%),auricle in 32 (57.1%),joints in 32(57.1%),eyes in 27(48.2%),nasal chondritis in 25(44.6%)and inner ear in 13(23.2%).At initial stage of the course,17 patients were misdiagnosed as respiratory infection (30.4%),nine as perichondritis(16.1%),six as pulmonary tuberculosis(10.7%),five as rheumatoid arthritis(8.9%).Seven of 40 patients with airway involvement received metallic stents for their tracheobronchial stenosis.Four patients whose condition never improved after regular therapy all had respiratory involvement.Conclusions Patients of RP with initial onset at non-auricle,non-nasal sites tended to be misdiagnosed.Prevalence of airway involvement was not so low with a poor prognosis in patients of RP.

A reasonable and practicable quality standard was developed for mori liquid extract from different sources by TLC, HPLC and fingerprint technology. In TLC method, the compounds were separated on polyamide film using glacial acetic acid-water (1: 3) as mobile phase at a UV wavelength of 365 nm. All qualified samples had the spots of the same color as the control herb and substance. The RP-HPLC method was used to determine the content of mulberroside A with mobile phase of methanol-water (25: 75) at a wave-length of 326 nm. The mulberroside A was in good linear with a regression equation of Y = 46.965X (r = 0.999 6) in the range of 4.6 - 228 mg x L(-1). In 14 batches of samples, the mulberroside A in 4 batches of them was less than 0.5 g x L(-1), and was more than 2.0 g x L(-1) in the other batches. It was suggested that the content limit of mulberroside A should be no less than 1.5 g x L(-1). The HPLC fingerprints were evaluated by the similarities. It has found that the similarities of different mori liquid extracts were very low and the chemical diversity of mori cortex was the major factor of similarity. Moreover, the process impact was minimal. Thus the fingerprint was not included in this quality standard.
China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Disaccharides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; standards ; Morus ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Stilbenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on peanut agglutinin-binding molecules (PNA-BMs) and Schwann's cells (Sc) of the neuromuscular junction after L5 nerve root compression in rats. METHODS: The rats were given Yiqi Huayu Recipe at the 10th, 20th, 30th and 60th day after L5 nerve root compression. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal laser scanning techniques, we observed the distributions of PNA-BMs and S-100 in the soleus muscle. The overlap area of PNA-BMs and S-100 was measured with NIH image technique. RESULTS: The extracellular matrix (ECM) recognized by PNA played an important role in guiding the sprouting and extending of the Schwann's cells. The agglomeration, sprouting and extension of the terminal Sc and the overlap area of Sc with PNA-BMs in the Yiqi Huayu Recipe group were better than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Yiqi Huayu Recipe can promote the growth of ECM and Schwann's cells and accelerate the nerve regeneration process.

Objectives To study the level and development of serum specific antibody against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV)of different populations in SARS pestilence district after SARS outbreak in a general hospital.Discuss SARS sub-clinical infection and protective action of the IgG antibody.Methods Seroepidemiology method,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)and indirect immunfluorescence assay(IFA)were employed to investigate the changing level of serum antibody to SARS-associated coronavirus in non-SARS population in SARS pestilence district during and after SARS outbreak.The development of IgM and IgG antibody in patients with SARS in 6 weeks after the onset of SARS was studied qualitatively.The level changing of IgG antibody in con- valescent patients with SARS in 82 weeks after the onset was observed dynamically.Results The ELISA test outcome of IgG antibody was negative in 200 non-SARS people who were random samples of normal mass in SARS pestilence district and common community.The positive rate was 0.41% in 487 SARS high risk population tested by ELISA,but showed negative when retested by IFA.The A value level of IgG antibody existed significant difference in non SARS mass during and after SARS outbreak and the later's was higher them the former's(P

G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) has been a promising target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It can not only directly promote insulin secretion, but also indirectly increase insulin secretion by stimulating the release of glucose-dependent GIP/CLP-1 without causing hypoglycemia. The remarkable advantages of small molecule GPR119 agonists make it one of the research hotspots for the development of type 2 diabetes drugs. This article reviews the anti-diabetic small molecules based on the GPR119 target in the past five years.

Objective To determine the reliability of Chinese- version of Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children (CPQOL) between self-raters. Methods Family members of 21 children with cerebral palsy from rehabilitation centers or hospitals, 2 members of the same one, and 18 teenagers with cerebral palsy from a special school along with one of their parents, answered CPQOL. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between family members, as well as teenagers and their parents were calculated, and the differences of scores of each dimension between parents and teenagers were compared. Results The reliability between family members was acceptable (ICC=0.49-0.86) in all the dimension of CPQOL, which was good in the function and acquired service dimensions, and was moderate in participation and body health dimensions. The reliability was weaker between parents and teenagers (ICC=0.29-0.73), which was acceptable in the dimensions of function, and participation and body health; and very low in the dimension of welfare and acceptance. The teenagers often rated better than their parents did, especially in the dimension of participation and body health (P<0.05). Conclusion The reliability of CPQOL is acceptable when rated by family members of cerebral palsy children, especially in the dimensions of function and service acquired. It is weaker between parents and children, especially in the dimension of welfare and acceptance.

BACKGROUNDParthenolide has been tested for anti-tumor activities, such as anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis in recent studies. However, little is known about its role in the process of tumor angiogenesis. This study aims to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of parthenolide on the proliferation, migration and lumen formation capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

METHODSDifferent concentrations of parthenolide were applied to the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 cells. After 24-hour incubation, the culture supernatants were harvested and used to treat human umbilical vein endothelial cells for 24 hours. Then an inverted fluorescence phase contrast microscope was used to evaluate the human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-8 and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 in the culture supernatant of the MDA-MB-231 cells was then measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assays.

RESULTSSuppression of proliferation, migration, and the lumen formation capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells was observed in the presence of the culture supernatants from the breast cancer cell line treated with different concentrations of parthenolide. Parthenolide decreased the levels of the angiogenic factors MMP-9, VEGF, and IL-8 secreted by the MDA-MB-231 cells.

CONCLUSIONSParthenolide may suppress angiogenesis through decreasing angiogenic factors secreted by breast cancer cells to interfere with the proliferation, migration and lumen-like structure formation of endothelial cells, thereby inhibiting tumor growth. It is a promising potential anti-angiogenic drug.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Female ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Sesquiterpenes ; pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo examine the reliability and validity of the 66-item version on the gross motor function measure (GMFM-66) to assess the gross motor functions of children below 3 years oldwith cerebral palsy.

METHODS298 valid samples were obtained from 171 children with cerebral palsy (male 126, female 45 with mean age 19 months, age range 3-36 months) measured with GMFM-88. Then a 73-item version of GMFM (GMFM-73) special for these children was obtained by Rasch analysis. Both GMFM-66 and GMFM-73 scores of to each sample were obtained. The reliability and validity of GMFM-66 were evaluated through analyzing the correlation between the scores and between the changed scores of these two GMFM versions. The relative precision of GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66 was also analyzed.

RESULTSSignificant correlations were found between the scores and between the changed scores of these two versions of GMFM. A 14% less gain in relative precision was achieved when using GMFM-73 versus GMFM-66.

CONCLUSIONResults indicated that the GMFM-66 had good reliability and validity in assessing the gross motor functions of children below 3 years old with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy ; physiopathology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Motor Skills ; classification ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires