The yield of berberine can be increased by pre-treating phellodendron amurense with cellulase before extracting. It is suggested that the use of cellulase for the eltraction of other natural products may be worth consideration

Objective To evaluate feasibility and reliability of using Simplified Acute Physiology Score Ⅱ (SAPS Ⅱ)in predicting mortality in critically ill patients with neurological diseases.Methods All 653 patients hospitalized in neurological intensive care unit (N-ICU) from Jan 2005 to Dec 2007 were retrospectively studied.SAPSⅡ scores were scaled upon admission at 24,48 and 72 h,and possibility of hospital mortality (PHM) was calculated based on SAPS Ⅱ score.Neurological diseases diagnosis made initially at time of hospitalization was classified into five categories:intracranial hemorrhage,cerebral infarction,neurologic infection,neuromuscular diseases and other neurologic diseases.At each of four time points,the SAPSⅡscores were compared between the survival group and death group,and the relationship of SAPS Ⅱ score and prognosis were analyzed.The calibration of the SAPS Ⅱ were accessed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit chi-squared statistic and the discrimination with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between disease category and prognosis.Results SAPS Ⅱ scores in the death group (46.53±12.22,47.28±13.84,48.58±14.18 and 49.06±14.61)at each time point were significantly higher than those in the survival group (34.70±11.78,30.28±12.24,29.79±12.36 and 29.69±12.96;t=11.12,14.02,14.43 and 13.49 at 0,24,48 and 72 h,respectively,P＜0.01).Furthermore,univariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that SAPS Ⅱ score was correlated with prognosis (OR=1.080,1.100,1.109,1.100 at 0,24,48 and 72 h,respectively,P＜0.01).The scores at 48 and 72 h were more accurate in predicting mortality.SAPS Ⅱ had good calibration at each time points (x2=5.305,7.557,6.369 and 8.540,P＞0.05),however,the consistency of expected mortality with observed mortality was satisfactory only at 48 and 72 h(82.6%,83.4%),so was the discrimination ( AUROC=0.825,0.847 respectively).There was no correlation between disease categories and outcome.Conclusion SAPS Ⅱ scoring,best evaluated at 48 and 72 h after hospitalization,can be used as a reliable predictor of probability of mortality in patients hospitalized in N-ICU and prediction can be applied in these patients with all different neurology diseases.

Objective To assess the therapeutic efficacy of trigger points (TrPs) combined with acupoints by acupuncture for subjective tinnitus (ST);To discuss the correlation of TrPs acupuncture inactivation and the releasing of symptom. Methods Sixty patients with ST were randomly divided into trial group and control group, 30 cases in each group. Those in trial group were acupunctured by TrPs combined with acupoints, and those in control group received regular acupuncture treatment. The scores of tinnitus severity assessment were available for effect evaluation after 3 treatment course. The size and tenderness degree of TrPs contraction knots were checked, and TrPs local thermal infrared spectrum was compared by infrared camera. Results The post-treatment tinnitus severity scores had significant difference compared with pre-therapy in each group (P<0.01). The total effective percentage of trial group with 93.33%(28/30) was obviously higher than control group with 86.67%(26/30) (P<0.05). The post-treatment and pre-therapy contraction knots size, tenderness and temperature difference of TrPs within trial groups had a very significant difference (P<0.01), and difference of tenderness and temperature of patients’ TrPs had a positive correlation with the difference of tinnitus severity scores before and after treatment (P<0.01). The contraction knots area of TrPs had not significant correlation with the difference of tinnitus severity scores (P>0.05). Conclusion TrPs combined with acupoints by acupuncture for ST patients are better than conventional acupoints in improving clinical symptoms. The deactivation of TrPs is closely related to tinnitus symptoms, therefore, temperature and tenderness of TrPs can be employed to assist in the diagnosis, or evaluated the tinnitus severity and therapeutic efficacy.

Objective: To investigate the electrophysiological mechanism of acupuncture for the visual cortex plasticity during the sensitive period. Methods: Fifty 2-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a model group, an early-stage acupuncture group, a middle-stage acupuncture group and a late-stage acupuncture group, 10 rats in each group. Monocular deprivation amblyopia models were prepared in rats except those in the blank control group by unilateral eyelid suture. After successful modeling, no treatment was applied to the rats in the model group. Rats in each acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at bilateral Jingming (BL 1), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Fengchi (GB 20) and Guangming (GB 37), started from the 3rd day, 12th day or 21st day after modeling separately, once a day, for a total of 9 d treatment. The neuronal discharge frequency and action potential inter-spike interval (ISI) in the rat visual cortex area 17 of each group were measured by multi-channel microelectrode array nerve signal technique. Results: The discharge number of neurons in the visual cortex of the model group was significantly lower than that in the blank control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the discharge numbers in the early-stage acupuncture group and the middle-stage acupuncture group were significantly higher than that in the model group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the discharge numbers between the late-stage acupuncture group and the model group (P>0.05). The discharge number in the middle-stage acupuncture group was lower than that in the early-stage acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the discharge number of the late-stage acupuncture group was lower than that in the middle-stage acupuncture group (P<0.05). The ISI sequences of the visual cortex neurons were mainly distributed under 0.3 s in the blank control group, under 15 s in the model group, under 1 s in the early-stage acupuncture group, under 4 s in the middle-stage acupuncture group, and under 10 s in the late-stage acupuncture group, divergent in each group. Conclusion: The neuronal coding appears abnormality in the visual cortex area 17 of monocular deprivation rats, indicating that there is a plasticity change in the visual cortex neurons during the sensitive period. Acupuncture has a significant effect on the abnormal neural coding. The therapeutic efficacy is closely related to the stage to start the treatment. Early stage treatment in the sensitive period is the key to achieving the good efficacy.

The glycoproteins in the biological sample are low abundance and are susceptible to be inhibited and interfered by other non-glycoproteins.An enrichment step is usually required before the glycoprotein analysis, but the operation steps of conventional solid-phase-based glycoprotein enrichment methods are difficult to be compatible with the most classical enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) technique.In this study, a novel water-soluble dendrimer based boronic acid capture (DBC) material was developed using PAMAM 4.0 as the carrier and boronic acid as the affinity group.The method was applied to the detection of glycoproteins in human liver microsomes using ELISA.In this study, the DBC enrichment conditions were optimized by model glycoprotein, and then its sensitivity and anti-interference ability were investigated.This method was applied to the enrichment of glycoproteinsin human liver microsomal.The results showed that the enrichment selectivity of DBC for glycoprotein could be up to 100000 folds, and the enrichment signal of glycoprotein could be increased by 100 times.Therefore, the ELISA method using DBC as a novel enrichment material for glycoprotein had high sensitivity and selectivity in detection of biological samples with only one simple incubation step, which was useful for glycoproteins researches.

Objective To investigate the expression of FHITmRNA and WWOXmRNA in human breast cancer tissues and its relation to clinicopathological and other molecular parameters. Methods With reference to the expression of ?-actin,the expression of FHITmRNA and WWOXmRNA was determined by reverse (transcription)-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) in 51 breast cancer and adjacent breast tissue, and (semi-quantitative) analysis of band densities was performed. The protein expression of estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Her-2 gene in the 51 breast cancer lesions was detected by (immunohistochemical) method. Results FHITmRNA and WWOXmRNA expression was significantly different in 54 breast cancer tissue compared to adjacent breast tissue (P0.05); of FHITmRNA and WWOX mRNA was related to axillary lymph node metastasis (P

Objective To explore the rule of traditional Chinese medicine in treating tinnitus based on literature and Logistic multiple regression analysis. Methods Articles about tinnitus treatment using traditional Chinese medicine were searched in several databases, i.e. CNKI (1984-2013), VIP (1989-2013), CBM (1990-2013), and PubMed (1984-2013), and medication frequency was analyzed. Then, models for tinnitus medication were established through metrological method and Logistic multiple regression. Results The common prescriptions with highest frequency usage were Liuwei Dihuang Pill, Longdan Xiegan Decoction, and Erlong Zuoci Pill. Corni Fructus, Psoraleae Fructus, and Lycii Fructus were commonly used for kidney-deficiency type of tinnitus;Astragali Radix, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Codonopsis Radix were commonly used for the spleen-qi-deficiency type of tinnitus;Gardeniae Fructus, Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma, and Cyperi Rhizoma were commonly used for the liver-qi-dysfunction type of tinnitus;Pinelliae Rhizoma, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, and Stephaniae Tetrandrae Radix were commonly used for the phlegm-fire disturbance type of tinnitus;Forsythiae Fructus, Menthae Haplocalycis Herba, and Mori Cortex were commonly used for the wind-fire-invasion type of tinnitus. Conclusion Analysis of medication frequency and Logistic multiple regression analysis can provide evidence and reference for the treatment of tinnitus and syndrome differentiation.

Objective To investigate the circulation and use of Akebiae Caulis and Clematidis Armandii Caulis;To provide references for clinical safe medication. Methods Literature review, field survey and telephone interview were used to conduct the investigation. Results ① The market currency of the Akebiae Caulis and Clematidis Armandii Caulis was very confused, and the mainly medicinal materials on the market were Clematidis Armandii Caulis. ② The majority used medicinal materials were Clematidis Armandii Caulis, and Akebiae Caulis was rarely used. ③ The Chinese Pharmacopoeia collected Akebiae Caulis and Clematidis Armandii Caulis separately, but there was phenomenon of using Clematidis Armandii Caulis replacing of Akebiae Caulis. Conclusion Market of Akebiae Caulis is shrinking; the phenomenon of using Clematidis Armandii Caulis to replace Akebiae Caulis widespread in clinic. There are differences in the efficacy of Akebiae Caulis and Clematidis Armandii Caulis, so they should be distinguished and cannot be used to mix or substitute.

OBJECTIVE:To compare the contents of loganic acid,swertiamarin,6′-O-β-D-glucosyl gentiopicroside,gentiopi-croside,sweroside,isoorientin and isovitexin in wild and cultivated Gentiana officinalis,and to provide basis for rational use of G. officinalis. METHODS:UPLC method was adopted. The separation was performed on ACQUITY UPLC? BEH C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm,1.7 μm) with mobile phase consisted of methanol-0.04% phosphoric acid (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 0.3 ml/min. The detection wavelength was set at 242 nm,and column temperature was 30 ℃. RESULTS:For loganic acid,swertiama-rin,6′-O-β- D-glucosyl gentiopicroside,gentiopicroside,sweroside,isoorientin and isovitexin,a good linearity was obtained in the range of 2.1-537.1 μg,1.05-270 μg,0.92-236 μg,11.1-2 830 μg,0.75-192 μg,0.167-102 μg,0.216-52.80 μg(r≥0.999 5), respectively. Their average recoveries were 97.72%-99.84%(RSD≤3.39%,n=6). The contents of loganic acid,swertiamarin, 6′-O-β-D-glucosyl gentiopicroside,gentiopicroside,sweroside and isoorientin in the wild sample were higher than in the cultivat-ed;the content of isovitexin was lower than the cultivated,but there was no statistical significance(P>0.05). The sum of gentiopi-croside and loganin acid content were all higher than 2.5% in both wild and cultivated samples,and met the requirements of 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(first part). CONCLUSIONS:The content difference of 7 indicative constituents in wild and cul-tivated G. officinalis is not statistically significant,and the indicative constituents of the pharmacopoeia is qualified.

Objective To analyze the occurrence of clinical adverse drug reaction (ADR) of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs. Methods Articles about ADR of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs reported from January 1990 to February 2014 were collected from databases of CNKI, VIP, CBM, Pubmed and Embase according to incorporation and exclusion standard. Metrology analysis was also conducted. Results Totally 378 effective articles showed tonic Chinese medicinal herbs most likely to induce ADR were as follows:individual Chinese medicinal herbs including Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Lycii Fructus and Astragali Radix;injection containing Shenmai Injection, Shengmai Injection and Acanthopanax Injection;other herbal preparation covering Polygoni Multiflori tablets. The most common ADR involved the damage on skin tissue, nervous system and digestive system, with prominent relevant clinical symptoms such as itching, skin rash, dizziness, unconsciousness, nausea, vomiting, and liver dysfunction. Conclusion Correct understanding adverse reaction of tonic Chinese medicinal herbs will be conducive to rational drug use and avoiding risk.