OBJECTIVETo observe the analgesic effect of triptolide (TP) of high, middle and low doses on rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA), and the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and substance P (SP) in spinal dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of corresponding sections, in order to discuss the possible mechanism for the analgesic effect of TP on rats with adjuvant arthritis.

METHODFifty SD rats were selected and randomly divided into the normal group (group A), the model group (group B), and TP low (group C), middle (group D), high (group E) dose groups. Except for the group A, all of the remaining groups were injected with 0.1 mL of Freund's complete adjuvant through their right rear toes to establish the model. At 14 d after the model establishment, rats in C, D and E groups were intraperitoneally injected with different doses of TP (0.1 mg x kg(-1) for the group C, 0.2 mg x kg(-1) for the group D, 0.4 mg x kg(-1) for the group E) once a day for 9 days. Then the 50% mechanical withdraw threshold (MWT) was determined. And the expressions of iNOS and SP in lumbar5 (L5) spinal dorsal horn and DRG were detected with the immunohistochemical method.

RESULTThe 50% MWT of rats in the group B was significantly lower than that of the group A (P < 0.01). After being treated with TP, the Thermal withdrawal latencies of groups C, D and E were significantly higher than that of the group B (P < 0.01). TP could notably increase the MWT of AA rats, with a certain dose-effect relationship. The immunohistochemical results indicated that the iNOS and SP expressions significantly increased in the group B (P < 0.01), while the positive expression levels of iNOS and SP in groups C, D and E were significantly lower than that of the group B (P < 0.01), with a certain dose-effect relationship.

CONCLUSIONTP shows a good analgesic effect on AA, and could inhibit the iNOS and SP expressions in spinal dorsal horn and DRG in rats with adjuvant arthritis, which may be one of action mechanisms for the analgesic effect of TP.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Arthritis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Epoxy Compounds ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ganglia, Spinal ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; biosynthesis ; Pain Measurement ; methods ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Substance P ; biosynthesis ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

Researching on a large relevant literature of spinal tuberculosis, this paper discussed characteristics of spinal tuberculosis and its early diagnosis method. If spinal tuberculosis can be found and treated earlier, prognosis will be better. The early diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis has become hot spot at present. There are many different diagnostic methods including clinical manifestation, laboratory examination, imaging examination, etc. The newest standpoint showed that immunization has closely correlation with tuberculosis and it will become the focus and developmental direction of future research in spinal tuberculosis. In addition, we should know the differential diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis to avoid the misdiagnosis.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; diagnosis

Objective:To detect the expression levels of neuropilin1 (NRP1)mRNA and miR-9 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)tissue samples, and to explore the correlations between the expressions of NRP1 mRNA, miR-9 and the clinicopathological characteristics of the patients with NSCLC.Methods:Informed consent was obtained from each patient before surgery.The tissue samples including 45 NSCLC tissue ,45 adjacent carcinoma tissue and 45 normal lung tissue were collected from China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from 2010 to 2011.qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of NRP1 mRNA and miR-9 in three kinds of lung tissue, and the correlation between the expressions of NRP1 mRNA, miR-9 and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients with NSCLC was analyzed.Results:Compared with normal tissue,the expression level of NRP1 mRNA in adjacent carcinoma tissue had no change (P>0.05),but the expression level of NRP1 mRNA in non-small cell lung cancer tissue was significantly decreased (P<0.05).Compared with normal tissue,the expression level of miR-9 in adjacent carcinoma tissue had no change (P>0.05),but the expression level of miR-9 in non-small cell lung cancer tissue was significantly increased (P < 0.05 ). Furthermore, in adjacent carcinoma tissue, the expression level of miR-9 in the males was lower than that in the females (P<0.05 ). In NSCLC tissue, the expression level of NRP1 mRNA had no relationship with sex,age,differentiation degree,TNM stage and clinical stage,but was significantly correlated to the histological subtype and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05).In NSCLC tissue,the expression level of miR-9 had no relationship with age, pathological type, lymph node metastasis, differentiation degree,TNM stage,and clinical stage (P>0.05),but was correlated to the sex (P<0.05). Conclusion:The expression level of miR-9 is up-regulated and the expression level of NRP1 mRNA is down-regulated significantly in non-small cell lung cancer tissue. The detection of the expression level of NRP1 mRNA contributes to j udge the histological subtype and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC.

Objective To investigate the distribution, clinical diagnosis and treatment methods of the extrapulmo-nary complications in children with mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Methods The clinical data of 1 100 patients confirmed the diagnosis of mycoplasma pneumonia and with the positive serum MP-IgM test were collected in this study. The distribu-tion and clinical characteristics and MP-DNA detection rates were compared between 417 patients with extrapulmonary com-plications and 683 cases without complications. The occurrence of various complications in a four-year period was analyzed. Clinical data were compared between fiberoptic bronchoscopy lavage group and non-surgical group. Results The MP-DNA detection rate and the length of hospital stay were higher in patients with pulmonary complications than those of patients without complications. The most common types of extrapulmonary complications were liver damage, skin rashes and gastrointestinal reactions , but less severe. Encephalitis, nephritis and myocarditis were rare complications, but severe and occult. The fatal hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) was also visible in patients. Bronchoscopy lavage was conducive to the recovery of the disease. Conclusion MP pneumonia showed high incidence and risks of extrapulmonary complica-tions, which required careful clinical observation and inspection, the dynamic monitoring laboratory markers and comprehen-sive treatment as well.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of adult stem cell transplantation for lethal mono-gene inherited disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). A total of 30 blood samples from DMD patients were genotyped with HLA-A,-B and -DR alleles by means of polymerase chain reaction-reverse sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-RSSO). The HLA gene types in 30 DMD patients were compared with those of 668 unrelated donors from Umbilical Cord Blood Center of Guangdong Province and 34 910 unrelated donors from Chinese Bone Marrow Bank. The results showed that HLA gene of the DMD group was inherited in normal distribution. There was no striking difference of HLA-A, -B and -DR alleles expression between the DMD patients group and control healthy group. 25% of the DMD patients got suitable donors for stem cell transplantation, in which 15 patients found donors with >or= 5/6 HLA match at the Umbilical Cord Blood Center of Guangdong Province, i.e. occupying 50% of the total. Eight patients got 6/6 HLA matching donors at the Chinese Bone Marrow Bank, i.e. occupying 26% of the total. It is concluded that stem cells transplantation therapy for DMD patients is feasible, which will benefit these patients suffered from the lethal neuromuscular disease, and create a new way to treat this tough nervous system disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Blood Banks ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Feasibility Studies ; Genotype ; HLA Antigens ; genetics ; Histocompatibility Testing ; methods ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; blood ; genetics ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of the dried roots of Zanthoxylum dimorphophyllumr. spinifolium and to find out the active constituents of the plant.

METHODModern chromatography was used to purify chemical constituents, and their structures were identified by various spectral methods.

RESULTFour compounds were isolated and identified as isopimpinellin (I), xanthoxyletin (II), 6-(2', 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (III), 6-(2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy, 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methybutyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (IV).

CONCLUSIONAll of the above compounds were isolated from the above mentioned plant for the first time.

Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Shuyusan decoction on neuropeptide Y (NPY) and serotonin (5-HT) expression in the hippocampus and plasma of rats with chronic mild unpredictable stressors depression.

METHODSFifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, namely the normal control group, model group, fluoxetine group, and high- and low-dose Shuyusan groups. Except for those in the normal control group, all the rats were subjected to chronic mild unpredicted stress for 21 consecutive days with corresponding treatments. Open-field test was used to assess the behavioral changes of the rats. The content of NPY in the hippocampus and plasma was detected by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunocytochemistry was used to determine the expression of 5-HT in the hippocampus.

RESULTSNPY levels in the hippocampus and plasma was significantly decreased in the model group as compared with that in the normal control group (P<0.05). Treatments with fluoxetine and high-dose Shuyusan both significantly increased NPY levels in the hippocampus and plasma in the depressive rats (P<0.05), resulting also in significantly increased 5-HT-immunoreactive neurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus and the average optical density (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONShuyusan decoction can effectively increase plasma and hippocampus NPY levels and the number of 5-HT-positive neurons in the cerebral cortex and happocampus of rats with chronic mild unpredictable stress-induced depression.

Animals ; Depression ; etiology ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Neuropeptide Y ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Stress, Physiological

AIMTo investigate the chemical constituents of tetraploidy Banlangen (Isatis indigotica Fort.).

METHODSCompounds were separated by chromatography on silica gel. Their structures were determined by spectral analysis and chemical evidence.

RESULTSThree compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as (E)-2-[(3'-indole) cyanomethylene]-3-indolinone (I), 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-4-[(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-methyl]-3- hydroxymethyl-tetrahydro-furan (II) and 2-methoxy-4-[tetrahydro-4-[(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-methyl]-3- hydroxymethyl-2-furanyl] phenyl-1-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (III).

CONCLUSIONCompound I is a new compound.

Indoles ; chemistry ; Isatis ; chemistry ; genetics ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; genetics ; Polyploidy

AIMTo investigate the chemical composition of the root of Salvia przewalskii Maxim.

METHODSCompounds were isolated by silica gel column chromatography. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectral analysis (EI-MS, FAB-MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, 1H-1H COSY, 1H-13C COSY, HMBC, NOESY) and phytochemical properties.

RESULTSEight compounds were isolated and identified as: tanshinone II-A (I), crypotanshinone (II), przewaquinone A (III), sugiol (IV), ursolic acid (V), 2 alpha, 3 alpha-dihydroxy urs-12-ene-28-acid (VI), oleanolic acid (VII), and neo-przewaquinone A (VIII).

CONCLUSIONCompound VIII is a new compound, and compound II, IV, V, VI and VII are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Heterocyclic Compounds, 4 or More Rings ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Oleanolic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Salvia ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study the morphological, ultramicrostructural and pathological changes of tissues from a patient with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

METHODSOne autopsy case of diagnosed SARS was investigated. Lung puncture was performed immediately after the patient died, and the autopsy was done after 12 h. The specimens from lymph nodes, spleen, small intestine, colon and bone marrow were studied by immunohistochemical technique. The antibodies used included CD20, CD45RO (UCHL-1), CD4, CD8, CD68 and CD34.

RESULTSThe principal lesions of the SARS case consisted of acute lobular intrastitial pneumonia, hyaloid membranes of pulmonic alveoli and hyperplasia and shedding of alveolar epithelium of. Virus-like inclusions occasionally contained cytoplasm of the alveolar epithelium, which were positive by histochemical staining. The adjacent blood-vessels were changed by hyperplasia and enlargement. The structures of lymph nodes and spleen were damaged with lymph follicles depletion and splenic nodules atrophy. The specific changes included reduction of lymphocytes and hyperplasia of histiocytes, depletion of the follicles of small intestine and colon wall, decreased hyperplasia of the bone marrow and increased number of the megakaryocyte. Meanwhile, in the immunohistochemical study, CD(20)(+) B cells were fully expressed in lymph nodes and spleen, and the CD45RO (UCHL-1)(+) T cells were scatteredly expressed. The number of CD4(+) help T cell was markedly decreased, while the number of CD8+ poisonal T cells increased, and the ratio of the former and latter was no more than 0.5. Under the electronic microscopy observation, virus-like particles with 80 - 160 nm diameter and halo or garland envelope were found in mononuclear macrophage and cytoplasm of alveolar epithelium.

CONCLUSIONThe specific lesions of SARS consist of lobular intrastitial pneumonia with the formation of hyaline membranes of lung, haemorrhage, necrosis, inflammation of blood vessels and the damages of extralung lymphohemopioetic system. The damages were very similar to the pathological features of tissues infected by human immunodeficiency virus, in which numbers of T cells decreased and CD(4)(+) T cell/CD(8)(+) T cell ratio was no more than 0.5. According to the virus-like particles found in lung of the SARS case, it is considered that these virus-like particles may be a new kind of coronavirus which caused the "atypical pneumonia".

Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung ; pathology ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; pathology