AIM:To investigate the correlation between matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9),tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1(TIMP-1),MMP-9/TIMP-1 and carotid atheromatous plaque stability in cerebral infarction patients.METHODS:80 patients with cerebral infarction were categorized as microemboli-negative group(n=70)and microemboli-positive group(n=10),20 normal human were served as control group.The MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels in plasma were determined by mean of ELISA in 3 groups.RESULTS:The levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in plasma were significantly higher in cerebral infarction patients than those in control group(P

Objective To investigate the effect of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) at 7.0T for tracing nerve tracts in rat brain in vivo. Methods With brain stereotactic apparatus, 0.4 μl Mncl_2 with aqueous solution of 1 mol/L was injected into the right somatosensory cortex of 9 SD rats. MR scan was performed for tracing corticospinal tracts and other coherent nerve tracts pre-, and 24, 48, 72 h, 7 days post-injection with 7.0T micro-MRI system, respectively. Results Corticospinal tracts were showed in intact after Mn~(2+) administration from somatosensory cortex, thalamus, cerebral peduncle to pons at the time point of 24, 48, 72 h and 7 days, while the best tdisplaying was achieved at 24-48 h after Mn~(2+) administration. Simultaneously a small quantity of Mn~(2+) reached the opposite somatosensory cortex through the corpus callosum. Conclusion MEMRI for tracing rat nerve tracts can be showed clearly with 7.0T MRI. The location of manganese-enhanced corticospinal tracts in agreement with the rat brain atlas in stereotaxic is in agreement with that Paxinos' published. MEMRI can display the relationship between the two sides of hemisphere, and may play an important role in investigating the brain function and nerve plasticity after nerve injury in vivo.

Objective To assess the value of whole cerebral perfusion weighted map (PWM) and whole cerebral perfusion blood volume (PBV) integrating in scan protocol about CT perfusion (CTP) combined with CT angiography (CTA) in acute cerebral infarction. Methods Twenty-three patients with acute cerebral infarction proved clinically underwent CTP examination combined with CTA. The color-coded images of PWM and PBV were attained using workstation, and the raw data of contract CTA images and subtractive images between contract CTA and non-contract CTA were processed. The diagnostic sensitivity and the value of CTP and PWM, PBV integrating CTP in acute cerebral infraction were evaluated. Results Seven of 9 patients with negative results on CTP images had positive expressions on PWM and PBV images. The sensitivity of CTP was 60.87% and the sensitivity of PWM and PBV integrating CTP was 91.30%. Conclusion The scan protocol of PWM, PBV integrating CTP not only increases detection rate of acute cerebral infraction, but also has ability to predict the clinical prognosis of patients with cerebral infraction.

Objective This study is undertaken to evaluate the changes of serum cytokine levels in different stages of collagen induced arthritis(CIA)rats,to search for the specific proteins related with rheuma- toid arthritis(RA)pathogenesis and inflammation,and to explore the mechanism of RA pathogenesis.Methods Rat cytokine antibody array coated with 19 specific cytokine antibodies was used to examine serum samples at peak and late stage of CIA rats,and were compared to normal cytokine levels.At the same time,ELISA assay for serum TNF-?production was used to verify the array results.Results Among the target cytokines,10 up- regulating cytokines were kept in high expression in different phases of disease,while 1 showed significant change only at the peak of disease.There was no downregnlating cytokines in the results.Serum TNF-?assay results were consistent to the array results.Conclusion Cytokines show different expression in CIA at differ- ent stages,and specific cytokines can be used as the candidates to further study of the RA pathogenesis.This study also provides molecular makers for early diagnosis.

Animals ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Male ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Physical Endurance ; physiology ; Quadriceps Muscle ; metabolism ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the procedures of dynamic infusion cavernosometry and cavernosography (DICC) and their application in the diagnosis and classification of venous erectile dysfunction (VED).

METHODSThis study included 103 ED patients, aged 20 to 43 years, highly suspected of VED, with disease courses of 4 months to 6 years. DICC was performed and analyses were made on the results, especially the parameters of flow-to-maintain (FTM) and pressure decay (PD) in the corpus cavernosum.

RESULTSBased on the parameters of FTM and PD, 21 of the patients were normal, 5 were suspected of VED, 39 had mild VED, 25 had moderate VED, and 13 had severe VED. Penile subcutaneous hematoma was found in 4 of the patients, all recovered after 3 to 5 days, with no other complications.

CONCLUSIONDICC is a reliable, safe and minimally invasive method for the diagnosis and classification of VED.

Diagnostic Techniques, Urological ; adverse effects ; Hematoma ; etiology ; Humans ; Impotence, Vasculogenic ; classification ; diagnosis ; Male ; Penile Diseases ; etiology ; Penis ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Veins

Salvianolic acid A (Sal A) is one of the most effective compounds isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Up to now, several studies regarding the pharmacokinetic profiles of Sal A have been reported, however there is no such study reported in monkeys, the species which is more similar to human. The aim of this study is to develop a LC-MS method for the determination of Sal A in monkey plasma and apply it to the pharmacokinetic studies of monkeys. After single intravenous administration of Sal A, the plasma concentration-time curves were observed and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. The plasma concentration at 2 min (C2 (min)) values were (28.343 ± 6.426), (45.679 ± 12.301) and (113.293 ± 24.360) mg x L(-1) for Rhesus monkeys treated with Sal A at 2.5, 5 and 10 mg x kg(-1). The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC(0-∞)) values were (3.316 ± 0.871), (5.754 ± 2.150) and (13.761 ± 2.825) μg x L(-1) x h, respectively. Furthermore, this method was improved and applied to the simultaneous determination of Sal A, Sal B and Sal C, which provided useful information for preclinical studies and clinical trials of Sal A, Sal B and Sal C.
Administration, Intravenous ; Animals ; Caffeic Acids ; pharmacokinetics ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; Lactates ; pharmacokinetics ; Macaca mulatta ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

Objective To evaluate the screening effect of osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) in middle aged and elderly healthy men in Chengdu.Methods A total of 4042 healthy men aged 40 to 106 years received dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assay,and OSTA index evaluation.Measurement sites included lumbar spine (L1-4),left femoral neck,trochanter,Ward's area,total hip and femoral shaft.All persons were classified into highosteoporosis-group (OSTA≤-4),mediumosteoporosis-group (-4 ＜ OSTA≤≤-1),low osteoporosis-group (OSTA＞-1),or the low risk-group (OSTA＞-1) and high risk-group (OSTA≤-1) by OSTA scores.T-scores were compared between different measurement sites detected by DXA.The sensitivity,specificity,Kappa value and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of OSTA in screening osteoporosis were evaluated.Results The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in lumbar spine,proximal femur were gradually increased along with aging.The detection rate of osteoporosis in lumbar spine and proximal femur were 16.2％ and 24.0％ respectively in subjects aged over 80 years.OSTA index in low-risk,medium-risk group,high-risk group were 85.0％,11.0％,4.0％ respectively.The detection rate of osteoporosis in lumbar spine and proximal femur were 2.6％ and 1.6％ in low-risk group,10.4％ and 10.4％ in medium-risk group,and 29.3％ and 30.5％ in high-risk group,respectively.Taking OSTA ≤-1 as the cut-off value,the sensitivity and specificity of OSTA in screening osteoporosis in lumbar spine and femur by T-score＜-1 were 28.1％,28.7 ％,89.0％ and 92.4％ respectively,and by T-score≤-2.5 were 51.6％,63.2％,86.7％ and 86.8％ respectively.The consistency of diagnosis result between T-score and OSTA index according to the three versus two risk levels was 0.153 and 0.197 versus 0.195 and 0.243 Kappa value,respectively.The AUC of OSTA index for lumbar spine and femur by T-score＜-1 and T-score≤-2.5 were 0.689 and 0.823,and for different age groups and different measurement sites were 0.639 and 0.899 (all P＜0.001).Conclusions OSTA index has a certain ability in screening osteoporosis in men aged over 50 years.There are different screening results on osteoporosis among the different age groups.

The paper is aimed to study the difference in yield and quality at different harvest time and determine the optimum harvest of planting Gentiana in Ludian traditional harvest period. The authors analyzed the variation in fresh weight, dry weight, dry discount rate, length, diameter, volume and the content of gentiopicroside, loganin acid, alcohol-soluble extract and total ash and made a comprehensive appraisal of yield, appearance quality and intrinsic quality by gray relational distance ideal Comprehensive Evaluation method. The results showed that there is a big difference in yield and quality both 2-year-old and 3-year-old Gentiana harvested in traditional harvest period and the comprehensive evaluation more better when harvested more later. It can be seen, Gentiana harvested the later had a better yield and quality in Ludian traditional harvest period. The harvest of Gentiana can be appropriate delayed depending on the particular circumstances of production.
Agriculture ; methods ; China ; Gentiana ; anatomy & histology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Iridoid Glucosides ; metabolism ; Organ Size ; Quality Control ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for the determination of mildronate in human plasma and urine,and to study the pharmacokinetic characteristics in healthy volunteers. METHODS:After precipitating plasma and urine sample,LC-MS/MS method was adopted. Dikma Diamonsil C18 column was used with mobile phase consisted of methanol-water(containing 0.2% for-mic acid,0.3% ammonium acetate)(31∶69,V/V)at the flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. ESI was adopted in MRM mode,by using nega-tive ion. The ion for quantitative analysis were m/z 147.10→58.20 (mildronate) and m/z 152.00→110.10 (internal standard,acet-aminophen). The pharmacokinetic parameters of mildronate with single administration and multiple administration were calculated by using DAS 2.1 software and compared. RESULTS:The linear range of mildronate in plasma were 0.02-20 ng/ml(r=0.999 3) and in urine were 0.05-40 ng/ml(r=0.998 2). The lowest limits of quantitation were 0.02 and 0.05 ng/ml. Precision and recovery met the requirements of biological specimen determination,and endogenous impurities hadn’t effect on the determination. The main pharmacokinetics parameters of low-dose,medium-dose and low-dose(250,500,750 mg)of mildronate in plasma with single ad-ministration were as follows:t1/2 were(3.39±0.81),(5.52±0.57)and(5.32±0.96)h;tmax were(0.80±0.45),(1.38±0.43)and (1.10±0.36)h;cmax were(4.17±1.46),(8.08±1.04)and(15.04±1.86)ng/ml;AUC0-36 h were(24.55±5.81),(45.50±7.07)and (85.60 ± 13.09)ng·h/ml. In the dose range,cmax,AUC0-36 h h had a linear relationship with dose (R2 were 0.974 5 and 0.968 3). The main pharmacokinetic parameters of low-dose of mildronate with multiple administration after keeping stable were as follows:cmin was(0.28 ± 0.10)ng/ml;AUCs was(38.78 ± 4.18)ng·h/ml;cs was(1.62 ± 0.17)ng/ml;DF was(3.81 ± 1.14);t1/2 was(6.17 ± 1.46)h;tmax was(1.20 ± 0.33)h;cmax was(6.46 ± 1.96)ng/ml;AUC0-36 h was(40.33 ± 4.65)ng·h/ml;accumulation factor of cmax and AUC were(1.73±0.90)and(1.64±0.40). Compared with single administration,t1/2,cmax and AUC of mildronate with multiple admin-istration after keeping stable all changed,and tmax had no signifi-cant difference. After single administration,26 h accumulative excretion rate of those groups were (0.004 009 ± 0.001 1)%, (0.004 026±0.001 01)% and(0.003 858±0.000 68)% respec-tively. CONCLUSIONS:Established method is sensitive,accurate and specific,and suitable for the determination of mildronate concentration in human plasma and urine and pharmacokinetics study. Mildronate capsule shows certain accumulation effect in healthy volunteers,and linear pharmacokinetic characteristics.