OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Xinshuai Mistura (XM) on plasma angiotensin II (Ang II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and N terminal pro- brain natriuretic peptide (Nt-proBNP) in patients with heart failure (HF).

METHODSFifty-nine patients with HF (NYHA class II-IV) were randomly divided into two groups, the treated group treated with XM and the control group with Wuling Pulvis (WP), both on the base of captopril treatment. The treatment course was two weeks. Plasma levels of Ang II , ANP and Nt-proBNP were observed.

RESULTSThe plasma levels of Ang I, ANP and Nt-proBNP showed an ascending tendency along with the increasing in severity of HF(P < 0.01), and significantly decreased after treatment in the treated group (P < 0.01), but with no remarkable difference as compared with those in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONXM had definite therapeutic effects on excessive neuroendocrine activation in HF patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Angiotensin II ; blood ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; blood ; Captopril ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; blood ; Peptide Fragments ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Single-Blind Method ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the role of intraleisonal pingyangmycin in the treatment of maxilla and facial vascular malformation.Methods A total of 160 cases with vein malformation were divided into two groups randomly,and were injected pinyangmycin and sod morrhuate,respectively.Results The size of the swelling reduced by 50% or more in 74 patients(92.5%) and by 75% or more in 64 patients(80%) in pinyangmycin group;the size of the swelling reduced by 50% or more in 50 patients(62.5%) and by 75% or more in 34 patients(42.5%) in sod morrhuate group;there was a significant difference in the two groups.Conclusion Intralesional injection of pinyangmycin is an easy,safe,and effective therapeutic method in venous malformation.

Murine norovirus (MNV) was first discovered in mice in 2003. MNV is a member of the genus Norovirus in the family Caliciviridae. It is one of the most important and prevalent pathogens of laboratory mice, and almost all mouse strains are susceptible to MNV infection. In this study, a MNV strain was isolated from the cecal contents of infected mice and identified by the cytopathic effect (CPE) assay, virus plaque assay, 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) assay, electron microscopy, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and nucleotide sequencing. On infection, the RAW264.7 cell line showed obvious cytopathic effects within 24 to 48 hours post-inoculation, as infected cells became rounded, bright and shrunken, with ultimate disintegration of the cell sheet. After the isolation of the MNV virus, the virus was plaque-purified in RAW264.7 cells. The TCID50 of the virus was 10(5.25/0.1 mL. Electron microscopic observations of the purified virus showed the presence of spherical and non-enveloped viral particles that were 30 to 35 nm in diameter. According to the identification results, the isolate was named as MNV Guangzhou/K162/09/CHN. Thereafter, five overlapping gene fragments that covered the entire open reading frame (ORF) were amplified by RT-PCR, and the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) and 5'-UTR were amplified using the 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and the 5'-RACE method, respectively. Each of the gene fragments were cloned and sequenced, and whole genome sequences of the strain were obtained by assembling the cDNA fragment sequences. The results showed that the length of the complete genome was 7 380 nucleotides (GenBank accession number: HQ317203). The comparison of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the isolate was performed against other MNV strains in the GenBank database. A phylogenetic tree based on VP1 nucleotide sequences was constructed using MEGA5.0 software. The homology of nucleotides between the MNV Guangzhou/K162/09/CHN strain and other MNV isolates ranged from 87.4% to 89.7%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that there was a close genetic relationship between the Guangzhou/K162/09/CHN strain and MNV strains isolated from Japan (S7-P2 and S7-PP3 isolates), Korea (K4 isolate), and Germany (Berlin/04/06/DE and Berlin/05/06/DE isolates). This is the first report of the isolation and identification of MNV in China, and the first report of the genetic analysis of its complete genome.
Animals ; Caliciviridae Infections ; veterinary ; virology ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Norovirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Rodent Diseases ; virology ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Viral Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate osthole effect on femoral tissue resorption activity of rat in vitro.

METHODSSix SD rats weighted (80 ± 5) g were used to isolate and culture femoral tissue (diaphyses and metaphysis) in vitro. The cultured tissue were devided into control group, estradiol group and osthole group. The femoral tissue was treated with final concentration of 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol culture in vitro at 48 hours after cultured. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (StrACP) activity, glucose and Lactic acid content, StrACP, MCSF (Macrophage colony stimulating factor) and CTSK (Cathepsin K) mRNA was detected by Real-Time RT-PCR were detected.

RESULTSConcetration of Alkaline phosphatase activity were 2226 and 2498 in 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol respectively. As compared with control group, the activity of StrACP of 1 x 10(-5) mol/L osthole and 1 x 10(-8) mol/L estradiol were inhibited at 6, 9, 12 days (P < 0.05); under treatment of in l x 10(-5) mol/L osthole, the content of Lactic acid were increased and the content of glucose were decreased at 3, 6, 9 days (P < 0.05); StrACP, MCSF and CTSK mRNA expression level were inhibited at 6, 9 days (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOsthole can inhibit bone resorption and raise the level of nutrition metabolism of femurs tissue.

Acid Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bone Resorption ; prevention & control ; Coumarins ; pharmacology ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Femur ; drug effects ; Glucose ; analysis ; Lactic Acid ; analysis ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Alphavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; Chikungunya virus ; Humans

Objective To establish serological detection methods of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8).Methnds Three potent antigenic fusion proteins.K8.1,ORF65 and ORF73 C of HHV- 8 were synthesized using E.coli system.The sera were detected using lhese antigenic proteins.The positive sera were from 12 patients with Kaposi's sarcoma and 32 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related Kaposi's sarcoma.The negative sera were from 20 patients with cutaneous tumors and children under 15 years old.Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EI.ISA)were employed to determine the immunogenicity of each recombinant protein and the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA using the complex antigens.Results Three types highly purified HHV 8 specific recombinant pro teins with potent antigenicity were successfully synthesized.The sensitivity of ELISA using the above complex antigens was significantly higher than traditional immuno-flurescent assay (IFA)detecting the positive and negative sera,whieh were 81.8%,34.4%,respectively.And the specificity of ELISA was 97.9%.Conclusion K8.1,ORF65 and ORE73 C are good candidate antigens for establishing HHV-8 serological detection methods,which have better sensitivity and specificity.

Codon ; Dengue Virus ; chemistry ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; Genes, Viral ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Viral Structural Proteins ; genetics

AIMAccumulated evidence suggest that the development of vascular calcification is similar to osteogenesis. Here we want to elucidate the effect of the common used osteo-regulatory factor 1,25(OH)2D3 on vascular calcification.

METHODS AND RESULTSAdding 10(-9) mol/L to the culture media 1,25(OH)2D3 time dependently increased the calcium deposition on the in vitro calcification of bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (BVSMCs) induced by beta-GP. It also increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity by 301.1% during the calcified process. Osteocalcin, one of the osteogenic specific metric proteins, was dramatically elevated by 58.3% during the calcified processes, which indicate the transformation of BVSMCs to osteoblastic cell. 1,25(OH)2D3 had no such effect on non-calcified BVSMCs.

CONCLUSIONThese data suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 exerts a stimulatory effect on vascular calcification through increasing the synthesis of ALP. This effect shares the same character as osteoblast cells. This effect is limited to the calcified prone vascular cell.

Animals ; Calcitriol ; metabolism ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Osteocalcin ; metabolism ; Vascular Calcification ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vitamin D ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

Most chemical medicines have polymorphs. The difference of medicine polymorphs in physicochemical properties directly affects the stability, efficacy, and safety of solid medicine products. Polymorphs is incomparably important to pharmaceutical chemistry, manufacturing, and control. Meantime polymorphs is a key factor for the quality of high-end drug and formulations. Polymorph prediction technology can effectively guide screening of trial experiments, and reduce the risk of missing stable crystal form in the traditional experiment. Polymorph prediction technology was firstly based on theoretical calculations such as quantum mechanics and computational chemistry, and then was developed by the key technology of machine learning using the artificial intelligence. Nowadays, the popular trend is to combine the advantages of theoretical calculation and machine learning to jointly predict crystal structure. Recently, predicting medicine polymorphs has still been a challenging problem. It is expected to learn from and integrate existing technologies to predict medicine polymorphs more accurately and efficiently.

Objective To study the clinical efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy using standardized dermatophagoides farinae extract for children with combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome. Methods Fifty-two children, from 4 to 14 years of age, with mite-sensitive combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome were treated sublingually with standardized dermatophagoides farinae extract. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by monthly follow-up visits. After treatment for 1 or 2 years using the standardized dermatophagoides farinae extract, the asthma and rhinitis symptom scores, medication scores and adverse reactions before and after treatment were evaluated. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results The allergic asthma symptom scores before treatment during the day were 3. 22 ±0. 66 and at night 2.05 ±0. 57. After 1 year of treatment, the day and night scores ( 1. 68 ± 0. 61 , 0. 94 ± 0. 32) respectively, were decreased significantly (q values were 15. 25 and 13. 78 respectively, all P < 0. 01 ). After 2 years of treatment, the scores (0. 61 ± 0. 28, 0. 43 ±0. 13 ) were also decreased significantly ( q values were 10. 29 and 6. 07 respectively, all P < 0. 01 ). The allergic rhinitis symptom scores and medication scores were 2. 34 ± 0. 59 and 3. 09 ±1.01 respectively before treatment and 1.21 ± 0. 46 and 1. 89 ±0. 64 after 1 year of treatment. The differences were significant ( q values were 15. 48 and 18. 61 respectively, all P<0.01). The allergic rhinitis symptom scores and medication scores were 1.02 ±0.37 and 1.49 ± 0. 38 after 2 years of treatment. There was no significant difference between 2 years of treatment and 1 year of treatment(q values were 2.53 and 2.78 respectively, all P >0.05). There were no severe adverse events during the treatment, except for mild mouth cavity discomfort. Conclusions Suhlingual immunotherapy using standardized dermatophagoides farinae extract is safe and effective in the treatment ofchildren with combined allergic rhinitis and asthma syndrome.