OBJECTIVETo evaluate the time course of granulocyte-colony-stimulating-factor (G-CSF), estrogen and various doses of atorvastatin on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) mobilization.

METHODA total of 48 male New Zealand White rabbits were treated with placebo, estrogen (0.25 mg.k(-1).d(-1)), Atorvastatin (2.5, 5, or 10 mg) and G-CSF (50 microg/rabbit/d), respectively. Peripheral EPCs number was surveyed weekly for 4 weeks by FACS analysis (double-positive for PE-CD34/FITC-CD133) and under fluorescent microscope (double-positive for FITC-UEA-1/Dil-acLDL). Serum nitric oxide (NO) and lipids were also measured at the third week.

RESULTSPeripheral EPCs was significantly increased in G-CSF treated animals and remained constant for 4 weeks compared to placebo treated animals. Atorvastatin increased peripheral EPCs dose-dependently from 2.5 to 5 mg and peaked at the third week while peripheral EPCs number was not affected by 10 mg.k(-1).d(-1) atorvastatin during the first 3 weeks and was significantly higher only in the fourth week compared to placebo group. Estrogen also significantly increased peripheral EPCs at the third and fourth week compared to placebo group. At the third week, serum NO was similar in G-CSF group, significantly higher in atorvastatin 5 mg.k(-1).d(-1) and estrogen groups while significantly lower in atorvastatin 10 mg.k(-1).d(-1) group compared to placebo group. Serum lipids were similar among various groups.

CONCLUSIONAtorvastatin, estrogen and G-CSF could mobilize EPCs. The mobilization efficacy is as follows: G-CSF > atorvastatin 5 mg.k(-1).d(-1) > estrogen > atorvastatin 2.5 mg.k(-1).d(-1) > atorvastatin 10 mg.k(-1).d(-1). NO might partly contribute to the mobilizing effect of estrogen and atorvastatin.

Animals ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Estrogens ; pharmacology ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Pyrroles ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Recombinant Proteins ; Stem Cells ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of short-term forest bathing on human health.

METHODSTwenty healthy male university students participated as subjects and were randomly divided into two groups of 10. One group was sent on a two-night trip to a broad-leaved evergreen forest, and the other was sent to a city area. Serum cytokine levels reflecting inflammatory and stress response, indicators reflecting oxidative stress, the distribution of leukocyte subsets, and plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentrations were measured before and after the experiment to evaluate the positive health effects of forest environments. A profile of mood states (POMS) evaluation was used to assess changes in mood states.

RESULTSNo significant differences in the baseline values of the indicators were observed between the two groups before the experiment. Subjects exposed to the forest environment showed reduced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory level, as evidenced by decreased malondialdehyde, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor a levels compared with the urban group. Serum cortisol levels were also lower than in the urban group. Notably, the concentration of plasma ET-1 was much lower in subjects exposed to the forest environment. The POMS evaluation showed that after exposure to the forest environment, subjects had lower scores in the negative subscales, and the score for vigor was increased.

CONCLUSIONForest bathing is beneficial to human health, perhaps through preventive effects related to several pathological factors.

Baths ; China ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Life Style ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Male ; Nature ; Recreation ; Stress, Physiological ; Testosterone ; blood ; Trees ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo detect absorbed bioactive compounds of the water extract whose pharmacodynamic effect was craniocerebral protection for quality control assessment.

METHODSAnthraquinones in water extract of rhubarb (WER), in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in ipsilateral cortex of TBI rats following oral WER were respectively explored by ultra performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA) method developed in the present study. The effects of anthraquinones absorbed into injured cortex on superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity in TBI rats were detected. The antioxidative anthraquinones absorbed into target organ were evaluated for quality control of WER.

RESULTSAnthraquinones in WER were aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion. Only the last anthraquinone was found in CSF and in ipsilateral cortex under this chromatographic condition. Physcion increased SOD activity in TBI rats significantly.

CONCLUSIONSPhyscion was the main active compound of rhubarb against craniocerebral injury via antioxidant pathway. According to our strategy, the exploration of physcion suggested the possibility of a novel quality control of WER in treating TBI injury.

Absorption ; drug effects ; Animals ; Anthraquinones ; cerebrospinal fluid ; chemistry ; Biological Products ; analysis ; cerebrospinal fluid ; chemistry ; Brain Injuries ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Chromatography, Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Emodin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Limit of Detection ; Linear Models ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reference Standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry

To develop a reverse genetics system of Peste des petits ruminants virus(PPRV), five pairs of oligonucleotide primers were designed on the basis of the full-length genomic sequence of PPRV Nigeria 75/ 1 strain. Using RT-PCR technique, five over-lapping cDNA fragments, designated as JF1, JF2, JF3, JF4 and JF5, respectively, were amplified, followed by cloning into pcDNA3.1(+)vector. An AscI restriction enzyme site and a T7 promoter sequence were introduced immediately upstream of 5'-end, while a PacI restriction enzyme site was engineered downstream of 3'-end. Using pok12 as a plasmid vector, the full-length cDNA clone pok12-PPRV of Nigeria 75/1 was assembled by connecting the five cDNA fragments via the unique restriction endonuclease site of PPRV genome. The resultant nucleotide sequence of the PPRV Nigeria 75/1 strain in the study was compared with other members of genus morbillivirus, and phylogenetic analysis was used to examine the evolutionary relationships. The results showed that PPRV Nigeria 75/ 1 was antigenically closely related to Rinderpest virus and Measles virus. Successful construction of full-length cDNA clone of PPRV Nigeria 75/1 strain lays the basis rescuing PPRV effectively and enables further research of PPRV at molecular level.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Genome, Viral ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants ; virology ; Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus ; classification ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo develop 22 Chinese Mandarin monosyllable lists with good psychometrical equivalence. This study was to evaluate the test-retest reliability of these lists when it was used in speech recognition test in normal hearing dialectal speakers.

METHODSSeven cities including Dalian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Fuzhou and Xiamen were selected as testing centers which contain 6 typical Chinese dialectal regions including north of China, East of China, north of Fujian, south of Fujian, Guangdong and mid-south of China. At each center, 22 local normal hearing people were selected to join this study. Every participant was tested by each recognition test of all 22 lists twice in two sessions and same test order respectively. The second run of testing was carried out within 10 days-1 month since first run of testing.

RESULTSThere was a significant correlations between scores obtained at the two sessions (r = 0.682, P < 0.01). Paired student-t test had shown that a gross score of all dialectal participants was significantly higher than that of initial test to retest (P < 0.01). The mean increment of score was (2.7 +/- 10.1)%. A significant difference of test-retest score in 7 sites was 19.8% and it was equal to 5 test items. A one way ANOVA analysis had indicated that there were statistically significant difference between the score improvement of 7 test sites (P < 0.01). Another analysis had shown that there was no significant correlation between test-retest score improvement and intra-session intervals (P = 0.947).

CONCLUSIONSMandarin monosyllabic recognition test seems to be more stable, and the present study has indicated a systematic differences in Chinese Mandarin monosyllable recognition scores between test and retest. Monosyllable recognition test is not susceptible to memory effect. Pearson's correction analysis is not suitable to evaluation for test-retest reliability.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Analysis of Variance ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Audiometry, Speech ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Reproducibility of Results ; Speech Discrimination Tests ; Young Adult

UHPLC-QTOF/MS technique was used to study the differences of lignans and their metabolites derived from Schisandra chinensis and vinegar Schisandra chinensis in rat plasma, bile, urine and faeces by the data processing techniques such as the dynamic background subtract (DBS), mass defect filtering (MDF) and enhance peak list (EPL) in analysis. In order to enhance accuracy for Schisandra chinensis hepatoprotective effect, we established rat acute alcoholic liver injury model in this experiment, and studied the prototype components and metabolisms of Schisandra lignans in vivo under pathological condition. The main ingredients of alcohol extract are lignans, including deoxyschizandrin, schisandrin B, schizandrin C, schizandrol, schizandrol B, schisantherin, schisantherin B, schisanhenol, gomisin G, gomisin J. The metabolic transformation of lignans in rats was mainly induced by methylation, hydroxyl, oxidation, and so on. Finally, we identified 6 kinds of prototype components and their 20 potential metabolites in Schisandra chinensis group and vinegar Schisandra chinensis group.

This study analyzed the main chemical components of Zhuru Decoction via ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS), and then predicted the mechanism of Zhuru Decoction in clearing heat, resolving phlegm, detoxifying, and treating vomiting and alcohol-related vomiting caused by heat in stomach based on network pharmacology. The gradient elution was conducted in Agilent ZORBAX extend-C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) and the column temperature of 35 ℃. The MS adopted the positive and negative ion mode of electrospray ionization(ESI), and the data were collected in the scanning range of m/z 100-1 500. A total of 98 compounds in Zhuru Decoction were identified via BATMAN, SYMMAP, TCMSP, and relevant literature, including 36 flavonoids, 7 triterpenoids, 8 gingerols, 20 organic acids, 5 amino acids, and 22 other compounds. On the basis of the available studies, 9 components were selected as index components, and the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was established with STRING 11.0. Finally, 10 core targets associated with the pharmacodynamic effect were screened out. This study established the UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method for identifying the chemical components in the classic prescription Zhuru Decoction, and employed network pharmacology to explore the core targets of its efficacy, which provided a refe-rence for the quality control and the research of the pharmacodynamic substances of Zhuru Decoction.
Humans ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Network Pharmacology ; Vomiting

The safety of traditional Chinese medicine is affected by many factors, and the influence of exogenous harmful substances has been concerned and become a hot spot in recent years, especially heavy metals, pesticide residues and some other harmful substances. In order to explore the effects of non-soil and non-pesticide treatment on residues of these two harmful substances, the heavy metals and agricultural residues of Lilii Bulbus were detected, and the correlation of the data was analyzed. In this experiment, heavy metals and pesticide residues of Scrophulariae Radix were detected, and correlation analysis was conducted for their data. The mechanism of transport phase was interpreted with statistical moment similarity tool of total fingerprint by supramolecular chemistry theory. A large number of experimental data in this paper showed that heavy metals and pesticide contents in Lilii Bulbus basaltifolia had a positive correlation, which was closely related to supramolecular phenomena. Moreover, the similarity of fingerprints between Lilii Bulbus and Scrophulariae Radix suggested that Lilii Bulbus and Scrophulariae Radixa had a high selectivity in absorption of agricultural residues, which proved that the absorption of pesticides in Lilii Bulbus and Scrophulariae Radix from different habitats had the function of supramolecular imprinting template. It was considered that medicinal plant was a giant complex supramolecule with various levels of " imprinted template" . Heavy metals and agricultural residues were also involved in plant growth, forming an " imprinted template" for the formation of supramolecules between agricultural residues and heavy metals. After heavy metals and agricultural residues formed supramolecules, their liposolubility and permeability changed in varying degrees, and their transport in medicinal plants was promoted. Finally, the heavy metal supramolecules of pesticides were absorbed, distributed, aggregated and accumulated in plants. The purpose of the study was to reveal the mechanism of heavy metal and pesticide supramolecule transport, provide a new direction for the treatment of heavy metals and pesticide residues, and ensure the safety of traditional Chinese medicine.

In this study, CM-5 spectrophotometer and Heracles NEO ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose were used to analyze the changes in color and odor of vinegar-processed Cyperi Rhizoma(VPCR) pieces. Various analysis methods such as DFA and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were combined to identify different processing degrees and quantify the end point of processing. The results showed that with the increase in vinegar processing, the brightness parameter L~* of VPCR pieces decreased gradua-lly, while the red-green value a~* and yellow-blue value b~* initially increased and reached their maximum at 8 min of processing, followed by a gradual decrease. A discriminant model based on the color parameters L~*, a~*, and b~* was established(with a discrimination accuracy of 98.5%), which effectively differentiated different degrees of VPCR pieces. Using the electronic nose, 26 odor components were identified from VPCR samples at different degrees of vinegar processing. DFA and PLS-DA models were established for different degrees of VPCR pieces. The results showed that the 8-min processed samples were significantly distinct from other samples. Based on variable importance in projection(VIP) value greater than 1, 10 odor components, including 3-methylfuran, 2-methylbuty-raldehyde, 2-methylpropionic acid, furfural, and α-pinene, were selected as odor markers for differentiating the degrees of vinegar processing in VPCR. By combining the changes in color and the characteristic odor components, the optimal processing time for VPCR was determined to be 8 min. This study provided a scientific basis for the standardization of vinegar processing techniques for VPCR and the improvement of its quality standards and also offered new methods and ideas for the rapid identification and quality control of the end point of processing for other traditional Chinese medicine.
Acetic Acid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Electronics

Zhenwutang is the classic formula of Wenyang Lishui in " Treatise on Febrile Diseases" . It consists of five kinds of medicines, namely Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, Poria, Paeoniae Radix Alba or Paeoniae Radix Rubra. It has been included in the Catalogue of Ancient Classics (The First Batch) issued by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2018.There are two articles in the " Treatise on Febrile Diseases" about the syndromes of Zhenwutang. On the basis of Article 82 of the Chapter of Taiyang disease, the Taiyang disease is demonstrated by sweating, but after that the patient still suffers from fever, epigastric throb, dizziness and shiver, this shall be treated with Zhenwutang. According to Article 316 of the chapter of Shaoyin disease, Shaoyin disease lasts for two or three days, until the fourth and fifth days, and is demonstrated by abdominal pain, difficult urination, severe pain in the limbs and diarrhea, the patient have a cough, diuresis, diarrhea and vomit, this shall be treated with Zhenwutang. The original texts discuss the basic pathogenesis is edema syndrome due to Yin and Yang deficiency, with symptoms of unfavorable urination, heavy limbs or edema, pale tongue, white moss and heavy pulse as dialectical points. In terms of the compatibility of prescriptions, usage and dosage, and the interpretation of prescriptions, this paper examines Zhenwutang syndromes in " Treatise on Febrilediseases" , summarizes the material basic research of Zhenwutang, and provides the basis for the quality control of its compound pharmacodynamics. This study summarizes the progress of pharmacological research for Zhenwutang in recent years, finds that Zhenwutang has many efficacies, such as cardiotonic, diuretic, lowering lipid, anti-oxidation, improving renal function and balancing of water and liquid metabolism, lists traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes treated with Zhenwutang, such as heart palpitations, edema, cough, abdominal pain, sipping, dizziness, and Western medicine diseases, like congestive heart failure, pulmonary heart disease, bronchial asthma, chronic colitis, cirrhosis, ascites, chronic glomerulonephritis, chronic renal failure, benign prostatic hyperplasia and Meniere's syndrome, expounds the principle of Zhenwutang for " treating different diseases with the same therapy" , in order to provide useful reference for the research and development and clinical application of Zhenwutang and more classic prescriptions.