OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy differences between fire needling therapy and oxycycline tablets for the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris.

METHODSSixty cases of moderate to severe acne vulgaris were randomly divided into a fire needling group and a medication group, 30 cases in each one. The pricking method of fire needling at Ashi points around damaged skin was applied in the fire needling group, once every five days for totally 4 times. The oral administration of oxycycline tablets, 100 mg, was applied in the medication group, twice daily for 20 days, also external application of adapalene gel before sleep was adopted. The fading time of skin damage, including papule, pustule, nodule and cyst in the two groups was recorded and clinical efficacy was compared. After the treatment, two-month follow-up was performed to observe the recurrence rate in the two groups.

RESULTSThe curative rate was 69.0% (20/29) in the fire needling group, which was statistically different from 40.0% (12/30) in the medication group (P < 0.05). The fading time of each type of skin damage in the fire needling group was shorter than that in the medication group [papule: (2.67 +/- 0.66) d vs (4.36 +/- 0.61) d; pustule: (2.47 +/- 0.57) d vs (4.27 +/- 0.55) d; nodule: (7.76 +/- 1.06) d vs (9.88-1.30) d; cyst: (11.81 +/- 1.54) d vs (14.79 +/- 0.89) d, all P < 0.05]. The recurrence rate was 46.4% (13/28) in the fire needling group, which was not significantly different from 44.0% (11/24) in the medication group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe acne vulgaris could be fast and effectively treated by fire needling therapy, which has shorter fading time than oxycycline tablets. However, the preventive effect is not different between the two theraies.

Acne Vulgaris ; therapy ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE To investigates the effects of imperatorin on the oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS Transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in male Sprague-Dawley rats was induced by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h reperfusion. Imperatorin (1.25 and 2.5 mg·kg- 1) or vehicle were administered intraperitoneally at 1, 5 and 9 h after the onset of ischemia. At 24 h after reperfusion, the biomarkers of oxidative stress such as the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activities of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed. We also assessed the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) protein expression by Western blot. RESULTS As compared to vehicle-treated animals, imperatorin treatment significantly reduced the ROS, MDA, NO levels and iNOS activity, increased T-AOC and the activities of SOD and CAT. Furthermore, imperatorin treatment also significantly induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, enhanced the protein expression of HO-1 and NQO-1 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that imperatorin can protect the brain against the excessive oxidative stress induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway.

A.Conclusion The inhalation of yellow phosphorus and its compounds in rats may induce intoxication of rats with manifestations of ALI/ARDS.Xuebijing injection and decadron have therapeutic effects on such intoxication,then Xuebijing injection combined with both decadron can decrease decadron dosage.

For screening the potential drugs as anti-liver fibrosis candidates, we established a high- throughput drug screening cell model based on COL1A1 promoter. The activity of COL1A1 promoter and luciferase reporter gene can be elevated by TGF-β1, and inhibited by candidate drugs. We constructed a recombined plasmid with COL1A1 promoter and luciferase reporter gene pGL4.17, the activity of COL1A1 promoter was reflected by fluorescence intensity. COL1A1 promoter activity was detected by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System, it came that the relative luciferase activity of COL1A1 promoter was 15.98 times higher than that of control group induced by TGF-β1, showing the recombined plasmid could be used in cell model. The recombined plasmid was transfected into human hepatic stellate cells LX2, detected the effect of potential drugs, and obtained a stable expression system through stable transfection and monoclonal cell culture. A sample which could reduce COL1A1 promoter activity signally by our cell model, decreased collagen I mRNA and protein expression detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting. It indicates this novel cell model can be used in high-throughput drug screening of potential anti-liver fibrosis drugs.
Collagen Type I ; genetics ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Genes, Reporter ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; Luciferases ; Plasmids ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; RNA, Messenger ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology

To establish an HPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin in rats plasma and study its pharmamacokinetics after an intragastrical administration of Hippophae rhamnoides extracts. Five healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given single doses of H. rhamnoides extracts (quercetin 26.35 mg x kg(-1), kaempferid 4.040 mg x kg(-1), isorhamnetin 31.37 mg x kg(-1)), and then their orbital sinus blood samples were collected at different time points. The drug plasma concentration of the three flavonoids was determined by HPLC-MS/MS method. After that, the main pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated by using Kinetica 5. 0. 11 software. The methodological test showed that the linear concentration ranges of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin were 7.500-600.0 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 5), 1.000-80.00 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 5 ) and 10.00-800.0 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 0), respectively. The inner and inter-days precisions were both less than 14.0%. The plasma samples showed a good stability and consistency with the requirement of biological sample analysis after the samples were frozen once and placed at - 20 degrees C for 15 d and room temperature for 6 h and the treated analytes were placed at -20 degrees C for 24 h. For quercetin, the pharmacokinetic parameter t(½β), AUC(0-∞), MRT(0.∞), C.(max) and T(max) were (113.3 ± 19.37) min, (12 542.14 ± 3 504.05) μg x h x L(-1), (119.6 ± 13.29) h, (164.6 ± 27.33) μg x L(-1) and (5.199 ± 0.840 3) h, respectively. For kaempferid, the pharmacokinetic parameters t(½β), AUC(0-t), MRT(0-∞), C(max) and T(max) were (79.85 ± 17.15) min, (934.51 ± 94.59) μg x h x L(-1), (81.50 ± 13.75) h, (80.15 ± 14.24) μg x L(-1) and (3.827 ± 0.902 7) h, respectively. For isorhamnetin, the pharmacokinetic parameters t1,2,, AUC(0-t), MRT(0-∞), C(max) and T(max) were (118.3 ± 20.73) min, (26 067.77 ± 4 124.60) μg x h x L(-1), (129.0 ± 16.30) h, (269.6 ± 29.32) μg x L(-1) and (6.513 ± 1.450) h, respectively. The HPLC-MS/MS analysis method established in this study was proved to be sensitive and accurate and could be applied in the pharmacokinetic study of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin in rat plasma.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Hippophae ; chemistry ; Kaempferols ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Quercetin ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Erythropoietin ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Microvessels ; chemistry ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Stomach ; chemistry ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tissue Array Analysis ; methods

Traditional mineral Chinese medicine is a characteristic part of Chinese medicine, in the development of traditional Chinese medicine has its unique role. With the development of science and technology and the increase of the medical level, traditional mineral medicine research is gradually thorough and wide-ranging. In recent years, traditional mineral Chinese medicine research mainly includes the physical properties of mineral medicine, structure, chemical composition, pharmacology and treatment mechanism research. The above several aspects of research in the mineral medicine has important practical and theoretical significance. The above several aspects of research status and the problems existing in the research were briefly summarized and reviewed in this paper, and its development were discussed, to provide reference for further studies in the future.
Animals ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Minerals ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Physical Phenomena

BACKGROUND:Compared with conventional medications, drug micro-capsule system can control the release of drugs and have wel target properties and biocompatibility. The drugs can be concentrated at the focus and play an important role in clinic. OBJECTIVE:To prepare dacarbazine magnetic micro-capsules with different capsule materials and gelatin complex by coacervation, and to optimize capsule materials and preparation process. METHODS:Fe 3 O 4 RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The solution complex coacervation method was better than the emulsion coacervation method. As for the solution complex coacervation method, the optimal capsule material was gelatin-sodium alginate, with drug embedding rate 37.90%, the yield rate 72.31%, and the average magnetization intensity 8.53 emu/g. The second material was gelatin-chitosan. As a capsule material, the gelatin was better than chitosan with single coagulation method. Drug embedding rate was 51.58%, the yield rate was 64.50%, and the average magnetization was 6.93 emu/g. Single coagulation method was better than coacervation method. complex coacervation, we prepared the gelatin-Arabic gum magnetic micro-capsule, gelatin-sodium alginate magnetic micro-capsules, gelatin-sodium carboxymethyl cel ulose magnetic micro-capsules, and gelatin-chitosan magnetic micro-capsules. With the emulsion complex coacervation method, we further prepared the gelatin-Arabic gum magnetic micro-capsule, gelatin-sodium alginate magnetic micro-capsules, gelatin-sodium carboxymethyl cel ulose magnetic micro-capsules, and gelatin-chitosan magnetic micro-capsules. The magnetic gelatin micro-capsules and magnetic chitosan micro-capsules were prepared with single coagulation method. The micro-capsules were determined for the embedding rate, the magnetic susceptibility, the micro-capsule size and the release performance, to define the optimal preparation technology of dacarbazine magnetic micro-capsules.

Objective To obtain antibiotic-resistant mutants producing metabolites with antitumor activity from wild-type actinomycete strains without antitumor activity. Methods An actinomycete strain L35-1 was used as an initial strain for obtaining antibiotic-resistant mutants, which is a marine-derived wild-type strain without antitumor activity with an inhibition rate of 2.8% at the 1000 μg/ml of high sample concentration on K562 cells. The antibiotic-resistant mutants both from auto-mutagenesis and chemical mutagen-induced mutagenesis were selected by single colony isolation on antibiotic-containing plates according to the method for obtaining drug-resistant mutants in ribosome engineering. The antitumor activity was assayed by the MTT method using K562 cells for the mutants with aqueous acetone extracts of the whole broth of their fermentation.Results A total of 114 neomycin-resistant (ner) and 68 streptomycin-resistant (str) mutants, all from auto-mutagenesis, was obtained on drug-containing plates. Among them, the 7 ner and 3 str mutants appeared to be bioactive with an inhibition rate above 20% at the 100 μg/ml sample concentration on K562 cells. On the other hand, 41 str and 32 ner mutants from DES-induced mutagenesis and 46 ner mutants from NTG-induced mutagenesis were obtained by mutagen-induced mutation coupled with the single colony isolation on antibiotic-containing plates, among which, one str mutant from DES-induced mutagenesis and one ner mutant from NTG-induced mutagenesis were bioactive with an inhibition rate over 20% at the 100 μg/ml sample concentration on K562 cells. Conclusions The present result has revealed that the wild-type actinomycete strains without bioactivity might become a great source initial strains to obtain bioactive mutants by drug-resistant mutation technique.

Objective To analyze the genetic characteristics and the evolution of the influenza A (H3N2) virus strains circulating in Jiangsu province between 2013 and 2014.Methods This study analyzed thirty-one representative strains of influenza A (H3N2) virus, which were isolated in different regions of Jiangsu province and during different time periods from 2013 to 2014.Results Genetic distances in nucleic acid and amino acid between a strain used for vaccine production (A/Texas/50/2012) and the 31 strains were 0.010 5 and 0.012 4.Similarities between them in nucleic acid and amino acid sequences were 97.9%-99.6% and 97.2%-99.3%.Phylogenetic analysis showed that the hemagglutinin (HA) genes of the 31 strains were divided into three different groups.Three strains isolated in 2013 and three strains isolated in 2014 belonged to Group 1 and Group 2, respectively, while the others belonged to Group 3.Three positive selection sites (237, 366 and 367) in HA protein were observed by REL model.Compared with the strain used for vaccine production, the 31 strains were characterized by amino acid substitutions (N128A/T and P198S/A) in HA protein and all of the mutations located in B-cell epitopes.The total number of mutation sites reached 24.Compared with the A/Texas/50/2012 strain, seven strains presented the glycosylation site 126NWT, and three strains showed disappeared glycosylation sites of 45NSS and 144NNS.Evaluation of vaccine efficacy for A(H3N2) virus strains showed that the vaccine efficacy was not very well.Conclusion The HA gene of A(H3N2) virus had undergone a greater variation and the vaccine efficacy was not very well in Jiangsu province during 2013 to 2014, which made the influenza A(H3N2) virus become the circulating strain.