Objective : To study the oxymatrine metabolism induced by human intestinal bacteria and its absorbed metabolites in blood. Method :TLC and HPLC were used to examine oxymatrine and its metabolites, and UV, IR, NMR and MS were used to confirm the chemical structures of the metabolites. Result: Oxymatrine was transformed into matrine by human intestinal bacteria metabolism in vitro. Rats were given orally oxymatrine 100 mg*kg-1 and were decapitated 3 hours after administration, and their blood was taken to examine serum metabolites by TLC and HPLC, which revealed that oxymatrine and matrine were absorbed into blood. Conclusion:Oxymatrine will be transformed into matrine when it is given orally and both of the alkaloids can be absorbed to blood.

OBJECTIVESTo evaluate the clinical application of one-stage repair of hypospadias using pedicled penis and scrotal septal symphysis skin flap.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-nine cases of hypopadias were treated with the skin flap and followed up.

RESULTSAfter the operation, one hundred and twenty-two cases of patients obtained satisfactory outcomes, twenty-seven cases happened urethral leakage and preputial uredema were observed, and three cases suffered from urethral-skin fistula.

CONCLUSIONSThis technique was an optimal choice to penis hypospadias, Penoscrotal hypospadias and light-duty scrotal hypospadias. It was simple and convenient and could prevent infection but manage of drain must be done postoperatively.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Penis ; surgery ; Scrotum ; surgery ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; Treatment Outcome

AIMTo study the mechanism of evodiamine-induced growth inhibition of HeLa cells.

METHODSHeLa cells viability and the effect of caspase inhibitors on evodiamine-induced apoptosis were measured by crystal violet assay. Changes in cellular morphology were observed by phase-contrast microscopy. Apoptosis-specific nucleosomal DNA fragmentation was assayed by agarose gel electrophoresis.

RESULTSEvodiamine was found to inhibit HeLa cell growth in dose- and time-dependent manners. Caspase-3 inhibitor, z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fmk (z-DEVD-fmk) was shown to partially inhibit evodiamine-induced apoptosis. However, caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethyl-ketone (Ac-YVAD-cmk), did not antagonize evodiamine induced cell death.

CONCLUSIONEvodiamine suppresses the growth of HeLa cells in vitro by apoptosis. Evodiamine-induced apoptosis is partially dependent on caspase-3 pathway in HeLa cells. Other apoptotic pathways might be also related to the induction of apoptosis by evodiamine.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspases ; metabolism ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Fruit ; chemistry ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quinazolines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

Objective To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of interventional transcatheter destruction of the aortic valve to establish an animal model with acute aortic valve regurgitation. Methods Eight healthy goats were used for this study. A limited sternotomy approach was used to access the apex of the heart. Puncturing of the apex of the heart was performed to establish a wire track, then, under fluoroscopic guidance a 10 F sheath was inserted along this track of hard wire until to the ascending aorta above the aortic valve. The internal sheath was removed. Via the 10 F sheath a 10 mm occluder of ventricular septal defect (VSD) was introduced into the ascending aorta above the aortic valve. The sheath was pulled back to the left ventricle, while the occluder remained in the ascending aorta above the aortic valve. Then the occluder was quickly pulled back into the left ventricle in order to make some certain damage to the aortic valve. And an acute aortic valve regurgitation model was thus established. Angiography of ascending aorta above the aortic Among the 8 animals, two died of acute left ventricular failure on the spot due to excessive regurgitation blood flow after the operation. Macroscopically, damage of the aortic valve was seen. In the six survivors, angiography of ascending aorta above the aortic valve and Doppler echocardiography showed that moderate degree of regurgitation was detected in 5 and small amount of regurgitation in one. Two experimental goats with moderate degree of regurgitation died of heart failure separately at seven days and fifteen days after the operation. The remaining four experimental goats survived for more than three months. Follow- up checkups with echocardiography suggested the presence of mild- moderate degree of regurgitation. Conclusion Acute aortic valve regurgitation model in experimental goats can be established through transapical transcatheter damage of aortic valve by quickly pulling back a VSD occluder which has been placed in the ascending aorta above the aortic valve. This method is clinically feasible, technically simple and repeatable, the result is reliable, and the degree of regurgitation is controllable.

Objective To discuss the feasibility and effectiveness of transcatheter implantation of double-ring aortic valve stent through puncturing the tip of the heart under thoracotomy.Methods A novel double-ring aortic valve stent was independently designed by the authors.Three healthy goats were selected for this study.A small incision on the left anterolateral thoracic wall was made to expose the cardiac apex,than the puncturing of the left ventricular apex was performed to establish the working pathway.Guided by fluoroscopy,along a hard guide wire a double-ring aortic valve stent was inserted through a 22-French sheath to the site above the aortic valve.By utilizing the opened outer ring of the stent,the double-ring aortic valve stent was accurately placed at the bottom of the aortic valve sinus.Then,the balloon was inflated and the stent was released to substitute the original aortic valve of the experimental goat.The experiment results were evaluated immediately after the procedure.Results Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) was successfully accomplished in all the three experimental goats.DSA was performed immediately after the procedure and anatomy evaluation indicated that the position of the implanted artificial aortic valve was satisfactory,which could replace the work of original valve.Conclusion It is technically feasible and clinically effective to use this novel double-ring aortic valve stent to perform TAVI through transapical route by puncturing the left ventricular apex.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the antitumor activity of Diosgenin in vivo and in vitro.

METHODS-180, HepA, U14 and EAC transplant mice were given Diosgenin ig or i.p. everyday for 10 days, from the next day when they were inoculated in axilla. Tumor growth inhibit rates were calculated. Four kinds of cells, MCF, L929, A375-S2 and HeLa, were incubated respectively with Diosgenin in vitro. Tumor growth inhibit rates were also calculated.

RESULTIn vivo, both ig and i.p., Diosgenin inhibited S-180, HepA, U 14 mice transplant tumor, the inhibit rates being 30%-50%, but it did not inhibit the EAC mice transplant tumor. In vitro, Diosgenin inhibited L929, HeLa, MCF cell growth, and IC50 were 1.2, 18.2, 19.8 micrograms.mL-1 respectively, but it did not significantly affect A375-S2 cells.

CONCLUSIONDiosgenin has an obvious antitumor activity on S-180, HepA, U14 transplant mice in vivo and L929, HeLa, MCF cells in vitro.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Ehrlich Tumor ; drug therapy ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Diosgenin ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Male ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sarcoma 180 ; drug therapy ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the rat intestinal bacteria metabolism of total saponins of Dioscorea pathaica (TSDP) in vitro, and characterize the metabolites in serum and urine of rats after oral administration of TSDP 900 mg.kg-1.

METHODTSDP metabolites were detected with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and combination of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and sequential tandem mass spectrometry (MSn).

RESULTIn vitro, TSDP was decomposed easily by rat intestinal bacteria, and metabolites DP-1, DP-2, DP-4, DP-5 and diosgenin (Dio) were observed with prolongation of incubation time by ESI-MS2. In vivo, in the full-scan positive mass spectrum of the rat urine sample, the ion peak at m/z 415 (M-H) and its characteristic fragmentations at m/z 397 and m/z 271 in the MS/MS spectrum were identified with that of metabolite Dio, therefore metabolite Dio was deduced to exist in the rat urine, and metablite Dio was allso detected in the rat serum sample.

CONCLUSIONTSDP is decomposed easily by rat intestinal bacteria and metabolite diosgenin is absorbed into blood after oral administration of TSDP.

Animals ; Biotransformation ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Diosgenin ; metabolism ; Gram-Negative Anaerobic Bacteria ; metabolism ; Intestines ; microbiology ; Male ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

The effect of dietary intervention on intestinal flora and health has become a research focus in the medi-cal and health field. In terms of development, intestinal flora may become an important target for the study of the influence of dietary styl, health food and traditional Chinese medicine on human health. However, due to the complexity of intestinal flora,high standard for animal models that is applied to researches on the relationship between intestinal flora and dietary in?terference is required. It has been claimed that there is no living microorganisms and parasites inside germ?free animals, thus they are the most widely used basic animal models in the study of intestinal flora. Therefore, it is a common way to ap?ply germ?free animal for generating human flora animal model to study the relationship between diet, flora and health. In this paper we will review the researches and applications of human source flora animal models established by germ?free ani?mals and the influence of dietary intervention on gut microbiota.

OBJECTIVETo compare the anti-hypercholesterolemic and cholesterol absorption inhibitory activities between total saponin of Dioscorea panthaica (TSDP) and diosgenin (Dio).

METHODTSDP and Dio were given ig or i.p. to mice or rats treated with cholesterol feed to evaluate their preventive and therapeutic effect on hypercholesterolemia. TSDP or Dio and cholesterol were mixed with pig bile to form the micelle, then the freeing cholesterol was detected to evaluate inhibitory effect of the both compounds on cholesterol absorption.

RESULTDio (80 and 160 mg.kg-1) showed significantly therapeutic and preventive effect on hypercholesterolemia in mice, while TSDP showed a certain preventive activity only at a big dose (400 mg.kg-1). The intraperitoneal injection of Dio (20 and 40 mg.kg-1) to mice suffered from hypercholesterolemia was effective, but TSDP showed no effective. The serum total cholesterol level was decreased when rats were pre-treated with TSDP (200 and 400 mg.kg-1, ig) and Dio (200 and 100 mg.kg-1, ig). However, the hypercholesterolemia-preventing activity of Dio was stronger than that of TSDP. In addition, inhibitory effect of Dio on cholesterol micelle formation was still stronger than that of TSDP.

CONCLUSIONThe preventive and therapeutic activity of Dio against hypercholesterolemia indused by cholesterol in mice or rats is stronger than that of TSDP. The anti-hypercholesterolemia mechanism of Dio is probably related with its cholesterol absorption inhibitory activity.

Animals ; Anticholesteremic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Diosgenin ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hypercholesterolemia ; blood ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective Previously we have reported the early and midterm benifit of autologous pulmonary patch in repairing aortic coarctation of hypoplastic aortic arch.This study aimed to assess its reliability and midterm and longterm outcomes.Methods We retrospectivly analyzed 42 pediatric patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA) with hypoplastic aortic arch undergoing surgical repair with autologous pulmonary patch from May 2009 to May 2017 in General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA.All the patients were allocated into either senior group (＞ 1 years) or junior group (≤1 years) according to the age of operation.The trans-coarctation gradient,pulmonary pressure and aortic Z value change were compared between two groups before and after the repair.Results There were 8 cases had early postoperative complications.However,no death had been reported during the postoperative time and the followed up period ranged from 4 months to 106 months (40.0± 15.5) months).The average pressure gradient of coarctation segment for all the patients was (11.9±6.4) mmHg,including 5 cases more than 25 mmHg.The pressure gradient and mean pulmonary arterial pressure after operation were significantly lower than those before operation (P＜0.05),The postoperative aortic arch Z value was greater than the preoperative value (P＜0.05).Compared with the preoperative period,the Z value of proximal transverse arch increased significantly(-0.64±0.44) vs (1.27±0.66),P＜0.05.Compared with junior group,the senior group had higher preoperative and postoperative pulmonary artery pressure (P＜0.05),and longer CPB time,aortic block time,ventilation time,ICU time and hospital stay time (P＜0.05).However,patients in the junior group had a higher pressure gradient through the aorta arch(P＜0.05) and a smaller Z value transverse arch aortic proximal and isthmus(P＜0.05) during the long-term period.The time of selective cerebral perfusion had no statistical difference between the two groups (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion Early surgery for coarctation of aorta with hypoplastic aortic arch,autologous pulmonary patch aortoplasty is a relatively ideal option with better midterm and longterm outcomes.