BACKGROUND:Zinc oxide has shown extraordinary antibacterial effect. But the antibacterial mechanisms of zinc oxide have not been wel developed, and the safety of zinc oxide has not yet been confirmed.
OBJECTIVE:To summarize the antibacterial mechanism and safety of zinc oxide based on the current research situation of zinc oxide.
METHODS:The CNKI database and PubMed database (2005-01/2013-08) were used to search the related articles about zinc oxide antibacterial mechanism and safety. The retrieval keywords were“zinc oxide or ZnO, antibacterial”,“zinc oxide or ZnO, safety”both in English and Chinese.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSTION:The antibacterial mechanism of zinc oxide is complex. Zinc oxide reveals its antibacterial power by photo catalysis, zinc ion dissolve out, and active oxygen. But the relationship between photo catalysis and active oxygen is different based on different studies. The safety of zinc oxide is not confirmed, and different studies have different results. Especial y for the nano-zinc oxide, some studies have showed that the zinc oxide is toxic. Al of these mean much more researches are needed to verify the safety of zinc oxide.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Acer truncatum.

METHODVarious chromatographic techniques were used to isolate and purify the constituents. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated and identified as p-sitosterol (1), beta-amyrin (2), beta-amyrin acetate (3), 3, 5-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzoic acid (4), astragalin (5), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-galactoside (6), and quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (7).

CONCLUSIONAll of compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Acer ; chemistry ; Gallic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Kaempferols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Oleanolic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

· AIM: To investigate the expression and the possible implication of CD40/CD40L costimulatory molecules in erythema nodosum of patients with Beh(c)et's disease.· METHODS: Sampling was done from erythema nodosum of 5 patients with Beh(c)et's disease and normal skin of 2 healthy individuals. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the expression of CD4, CD8, CD19, CD68, HLA-DR,CD40 and CD40L molecules in the obtained tissues.· RESULTS: Approximately 90% of epidermic cells in erythema nodosum expressed CD40 molecule. In the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, a significantly increased number of CD4+Tcells, CD8+Tcells, CD19+cells, CD68+cells, HLA-DR+cells,CD40L+cells, and CD40+cells were observed in the erythema nodosum as compared with that in normal skin. Double staining showed that CD40L molecules were expressed on 45% of CD4+T cells. CD40 molecules were expressed on 100% CD68+ cells and 59.2% of HLA-DR+cells respectively.· CONCLUSION: A number of CD40/CD40L costimulatory molecules are upreguiated in the erythema nodosum of patients with Behcet's disease.

To investigate the anticancer effects of ring C in 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a series of GA derivatives featured with 9(11)-ene moiety in ring C were designed and synthesized. The structures were confirmed by IR, LC-MS and 1H NMR. Their inhibitory effects towards human prostate cancer PC-3 and leukemia HL-60 cell lines were determined. Most of the derivatives displayed stronger antiproliferative activities than GA. Particularly, compound 14 showed promising anticancer activity with the GI50 values of 4.48 µmol · L(-1) and 1.2 µmol · L(-1) against PC-3 and HL-60 cells respectively, which is worth further study.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Design ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; HL-60 Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo analyze the prevalence of asthma and asthma related symptoms among children aged 0-14 years in three Chinese cities and to obtain a crude estimation of the trend of childhood asthma prevalence in China.

METHODSA cross-sectional, population-based survey of prevalence of asthma was conducted in children aged from 0 to 14 years in 3 major cities of China (Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou) with different geographic locations. All the subjects were randomly selected by a multi-stage sampling method. Three to five schools and kindergartens in 2 urban districts in each city were randomly selected for the survey, and a validated questionnaire that included the core questions of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, Phase III questionnaire and several additional questions were used. All questionnaires were completed by parents or guardians of the selected children. Children whose parents responded affirmatively to the question "Has your child ever been diagnosed as asthma by a doctor" were recognized as victims of asthma.

RESULTSThe prevalence of asthma in Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou was 3.15%, 7.45%, and 2.09%, respectively. These values were significantly higher than those obtained 10 years ago in the national epidemiological survey in 2000 which used the same method of investigation and the same diagnotic criteria (χ²=3.938, P=0.047; χ²=73.506, P≤0.001; χ²=11.956, P=0.001, in each city). Of the asthmatic children 57.21%, 69.91%, and 60.00% had their first attack before the age of 3 in Beijing, Chongqing, and Guangzhou, respectively. Wheezing was the primary clinical manifestation for all asthmatic children, followed by persistent cough and repeated respiratory infections. Both the prevalence of asthma and asthma-related symptoms were statistically higher in males than in females.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of childhood asthma is statistically higher than that 10 years ago in the three Chinese cities.

Asthma ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence

China ; Cognition ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ; Humans ; Length of Stay

BACKGROUNDPlatelet activation often occurs in intermediate and advanced tumors, with increases of expression and release of platelet adhesion molecule. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of activation markers of platelet and their significance in lung cancer.

METHODSThe activation markers of platelet, CD62P and CD63, were detected in peripheral blood of 120 patients with lung cancer and 60 healthy persons by FCM method.

RESULTSThe levels of peripheral blood CD62P and CD63 of lung cancer patients were significantly higher than those of healthy people (P < 0.01). In lung cancer group, the levels of peripheral blood CD62P and CD63 on the seventh postoperative day were significantly lower than those before operation and on the first postoperative day (P < 0.01). The levels of peripheral blood CD62P and CD63 before operation were closely related to size of tumor, lymph node status and TNM stages (P < 0.01), but not to cell differentiation, histology, age and sex of lung cancer patients (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSActivation markers of platelet obviously increase in peripheral blood of lung cancer patients and they may play important roles in tumor growth and lymphatic metastasis. The levels of activation markers of platelet may be useful predictors for prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo determine the content of podophyllotoxin and total lignans in Sinopodophyllum emodi Ying from different areas and evaluate the resource utilization of this endangered medicinal plant.

METHODHPLC and UV spectrophotometry were used to determine the content of podophyllotoxin and total lignans in 126 samples from different habitats and the total lignans content was determined by the reference wavelength method.

RESULTAccording to the results, the highest content was determined from the samples from Yongdeng Nature Reserve in Gansu province, and the lowest ones was found in the samples from Tibet. The former's podophyllotoxin and total lignans contents were 7.40% and 20.66%, respectively, which were 19 times and 4 times more than those of the latter. The content of podophyllotoxin and total lignans in S. emodi were significantly positively related, meanwhile, samples from both low altitude and high latitude showed the higher content.

CONCLUSIONThe two determination methods are simple, rapid, accurate and repeatable. It is more scientific and rational to evaluate the resource utilization of S. emodi with two indicators, those are the content of podophyllotoxin and the content of total lignans. This paper is instructive to the collection of wild resources and the establishment of production bases.

Berberidaceae ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Lignans ; analysis ; Podophyllotoxin ; analysis ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet

TCM experimental teaching has a very important position in university training process, in which the laboratory standardized management and the strengthening of the teaching quality monitoring play important roles. According to the the experimental teaching reforms and requirements enacted in recent years by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Hunan TCM University has conducted a series of standardized management of exploration and practice in the laboratory.

BACKGROUNDT-cell receptor (TCR) plays an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Recently, it was reported that immunization of animals with TCR peptide derived from the pathogenic cells could prevent autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether vaccination with a synthetic peptide from the hypervariable region of TCR V(beta) 8.3, an experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU)-associated gene, was able to prevent the disease.

METHODSEAU was induced in Lewis rats by immunization with IRBP R16 peptide emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). The clinical and histological appearances were scored. Delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and lymphocyte proliferation were detected. Cytokine levels of aqueous humour, supernatants of cells from spleen and draining lymph nodes were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gene expression of TCR V(beta) 8.3 on CD(4)(+) T cells was examined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTSAfter vaccination, the intraocular inflammation was significantly mitigated, antigen specific DTH and lymphocyte proliferation responses were suppressed, interleukin (IL)-2 in aqueous humour, interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-2 produced by the spleen and draining lymph node cells were significantly decreased, whereas the production of IL-4 and IL-10 were increased. The response of draining lymph node cells to TCR V(beta) 8.3 peptide was enhanced after vaccination. Inoculation with CFA alone did not affect the severity of EAU and the above parameters. The suppression of EAU was much stronger in the group of four fold inoculations than the group of two fold inoculations. The expression of TCR V(beta) 8.3 gene was significantly reduced in the group of fourfold inoculations.

CONCLUSIONVaccination with the synthetic TCR V(beta) 8.3 peptide could remarkably inhibit the development of EAU.

Animals ; Autoimmune Diseases ; prevention & control ; Cytokines ; biosynthesis ; Female ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta ; immunology ; Retinitis ; prevention & control ; Retinol-Binding Proteins ; immunology ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology ; Uveitis ; prevention & control ; Vaccination