Functional targets are the objects that Chinese herbal medicines act directly upon. If the relationships between the properties of Chinese herbs and their functional targets were analyzed clearly, it would benefit the overall understanding of the holistic mechanisms of Chinese herbal treatments. In this paper, data regarding the properties of Chinese herbs and their functional targets were collected from the 2005 edition of The People's Republic of China Pharmacopoeia. After analyzing and assessing the data, the relationships were defined between the four qi, meridian entry and medicinal functional targets and between the four qi, five flavors and mode of function. Then the relationships between a single herbal medicine and a prescription were analyzed, and the results conformed with the traditional knowledge of Chinese herbal nature and efficacy. This demonstrated that the holistic mechanisms of the properties of Chinese herbs adhere to the findings, which may be beneficial for the development and compatibility of Chinese herbal medicines.

Objective To determine the effects of~(99)Tc-MDP on joint inflammation and bone destruc- tion in collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)rats model and its effect on tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-?). Methods CIA was induced by immunization of male SD rats with an emulsion of collagen.~(99)Tc-MDP or placebo was intravenous infused to rats for 20 days.Joint inflammation was assessed by arthritis index.Lesions of bone were assessed based on the histological changes in ankle joints,radiographic analysis in hind paw with Larsen score.Systemic TNF-?level was measured by radioimmune assay.Results~(99)Tc-MDP suppressed joint swelling(P

Objective To observe the treatment of ~(99)Te-MDP on typeⅡcollagen induced arthritis (CIA)in rat,and the effect on the expression of synovial MMP-3 and TIMP-1 mRNA.To explore the mech anisms of the ~(99)Te-MDP in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Methods The rats in which C1A(n=24)were divided into three group:the control group(n=8),~(99)Tc-MDP group(n=8)and Methotrexate group(n=8). Arthritis were evaluated by arthritis index and histopathological index and the expressions of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 mRNA in synovium were detected by RT-PCR.Results①The arthritis indexs of the control group, the methotrexate group,the ~(99)Tc-MDP group were increased with time.②The histopathological scnres of the control group were significantly higher than those of methotrexate group and ~(99)Tc-MDP group(P＜0.01).The histopathological scores of cartilage destruction and bone erosion of ~(99)Tc-MDP group were lower than those of methotrexate group(P＜0.05).③The levels of MMP-3 mRNA of the control group,~(99)Tc-MDP group, methotrexate group were notably higher than those of the control group(P＜0.01).The levels of control group was notably higher than that of the ~(99)Tc-MDP group(P＜0.05).There was not significant difference in all groups on the levels of TIMP-1 mRNA(P＞0.05).Conclusions ~(99)Tc-MDP can notably relieve the arthritis symdrome and retard the catilage damage and bone erosion of CIA in rats,and could significantly decrease the MMP-3 mRNA in the synovium.Which may be one of the therapeutic mechanism.~(99)Tc-MDP is better than methotrexate in retarding catilage and bone erosion and decreasing MMP-3 mRNA in CIA rats in a 3-week therapeutic intervention.

Objective To demonstrate high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1(HMGBI) expression in synovium and joint,and to identify the role of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of synovitis and joint destruction in adjuvant-induced arthritis(AA).Methods AA of 15 male rats were induced in SD rats by intradermal injection of 100?l Freud's complete adjuvant in the foot pad of the left hind paw.All rats were killed at the 18th day.Synovium and joints were collected for histopathology studies and determining the expression of HMGB1 by immunohistochemistry,and serum was collected for determining the expression of HMGB1 by western blotting analysis.Results Immunostaining of specimens from normal rats showed that HMGB1 was primarily confined to the nucleus of synoviocytes with occasional cytoplasmic staining.In contrast, inflammatory synovial tissues from AA rats showed a distinctly different HMGB1 staining pattern.Nuclear HMGBI expression was accompanied by a cytoplasmic staining in many mononuclear cells.The cytoplasmic HMGB1 expression in synovium of AA rats is significantly higher than that of normal rats.Additionally,HMGBI was highly expressed in the nuclei and cytoplasm of the subchondral chondrocytes and inflammatory cells in bone erosion in AA rats(P＜0.01),while fewer positive cytoplasmic staining of HMGB1 was found in chondrocytes and fewer positive nuclear staining was found in bone cells in normal rats.HMGB1 concentration was significantly higher in serum of AA rats than that in normal rats(P＜0.001).Conclusion The cytoplasmic HMGBI expression in synovium and joints is greatly upregulated;the level of HMGB1 in serum is increased in AA rats which suggests a patbogenetic role of HMGB1 in synovitis and bone destruction of adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the impact and its possible mechanism of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on myocardial collagen remodeling in experimental rats with diabetic mellitus (DM).
Methods: Rat’s DM model was established by intraperitoneal injection of STZ at 40 mg/kg. A total of 40 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:Control group, DM group, DM+NaHS group, in which NaHS worked as exogenous donor of H2S and NaHS control group. n=10 in each group, all animals were treated for 8 weeks. The cardiac collagen deposition was observed by Masson staining, protein expressions of cardiac collagen types I, III, IV and transforming growth factorβ1 (TGF-β1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) were examined by Western blot analysis.
Results: Compared with Control group, DM group showed increased protein expressions of cardiac collagen types I and III, up-regulated expressions of TGF-β1 and CTGF, P<0.05;while the expressions of collagen type IV were similar between 2 groups. Compared with DM group, DM+NaHS group presented reduced cardiac collagen expression, decreased expression of collagen types I and III, down-regulated expressions of TGF-β1 and CTGF, P<0.05;while the expressions of collagen type IV were similar between 2 groups.
Conclusion: H2S may improve the myocardial collagen remodeling in experimental DM rats, the mechanism might be related to the down-regulation of TGF-β1 and CTGF expression.

Purpose To explore the significance of stomach full acoustic imaging in the diagnosis of congenital hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (CHPS). Materials and Methods 44 cases of CHPS children underwent gastrointestinal filling acoustic contrast imaging, diameter and mucous layer thickness of the front and rear walls of the pyloric tube were measured, the contrast agent flow between the pyloric lumen gaps was observed. Results With the backdrop of the ultrasound contrast agent, delicate structure of the stomach and pyloric mucosa could be more clearly observed, it was shown that muscular layer in the middle of pyloric tube was thickest and mucosal layer edema and thickening was more obvious near the antrum;internal diameter of pyloric tube was (1.95±0.35) mm;first pass time of the contrast agent through the pyloric tube:within 5 min in 16 cases, 5-10 min in 19 cases, while clear pass through still could not be observed by 20 minutes in 9 cases;during the 20 minutes observation, contrast agent passed through the pyloric tube for 5 times or more in 13 cases, 1 to 5 times in 22 cases, while 9 cases showed no obvious pass. Conclusion Stomach full acoustic imaging enables clearly and detailed observation of the structural characteristics of the pyloric tube and hydrodynamic manifestation of the stomach liquid when passing through the tube, thus is significantly important for surgical treatment and efficacy evaluation.

Objective To investigate the value of ultrasonic elastography(UE) in diagnosing breast small masses (diameter≤10 mm). Methods The static sonograms of conventional ultrasound(US) and UE of the 274 breast small lesions which pathologically proved were reviewed. Images were assigned according to the B1-RADS criteria for US. The elastographic images were evaluated using improved 5-scoring system.Pathology was followed up as diagnostic criteria. The diagnostic performance of the 2 methods was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC). Results The areas under the ROC curve of the two modalities were 0. 891 (UE) and 0.742 (BI-RADS), respectively. The difference between them was significant. Conclusions UE is helpful in differentiating between malignant and benign breast small lesions.

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for rational application of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection in the clinic. METHODS:With reference to the package insert of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection,the guiding principles of clinical use of antibiotics,by reviewing related literatures,based on the weighted TOPSIS methods,detailed rules for drug utilization review (DUR) of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection were made. And then 100 archived medical records of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection in the first half of 2014 were evaluated in respect of medication rationality based on these rules. RESULTS:Among 100 cases,relative proximity of 51 cases was more than 70%(51.0%);that of 37 was between 50%-70%(37.0%);that of 12 cases was between 30%-50%(12.0%). CONCLUSIONS:Established DUR method of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection on the basis of weighted TOPSIS methods can be used to evaluate the rationality of drug use and promote more rational evaluation behavior. And the results indicate that unreasonable use of Levofloxacin hydrochloride injection is still common in the hospital.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) of lung qi deficiency and cold syndrome between Jin's three-needle therapy and western medication.

METHODSSixty-six patients were randomized into an acupuncture group and a western medication group, 33 cases in each one. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied at three-nose points [Yingxiang (LI 20), Shangyingxiang (EX-HN 8) and Yintang (GV 29); Cuanzhu (BL 2) was added for frontal headache] and three-back points [Dazhu (BL 11), Fengmen (BL 12) and Feishu (BL 13)], once every day. Ten treatments made one session. Two sessions of treatment were required. In the western medication group, desloratadine oral suspension was prescribed, 5 mg each time, once a day, for 20 days. The scores of the symptoms and physical signs in AR patients as well as the clinical efficacy were observed between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 93.9% (31/33) in the acupuncture group, which was better than 72.7% (24/33) in the western medication group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the scores of AR symptoms and physical signs as well as the total score were all reduced compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P < 0.01). The score of every item in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group after treatment (score of symptoms: 4.70 +/- 2.07 vs 6.55 +/- 2. 69, score of physical signs: 0.85 +/- 0.67 vs 1.45 +/- +0.62, total score: 5.36 +/- 2.70 vs 8.00 +/- 2.91, all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJin's three-needle therapy achieves superior efficacy on AR of lung-qi deficiency and cold syndrome, which is better than desloratadine oral suspension.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Qi ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of finger reconstruction in child with second toe transplantation,and evaluate the postoperative appearance and function regarding the reconstructed donor feet.Methods From June 2002 to May 2011,sixteen cases were reconstructed in sub-emergency with second toe transplantation.Two thumbs,eight index fingers,and 6 middle fingers were reconstructed.All patients were followed-up from 12 to 24 months.The functions of reconstructed fingers were analysed.Results All the reconstructed fingers survived.Vascular crisis occurred in 1 patient,and survived after re-anastomosis.Necrosis of skin grafts at the domon site with exposed tedons was seen in 1 ease,and healed after changing dressings.All the reconstructed fingers showed good in growth and development,and performed good functions as grabbing,grasping and nipping.Two-point discrimination was between 6 mm and 10 mm.The donor site of the foot had normal gait,without obvious influence on walking.Also,no pain was complained.Conclusion The method of transplanting the second toe can reconstruct the appearance and function of the finger defects in child,and has little effect on the appearance and motion of feet.It is an effective treatment method.