Objective: To analyze the transitional components in blood after oral administration of saffron extracts in rats, in order to initially reveal in vivo potential effective substance and metabolic process of the main components absorbed into blood. Methods: The constituents of saffron and metabolites in rat plasma sample after oral administration of saffron were investigated using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn. Results: Eleven chemical constituents in saffron were identified, and four compounds, including one prototype and three metabolites, were detected in rat plasma sample. Among them, picrocrocin was absorbed in prototype, whereas crocins were absorbed in metabolites (crocetin and crocetin-monoglucuronide). Crocin-I and crocin-II, used as quality evaluation of saffron in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, were not discovered at all time points. Picrocrocin achieved a Cmax value at 1 h after administration, while metabolites, crocetin, achieved two Cmax values respectively at 0.5 h and 2 h. Conclusion: Picrocrocin and metabolic products absorbed into blood may be the effective components of saffron. The work may provide a reference for reasonably choosing the quality control index and improving the quality control standards, and may also lay a foundation for further researching the pharmacokinetics of saffron.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is a complex system, featured with integrity and characteristics. Structural component TCM is a well-organized integrity of traditional Chinese medicine, reflecting multi-component integration effect of TCM. It gives us a new view on the material basis of TCM. Currently, conventional researching strategies are not enough to deal with the relationship between material basis and efficacy, multi-composition, multi-targets, and multi-section mechanism. Post-genome area gives a birth to bioinformatics, which involves systematic biology, different levels of omics, corresponding mathematics and computer techniques. It increasingly becomes a powerful tool to understand complicated system and life essential laws. Research ideas, methods. and knowledge of data mining technology of bioinformatics combined with the theory of structural components of Chinese medicine bring a new opportunity for developing structural components of Chinese medicine, systematically exploring the essence of TCM and promoting the modernization of TCM.
Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Computational Biology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans

To analyze and compare the protective effects of active components in different ethyl acetate extracts (EAEEPs) from Eclipta prostrate, in order to study the comparison of materials bases protecting normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. The MTT assay was taken to compare the protective effect of different EAEEPs on cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) -induced NHBE cells. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was applied to analyze the content of phenolic acid, coumaric grass ether and flavonoid in EAEEPs. According to the results, all of the eight EAEEPs (0-200 mg x L(-1)) showed certain protective effect on NHBE cells, with statistical difference. Specifically, the total mass of EAEEP VII (89.15 mg x L(-1)) and EAEEP VIII (57.44 mg x L(-1)), which showed the strongest activity, was not the highest, while EAEEP III (132.25 mg x L(-1)) displayed the highest total mass. In the combination with the "component structure" theory, the analysis showed a significant difference in the mass structure among phenolic acid, coumaric grass ether and flavonoid in EAEEP VIII and EAEEP VIII, which were 1.0: 1. 0: 0.5 and 1.0: 1.9: 0.8, respectively. The results suggested a specific optimal "component structure" relationship may exist in EAEEP, which could provide reference for the material base study and quality control.
Bronchi ; cytology ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Eclipta ; chemistry ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Protective Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects

Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Enzyme Activation ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; genetics ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; enzymology ; genetics ; Phosphoinositide Phospholipase C ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Skin Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; enzymology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; ras Proteins ; metabolism

The secondary development of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is an important content of TCM modernization process, as well as an important path for developing new TCM drugs. Under the guidance of the system theory, in response to the lack of the overall guideline and practical methods for the secondary development of TCMs at present, we introduced the overall thought of the secondary development of major TCM varieties, as well as the roles and contents of clinical research, pharmacology and pharmaceutics in the process of the secondary development of major TCM varieties, so as to provide systematic strategies and methods for the development of major TCM varieties.
Biomedical Research ; Drug Discovery ; methods ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Pharmacology

The secondary development of major traditional Chinese medicine varieties is one of important links during the modernization, scientification and standardization of traditional Chinese medicines. How to accurately and effectively identify the pharmacodynamic material basis of original formulae becomes the primary problem in the secondary development, as well as the bottleneck in the modernization development of traditional Chinese medicines. On the basis of the existing experimental methods, and according to the study thought that the multi-component and complex effects of traditional Chinese medicine components need to combine multi-disciplinary methods and technologies, we propose the study thought of the material basis of secondary development of major traditional Chinese medicine varieties based on the combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments. It is believed that studies on material basis needs three links, namely identification, screening and verification, and in vivo and in vitro study method corresponding to each link is mutually complemented and verified. Finally, the accurate and reliable material basis is selected. This thought provides reference for the secondary development of major traditional Chinese medicine varieties and studies on compound material basis.
Absorption ; Animals ; Drug Discovery ; methods ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

Objective To explore the mechanism of neuropmtective effects of puerarin for the treatment of acute spinal ischenia-reperfusion injury in a rat model.Methods Acute spinal ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced via aortic occlusion in 28 male Sprague-Dawley rats.The animals were randomly divided into four groups,as follows:group negative contrast (NC sham operation),group positive control group (IR+ S ischemia/reperfusion + saline),group puerarin (IR+P ischemia/reperfusion + puerarin),group mscovitine (IR+R ischemia/reperfusion + roscovitine).The motor function,spinal infarction volume,apoptosis indices,and CDK5 and P25 activities were examined.Results Spinal ischemia-reperfusion caused the injury of the spines and was associated with motor deficit,elevation of CDK5 and P25 activities,and increase in the spinal apoptosis and spinal infarction volume.Puerarin improved motor function and decreased apoptosis,spinal infarction volume,and CDK5 and P25 activities.Conclusion The findings of the present study indicated that puerarin treatment-mediated reduction of spinal injury was associated with the inhibition of CDK5 and P25,and that the inhibition was one among the neuroprotective mechanisms of puerarin against acute ischemia/reperfusioninduced spinal injury in rats.

Objective To explore the risk factors for asthma in children.Methods A 1:1 matched and hospital-based case-control study was conducted to analyses risk factors for asthma in 300 pairs of children by logistic regression analysis. Results The result of univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that there were 17 related factors for children asthma, including disease history of parents in respiratory system,family income,atopie character,history of acute respiratory infections, eating habit,the amount of sea foods intakes,foam plastics,family decoration,the way of exhaust fume in kitchen,the exhaust effectiveness,raising pet in house,family history of asthma,family history of allergic rhinitis,family history of food allergy,dust allergy of parents,systemic therapy after the first attack.With multivariate Logistic regression analysis,7 factors were entered the model,6 risk factors including father's history of respiratory diseases(OR 3.771,95%CI 1.533～9.278),low family income(OR 1.503, 95%CI 1.258～1.795),atopy(OR 3.788,95%CI 2.368～6.058),meat-eating habit(OR 2.042,95%CI 1.481～2.815),asthma history of family members(OR 1.710,95%CI 0.988～2.958),the family history of allergic rhinitis(OR 1.991,95%CI 1.234～3.211), and 1 protective factor of raising pet in house(OR 0.443,95%CI 0.265～0.739).The coefficients of these factors in multivariate logistic regression model were 1.327、0.407、1.322、0.714、0.536、0.689、and-0.814 respectively.Conclusion Children asthma was a multi-factorial complex disease,and the interaction of environmental and genetic risk factors played an important role in the onset of this disease.

Objective To study the relationship between rotational deformity and operational correction rate in scoliosis. MethodsFrom January 2005 to December 2006,44 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with operational correction were reviewed.Before operation,all the patients were performed MRI scan of the whole spine and the rotation angle of superior and inferior endplate of nine vertebraes with the center of apical vertebrae were measured so that the mechanical torsion angle of vertebrae and disc were calculated,and the rotation compliance of the spine was obtained.In addition,preoperative plain,lateral and bending film of thoracic-lumbar vertebrae were taken to measure the Cobb angle,and the items above were compared with those of post-operation to calculate the scoliosis flexibility and correction rate.Correlation analysis was conducted between the rotation compliance,flexibility and operational correction rate in scoliosis.Results There were significant differences in the mean coronal and sagittal Cobb angle before and after the operation(P

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of vitrectomy combined with cataract surgery in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR V-VI stage).Methods A total of 80 patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy from January 2012 to January 2014 were divided into the single group and the combined group according to the surgical method.Patients of the single group were treated by vitrectomy while patients of the combined group were treated by vitrectomy combined with cataract surgery.The incidence of retinal reattachment,postoperative vision and surgical complications between the two groups were compared.Results Compared with the single group,the incidence of retinal reattachment was higher in combined group (P ＜ 0.05).The postoperative vision improvement was better than that in single group,the difference was significant (P ＜ 0.05).And the surgical complications in combined group was less than that in single group,the difference was significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Vitrectomy combined with cataract surgery in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy has a better clinical effect which is safe and reliable,and it can improve the rate of retinal reattachment and reduce surgical complications.