OBJECTIVE: To prepare rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles, and investigate their physicochemical properties, release behavior in vitro and pharmacokinetics in vivo in rats. METHODS: Rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles were prepared by a modified spontaneous emulsificationsolvent diffusion method with PLA as the carrier. The morphology of rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscope. Mean particle size and Zeta potential were estimated by laser particle size analyzer. Entrapment efficiency and drug loading were investigated by ultracentrifugation. Drug release behavior in vitro was studied by dialysis. Using rhein aqueous suspension as control, the pharmacokinetic behavior of rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles after oral administration in rats were studied. RESULTS: The shape of rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles was spherical. The mean particle size, Zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and drug loading were (134.37 ± 3.61) nm, (-18.41 ± 0.07) mV, (60.37 ± 1.52)% and (1.32 ± 0.09)%, respectively. The profiles of release were fitted well by Higuchi equation. Results of pharmacokinetic study showed that the ρmax of rhein suspension and rhein-loaded polylactic acid nanoparticles were (5.788 ±0.15) and (11.607 ± 0.56) mg · L-1, tmax were (0.193 ±0.01) and (1.102 ±0.13) h, AUC0→t were(8.077 ±2.98) and (34.583 ±3.93) mg · h · L-1, t1/2β were (3.319 ±0.23) and (21.721 ± 6.13) h, respectively. CONCLUSION: Polylactic acid nanoparticles can effectively improve the pharmacokinetic behaviour and oral bioavailability of rhein. Copyright 2012 by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Humans ; Infant ; Inpatients ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Poisoning ; etiology ; mortality ; therapy ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

To confirm the inactivating effect of chito-oligosaccharides on Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) par ticles in vitro, the difference of TMV pathogenicity was evaluated according to the decrease of local lesion numbers after inoculating with TMV mixed with chito-oligosaccharides (DP3-10) in Nicotiana glutinosa, and the virion structural change was studied by transmission electron microscopy after mixed with chito-oligosaccharides. In the range of tested concentrations of chito-oligosaccharides (100-1000 microg /mL), the numbers of local lesions were strongly reduced with over 30% decrement, and the 88.4% reduction gained at the concentration of 600g /mL. It revealed that treatment with chito-oligosaccharide solution of 300-500 microg /mL directly broke TMV particles into tiny pieces of 50-150nm long, and that treatment with solutions of 600-1000 microg/mL caused virus particle agglomerated. The data presented here suggested that chito-oligosaccharides exerted strong inactivating effect on plant virus in vitro.
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Oligosaccharides ; pharmacology ; Tobacco Mosaic Virus ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Virion ; drug effects ; ultrastructure

The motivation of the brain-computer interface (BCI) research and its potential applications are introduced in this paper. Some of the problems in BCI-based medical device developments are also discussed.
Artificial Intelligence ; Brain ; physiology ; Communication Aids for Disabled ; trends ; Electroencephalography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Evoked Potentials ; physiology ; Humans ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; rehabilitation ; Rehabilitation ; instrumentation ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; User-Computer Interface

AIMTo establish an HPLC-fluorescence method for determination of loratadine in human plasma and evaluate its relative bioavailability.

METHODSAn Alltech-C18 column and a mobile phase of acetonitrile-water-glacial acetic acid-triethylamine (90:100:6:0.15) were used. The fluorescence detector was set at Ex 274 nm, Em 450 nm. The flow rate was 1 mL.min-1.

RESULTSThe calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 0.2-30 micrograms.L-1. The limit of quantification was 0.2 microgram.L-1. The average method recoveries varied from 96% to 98%. The results showed AUC, Tmax, Cmax and T1/2 beta between the testing tablets, testing capsules and reference tablets had no significant difference (P > 0.05). Relative bioavailabilities were 107% +/- 17% and 100% +/- 14% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe three formulations were bioequivalent.

Area Under Curve ; Biological Availability ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Fluorescence ; Histamine H1 Antagonists, Non-Sedating ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Loratadine ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the basis of distinctive function of acupoint through observing the effects of acupuncture at the areas of acupoint and non-acupoint on functional connectivity of different brain regions.

METHODSTwenty-one healthy volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: 12 cases in the acupoint group and 9 cases in the non-acupoints group. Bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and its lateral 3-4 mm were punctured with twirling manipulation in the acupoint group and the non-acupoints group respectively. Before and after 25 minutes treatment, data of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning was taken from bilateral cingulate gyrus (seed point) to analyze the functional connectivity in both groups.

RESULTSBrain functional connectivity was demonstrated widely in both acupoint group and non-acupoint group after acupuncture. Comparing with the non-acupoint group, in the acupoint group, brain functional connectivity with posterior cingulate gyrus was found more intensively in the bilateral tonsil, right dentate nucleus, bilateral uvula, left declive and right tuber of cerebellum, as well as in the left inferior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyurs, bilateral paracentral lobule, left cingulate cortex, right superior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus etc., however, its connectivity was less in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus.

CONCLUSIONBoth acupoint and non-acupoint can evoke brain functional connectivity that is similar on the most of regions, but the intensity of this connectivity in the acupoint group is higher than that in the non-acupoint group.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiology ; Brain Mapping ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Young Adult

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Humans ; Mifepristone ; pharmacology ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the pathological basis of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

METHODSDWI was performed in 15 patients with HCC treated by TACE within 24 - 48 hours before II-phase operation. The DWI findings of the liver lesions were analyzed and correlated with pathological findings including macroscopic observation, HE staining and immunohistochemical staining for bFGF.

RESULTS(1) The viable tumor area showed mostly hypersignal intensity (12/15), whereas coagulative necrotic lesions showed hyposignal (8/15) or isosignal intensity (6/15). The ADC values of zones of viable tumor and necrosis in tumor were (1.42 +/- 0.16) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s and (1.58 +/- 0.18) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively. There was a significant difference of ADC values between the two zones (t = 2.618, P < 0.05). (2) There was a significant difference in ADC values of viable tumor between well and poorly differentiated tumors (t = -2.646, P < 0.05). The distinction of ADC values of the whole tumor was significant among tumors with different degree of necrosis (chi(2) = 7.236, P < 0.05). (3) A negative correlation was observed between bFGF protein expression index and ADC values of viable parts of the tumors in the study group (r = -0.552, P = 0.033).

CONCLUSIONDWI shows certain characteristic features of the HCC after TACE, and can be used to distinguish viable and necrotic tumor tissues in HCC after TACE.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Iodized Oil ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitomycin ; administration & dosage ; Young Adult

AIMTo study the effect of achyranthes bidentata polysaccharides(ABPS) on the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 and its mRNA in bronchus of a rat model of asthma.

METHODSThirty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, asthma group and ABPS group. The total cell numbers, eosinophils (EOS) numbers and differentiated cell numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were counted by different count fluids. The concentrations of IL-4 in serum and BALF were measured by sandwich ELISA. The protein expressions of STAT6 were detected by immunohistochemistry techniques. The mRNA expressions of STAT6 were detected by hybridization in situ.

RESULTS(1) The total cell numbers in BALF, the absolute numbers of EOS, the ratios of eosinophils to the total cell numbers (EOS%) of asthma group were all significantly higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01). The total cell numbers in BALF, the absolute numbers of EOS and EOS% of ABPS group were all significantly lower than those of asthma group (P < 0.01). (2) The concentrations of IL-4 in BALF and serum of asthma group were significantly higher than those of control group (P < 0.01), while the concentrations of IL-4 in BALF and serum of ABPS group were significantly lower than those of asthma group. (3) Immunohistochemistry showed that the protein content of STAT6 around the bronchus of asthma group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01), while that of ABPS group was significantly lower than that of asthma group , the epithelial cells were the chief expression cells; hybridization in situ showed that the mRNA expression of STAT6 around the bronchus of asthma group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01), while that of ABPS group was significantly lower than that of asthma group , the epithelial cells were the chief expression cells.

CONCLUSIONSTAT6 protein and STAT6 mRNA were found strongly expressed in rat asthma model, the epithelial cells were the chief expression cells. ABPS had an inhibitory effect on airway inflammation cells infiltration such as EOS, it significantly depressed STAT6 and its mRNA expression, thus reduced the synthesis of IL-4 might be key in modulating mechanism of asthma.

Achyranthes ; Animals ; Asthma ; metabolism ; Eosinophils ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Male ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; STAT6 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) superinfection on the short-term and long-term hepatic pathological changes in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODSHCV-RNA of twice corresponding period serum samples was detected via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay from 230 patients with CHB for whom liver biopsy was performed at an interval of 0.5-15 years, respectively. The hepatic pathological changes of the patients with CHB who were serum HCV-RNA positive at the beginning of observation and persistently positive between the starting and ending of observation were respectively compared with those of serum HCV-RNA negative and persistently negative patients.

RESULTS41 patients (17.83%) were positive for serum HCV-RNA at the beginning of observation. There were significant differences in the severity of hepatic inflammatory activity grade and fibrosis stage between serum HCV-RNA positive and negative patients with CHB (P < 0.05). Twenty-nine patients were persistently positive for serum HCV-RNA in the beginning and end of observation. Compared with persistently negative patients who were 116 patients selected from the above-mentioned 230 patients and they were comparable with HCV-RNA persistently positive patients in mean follow-up time, age and sex, the long-term progression of hepatic inflammatory activity grade and fibrosis stage in persistently positive patients were more speedy (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHCV superinfection worsens the hepatic pathological changes of patients with CHB and speeds up its progression.

Adult ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B virus ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Retrospective Studies ; Superinfection ; virology ; Time Factors ; Viral Load