The therapeutic effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs in treating osteoporosis have become the focus under study. Pharmacological studies have shown that traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs are promoters for the proliferation of osteoblasts, inhibitors for the activity of osteoclasts, regulators for the estrogen level and its receptor, plays important roles in promoting osteogenesis and suppressing adipogenesis of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), modulating the function of OPG/RANK/RANKL system and the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, as well as antioxidation. The anti-osteoporotic active ingredients and pharmacological action mechanism of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs are summarized from the perspective of molecular and cell biology in this paper, so as to provide references for the study of their mechanism of anti-osteoporosis and for the development of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying and bone-strengthening drugs.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVE: To provide references for the improvement of drug recall system in China.METHODS: The problems existing in the drug recall system in China were analyzed through a comparison of the drug recall system between China and Australia.RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: China should draw useful experiences from Australia to improve its drug recall system by perfecting the legal system and tracking measures,determining stratified drugs and the responsibilities of government etc.

Objective To indentify the gene expression on different fractionated radiation regimens with the same total radiation dose in xenografts with human lung adenocareinoma. Methods Forty-eight BALB/c-nu mice, implanted with human lung adenocarcinoma (Anip973), were randomized into 4 groups: normal control greup,60 Gy in 30 fractions conventional radiation group (2 Gy group) ,60 Gy in 10 fractions hypofractionated radiation group (6 Gy group) ,60 Gy in 6 fractions hypofractionaed radiation group (10 Gy group). Gene alterations were investigated with the microchip analytical procedures covering the entire genome. Genes with significantly different expression were further validated by the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Compared to the 2 Gy group, the expression of the genes related with the cell growth inhibition and apoptesis was increased, while the genes related with the cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis and DNA damage repair were decreased in the 6 Gy and 10 Gy groups. Confirmed by RT-PCR, c-myc gene was distinctly suppressed in the 6 Gy group (2. 9%) comparing with 2 Gy (5.6%) group and 10 Gy (4.8%) group (P=0. 000,P=0. 002) , and was slightly suppressed in the 10 Gy group comparing with 2 Gy group (P = 0. 069). Conclusions In the BALB/c-nu mice implanted with human lung adenocarcinoma, the hypofractionated radiation regimens clearly inhibit the tumor growth more than conventional fractionation group, though with the same total dose. The 6 Gy group seem to be more effective than 10 Gy group in the inhibition of tumor growth.

Objective To explore the clinical results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the treatment of knees with bony ankylosis in extension.Methods From June 2000 to June 2007,10 patients had knees with bony ankylosis in extension were treated with TKA,including 4 males and 6 females,with an average age of 49 years (range,29 to 63 years).The primary diseases were as follows:ankylosing spondylitis in 3 cases,rheumatoid arthritis in 2 cases,hemophilic arthritis in 1 care,traumatic arthritis in 3 cases and pyogenic arthritis in 1 case.The range of motion (ROM) was 0° in all knees,and the average HSS (the Hospital for Special Surgery) score before operation was 32.5±10.26.Two patients underwent bilateral TKA,and 8 underwent unilateral TKA.Results All patients were followed up for 3 to 10 years (average,5.3 years).The average HSS score was improved to 87.75±6.45 at the last follow-up,and there was significant difference compared with that before operation (t=18.668,P=0.000).The average ROM was improved to 97.08°±11.57°at the last follow-up,and there was remarkable difference compared with that before operation (t=29.063,P=0.000).The postoperative complications included cutaneous necrosis in 2 cases,deep venous thrombosis of lower limb in 1 case,periprosthetic fracture in 1 case,and deep prosthetic infection in 1 case who underwent revised TKA later.The postopertative X-ray showed no looseness of the prostheses.Conclusion TKA through medial parapatellar approach,with dissection of the rectus femoris,secondary osteotomy and soft tissue balance intraoperatively is effective in the treatment of knees with bony ankylosis in extension,which can correct the ankylosed knee deformitis successfully.Combining with the correct rehabilitation exercise,it is possible to improve significantly the function of knee and life quality in these patients.

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences between computer aided identification and ultra-thin layer slicing in measuring the lesions of femoral head necrosis,and to confirm the accuracy and practicability of computer aided method.

METHODSFrom June 2012 to December 2013, the X-ray and MRI of 24 patients (24 hips on unilateral) were reviewed, who had avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFA) at late stage (stage III and IV) according to the ARCO international staging system. There were 15 males and 9 females, with an average age of (65.1 ± 8.8) years old, ranged 33 to 74 years old. Based on the software system with seeds point identification, the ragional adaptive search method with computer aid was used to calculate the volume of necrotic lesion in femoral on MRI. Then the pathological slices of those intraoperative femoral heads were made to measure the gross volume of necrotic lesion in femoral head,and the values were compared with the data in the computer.

RESULTSFor 24 hips, by the calculation of computer, the necrotic volume was (20.00 ± 3.04) cm (ranged, 18.72 to 21.29 cm³). Under the pathological section, the necrotic volume of the femoral head was (19.89 ± 3.17) cm³ (ranged, 18.55 to 21.23 cm³). In computer and pathology two kinds of measurement, the two entire femoral head volume had no significant difference using these two measurements (t = -1.227, P = 0.232).

CONCLUSIONComputer aided identification for necrotic area of femoral head adaptive can demonstrate the morphology of femoral head necrosis accurately and reliably, which will help surgeon better understand the morphology and orientation in femoral head.

Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged

Elucidate the mechanism of Eucommiae Cortex in treatment of hypertension, to provide the basis for further research and development of Eucommiae Cortex. Our study using the entity grammar systems inference rules to analyse the interactions of chemical constituents of Eucommiae Cortex and disease target proteins at the molecular level, and got a biological network of Eucommiae Cortex anti-hypertension which inciude 602 nodes and 2 354 edges. We got 3 treatment of hypertension pathways of Eucommiae Cortex by analyzing biological network, that is, by inhibition of vascular remodeling to improve the deterioration of hypertension, reduce activity of polymorphism genetic genes related to essential hypertension, inhibition of carbonic anhydrase 1 to maintain the osmotic pressure, Eucommiae Cortex play the role of anti-hypertension.
Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Essential Hypertension ; Eucommiaceae ; chemistry ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; drug effects ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

As regulating the function of the liver and spleen of the famous traditional formula, Sini San is widely used in the treatment of various diseases caused by liver depression and Qi stagnation, and its efficacy is significant clinically. Recently it is discovered that Sini San is effective in the treatment of nervous system diseases such as depression. Furthermore, there is a lot of literature about the effect of Sini San on the molecular mechanism of antidepressant. However, the anti-depression mechanism of Sini San is not very clear, in our present study, based on the auxiliary mechanism elucidation system for Chinese medicine and network pharmacology system to construct the chemical ingredients of the target interactions and disease-related protein of the interaction network. Results show that there are 263 chemical ingredients and 19 corresponding targets of depression in Sini San network. Sini San can anti-depressant effect through G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling pathway, cAMP system, neurological system process and neurotransmitter secretion, inflammatory response, neuroendocrine, metal ion transport and so on. These studies provided valuable clues for the mechanism and treatment of anti-depressant.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Databases, Factual ; Depression ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; drug effects ; Humans ; Signal Transduction

This study was amid to construct the pharmacophore model of L-type calcium channel antagonist in the application of screening Drugbank and TCMD. This paper repositions the approved drugs resulting from virtual screening and discusses the relocation-based drug discovery methods, screening antihypertensive drugs with L-type calcium channel function from TCMD. Qualitative hypotheses wre generated by HipHop separately on the basis of 12 compounds with antagonistic action on L-type calcium channel expressed in rabbit cardiac muscle. Datebase searching method was used to evaluate the generated hypotheses. The optimum hypothesis was used to search Drugbank and TCMD. This paper repositions the approved drugs and evaluates the antihypertensive effect of the chemical constituent of traditional Chinese medicine resulting from virtual screening by the matching score and literature. The results showed that optimum qualitative hypothesis is with six features, which were two hydrogen-bond acceptors, four hydrophobic groups, and the CAI value of 2.78. Screening Drugbank achieves 93 approved drugs. Screening TCMD achieves 285 chemical constituents of traditional Chinese medicine. It was concluded that the hypothesis is reliable and can be used to screen datebase. The approved drugs resulting from virtual screening, such as pravastatin, are potentially L-type calcium channels inhibitors. The chemical constituents of traditional Chinese medicine, such as Arctigenin III and Arctigenin are potentially antihypertensive drugs. It indicates that Drug Repositioning based on hypothesis is possible.
Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drug Repositioning ; methods ; Molecular Structure ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Rabbits

Objective To explore the association between polymorphisms of adiponectin gene and the risk of ischemic stroke in Han population from the Northern parts of China.Methods TaqMan probe of RT-PCR was applied to detect the genotype frequency of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNPs)(rs266729 and rs2241766)of adiponectin gene in 357 ischemic stroke cases who developed the episode at first time and with 345 healthy controls.Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship of each genotype of SNPs and ischemic stroke.Results Mutation of rs2241766(T＞G)increased the risk of ischemic stroke among all the samples(0R=1.55,P=0.01)and it was still the risk factor of ischemic stroke when analyzed by multi-factors logistic regression after each factor was adjusted(OR=1.55,P=0.00).The polymorphism of rs266729 was not related to the risk of ischemic stroke among all the samples(OR=1.13,P=0.57).However,the genotype GG of rs266729 increased the risk of ischemic stroke among female population(OR=3.25,P=0.04).Conclusion The variance of rs2241766 in adiponectin gene was related to the risk of ischemic stroke in Han population from the Northern parts of China and the genotype GG of rs266729 could possibly increase the risk of ischemic stroke in women of Han population from the Northern parts of the country.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Shadu Cao Mixture (SDCM, traditional Chinese medicine) on immune functions of immunosuppression mice.

METHODSFifty BALB/C mice were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, SDCM low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose group. Except the blank control group, other groups were intraperitoneal injected with cyclophosphamide (40 mg/kg) to establish immunosuppression mice model. The blank control group and model group received gavage administration with nonnal saline, while the other groups received gavage administration with different doses of SDCM (10, 20, 40 m/kg for 15 days) respectively. The number of leukocytes and serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in peripheral blood, spleen index, and the function of NK cells were measured.

RESULTSCompared with the model group , SDCM increased the number of leukocytes and serum concentrations of IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ in peripheral blood and improved the spleen index and the function of NK cells significantly (P < 0.05-0.01).

CONCLUSIONSDCM could remarkably enhance the immune functions of immunosuppression mice induced by cyclophosphamide.

Animals ; Cyclophosphamide ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Immunosuppression ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Spleen ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood