The supercritical carbon dioxide was used to extract polyunsaturated fatty acid methylesters from fish oil to concentrate eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid. The effects of experimental;temperatures,pressures and solvent ratio were reported,and the optimal fractional conditions were studied.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of external application of Zhuangshenling Recipe (ZR) combined with Western medicine (WM) on the heart function of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients of Xin-Shen yang deficiency, interior retention of water-fluid syndrome (XSYDIRWFS).

METHODSTotally 140 CHF patients of XSYDIRWFS were randomly assigned to two groups, the treatment group and the control group, 70 in each group. All patients received WM therapy. Those in the treatment group were applied with ZR at Xinshu (BL15) and Shenshu (BL23), while those in the control group were applied with placebos at Xinshu (BL15) and Shenshu (BL23). The therapeutic course for all was 12 weeks. The integrals of TCM syndrome, grading of cardiac function, brain natriuretic polypeptide (BNP), and 6 min walking distance were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter twelve weeks of treatment, the effective rate of improved grading of cardiac function, the total effective rate of TCM syndrome efficacy, and the BNP level were obviously better in the treatment group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in 6 min walking distance between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONExternal application of ZR combined with WM could improve the heart function of CHF patients of XSYDIRWFS.

Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Yang Deficiency ; drug therapy

Racemic (±)-F18 (10-chloromethyl-11-demethyl-12-oxo-calanolide A), an analog of nature product (+)-calanolide A, is a new anti-HIV-1 nonnucleoside reverse transcript inhibitor (NNRTI). A successful enantioseparation of (±)-F18 offering (R)-F18 and (S)-F18 was achieved by a chiral stationary phase prepared HPLC. Their absolute configurations were determined by measurement of their electronic circular dichroisms combined with modem quantum-chemical calculations. Further investigation revealed that (R)-F18 and (S)-F18 shared a similar anti-HIV activities, however, (R)-F18 was more potent than (S)-F18 against wild-type virus, K101E mutation and P225H mutation pseudoviruses.
Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; Pyranocoumarins ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the intervention of Shenkangling Decoction (SD) on the renal injury of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) children patients of Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome (SDBSS) and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 65 PNS children patients were randomly assigned to the combined group (33 cases, treated by SD +Western medicine) and the Western medicine group (32 cases, treated by Western medicine). Meanwhile, 30 healthy children were recruited as the healthy control group from the medical examination center. Those in the Western medicine group were treated with prednisone (5 mg per tablet) at the daily dose of 1.5 -2.0 mg/kg till two weeks after their urine protein turned to negative. Then the dosage was reduced once daily per every other day. The therapeutic course lasted for more than 1 year. For those with no effect of prednisone or partial effect, cyclophosphamide intravenous pulse therapy was additionally applied for 2 successive days per week, a total of 6 times, or they took cyclosporine A. Patients in the combined group additionally took SD while starting treatment of prednisone. SD was decocted in water for oral dose, once daily, taken in two portions until 2 months after prednisone was discontinued. Efficacy was evaluated based on serum levels of chemotactic factor CXCL16, disintegrin metalloproteinase 10 ( ADAM10 ), disintegrin metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17), albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC), and 24-h urine protein excretion (UPE) detected by ELISA before and after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment in the same group, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE were significantly lower in the two treatment groups (P <0. 01). Compared with the control group, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE significantly increased, and the serum ALB level decreased in the two treatment groups (P <0.01). Compared with the Western medicine group at the same time point, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE significantly decreased in the combined group. The 1 -year recurrence rate and the recurrence times decreased in the combined group (P <0.01). The complete remission rate increased in the combined group (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSD could effectively improve the clinical prognosis of PNS children patients possibly by reducing the release of inflammatory mediators such as CXCL16, ADAM10, and ADAM17, decreasing UPE and the TC level, and elevating the serum ALB level.

Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Prednisone ; Syndrome

Toxicogenomics (TGx) refers to a set of technologies that assess genome-wide responses after toxic agent exposure. Altered gene expression patterns that are caused by specific exposures reveal how toxicants may disrupt cellular processes and lead to side effects. Development and application of " omics" technology facilitate the toxicogenomic research which sharing and interpretation of the enormous amount of biological information generated in toxicologic field. In recent years TGx has been widely valued and successfully applied as an effective research tool to evaluate the toxic effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Here we reviewed current progress in the field of TGx and focused on its application in traditional Chinese medicine safety evaluation, especially in revealing the mechanism, finding potential toxic biomarkers and studying compatibility detoxification of TCM.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Safety ; Toxicogenetics

AlM: To explore the inhibiting effect of FTY720 on corneal neovascularization ( CNV) of rat.METHODS: MTT assay and cells scratch were adopted to observe hyperplasia of human umbilical vein endothelial cells ( HUVECs ) and cell migration induced by sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P) after using FTY720 of different concentration. The effect of FTY720 on CNV induced by S1P in a rat corneal micropocket model was detected. 30SD rats were randomly divided into group A, group B and group C with 10 rats per group. S1P and 0μg, 5μg, and 20μg FTY720 controlled-released particles were implanted into the corneal stroma. The growth of CNV and having pathological examination on 12d after the operation was observed. Findings was analyzed by one-way ANOVA.RESULTS: 10, 102 , 103 , and 104 nmol/L FTY720 and HUVECs co-incubate 72h could inhibit cell proliferation (P < 0. 01 ), 24h after the function of 10, 100nmol/L FTY720, it could inhibit S1P-induced cell migration and the ability of restricting cell proliferation and cell migration was enhanced with increasing concentration of FTY720. On 12d, after rat corneal micropocket controlled-release particles was implanted into groups A, B, C, the CNV area were respectively 10. 05±1. 19, 6. 59±0. 95, 2. 70± 0.68mm2(F=145. 155, P<0. 01), group A and group B was statistically different and this was the same case between group B and group C (P<0. 01).CONCLUSlON:FTY720 can inhibit S1P-induced corneal neovascularization.

Along with the development of economy and society, type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) has become one of the most common diseases at the global level. As one of the complications of T2DM, diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) stubbornly and chronically affects the health and life of human beings. In the pain field, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is generally considered as the first stage of the sensory pathway where the hyperexcitability of injured neurons is associated with different kinds of peripheral neuropathic pains. The abnormal electrophysiology is mainly due to the changed properties of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and the increased sodium currents (I(Na)). Curcumin is an active ingredient extracted from turmeric and has been demonstrated to ameliorate T2DM and its various complications including DNP effectively. The present study demonstrates that the I(Na) of small-sized DRG neurons are significantly increased with the abnormal electrophysiological characteristics of VGSCs in type 2 diabetic neuropathic pain rats. And these abnormalities can be ameliorated efficaciously by a period of treatment with curcumin.
Animals ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; drug therapy ; Ganglia, Spinal ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuralgia ; drug therapy ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Sodium ; Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels ; physiology

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency disease syndrome (AIDS). After over 26 years of efforts, there is still not a therapeutic cure or an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS. The clinical management of HIV-1 infected people largely relies on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has provided an effective way to treat AIDS patients, the huge burden of ART in developing countries, together with the increasing incidence of drug resistant viruses among treated people, calls for continuous efforts for the development of anti-HIV-1 drugs. Currently, four classes of over 30 licensed antiretrovirals (ARVs) and combination regimens of these ARVs are in use clinically including: reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) (e.g. nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, NRTIs; and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), integrase inhibitors and entry inhibitors (e.g. fusion inhibitors and CCR5 antagonists). Here, we intend to provide updated information of currently available antiretroviral drugs for ART to promote the development of novel anti-HIV-1 drugs.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Anti-HIV Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; HIV Fusion Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; HIV Infections ; drug therapy ; HIV Integrase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; HIV Protease Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

[Ab]stract] Objective To investigate, according to core myodynamic theory, the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture at Huatuo jiaji points in treating motor dysfunction in stroke patients during the flaccid paralysis stage.Methods Sixty stroke patients in the stage of flaccid paralysis were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The control group received basic treatment and conventional acupuncture and the treatment group, electroacupuncture at Huatuo jiaji points in addition. The simplified Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) score were counted before and after treatment and the clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the FMA score and the MBI score in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the FMA score and the MBI score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). The total efficacy rate was 96.7% in the treatment group and 86.7% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture at Huatuo jiaji points has a promoting effect on the rehabilitation of limb function in the flaccid paralysis stage of stroke.

Objective To evaluate the role of p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway in dexmedetomidine against neurotoxicity induced by bupivacaine.Methods Seventy-two adult male SD rats,successfully implanted with intrathecal catheter without complications,were randomly divided into 6 groups: control group (group C);p38MAPK inhibitor group(group SB);dexmedetomidine group (group D);bupivacaine group (group B);dexmedetomidine and bupivacaine group (group DB);p38MAPK inhibitor and bupivacaine group (group SBB).DMSO 20 μl were injected intrathecally in group C;p38MAPK inhibitor 30 μg and 5% bupivacaine were respectively injected intrathecally in group SB and B;group DB and SBB were respectivel pretreated with dexmedetomidine 75 μg/kg intraperitoneally and p38MAPK inhibitor 30 μg intrathecal injection 20 min before intrathecally injected 5% bupivacaine.Dexmedetomidine 75 μg/kg was injected intraperitoneally in group D.Mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured before intrathecal catheter was implanted (T0),before intrathecal administration (T1) and at 4,8 and 12 h and on 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 days after intrathecal administration (T2-T10).At 24 h after intrathecal administration,6 rats were randomly chosen from each group and sacrificed.The lumbar segment (L4-5) of the spinal cord was removed for detecting neuronal apoptosis (by TUNEL) and phosporylated p38MAPK(p-p38MAPK) expression (by Western blot).Results Compared with T0,MWT was significantly increased and TWL was prolonged at T2-T9 in group B,MWT at T2-T7 was significantly increased and TWL at T2-T6 was prolonged in group DB,MWT was significantly increased and TWL was prolonged at T2-T5 in group SBB (P<0.05).Compared with group C,no significant difference was found in MWT,TWL,the apoptotic index and expression of p-p38MAPK in groups D and SB.MWT was significantly increased and TWL was prolonged at T2-T9 in group B,the apoptotic index and expression of p-p38MAPK were significantly increased in group B (P<0.05).Compared with group B,MWT and TWL at T2-T9,the apoptotic index and expression of p-p38MAPK were significantly decreased in groups DB and SBB (P<0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine can inhibit spinal neurotoxicity induced by bupivacaine in rats via inhibiting apoptosis in spinal cord,and inhibition of p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway may be involved in the underlying mechanism.