OBJECTIVETo observe the prevention and clinical efficacy of combination of Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LDP) and Ginkgo Leaf Tablet (GLT) for early diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODSUsing randomized, double-blind, double simulation, parallel controlled clinical trial, 140 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients were recruited and assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 70 in each group. All patients received basic Western medicine treatment (such as blood glucose and pressure control). Patients in the treatment group took LDP (8 pills each time, 3 times per day) and GLT (19.2 mg each time, 3 times per day), while those in the control group took LDP placebos and GLT placebos. All treatment lasted for 24 consecutive months. All subjects were followed-up every month. The general clinical data as sex, age, and metabolic data such as blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipid, and DR prevalence rate were collected and statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, or blood lipid between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment the DR incidence rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group [3.1% (2/64) vs 18.6% (11/59), P < 0.05)]. Meanwhile, the DR prevalence rate of the treatment group was also significantly lower than that of the control group [6.3% (4/64) vs 20.0% (13/59), P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONCombination of LDP and GLT could effectively prevent and treat the development of DR in T2DM patients.

Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; drug therapy ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Tablets

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; DNA Primers ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective: To investigate the effect of 8-alkyl-coptisine on glycometabolism in vitro. Methods: HepG2 cells similar to human hepatic cells were used to test the glucose consumption (GC) in cultural solution in 24 h and MTT assay was used to monitor the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Results: The results indicated that 8-alkyl-coptisine could increase the amounts of GC of HepG2 cells. In glucose concentration (10 mmol/L), 8-hexyl-coptisine was the most significant. 8-Alkyl-coptisine had notable inhibition in proliferation of HepG2 cells. Conclusion: 8-Alkyl-coptisine was successfully synthesized. GC could increase as the length of the aliphatic chain increases firstly and the GC could decrease when the length of the aliphatic chain exceeds six atoms. 8-Hexyl-coptisine is a potential hypoglycemic leading compound.

Referring to the rapid developed life science and the higher requirements for the approval of innovative Chinese drugs in recent years, this paper described systematically the discovery, research and development (R&D) approaches for the innovative Chinese drugs under the new situation from the following five aspects, i. e., active components discovered from TCMs, the discovery of effective fractions of TCMs and their formulae, the R&D of TCM innovative drugs based on famous classic prescriptions and famous Chinese patent drugs, and the transformation of clinical effective prescriptions, on the basis of analysing the advantages of innovative drugs derived from natural products based on TCM theories and the problems existed in current R&D of new TCM drugs. Moreover, five suggestions are also given for the rapid development of TCM innovative drugs in China. All these will provide reference for the R&D of TCM innovative drugs.
China ; Drug Discovery ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends ; Research

Xanthine oxidase (XOD), catalyzing purine metabolism, is the key enzyme in uric acid (UA) biosynthesis, and becomes an important target for hyperuricemia treatment. The inhibition on XOD plays an important role in the treatment of hyperuricemia-related diseases, such as gout, as well as oxidative stress-induced tissue injury. Here, studies on the natural products with XOD inhibition are reviewed.

Objective To investigate the effect of microRNA-101 (miRNA-101) on atrial fibrosis in human chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Right atrial appendages were obtained from 59 patients (30 with AF) undergoing cardiac surgery, including 47 patients with valve heart disease and 12 patients with congenital heart disease. The expression of miRNA-101 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR in the right atrial appendages of patients with and without AF. The cell-specific localization of miRNA-101 was detected by in situ hybridization assay. The mRNA and protein expression levels of transforming growth factor β typeⅠreceptor (TGFβRⅠ) and collagen type I (COL1) were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and Western-blot assay, respectively. Collagen in the right atrial appendages was observed by Masson staining assay. Results The expression of miRNA-101 was found to be significantly down-regulated in AF patients compared with patients with sinus rhythm (SR) (P < 0.05). The result of miRNA-ISH showed that miRNA-101, which was highly distributed within the connective tissues of heart, was down-regulated at about 24.9% in patients with AF compared with patients with SR. No significant differences at the mRNA expression level of TGFβRI was found between patients with AF and patients with SR (P > 0.05). But the protein expression of TGFβRI in patients with AF was significantly higher than that of patients with SR (P < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expressionsl of COL1 were significantly higher in patients with AF than thoset of patients with SR (P < 0.05). The collagen was significantly increased in patients with AF than that of patients with SR (P < 0.05). Conclusions Downregulation of miRNA-101 may contribute to atrial fibrosis in human atrial fibrillation by targeting TGFβRⅠ.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the status of human papillomavirus ( HPV) infection and its genotypes in male patients in Zhenjiang area.

METHODSUsing PCR and reverse dot blot hybridization, we determined the genotypes of HPV DNA in 245 male patients at our Clinic of Dermatology and STD.

RESULTSThe total rate of HPV infection was 43.67% (107/245), and 18 subtypes were detected. Among the 107 HPV-positive cases, low-risk, high-risk, and combined high- and low-risk infections accounted for 39.25% (42/107), 38.32% (41/107), and 22.43% (24/107), respectively. The most notable low-risk HPV types were HPV6 and HPV11, and the most notable high-risk HPV types were HPV16, HPV52, and HPV58. The rates of single infection and multi-infection were 53.27% (57/107) and 46.73% (50/107), respectively. One case had the most types, infected with 8 genotypes. No statistically significant differences were observed in the total rate of HPV infection among different age groups (Χ2 = 7.999, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe dominant subtypes of HPV infection in male patients in Zhenjiang area were HPV6, HPV11, and HPV16. The most common subtypes were HPV6 and HPV11 in low-risk infection, and HPV16, HPV52, and HPV58 in high-risk infection.

China ; DNA, Viral ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Papillomaviridae ; classification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To determine the influence of protein fusion on the biological characteris- tics of hymidine kinase(TK)and human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)Tat recombinant protein. Methods By utilizing polymerase chain reaction(PCR)technique,different fragments containing two,four or six glycines(Gly)were inserted between the HIV Tat gene and TK,and cloned into PBK vector.After testified by sequencing,the vectors were transfected into E coli.After induced by iso- propyl thiogalactose(IPTG),bacilli were collected and destructed by ultrasonic,the fusion proteins were determined by monoclonal antibody against HIV protein.HepG2 cells were incubated in DMEM supplement with 10?g/mL HIV-Gly(n)-TK(n=0,2,4,6)fusion protein,TK-HIV Tat and only HIV Tat.HepG2 cells in different groups were detected by immunofluorescence assay 24 hours after transduction with HIV Tat monoclonal antibody.The rate of apoptosis after cells were incubated with gencilovir(10?g/mL)for 3 days was determined by cell flow cytometry,while survival cell ratio was recorded by trypan blue.The data were analyzed by statistics(t-test).Results The Tat-Gly(n)-TK (n= 0,2,4,6)recombinant genes were constructed and inserted into PBK vectors,which were expressed in E coli and then purified.Cells in different groups,which were incubated with Tat-Gly (n)-TK(n=0,2,4,6)fusion proteins,Tat-TK fusion protein,TK-Tat fusion proteins or only Tat proteins respectively,were detected by immunofluorescence assay.The intensities of fluorescence in different groups were almost same,but the ratios of cell survival or apoptosis were different.The highest ratio of cells apoptosis(14.77%)was in the group that cellular culture medium was mixed with Tat-Gly(4)-TK fusion protein,followed by the groups containing 6,2 glycines or no TK gene in genes(4.30%,12.69% and 1.03%,respectively).There were significant differences between each 2 groups among the all groups(t-test,P

Animals ; Endoplasmic Reticulum ; metabolism ; Ischemia ; metabolism ; Male ; Molecular Chaperones ; metabolism ; Pressure Ulcer ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; blood supply

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of calcitonin(CT) in glutamate release from primary cultured neurons of midbrain periaqueductal gray matter(PAG).Methods Primary dissociated culture of PAG neurons was prepared from neonatal Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats.The cultured cells were divided into 4 groups:control group,salmon calcitonin (sCT) group,CT antagonist group (sCT8-32),and protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor chelerythrine(Che) group.Each group was further divided into subgroups representing low,middle,and high levels of drugs.Glutamate release from the cultured PAG neurons evoked by sCT and/or other interfering factors was detected by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay.Results (1) Compared with the control group,sCT group yielded a time-dependent and concentration-dependent glutamate release from the cultured PAG neurons,and the most effective concentration of sCT was 20 nmol/L(P＜0.01).(2) sCT8-32,a selective antagonist of CT receptor,significantly reversed the effect of 20 nmol/L sCT on glutamate release from cultured PAG neurons,and the most effective concentration was 100nmol/L sCT8-32 (P＜0.01).(3) Incubation of the cultured neurons with Che inhibited the glutamate release from cultured PAG neurons evoked by 20 nmol/L sCT,and 100 μmol/L Che was most effective(P＜0.01).Conclusion CT receptors participates in the glutamate release from PAG neurons in which intracellular protein kinase C signaling pathway is involved.