Phytoremediation effectiveness and remediation costs are driving factors of this project. Full utilization of plant resources after their being used for phytoremediation is an unsolved problem. GC/MS technique was used to investigate the volatiles of the flowers from Elsholtzia argyi (PFE1: Purple Flower Elsholtzia) and their variation (WFE: White Flower Elsholtzia), naturally growing in Pb/Zn mined area, and Elsholtzia argyi (PFE2: Purple Flower Elsholtzia), naturally growing in Jiuxi uncontaminated agriculture soil. Seventeen compounds constituting 86.88% of total essential oils were identified in PFE1, with 2,6-octadienoic acid,3,7-dimethyl-methyl ester being the main constituent (63.30%). Sixteen compounds accounting for 95.32% of total essential oils were identified in WFE, with caryophyllene being the main component (55.02%). Compared to PFE1, PFE2 contains lower level of 2,6-octadienoic acid,3,7-dimethyl-methyl ester (31.76%), which is the main constituent in the total essential oils of PFE2. Caryophyllene is the main ingredient of flavor. Elsholtzia ketone was identified in all the three Elsholtzia plants. It can be concluded that the selected Elsholtzia argyi plants can be exploited on their versatile uses as fragrances and antiseptics due to the perfume ingredient and antibacterial components existing in their essential oils.
Agriculture ; methods ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Flowers ; classification ; metabolism ; Lamiaceae ; classification ; metabolism ; Oils, Volatile ; analysis ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; analysis ; metabolism ; Species Specificity

Objective To analyze diagnostic experience of children with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) and assess its surgical results.Methods Six children with ALCAPA had been diagnosed in our hospital from Mar. 2006 to Oct.2007 aged from 6 months to 10 years old(median 43.5 months).The medical data included common clinical presentations,the findings of electrocardiogram(ECG),the echocardiogram,ECG-gated 64-slice computed tomography,the digital subtraction angiogram (DSA),surgical records and the outcome.Results Diaphoresis,fantod,breathlessness and difficult feeding were commonly presented in 5 cases ALCAPA and the 5 children presented with left ventricular failure in infancy.The predominant ECG findings were Q waves and ST segment changes in the anterolateral chest leads in 4 cases,ST changes in 1 case,and normal ECG in 1 case.Cross-sectional echocardiography showed dilated left ventricles with poor contractility in 4 cases,medium mitral regurgitation in 2 cases and severe mitral regurgitation in 2 cases,aneurysmal dilatation of the right coronary artery(RCA) in 2 cases.CT and DSA examinations showed characteristic changes in these children.The surgical reestablishment of a two-coronary system was performed in 5 cases,direct reimplantation in 2 cases and creation of an autologous extrapulmonary tunnel in 3 cases.Simultaneous mitral annuloplasty was performed in 2 cases.After operation,the symptoms of 5 cases were all improved and none died.Conclusions Understanding the clinical manifestations and lab findings of ALCAPA is helpful to making an early diagnosis of ALCAPA.Early surgical treatment can improve the patients′ outcome.

Adult ; Female ; Hemangioma, Cavernous ; surgery ; Humans ; Nose ; surgery ; Orbit ; surgery ; Orbital Neoplasms ; surgery

OBJECTIVEThe device of a bone age film of analysis and process was designed, can calculate the expected patient's height and identify growth level and development.

METHODSSelect the DR bone age of 100 children of 6-13 years old, used semi Lagrange algorithm of target region of interest on bone age piece (ROI) for image analysis, compared with 2 pediatric endocrinologists (A, B) who used TW3 artificial to judge bone age (two methods were detected 2 times), and report the results.

RESULTSBone age assessment process, forecast error of bone age reduced to 0.12 years.

CONCLUSIONSThis device can quickly calculate the expected patient's height and identify his growth level, improve the speed and accuracy of bone age assessment, especially in the poor medical conditions in rural and remote areas.

A solution with different Cu supply levels was cultured to investigate gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation in Elsholtzia splendens, a native Chinese Cu-tolerant and accumulating plant species. Increasing Cu from 0.25 to 500 micromol/L significantly enhanced levels of GABA and histidine (His), but considerably decreased levels of aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu) in the leaves. The leaf Asp level negatively correlated with leaf Cu level, while leaf GABA level positively correlated with leaf Cu level. The leaf Glu level negatively correlated with leaf GABA level in Elsholtzia splendens. The depletion of leaf Glu may be related to the enhanced synthesis of leaf GABA under Cu stress.
Copper ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Tolerance ; physiology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Lamiaceae ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plant Leaves ; drug effects ; metabolism ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism

Objective To select the optimum extracting method of polysaccharide from Paris polyphylla Smith var. chinensis(Franch. )Hara in Shaan'xi. Methods The optimum extraction technology and condition were determined by using response surface methodology and single factor experiment,with the extraction ratio of polysaccharides from Paris polyphylla Smith var. chinensis( Franch. ) Hara in Shaan'xi as indicator. Results The optimum extraction condition for the polysaccharides was as follows:extracting at 92 ℃ for 2. 6 h and with the liquid to solid ratio of 15 ( mLg). The average extraction yield of polysaccharide was 3. 22%under the optimum extraction condition. Conclusion The method is suitable for the extraction and determination of polysaccharides from Paris polyphylla Smith var. chinensis( Franch. ) Hara in Shaan'xi.

Triptolide (TPT), an active compound extracted from Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii , has been used in therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, after synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis (RASFs) were treated with TPT, we investigated its effect on the differentiation of Th17 cells. Firstly, the mRNA level of cyclooxygenase (COX) wad detected by qRT-PCR and the protein level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was tested by ELISA in RASFs treated with different concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100 nmol L-1 ) of TPT. Then after TPT pre-treated RASFs and RA CD4 + T cells wer e co-cultured for 3 days in the presence or absence of PGE2, IL-17 and IFN-gamma production in CD4 T cell subsets were detected by flow cytometry. The results showed TPT decreased the mRNA experssion of COX2 and the secretion of PGE2 in RASFs in a dose-dependent manner(P <0. 05). We further found that differentiation of Thl7 cells was downregulated in a dose-dependent manner, and exogenous PGE2 could reverse the inhibition of Th17 cell differentiation(P <0. 05). Taken together, our results demonstrated that TPT inhibited the mRNA level of COX2 and the secretion of PGE2 in RASFs, which partly led to impaired Th17 cell differentiation in vitro.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; immunology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Epoxy Compounds ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; immunology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Synovial Fluid ; drug effects ; Th17 Cells ; drug effects ; pathology

Objective To compare and evaluate the effect of PBL in clinical teaching of Pediatrics.Methods Among students of Grade 2002 in our university,two types of PBL,pre-learning and case-discussion,were used in their clinical learning of Pediatrics. And then,their effects were evaluated and compared with those of traditional learning method.Results More than 60% of the students agreed with PBL methods,and they considered PBL favorable to practice scientific logical thinking of clinical affairs,to increase their capabilities of learning,oral expression,communication and cooperation.The teachers agreed with PBL methods too for the better learning effect resulting from PBL.Conclusion PBL fits the needs of medical learning reformation.To train new type of doctors in century 21st,it is necessary to use kinds of new learning methods,including PBL methods and standardized patient (SP)in clinical teaching.

?Proliferative diabetic retinopathy ( PDR ) is a group of disease characterized by neovascular disease complication of diabetes mellitus. Neovascular diseases of eye are one of the major causes of blindness of the world. Recent studies showed that vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) and pigment epithelium-derived factor ( PEDF ) are now accepted as the key cytokine in the development of diabetic retinopathy. Recent progress in the investigation of VEGF and PEDF of PDR are summarized in this review.

Objective: To study the secondary metabolites of Eurotium cristatum from Fu Brick Tea and their biological activities. Methods: The compounds were isolated by various column chromatographies on normal phase silica gel, reversed silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, preparative TLC, and recrystallization. The structures were identified by the extensive analysis on their spectroscopic data. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1-9 against SF-268, MCF-7, and NCI-H460 cell lines were tested in vitro by SRB method. The inhibitory effects of compounds 2-9 on Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, Shigella dysenteriae, and Proteus vulgaris were tested by MTT method. Results: Nine compounds were isolated from the extract of liquid fermentation broth of E. cristatum in Fu Brick Tea and identified as physcion (1), 1, 5-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-7-methyl-anthracene-9,10-dione (2), flavoglaucin (3), 2-(2', 3-epoxy-1', 3'-heptadienyl)-6-hydroxy-5-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) benzaldehyde (4), 2-(2', 3-epoxy-1', 3', 5'-heptatrienyl)-6-hydroxy-5-(3-methyl-2-butenyl) benzaldehyde (5), isodihydroauroglaucin (6), tyrosol (7), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (8), and orcinol (9). The results of the bioactivity test showed that compounds 3-6 displayed the good cytotoxic acitivities against the three tumor cell lines, and all the compounds exhibited the strong inhibitory activities against P. vulgaris except compounds 1 and 6. Besides, compound 9 also showed the significant inhibitory effects against S. aureus and E. coli. Conclusion: The benzaldehyde compounds are considered as the main metabolites of E. cristatum, compounds 7 and 9 are reported from the species of genus Eurotium Link: Fr. for the first time and compounds 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 are firstly isolated from the fungus.