Objective To evaluate the quality of Semen Cassiae from different habitats objectively. Methods To determine the content of chryso-phanic according to ChP and establish HPLC fingerprints with the gradient elution solvent composed of acetonitrile and 1% HAC. A C18 column (250 mm?4.6 mm, 5 ?m) was used, flow rate: 1 mL/min, detecting wavelength: 254 nm, and the column temperature: room temperature. The clustering analysis was carried out by SAS software according to the content of chrysophanic and similarity of HPLC fingerprints obtained by the software of similarity analysis. Results The established HPLC fingerprint has desirable precision, reproducibility, and stability. The content of chrysophanic and HPLC fingerprints of Semen Cassiae from various habitats are different, which differs from the habitats. The content range of chrysophanic in Semen Cassiae is 0.037%-0.170% and the similarity is 0.864-0.962. Conclusion The method indicates the difference of the chemical component in Semen Cassiae from various habitats and can be used as a quality control method for Semen Cassiae.

Object To probe into the objectivity and authenticity of four properties (cold, heat, warm, and cool) of raw Coptidis Rhizoma (RCR) and their preparations from biophysics and biochemistry. Methods Microcalorimetry was used to obtain the metabolic growth power-time curve of bacteria affected by the total alkaloid in different preparations of RCR and biothermokinetic parameters. Combined with the records of ancient herbal literatures, the influence of properties by different preparations to RCR were synthetically evaluated. Results All the effective total alkaloid in different preparations of RCR can restrain the Escherichia coli growth and metabolism in different level. Drugs, such as Coptidis Rhizoma Stir-fried with ginger juice (CRGJ), Coptidis Rhizoma stir-fried with wine (CRW), and Coptidis Rhizoma stir-fried with Fructus Evodiae (CRFE), with a little Warm Property can decrease the multiplication rate constants of E. coli index and increase heat output in growth metablism remarkably, while the drugs, such as RCR, Coptidis Rhizoma stir-fried with vinegar (CRV), and Coptidis Rhizoma stir-fried with gallbladder juice (CRGBJ), with a little Cold Property can decrease the multiplication rate constants and increase heat output a little. There was a stable difference between them. Conclusion Microcalorimetry is a new and useful mean for the study of the properties of tradition Chinese medicine.

Through our pre-investigation and literature analysis, it was found that rhubarb could be categorized into two types, chrysophanol-type and rhein-type, based on the proportion of the two constituents in the total content of anthraquinones after acid hydrolysis. In this paper, the antimicrobial activities of chrysophanol-type and rhein-type rhubarbs against Staphylococcus aureus were compared with microcalorimetric analysis, in order to illustrate the bioactive differentiability between the two chemotypes. For the aim to display the distinction of chrysophanol and rhein percentage in total anthraquinones, the sampling volume was regulated to make the total anthraquinones equivalent, thus, the antimicrobial difference was only attributed to the difference of chemotypes. The results indicated that the antimicrobial difference between the two chemotypes was confirmable labeled at the biothermokinetic parameters of S. aureus growth affected by the rhubarb samples. The growth rate constant (k1) of the first exponential phase for the growth of S. aureus affected by the rhein-type rhubarb was significantly lower than that of chrysophanol-type (P<0.01), which suggested stronger antimicrobial activity of rhein-type rhubarb than that of chrysophanol-type. However, the antimicrobial activities of rhein-type rhubarbs were not positively correlated to the contents of rhein. It suggested that the antimicrobial activity of rhubarb might be related to some unknown components which were of same accumulating pattern of rhein. The findings in present study provided some experimental evidence on categorizing rhubarb into two chemotypes through the difference of antimicrobial activity on S. aureus by microcalorimetric analysis and, further, offered references to revision of the commercial specification of rhubarb from chemical view.

Objective Helicobacter pylori ( Hp ) infection is an important risk factor of the gastrointestinal disease, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. However, many recent experimental and clinical studies have shown that its addition to causing gastrointestinal diseases, but also associated with many diseases, and closely related with the occurrence of liver diseases. Summarized recent advances in the study of the relevant studies,including the relationship between hepatitis and cirrhosis,and the occurrence and development of liver cancer.

Objective To access the incidence,clinical characteristics and the factors affecting therapy of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the infants at term and near term delivered by elective cesarean section.Methods A retrospective cohort study among consecutively admitted infants with RDS at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Neonatology,Xiangya Hospital,Central South University from Jan.2004 to Dec.2011 were conducted.The inborn infants at 36-42 weeks gestation with RDS,whom were delivered by Elective Cesarean Section from January 1 st,2004 to December 31st,2011 were enrolled.These cases with the timing of elective caesarean section,gestational age,intrauterine infection,asphyxia at birth,which affecting the occurrence of RDS were compared.Results Fifty one infants were entered into the study,which were all met standard of Elective Cesarean Section.Among these infants,33 cases (64.7％,33/51 cases) were delivered by cesarean section without any reason.In these 51 cases,the constituent ratio of elective caesarean section in gestational age ＞ 39 weeks was lower than in gestational age ＞ 36-＜39 weeks,and the difference was significant (31.4％ vs 68.6％,x2 =0.560,P ＜0.01).Asphyxia at birth was the main risk factors of term and near term with RDS (OR =7.306,95％CI:0.018-51.101,P =0.041).Compared to the infants whom born without asphyxia,the infants born with asphyxia usually came out to RDS right after born (x2 =0.080,P ＜ 0.01),required longer time of mechanical ventilation and had significant lower effective ratio (x2 =0.071,8.843,all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Asphyxia is the first manifestations of term and near term infants with RDS.These infants often can be onset after birth.

The inhibitory ratio (1%) of artificial musk on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The dose-effect relationship between concentrations of artificial musk and 1% was established. It was found that artificial musk had obvious inhibitory action on COX-2. The concentration for 50% of maximum inhibitory effect (IC50) was about 2.26 mg x mL(-1). There was a good relationship between the logarithm concentrations of artificial musk and 1% when the concentrations of artificial musk ranged from 0.31-20.0 mg x mL(-1). The results indicated that this EIA method could be applied to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of artificial musk quickly, conveniently, sensitively and exactly. This paper provided a novel method and foundational research for the bioassay of artificial musk.

Objective Our previous study demonstrated that toll-like receptor 2(TLR2) can distinguish extraneous antigen and prevent the immunological response. This study was designed to detect the expression of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA in cornea and investigate the effect of steroid on TLR2 expression in rats cornea following allograft penetrating keratoplasty. Methods The penetrating keratoplasty models were established in SPF rats with the 108 SD rats as receiptors and 36 SPF Wistar rats as donors, and other 6 SPF SD rats worked as normal controls. The receiptor rats were divided randomly into autograft group, allograft group and steriod group. The clarity and neovascularization of corneas of experiment rats were examined under the slit-lamp microscope and the rejection index was calculated based on Holland criteria. Corneal histopathological examination was carried out by hemotoxylin and eosin staining under the light microscope, and real time-PCR was employed for the detect of TLR2 mRNA in the corneas at the fifth, seventh and ninth day after operation. The experimental animals were obtained from the Animal Experimental Center of Southern Medical University and the procedure followed the Statement of Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Results The rejection occurred in 7 days after operation in allograft group, and only mild edema, opacity and neovascularization of corneas were found at different degrees in 9 days after operation in autograft group and steriod group. Severe corneal edema, a lots of inflammatory cells infiltration and new vessels in stroma were seen in allograft group, and mild inflammatory response was found in autograft group and steriod group. Normal comeal structure was exhibited in normal control group under the light microscope. The fold differences of TLR2 mRNA expression in cornea after amplification was significantly different among three groups and different time points (F_(group) = 39. 46, P = 0. 00; F_(time) =35. 38, P = 0. 00 ; F_(interaction) = 45. 66, P =0. 00), and the evident enhance of TLR2 mRNA expression was revealed in allograft group compared with autograft group (P ＜ 0. 05) and declined in steriod group (P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusion Steriod may restrain the acute allograft rejection by down-regulating the expression of TLR2 in corneas and its signals transaction. This result suggests that steriod offer a protection from rejection of cornea after penetrating keratoplasty.

Objective To establish an objective method for evaluating the intrinsic characteristics between cold and hot nature of Chinese materia medica(CMM)through the different effects of Mahuang decoction(MHD)and Maxing Shigan decoction(MSD)on animal temperature tropism.Methods The equipment with cold/hot pads was used to investigate the variety ofthe temperature tropism between two groups of mice treated by MHD and MSD,respectively.Meanwhile,the activities ofadenosine triphosphatase(ATPase),superoxide dismutase,succinate dehydrogenase,and malondialdehyde were measured.Results After treated by MHD,the macroscopic behavioral index of remaining rate on warm pad(40 ℃)of mice decreasedsignificantly(P < 0.05),suggesting the enhancement of cold tropism,meanwhile,the internal indices of ATPase activity and oxygen consuming volume increased significantly(P < 0.05),suggesting the enhancement of energy metabolism.On theother hand,the above-mentioned indices in MSD group changed on the inverse way.Conclusion The relative drug natureof MHD and MSD revealed in this study is consistent with the theoretical prognostication or definition.It indicates that theinternal cold and hot nature of CMM could be reflected in ethological way on the changes of animal temperature tropismwhich might be internally regulated by body energy metabolism.

BACKGROUND:Hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes is the sign of starting endochondral ossification, and it is also an essential step in endochondral ossification, which is a cascade reaction and difficult to be blocked once started. The end result is the formation of bone structure. RNA interference is a post-transcriptional gene silencing. Relevant studies have shown that the use of RNA interference to block the expression of core binding factorα1 (Cbfα1) can effectively inhibit the formation of heterotopic ossification. OBJECTIVE:To use RNA intereference technology to suppress Cbfα1 expression so as to achieve the purpose of blocking the hypertrophic diferentiation of chondrocytes. METHODs: We constructed an adenovirus containing siRNA against Cbfα1 (Ad-Cbfα1-siRNA). Retinoic acid and interleukin-1α were used to induce hypertrophic differetiation of chondrocytes, and then Ad-Cbfα1-siRNA was utilized to inhibit the hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes. Immunohistochemistry method was used to analyze the expression of Cbfα1. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After induction with retinoic acid and interleukin-1α, the chondrocytes in the negative control virus group appeared to have hypertrophy and the expression of Cbfα1 was positive. In the Ad-Cbα1-siRNA group, the expression of Cbfα1 was negative. These findings suggest that the inhibition of Cbfα1 by RNA interference can be a powerful way to prevent the hypertrophic differentiation of chondrocytes .