Objective To study the correlation of fingerprint chromatograms of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules, decoction pieces and water decoction by HPLC; To investigate the difference of main chemical constituents among different forms. Methods The Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) was used with mobile phase of acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, with detection wave of 280 nm and temperature of 30 ℃. The detection of 10 batches of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules, 10 batches of decoction pieces and 10 batches of water decoction were established respectively. Results Totally 12 peaks in the HPLC fingerprint chromatogram from 10 batches of formula granules could be tracked in the water decoction; 10 peaks in the HPLC fingerprint chromatogram could be tracked in the decoction pieces. Three components, such as protocatechuic acid, coumarin and cinnamic acid were verified. Conclusion The main chemical components of Cinnamomi Ramulus formula granules and water decoction are basically the same, and the common component contents have similar proportion.

The spike gene of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) was sequenced from 55 South China field strains isolated from pigs with symptoms of diarrhea. The sequences were compared within the set of field strains as well as with reference strains available in GenBank. Within the 55 South China PEDV field strains, the deduced amino acid sequence identities ranged from 93.8% to 99.9 % and ranged from 90.7% to 99.5% when compared with the foreign reference strains in GenBank. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that 10 of the 55 South China PEDV strains belonged to G1b and 45 belonged to G2b.
Amino Acid Sequence ; China* ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Diarrhea ; Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus* ; Sequence Analysis* ; Swine

The study was conducted to investigate the role of vitamin E in the high altitude hypoxia-induced damage to the intestinal barrier in rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (Control), high altitude hypoxia (HH), and high altitude hypoxia+vitamin E (250 mg/kg BW*d) (HV) groups. After the third day, the HH and HV groups were placed in a hypobaric chamber at a stimulated elevation of 7000 m for 5 days. The rats in the HV group were given vitamin E by gavage daily for 8 days. The other rats were given equal volume saline. The results showed that high altitude hypoxia caused the enlargement of heart, liver, lung and kidney, and intestinal villi damage. Supplementation with vitamin E significantly alleviated hypoxia-caused damage to the main organs including intestine, increased the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) (p< 0.05), diamino oxidase (DAO) (p< 0.01) levels, and decreased the serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2) (p< 0.01), interleukin-4 (IL-4) (p<0.001), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) (p<0.01) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.001), and decreased the serum erythropoietin (EPO) activity (p<0.05). Administration of vitamin E significantly increased the S-IgA (p<0.001) in ileum and significantly improved the expression levels of occludin and IkappaBalpha, and decreased the expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and 2 alpha (HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha), Toll-like receptors (TLR4), P-IkappaBalpha and nuclear factor-kappaB p65(NF-kappaB P65) in ileum compared to the HH group. This study suggested that vitamin E protectis from intestinal injury caused by high altitude hypoxia environment. These effects may be related to the HIF and TLR4/NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
Altitude* ; Animals ; Anoxia* ; Erythropoietin ; Heart ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 ; Ileum ; Interferon-gamma ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Malondialdehyde ; Occludin ; Oxidoreductases ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Toll-Like Receptors ; Vitamin E* ; Vitamins*

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacies of free endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) in primary duct closure (PDC) following laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) for choledocholithiasis.Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted.The clinical data of 312 patients with extrahepatic bile duct stones accompanied with or without cholecystolithiasis who were admitted to the 11 medical centers [86 in the Affiliated Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology,62 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine,44 in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University,29 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,27 in the First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University),25 in the Hunan Provincial People's Hospital,17 in the Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University,10 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University,5 in the Henan Provincial People's Hospital,4 in the Beijing Tian Tan Hospital of Capital Medical University,3 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University] from January 2011 to June 2017 were collected.All patients underwent LCBDE+PDC,and 81 and 231 patients with and without ENBD were respectively allocated into the ENBD group and PDC group.Observation indicators:(1) comparisons of operation situations;(2) comparisons of postoperative recovery;(3) comparisons of postoperative complications;(4) follow-up situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect the postoperative complications up to June 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as x±s.Comparison between groups was analyzed by the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented M [interquartile range (IQR)],and comparison between groups was analyzed by the nonparametic test.Comparisons of count data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Fisher exact probability.Results (1) Comparisons of operation situations:all the 312 patients underwent successful laparoscopic LCBDE + PDC,without conversion to open surgery,including postoperative death of 1 patient in the PDC group.The common bile duct diameter,cases using interrupted sutures,continuous sutures,absorbable threads and nonabsorbable threads were respectively (1.2±0.4)cm,106,125,195,36 in the PDC group and (1.1±0.5)cm,76,5,79,2 in the ENBD group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t =2.497,x2 =56.706,8.457,P＜0.05).The numbers of stones,stone diameter,cases with common bile duct wall (≤ 3 mm and ＞3 mm),normal and abnormal Oddi sphincter contraction function,volume of intraoperative blood loss and operation time were respectively 2.1±1.7,(1.1-±0.6)cm,148,83,226,5,20 mL (10-45 mL),(116± 49)minutes in the PDC group and 1.9±1.6,(1.0±0.6)cm,49,32,75,6,20 mL (15-30 mL),(113± 23)minutes in the ENBD group,with no statistically significant difference between groups (t =1.021,0.329,x2 =0.329,3.428,Z=1.147,t=0.521,P＞0.05).The further analysis:of 312 patients,cases and time using interrupted sutures and continuous sutures were respectively 182,130 and (133±.49) minutes,(103±34) minutes,with a statistically significant difference between groups (t =-6.605,P＜0.05).The volume of intraoperative blood loss and cases with postoperative complications using interrupted sutures and continuous sutures were respectively 20 mL (15-31 mL),21 and 20 mL (10-45 mL),18,with no statistically significant difference between groups (Z =-0.285,x2 =0.369,P＞ 0.05).Of 312 patients,cases,operation time,volume of intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications using absorbable threads and non-absorbable threads were respectively 274,(116±44)minutes,20 mL (15-40 mL),33 and 38,(115±35) minutes,18 mL (10-26 mL),6,with no statistically significant difference between groups (Z =0.971,t =0.023,x2 =0.154,P＞ 0.05).(2) Comparisons of postoperative recovery:recovery time of gastrointestinal function,time of abdominal drainage-tube removal,using time of antibiotics and duration of hospital stay were respectively (2.0± 1.5) days,(4.0 ± 2.4) days,(4.0±2.8) days,(5.5±3.0) days in the PDC group and (4.0±1.9) days,(6.9±3.5) days,(10.0± 3.9) days,(11.1±3.7)days in the ENBD group,with statistically significant differences between groups (t =-9.507,-8.258,-15.103,-13.575,P＜0.05).The total expenses of hospital stay in the Affiliated Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology were respectively (5.1 ±0.6)× 104 yuan in the PDC group and (6.5-±0.5)× 104 yuan in the ENBD group,with a statistically significant difference between groups (t =-9.516,P＜0.05).(3) Comparisons of postoperative complications:incidence of complications in the PDC group was 14.29％ (33/231),including 16 with biliary fistula,11 with biliary tract infection,3 with wound infection,1 with biliary tract bleeding,1 with residual stones of common bile duct and 1 with death;incidence of complications in the ENBD group was 6.17％ (5/81),including 2 with biliary fistula,2 with biliary tract infection and 1 with biliary tract bleeding,showing no statistically significant difference between groups (x2 =3.151,P＞0.05).(4) Follow-up situations:of 312 patients,252 were followed up for 2-67 month,with a median time of 15 months,including 175 in the PDC group and 77 in the ENBD group.During the follow up,there was no occurrence of jaundice,cholangitis and pancreatitis,and stone recurrence and postoperative cholangiostenosis were not detected by abdominal color Doppler ultrasound or CT or magnetic resonanced cholangio-pancreatography.Conclusion On the basis of grasping operative indication strictly,ENBD in PDC following LCBDE for choledocholithiasis is safe and effective.

Background Aluminum can induce irreversible structural and synaptic functional damage, and the associated mechanism may be related to the neurite damage regulated by glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP2). Objective This experiment is conducted to investigate the effect of aluminum-maltolate [Al(mal)₃] on primary hippocampal neuron neurites in mice, and reveal the role of GSK-3β-CRMP2 in this process. Methods The hippocampus of newborn ICR mice (≤ 24 h old) was used for primary neuronal cultures. On the 5th day in vitro (DIV5), neuron purity detection were performed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. On DIV7, the neurons were transfected with lentiviral vector-mediated mNeonGreen. On DIV10, the neurons with mNeonGreen fluorescence in good growth state were treated with Al(mal)₃. The stage I experimental groups were blank control group, maltol group, 10 µmol·L⁻¹ Al group, 20 µmol·L⁻¹ Al group, and 40 µmol·L⁻¹ Al group. Then 20 µmol·L⁻¹ Al was used to establish a model of neurite injury and for the intervention. The stage II experimental groups were blank control group, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group, Al (20 µmol·L⁻¹) group, SB (GSK-3β inhibitor, 1 µmol·L⁻¹), and SB (1 µmol·L⁻¹)+Al (20 µmol·L⁻¹) group. CCK-8 method was used to detect the viability of neurons. The primary hippocampal neurons of mice were scanned with high content analysis system at 0 h and 48 h after Al or SB treatment, and the density and length of neurites were analyzed. Western blotting was used to detect the expression and phosphorylation levels of CRMP2 and GSK-3β in primary hippocampal neurons of mice. Results The immunofluorescence results showed that the purity of primary neurons was more than 90%. Compared with the blank control group in stage I, the cell viability rates of the 10, 20, and 40 µmol·L⁻¹ Al groups were decreased after 48h of Al(mal)₃ treatment (P<0.05), while the cell viability rate of the maltol group had no significant change. There was no significant difference in cell viability rate among the DMSO group, the SB group, and the control group after 48h of SB treatment, and the viability rate of neurons in the SB+Al group was higher than that in the Al group (P<0.05) in stage II. The 48 h/0 h ratios of average number and length of neurites in the control group were 90.13%±11.70% and 113.24%±8.34%, respectively. The 48 h/0 h ratios in the Al group were 56.47%±16.36% and 62.06%±6.75%, respectively, which were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The 48 h/0 h ratios of average number of neurites in the SB group (99.03%±21.83%) was not significantly different from that in the control group, but the 48 h/0 h ratio of average length of neurites in the SB group (128.72%±15.39%) was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The 48 h/0 h ratios of average number (72.59%±10.89%) and length of neurites (93.84%±14.65%) in the SB+Al group were significantly increased compared with those in the Al group (P<0.05). Western blotting results showed that: There was no significant difference in GSK-3β protein level among all groups; compared with the control group (1.00±0.18), the protein level of p-GSK-3β in the Al group (0.45±0.05) was significantly decreased, and that in the SB group (1.32±0.23) was significantly increased; the protein level of p-GSK-3β in the SB+Al group (0.80±0.05) was significantly higher than that in the Al group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group (1.00±0.07), the CRMP2 protein level in the Al group (0.66±0.11) was significantly decreased (P<0.05), while that in the SB group (1.01±0.02) was not significantly changed. Compared with the control group (1.00±0.13), the p-CRMP2 protein level in the Al group (1.50±2.18) was significantly increased, and that in the SB group (0.62±0.09) was significantly decreased (P<0.05); the protein level of p-CRMP2 in the SB+Al group (1.28±0.24) was lower than that in the Al group (P<0.05). Conclusion Aluminum may activate GSK-3β, increase CRMP2 phosphorylation level, and damage neurite growth.