One of the causes of the high cost of pharmaceuticals and the major obstacles to rapidly assessing the bioavailability and risk of a chemical is the lack of experimental model systems. A new pre-treatment technology, in vitro bionic digestion was designed for metal analysis in Lianhua Qingwen capsule. The capsule was digested on 37 degrees C under the acidity of the stomach or intestine, and with the inorganic and organic compounds (including digestive enzymes) found in the stomach or intestine, and then the chyme was obtained. Being similar to the biomembrane between the gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels, monolayer liposome was used as biomembrane model Affinity-monolayer liposome metals (AMLMs) and water-soluble metals were used for metal speciation analysis in the capsule. Based on the concentration of AMLMs, the main absorption site of trace metals was proposed. The metal total contents or the concentration of AMLMs in the capsule were compared to the nutritional requirements, daily permissible dose and heavy metal total contents from the "import and export of medicinal plants and preparation of green industry state standards". The metal concentrations in the capsule were within the safety baseline levels for human consumption. After in vitro bionic digestion, most of trace metals were absorbed mainly in intestine. The concentration of As, Cd, Pb was 0.38, 0.07, 1.60 mg x kg(-1), respectively, far less than the permissible dose from the "import and export of medicinal plants and preparation of green industry state standards".
Biological Availability ; Capsules ; adverse effects ; pharmacokinetics ; Digestion ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Metals, Heavy ; adverse effects ; pharmacokinetics ; Models, Biological ; Stomach ; metabolism ; Trace Elements ; adverse effects ; pharmacokinetics

AIM: To study the action of Shugan Pills (SHGP) (Fructus Toosendan, Rhizoma corydalis, Radix Paloniae Albe, Radix Aucklandiae, Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis, Fructus Aurantii, etc.) on treatment of epigastralgia. METHODS: The analgesic effect was tested by the hot plate test and writhing method. The anti gastric ulcer action of SHGP was observed on the gastric ulcer induced by water immersion stress, reserpine and absolute ethyl alcohol. The effect on gastric secretion in rats was studied with pylorus ligation. The effect on gastrointestinal motility was observed by determination of gastric emptying and small intestinal propulsion ability in mouse. RESULTS: SHGP enhanced hot pain threhshold and decreased the number of twisting body in mouse. SHGP markedly inhibited gastric ulcer induced by water immersion stress, reserpine and absolute ethyl alcohol. SHGP significantly inhibited the secretion of gastric acid and pepsin and promoted the secretion of gastric mucus. SHGP markedly delayed gastric emptying in normal mouse and when gastric emptying and small intestinal propulsion was stimulated by neostigmine. SHGP faintly strengthed the effect of atropine on inhibition of gastrointestinal motility. CONCLUSION: Shugan Pills could have analgesic effect, anti gastric ulcer action, it inhibited the secrection of gastric juice and the activity of gastric smooth muscle. These effects might be the pharmacological mechanisms of SHGP on treatment of epigastralgia.

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for simultaneous determination of 5 effective components in Luohua zizhu dry extract. METHODS:UPLC-MS/MS was conducted. The separation was performed on an Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column with mo-bile phase of acetonitrile-water(gradient elution)at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 40℃and sam-ple size was 2 μL. The analytes were detected in the multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)mode. Nitrogen was used as drying gas and atomized gas. The temperature and flow rate of drying gas were 325 ℃ and 6 L/min. The pressure of atomized gas was 45 psi. The temperature and flow rate of sheath gas were 350℃and 12 L/min. The voltage of capillary were 4000 V(+)and 3500 V(-). The voltage of nozzle was 500 V. RESULTS:The linear ranges of luteoloside,acteoside,quercetin,luteolin and rutin were 0.5048-252.4 ng/mL(r=0.9999),0.7124-356.2 ng/mL(r=0.9990),0.5094-254.7 ng/mL(r=0.9962),0.3030-151.5 ng/mL(r=0.9998) and 0.6022-301.1 ng/mL(r=0.9996),respectively. RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were all less than 3.0%. The limit of quantitation were 0.42,0.87,0.33,0.12,0.76 ng/mL. The recoveries were 97.99%-101.20%(RSD=1.3%,n=6), 96.50%-101.20%(RSD=1.7%,n=6), 94.81%-99.34%(RSD=1.7%,n=6), 97.54%-100.51%(RSD=1.2%,n=6), 93.37%-98.70%(RSD=1.9%,n=6),respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,precise,stable and reproducible, and can be used for simultaneous determination of 5 effective components in Luohua zizhu dry extract.

Humans ; Prune Belly Syndrome

Objective: To study the phenotypes and functions of dendritic cells (DCs) derived from peripheral blood monocytes of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types, and to explore the relationship between TCM syndrome type and DC functions. Methods: Sixty CHB patients were included in this study. All the CHB patients were divided into spleen deficiency and liver stagnation, spleen deficiency and dampness-heat and deficiency of both spleen and kidney groups according to TCM syndrome diagnosis standard. There were 20 cases in each group, and ten healthy people were included as normal control. The volunteer's peripheral blood was collected for monocyte separation, biochemical test and hepatitis B virus DNA loads detection. DCs were induced and isolated from peripheral blood monocytes, and then the expressions of surface markers CD80, CD86, CD1a and HLA-DR were detected by flow cytometric analysis method. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) production of the DCs was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The proliferation of DCs in the CHB patients was slower than that in the healthy volunteers (P<0.05). The expressions of DC surface molecules such as CD80, CD86, and CD1a were obviously decreased in the CHB patients as compared with those in the healthy volunteers (P<0.05). More over, expressions of DC surface molecules were different among CHB patients with different TCM syndrome types. The positive expressions of CD80, CD1a, and HLA-DR in the CHB patients with spleen deficiency and liver stagnation were obviously higher than those in the CHB patients with deficiency of both spleen and kidney (P<0.05), and the CD1a expression in the CHB patients with spleen deficiency and dampness-heat was higher than that in the CHB patients with deficiency of both spleen and kidney (P<0.05). In DC culture supernatant, the IL-10 concentration of the CHB patients with deficiency of both spleen and kidney was higher than that of the CHB patients with spleen deficiency and liver stagnation (P<0.05), and the IL-10 concentrations of the CHB patients with different TCM syndrome types were higher than that of the healthy volunteers (P<0.05). Conclusion: During the pathogenic course of CHB, the phenotypes and functions of DCs are different in CHB patients with different TCM syndrome types. It suggests that there is a correlation between TCM syndrome type and body immunity function.

Objective To investigate the waveform of the first-order kernel and second-order kernel of muhifocal electroretinogram stimulated with light emitting diode(LED).Design Prospective,noncomparative,interventional case series.Participant 18 subjects(18 eyes)who had been accepted the mfERG test.Method The patients were devided into two groups,they accepted the muhifocal elec- troretinogram(mfERG)stimulated with cathode ray tube(CRT)and LED using the Roland RETI Scan3.15 system.The first-order kernel or the second-order kernel was analyzed.The stimulation time of LED were changed from 1.7ms to 16.7ms.Five different stimulation time of LED in this study were 1/10(1.7ms),3/10(5ms),5/10(8.3ms),7/10(ll.7ms)and 10/10(16.7ms).Main Outcome Measure The summed responses were observed.The waveform,amplitude and implicit times of mfERG summed response were analyzed.Result The waveforms of the first-order kernel stimulated by LED were similar to those of CRT.In the second-order kernels of mfERG,the wave- forms were obviously different from those stimulated by LED and CRT.The P1 wave stimulated by CRT was sharp,but the P1 wave of LED was broad.The N2 wave of LED was deeper.The amplitude of N1 wave and P1 wave were increased,and their implicit times pro- longed with the stimulation times prolonging.Conclusion In the first-order kernel of mfERG,the waveform of the summed response stimulated by LED was similar to that of LED.In the second-order kernel of mfERG,the waveform stimulated by LED was more com- plicated,may be there were more inner retina information.(Ophthalmol CHN,2006,15:351-355)

AIM: To investigate the effect of ischemia induced by central retinal artery occlusion on retinal microstructure of macula using optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Fourteen eyes of 14 patients with unilateral central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) in two to three days without fully recovery of retinal circulation underwent OCT examination with 4.5 mm length horizontal and vertical line scans through foveola to measure the retinal neurosensory layer (RNL) thickness on foveola, 175 ?m (fovea), 750 ?m (macula) to foveola, respectively. The other normal eyes of patients as control group underwent the same examination and measurement. RESULTS: The mean RNL thickness(?m) on foveola, fovea, macula were 169 91?10 96, 176 36?11 74 and 256 45?16 95 respectively in normal control eyes, and 235 64?47 02 , 241 84?49 36 and 401 57?54 53 respectively in CRAO eyes with retinal ischemia. There was a significant difference in thickness between two group ( P

Adult ; Coal Mining ; Dermatitis, Occupational ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility and accuracy of length measurement of in vivo teeth by using cone beam CT (CBCT).

METHODSBefore orthodontic extraction, 109 vital premolars from 40 participants were scanned by using CBCT and reconstructed by using InVivoDental software. Buccal-lingual sectional images along the long axis of teeth were then acquired, and the crown, root, and tooth length were measured separately. After careful extraction and fixation, the corresponding length of the same tooth was measured by using a digital caliper. CBCT measurement accuracy was then verified by using physical measurements as reference.

RESULTSCBCT and the physical method did not obtain significantly different measurements of the root, crown, and tooth length of experimental teeth (P=0.790, P=0.621, P=0.657, respectively), and the measurements were found to be consistent. The 95% limits of agreement of root, crown, and tooth length were -1.10 mm to 1.13 mm, -1.00 mm to 0.96 mm, and -1.00 mm to 1.05 mm, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe difference between CBCT and the physical method was not significant, and good consistency was shown. CBCT could be applied in noninvasive measurement of in vivo teeth.

Background Sweep pattern visual evoked potential (SVEP) is an objective method of visual test.There is a clear correlation between SVEP acuity and subjective vision,but they are not identical.Recent studies showed that new regression method can improve the accuracy of SVEP acuity. Objective This trial was to investigate and compare the outcome between amplitude-spatial frequency (A-SP) regression method and amplitudelogVA (A-logVA) regression method in extrapolating the SVEP acuity.Methods SVEP was recorded in 113 eyes of 64 subjects using GT-2000 ( Guo Te,China) with the gratings of 10 different spatial frequency from 0.99 to 12.89 cpd as stimulus.The 1 13 eyes included cataract,glaucoma,corneal disease,optical neuropathy,retinal disease,ocular trauma,refractive error and normal eyes.The correlation were analyzed of SVEP acuity,decimal visual acuity and LogMAR visual acuity.The response were averaged and DFT on the monitor display.SVEP acuity was calculated by extrapolating 0 response amplitude.Results The correlation indices of decimal visual acuity curves obtained by the A-logVA function was 0.663,and that obtained by the A-SP function was 0.705.The positive correlation was seen between subjective decimal visual acuity and A-logVA decimal visual acuity (r =0.540,P＜ 0.01 ) and between subjective decimal acuity and decimal acuity calculated by the A-SP regression method (r=0.620,P＜0.01 ).SVEP decimal acuity calculated by the A-SP function regression method was significantly different from the that calculated by the A-logVA function regression method (Z =-8.688,P＜0.01 ).And the correlation indices of LogMAR visual acuity curves obtained by the A-logVA function was 0.733 and that obtained by the A-SP function was 0.715.The positive correlation was found between the subjective LogMAR acuity and that calculated by the A-SP regression method (r=0.700,P＜ 0.01 ) and between the subjective LogMAR acuity and LogMAR acuity calculated by the A-logVA regression method (r=0.710,P＜0.01 ).SVEP LogMAR acuity from A-SP function regression method was significantly different from the LogMAR acuity from A-logVA function regression method (Z=-8.748,P＜0.01 ).No significant differences of VA LogMAR were found in gender,eyes,type of disease and age(x2 =2.171,P=0.338;x2 =0.976,P=0.614;x2 =6.032,P=0.420;x2 =14.720,P=0.257 ).Conclusions SVEP can obtain the visual outcome in human.The amplitude-logVA function regression method is more accurate in extrapolating SVEP acuity.