Recent years, the pathogenesis of hypertension in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been changed. Kidney-deficiency has become the key of modern pathogenesis, and the new problem of treating hypertension. It has become the new strategy for treating hypertension with kidney-nourishing herbal medicine. This article reviewed the clinical and experimental researches of kidney-nourishing herbal medicine, including single herb, herbal formulae and traditional Chinese patent medicine, in order to strengthen the evidence of kidney-nourishing herbal medicine for treating hypertension.
Animals ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiology

Brain-computer interface (BCI) system is a system that achieves communication and control among humans and computers and other electronic equipment with the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. This paper describes the working theory of the wireless smart home system based on the BCI technology. We started to get the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) using the single chip microcomputer and the visual stimulation which composed by LED lamp to stimulate human eyes. Then, through building the power spectral transformation on the LabVIEW platform, we processed timely those EEG signals under different frequency stimulation so as to transfer them to different instructions. Those instructions could be received by the wireless transceiver equipment to control the household appliances and to achieve the intelligent control towards the specified devices. The experimental results showed that the correct rate for the 10 subjects reached 100%, and the control time of average single device was 4 seconds, thus this design could totally achieve the original purpose of smart home system.
Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Humans ; Microcomputers ; Wireless Technology

OBJECTIVETo study whether the analgesis of oxymatrine (OMT) affects N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs).

METHODSTotally 45 mice were randomly divided into the sham-operation group, the model group [established by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL)] , and the OMT treatment group according to random digit table, 15 in each group. The dorsal root ganglions (DRG) were separated in PSNL pain model mice. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was determined with Fluo-3 AM immunofluorescent probe in cultured DRG neurons. Different protein expression levels of N-type (Cav2. 2) and L-type ( Cav1. 3) among VGCCs from brain and DRG tissues were detected with Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operation group, [Ca2+]i, increased in cultured DRG neurons (P <0. 05) , protein expression levels of Cav2. 2 in the brain tissue increased (P <0. 05), protein expression levels of Cav2. 2 in DRG tissues decreased in the model group (P <0. 01). Compared with the model group, [Ca2+]i, decreased in cultured DRG neurons (P < 0. 05), protein expression levels of Cav2. 2 in the brain tissue decreased (P <0. 01), protein expression levels of Cav2. 2 in DRG tissues increased in the OMT treatment group (P <0. 01). There was no statistical difference in Cav1. 3 expressions in cultured DRG neurons and the brain (P >0. 05).

CONCLUSIONAnalgesic effect of OMT might be related to Cav2. 2 channel mediated calcium ion flux.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Analgesia ; methods ; Analgesics ; pharmacology ; Aniline Compounds ; Animals ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels, N-Type ; physiology ; Ganglia, Spinal ; Mice ; Neurons ; Pain ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; Xanthenes

This article is to overview the literature of syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine on hypertension. According to the theory of disease in combination with syndrome, we concluded syndrome types of hypertension in four aspects, including national standards, industry standards, teaching standards and personal experience. Meanwhile, in order to provide new methods and approaches for normalized research, we integrated modern testing methods and statistical methods to analyze syndrome differentiation for the treatment of hypertension.
Humans ; Hypertension ; classification ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; standards ; Reference Standards

BACKGROUND:Adipose-derived stem cels are a kind of mesenchyam stem cels with multipotent differentiation capacity, which have more advantages than bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels in tissue engineering research. OBJECTIVE: To establish a method to isolate and purify adipose-derived stem cels from human subcutaneous adipose tissues folowed byin vitro amplification and osteoblastic/adipogenic differentiation.
METHODS: Adipose-derived stem cels were isolated from human subcutaneous adipose tissue and cultured by density gradient centrifugation and adherent culture. Cel morphology and growth features were observed under inverted microscope. Adipose-derived stem cels at passages 2 and 5 were selected for viability measurement using cel counting kit-8 method, and then cel growth curves were drawn. The immunophenotype identification was analyzed by flow cytometry. Passage 5 cels underwent osteoblastic/adipogenic induction to confirm the multi-differentiation potential.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Using density gradient centrifugation and adherent culture method, high-purity human adipose-derived stem cels can be successfuly isolated from human adipose tissues. (2) The growth process of human adipose-derived stem cels includes stagnant phase, logarithmic phase and plateau phase, which meets the growth rhythm of normal cels. Moreover, the population doubling time is shorter. (3). Human adipose-derived stem cels are positive for stem cel-related antigens, with low immunogenicity and the multi-differentiation potential. (4) Labeling human adipose-derived stem cels with DAPI is a simple efficient labeled method, and the labeling rate is high but the cytotoxicity is low

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Insulin Resistance ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To investigate the value of the expressions of estrogen receptor(ER)and progesterone receptor(PR)in the cast-off cells from the fluid of latex ductal lavage in the diagnosis and treatment of breast diseases.Methods A total of 58 female out-patients were examined by fiberoptic ductoscopy(FDS).All patients were divided into 6 groups by the complaints,physical examination,ultrasound and FDS:normal group(10 persons without symptoms and abnormalities in any examination),galactostasis group(n=19),latex fill up group(n=11),intraductal papilloma group(n=2),mammary ductal ectasia group(n=7)and contralateral examination after mastectomy for breast cancer group(n=9).A total of 168 ducts were successfully examined by FDS,and the expressions of ER and PR in the cast-off cells were detected among all of the samples.Results The positive rates of ER and PR expression in the cast-off cells from the fluid of latex ductal lavage in benign breast disease groups were much higher than those in normal group(P

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), also named as a cancer of cardiovascular disease, is a rare disease and has complicated pathogenesis. Recently, there are more understandings of PAH pathogeneses. According to the pathogenesis and active pathways, the clinically used drugs are classified into several groups incluidng prostacyclin analogues and prostacyclin receptor agonists, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitors, etc. To elevate the efficacy of the drugs, numerous drug delivery systems are developed. This review mainly summarized the pathological mechanism of PAH, drugs and drug delivery approaches in the treatment of PAH.

OBJECTIVETo explore the analgesia of oxymatrine (OMT) affecting high voltage-dependent calcium channels (HVDCCs) and GABA release under neuropathic pain condition.

METHODSTotally 66 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, and the OMT group, 22 in each group. Neuropathic pain models were established by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). Hind paw plantar mechanical response threshold (MWT) was measured by up-and-down method with Von-Frey filament. mRNA expression of HVDCCs in brains and spinal cords was detected with Real-time PCR and concentration of GABA was determined using ELISA kit.

RESULTSCompared with day 0, the left hind paw MWTwas decreased on day 7, 10, and 14 in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, the left hind paw MWT was significantly reduced in the model group on day 7 (P < 0.05). The MWT of PSNL ipsilateral hind paw was decreased on day 7 before OMT administration, when compared with day 0 (P < 0.05), and increased after OMT administration (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, mRNA levels of Cav1.2, Cav1.3, Cav2.1, and Cav2.3 in brain tissues were increased and those of Cav2.2 were decreased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05). In spinal cord tissues, mRNA levels of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 were increased, but those of Cav2.1, Cav2.2, and Cav2. 3 were decreased significantly in the model group, when compared with those of the sham-operation group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, mRNA levels of Cavl.2, Cavl.3, Cav2.1, and Cav2. 3 in brain tissues were decreased, and those of Cav2.2 were increased significantly in the OMT group (P < 0.05). In spinal cord tissues of the OMT group, mRNA levels of Cav1.3 decreased and those of Cav2.1, Cav2.2, and Cav2.3 increased significantly with statistical difference, when compared with those of the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, GABA levels in brain tissues decreased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, GABA levels in brain tissues increased in the OMT group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in GABA levels of spinal cord tissues among these groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOMT had analgesic effect on neuropathic pain, which might be probably related to HVDDCs. Cav2.2 might directly affect GABA release.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Analgesia ; methods ; Animals ; Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neuralgia ; drug therapy ; Pain Management ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

OBJECTIVETo develop a screening program for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) carriers, and to assess the carrier frequency and detection rate in Shanghai region.

METHODSQuantitative analysis of the SMN1 gene by real-time PCR was developed using specimens from 15 SMA patients and 76 SMA parents from 38 affected nuclear families. A pilot screening was carried out for 1741 asymptomatic pregnant women. Frequencies of SMN1 alleles were determined with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

RESULTSForty five out of the 1741 women were identified as SMA carriers by the presence of single copy of SMN1. The frequencies of no copy, 1 copy, 2 copy and 3 copy alleles were 1.37 U+00D7 10-2, 9.45 U+00D7 10-1, 2.80 U+00D7 10-2 and 1.27 U+00D7 10-2, respectively. The adjusted SMA carrier frequency was 1:35 with a detection rate of 94.49%. For those with a negative screening result, individuals with 3 copies carried a higher residual risk.

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of SMA carriers in Shanghai region is similar with that in Caucasian populations. Carrier screening has high detection efficiency. An effort should be made to further distinguish SMN1 gene copy numbers for those with more than 2 copies, since accurate determination of 2 and 3 copy allele frequencies is essential for post-screening genetic consulting.

Alleles ; Female ; Gene Dosage ; Gene Frequency ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Male ; Muscular Atrophy, Spinal ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Pilot Projects ; Pregnancy ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein ; genetics