OBJECTIVETo probe into clinical therapeutic effect of acupuncture on diabetic nephropathies and the mechanism.

METHODSUsing multi-central, randomized and blind methods, 130 cases of diabetic nephropathy were divided into an observation group and a control group, 65 cases in each group. They were treated by routine diabetic therapy, and in the observation group, acupuncture at Quchi (LI 11), Zhigou (TE 6), Hegu (LI 4), Xuehai (SP 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Fenglong (ST 40), Diji (SP 8), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taichong (LR 3), Tianshu (ST 25), Gaohuang (BL 43), Shenshu (BL 23), Zhongwan (CV 12), Zhongji (CV 3) were added with needling method of harmonizing spleen-stomach. While in the control group, acupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3), Sanyingjiao (SP 6), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Xuanzhong (GB 39), Guanyuan (CV 4), Shousanli (LI 10), Waiguan (TE 5), Yangxi (LI 5), Liangqiu (ST 34), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Neiting (ST 44), Huaroumen (ST 24), Dachangshu (BL 25). The treatment was given twice a day in the two groups. Clinical therapeutic effects were assessed according to clinical symptoms and signs, blood sugar, blood lipids, urinary albumin excretion rate, urinary monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal blood flow, etc..

RESULTSThe needling method of harmonizing spleen-stomach not only could improve symptoms and signs of the patients, and also had benign regulative action on metabolism of blood sugar and lipids, and GFR, renal blood flow and urinary albumin level, with significant or very significant differences as compared with the control group ( P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe needling method of harmonizing spleen-stomach is an effective method for diabetic nephropathies, which can improve progressive renal lesion induced by abnormal metabolism of blood sugar and lipids, improve renal blood flow and GFR, decrease urinary albumin secretion, inhibit over expression of MCP-1, protect glomerulus and renal tubules, so as to improve renal function and delay renal lesion.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; therapy ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Spleen ; physiopathology ; Stomach ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVESTo investigate whether antisense Bmi-1 plasmid could inhibit the proliferation of Jurkat cells.

METHODSThe antisense plasmid was constructed by PCR amplification of a 171 bp segment spanning Bmi-1 start codon and zinc finger structure and the PCR product was subsequently inserted reversely to plasmid pLNCX2. The final construct was confirmed through restriction enzyme digestion. G418 was added into the medium after the plasmid was successfully introduced into Jurkat cells by using lipofectin-mediated DNA transfection. The proliferation of Jurkat cells were determined by MTT and colony formation assays. Cell cycle was determined by flow cytometry. The p16 expression of Jurkat cells was studied by immunofluorescent histochemistry.

RESULTSThe growth rate of antisense Bmi-1 transfected Jurkat cells was significantly lower than that of the controls, and the colony forming capacity of the transfected cells decreased significantly (P < 0.01), the colony numbers being (90.7 +/- 9.07)/10(3) cells, (83.3 +/- 6.11)/10(3) cells and (56.0 +/- 5.56)/10(3) cells for control cells, empty plasmid transfected Jurkat cells and antisense Bmi-1 transfected Jurkat cells, respectively. The percentage of G, phase cells was increased and the p16 expression of antisense Bmi-1 transfected cells was significantly upregulated than that of control cells.

CONCLUSIONAntisense Bmi-1 can inhibit the growth and upregulate the expression of p16 of Jurkat cells in vitro.

Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Jurkat Cells ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; Plasmids ; genetics ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; Transfection

Objective:To observe the effect of Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture plus functional training on neural development in infants with brain damage and seek an effective method for early intervention of infantile brain damage.Methods:Eighty infants with brain injury were recruited and allocated to a treatment group and a control group by their visiting sequence,with 40 cases in each group.The control group received exercise training,40 min each session and 6 sessions a week,and tuina treatment,30 min each time and 6 times a week.Based on the treatment protocol for the control group,the treatment group additionally received Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture,3 times a week and 10 sessions as a course at a 2-week interval.Before the treatment and after 14-week treatment,the gross motor function measure (GMFM) and developmental quotient (DQ) of Bejing Gesell developmental scale were used to evaluate the development of the infants.Results:After the treatment,the GMFM score and DQs of Gesell scale all increased by different levels in the two groups,and the intra-group differences were statistically significant (all P＜0.05);the scores of the treatment group were superior to those of the control group,and the between-group differences were statistically significant (all P＜0.05).Conclusion:Governor Vessel-unblocking and mind-refreshing acupuncture plus functional training can significantly promote the development of gross motor and cognitive functions in infants with brain damage,and it is an early and effective intervention for infantile brain damage.

To investigate the mechanism of agarwood formation in Aquilaria sinensis induced by Lasiodiplodia theobromae, the fermentation liquor of L. theobromae was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). JAs were detected in the fermentation liquor. The effect of the fermentation liquor on the abundance of sesquiterpenes in the callus of A. sinensis was analyzed by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). And the fermentation liquor stimulated alpha-guaiene, alpha-humulene and delta-guaiene biosynthesis in calli. It was inferred that L. theobromae produced JAs, which resulted in a significant increase of sesquiterpenes in A. sinensis.
Ascomycota ; physiology ; Fermentation ; Sesquiterpenes ; metabolism ; Thymelaeaceae ; metabolism ; microbiology

OBJECTIVESTo investigate whether antisense human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) could inhibit the activity of telomerase and the proliferation of K562 cells.

METHODSThe antisense plasmid was constructed by reverse insertion of hTERT PCR product into plasmid pLNCX-neo. Then the constructed plasmid was introduced into K562 cells by liposomes-mediated DNA transfection. The inhibition effects of telomerase on the proliferation of K562 cells were analyzed by MTT and colony formation assay, the telomerase activity of K562 cells by TRAP-PCR ELISA methods.

RESULTSThe growth rate of antisense hTERT transfected K562 cells was significantly lower than those of the controls, and the colony formation capacity of the transfected cells decreased significantly (P < 0.01), the colony number is (100.33 +/- 7.57)/10(3) cells, (92.67 +/- 5.86)/10(3) cells and (50.33 +/- 6.11)/10(3) cells for control K562 cells, K562 neo cells and antisense hTERT transfected HL60 cells, respectively. The telomerase activity of antisense hTERT transfected K562 cells was significantly inhibited.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of an antisense sequence to the mRNA sequence of telomerase protein subunit can inhibit the activity of telomerase, slow the cell growth and inhibit the capacity of colony formation of K562 cells.

Cell Division ; drug effects ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA, Antisense ; genetics ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Telomerase ; drug effects ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

Serum pharmacochemistry of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is designed to screen the efficacy material base of TCMs from the constituents absorbed into the blood after oral administration. The theory and method is in accordance with the effect characteristics of TCMs, and reflects the interaction between the body and the drugs, has become an effective pathway for researching the efficacy material base of TCMs which has been recognized and used widely. In the paper, the previous research contents and methods of the serum pharmacochemistry of TCM were reviewed, and on the basis of the further validity of the special administration form of the TCM formula and the corresponding property to TCM syndrome, the new strategy of serum pharmacochemistry of TCM integrating the metabonomics technologies was put forward. According to the strategy, we take the biological characters of TCM syndrome as a research starting point, taking TCM formula as object, using the metabolic biomarkers of syndromes or disease to evaluate the therapeutic effect of formula and screen the compounds of TCMs in serum which are highly correlated with the metabolic biomarkers through the correlation analysis, and by further biological validation to finally confirm the efficacy material basis of TCMs. Integrating with the systems biology technologies, the theory and method of serum pharmacochemistry of TCM will further develop, and open a new chapter in the interpretation of the theory of TCM.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; trends ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Metabolomics ; Serum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the value of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) in the diagnosis of neonatal jaundice.

METHODSThis study consisted of 189 patients with neonatal jaundice due to hemolytic disease (n=75), infectious disease (n=52), intracranial hemorrhage (n=32) and breast-milk feeding (n=30). One hundred and forty-two neonates without pathological jaundice that were gestational age, postnatal age- and birth weight-matched were used as the Control group. The level of arterial capillary blood COHb was detected by a 270 CO-oximeter connected to an 800 series system. Total serum bilirubin (STB) content was measured using an Abbott Spectrum CCX chemistry analyzer. The levels of COHb and STB were measured at baseline, and again in patients with jaundice due to hemolytic disease after intravenous gammaglobulin treatment for 2 days.

RESULTSThe levels of COHb [(3.64 +/- 0.83)%] and STB (330.84 +/- 77.15 micromol/L) in patients with jaundice due to hemolytic disease were significantly higher than those measured in the Control group [COHb (2.38 +/- 0.35) %; STB 130.18 +/- 32.86 micromol/L] (P < 0.01). The levels in patients with jaundice due to intracranial hemorrhage were also significantly higher than those in the Control group [COHb (2.48 +/- 0.53) % vs (2.24 +/- 0.32) %; STB 184.15 +/- 29.35 micromol/L vs 112.11 +/- 17.45 micromol/L; P < 0.05]. The patients with jaundice due to infectious disease or breast-milk feeding only demonstrated higher levels of serum STB (P < 0.01) while COHb levels were not different compared with the Control group. The patients with jaundice due to hemolytic disease or intracranial hemorrhage presented with hemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and had significantly higher COHb levels and lower STB levels than those patients with nonhemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (caused by breast jaundice) (P < 0.01). The levels of COHb [(2.68 +/- 0.51) %] and STB (230.18 +/- 42.96 micromol/L) in patients with jaundice due to hemolytic disease decreased markedly after intravenous gammaglobulin treatment (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe COHb level can be used as a supplementary indicator of increased bilirubin production. The elevation of COHb can be useful in the diagnosis of neonatal jaundice since COHb is elevated in hemolytic disease and intracranial hemorrhage.

ABO Blood-Group System ; immunology ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Carboxyhemoglobin ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; therapeutic use ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male

OBJECTIVETo study the plasma protein binding rate of methyl protodioscin.

METHODThe ultrafiltration was employed to determine the plasma protein binding rate of methyl protodioscin. The plasma concentrations of methyl protodioscin were measured by HPLC-MS-MS.

RESULTThe plasma protein binding rate of methyl protodioscin with rat plasma at the concentration of 20.0, 100 and 200 microg x mL(-1) were (94.6 +/- 0.16)%, (91.6 +/- 0.35)% and (86.10 +/- 0.60)%, respectively, while the plasma protein binding rate of methyl protodioscin with normal human plasma at the above concentrations were (82.11 +/- 5.12)%, (84.54 +/- 0.32)% and (88.52 +/- 1.02)%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe binding rate of methyl protodioscin with plasma protein is high.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; metabolism ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Calibration ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diosgenin ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Protein Binding ; Rats ; Saponins ; metabolism ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Ultrafiltration

Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Protein Precursors ; blood ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; blood ; drug therapy

AIM To investigate the protective effects of Miaoling Natto Capsules (MNC) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIR) in rats.METHODS Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats randomly divided into sham group,model group,positive control group (propranolol),MNC groups (low dose,medium dose,and high dose groups) underwent corresponding 7-day oral administration at a frequency of twice daily (rats of the sham group and the model group were dosed with saline water at 1 mL/100 g).Anesthetized by 8％ chloral hydrate,rat models were made by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation,30 min coronary occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion for ST segments and T waves monitoring,and rats in the sham group were performed opening and suture procedures.The rats had their serum levels of acetic transaminase (AST),lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB),cardiac troponin-Ⅰ (cTn-Ⅰ),superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA),and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) detected,real time ECG changes monitored and myocardial infarction area assessed by TTC.RESULTS Compared with the sham group,the model group was observed with markedly elevated ST segments or high T waves rise,significantly increased activities of CK-MB,LDH,AST and the content of cTnⅠ,MDA,TNF-α,and decreased activity of SOD (P ＜ 0.01 or P ＜ 0.001).Compared with the model group,the positive control group and the low,medium and high dose MNC groups achieved controlled ST segments elevation or greater T waves amplitude,significantly decreased activities of CKMB,LDH,AST and the content of cTnⅠ,MDA,TNF-α increased activity of SOD (P ＜0.01 or P ＜0.05) and mycocardial infact range reduction (P ＜ 0.001).CONCLUSION MNC is protective to rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.