AIM: To investigate the effect of natural medicinal monomer elemene (Ele) on apoptosis of lens epithelial cells (LEC) and its the cellular and molecular mechanism in vitro. METHODS: The bovine LEC were cultured with Ele and used to observe the ultrastructure changes under transmission electron microscope and to detect DNA content and mitochondrial transmenbrane potential (??m) changes by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The typical morphological changes of LEC apoptosis in Ele group were observed under transmission electron microscope, such as chromatin condensation and aggregation at the nuclear periphery, and nuclear fragmentation as well. The DNA content of LEC in Ele group decreased and showed time-dependent. It was significant lower than that in control group (P

Apoptosis,a form of cell death,has generated considerable interest in recent years.Much progress has been made on the apoptosis induced by natural drgus,including component or mixture of plant,animal,mineral or marine materials,This review discusses some of the natural drugs that induce apoptosis and the possible mechanisms.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the parenteral nutrition formula's character of all-in-one-mixed preparation and pre-mixed preparation applied for hospitalized patients in China.MethodsWe collected parenteral nutrition (PN) prescriptions in hospitalized patients with various diseases at dispensing centers of 6 hospitals in different areas of China. Statistic analysis was made by nutrients application, total liquid, nonprotein calories, total nitrogen, ratio of non-protein calories and total nitrogen, and ratio of glucose and fat. A comparison was made between all-in-one-mixed and pre-mixed preparation as to all the indices.Results The nutrients supply in all-in-one-mixed PN preparation, as well as in the pre-mixed PN preparations of 3 different energy degrees can meet the basic nutrition requirements of most patients. The total nitrogen supply in all-in-one-mixed PN prescriptions meets nutrition requirements in most patients, but the ratio of non-protein calories and total nitrogen[( 180-250) : 1]and the ratio of glucose and fat (0. 56-1.26)were significantly different from what a doctor would recommend[( 100-150) : 1, 1.0]. While the ratios in the pre-mixed PN preparation on 3 different energy degrees are more consistent with recommeded values,which are at 167 and 0. 8 respectively.ConclusionsAll-in-one-mixed and pre-mixed PN preparation have their own individual advantages and limits, and both of them can meet the requirements of most hospitalized patients. More attention should be paid to the nutrients proportion when doctors prescribe all-in-one-mixed PN preparations.

Objective:To explore the clinical and laboratory characteristics of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients complicated with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease, in order to provide basis for clinical therapy.Methods:The clinical findings, imaging and etiological data of the 71 AIDS patients complicated with disseminated NTM disease admitted to Beijing You′an Hospital from June 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 71 patients with disseminated NTM disease, the most common initial symptom was fever, followed with cough, expectoration, fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Seventy point four percent (50/71) of these patients had at least two comorbidities, with oral candida infection, cytomegalovirus infection, syphilis, pneumocystis pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia being the most common. Hemoglobin ((87.8±24.2) g/L) and albumin ((27.3±7.0) g/L) levels significantly decreased, while erythrocyte sedimentation rate ((59.8±28.6) mm/1 h) and C-reactive protein ((74.7±50.8) mg/L) levels increased in most cases. The median CD4 + T lymphocyte count was 7×10 6/L. The median time of positive blood culture of NTM was 260 h. Among the 71 patients, 40 cases (56.3%) were infected with Mycobacterium avium, 15 cases (21.1%) with Mycobacterium intracellulare, 10 cases (14.1%) with Mycobacterium colombiense, three cases (4.2%) with Mycobacterium marseillense and three cases (4.2%) with Mycobacterium kansasii.The frequent imaging findings were patchy and nodular shadows in lungs, and most patients had mediastinal or hilar lymph node enlargement and splenomegaly. Conclusions:AIDS complicated with disseminated NTM disease is prevalently occurred in patients with severe immune deficiency, and most of the bacteria belong to the Mycobacterium avium- intracellulare complex. Early obtaining positive etiological results of NTM is essential to guide the correct clinical diagnosis and accurate treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a high-performance liquid chromatographic method (HPLC) for the simultaneous determination of 16 compounds from Artemisia ordosica. METHODS: HPLC was used to analyze 16 quality indicators of A. ordosica. The HPLC conditions were as follows: Agilent Eclipse Plus C₁₈ column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with acetonitrile (A)-water (B) as mobile phase, gradient elution: 0-10 min, 75%-65% B; 10-30 min, 65%-35% B; and finally 30-40 min, 35%-15% B. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min, the column temperature was 40 °C, the injection volume was 10 μL, and monitored by absorbance at 285 nm for compounds 1- 10, 12 and 225 nm for compounds 11, 13- 16. RESULTS: Under the selected experimental chromatographic conditions, compounds 1- 16 showed good linearity (r > 0.9993) in a wide concentration range. Their average recoveries were 99.50%, 95.38%, 97.75%, 96.00%, 98.20%, 97.50%, 95.50%, 99.33%, 96.75%, 96.50%, 98.50%, 97.83%, 99.20%, 95.33%, 97.33% and 96.30%, respectively, and the RSD were 1.99%, 1.81%, 1.63%, 1.98%, 1.67%, 1.92%, 1.74%, 1.67%, 1.90%, 1.72%, 1.88%, 1.83%, 1.79%, 1.76%, 1.81% and 1.96%, respectively. CONCLUSION Based on the results of the HPLC analysis, it was concluded that p-hydroxycinnamic acid ( 1), O-hydroxycinnamic acid ( 2), coniferyl alcohol ( 5), 5,4'-dihydroxy-7,3'-dimethoxyflavanone ( 8), 5,4'-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone ( 9), 5-hydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavanone ( 12), dehydrofalcarindiol ( 13), arteordoyn A ( 14), dehydrofalcarinol ( 15) and capillarin ( 16) are best suited for the role of quality indicators of A. ordosica grown in different ecological environments.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorating effect and mechanism of the effective substance groups from Artemisia ordosica（Abbreviated as HSH） on rheumatoid arthritis （RA） based on cluster of differentiation 4/lymphocyte cell-specific protein- tyrosine kinase/zeta-chain-associated protein kinase of 70 kDa/interleukin-17（CD4/LCK/ZAP70/IL-17） signaling pathway. METHODS The rats were divided into normal group， model group， HSH low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （2.7， 10.8， 21.6 mg/kg） and positive control group （Tripterygium glycosides tablet， 6.3 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for normal group， RA rat model was induced by complete Freund’s adjuvant in other groups. After modeling， each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 28 consecutive days. The changes in ankle joint swelling and arthritis index in rats were determined； the pathological changes of ankle joint tissue were observed； the levels of inflammatory factors [IL-1β， IL-21， IL-17A， IL-2， interferon-γ （IFN-γ） and IL-6] in serum and joint fluid of rats were determined； the levels of Th1， Th17 and Treg cells in the whole blood and spleen of rats were detected； protein and mRNA expressions of LCK， proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn （Fyn）， ZAP70， CD45， RAR-related orphan receptor γt （RORγt）， and forkhead box protein 3 （Foxp3） in ankle synovial tissue were determined. RESULTS Compared with normal group， the changes in ankle joint swelling， arthritis index， the levels of IL-1β， IL-21， IL-17A， IL-2， IFN-γ and IL-6 in serum and joint fluid， the levels of Th1， Th17 cells and Th17/Treg value in whole blood and spleen， and the protein and mRNA expression levels of LCK， Fyn， ZAP70， CD45， and RORγt in ankle joint synovium were all significantly increased/elevated （P＜0.05）. The level of Treg cells in the spleen， as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of Foxp3 in the ankle joint synovium were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， most of the above-mentioned indicators were significantly reversed in the positive control group and all dose groups of HSH （P＜0.05）. The degree of pathological changes in ankle joint tissues was markedly improved， and inflammation was alleviated. CONCLUSIONS HSH can regulate the cascade reactions in the CD4/LCK/ZAP70/IL-17 pathway within the T-cell receptor signaling pathway， thereby modulating the Th17/Treg balance. This leads to the suppression of inflammatory responses and the alleviation of synovial tissue damage in rats with RA.