This article focused on a comparative analysis on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of berberine (BER) and jateorhizine(JAT) in Coptidis Rhizoma powder (HL-P) and their monomeric compounds (BER + JAT, BJ) in type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats to explore the beneficial. effect of HL-P in the treatment of T2D. The T2D rats were treated with HL-P, BER, JAT and BJ, respectively for 63 d. The pharmacokinetic parameters, dynamic changes in blood glucose level and blood lipid values were measured. The results showed that, compared with other corresponding group, t(max), T(½ka) of BER and JAT in HL-P group were reduced, while C(max), AUC(inf), AUC(last), V(L)/F were significantly increased; compared with model group, blood glucose levels were decreased significantly in HL-P group since the 18th day, while those in BER or BJ group were reduced since the 36th day, however, blood glucose levels showed no obvious changes in JAT group; compared with model group, FFA values in all treatment group were decreased significantly. Moreover, TG, HDL and LDL value in HL-P group, LDL value in BER group and HDL value in BJ group were improved significantly. The above results showed that Coptidis Rhizoma powder showed excellent pharmacokinetic characteristics and excellent activity of lowering blood glucose and lipid. It provided a scientific basis for oral application of Coptidis Rhizoma powder in the treatment of T2D.
Animals ; Berberine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Male ; Powders ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between cyclin D2 and P210(BCR/ABL) tyrosine kinase in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).

METHODSRT-PCR, Western blot and flow cytometry were performed to detect the expression of cyclin D2 in K562 cells and in K562-ib-eGFP cells which express intracellular single-chain antibody (sFv, intrabody) against ABL tyrosine kinase domain.

RESULTSCyclin D2 expression in K562-ib-eGFP cells was 18.90% which was lower than that of control K562 cells (48.10%), and the number of S-phase cells in K562-ib-eGFP was 40.40% which was much lower than that in K562 cells (64.34%).

CONCLUSIONCyclin D2 is a potential down-stream signal molecule of the p210(BCR/ABL) tyrosine kinase in CML. The altered expression of cyclin D2 may contribute to the over proliferation of CML cells.

Blotting, Western ; Cyclin D2 ; Cyclins ; analysis ; genetics ; Flow Cytometry ; Genes, abl ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

UNLABELLEDTo investigate the relationship between Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection and semen quality.

METHODSFrom 2001 to 2003, 346 eligible patients aged 20-45 years were invited from two hospitals in Shanghai, China, to participate in an investigation which included questionnaires about general and reproductive health, an external genital tract examination, UU culture and semen analysis. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine whether UU had a significant effect on semen quality after adjustment for confounding factors.

RESULTSFindings suggested that UU infection was associated with higher semen viscosity and lower semen pH value. Sperm concentration was lower in UU positive subjects than that in UU negative subjects (54.04 X 10(6)/mL vs.70.58 X 10(6)/mL). However, UU did not significantly affect other semen quality indexes.

CONCLUSIONUU infection of the male genital tract could negatively influence semen quality.

Adult ; Clothing ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physical Examination ; Semen ; physiology ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; physiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Testis ; anatomy & histology ; Ureaplasma Infections ; physiopathology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

OBJECTIVETo improve computer-assisted imaging analysis for quantitatively measuring brain slice volume of rats and mice in comparison with conventional measuring methods,and to evaluate its usefulness in assessment of focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODSThe accurate volumes of rat and mouse brain slices were measured by weight and special gravity measuring. The areas of brain slices were measured by imaging analysis, then the slice volumes of right and left hemispheres were calculated by multiplying the adjusted thickness of the slices. In addition, the brain slice volumes of right and left hemispheres from focal cerebral ischemic mice were compared to assess ischemic injury using the imaging analysis.

RESULTArea measurement by computer-assisted imaging analysis was linear with different accurate areas (r=1.000). Slice volumes measured by imaging analysis correlated well with the accurate volumes measured by special gravity method, r=0.809 (n=45, P<0.001) in rats, and r=0.844 (n=74, P<0.001) in mice. The brain volumes in ischemic hemispheres were larger than in non-ischemic hemispheres in ischemic mice.

CONCLUSIONComputer-assisted imaging analysis can measure the brain slice volumes accurately and compare right and left hemisphere volumes quantitatively.

Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; pathology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo develop an in vitro assay that allows the culture and identification of a single human bone marrow progenitor closely related to hematopoietic stem cell, which is more primitive than LTC-IC, and to find an efficient culture conditions for NK-IC expansion.

METHODSFusion protein IL6/IL2 was reconstructed and expressed in E. coli DH5 alpha. ML-IC was determined by watching if the single cell can give rise to secondary progenitors with both LTC-IC and NK-IC characteristics. LTC-IC frequency was determined by the CFC clonogenic methylcellulose assay. NK-IC frequency was determined by phenotyping CD56 positive NK cells. The effect of FPIL6/IL2 on the expansion of NK-IC was examined by comparing the colony number of NK cells before and after the culture.

RESULTSAfter the initial 4-week expansion culture, we showed that (25.75 +/- 5.68)% of freshly sorted Lin-/34+/DRdim cells were able to generate functional NK-IC in one or more secondary FPIL6/IL2 cultures, whereas (6.81 +/- 1.97)% in the control. A total of 102 NK-IC cells were present when were cultured for 6-7 weeks in FPIL6/IL2 expansion medium, which was much higher than the 33 NK-IC cells in the control.

CONCLUSIONML-IC assay will prove useful to assess a very primitive hematopoietic cell with multilineage generative capacity. FPIL6/IL2 is capable of initiating and promoting NK-IC expansion greatly in ex vivo cultures in terms of net-conservation and net proliferation.

Animals ; Biological Assay ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Division ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; methods ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-6 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Killer Cells, Natural ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; pharmacology ; Stromal Cells ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo understand prevalence of male homosexuality in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Provicne of China.

METHODSTo investigate emerging rate of male homosexuality and infer its prevalence in public gathering by observation at fixed points and questionnaire survey in gay men.

RESULTSThere were 2 012.5 male homosexuals taking part in public gatherings, with 95% confidence interval of 1 899 - 2 129, in Hangzhou. Frequency of such activities they took part in was once every 3 - 15 days (11.3 +/- 2.7) days. Each gay man knew 1.51 +/- 0.33 (0 - 6) other male homosexuals who never exposed their sexual orientation. The emerging number of male homosexuals was 5 051.38.

CONCLUSIONThe emerging rate of male homosexuality was 0.58%, with its prevalence of about 1% - 2% in public gatherings in Hangzhou.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Homosexuality ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Partners ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plasma Exchange ; methods ; Severity of Illness Index ; Sorption Detoxification ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

The combination of Angelicae sinensis Radix (Danggui, DG) and Astragali Radix (Huangqi, HQ) is a popular herb pair commonly used in clinic for the treatment of blood deficiency syndrome in China. The aim of this paper is to study the interaction of DG and HQ nourishing and tonifying blood effects by response surface method. The blood deficiency mice were induced by injecting N-acetylphenylhydrazine (sc) and cyclophosphamide (ip). The blood deficiency mice were administrated intragastrically with DG-HQ extracts (0:1, 1: 5, 2:5, 2:3, 1:1, 3:2, 5:2, 5:1, 1:0). The changes of the peripheral blood indexes and organ indexes were observed. The indexes were integrated by comprehensive index method; the interactions of DG and HQ were analyzed by the response surface diagram established with Matlab software. The results showed that DG and HQ at most of their combination ratios had synergic effect. Within the range of 1:5 - 5:1, all of the extracts of DG-HQ showed synergic effect, and among which, high-doses had better effects than low-doses. The highest value (-1) of the synergic effect was showed when DG was 10 - 40 g at the same time of HQ as 90 -180 g, and DG was 50 - 100 g at the same time of HQ as 20 - 100 g. DG-HQ at all combination dosages within Chinese Pharmacopeia (DG: 6 - 12 g, HQ: 9 - 30 g) had certain synergic effect, and Danggui Buxue Decoction (DG: 6 g, HQ: 30 g) also was at this range. The results provided scientific basis to the clinical application of DG and HQ. And the response surface method was firstly applied to quantitatively evaluate the bio-activity change of herb combination, which provided a novel way for modern basic research on the interaction of herbs.
Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Animals ; Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Blood Cell Count ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Interactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the long-term effect and clinical value of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) with transparent cap for dysplasia and early-stage cancer of the esophagus and gastric cardia.

METHODSFrom September 1996 to June 2007, 154 lesions in the esophagus or gastric cardia of 147 patients were treated using EMR with transparent cap. Among the lesions, there were 69 early-stage squamous-cell carcinomas in 64 patients and 47 squamous cell precancerous lesions of the esophagus in 45 patients, with an average lesion size of (14.8 +/- 6.1) mm (range, 3-40 mm), furthermore, there were 23 early-stage adenocarcinomas in 23 patients and 15 precancerous lesions in the gastric cardia in 15 patients, with an average lesion size of (8.2 +/- 4.3) mm (rang, 5-25 mm). All lesions were finally confirmed histopathologically.

RESULTSOf the 154 lesions, 139 (90.3%) were resected completely through EMR procedure. A close relationship between the complete resection rate and the lesion size was observed. The bigger the lesion size, the lower the complete resection rate. Endoscopic follow-up was carried out in 7 patients for more than 10 years, in 43 for 5 - 10 years, in 31 for 3 - 5 years and in 66 for less than 3 years. Of 11 dead patients during following-up, 10 died of other diseases, only 1 of recurrence. The 5-year survival rate was 96.2% for early-stage esophageal cancer, and 100% for early cancer of the gastric cardia. Perioperative complications included oozing bleeding in 5 patients (3.4%) and stricture in 1 (0.7%), no perforation occurred in this series.

CONCLUSIONEndoscopic mucosal resection is suitable to treat precancerous lesions or early-stage esophageal cancers without invasion into submucosa. Compared with conventional resection through open thoracotomy, similar long-term survival and curative effect can be achieved by this EMR treatment, preserving a good quality of life.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; surgery ; Cardia ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Esophagoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastric Mucosa ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Precancerous Conditions ; pathology ; surgery ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo establish a new macrophotographic measurement of brain surface area to evaluate brain edema after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

METHODSPermanent focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. The brains were removed 10,30 min,1,3,6,12 and 24 h after MCAO, and photographed in dorsal and lateral views by a digital camera. Then, 6 coronal slices of 1 mm thick were cut and photographed. Finally, the water content of brain tissue was measured by heating at 110 degrees C for 24 h. The left and right hemisphere areas of the brains and the brain slices were analyzed and calculated by MedBrain 2 imaging analyzer to evaluate brain edema.

RESULTThe macrophotographic measurement showed that the ischemic hemisphere areas significantly increased from 1 h after focal cerebral ischmia, which was similar to the measurement of water content. This measurement for brain edema correlated well with those of water content and brain slice volume.

CONCLUSIONThe macrophotographic measurement is an objective and quantitative method for evaluating brain edema after focal cerebral ischemia.

Animals ; Brain Edema ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; psychology ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Photography