Drying is the critical link during pharmaceutical process of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is directly related to the quality of drugs. The key to technology upgrading of pharmaceutical equipment in Chinese materia medica enterprise is the development of new drying techniques, which concerns the modernization of TCM. The study provides new ideas for the drying technology and equipment by means of reviewing the research status of drying process for the traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations, and analyzing the traditional and modern drying methods and equipment, as well as their existing problems and corresponding measures for the drying processes and equipment. In addition, this paper expounds the development trend of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations of drying process and equipment.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; instrumentation ; methods ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; instrumentation ; standards ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Astragali Radix was firstly recorded in the "Shen Nong's Herbal Classic" as a top-grade and commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Its frequently used slices include raw Astragali Radix and honey-processed products. In current studies, many reports were made on honey-processed Astragali Radix, whereas fewer study reports were made on the cutting process of Astragali Radix. Currently, because Astragali Radix is primarily cut by drug workers according to their operating experience, but with out specific cutting parameters, it is easy to cause the loss or mildew of active ingredients. As a result, the quality of Astragali Radix circulated in the market is not guaranteed, and the quality of their slices and preparations are hard to be controlled, which seriously impact the clinical efficacy. In response, this experiment was performed, in which the optimum cutting process of Astragali Radix was taken as the study objective, the Box-Benhnken central composite design in the response surface analysis was adopted, and the content and appearance character of astragaloside and calycosin-7-glucoside were regarded as the study indicators. Three factors, namely the softening time, the drying temperature and the drying time, were selected to optimize the cutting process of Astragali Radix and obtain the optimum cutting process parameters as follows: the softening time was 3 hours, the drying temperature was 50 degrees C, and the drying time was 4 hours. According to the verification test, the Astragali Radix cutting process is steady and feasible, which has certain significance for normalizing the cutting process of Astragali Radix.
Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

A total of 152 strains of endophytic fungi were isolated from the barks of Eucommia ulmoides in three regions (Lueyang country, Zunyi country, Cili country). Based on morphological characteristics and analysis of ITS sequences, these strains were identified into 8 genera. Thereinto Phomopsis, Diaporthe and Alternaria were common genera to Eucommia barks from different sites. But the dominant genus was different: Alternaria was the dominant genus in the barks from Cili country, and Phomopsis was the dominant genus from Zunyi country, then Diaporthe was the one from Lueyang country. According to the similarity coefficient, the composition of the endophytic fungi was distinctly different between the barks from three sites. The diversity and species richness in Lueyang country and Cili country were found higher than those in Zunyi country. The evenness of endophytic fungi was 0.936 5 in Lueyang county, which was higher than 0.737 1 or 0.641 0 in Cili county or Zunyi county, respectively. After phylogenic analysis and calculating the genetic distances of typical strains belong to Phomopsis and its perfect stage--Diaporthe, there was very high genetic diversity in the two genera from our study. In conclusion, the community structure and diversity of endophytic fungi were significant different in Eucommia barks from the three habitats.
DNA, Fungal ; genetics ; DNA, Intergenic ; genetics ; Ecosystem ; Endophytes ; classification ; physiology ; Eucommiaceae ; microbiology ; Fungi ; classification ; genetics ; physiology ; Phylogeny ; Plant Bark ; microbiology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate histopathologic and ultrastructural changes of extraocular muscles (EOM) in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). METHODS: Twelve EOM specimens from 11 patients with TAO were observed. Each of the specimen was stained with HE and observed by light microscope,and then was sectioned with ultrathin method and observed by transmission electronic microscope. RESULTS: Under the light microscope, sarcoplasm coagulation,granular degeneration, vacuolization and necrosis were found in the extraocular muscular cells.Under the electronic microscope, there were disturbance and disappearance of the Z line in part of muscular fibers and various degrees of sarcoplasmic reticulum dilatation, myofilament lysis and destruction with formation of vacuoles.In severe cases,the muscular cells could be completely destroyed and phagocytosed by macrophages,fibrosis occurred and myofibroblasts were found in some cases. CONCLUSION The extraocular muscles in TAO are destroyed at various degrees,and the muscular cells may be the target cells in TAO.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Graves Ophthalmopathy ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oculomotor Muscles ; pathology ; ultrastructure

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy on pain in postmenopausal osteoporosis treated with the warm acupuncture therapy and discuss its effect mechanism.

METHODSNinety cases of postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomized into a warm acupuncture group, an electroacupuncture group and a medication group, 30 cases in each group. In the warm acupuncture group and the electroacupuncture group, Dazhu (BL 11), Shenshu (BL 23) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) were selected bilaterally and stimulated with the warm acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapies respectively, once a day for 30 days totally. In the medication group, caltrate-D tablets were prescribed, 600 mg, once a day for 30 days totally. The changes in the bone density T value, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, serum insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) were observed before and after treatment in the three groups.

RESULTS(1) The bone density T value in the patients of postmenopausal osteoporosis did not change obviously after 30 days treatment with the three therapies; (2) VAS score was all reduced after treatment, in which, the result in the warm acupuncture group was the most obvious (6.73 +/- 0.24 before treatment vs 4.43 +/- 0.26 after treatment). The value after treatment in the warm acupuncture group was different significantly as compared with the electroacupuncture group (5.13 +/- 0.31) and the medication group (5.17 +/- 0.33, both P < 0.05). (3) The level of serum IGF-1 was improved after treatment in the warm acupuncture therapy [(119.5 +/- 20.1) ng/mL before treatment vs (156.5 +/- 23.9) ng/mL after treatment], which was more apparent as compared with the electroacupuncture group [(136.3 +/- 24.5) ng/mL] and the medication group [(127.7 +/- 22.1) ng/mL, all P < 0.05]. Concerning to reducing the levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in serum, the results in the warm acupuncture group were superior to the other two groups (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe warm acupuncture therapy achieves the significant efficacy on pain in postmenopausal osteoporosis, which could be related to increasing the level of IGF-1, decreasing the levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, promoting bone formation and inhibting bone absorption.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Bone Density ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pain Management ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Progesterone ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To understand the current situation of iodine deficiency diserders(IDD) in Longyan City and to evaluate the effect of prevention and control measures of IDD in order to provide evidence for formulating prevention and control tactics. Methods During the year of 2006 and 2007, the 30 primary schools were screened by population proportion survey(PPS) from the 7 counties of Longyan City. Forty children aged 8-10 years in each school were randomly selected as a group to examine thyroid, and 7 children in each group were selected to measure the urine iodine and the salt iodine at the same time. The goiter rote, the median urinary iodine, the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt, the iodine salt coverage rate, the rate of qualified iodized salt and the non-iodized rate were detected. Results The goiter rate of children aged 8-10 years old in Longyan City was 0.94%(79/8438). The median urinary iodine was 259.12 μg/L. The consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 97.86% (1462/1494). The iodine salt coverage rate was 99.46%(1486/1494). The rate of qualified iodized salt was 98.38 (1462/1486), and the non-iodized rate was 0.54% (8/1494). Conclusions All indicators have reached the national standard of eliminating IDD in Longyan City.

To study the correlation between 50% tissue-culture infective dose (TCID50) value and p27 antigen S/P value of Avian leukosis virus subgroup J and discuss their significance, chicken embryo fibroblast (CEF) cells were inoculated with Avian leukosis virus subgroup J strain NX0101 and samples were tested continuously for ten days after changing maintenance media. The correlation between TCID50 and p27 antigen S/P value of ten days were then analysized. Simultaneously, DF-1 cells were inoculated with NX0101 and passaged to 20 generations. Samples taken from 1st generation, 5th generation, 10th generation, 15th generation and 20th generation were tested for the TCID50 titer and the p27 antigen S/P value separately. A significant Pearson correlation was found between them in CEF cells (r = 0.85277; P < 0.0001) and in DF-1 cells (r = 0.93000; P = 0.0220). This study provided an important parameter for predicting TCID50 by detecting the p27 antigen S/P value.
Animals ; Avian Leukosis ; virology ; Avian Leukosis Virus ; immunology ; pathogenicity ; Chick Embryo ; Fibroblasts ; virology ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; analysis ; immunology ; Viral Load ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo find a convenient and exact method for evaluating acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa.

METHODSThe semen of the normal male was mixed and then divided into 6 groups. Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) staining, chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence staining and acid phosphatase (ACP) detection were used for morphological observation and data analysis of the acrosome status of the human sperm treated with or without progesterone.

RESULTSThere were obvious morphological differences between the acrosome-reaction and acrosome-intact spermatozoa in CBB staining and CTC fluorescence staining, and significant differences were observed between the experimental and control spermatozoa by the three methods (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAll the three methods can be used to assess acrosome reaction in human spermatozoa, but Coomassie brilliant blue (CBB) staining is much more convenient and stable.

Acid Phosphatase ; Acrosome Reaction ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chlortetracycline ; Humans ; Male ; Progesterone ; pharmacology ; Rosaniline Dyes ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

Objective To evaluate clinical significance of direct antiglobulin testing(DAT)in anemia in patients with severe chronic hepatitis B(CHB).Methods Red blood cell(RBC)-related parameters detection and DAT were performed among 30 healthy persons,30 CHB patients,and 50 severe CHB patients,clinical factors related to posi-tive DAT were analyzed.Results RBC count,hemoglobin (Hb)concentration,and hematocrit(HCT)level in severe CHB patients were all lower than CHB patients and healthy group(P <0.05),RBC distribution width(RDW)in severe CHB patients were all higher than CHB patients and healthy group(P<0.05);the positive rate of DAT in patients with se-vere CHB,CHB,and healthy group were 62.82%,13.33% and 0 respectively.RBC count,Hb concentration,and HCT level in severe CHB patients with positive DAT were all lower than severe CHB patients with negative DAT (all P <0.05),while RDW was higher than the latter (P=0.001);after RBC was separated through capillary,positive intensity of DAT of aged RBCs was higher than young RBCs in severe CHB patients (P <0.001);among severe CHB patients, DAT-positive and-negative patients differed in gender,age,alanine aminotransferase,total bilirubin,complement C3, C-reactive protein,and complication of diabetes(all P≤0.05).Conclusion Anemia in severe CHB patients may be re-lated to immune hemolysis of aged RBCs induced by antibody adsorption.