Animals ; Beverages ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; metabolism

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Microscopy, Electron ; Sputum ; drug effects

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the extraction technology of Paeonia lactiflora. METHODS:The surface figure made by mixed uniform design combined with the quadratic polynomial stepwise regression equation is adopted to optimize the extraction technology of P. lactiflora by using the content of paeoniflorin as index,with extraction solvent,the amount of extraction solvent, extraction time,extraction times as factors. RESULTS:The optimal extraction technology of P. lactiflora was as follows as 90%ethanol,12-folds extraction solvent,extracting for 150 min,extracting for 2 times. The measured value of 3 validation tests were 2.848 4%,2.795 7%,2.841 9%(RSD=0.82%,n=3),which was close to the predicted value 2.848 4%. CONCLUSIONS:The method is convenient and accurate,and can be used for the extraction of P. lactiflora.

Hoxa3-Pax1/Pax9-Eya1-Six1/4 regulatory pathway seems to be operating during forming the bilateral parathyroid/thymus common primordial in early embryonic development.The specification of the parathyroid domain in the parathyroid/thymus primordial is regulated through a Shh-Tbx1-Gcm2 pathway.Gcm2 also may play roles in later steps of parathyroid development,including CaSR and PTH gene expression.MafB and Gcm2 interact with each other and synergistically activate PTH transcription.Genetic basis and the etiology of some hypoparathyroid disorders in man are involved defects in transcription factors that include GCMB,GATA3,Tbxl,SOX3 and GNA11.This marker expression in thymus and parathyroid primordium includes HoxA3,Pax1,Eya1,and Six1;and expression of parathyroid cell-like cells includes Gcm2,CaSR,and PTH.These expressions may serve as markers of stem cell differentiation into parathyroid cell-like cells.

Objective To study the effect of nicotine on the expression of αvβ3 integrin in cultured neonatal bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (BCMEC). Methods Flow cytometry was utilized to determine the cell ratio of in vitro cultured neonatal BCMECs adhesive to rat monocytes (MN), after the former were treated with nicotine prior to the incubation with MNs. The effect of niocotine on αvβ3 expression in BCMEC was observed with ELISA. Results In response to 10-5 mol/L ni cotine pretreatment, the adhesive cell ratio of BCMECs to MNs was increased (P<0.05) and enhanced αvβ3 expression was observed, in comparison with those when nicotine of lower concentrations were administered. In contrast, more obvious increase in the adhesive cell ratio and αvβ3 expression was observed when the pretreatment protocol with nicotine (10-7~10-5 mol/L) and IL-1β was adopted, and the effect of nicotine was concentration-dependent. The endothelial adhesion to MNs induced by nicotine and IL-β was obviously blocked by anti-αvβ3 integrin Ab. Conclusion Nicotine may increase the expression of αvβ3 integrin in BCMEC.

Objective To study the effect of nicotine on the expression of αvβ3 integrin in cultured neonatal bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (BCMEC). Methods Flow cytometry was utilized to determine the cell ratio of in vitro cultured neonatal BCMECs adhesive to rat monocytes (MN), after the former were treated with nicotine prior to the incubation with MNs. The effect of niocotine on αvβ3 expression in BCMEC was observed with ELISA. Results In response to 10-5 mol/L ni cotine pretreatment, the adhesive cell ratio of BCMECs to MNs was increased (P<0.05) and enhanced αvβ3 expression was observed, in comparison with those when nicotine of lower concentrations were administered. In contrast, more obvious increase in the adhesive cell ratio and αvβ3 expression was observed when the pretreatment protocol with nicotine (10-7~10-5 mol/L) and IL-1β was adopted, and the effect of nicotine was concentration-dependent. The endothelial adhesion to MNs induced by nicotine and IL-β was obviously blocked by anti-αvβ3 integrin Ab. Conclusion Nicotine may increase the expression of αvβ3 integrin in BCMEC.

OBJECTIVETo observe the auxiliary efficacy and safety of Hebi Recipe (HR)in treating early rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSTotally 63 early RA patients with Gan-Pi disharmony were randomly assigned to the treatment group [32 cases, treated by HR (one dose per day, taken in two portions for 24 successive weeks) plus Methotrexate (MTX)] and the control group (31 cases, treated by MTX alone). The dosage of MTX was increased from 7.5 mg to 12.5 mg, once per week, 24 weeks as one course of treatment. Efficacy for Chinese medical syndromes, American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) improvement rate, disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), laboratory related indices [ESR, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)], and related ultrasonic inspection items (synovium thickness, synovium blood flow classification, effusion of joint), and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate (83.9%, 26/31 cases) and ACR20 improvement rate (74.2%, 23/31 cases) were higher in the treatment group than in the control group [60.7% (17/28 cases), 46.4% (13/28 cases); P < 0.05]. Compared with before treatment in the same group, DAS28 score, ESR, RF, CRP, CCP, synovium thickness, synovium blood flow classification, effusion of joint all decreased in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the control group after treatment, ACR20 improvement rate, DAS28 score, ESR, RF, CRP, CCP, synovium thickness, synovium blood flow classification, effusion of joint all decreased in the treatment group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Liver dysfunction occurred in 1 case of the treatment group. One leucopenia and 2 liver dysfunction occurred in the control group.

CONCLUSIONHR could effectively improve joints and systemic symptoms of early RA patients with Gan-Pi disharmony.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; C-Reactive Protein ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Methotrexate ; Phytotherapy ; Rheumatoid Factor ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To observe the effects of Chinese medicinal herbs with the efficacy of invigorating spleen, upbearing the clear, and tonifying spleen on the obesity degree, fat hormones, and insulin resistance in diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats;To choose better anti-obesity herbs from different Chinese medicinal herbs that can tonify spleen. Methods Among the 130 Wistar rats, 10 were chosen as the blank control group (fed with basal forage), and the remaining 120 were administered with high-fat high-nutrition forage for 13 weeks. According to weight, 50 DIO rats and 10 diet-induced obesity resistance (DIO-R) rats were obtained. DIO rats were divided into model group (normal saline), sibutramine group, invigorating spleen group (Atractylodix Rhizome and Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex), upbearing the clear group (Bupleuri Radix and Aurantii Fructus Immaturus) and medicine for tonifying qi and spleen group (Astragali Radix). All groups received gavage with corresponding drugs. Rats in the blank control group and the DIO-R group received gavage with normal saline. The basal forage was administered to rats in the blank control group, while high-fat forage was continually given to rats in the other six groups. Insulin resistance index (IRI), blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and adiponectin were detected after blood withdrawing. TNF-α and adiponectin in the fat homogenate were examined. Results Compared with the blank control group, body weight, IRI, and cholesterol of rats in the model group significantly increased (P<0.01);adiponectin in homogenate reduced (P<0.01);serum and adipose homogenate TNF-α increased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, body weight, IRI, cholesterol of rats in DIO-R group significantly decreased (P<0.01);adiponectin in fat homogenate increased (P<0.01). Body weight and cholesterol of rats in the sibutramine group significantly decreased (P<0.01), while serum and adipose homogenates TNF-αdecreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Body weight, IRI and cholesterol of rats in upbearing the clear group decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01);serum and adipose homogenate TNF-α decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01);adiponectin increased in fat homogenate (P<0.05). IRI, cholesterol and serum TNF-αof rats in the invigorating spleen group decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01);adiponectin in serum and adipose homogenate increased (P<0.05). BMI, blood glucose, IRI and cholesterol of rats in Astragali Radix group decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01);TNF-α decreased and adiponectin increased in serum and adipose homogenate (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion Astragali Radix could reduce obesity induced by high-fat forage, and its effects on improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorder and IR are better than the other TCM groups. Its mechanism is related to decreasing TNF-α and increasing adiponectin level.

Objective To evaluate the performance of HbA1C in diagnosis of pre-diabetes in Chinese adolescents.Methods A total of 933 students(aged 13-16 year,46.5% female)without known history of diabetes were selected from junior and senior middle schools in Liaoyang city.HbA1C and fasting plasma glucose(FPG)levels were determined in all participants.Pre-diabetes was diagnosed as according to 2010 American Diabetes Association (ADA)criteria[HbA1C 5.7%-6.4%,FPG(5.6-6.9)mmol/L].The individuals with HbA1C ≥5.7% underwent oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)and were classified into impaired glucose tolerance(IGT)and impaired fasting glucose(IFG)according to 1999 World Health Organization(WHO)criteria.The performance of HbA1C in diagnosing pre-diabetes by the new criteria was evaluated by the traditional OGTT results based on receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results Among all participants,213(22.8%)individuals were diagnosed as prediabetic subjects.72.3% of individuals with pre-diabetes were identified by HbA1C alone,23.0% by FPG alone,and only 4.7% by both tests simultaneously.The ROC curve for HbA1C to identify impaired fasting glucose diagnosed by new criteria had an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.50 without statistical significance(P = 0.97).Of the 164 participants with HbA1C 5.7% -6.4%,68 individuals received OGTT,among which 18 subjects were diagnosed as IGT(n= 14)or IFG(n = 4).The ROC curve for HbA1C to identify pre-diabetes diagnosed by OGTT had an AUC of 0.53,without statistical significance(P = 0.69).Conclusion In Chinese adolescents,HbA1C is not suitable for diagnosis or screening of pre-diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Yihuo Qingxia method, a traditional Chinese medicine therapeutic method for replenishing qi to activate blood, clearing away heat and dredging intestines, in treating hyperlipoidemia-related severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in early stage. METHODS: One hundred and four patients with hyperlipoidemia-related SAP were divided into two groups: early group (admitted to hospital within 3 days after onset) and late group (admitted to hospital from 3 days to 7 days after onset). There were 52 cases in each group. All the patients were treated by Yihuo Qingxia method. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in 48-hour Ranson scores, CT scores, 24-hour acute physiology and chronic heath evaluation II scores (APACHE II scores), and the levels of 24-hour serum triglyceride (TG) and serum glucose in the two groups (P>0.05). At the 10th day after onset, the serum TG level in early group was lower than that in late group (P<0.01). The incidences of acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure, hepatic inadequacy, congestive heart failure, shock, encephalopathy, infection and alimentary tract hemorrhage in early group were higher than those in late group (P<0.05). The mortality in early group was lower than that in the late group (P<0.05). The length of hospital stay in early group was shorter than that in late group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Yihuo Qingxia method has a good efficacy in treating hyperlipoidemia-related SAP in early stage.