Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Phytotherapy

Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Echinocandins ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Lipopeptides ; Mycoses ; drug therapy

Objective To investigate role of interleukin-1?(IL-1?),interleukin-8(IL-8),tumor necrosis factor-?((TNF-?)) and insulinlike growth factor-1(IGF-1) in meconium aspiration syndrome(MAS) in newborns.Methods The concentrations of(IL-1?),IL-8,TNF-? and IGF-1 in peripheral serum were detected in 32 newborns with MAS and 15 normal newborns by radio-immunity at the first,the third and seventh day after being born.Correlations between IGF-1 and changes of IL-1?,IL-8,TNF-? was analyzed.Results Compared with control group,the concentration of IL-1?,IL-8 and TNF-? increased significantly in newborns with MAS in three days after being born(all P0.05).On the other hand, the concentration of IGF-1 in newborns with MAS was obviously lower than that of normal newborns one week after birth.The concentration of IGF-1 showed negative correlations with that of IL-1?,IL-8 and TNF-?(r=-0.67,-0.61,-0.73 all P

BACKGROUND: Huperzine A is a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor extracted initially by China from huperzia serrata,a Chinese herb. Its mechanism in improving choline function and ameliorating cognitive state of patients with dementia is to increase acetylcholine (Ach) concentration in neural synapse through impeding the hydrolysis of acetylcholinesterase.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of huperzine A on the improvement of cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).DESIGN: A randomized controlled study based on patients.SETTING: Second internal department of neurology in a general hospital of military area command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 69 AD patients hospitalized in the Second Department of Neurology,General Hospital of Jinan Military Area Command of Chinese PLA between March 2000 and December 2003 were allocated into huperzine A group( n = 38,male,aged between 68 and84 years old,average age of 76 years old) and control group( n = 31,male,aged between 68 and 80years old,average age of 74 years old) according to the wills of the patients.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive expression percentage of Fas,Apo2.7 and Bcl-2 on platelet membrane and the integral of mini-mental state examination(MMSE),Hasegawa' s dementia scale(HDS) and activities of daily living (ADL) of two groups after therapy.RESULTS: The positive expression of Fas,Apo2.7 or Bcl-2 on peripheral platelet membrane after therapy in huperzine A group were (2.23 ± 0.49)%,(2.37 ±0. 36)%,or(2.01 ±0. 32)% respectively,which was significantly lower than(3.12 ± 0. 74)%,(2. 83 ± 0.67)% or (2. 59 ± 0. 54)% of control group ( P ＜ 0.01). The prognostic integral of MMSE,HDS or ADL of huperzine A group was 20.45 ±4. 14,21.39 ±4.89,or 36. 15 ±5.11,which was significantly higher or lower than that of the control group(15.76 ± 3.23,17.32 ±2.09,4.26 ±7.21)(P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: HuperzineA actually can effectively improve the memory and cognitive function of AD,and effectively improve ADL as well.

Objective To study the bioavailability and bioequivalence of erythromycin ethylsuccinate granules in healthy male volunteers.Methods In a randomized two-period crossover study,20 healthy male volunteers received single 500 mg test and reference formulations of erythromyein ethylsuccinate granules.The plasma concentrations of erythromycin were assayed by microbiological method.Results The parameters of test and reference preparations were as follows:T_(max)(0.86?0.22)and (0.80?0.13)h,C_(max)(2.13?0.64)and(2.16?0.61)mg/L,t_(1/2)(2.04?0.2)and(1.97?0.4)h,AUC_(0-t)(4.96?1.73)and(4.63?1.52)mg?h/L,respectively.There was no significant difference between the two preparations.The rela- tive bioavailahility of the test granules was(109.1?22.8)%.Conclusions The two preparations of erythromycin ethylsucci- nate granules are bioequivalent.

Objective To explore the role of MyD88 in heterotopic tracheal transplantation in mice and its relationship with histopathological changes.Methods The mouse model of hetemtopictracheal transplantation was used.The mice were divided into three groups:(1) tracheal isograft of C57BL/6 to C57BL/6 mice;(2) tracheal allograft of BALB/c to C57BL/6 mice;(3) tracheal graft of BALB/c to C57BL/6 mice with MyD88 inhibitor treatment.The tracheal grafts were collected at indicated time points.Histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin.The pathological changes were observed and their semi-quantitative measurement was done with Image J software.Results (1) Pathological results showed that the structure of the trachea with MyD88 inhibitor treatment was clear and the loss of epithelial cells was significantly reduced as compared with the positive control group at the time of 7 and 14 days.(2) The results of semi-quantitative measurement showed that luminal occlusion rate of MyD88 inhibitor treatment group was significantly reduced as compared with the positive control group (P＜0.01).However,the loss of epithelial cells was not improved 7 days after transplantation.Both of lumen occlusion rate (P＜0.05) and epithelial cells loss (P＜0.01) in MyD88 inhibitor treatment group were significantly reduced.Conclusion Inhibition of MyD88 molecule could significantly alleviate pathological changes of the transplanted trachea.Both of luminal occlusion rate and loss of epithelial cells were significantly ameliorated.

Objective To explore the change of S-100? and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)in serum after seizure and medication in children with epilepsy.Methods Serum protein level of S-100? and GFAP were determined by double antibody sandwish enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in 41 cases with epilepsy and 30 healthy children.The specimen of venous blood were taken by 24 hours after seizure,4 weeks,12 weeks after medicine and their supernate preserved at-80 ℃ after centrifugat.Results Twenty-four hours after seizure,protein level of S-100?,GFAP in serum was significantly higher than that of control group(Pa0.05).Four weeks after medication,protein level of S-100?,GFAP in serum of epileptic group decreased,but still higher than that in control group,and the difference was significant(P

ObjectiveTo study normal gait characteristics of healthy adults in different age groups.Methods90 healthy adults were divided into three groups according to their ages. It was 20～39 year group, 40～59 year group and 60～70 year group. They received a gait analysis with the gait analysis system based on digital video and image processing which could provide temporal-spatial parameters and kinematic parameters. The gait data of the three groups were compared. Relationships between gait speed and other gait parameters were investigated.ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in some parameters among three groups. Gait speed was significantly correlated with stride time, stride length, stance time (%), cadence, maximum flexion of hip and knee in swing phase.ConclusionThe normal gait patterns of healthy adult established with the gait analysis system based on digital video and image processing can be used as the base line to compare with abnormal gait.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a flavonoid compound isolated from licorice. It possesses excellent antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the alleviatory effect of ISL on energy metabolism imbalance caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were used in in vivo experiments. The high-fat-high-glucose diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin was applied to establish T2DM animal model. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Institutional Guidelines of Laboratory Animal Administration issued by the Committee of Ethics at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. HepG2 cells were used in in vitro experiments. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to examine the protein and mRNA levels of mitochondrial function-related targets. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in HepG2 cells were measured by the flow cytometry. Additionally, the molecular docking of ISL and key target proteins was analyzed. It was found that ISL significantly inhibited the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I and increased the protein levels of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in the livers of mice and HepG2 cells. It also obviously decreased the ROS levels and increased the MMP levels in cultured HepG2 cells. In addition, ISL promoted mitochondrial biogenesis by activating proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1α (PGC-1α) and enhanced mitophagy by upregulating Parkin. It also improved mitochondrial fusion by increasing the mRNA and protein levels of mitofusin 2 (MFN2). In conclusion, ISL alleviates energy metabolism imbalance caused by T2DM through suppression of excessive mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, and fusion.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is an active chalcone compound isolated from licorice. It possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. In our previous study, we uncovered a great potential of ISL in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, this study aims to reveal the mechanism underlying the alleviatory effects of ISL on T2DM-induced glycolipid metabolism disorder. High-fat-high-sugar diet (HFD) combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) were used to establish T2DM mice model. All animal experiments were carried out with approval of the Committee of Ethics at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. HepG2 cells were used in in vitro experiments, and sodium palmitate (SP) was applied to establish insulin resistance (IR) model cells. The effects of ISL on body weight, fasting blood glucose levels, and pathological changes in the livers of mice were examined. Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were applied to detect the regulatory effects of ISL on key targets involved in glucolipid metabolism. Additionally, molecular docking and analytical dynamics simulation methods were used to analyze the interaction between ISL and key target protein. The results indicate that ISL significantly downregulates the transcriptional levels and inhibits the activities of key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis, including pyruvate carboxylase (PC), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase (FBP). It also downregulates the transcriptional and protein levels of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), the two transcriptional factors involved in gluconeogenesis. Thus, ISL inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis in T2DM mice. In addition, ISL reduces total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in the livers of T2DM mice. Moreover, ISL downregulates the mRNA levels of lipogenesis genes and upregulates those of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, lipid uptake, and lipid export. In conclusion, ISL suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis, promotes lipolysis, and restrains lipogenesis in T2DM mice, thereby improving the abnormal glycolipid metabolism caused by T2DM.