Coptidis Rhizoma-Euodiae Fructus has been widely used for the treatment of digestive diseases since Song Dynasty, and therapeutic efficacy is very obvious. Modern research found that alkaloids are the main bio-active constituents, and some of their contents have striking difference after compatibility of the two herbs. The Chinese medicine pair (CMP) has extensive biological activities, such as the effect of gastrointestinal effect, anti-tumor, lowering the blood pressure and blood fat and so on. And some action mechanism of CMP also got partial demonstration. This paper mainly summarized the bio-active constituents, compatibility effects, action mechanism and clinical applications of the CMP, which can provide a basis for further research and development of the CMP.
Animals ; Drug Interactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

This article described the concept of the professional ethics and discussed the significance of the existence and construction of professional ethics on medical journal editors. The professional ethics on medical journal editors could be beneficial to correctly understand the ethical problems of medical journal editors and to promote the medical journal editors' role localization. It is very important to construct the Standardization of medical journal editors' behavior.

Objective To study the clinical outcomes of titanium-coated interbody fusion system in treating lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis.Methods A retrospective study was made in 22 cases with lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis including 15 with degree I spondylolisthesis and seven with degree II spondylolisthesis treated by posterior lumbar interbody fusion using titanium-coated fusion cages from June 2002 to December 2003 in our hospital.There were six males and 16 females,with age range of 41-68 years(mean 52.5 years).In all cases,double cages were implanted with additional posterolateral bone graft,supplemented with pedicle screw systems.The average preoperative and postoperative disc space height,foraminal height,segmental and lumbar lordosis,spondylolisthesis and domain of sagittal rotation on flexion-extension radiographs were measured and fusion state observed.The Oswestry disability index (ODI)was used to evaluate the clinical outcome.Results The fusion rate was 95.4%.There was significant recovery of disc space height,foraminal height and domain of sagittal rotation.ODI decreased significantly.Conclusion The anatomic titanium-coated fusion system is effective and safe in treatment of lumbar isthmic spondylolisthesis because it has advantages in restoring sagittal alignment and keeping bony endplate intact.

Objective To explore the optimal cut-off points of body mass index(BMI),percentage of body fat(PBF) and body fat mass index(BFMI) for identification of cardiovascular risk factors clustering among elderly males. MethodsThe data of physical examinations from 1 052 Shanghai elderly males in 2007 were collected.The relationship between cardiovascular risk factors clustering and different strata of BMI,PBF and BFMI was analyzed.Receiver Operator Characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was employed to determine the optimal cut-points for identification of cardiovascular risk factors clustering,and area under curve(AUC) was worked out.The population attributable risk proportion(PARP) of risk factors clustering was calculated. Results Odds ratios of risk factors clustering tended to increase with BMI,PBF and BFMI.BMI≥24 kg/m2,PBF≥21% and BFMI≥5 kg/m2 were the cut-off points that had approximate sensitivity and specificity,and/or had the shortest distance in ROC curve.AUC of all the three indexes was larger than 0.5.Analysis of PARP indicated that BMI under 24 kg/m2,PBF under 21% and BFMI under 5 kg/m2 could prevent 27.1%,37.44% and 36.63% risk factors clustering,respectively. Conclusion BMI≥24 kg/m2,PBF≥21% and BFMI≥5 kg/m2 can well reflect the cardiovascular risk factors clustering among elderly males.

Objective To study the effect of Qianggu Shengxue Oral Liquid (QSOL) on ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis in female rats. Methods 18-weeks old female SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: Sham, ovariectomized model group (OVX), three different doses of XLGB-treated groups after OVX (2.7, 5.4, and 10.0 mL/kg), and a positive drug group treated with xian-ling-gu-bao capsule (0.54 g/kg). In addition to the sham operation, the other groups were subjected to bilateral ovariectomy to establish osteoporosis model. Three days after the ovariectomized operation, rats were orally treated with drugs once per day for 90 continuous days. On the 45th day and the 90th day after given drugs, blood calcium, C-terminal telopeptides of type Icollagen (CTX-I) in serum, bone calcium, hydroxyproline, bone mineral density (BMD), femur bone, and the fourth lumbar vertebra (LV4) for the fracture load, maximum load and histopathologic examination were detected. Results Compared with the model group, the middle and low dose of QSOL can attenuate the decreases in blood calcium, BMD and bone density, decrease the level of serum CTX-I, and improve bone biomechanical property induced by ovariectomy in female rats; The high dose of QSOL can significantly attenuate these decreases in blood calcium, BMD and bone density, decrease the level of serum CTX-I, and improve bone biomechanical performance. Conclusion QSOL oral liquid can delay disease progress and treat the osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy, and the mechanism is related to the reduction in bone calcium loss and the level of CTX-I.

Objective To explore the relationship between dynamic changes in ultra-micro-structural of pulmonary arteries and endogenous hydrogen sulfide in rats with left-right shunt.Methods Rats in shunt group were subjected to an abdominal aorta-inferior vena cava shunt to create an animal model of pulmonary artery structural remodeling. After 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 4 weeks and 8 weeks of experiment, the ultra-micro-morphologic changes of pulmonary arteries of rats were observed under electronic microscope and H_2S concentration in serum was evaluated by modified sulfide electrode method.Results The changes of ultra-micro-structure of pulmonary arteries were progressively exacerbated, endothelial cells became swollen and large in size on 3 days, smooth muscular cells increased in size as well as the change of endothelial cells in 1 week, and they changed from contractile phenotype to synthetic phenotype in 4 weeks.Conclusions Shunt exhibited changes of ultra-micro-structure of pulmonary arteries are accompanied by the changes of endogenous H_2S. It is suggested that endogenous H_2S might play a protective role in changes of ultra-micro-structure of pulmonary artery.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) are members of nuclear receptors and related to several diseases such as cancer, inflammation and osteoporosis. ERs have two forms, ERα and ERβ, which have different functions and organism distributions. Compounds selectively targeting ERβ can regulate important physiological functions and avoid the side effects caused by targeting ERα. Therefore, selective ERβ ligands have received considerable research interest in recent years. In this article, different kinds of selective ERβ ligands were summarized and their structure-activity relationships were also analyzed.
Estrogen Receptor beta ; chemistry ; Humans ; Ligands ; Structure-Activity Relationship

OBJECTIVETo establish a method for studying efficacious materials of traditional Chinese medicines from an overall perspective.

METHODCarthamus tinctorius was taken the example. Its major components were depleted by preparing liquid chromatography. Afterwards, the samples with major components depleted were evaluated for their antioxidant effect, so as to compare and analyze the major efficacious materials of C. tinctorius with antioxidant activity and the contributions.

RESULTSeven major components were depleted from C. tinctorius samples, and six of them were identified with MS data and control comparison. After all of the samples including depleted materials are compared and evaluated for their antioxidant effect, the findings showed that hydroxysafflor yellow A, anhydrosafflor yellow B and 6-hydroxykaempferol-3, 6-di-O-glucoside-7-O-glucuronide were the major efficacious materials.

CONCLUSIONThis study explored a novel and effective method for studying efficacious materials of traditional Chinese medicines. Through this method, we could explain the direct and indirect contributions of different components to the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicines, and make the efficacious material expression of traditional Chinese medicines clearer.

Alkalies ; chemistry ; Antioxidants ; chemistry ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; Mass Spectrometry

AIM:To investigate the expression and significance of thrombospondin-1(TSP-1)in left ventricular myocardium of type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM).METHODS:The rat model of DCM was established by eating a high-fat diet together with injection of low dose streptozocin(30 mg/kg)intrapertoneally.After 12 weeks,the content of collagen was quantified by Masson staining.The mRNA level of TSP-1 was determined by quantification real-time RT-PCR,while the protein level of TSP-1 was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.RESULTS:Compared with the control group,the content of collagen in the DCM group was increased greatly(11.01?3.05 vs 16.92?3.18,P

0.05).In addition,in different medication intervals and the same total dosage(200 mg),there was no difference in the number of patients who reached ASAS20,ASAS50 anti BASDAI50 in both groups.The changes of other parameters were not observed.Conclusion Two dosages and different medication interval of rhTNFR-Fc have similiar efficacy onset time and maintenee period.Mean- while,at the same total dosage,there is no signifieant difference in therapeutic effect in the two dosage groups. However,50 mg(1/7 d)regimen has better compliance than 25 mg(1/3 d).