Agmatine ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Analgesia ; methods ; Animals ; Injections, Spinal ; Male ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; drug effects

To study the dynamic change law of bioactive constituents from Polygonum multiflorum, and to explore the optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum. Determination of stilhene glucoside, anthraquinones and catechin from P. multiflorum in different harvest times by MEKC-DAD, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensive evaluation for bioactive constituents. There are obvious differences among the contents of active ingredients in various collecting periods samples, the content of stilbene glucoside was the highest in November, the total content of combined anthraquinone was the highest in November and December, the content of catechin was the highest in September. The comprehensive evaluation index obtained with principal component analysis showed that the sample collected in November is significantly higher than those with other samples. The optimal harvest period of P. multiflorum is November.
Electrophoresis ; Fallopia multiflora ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study expression of proto-oncogenes c-fos and its accompanying gene c-jun in osteoblasts activated by action of excessive fluoride in vivo and in vitro.

METHODSExperimental Wistar rats were exposed to sodium fluoride (NaF) added to their drinking water, and NaF was also added in cell culture supernatant for osteoblast-like cells in vitro. Expression of both mRNA and protein of c-fos and c-jun in bone-tissue of rats with chronic fluorosis and cultured osteoblast-like cells were determined by hybridization in situ, Western blot and immunohistochemistry at varied time periods after exposure.

RESULTSSodium fluoride could stimulate the proliferation of osteoblast in rats with chronic fluorosis and induce expression of both c-fos and c-jun in all envelops of the spine bone, as compared with its control group. Value of optical absorption in mRNA expression of c-fos and c-jun was 139.63 and 126.37, respectively, in rats with NaF plus high-calcium, significantly lower than that in control group with high-calcium only (107.74 and 117.48, respectively) (P < 0.001). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that protein level of c-fos and c-jun was significantly higher in rats with NaF plus high-calcium than that in control rats with high-calcium only, with values of optical absorption of 139.16, 131.15, 149.98 and 149.19 (P < 0.05), respectively, and protein level of c-fos and c-jun was significantly higher in rats with NaF plus low-calcium than that in control rats with low-calcium only, with values of optical absorption of 117.24, 111.46, 132.46 and 129.79 (P < 0.05), respectively. Western blotting showed that level of protein expression of c-fos and c-jun in periosteal osteoblasts was significantly higher in all rat groups with NaF than that in all control groups, with values of optical absorption of 123.32, 116.60, 115.97 and 108.30, respectively. mRNA expression of c-fos and c-jun in osteoblast-like cells treated with NaF for 12 h increased obviously, and remained at high level 48 h after exposure, with values of optical absorption of 114.80, 161.14, 118.20, and 150.41, respectively, as compared with that in control group (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSExposure to excessive fluoride could stimulate activation and proliferation of both osteoblasts in rats and cultured osteoblast-like cells in vitro, and cause enhanced expression of mRNA and protein of both c-fos and c-jun. Over-expression of c-fos could play an important role in development and proliferation of skeletal lesions in rats with chronic fluorosis.

Animals ; Bone Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Calcium ; pharmacology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Fluoride Poisoning ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Male ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sodium Fluoride ; pharmacology

A new aporphine alkaloid (1), together with five known analogues (2-6), has been isolated from the branch of Litsea greenmaniana by using various chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis ( MS, IR, 1D and 2D NMR) as 2,9-dihydroxy-1,10-dimethoxy-4,5-dihydro-7-oxoaporphine (1), laurotetanine (2), N-methyllaurotetanine (3), isodomesticine (4), isocorydine (5), and norisocorydine (6). Compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 2-6 were obtained from this plant for the first time.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; Aporphines ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Objective To evaluate the effects of unsupported arm exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods Databases such as Cochrane Library,PubMed,EMbase,CNKI and WanFang were searched to recruit eligible randomized controlled trials.The effects of unsupported arm exercise was determined by meta-analysis with RevMan 5.3 after data extraction and quality appraisal.Results Totally 11 RCTs were finally recruited.The results of meta-analysis supported the effectiveness of unsupported arm exercise on improving dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[WMD=-0.76,95％CI(-l.33,-0.20),P=0.008],as well as the effectiveness on enhancing upper arm activity [WMD=25.75,95％CI (10.45,41.05),P=0.0010] and exercise tolerance [WMD=33.98,95％CI (10.20,57.76),P=-0.005].While it failed to support the effectiveness on improving lung function and quality of life(P＞0.05).Conclusion Unsupported arm exercise is effective to improve dyspnea,enhance upper arm activity and exercise tolerance,and is worth introducing in rehabilitation exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.However,the effects on lung function,quality of life are still inconclusive.Strict designed,multi-centered RCTs with large sample size are needed in the future to gain reliable effectiveness of unsupported arm exercise.

Objective An analysis was conducted to investigate the iodine nutrition level of children aged 8 - 10 in low-coverage area of iodized salt of Yushu Qinghai province for providing a scientific basis for the development of effective preventive measures. Methods Yushu, Chengduo, Nangqian and Zaduo counties with higher non-iodized salt coverage rate in Yushu Qinghai province were chosen as survey counties in 2009. Three townships were selected in each county, and 2 primary schools were selected in each township and 40 urine samples of children aged 8-10 were collected randomly in each primary school. The content of urinary iodine was analyzed by As-Ce catalytic spectrophotometery. Results Median urinary iodine of children aged 8 - 10 in Nangqian and Zaduo was < 100 μg/L. The percentage of median urinary iodine < 50 μg/L in Yushu was over 20%. Median urinary iodine of children aged 10 in Zaduo was 81.5 μg/L, the percentage of median urinary iodine < 50 μg/L of children aged 9 and 10 was over 20%. The percentage of median urinary iodine < 50 μg/L in children aged 9 and 10 of Yushu was over 20%. Median urinary iodine of girls in Zaduo was 87.1 μg/L, the percentage of median urinary iodine < 50 μg/L of boys in Zaduo was over 20%. The percentage of median urinary iodine < 50 μg/L of girls in Yushu was over 20%. Conclusions The iodine nutrition level of children aged 8 - 10 in Nangqian, Zaduo and Yushu counties were very low due to the impact of non-iodized salt. We propose salt market in the region to strengthen management and improve the coverage and consumption rates of iodized salt to improve the level of iodine nutrition for effective prevention of iodine deficiency disorders.

Objective: To investigate the present situation of spiritual health and empathy of undergraduate nursing students, and explore the correlation between them. Methods: Convenient sampling was used and 498 senior nursing students were recruited from 2 universities in Shandong Province. They were investigated using the general questionnaire, the Spiritual Health Scale Short Form and Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results: The total score of spiritual health was (92.87±12.28), the 5 dimensions of the item score from high to low were connection to others (4.46±0.62), meaning derived from living (4.15±0.69), self-understanding (4.03±0.72), transcendence (3.95±0.74) and religious attachment (2.60±1.08). The total score of Interpersonal Reactivity Index was (57.50±8.35), the 5 dimensions of the item score from high to low were perspective taking (2.78±0.61), empathy concern (2.72±0.56), fantasy (2.61±0.57), personal distress (2.32±0.78). Nursing students’ spiritual health score and empathy was positively correlated (r=0.334, P<0.01). Regression analysis, single-child (B=0.202, P<0.05), exercise habit (B=0.363, P<0.01), religious belief (B=0.381, P<0.01), academic performance (B=0.205, P<0.05), nursing career in the future (B=0.285, P<0.01) were the influencing factors of nursing students′ spiritual health. Conclusions Spiritual health is closely related to empathy; the higher the level of spiritual health, the higher the empathy ability. It suggests that nursing educators can improve nursing students′ empathy by improving the spiritual health of nursing students.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of Wnt3a on proliferation and, activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and their the expression of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) and /Smad signaling factors of rat hepatic stellate cells line in vitro using a rat HSC line.

METHODSSynchronized HSC-T6 cells were stimulated with various concentrations of recombinant Wnt3a (50, 100, 200, 250 and 300 ng/mL). Unstimulated cells served as controls. Edu Effects on proliferation were determined by EdU (5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine) incorporation assay and fluorescence microscopy.analysis was used to observe the proliferation of the hepatic stellate cells stimulated by different concentration of recombinant Wnt3a, and the Effects on the protein expression of TGFb/Smad signaling factors was assessed by western blot detection (gray-value analysis) of alpha-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), a-SMA, TGFb1, Smad3, and and Smad7; glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was detected as the normalization control in the hepatic stellate cells was observed by Western blot analysis .The correlation was also observed. The significance of inter-group differences was assessed by one-way ANOVA, and correlations were determined using bivariate statistical modeling.

RESULTSIn general, HSC The proliferation of hepatic stellate cells increased after the addition of in response to Wnt3a stimulation for 24 h, reaching its peak at the maximum proliferation rate was observed with the 200 ng/mL Wnt3a concentration (63.00+/-2.30%), and it increased dramatically compared with those in which was significantly higher than the proliferation rates of the unstimulated control cells, and the cells stimulated with 50, 100 and 150 ng/mLl group (P less than 0.05), but the increase was not significantly different from that in the compared cells stimulated with 250 and 300 ng/mLl group,it had no obvious increase(P more than 0.05).; The Wnt3a stimulation also led to time-dependent increases in the protein expressions of a-SMA, TGFb1, and Smad3 increased with the addition of Wnt3a and the extension of time . For all three, The maximal amount of increased protein expression all reached to the was maximal produced by stimulation when hepatic stellate cells were treated by with 300 ng/mLl Wnt3a for 48 h hours,and the rations of(normalized gray- values:s of a-SMA, 1.0860+/-0.0101; TGFb1, 1.0346+/-0.0118; Smad3, to GAPDH were 1.0860+/-0.0101, 1.0346+/-0.0118, 1.0306+/-0.0122)respectively. However in contrast, the Wnt3a stimulation led to concentration- and time-dependent decreases in Smad7 expression varied inversely, with to them with the minimal ration of it to GAPDH the maximal decrease occurring with 300 ng/mL Wnt3a for 48 h (0.7736+/-0.0139) after being treated by 300 ng/ml Wnt3a for 48h. The comparison was remarkably discrepant, (P less than 0.05).There were positive correlations between a-SMA expression and was found to be positively correlated to TGFb1, Smad3 (r=0.968, P less than 0.05) and; Smad3 (r=0.997, P less than 0.01), but a-SMA and Smad7 had negatively correlated to Smad7 ion(r=0.960, P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWnt3a can increase the stimulates proliferation as well as and activation of rat the hepatic stellate cells HSCs , and upregulate modifies the expression of TGFb/Smad signaling factors, of the hepatic stellate cells, and which may promote the hepatic fibrosis.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Smad Proteins ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; Wnt3A Protein ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVEFor clarifying the situation of the natural infection of rodents having hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) virus and to type Hantavirus (HV) using molecular technique in Shenzhen city in 2005, and offering guidance for prevention and control of HFRS.

METHODSData on the host animals was collected from the city of Shenzhen. ELISA and indirect immunofluorscent antibody(IFA) test were applied to the specific antibodies against HV in the sera of captured rats. Direct immunofluorscece assay was adopted to determine HFRS antigens and the lung tissues of the HV infected rats were inoculated into Meriones unguiculata to isolate HV. The whole viral RNA was extracted from the lung tissues of the HV infected rats and amplified the partial M fragments with RT-nested-PCR, using the HV genotype specific primers. The amplified genes were then sequenced, and subjected to genotyping and homology analysis.

RESULTS472 rodents were captured from Shenzhen in 2005. Surveillance on rats demonstrated 9.96% rats carrying HV (with a density of 8.25%) and the main host was Rattus norvegicus. In the blood samples of rats, anti-HV IgG antibodies were detectable in 56 cases by IFA, and proved to be positive in 76 cases by ELISA. We successfully isolated a HV strain designated as SZ2083 from Rattus norvegicus for the first time in Shenzhen and was identified to SEO type by RT-nested-PCR. Compared with the coding region of the M gene of HV L99 virus strain, the homologies of nucleotide among them were 97%, but the homology was 76% of the SZ2083 with HTN 76-118 virus strain.

CONCLUSIONResults showed the existence of natural epidemic areas of HFRS in Shenzhen city. Based on the results of sequencing, it is possible that the Seoul strain of HV might be the predominant serotype of virus harbored.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Data Collection ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Genotype ; Hantavirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hantavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; Rats ; virology ; Rodentia ; virology

BACKGROUNDSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a newly emerging virus that gives rise to SARS patients with high rates of infectivity and fatality. To study the humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV, the authors evaluated IgG and IgM specific antibodies in patients' sera.

METHODSTwo methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA), were used to detect specific serum IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV in 98 SARS patients and 250 controls consisting of patients with pneumonia, health-care professionals and healthy subjects. The serum antibody profiles were investigated at different times over one and a half years in 18 of the SARS patients.

RESULTSThe sensitivity and specificity of ELISA for detecting IgG against SARS-CoV were 100.0% and 97.2% and for IgM 89.8% and 97.6% respectively; the figures using IFA for IgG were 100.0% and 100.0% and for IgM 81.8% and 100.0% respectively. During the first seven days of the antibodies trace test, no IgG and IgM were detected, but on day 15, IgG response increased dramatically, reaching a peak on day 60, remaining high up to day 180 and decreasing gradually until day 540. On day 15, IgM was detected, rapidly reached a peak, then declined gradually until day 180 when IgM was undetectable.

CONCLUSIONThe detection of antibodies against SARS virus is helpful in the clinical diagnosis of SARS.

Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Viral ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology