Animals ; Toxins, Biological ; chemistry ; physiology

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cystic Fibrosis ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the effect of cognitive intervention on language function and quality of life (QOL) in elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia.Methods Fifty-five elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia were randomly divided into the control group (n =27) and the experimental group (n=28).The control group received comprehensive treatment including speech-language therapy (SLT),while the experimental group was subjected to additional cognitive intervention.All patients were enrolled in an eight-week rehabilitation program.The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was used to assess cognitive function,a device for diagnosis and treatment of language disorders,ZM 2.1,was used to evaluate language function,and the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) (Chinese version) was used to assess quality of life (QOL),before and after treatment.Results After treatment,MMSE scores,language function scores in all categories and QOL scores in all dimensions improved in both groups (P＜0.05 for both).Furthermore,after treatment,there were significant differences between the two groups in MMSE scores of orientation,recall,attention and calculation,and in scores of overall language ability and the individual categories (P＜0.05 for all).Scores of the experimental group vs.the control group for the individual categories of language function were as follows:simple instructions (76.6 ± 14.1 vs.67.4± 19.3),complex instructions (66.1±12.8 vs.58.2±14.9),yes or no (72.5±12.1 vs.63.0±14.1),naming (55.0 19.5 vs.43.3±22.2),simple comprehension (67.5±21.4 vs.55.620.6),complex comprehension (44.8±17.0 vs.35.0±18.9),listening and reading words (65.4±16.7 vs.53.7±19.3),calculation (39.3±25.8 vs.25.9±19.2),memory (36.4±18.7 vs.26.3±17.8),matching (75.9±18.6 vs.65.3±17.1),simple general knowledge (68.3±18.2 vs.58.0±19.5),complex general knowledge (58.7±17.4 vs.50.0±13.3),orientation (70.7±19.6 vs.60.5±17.2) and comparison (59.9± 14.6 vs.50.2±17.5) (P＜0.05 for all).There were significant differences between the two groups in emotional function (66.7±18.2 vs.53.1±21.2),general health (67.2±12.6 vs.60.7±9.8),mental health (71.0±5.6 vs.63.1±4.2),social functioning (64.7±9.0 vs.59.3±10.2) and vitality (55.4±14.8 vs.46.9±15.6) (P＜0.05 for all).Conclusions Cognitive intervention combined with SLT can contribute to the recovery of language function and the improvement of QOL in elderly patients with post-stroke aphasia.

The aim of this study is to develop the Tripterygium glycosides nanoemulsion gels and investigate its pharmacodynamics. Oleic acid was used as oil phase, polyoxyethylene castor oil as surfaetant, and 1,2-propanediol as cosurfactant to screen the formula of Tripterygium glycoside nanoemulsion using the pseudo-temary phase diagrams. Then the nanoemulsion gels was prepared. The ICR mouse ears were sensitazated by 7% DNCB, and then were excited by 0.3% DNCB to stimulate the model of mouse chronic dermatitis and eczema. The concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-8 in mouse blood were determined by ELISA. The results showed that Tripterygium glycosides nanoemulsion gels could significantly inhibit the swelling of mouse ears(P < 0.01) and ameliorate the edama and erythema of model mouse ears skin. Also it could significantly decrease the expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 in model mouse blood. Tripterygium glycosides nanoemulsion gels had a good therapeutic effect on mouse model of dermatitis and eczema. It was expected to provide a new and long-acting exterernal preparation for the treatment of dermatitis and eczema.
Animals ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; instrumentation ; methods ; Dermatitis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Emulsions ; chemistry ; Female ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Interleukin-4 ; immunology ; Interleukin-8 ; immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

Group A,the differences among the three groups were statistically significant(P0.05). TCR,CCR,DAP,OD,BRC in Groups B and C showed trends of increasing,the differences in terms of the contents of BMP-RⅠamong the 3 phases were statistically significant(P0.05);the ER in Group B and C showed a trend of decreasing,thee difference between 4- and 8-week and 4- and 12-week were signifieantly dif- ferent(P0.05).Conclusion After application of glucocorticoid for a short term,pathological changes maintained and showed trends of inereasing in early stage.HBO can reverse these changes.The outcome of 3-course HBO therapy is better than that of 1-course therapy.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are transmembrane proteins responsible for generation and conduction of action potentials in excitable cells. Physiological and pharmacological studies have demonstrated that VGSCs play a critical role in chronic pain associated with tissue or nerve injury. Many long-chain peptide toxins (60-76 amino acid residues) purified from the venom of Asian scorpion Buthus martensii Karsch (BmK) are investigated to be sodium channel-specific modulators. The alpha-like neurotoxins that can bind to receptor site 3 of sodium channels, named as BmK I and BmK abT, could induce nociceptive effects in rats. On the contrast, the beta-like neurotoxins that can bind to receptor site 4 of sodium channels, named as BmK AS, BmK AS-1 and BmK IT2, could produce potent anti-nociceptive effects in animal pain models. BmK I could strongly prolong the fast inactivation of tetrodotoxin (TTX)-sensitive Na(+) currents on the rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons together with the augmentation of peak current amplitude. However, BmK IT2 and BmK ASs, potently suppressed both the peak TTX-resistant and TTX-sensitive Na(+) currents on rat small DRG neurons. Moreover, BmK ASs could decrease the excitability of small DRG neurons. Thus, the nociception/anti-nociception induced by scorpion neurotoxins may attribute to their distinct modulation on sodium channels in primary afferent sensory neurons. Therefore, the sodium channel-specific modulators from BmK venom could be used as not only pharmacological tools for better understanding the roles of VGSCs in pain signal conduction, but also lead molecules in the development of ideal analgesics targeting VGSCs.
Action Potentials ; Animals ; Ganglia, Spinal ; drug effects ; Neurons, Afferent ; drug effects ; Neurotoxins ; pharmacology ; Pain ; drug therapy ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Scorpion Venoms ; pharmacology ; Sodium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Sodium Channels ; metabolism

Diverse subtypes of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) have been found throughout tissues of the brain, muscles and the heart. Neurotoxins extracted from the venom of the Asian scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK) act as sodium channel-specific modulators and have therefore been widely used to study VGSCs. α-type neurotoxins, named BmK I, BmK αIV and BmK abT, bind to receptor site-3 on VGSCs and can strongly prolong the inactivation phase of VGSCs. In contrast, β-type neurotoxins, named BmK AS, BmK AS-1, BmK IT and BmK IT2, occupy receptor site-4 on VGSCs and can suppress peak currents and hyperpolarize the activation kinetics of sodium channels. Accumulating evidence from binding assays of scorpion neurotoxins on VGSCs, however, indicate that pharmacological sensitivity of VGSC subtypes to different modulators is much more complex than that suggested by the simple α-type and β-type neurotoxin distinction. Exploring the mechanisms of possible dynamic interactions between site 3-/4-specific modulators and region- and/or species-specific subtypes of VGSCs would therefore greatly expand our understanding of the physiological and pharmacological properties of diverse VGSCs. In this review, we discuss the pharmacological and structural diversity of VGSCs as revealed by studies exploring the binding properties and cross-competitive binding of site 3- or site 4-specific modulators in VGSC subtypes in synaptosomes from distinct tissues of diverse species.
Animals ; Binding Sites ; Binding, Competitive ; Brain ; metabolism ; Heart ; physiology ; Humans ; Insect Proteins ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Insecta ; Ion Channel Gating ; drug effects ; physiology ; Kinetics ; Mammals ; Muscles ; metabolism ; Neurotoxins ; chemistry ; classification ; pharmacology ; Protein Binding ; Scorpions ; chemistry ; Sodium ; metabolism ; Sodium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Sodium Channels ; classification ; genetics ; metabolism ; Synaptosomes ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objective To assess the curative effect and security of bisoprolol in the elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients combined with chronic heart failure (CHF) .Methods 61 cases of elderly COPD patients combined with CHF in our hospital were selected .on the basis of conventional treatment ,the patients were applicated bisoprolol 2 .5 mg ,1 time each day , the NT-proBNP ,LVEF% ,LEVDD and FEV1% were respectively observed before treatment ,4 weeks after treatment ,8 weeks af-ter treatment ,6 months after treatment .Results 4 weeks after treatment ,NT-proBNP ,LVEF% ,LEVDD showed no significant changes .8 weeks after treatment ,NT-proBNP and LEVDD decreased(P<0 .05) ,LVEF% showed no significant changes .6 months after treatment ,NT-proBNP and LEVDD decreased significantly ,meanwhile LVEF% increased (P< 0 .05) .before treatment ,4 weeks after treatment ,8 weeks after treatment ,6 months after treatment ,FEV1% were 47 .33 ± 5 .57 ,47 .08 ± 5 .50 ,48 .30 ± 6 .31 , 49 .64 ± 6 .24 ,All groups showed no changes in the pulmonary function(P>0 .05) .NT-proBNP of all groups were negatively corre-lation with the FEV1% (r= -0 .708 ,-0 .702 ,-0 .833 ,-0 .778) .Conclusion Small doses of bisoprolol is safe and effective in the treament of the elderly COPD patients with chronic heart failure .

Aim To investigate the age-related changes of TrkB mRNA in hippocampal formation of aged rats,and the effects of ginsenosides(GS),and provide reliable experimental evidence for anti-aging.Methods 24 Wistar female rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: Young,aged and GS group(fed with GS from 17 to 27 months).In situ hybridization(ISH) method was applied into qualifying and quantitating the TrkB mRNA expression in hippocampal formation.Results TrkB mRNA expression in aged CA3,CA1 and dentate gyrus decreased by 24.2%,13.4% and 50.6%(P