Dioscin, a typical saponin, is widely present in the family of Dioscoreaceae, Liliaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Rosaceae, especially in Dioscoreaceae, including Discorea nipponica Makino, Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright and Dioscorea panthaica Prain et Burkill. Traditional Chinese medicine reported that dioscin plays a role in expectorant, relaxing the muscles and stimulating the blood circulation, aiding digestion and diuresis. With the development of science and technology in recent years, some new extraction and separation techniques and methods have been applied to the study of dioscin, and more and more pharmacological effects were found. Modern pharmacology studies have confirmed that dioscin had some activities on desensitization, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, anti-tumor, hepatoprotection and anti-viral. After oral administration, dioscin is metabolized to diosgenin, which is the true active ingredient and is an important raw material to synthesize steroid hormone drugs. Therefore, the studies on dioscin are valueable and promising. In this review, we make a summary on the researches of dioscin including the extraction technology, separation and prepara- tion, chemical synthesis, drug metabolism, determination and pharmacological researches.
Animals ; Biological Products ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Diosgenin ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effective therapeutic method for reducing adductor muscle tension in the children of spasmodic cerebral palsy.

METHODSOne hundred and forty cases of spasmodic cerebral palsy met the inclusive criteria were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 70 cases in each one. In the control group, the conventional physical therapies (Bobath therapy and lower extremities therapy) and scalp acupuncture (seven-intelligent needles, motor area, sensory area, foot-motor-sensory area and balance area) were adopted. In the observation group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, the three-spasm-needle therapy was applied to Jiejian, Xuehaishang and Houxuehai. The physical therapies were given once every day, acupuncture was given once every two days, the treatment of 20 days made one session. There were 15 to 20 days at the interval among the sessions and 3 sessions were required totally. Separately before and after treatment, the modified Ashworth scale was used to evaluate the adductor muscle tension, and measure the adductor muscle angle, and D and E regions of gross motor function measure (GMFM-88) were adopted for clinical efficacy evaluation.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of the adductor muscle tension were decreased to different extends in the two groups (both P<0.01), the adductor muscle angle was increased as compared with that before treatment (both P<0.01) and the scores of D and F regions in GMFM-88 were all improved (all P<0.01). The efficacy in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (all P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe three-spasm-needle therapy effectively reduces adductor muscle tension and improves the range of motion in hip joint, independent walking, running and jumping abilities in the children of spasmodic cerebral palsy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Cerebral Palsy ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Muscle Contraction ; Muscle Strength ; Muscles ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the correlations of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) levels in elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and to evaluate the clinical value.Methods A total of 124 elderly patients diagnosed as chronic heart failure were recruited.Patients with CHF were divided into the stage Ⅱ group,stage Ⅲ group and stage Ⅳ group according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification.35 health subjects were randomly enrolled as the control group.The plasma levels of BNP and CA125 between different groups were compared.The correlations of the plasma BNP and CA125 levels with chronic heart failure were analyzed.60 cases with clinical improvement by aggressive treatment were followed up and the plasma levels of CA125 and BNP in them were tested.The changes in heart failure indicators were analyzed before and after treatment.Results The plasma BNP and CA125 levels were higher in patients with CHF than in control subjects (all P＜0.01).The plasma BNP and CA125 levels were gradually increased in the stage Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ group (all P＜0.01).The plasma levels of BNP and CA125 were negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction and positively correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (r=-0.75,-0.73,0.72,0.63,respectively,both P＜0.01).There were no significant differences in the plasma levels of BNP and CA125 between patients with or without atrial fibrillation (both P ＞0.05).Conclusions Plasma BNP and CA125 levels are correlated with NYHA classification in CHF,which can be used as indexes for the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of CHF.

Both monitoring of occupational hazards and assessment of healthy effects on VDT operators were made. The results showed that there were several occupational hazards in VDT,including insalubrious microclimate and air ion condition, lower illuminance, higher noise, some doses of x-radiation, and unfitting ergonomics. The healthy effects of the hazards of the VDT mainly involved the operator's nervous system, psychology and behavior, eyes, musculoskeletal system as well as the woman operator's menses and pregnancy, especially in the 18 to 25 age bracket who had more VDT work hours than that of the others, it suggested that the various preventive measures against the hazards of the VDT must be strengthened.

VDT operators' occupational stress and psy-chophysical state were studied. The resultsshowed that the nature, environment and require-ments of VDT operation shaped the major occupa-tional stress in VDT operation. The longer VDTworking hours and more workloads gave the opera-tors more occupational strains. VDT operators hada lower satisfactory level to the job and lower psy-chological health level than contral group, espe-cially on obsession and depression. VDT operationperhaps gave the operators some kinds of psycho-physiological troubles. We did not find there wereharmful effects of VDT on the operators' autonom-ic nervous functions.

Objective To discuss the early diagnosis of severe perioperative biliary infection complicated with DIC and efficacy of comprehensive treatment for it. Methods Comprehensive treat-ment was conducted in 21 patients who had intensive biliary infection complicated with DIC. The he-moglutination function was monitored before and after treatment. Results Of the 21 patients, 19 were cured and 2 dead. The curative rated was 90.5 %. The hemorrhage tendency was controlled, abdomi-nal bleeding stopped, prothrombin time (PT) obviously reduced, content of fibrinogen (Fbg)in-creased, level of D-dimer and FDPs obviously dropped. Conclusion The patients who have biliary in-fection in the perioperative period are easy to suffer from DIC and the mortality is high. Early diagno-sis and comprehensive therapy, especially the application of the cryofibrinogen and heparin, are very important.

Objective:Common troubleshooting methods of networking malfunction for central monitoring system were discussed in order to realize its safe application of networking central monitoring system.Methods: Time calibration server and necessary conditions of network for central monitoring system were discussed and analyzed. In addition, practical troubleshooting and maintenance methods were proposed to solve the networking malfunction between a bedside monitor of Mindray iPM-9800 and its central workstation.Results: Smooth operation of networking central monitoring system could simultaneously obtain physiological parameters of several patients, thus largely improving the efficiency of medical staffs.Conclusion: Safe operation of networking central monitoring system could ensure the accuracy of real-time monitoring information of patients and improve hospital’s management level of network and informatization.

Objective To observe the effect of Xiaoyukang capsule on the treatment of limb fracture healing.Methods65 patients according to randomized double-blind were divided into two groups (n=33) and control group (n=32 patients), postoperative observation group Xiaoyukang capsule treatment, control group were not special treatment.At different time points in all patients visual analog scale (VAS score), fracture healing fracture line score and grade the degree of X-ray, using Elisa method of total osteocalcin and collagen type I amino-terminal extension of a peptide levels (TPINP) was measured analysis of two sets of data differences.ResultsThe patients in the observation group 3 days, 7 days after, 10 days after VAS scores were lower than the control group[(3.49±0.31) points vs.4.69±0.46 points](P<0.05);[(2.40±0.25) points vs.(3.54±0.35)points](P<0.05);(1.33±0.14) points than (2.42±0.27) points, P<0.05).Patients observed Group 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks after the fracture line rates were higher (1.59±0.27 points than (1.01±0.21) points(P<0.05);(2.65±0.40) points than (1.96 ± 0.36)min, P<0.05;(3.45±0.46) points than (2.65 ± 0.41) points(P<0.05).③ patients after 8 weeks of observation group and TPINP water osteocalcin were higher (65.37±8.07)μg/L ratio(39.95±7.18)μg/L(P<0.05);[(81.05±6.89)ng /mL ratio of (39.95±7.18) μg/L] (P<0.05).④ observation group 8 weeks after fracture healing X-ray grade level 69.70% than the control group 37.50%, and the difference was significant (P<0.05).Conclusionlimb fracture patients after taking the capsules Xiaoyu relieve pain, regulate the body and osteocalcin levels TPINP to promote fracture healing.

Objective To study ischemic tolerance induced by acanthopannx senticosus saponins(ASS) on ischemia in PC12 cells and involve expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1?(HIF-1?).Methods An ischemic model was developed in PC12 cell line with treatment of oxygen glucose deprivation(OGD).The protective effects of ASS pretreatment on ischemic tolerance of PC12 cells and whether protective effects of ASS could be inhibited by LY294002(PI3K inhibitor) were analyzed through MTT assay.The induction of phospho-glycogen synthesis kinase-3?(p-GSK-3?) and HIF-1? after pretreatment of ASS and possible blocking effects of LY294002 were detected by Western-blot.Results MTT results showed that after 9 h ischemia,the viability of PC12 cells decreased dramatically(P

Objective To investigate the protective effect and it's possible mechanism of Tanshinone ⅡA in radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.Methods Having the right hemithorax of female Wistar rats irradiated(30?Gy) in 10 fractions within 14 days by 6 ?MV photons,the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis animal model was established.In the treatment group,sodium Tanshinone ⅡA sulfonate(15?mg/kg) was given by intraperitoneal injection 1 hour before each fraction of irradiation.Five months after irradiation,the difference of the histopathological changes,the hydroxyproline content and expression of TGF-?1 between the radiation alone group,tanshinone plus radiation and control group were analyzed by HE stain,Massion stain,immunohistochemical methor and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method.Results The histopathological comparison revealed the protective effect of Tanshinone ⅡA.The content of hydroxyproline was(21.99?3.96),((38.25?)(7.18)),(28.94?4.29)??g/g in the control group,radiation alone group and radiation plus Tanshinone ⅡA.The expression of TGF-?1(mRNA and protein) was reduced by Tanshinone ⅡA.Pathological changes of the pulmonary fibrosis was reduced by Tanshinone ⅡA yet.Conclusions Our study shows that Tanshinone ⅡA can inhibit radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis,and the possible mechanism of its may be made possible through down-regulating the expression of TGF-?1 in the irritated lung tissue.