Standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica is an important way to solve the "Lemons Problem" of traditional Chinese medicine market. Standards of commodity classes are also helpful to rebuild market mechanisms for "high price for good quality". The previous edition of commodity classes standards of Chinese materia medica was made 30 years ago. It is no longer adapted to the market demand. This article researched progress on standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. It considered that biological activity is a better choice than chemical constituents for standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. It is also considered that the key point to set standards of commodity classes is finding the influencing factors between "good quality" and "bad quality". The article also discussed the range of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica, and how to coordinate standards of pharmacopoeia and commodity classes. According to different demands, diversiform standards can be used in commodity classes of Chinese materia medica, but efficacy is considered the most important index of commodity standard. Decoction pieces can be included in standards of commodity classes of Chinese materia medica. The authors also formulated the standards of commodity classes of Notoginseng Radix as an example, and hope this study can make a positive and promotion effect on traditional Chinese medicine market related research.
China ; Drug Industry ; economics ; standards ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; economics ; standards ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; methods ; standards ; Panax notoginseng ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; economics ; methods ; standards ; Plant Roots ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reference Standards ; Research ; trends

Pharmaceutical market is a typical market with information asymmetry, and which can lead to "lemons" problem. In all developed countries, firms must receive regulatory approval to market a pharmaceutical product. Such administrative department including SFDA, EMA, FDA and so on. Chinese materia medica is a special part of pharmaceutical market in China. The management of Chinese materia medica is a special challenge in China.
Accreditation ; Materia Medica ; economics ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Reference Standards ; Social Control, Formal

Objective To evaluate short-term curative effect of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Methods Twelve cases of infra-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms were checked. Results The av-erage bleeding in the operation was 245 millimeter, the avenage hospitalization time was 8.6 days, and the average abrosia time was 1.5 days. White blood cell, hemoglobin, thrombocyte, hepatic function, and renal function were in the normal limits. Prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were post-poned after operation, and recovered normally within one week. Complications of operations were as follows:1 case of pulmonary infection, 2 cases of abdominal distention, and 1 case of intraoperafive endoleak. The former two kinds of complications alleviated after conventional treatment, and the latter disappeared naturally after 3 months. Conclusion Endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is safe, mini-invasive, and has little disturbance for body internal environment.

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), the pathogenic agent of black rot disease in cruciferous plants, produces large amount of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), which has found wide applications in industry. For the great commercial value of the xanthan gum, many of the genes involved in EPS biosynthesis have been cloned and the mechanism of EPS biosynthesis also has been studied. In order to clone genes involved in EPS biosynthesis, Xcc wild-type strain 8004 was mutagenized with transposon Tn5 gusA5, and a number of EPS-defective mutants were isolated in our previous work. The Tn5 gusA5 inserted sites of these mutants were located by using thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR, and results showed that two EPS-defective mutants were insertion mutants of the gene wxcA which involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. The gene wxcA involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis but dose not extracellular polysaccharide in others' report. wxcA::Tn5 gusA5 mutant 021C12, the polar mutant, was complemented with recombinant plasmid pLATC8570 harboring an intact wxcA gene in this work, but the yield of EPS of the wxcA::Tn5 gusA5 mutant was not restored. In order to identify the function of wxcA gene of Xcc 8004 strain, the gene wxcA was deleted by gene replacement strategy, and the no-polar mutant of wxcA was obtained. DeltawxcA mutant strain, named Xcc 8570, was confirmed by using both PCR and southern analysis. Beside the LPS biosynthesis of deltawxcA mutant was affected, The EPS yield of deltawxcA mutant strain reduced by 50% as compared with the wild-type strain 8004. DeltawxcA mutant could be complemented in trans with the intact wxcA gene, and the EPS yield of the mutant was restored. The combined data showed that wxcA gene not only involved in LPS biosynthesis but also EPS yield in Xcc 8004 strain.
Cell Proliferation ; Genes, Bacterial ; physiology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; biosynthesis ; Mutation ; Polysaccharides, Bacterial ; biosynthesis ; Xanthomonas campestris ; genetics

Objective To assess the curative effect of percutem transilluminated with negative pressured on the potaried technique on the treatment of venous ulcer in lower extremity.Methods The clinical date of 300 cases involving 300 legs with venous ulcer in lower extremity,who underwent the percutum transilluminated negative pressured potaried technique using TRIVEXTM Ⅱ potaried system or the percutum transfixion surgical treatment from October 2005 to June 2009,were analyzed.Three hundred cases were randomly divided into potaried group and transfixion group.In potaried group,there were 190 cases involving 190 legs treated with TRIVEXTM Ⅱ potaried system.In transfixion group,110 cases involving 110 legs treated with percutum transfixion.The clinical indexes of skin infection rate and skin necrosis rate,shrinkage rate of wound area and skin depigmentation rate,ulcer healing rate and ulcer recurrence rate were calculated to assess the clinical curative effect on day 5,day 20,day 120 and day 360 after operation respectively.Results The rates of skin infection and skin necrosis were significantly decreased in potaried group compared with transfixion group on day 5 after operation (P0.05).Ulcer recurrence rate was remarkably lower in potaried group than that in transfixion group on day 360 (P

OBJECTIVETo measure the content of silica in C1 bituminous coal and its combustion products in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province, China and to investigate the relationship between high incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women and silica produced naturally in C1 bituminous coal in Xuan Wei.

METHODSThe C1 bituminous coal widely used in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei was selected as experiment group, while the C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal that was mined and used in the low-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei for more than 10 years were selected as control group. Fourteen paraffin-embedded cancer tissue samples from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer who were born in Xuanwei and were at least the 3rd generation of the family living there were collected from the department of pathology, the third affiliated hospital of kunming medical university (tumor hospital of yunnan province). Titrimetric potassium silicofluoride method was used to measure the content of silica in raw coal and its bottom ashes in 20 samples from the experimental group and control group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in the bottom ashes and coal soot of C1 bituminous coal as well as the lung cancer tissue from the non-smoking women in Xuanwei, and transmission electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (TEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. The silica particles were separated from the coal soot and bottom ashes and characterized by physical method.

RESULTSThe silica content in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes was significantly higher than that in C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal (P < 0.05). The bottom ashes of C1 bituminous coal contained a large quantity of silica particles, mostly with microscale sizes. Silica particles were found in the soot of C1 bituminous coal and the lung cancer tissue from non-smoking women in Xuanwei. The silica particles in the bottom ashes were mostly 120 ∼ 500 nm in diameter, had various shapes, and contained such elements as iron, aluminium, calcium, and potassium; the silica particles in the coal soot were mostly nanoscale, ranging from 37 nm to 80 nm in diameter, had various shapes, with some in fibrous form, had non smooth surfaces, and contained such elements as iron, potassium, calcium, aluminium, and sulfur.

CONCLUSIONIn Xuanwei, the incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women is high in the area where silica-rich C1 bituminous coal is produced. There are silica particles enriched in both the combustion products (coal soot and bottom ashes) of C1 bituminous coal and the cancer tissue from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer, with similar morphology and microscopic composition. We hypothesize that the silica particles from combusted C1 bituminous coal in Xuanwei are mixed with indoor air and inhaled along with other suspended particles.

Air Pollutants ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Coal ; Coal Ash ; analysis ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Silicon Dioxide ; analysis ; Smoking

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of signal factors of corticosterone (CS), cAMP, cGMP, Ca2+ andprotein kinase C (PKC) on lymphocyte apoptosis in mouse thymus induced by X-rays of 4 Gy in vitro.

METHODSThe DNA lytic rate for thymocytes was measured by fluorospectrophotometry.

RESULTSThe DNA lyric rate for thymocytes 4-8 hours after irradiation with 2-8 Gy was significantly higher than that in the control (P<0.01). As compared with the control, the DNA lytic rate for thymocytes treated with 0.01 micromol/L CS (P<0.01), 50 ng/mL cAMP (P<0.01), 0.05-0.4 microg/mL ionomycin (Iono, P<0.05 or P<0.01) or 0.05-0.4 ng/mL phorbol myristate acetate (PMA, P<0.05 or P<0.01), respectively, was significantly increased, while the rate for thymocytes treated with 50 ng/mL cGMP was not significantly increased. The DNA lytic rate for thymocytes treated with 0.01 micromol/L CS (P<0.01), 50 ng/mL cAMP (P<0.01), 0.2 and 0.4 microg/mL Iono (P<0.05), and 0.2 and 0.4 ng/mL PMA (P<0.05) plus 4-Gy irradiation, respectively, was significantly higher than that treated with single 4-Gy irradiation, while the rate for thymocytes treated with 50 ng/mL cGMP plus 4-Gy irradiation was not increased. When both 0.4 microg/mL Iono and 0.4 ng/mL PMA acted on the thymocytes, the DNA lytic rate for thymocytes was significantly higher than that in the control (P<0.01), the DNA lytic rate for thymocytes treated with both 0.4 microg/mL Iono and 0.4 ng/mL PMA plus 4-Gy irradiation was significantly higher than that treated with single 4-Gy irradiation (P<0.05), but was not significantly higher than that treated with 0.4 microg/mL Iono plus 4-Gy irradiation or 0.4 ng/mL PMA plus 4-Gy irradiation.

CONCLUSIONCS, cAMP, Ca2+, and PKC signal factors can promote thymocyte apoptosis induced by larger dose X-rays.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Calcium ; pharmacology ; Corticosterone ; pharmacology ; Cyclic AMP ; pharmacology ; Cyclic GMP ; pharmacology ; Ionomycin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Protein Kinase C ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Fluorescence ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Thymus Gland ; cytology ; drug effects ; X-Rays

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of metoprolol on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and caspase-8 activation after coronary microembolization(CME) in rats.

METHODSAdult rats were randomly assigned into CME group (intraventricular injection of 3000 microspheres with 42 µm in diameter), sham-operated group (0.1 ml saline) and CME plus metoprolol group (pretreatment with 3 bolus metoprolol 2.5 mg/kg intravenous injection at 10 minutes interval at 30 minutes before microspheres injection, n = 15, each group). Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography at 6 hours post various treatments. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected with TUNEL staining and the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 was detected with Western blot analysis.

RESULTSCompared with sham-operated group, LVEF (72.68% ± 3.26% vs. 82.64% ± 3.43%, P < 0.05), fractional shortening (FS) (37.46% ± 2.38% vs. 42.85% ± 3.25%) and cardiac output (CO) [(0.101 ± 0.006) L/min vs. (0.162 ± 0.008) L/min] were significantly reduced while left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd) [(6.22 ± 0.17) mm vs. (5.18 ± 0.43) mm] was significantly increased in CME group (all P < 0.05). Cardiac function [LVEF:73.94% ± 4.22%, FS:38.53% ± 2.03%, CO:(0.120 ± 0.012) L/min, LVEDd:(6.18 ± 0.27) mm] was similar in CME plus metoprolol group compared to CME group (all P > 0.05). The cardiomyocytes apoptosis rates (3.19% ± 1.23% vs. 0.18% ± 0.10%) and the levels of activated caspase-3 and caspase-8 proteins were significantly increased in CME group than in sham-operated group (all P < 0.05). The cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate (1.32% ± 0.28%) and the levels of activated caspase-3 and caspase-8 proteins were significantly lower in CME plus metoprolol group than in CME group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMetoprolol pretreatment reduced post-CME myocardial apoptosis possibly through downregulating death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathway.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Coronary Occlusion ; drug therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Embolism ; drug therapy ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; Male ; Metoprolol ; therapeutic use ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the accumulation and release of tanshinones in suspension cultures of Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots.

METHODAfter 18 day's suspension culture of S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC15834, the chemical elicitor--methyl jasmonat was added into 6-7V suspension cultures and at the same time, tanshinones contents (including cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II(A)) on the day 2, 6 and 9, after dealing with MJ, was quantified by HPLC.

RESULTAfter dealing with MJ on the day 2, 6 and 9, the concentration of cryptotanshinone reached to 0.039, 0.204, 0.571 mg x g(-1) respectively,and tanshinone II(A) reached 0.251, 0.601 and 1.563 mg x g(-1) respectively. After 9 day's treatment by MJ, the maximum increase of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II(A) were 23.8 fold and 6.2 fold higher than that of the control respectively.

CONCLUSIONMJ could stimulate the accumulation of tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza and have released them into the culture medium.

Acetates ; pharmacology ; Culture Techniques ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Phenanthrenes ; metabolism ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), glucose transporter protein-1 (GLUT-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human laryngeal carcinoma tissue, and to study the relationship between hypoxia and HIF-1α, GLUT-1, VEGF in human laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells and to explore the effect of HIF-1α, GLUT-1 and VEGF as endogenous hypoxic markers on laryngeal carcinoma.

METHODSThe expression levels of HIF-1α, GLUT-1 and VEGF were detected in 35 cases of laryngeal carcinoma by SP immunohistochemical methods and in Hep-2 cells by SP immunocytochemical methods. The relationship between HIF-1α and GLUT-1, VEGF protein expression was analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 35 cases, 16 cases expressed HIF-1α, 16 cases expressed GLUT-1, 19 cases expressed VEGF. The expression of HIF-1α and VEGF were closely correlated with pathologic grading and lymphnode metastasis. GLUT-1 was correlated with lymphnode metastasis. The expression levels of HIF-1α, GLUT-1 and VEGF in Hep-2 cells under hypoxic condition were higher than those under normoxic condition.

CONCLUSIONHIF-1α may promote the expression of GLUT-1 and VEGF in laryngeal carcinoma, furthermore promote tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis of the laryngeal carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Glucose Transporter Type 1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism