Licorice root has been frequently used as antitode in traditional Chinese medicine. As the main active component of Licorice root, glycyrrhetic acid (GA) is mainly metabolized in liver. This study was designed to investigate the in vitro metabolism of GA by human liver microsomes (HLM) and human recombinant cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms. The results indicated that GA was metabolized mainly by CYP3A4. The K(m), V(max) and CL(int) of GA in HLM were 18.6 micromol x L(-1), 4.4 nmol x mg(-1) (protein) x min(-1) and 0.237 mL x mg(-1) (protein) x min(-1), respectively. At concentration up to 50 micromol x L(-1), GA inhibited CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 enzyme activities with the inhibitory potencies up to 50%.

OBJECTIVE:To standardize hospital purchasing management for medicinal material. METHODS:The separation of the four powers,including plan,purchase,supply,and payment,was practiced on the basis of centralized purchasing medicinal material in our hospital. SWOT method was used to analyze the strengths,weaknesses,opportunities and threats of the model;im-provement measures were formulated;finally the effects of the model were evaluated. RESULTS:This model played an active role in the professional advantage of purchasing management,made up for the lack of management system and manpower shortage dis-advantage;adapted to policies to seize the opportunities for improvement,reduced the threat of standard deletion and purchasing cost,and promoted reasonable consumption of medicinal materials. And then the purchasing cost of our hospital was reduced after system procedure improvement,fine management of medicinal material and professional level improvement,medicine ratio fell from 42% in 2010 to 37% in 2014;logistics support became stable and standard,and the level of medicinal material supply was improved. CONCLUSIONS:The purchasing model for medicinal material under separation of the four powers provides the refer-ence for the correct course of the standardized,normalized and modernized hospital purchasing management.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the expression of p63, p73 proteins and the development of hemangioma. Methods The immunohistochemical technique and quantitative image analysis were used to detect the expression of p63 and p73 proteins in 40 cases of capillary hemangioma and 20 specimens of normal skin. Results The absorbance value (mean ? SD) of p63 and p73 expression in normal skin tissue, proliferative phase of hemangioma and involuting phase of hemangioma were 0.923 ? 0.191 and 0.953 ? 0.120, 8.271 ? 1.953 and 6.408 ? 2.151, 0.920 ? 0.187 and 1.073 ? 0.516, respectively. The expression of p63 and p73 in proliferative phase of hemangioma was significantly increased as compared with those in involuting phase of hemangioma and normal skin tissue (P 0.05). Conclusions It is suggested that p63 gene is not a tumor suppressor gene but an oncogene in hemangioma and may contribute to the proliferation of endothelial cell and be associated with angiogenesis, and p73 may play an important role in the proliferation of hemangioma.

Objective To compare the diagnostic value of the Standardized Bedside Swallowing Assessment (SSA)and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines(SIC)for bedside dysphagia screening of patients after acute cerebral infarction(ACI). Methods Eighty-six ACI patients within 24 h of stroke onset were enrolled in the study.Within 48 h after hospitalization,swallowing function assessments and dysphagia screenings were carried out with the SSA and SIG,as well as video fluroseopic swallowing studies(VFSSs).The SSA and SIG assessments generated sensitivities,specificities,positive predict values(PPVs),negative predict values(NPVs),positive likelihood ratios (PLRs)and negative likelihood ratios(NLRs).These were compared with the VFSS results. Results The SSA showed a sensitivity of 89.1%,specificity of 75%,PPV of 0.804,NPV of 0.833,PLR of 3.56,NLR of 0.15,and Kappa of 0.648 compared to the VFSS results.The SIG showed a sensitivity of 60.9%,specificity of 82.5%,PPV of 0.800,NPV of 0.647,PLR of 3.44,NLR of 0.47 and Kappa of 0.425 compared to the VFSS.The sensitivity of of the SIG.Both assessments correlated well with the VFSS results. Conclusions Both the SSA and the SIG are elfective in dysphagia screening.The SSA is more sensitive than the SIG and is more suitable for early screening.The SIG is helpful in guiding dysphagia management and evaluating curative effects.

Objective:To explore the relationship between level of urinary iodine excretion (UIE) before 131I treatment and excellent response (ER) in low-to-intermediate risk differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed with 432 DTC patients (124 males, 308 females, age: (42.1±11.0) years) who were treated with 131I for the first time after total thyroidectomy from June 2017 to October 2018 in Department of Nuclear Medicine, the Second Hospital of Shandong University. All patients were divided into 4 groups: G1, group 1, UIE<50 μg/L; G2, group 2, 50 μg/L≤UIE<100 μg/L; G3, group 3, 100 μg/L≤UIE<200 μg/L; G4, group 4, UIE≥200 μg/L. Patients were given 131I with a fixed dose (3 700 MBq). Response was evaluated 6 to 8 months after 131I treatment: ER, indeterminate response (IDR), biochemical incomplete response (BIR), and structural incomplete response (SIR). χ2 test and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test were used to analyze the data. The adjusted standardized residual (residual) and Cramer′s V between G1-G4 and different treatment reactions were calculated to judge the difference among groups. IDR, BIR and SIR were classified into non-ER (NER) group, and binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to find the influencing factors of treatment reactions. Results:There were 51.9%(41/79), 64.9%(98/151), 53.8%(63/117), 30.6%(26/85) patients achieved ER in G1-G4, and the proportion of G4 was significantly lower than that of G1-G3 ( χ2 values: 7.695-25.697, all P<0.05), and there was no significant difference among G1-G3 ( χ2 values: 0.072-3.667, all P>0.05). The UIE level of patients in ER, IDR, BIR, SIR group was 87.5(57.0, 129.0), 97.0(55.7, 211.5), 141.0(74.0, 231.0), 148.0(68.5, 221.0) μg/L( H=15.977, P=0.001), and there was significant difference between those of patients in ER and SIR groups ( χ2=8.729, P=0.019). There was a certain correlation between UIE levels and different treatment reactions (Cramer′s V=0.151, P=0.001). UIE (≥200 μg/L), gender and preablative stimulated thyroglobulin could be used as independent factors affecting ER ( Wald values: 4.029, 7.185, 56.301, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Among DTC patients with low-to-intermediate risk, 131I treatment does not affect ER when the UIE level is less than 200 μg/L, while 131I treatment should be performed carefully when the UIE level is more than 200 μg/L.

0.05). Conclusion The dot-immunogold filtration assay is rapid and simple for performing and reading in the detection of IgG against T.s with high sensitivity and specificity.

To establish an HPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin in rats plasma and study its pharmamacokinetics after an intragastrical administration of Hippophae rhamnoides extracts. Five healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given single doses of H. rhamnoides extracts (quercetin 26.35 mg x kg(-1), kaempferid 4.040 mg x kg(-1), isorhamnetin 31.37 mg x kg(-1)), and then their orbital sinus blood samples were collected at different time points. The drug plasma concentration of the three flavonoids was determined by HPLC-MS/MS method. After that, the main pharmacokinetics parameters were calculated by using Kinetica 5. 0. 11 software. The methodological test showed that the linear concentration ranges of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin were 7.500-600.0 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 5), 1.000-80.00 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 5 ) and 10.00-800.0 μg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.998 0), respectively. The inner and inter-days precisions were both less than 14.0%. The plasma samples showed a good stability and consistency with the requirement of biological sample analysis after the samples were frozen once and placed at - 20 degrees C for 15 d and room temperature for 6 h and the treated analytes were placed at -20 degrees C for 24 h. For quercetin, the pharmacokinetic parameter t(½β), AUC(0-∞), MRT(0.∞), C.(max) and T(max) were (113.3 ± 19.37) min, (12 542.14 ± 3 504.05) μg x h x L(-1), (119.6 ± 13.29) h, (164.6 ± 27.33) μg x L(-1) and (5.199 ± 0.840 3) h, respectively. For kaempferid, the pharmacokinetic parameters t(½β), AUC(0-t), MRT(0-∞), C(max) and T(max) were (79.85 ± 17.15) min, (934.51 ± 94.59) μg x h x L(-1), (81.50 ± 13.75) h, (80.15 ± 14.24) μg x L(-1) and (3.827 ± 0.902 7) h, respectively. For isorhamnetin, the pharmacokinetic parameters t1,2,, AUC(0-t), MRT(0-∞), C(max) and T(max) were (118.3 ± 20.73) min, (26 067.77 ± 4 124.60) μg x h x L(-1), (129.0 ± 16.30) h, (269.6 ± 29.32) μg x L(-1) and (6.513 ± 1.450) h, respectively. The HPLC-MS/MS analysis method established in this study was proved to be sensitive and accurate and could be applied in the pharmacokinetic study of quercetin, kaempferid and isorhamnetin in rat plasma.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacokinetics ; Hippophae ; chemistry ; Kaempferols ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Quercetin ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; methods

Objective To study the effect of the extract of Chrysanthemum Indicum(CI)on the expression of tumor necro-sis factor-α (TNF-α) and neutrophil function in chronic bronchitis (CB)rats and to explore the therapeutic mechanism for chronic bronchitis. Methods The extract of CI was prepared. Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, Chuanxiling group, and low-, middle-and high-dose CI extract groups. Rat model of CB was established by intratracheal injection with low-dose lipopolysaccharide. After drug intervention, the expression of TNF-α in rat serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was detected by ELISA method. Phagocytic function of the neu-trophil and respiratory burst of the rats were measured by flow cytometry (FCM). Results Compared with the blank con-trol group, the phagocytic function of the neutrophil, respiratory burst of the rats, and the expression of TNF-α in rat serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the model group were increased significantly. CI extract significantly decreased the abnormal rising of the above indexes. Conclusion Down-Regulation of TNF-α expression, and decrease of the neutrophil phagocytic function and rat respiratory burst may be one of the therapeutic mechanisms of Chrysanthemum In-dicum extract for the treatment of CB.

Theacrine is one kind of natural purine alkaloids, which mainly exists in an unusual Chinese tea known as Kucha. It shows various biological activities, such as anti-depression, sedative and hypnotic effects and anti-inflammatory and analgesic activi-ties. The study on theacrine dates back to a few decades ago. According to the references published in recent years, the resource, preparation, characterization and pharmacological effects of theacrine were reviewed, and its application prospect was also explored.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship of anxiety state with CD4(+) level and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio and to observe the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) treatment on anxiety in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSThe anxiety state of 120 CHB patients was evaluated based on Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scoring. According to the scores, 63 patients with scores ≥14 were classified to anxiety and 57 patients with scores <14 to non-anxiety. The differences in CD4(+) cells and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio between patients with anxiety and non-anxiety were analyzed. Moreover, 63 patients with anxiety were randomized into two groups: 31 in the control group were treated with lamivudine (100 mg per day) alone and 32 in the observation group were given equal dosage lamivudine combined with CM treatment depending on syndrome differentiation, all for 12 weeks. The effects of treatment on anxiety state and T-lymphocyte subsets as well as its impact on some CHB-related indices were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe anxiety state of CHB patients was negatively correlated with CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+); the level of CD4(+) in patients with anxiety was significantly lower than that in non-anxiety patients (P<0.01 or P<0.05). After treatment, anxiety state in the observation group was significantly improved, with their HAMA scores significantly lowered (P<0.01), and the levels of CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the alanine transaminase recovery rate and the HBV-DNA-negative conversion rate in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, respectively (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe anxiety state of CHB patients was related to CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) levels. CM treatment could improve the anxiety state and showed certain regulatory effect on the patients' immune system.

Anxiety ; immunology ; therapy ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets