Objective To investigate the antidepressed effects of the extract of Hypericum perforatum with enriched flavonoids. Methods The forced swimming test( FST) , tail suspension test( TST) , open field activity( OFA) test and reserpine- induced hypothermia test were carried out to determine the antidepressant activity in mice. Mice immobility duration in FST and TST , spontaneous activity frequency in OFA , and body temperature decrease in reserpine antagonistic test were observed.Results Extract at the dosages of 40, 80, 160 and 240 mg/kg dosage except the dosage of 20 mg/kg, could significantly shorten mice immobility time in FST and TST.Extract could reduce mice spontaneous activity frequency to some degree in OFA. Compared with the model group, extract at the dosages of 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg could remarkably inhibit the decrease of body temperature in reserpine antagonistic test at 3rd, 4th and 5th hour, so did the extract at the dosages of 240 and 480 mg/kg. Conclusion Extract of Hypericum perforatum with enriched flavonoids (free of hyperforin) exerts an antidepressant activity in animal models.

Objective To study the relationship of expression of central cortex glucocorticoid receptor (GR) at protein level with GR expression in the liver at protein level and with changes of serum cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) following severe closed traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Methods Severe TBI was established in awake mice by using a BIM-Ⅲ biomechanical machine. At 0.5, 2, 8, 24, 48 and 72 hours after TBI, the total cytosolic GR in the cortex and liver were detected with Western blotting. Levels of serum ACTH and cortisol were measured by ELISA technique and radio-immunological assay (RIA) respectively. Results The expression of GR both in the cortex and liver were obviously down-regulated at protein levels at 2-72 hours after TBI and increased slowly eight hours after injury. The GR in the liver showed no recovery at 72 hours after injury and that in the cortex was decreased continually at 24 hours after injury. Serum ACTH and cortisol levels were increased markedly compared with control group, when there were two different peaks in the observation curve.Conclusion There is glucocorticoid resistance both in the central and peripheral tissues after severe closed TBI in the awake mice, which changes in a time-dependent manner.

AIM: A new type of unsaturated poly (ester-amide) viz maleic anhydride-phthalic anhydride-propylene glycol-neopentylene glycol-hexane diamine copolymer was prepared by melt polycondensation and characterized.METHODS: To use it as biodegradable bone fixation polymer materials, the flexural strength of unsaturated poly (ester-amide) prepared under different heat treatment conditions was measured after depth cross-linking. The degradation and hydrolysis of the polymer were investigated in phosphate buffer (0.1 mol/L, pH7.4) at 37 ℃ and in 0.1 mol/L NaOH standard solution at room temperature.RESULTS: The results obtained indicate that increasing heat treatment time or temperature can dramatically increase the flexural strength of cross-linked unsaturated poly (ester-amide). The maximum flexural strength of the cross-linked polymer containing 50 wt% of cross-linker was 123 MPa. After degradation 3 months, the flexural strength of the cross-linked polymer that contained 50 wt% of cross-linker and was heated at 195 ℃ for 18 hours could maintain as high as 114.3 MPa.Heat treatment conditions and cross-linker content play an important role to control the mass loss of the cross-linked polymer during the hydrolysis. The polymer exhibits bulk erosion property.CONCLUSION: The preliminary results obtained suggested that the copolymer might be used as bone internal fixation material.

BACKGROUND: Cervical sympathetic ganglia block accelerates the re covery of the homeostasis of organic nervous-endocrine-immune system, butit is still unclear whether it can suppress the imbalance of homeostasis in duced by post-traumatic stress disorder. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of cervical sympathetic ganglia blockon the mortality of mice with combined radiation and burn injury, andwhether it can become an easy and effective method to treat secondarydamage after serious trauma. DESIGN: A randomized grouping design, an animal controlled experiment. SETTING: Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou General Hospital, Guangzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiments were carried out in the Institute of Combined Injury, the Third Military Medical University of Chinese PLA between February 2004 and July 2005. Totally 160 Kunming mice were randomly divided into control group (n=50) and cervical sympathetic ganglia block group (n=50). In the control group, the mice were only induced to models of combined radiation and bum injury, and treated with injection of 0.3 mL saline at cervical part. In the cervical sympathetic ganglia block group, the mice were induced to models of combined radiation and burn injury, and then treated with cervical sympathetic ganglia block, once a day for 14 days continuously.METHODS: Methods to induce injury in the animals: ① Radiation injury: The mice were given even radiation of 60Coγ ray (5 Gy) at a distance of 1.5 m to the whole body, the rate of absorptive dosage was (5.17-5.33) mGy/s. ② Burn injury: After the radiation injury, coagulated gasoline was smeared on the back and burnt for 8 s to induce degree Ⅲ burn injury of 15% of the total body surface, which was proved by the pathological section. Methods of cervical sympathetic ganglia block: Cervical sympathetic ganglia block was given bilaterally, and then the mice were injected with 0.2 mL lidocaine (5 g/L), and it was observed whether the symptoms similar to Horner syndrome (hyperemia of conjunctiva, drooping eyelid,blushing, smaller eyeslit) occurred or not at 5 minutes after injection.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The mortality at 2, 5, 7, 10, 20 and30 days after injury and the changes of the numbers of red blood cells,white blood cells and blood platelet in peripheral blood at 7, 14 and 21 days after injury were observed in both groups. The effects of cervical sympathetic ganglia block on the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum at 3, 6 and 14days after combined radiation and burn injury were also observed.RESULTS: All the 160 mice were involved in the analysis of results without deletion. ① Compared with the control group, the mortalities at 5,7, 10, 15, 20 and 30 days in the cervical sympathetic ganglia block group were significantly decreased [control group: 8%, 22%, 32%, 54%, 74%,82%, 90%; cervical sympathetic ganglia block group: 8%, 14%, 16%, 22%,28%, 34%, 56%]. ② Compared with the control group, the numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells and blood platelets in peripheral blood at 7,14 and 21 days after injury in the cervical sympathetic ganglia block group were significantly increased [at 21 days: red blood cells: 23.21×1012 L-1, 14.58×1012 L-1; blood platelet: 16.87×1011 L-1, 12.57×1011 L-1; white blood cells: 20.65×109 L-1, 14.58×109 L-1]. ③ The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β andIL-6 in serum at 3, 6 and 14 days after injury in the cervical sympathetic ganglia block group were significantly decreased as compared with those in the control group [at 14 days: TNF-α: 189, 365 ng/L; IL-1β: 14, 23 ng/L;IL-6: 70, 132 ng/L].CONCLUSION: Cervical sympathetic ganglia block can significantly decrease the mortality of animals with combined radiation and burn injury,and it is an easy and effective method to treat serious trauma, and the mechanism may be realized through accelerating the recovery of hematopoietic function and suppressing the excessive inflammatory reaction.

Objective To explore the characteristics and the clinical application of MR perfusion weighted imaging(PWI)in the normal kidneys and the renal diseases.Methods Thirty-one subjects including 9 cases without urinary diseases,14 cases with renal carcinoma,6 cases with renal cyst and 2 cases witll renal tuberculosis who had been examined with T1WI,T2WI and PWI were analyzed retrospectively.All the data were processed by a workstation to obtain time-signal intensity curves,color perfusion maps and relative perfusion value.The relative renal blood volume(RBV),relative renal blood flow(RBF),mean transition time(MTT)and the time to peak(TTP)in the normal renal cortex and medulla and the renal lesions were calculated.Comparisons between the right and the left normal kidneys,and between the cortex and the medulla of the normal kidneys were performed using t test,and comparisons between the normal and the abnormal kidneys were performed using q test.Results Relative RBV and relative RBF of the cortex were 1.33±0.08 and 1.44±0.09 respectively,and for medulla were 0.58±0.05 and 0.78±0.13 respectively(t=9.2241 and 5.0336,P＜0.01);MTT(1.11±0.08)and TTP (1.04±0.06)of the cortex has no difference with that of the medulla(0.97±0.04 and 0.94±0.03)in the normal kidneys(t=2.2551 and 2.2613.P＞0.05).The values of relative RBF of the renal carcinoma (1.35±0.34)were significantly higher than that of the normal tissues(1.02±0.06)(q=3.0882,P＜0.01).Conclusion PWI is able to demonstrate the hemodynamic change of the normal renal tissues and the renal lesions,and it maybe an ideal method for showing the functional changes of the kidney and for differentiating the renal diseases.

AIM: To establish a method for the quality standard of Chanfukang Granules (Radix Astragali, Herba Leonuri, Fructus Aurantii, Herba Agrimoniae, Radix Rehmanniae, etc.). METHODS: TLC was used for identification of Herba Leonuri, Fructus Aurantii, Herba Agrimoniae, Radix Rehmanniae. The content of astragaloside Ⅳ was determined by HPLC-ELSD. RESULTS: The TLC identification was highly specific and the spots clear and concentrated. The linear range of astragaloside Ⅳ was 0.336-2.016 ?g, r=0.999 4. The average recovery was 97.13% and RSD was 1.3%. CONCLUSION: The method is simple and accurate. It can be used for quality control of Chanfukang Granules.

AIM: To optimize the technical parameters of total arasaponin'S purification with macroporous resin. METHODS: Conditions for the elution were studies under the conditio n of the content of total arasaponin. RESULTS: The purity of total arasaponin was up to 83.3% after d riing the part of 70% ethanolic elution. CONCLUSION: The method was a good purification for total arasaponi n.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristic of laparoscopic cholecystectomy(LC) for elderly patients with gallstone. Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 310 patients over 60 years old with gallstone treated by LC at our hospital from May, 1993 to March, 2001. Results Of the 310 patients, 193 cases (62.9%) were accompanied by diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and/or bronchitis. During the operation, 49(15.8%) in 310 patients with severe adhesion surrounding gallblader which made LC difficultly. 6 turned to operation, other 304 patients had LC succeessfully without serious complication. Conclnsions Despite the general condition, the organism degeneration and function recession, immunity function decrease accompaned with other diseases in the elderly patient, the LC has less injury, less pain and less complications, So LC is the optimal method for the elderly patients with gallston.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of endotoxin tolerance (ETT) through observing the expression of OX40 in liver tissues of ETT rats.Methods SD male rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal group (n=6),acute liver failure (ALF) group (n=24) and ETT group (n=24).Lipopolysacharide (LPS) 0.1 mg/kg (ETT groups) or 0.9 ％NaC1 (ALF groups) was administered by five consecutive intraperitoneal injections at 24 h intervals,and at the sixth day,all animals were treated with intraperitoneal injections of D-galactosamine (D-GalN) 800 mg/kg and LPS 8 μg/rat.Blood and liver tissue were collected at 6,12,24 and 48 hours after the injection of D-GalN/LPS.The gene expression of OX40 in the liver was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).The protein expression of OX40 was estimated by Western blot.The tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The data analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA,lease significant difference (LSD) and Dunnett's T3 test.Results The expressions of TNF α and IL-6 were both significantly lower in ETT group compared to ALF group,but still higher than that of control group.The gene expressions of OX40 peaked at 12 hours and decreased gradually in ALF group.The gene expressions of OX40 were significantly lower in ETT group compared to ALF group (6 h:F=5.027,24 h:F=5.539,48 h:F=5.011,all P＜0.05; 12 h:F=36.688; P＜0.01),but still higher than that of normal group.The tendency of OX40 protein expression in ALF group was peaked at 12 hours and decreased at 24 hours.In ETT group,the expression of OX40 was lower,and the difference between ETT group and ALF group had statistical significance (6 h:F=8.658,P＜0.05; 12 h:F=34.611,24 h:F=28.176,48 h:F=16.747; all P＜0.01).Conclusions The level of OX40 is increased in ALF group,while the expressions of OX40,TNF-α and IL-6 are lower in ETT group,which suggested that OX40 may play an important role in the process of ETT.

Objective To study the effect of endotoxin tolerance (ETT) on chemokine receptor 7 (CXCR7) in the liver tissue of rats with acute liver failure (ALF).Methods SD male rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal group,ALF group and ETT group.The rats in the ETT group and ALF group were injected with lipopolysacharide (LPS) 0.1 mg/kg or saline respectively,one time / day for 5 days.At 24 hours after the 5th-day injection,all rats were injected with D-GalN 800 mg/kg and LPS 8μg/rat.Blood sample and liver tissue were collected on 2,6,12,24 and 48 hours after injection.The gene expressions of CXCR7 in the liver were measured by RT-PCR,and the protein expressions of CXCR7 were determined by Western Blot.The data analysis was performed by LSD,Dunnett's t test.Results The histological damage in the liver tissue was significantly mider in ETT group compared to ALF group.The gene expressions of CXCR7 were significantly milder in ETT group compared to ALF group (2 h:F =29.222,6 h:F=166.892,12 h:F=38.975,24h:F=34.603,48 h:F=18.929,allP＜0.01),but still severer than that of normal group.The CXCR7 protein expression in ALF group and ETT group peaked at 24 hours,but the expression of CXCR7 in ETT group was lower compared with that in in ALF group (2h:F=11.155,6 h:F=42.553,12h:F=17.082,all P＜0.01; 24 h:F=7.242,P＜0.05).Conclusions During the process of endotoxin tolerance,LPS pretreatment and D-GalN can decrease the liver injury,down-regulate the expressions of CXCR7mRNA and CXCR7.This suggests that CXCR7 may play an important role in the ETT.