The ancient teacher-disciple tradition is regarded as one of the most celebrated practices within the Chinese medicine world. Such traditions of secrecy, private wisdom and honor are deeply rooted in the theories of Confucianism. This paper only explores the surface of this ancient culture, by investigating relevant popular ancient texts and common Chinese proverbs, as well as utilizing personal experiences, in order to reflect on how the ancient Chinese perceived such practices within their own society and how secret teaching was passed on from teacher to student, including the revelation of secret formulas and their importance and how that tradition differs from our modern-day perspectives. Various rare manuscripts from the author's personal library are employed in order to provide relative examples of the importance of secret knowledge, and how these secrets applied in the traditional healing.
Culture ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Knowledge ; Manuscripts as Topic ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Students ; Teaching

Objective To optimize the extraction technology for Yangxin Anshen Granules. Methods With yield of volatile oil as index, single factor tests were adopted to investigate effects of water, soaking time and distillation time on extraction technology of volatile oil. Using water amount, extraction time and extraction times as factors, the contents of paeoniflorin and total solid as indexes, orthogonal test was employed to optimize the extraction technology of Yangxin Anshen Granules. Results The optimical extraction technology conditions were as follows:Cinnamomi Ramulus, Saposhkoviae Radix, and Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus were extracted to get volatile oil with eight-folds amount water of herbs for 6 hours; other herbs were boiled with eight-folds amount water of herbs and extrancted for two times, 1 h each time. Conclusion This extraction process is reasonable and practical, and can well guarantee the quality of preparation.

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of recombinant soluble complement receptor type I (sCR1) on the immune inflammatory reaction in acute spinal cord injury tissue of rats and its protective effects.

METHODSSD rat models of acute spinal cord injury were prepared by modified Allen's method. The motor function of the rat lower extremities in sCR1 group and normal saline (NS) group was evaluated by the tiltboard experiment at 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d. The neutrophil infiltration and C3c positive expression were observed. The myeloperoxidase activity was assessed in the injury tissue at 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d after injury in the two groups.

RESULTSThe motor function of rat in sCR1 group at 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d was obviously better than that in NS group (P<0.01, P<0.01, P<0.01). C3c positive expression in sCR1 group at each time point after injury was obviously less than that in NS group (P<0.01). The myeloperoxidase activity in sCR1 group at each time point after injury was obviously less than that in NS group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSRecombinant soluble complement receptor type I (sCR1) can lessen the immune inflammatory reaction in acute spinal cord injury tissue and relieve secondary spinal cord injury by inhibiting the activation of the complement system.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; Peroxidase ; biosynthesis ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Complement ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo elucidate the necessity of No.14v lymph node dissection in D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced gastric cancer.

METHODSClinicopathological data of 131 cases of advanced gastric cancer receiving D2 or D2+ plus No.14v lymph node dissection were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathological factors associated with No.14v lymph node metastasis were analyzed and prognostic value of No.14v lymph node metastasis was evaluated.

RESULTSOf the 131 patients, 24 (18.3%) had positive No.14v lymph node. The incidence of 14v metastasis was associated with tumor location, tumor size, depth of invasion, N staging, TNM staging, No.1, No.6, and No.8a lymph nodes metastasis. Tumor location and N staging were independent risk factors for No.14v metastasis (all P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate was 8.3% and 37.8% in patients with and without No.14v metastasis respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that metastasis of No.14v was an independent prognostic factor for advanced gastric cancer after D2 lymphadenectomy (P=0.029, RR=1.807, 95%CI:1.064-3.070).

CONCLUSIONSFor advanced middle and lower gastric cancers, especially those with larger size, serosa invasion and possibility of No.6 lymph node metastasis, it is necessary and feasible to remove the No.14v lymph node.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo design and construct the inducible expression vector of endothelial-overexpressed lipopolysaccharide-associated factor 1 (EOLA1), in order to establish EOLA1 compelling expression model, and to observe the effects of EOLA1 compelling expression on the proliferation of ECV304 cells.

METHODSInducible overexpression vector pOPRSV I-EOLA1 was constructed by amplifying the open reading fragment of EOLA1 and subcloning it into the Not I site and Xho I site of pOPRSV I vector. After sequencing, the pOPRSV I-EOLA1 recombinant vector and pCMVLac I vector were co-transfected into ECV304 cells. The cells resistant to G418 and hygromycin were screened by G418 and hygromycin, so that stable transfected cell strain was obtained. The growth curve of cells with or without isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside (IPTG) induction were graphed with cell counting.

RESULTSThe inducible overexpressed EOLA1 vector was constructed successfully. The proliferation of the cells with EOLA1 compelling expression after induction of IPTG (44 +/- 17) x 10(4) was significantly higher than that without IPTG induction (27 +/- 11) x 10(4), (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCompelling expression of EOLA1 protein can enhance the proliferation of ECV304 cell.

Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Transfection ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo utilize multiplane, subcutaneous and subperiosteal, dissection through small incisions in scalp to rejuvenate aging signs of forehead/temple.

METHODSForehead: We make four small incisions in scalp, widely separate tissues between subperiosteum skin and frontal muscle to form galea frontal muscle-periosteum flap, the flap is tightened and sutured with the galea at the posterior border of the incision. This method avoid to excise scalp. Temple: there are two small incisions in the scalp of temple at each side. Superficial temple fascia and orbicularis oculi muscle as well is dissected from deep temporal fascia and skin respectively, then tightened and sutured with the superficial part of deep temporal fascia, excising scalp is not necessary.

RESULTSTwenty patients have received this treatment, the effects are satisfying.

CONCLUSIONSMultiplane dissection through small incisions can remove wrinkles of skin, correct the prolapse of eyebrow and avoid the complications of coronary incision. This approach brings more rapid recovery of patients, it is safe and affective.

Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forehead ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rejuvenation ; Rhytidoplasty ; methods

OBJECTIVETo identify the mutation in transforming growth factor-beta1 gene (TGF beta1) in a Chinese patient with Camurati-Engelmann disease(CED).

METHODSDenaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) analysis was performed on the whole seven coding exons and exon-intron boundaries, then the mutation was identified by direct sequencing.

RESULTSMutation screening of TGF beta1 in this patient revealed a heterozygous missense mutation R218H in exon 4.

CONCLUSIONThe identification of the mutation could provide essential data for subsequent therapy and genetic counseling.

Base Sequence ; Camurati-Engelmann Syndrome ; genetics ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics ; Young Adult

Adult ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; methods ; Microdissection ; methods ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods

OBJECTIVETo optimize formulation of tanshinone II(A)-loaded PLGA nanoparticles and compare the difference of two methods in preparation and quality of nanoparticles.

METHODThe two methods were nanoprecipitation method and emulsion-evaporation method. Single factor experiments and central composite design and response surface method were used to optimize the formulation of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterized at size, morphology, entrapment efficiency, drug loading, drug recovery rate, crystallinity and drug release in vitro.

RESULTThe mean diameters were 225 nm and 183 nm, the entrapment efficiency were 95.49% and 87.99%, the drug loading were 2.03% and 0.16%, and the drug recovery rates were 38.42% and 17.59% respectively for nanoprecipitation method and emulsion-evaporation method.

CONCLUSIONNanoprecipitation method was better than emulsion-evaporation method for preparation of tanshinone II(A)-loaded PLGA nanoparticles.

Chemical Precipitation ; Crystallization ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; Emulsions ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Volatilization

Objective To observe the effects of acupuncture on the behaviors and the expressions of Fis1 and OPA1, as well as mitochondrial ultrastructure in the hippocampus of mice with Alzheimer disease (AD); To explore the mechanism of action of acupuncture for AD.Methods Forty male SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into acupuncture group and model group, with 20 mice in each group. Another 20 male natural aging mice with the same age (SAMR1 mice) were set as the normal group. Acupuncture group chose Shenshu, Baihui, Xuehai and Geshu for intervention. 8 weeks later, Morris water maze was used to test the mice behaviors, and then hippocampus organization was taken. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of Fis1 and OPA1 and mitochondrial ultrastructure in hippocampal neurons of mice was observed by transmission electron microscopy.Results Compared with the model group, the escape latency of acupuncture group was significantly shortened (P<0.05), and the stay time in the former platform quadrant and former platform crossing times were significantly increased (P<0.05). The expression of Fis1 in the hippocampus of acupuncture group decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the expression of OPA1 increased significantly (P<0.05). The mitochondrial ultrastructure in hippocampus in the acupuncture group was effectively improved, and the mitochondrial surface density and body density were both increased in the acupuncture group compared with the model group (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture may play a potential therapeutic role in AD by decreasing the expression of Fis1, increasing the expression of OPA1, recovering the injury of mitochondrial ultrastructure.