Acrocephalosyndactylia ; diagnosis ; genetics ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant

Objective To study their chemical components of xianglingcao(Crotalaria ferruginea) and identify their chemical structures.Methods The compounds were isolated by chromatography and their structures were identified by spectral analysis and compared with the published data.Results Ten compounds were isolated and identified as vomifolilol(Ⅰ),genistein(Ⅱ),p-hydroxybenzoic acid(Ⅲ),5,7-dihydroxy-4-methoxy-flavone-7-O-?-D-glycopyranoside(Ⅳ),octadecoic acid(Ⅴ),octacosanol(Ⅵ),?-stitosterol(Ⅶ),?-daucosterol(Ⅷ),stigmasterol(Ⅸ),and ?5,22 stigmasterol-3-O-?-D-glycopyranoside(Ⅹ).Conclusion The ten compounds are obtained from xianglingcao for the first time.

Litsea cubeba is one of aromatic medicinal plant belonging to family Lauraceae. The roots, stems and fruits of L. cubeba have been widely applied as folk medicines in some districts in China for relieving rheumatism and cold, regulating Qi (meridian) to alleviate pain. Previous studies revealed that this species contains major alkaloids, in specific aporphines, and minor flavonoids, lignans as well. Related pharmacological investigations demonstrated its activities and clinical applications on cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, against rheumatoid arthritis, relieving asthma and anti-allergic effects, as anti-oxidants, and so on. As an effort for further exploration of this bioactive ingredients and potential drug development, this paper summarizes most phytochemical and pharmacological results. Further, future prospects are also included.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic massage (tuina) for treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods: Six English and Chinese databases, including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), Cochrane Library and PubMed databases, were independently searched to identify appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying therapeutic massage for KOA compared to oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone. The main outcome measures were total effectiveness and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score. Results: A total of 8 RCTs were included and they were of average quality. The results showed that therapeutic massage was more effective than NSAIDs comparing total effectiveness [risk ratio (RR)=1.14, 95％ confidence interval (CI) (1.07, 1.21), P<0.0001]; compared with NSAIDs, therapeutic massage produced more significant improvements in pain [mean difference (MD)=-2.06, 95％CI (-2.75, -1.36), P<0.00001], stiffness intensity [MD=-0.90, 95％CI (-1.05, -0.75), P<0.00001] and joint function [MD=-12.48, 95％CI (-13.91, -11.05), P<0.00001]. Conclusion: Therapeutic massage was more effective than oral NSAIDs in treating KOA. In relieving pain and stiffness and improving the function of knee joint, therapeutic massage was superior to NSAIDs.

In this article, the research of chemical constituents and bioactivities in recent ten years has been reviewed of plants from the 12 genera in Flacourtiaceae related to the medicinal resources in China. The research in China about the plants from Flacourtiaceae was done very little, but many literatures have been reported abroad. The plants from Flacourtiaceae mostly contain the constituents such as aromatic glucosides, lignanoid glucosides, diterpenoids and cyclopentenoid cyanohydrin glucosides et al. These compounds or plant extracts mainly show antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic activities. The research of plants from Carrierea, Itoa and Bennettiodendron of Flacourtiaceae in China is still blank. The systemic research about chemical constituents and bioactivities of plants from these genera will play important roles in the discovery of novel natural products and active constituents, and provide valuable reference for the classifying of plants from these genera.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Flacourtiaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; Flavonolignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification

A phytochemical investigation on the roots and stems of Litsea cubeba led to the isolation of seven isoquinolone alkaloids. By spectroscopic analysis and comparison of their 1H and 13C-NMR data with those in literatures, these alkaloids were identified as (+)-norboldine (1), (+)-boldine (2), (+)-reticuline (3), (+)-laurotetanine (4), (+)-isoboldine (5), (+)-N-methyl-laurotetanine (6), and berberine (7), respectively. Among them, 7 was isolated from the genus for the first time. The evaluation of these compounds showed weak anti-inflammatory activity against NO production in RAW 267.4 and BV-2 cells.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and whole-cell perforated patch-clamp techniques were combined to study simultaneously the changes of intracellular signal molecules and membrane currents. Intracellular calcium transients and spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs) were recorded simultaneously in freshly isolated mouse cerebral artery smooth muscle cells. The cells loaded with fluo-4/AM were scanned with the confocal line-scan mode. Triggering voltage pulses derived from an EPC-10 patch clamp amplifier triggered the confocal line scan. The results showed that STOCs and intracellular calcium transients could be simultaneously recorded in the same cell. This technique will be useful in studies of diseases caused by impairments of intracellular Ca(2+) signaling and related ionic channel activities, or vice versa.
Animals ; Calcium Signaling ; Cerebral Arteries ; cytology ; Mice ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques

OBJECTIVETo establish discriminant functions of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) by studying it from quantitative diagnosis angle, hoping to reduce interference of subjective factors in diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

METHODSA Chinese medical clinical epidemiological survey was carried out in 439 IBS-D patients using Clinical Information Collection Table of IBS. Initial syndromes were obtained by cluster analysis. They were analyzed using step-by-step discrimination by taking information of four Chinese medical diagnostic methods and serum brain-gut peptides (BGP) as variables.

RESULTSClustering results were Gan stagnation Pi deficiency syndrome (GSPDS), Pi-Wei weakness syndrome (PWWS), Gan stagnation qi stasis syndrome (GSQSS), Pi-Shen yang deficiency syndrome (PSYDS), Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome (PWDHS), cold-damp disturbing Pi syndrome (CDDPS). Of them, GSPDS was mostly often seen with effective percentage of 34. 2%, while CDDPS was the least often seen with effective percentage of 5.5%. A total of 5 discriminant functions for GSPDS, PWWS, GSQSS, PSYDS, and PWDHS were obtained by step-by-step dis- crimination method. The retrospective misjudgment rate was 4.1% (16/390), while the cross-validation misjudgment rate was 15.4% (60/390).

CONCLUSIONThe establishment of discriminant functions is of value in objectively diagnosing and differentially diagnosing Chinese medical syndromes of IBS-D.

Alarmins ; Brain ; Cluster Analysis ; Diarrhea ; classification ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; classification ; diagnosis ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Qi ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Yang Deficiency

The peeled stem of Syringa pinnatifolia is a Mongolia folk medicine, mainly distributed in Helan mountain, inner Mongolia and Ningxia provinces of China. It has been used for the treatment of cardiopalmus, angina pectoris, and cardiopulmonary diseases for a long history. Contemporary research revealed the presence of major lignans, sesquitepenes, and essential oils, and showed myocardial ischemia related diseases. This review summarizes the plant origins, taxonomic disputes, phytochemical and pharmacological research progress, hopefully to provide reference for full medicinal utilization, clarification of biological effective substance, and drug development.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Mongolian Traditional ; Molecular Structure ; Syringa ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the hazards of aluminum dusts to the exposed workers and the clinical features of aluminosis.

METHODRetrospective investigation on 75 aluminosis patients from a certain factory diagnosed in Shanghai Occupational Diseases Hospital from 1972 to 2004 was carried out.

RESULTSThere were 27 cases of aluminosis I (36.0%), 28 cases of aluminosis II (37.3%) and 20 cases of aluminosis III (26.7%) among 75 cases. The shortest exposure duration was 3 years, and the longest 17 years, and 37 cases of aluminosis occurred after exposure less than 10 years. hest radiographic examination mainly showed irregular micro-shadows: t (22/75), s (4/75), t/u (1/75), t/s (2/75), or predominantly irregular mixed microshadows s/p (5/75), s/r (1/75), t/p (9/75), t/q (5/75); some showed round shape micro-shadows: p (6/75), q (1/75), p/q (3/75), q/p (1/75). 27 cases showed large shadows, 20 cases of them were diagnosed as pneumoconiosis III. A lot of irregular micro-shadows gathered and developed to form uneven, loose and border-irregular masses. Most massive fibrosis looked like stripe or plait, located mostly in middle and upper lung field. 8 patients suffered from aluminosis with single side of massive fibrosis and 12 with both sides of massive fibrosis, accounting for 40% and 60% respectively. Mediastinal and bronchopulmonary lymph nodes were enlarged and calcified, accompanied with pleural thickening.

CONCLUSIONSShort exposure to high concentration of black fused alumina may cause serious aluminosis to the exposes. The hazards of aluminum dusts should not be ignored.

Aluminum Oxide ; toxicity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Diseases ; etiology ; Occupational Exposure ; Pneumoconiosis ; etiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Workplace