Recently traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-induced liver injury has been an unresolved critical issue which impacts TCM clinical safety. The premise and key step to reduce or avoid drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is to identify the drug source of liver injury in early stage. Then the timely withdrawal of drug and treatment can be done. However, the current diagnosis of DILI is primarily governed by exclusive method relying on administering history supplied by patients and experience judgment from doctors, which lacks objective and reliable diagnostic indices. It is obvious that diagnosis of TCM-induced liver injury is especially difficult due to the complicated composition of TCM medication, as well the frequent combination of Chinese and Western drugs in clinic. In this paper, we proposed construction of research pattern and method for objective identification of TCM-related DILI based on translational toxicology, which utilizes clinical specimen to find specific biomarkers and characteristic blood-entering constituents, as well the clinical biochemistry and liver biopsy. With integration of diagnosis marker database, bibliographic database, medical record database and clinical specimen database, an integrative diagnosis database for TCM-related DILI can be established, which would make a transformation of clinical identification pattern for TCM-induced liver injury from subjective and exclusive to objective and index-supporting mode. This would be helpful to improve rational uses of TCM and promote sustainable development of TCM industry.
Animals ; Biomarkers, Pharmacological ; metabolism ; Biopsy ; methods ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Rats

The aim of this Post-Marketing Surveillance study was to assess efficacy,safety and acceptance of acarbose treatment in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients under day-to-day practice conditions.A total of 2 480 patients were enrolled by 231 physicians throughout China into an open,prospective,uncontrolled,non- randomised,multi-centre study.Main efficacy parameters were the changes in fasting and postprandial blood glucose concentrations as well as in HbA-(1C) levels after acarbose treatment.The majority of patients had been previously treated with other oral anti-diabetic medication or insulin and received concomitant anti-diabetics during the mean observation period of 13.5 weeks.Most patients started on a daily acarbose dose of 50 mg t.i.d. Acarbose treatment reduced fasting blood glucose concentrations by 56.1 mg/dl ( 18 mg/dl glucose = 1 mmol/L glucose) and 2h-postprandial values by 111.3 mg/dl over the study period.HbA-(1C) decreased by 1.9% and body weight by 0.9 kg.76 acarbose-relatod adverse events occurred;two patients experienced serious adverse events. The attending physicians assessed treatment efficacy as“very good”or“good”for 90.1% of the patients, tolcrability for 89.1% and acarbose acceptance for 87.1% of the patients.Acarbose is efficacious,safe and well accepted by Chinese type 2 diabetic patients under day-to-day routine conditions,both as anti-diabetic mono- therapy and in combination with other anti-dlabetic drugs.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relation of the viral markers in serum and those expressed by hepatocytes to pathological lesions of hepatic tissue in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

METHODSThe relation of viral markers including HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, HBcAb and HBV DNA in serum of 647 patients with chronic hepatitis B and HBsAg, HBcAg expressed by hepatocytes in 418 of these patients to pathological lesions of hepatic tissue was determined.

RESULTSViral markers in serum and those expressed by hepatocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis B were closely correlated with pathological lesions of hepatic tissue.

CONCLUSIONThe degree of inflammation and fibrosis in hepatic tissue is milder in serum HBsAg, HBeAb, HBcAb positive and HBV DNA negative patients but more serious in those with negative hepatocytic expression of HBsAg and HBcAg. HBV DNA is not significantly associated with pathological lesions of hepatic tissue.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Hepatitis B Core Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; physiology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; pathology ; virology ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Liver ; pathology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

AIMTo investigate the chemical constituents from Picria fel-terrae Lour.

METHODSColumn chromatography techniques were used to isolate the chemical constituents, physico-chemical constants and spectroscopic analysis were employed for structural elucidation. Results Two triterpenoids named picfeltarraenone I (1) and picfeltarraenin XI (2) were isolated, and their structures were established to be 3,11,22-trioxo-16alpha-hydroxy-(20S,24)-epoxy-cucurbit-5,23-diene (1) and 3,11,22-trioxo-16alpha-hydroxy-(20S,24)-epoxy-cucurbit-5, 23-diene-2beta-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompound 2 is a new compound, the 13CNMR data of compound 1 is reported for the first

Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Scrophulariaceae ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of intrathecal injection of ketamine and clonidine for chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rats. METHODS: Thirty-two SD male rats weighing 220-280 g were anesthetized with intraperitoneal chloral hydrate 300 mg/kg. A catheter was implanted in the subarachnoid space at the lumbal region and CCI rat models were made successfully. On the 4th day after the surgery, the rats were randomly divided into 4 group: a control group,injecting 0.9%NS 20 microL intrathecally; a ketamine group, injecting ketamine 1 mg/kg(20 microL) intrathecally; a clonidine group (CL), injecting clonidine 20 microg/kg (20 microL) intrathecally; a combined ketamine and clonidine group, injecting ketamine 0.5mg/kg and clonidine 10 g/kg (20 microL) intrathecally, once a day for 1 week. BME-410A Plantar Analgesia Tester was used to measured pain threshold before the administration and 30 min after the administration. The rats were killed after the test was finished. And then we detected the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and the NO production in the spinal cord. RESULTS: The combined injection of ketamine (0.5mg/kg)and clonidine(10 g/kg) produced significantly more potent analgesia than the injection of ketamine (1 mg/ kg) or clonidine (20 microg/ kg)alone. The NOS activity and the production of NO in the combined injection group were significantly lower than those of the single injection group (P<0.05). The weight of rats post-administration increased obviously in the 4 groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The combined injection of ketamine and clonidine can produce synergistic ab-irritation without obvious side effects.
Analgesics ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Clonidine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drug Combinations ; Injections, Spinal ; Ketamine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Neuralgia ; drug therapy ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; drug effects ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the differences in the clinical symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging (MPd) findings of the spinal cord lesions between patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) and explore the mechanisms that result in these differences. Methods The clinical symptoms and MRI findings of the spinal cord were retrospectively analyzed in 21 MS patients and 23 NMO patients admitted in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from January, 2004 to January, 2007. Results Female patients were more frequently affected by NMO, and the NMO patients had a older mean age at onset with higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score than the MS patients. Chi-square test showed significant differences in the rotes of bilateral deep sensory dysfunction, zonesthesia, and sphincter disturbance between the NMO and MS patients (P<0.05). The majority of these clinical symptoms were found to result form corresponding spinal cord lesions defined by MRI. Conclusion NMO is a demyelinating disease that represents an independent clinical entity from MS, and has special mechanisms responsible for its characteristic clinical symptoms and MRI findings of the spinal cord.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic features and biologic behavior of pediatric immature teratoma.

METHODSThe clinical data, pathologic features, immunohistochemical findings (for cyclin D1, P27 and Ki-67) and follow-up information of 39 cases of pediatric immature teratoma were analyzed.

RESULTSAmongst the 39 cases studied, 12 arose in the sacrococcygeal region, 12 in testis, 5 in retroperitoneum, 4 in ovary, 4 in abdomen and 2 in mediastinum. Histologically, 16 cases were of grade 1, 8 cases of grade 2 and 15 cases of grade 3. Seven of the cases contained foci of yolk sac tumor. Immature neuroepithelial features used in histologic grading included the presence of primitive neural tubules, immature rosettes, undifferentiated neuroblastoma cells and primitive neuroectodermal structures. Immunohistochemical study showed that cyclin D1 was positive in 3 cases of grade 1 tumors, 4 cases of grade 2 tumors and 9 cases of grade 3 tumors. The positivity rates for p27 were 8, 3 and 6 cases respectively, while those for Ki-67 were 3, 4 and 13 cases respectively. Follow-up data were available in 30 cases. Three of them, including 2 cases with histologic grade 3 (with or without yolk sac tumor component), recurred after operation.

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of cyclin D1 and Ki-67 is a useful adjunct in histologic grading. On the other hand, p27 overexpression shows little correlation with tumor grade. The prognosis of immature teratoma in children is different from that in adults. Sacrococcygeal immature teratoma occurring in patients younger than 1 year old and with low histologic grade do not require postoperative chemotherapy if the tumor is completely excised. Similarly, for testicular immature teratoma occurring in patients below 1 year of age, regardless of tumor grading, need no adjunctive therapy. On the other hand, ovarian immature teratoma with high histologic grade requires postoperative chemotherapy, regardless of age of the patients. The presence of microscopic foci of yolk sac tumor is a useful predictor of recurrence in pediatric immature teratoma.

Adolescent ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Endodermal Sinus Tumor ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Retroperitoneal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Sacrococcygeal Region ; Survival Rate ; Teratoma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Testicular Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; alpha-Fetoproteins ; metabolism

AIMTo separate and identify the chemical constituents of the aril of Torreya grandis cv. Merrilli.

METHODSThree lignins were isolated by chromatography and their chemical structures were elucidated by IR, EI-MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, DEPT and 2D-NMR spectral methods.

RESULTSThree lignins were identified as pinonesinol, dihydrodehydrodiconiferylalcohol and (7,8-cis-8,8'-trans)-2',4'dihydroxyl-3, 5-dimethoxy-lariciresinol.

CONCLUSIONThese compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and compound III is a new compound.

Fruit ; chemistry ; Furans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lignin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Taxaceae ; chemistry

The aim of this study was to investigate the immune regulatory effect of dendritic cells phagocytosing photochemotherapy-treated allogeneic spleen lymphocytes on syngeneic T cells. DA rat spleen lymphocytes were treated with 8-methoxypsoralen plus UVA irradiation (PUVA). LEW rat bone marrow-derived DCs were co-cultured with PUVA-treated DA spleen lymphocytes (PUVA-SP), and the surface markers (MHC-II, CD86 and CD40) of treated DC were detected by flow cytometry. CFSE-labeled PUVA SP were incubated with LEW DCs and the phagocytosis of DCs on PUVA-SP was observed by using fluorescent microscope. The ability of DC phagocytosing allogeneic PUVA-SP (PUVA-SP DC) to stimulate the proliferation of LEW T cells was analyzed by mixed leukocyte reactions (MLR). The production of IL-4, IL-10, IL-2, IFN-gamma in MLR culture supernatant was determined by luminex method. The results indicated that the PUVA treatment effectively induced early apoptosis of DA rat spleen lymphocytes. After co-culture, DC efficiently phagocytosed allogeneic PUVA-SP and still maintained an immature phenotype with low levels of MHC II, CD40 and CD86. PUVA-SP DC induced LEW T cell hyporesponsiveness to DA rat antigen, and led to skewing of T cell cytokine expression toward Th2 (IL-10 and IL-4). It is concluded that the PUVA-SP DC effectively down-regulate T cell response to alloantigen and induce Th2 immune deviation in vitro.
Animals ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; physiology ; Flow Cytometry ; Isoantigens ; Phagocytosis ; immunology ; Photochemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred Lew ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology