Eleven type 1 diabetic patients who received fixed regime of insulin Glargine were included in the study.The levels of fasting serum insulin were measured for each subject at 6:00 in three consecutive mornings.The variability of mean fasting serum insulin in each subject was 3.3%-41.5% (mean 15.4%).The variability did not correlate with the dose of Glargine statistically.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of total flavonoids of Elsholtzia splendens (TFES) on isolated ischemia/reperfusion rat hearts and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODSHearts isolated from male SD rats were perfused on the Langendorff apparatus and subjected to global ischemia for 30 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion. The cardiac infarct size was measured by TTC staining. Hemodynamic parameters and the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the coronary effluent were measured. Absorbance at 520 nm was determined in isolated cardiac mitochondria exposed to 200 micromol/L CaCl2 to detect the opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.

RESULTSPretreatment with TFES (1, 10, 100 microg/ml) for 5 min decreased infarct size and LDH release and improved the recovery of the left ventricular developed pressure. In mitochondria, the decrease of absorbance at 520 nm evoked by CaCl2 was greatly inhibited by TFES.

CONCLUSIONTFES prevents myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, and this cardioprotective effect is probably via inhibiting mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening.

Animals ; Cardiotonic Agents ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Flavones ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lamiaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; drug effects ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; drug effects ; Myocardial Reperfusion ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Twelve cases of Bartter's syndrome were reported and reviewed retrospectively.Usually vomiting was the first sympton in children,while fatigue was common in adults.Bartter's syndrome was characteristic of hypokalemia,metabolic alkalosis,elevations of plasma renin activity,serum angiotersinⅡand aldosterone and juxtaglomerular apperatus hyperplasia.Supplementation of potassium choloride was the main manner of therapy.

AlM: To investigate the association between the degree of anterioruveitis and related factors including inflammatory markers as well as sacroiliac joint imaging in patients with ankylosing spondylitis ( AS) .
METHODS: Anterior changes evaluated by slit lamp, erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( ESR ) , C - reactive protein ( CRP ) and magnetic resonance imaging of 55 cases with AS associateduveitis were retrospectively analyzed. A modified endotoxin-induced uveitis ( ElU ) clinical standard was used for uveitis grading. SPARCC sacroiliac scoring was used to evaluate bone edema of sacroiliac joint. The correlation between the degree of uveitis and sacroiliitis was assessed.
RESULTS: ln the 55 patients with AS, ElU grading scored 2-10, and SPARCC index scored 0-22. Further analysis showed that the severity of uveitis was significantly correlated with ESR (r=0. 869, P<0. 001) and CRP (r=0. 485, P<0. 001). The degree of anterior uveitis in AS patients was not correlated with inflammation of sacroiliac joint (r=0. 237, P=0. 081).
CONCLUSlON: Local autoimmunity of uveitis and sacroiliac joint inflammation with subsequent bone formation in AS might be mutually independent processes.

Objective:To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1)/CD31 around the cerebral infarction focus in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats and the possible mechanism, thus to provide a new strategy for the treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke by acupuncture. Methods:A total of 180 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, an acupoint group and a non-acupoint group, 45 rats in each group. MCAO model was established using the modified line-embolus method in all rats except for those in the sham operation group; rats in the acupoint group were treated with EA at Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23); rats in the non-acupoint group were treated with EA at the control points; rats in other 2 groups were only subjected to bundling without treatment. Ten rats in each group were randomly selected on the 3rd day, the 14th day and the 21st day after acupuncture stimulation to test the neurological function impairment. The expression levels of CD31 and VEGF were also detected. Results:Compared with the model group and non-acupoint group, the neurological function score of the acupoint group was decreased at each time point, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05,P<0.01). The expressions of VEGF and CD31 in each group were the lowest on the 3rd day, reached the peak on the 14th day and still remained at high level on the 21st day. And the differences among groups were statistically significant both on the 14th day and the 21st day (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the model group and the non-acupoint group, the expressions of VEGF and CD31 in the acupoint group were increased, and the differences were statistically significant (allP<0.05). Conclusion: EA at Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23) can significantly improve the neurological function score of MCAO model rats, and shows protective effect on cerebral ischemia. The protective mechanism may be related to the up-regulation of CD31 and VEGF expression around the cerebral infarction focus in the MCAO model rats and induction of angiogenesis.

The antitussive activity assay for the root extraction of Disporum cantoniense was carried out with coughing mice induced by ammonia liquor. The results showed that the ethanol and water extractions of D. cantoniense possess strong antitussive activity, and the high dose of the former was better than positive control, and then the constituents of the ethanol extraction were separated and purified by various modern chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data. As a result, eight compounds were isolated and identified as stigmast-4-en-3-one(1), (22E, 24R)-ergosta-5, 7, 22-trien-3beta-ol(2), obtucarbamate A(3), obtucarbamate B(4), neotigogenin(5), azo-2, 2'-bis[Z-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-methyl-5-methoxy) phenyl ethylene] (6),dimethyl {[carbonylbis (azanediyl)] bis( 2-methyl-5, 1-phenylene) j dicarbamate (7) , and quercetin-3-O-pB-D-glucopyranoside(8). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and the result of bioactivity-directed isolation showed that compounds 3, 4, and 6 had obvious effect on antitussive activity, and compound 6 had the same level as positive control.
Animals ; Antitussive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Female ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice

To investigate formation mechanism of secologanic acid sulfonates in sulfur-fumigated buds of Lonicera japonica, secologanic acid was enriched and purified from the sun-dried buds of L. japonica by various column chromatography on macroporus resin HPD-100, silica gel and ODS. The stimulation experiments of sulfur-fumigation process were carried out using secologanic acid reacted with SO2 in the aqueous solution. The reaction mechanism could be involved in the esterification or addition reaction. The present investigation provides substantial evidences for interpreting formation pathway of secologanic acid sulfonates in sulfur-fumigated buds of L. japonica.
Alkanesulfonates ; chemistry ; Carboxylic Acids ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flowers ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; drug effects ; Models, Chemical ; Molecular Structure ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Sulfur Dioxide ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the relationship between regular exercise habit and coronary collaterals of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Methods TWo hundred and thirty-night patients diagnosed ACS and operated coronary angiography (CAG) showing severe coronary stenosis were enrolled hospitalized from May 2012 to October 2012.They were divided into regular exercise group (n =102) and irregular exercise group(n =137) according to the exercise frequency.The information of the general data,the information of CAG and other relevant index were collected.The coronary artery score was recorded according to the Censini and the coronary collateral class was made according to the Rentrop.Other characters in clinical and laboratory were recorded.Multi-factor regression analysis was used to analysis the influence factors of coronary collateral.Results The proportion of coronary collaterals (41.2％ (42/102)) in the regular exercise group was higher than that in the irregular exercise group (24.1％ (33/137)),and the difference was statistically significant(x2 =7.929,P =0.005).Lg(Gensini score) was (1.89 ± 0.18) the and (1.94 ± 0.19) in the regular exercise group,The left ventricular ejection fraction was 57.0％ (52.0％,60.0％) in the regular exercise group and 50.0％ (45.0％,57.0％) in the irregular exercise group,and the difference was statistically significant (Z =-5.152,P =0.000).Multi-factor regression analysis showed that regular exercise (OR =3.423,95％ CI:1.790-4.578),diabetes mellitus (OR =0.451,95％ CI:0.212-0.962),B-type natriuretic peptide (OR =2.412,95 ％ CI:1.271-4.578),non-ST-segment elevation ACS (OR =2.383,95％ CI:1.185-4.791),chest pain history (OR =2.207,95％ CI:1.175-4.145),Gensini score (OR =1.538,95％ CI:1.141-2.073) were independent influence factors of coronary collateral(P ＜ 0.05).After adjusting other factors,the patients with regular exercise had better coronary collaterals than that with irregular exercise (OR=3.423,95％CI:1.790-6.548,P ＜0.001).Conclusion The regular exercise can promote coronary collateral emergence for the patients with ACS.

Objective To evaluate the improvement effect of levosimendan by vein injection on short term cardiac function of patients with decompensated heart failure.Methods One hundred and sixty patients admitted due to heart failure were randomly divided into levosimendan group and control group (80 subjects for each group).Patients in control group were given a regular therapy including diuretics,vasodilators (including the recombinant human brain natriuretic peptide),angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI) or angiotensin Ⅱ receptorantagonists(ARB),β blockers,spironolactone and stain.Patients in levosimendan were administered levosimendan for 24 hours plus regular therapy.The improvements of dyspnoea in 9 days and cardiac function classification in 30 days after therapy were assessed.Mortality of 1 month and 3 month in two group were calculated and compared during follow-up.Results The dyspnoea improvement rate was superior than that of control group during 9 days (OR =1.956,95％ CI:1.156-3.310,P =0.013).The improvements in the levosimendan group were better than in the control group at 1 st day (OR =2.261,95 ％ CI:1.280-3.999,P =0.005),at 3rd (OR =2.002,95 ％ CI:1.111-3.607,P =0.021) and 5th day (OR =1.846,95 ％ CI:1.009 -3.377,P =0.047).However,there was no significant difference in term of improving dyspnoea between the levosimendan group and the control group at 9th day (P =0.126).Similarly,the improvement of cardiac function classification in the levosimendan group was superior than the control group during 30 days (OR =1.933,95％ CI:1.229-3.040,P =0.004).Although no significant difference was seen regarding of improving cardiac function classification between the two groups at 30th day after treatment (P =0.115),the improvements in the levosimendan group were better than in the control group at 3rd (OR =1.986,95％ CI:1.195-3.300,P =0.008),5th (OR =2.268,95 ％ CI:1.329-3.873,P =0.003),9th (OR =2.627,95 ％ CI:1.419-4.860,P =0.002) and 14th day(OR =2.212,95％ CI:1.189-4.112,P =0.012).Moreover,there was a nonsignificant reduction in terms of mortality in levosimendan group during 1-month and 3-month follow-up compared with control group (P ＞ 0.05).Condusion Levosimendan can effectively improve the short-term cardiac function in patients with decompensated heart failure.

Objective To evaluate the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of administration of levosimendan or milrinone added to conventional therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure.Methods A total of 180 patients admitted due to heart failure [NYHA (New York Heart Association) class Ⅲ or Ⅳ] were randomly (random number) divided into control group,milrinone group and levosimendan group (n =60,each group).A continuous infusion of milrinone added to conventional therapy was administered for 72 hours in milrinone group,while administration of levosimendan for 24 hours in levosimendan group.The changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),left ventricle end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma level were compared between before and after treatment,respectively,and comparisons of improvement in cardiac function (NYHA class) and hospital mortality were carried out among three groups.Patients were further followed up at 3 months after treatment.Results The LVEF in levosimendan group after treatment had significantly more increased than that in control group [(32.0±6.3)％ vs.(30.6 ±5.5)％,P =0.007].Compared BNP before treatment,the sums of BNP deducted were 444.0 (-74.0,1068.0) pg/mL,469.0 (141.5,1151.5) pg/mL and 936.5 (437.8,1566.8) pg/mL in control group,milrinone group and levosimendan group,respectively after treatment (all P ＜ 0.01).Moreover,the deduction in BNP was more dramatic in levosimendan group compared with control or milrinone group (t =3.256 or 2.665,P =0.004 or 0.026).After treatment for 5 days,the probability at least of achieving more effectively better improvement in NYHA class (cardiac function) in levosimendan group was 2.036 times that of control group (95％ CI:1.030-4.028,P =0.041).The incidence of combined end point events (death or readmission) in levosimendan group was significantly lower than that in milrinone group (50％ vs.70％,HR =0.573,95％ CI:0.358-0.917,P=0.020),while in hospital mortality,readmission or 3-month mortality incidence was similar among 3 groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The short-term clinical efficacy of levosimendan is superior to that of milrinone or conventional therapy in patients with decompensated heart failure.