Objective:To compare the biomechanical effects between oblique Ban-pulling manipulation and lumbar erection-rotation manipulation in sitting position in treating lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH). Methods:A three-dimensional finite element model of L3-S1 was developed to carry out a comparative study between oblique Ban-pulling manipulation and lumbar erection and rotation manipulation in sitting position. The disc protrusion was assumed to be on the rear left of L4 disc, and the manipulations were performed on the right side. The loading process was simulated by two steps. In the first step, only the compression loading was imposed, and in the second step, both the compression loading and axial rotation moment were imposed. The displacement and stress distribution in L4 disc were investigated. Results:The values of stress and displacement in the second step were lower than those in the first step in each manipulation. The stress and displacement differences between the two steps were respectively 1.79 times and 3.03 times larger in oblique Ban-pulling manipulation than those in lumbar erection-rotation manipulation in sitting position. Conclusion: Oblique Ban-pulling manipulation may result in a better biomechanical effect than lumbar erection-rotation manipulation in sitting position for LIDH.

To improve the efficiency of halophilic actinobacteria screening and carry out the rapid selection of targeted strains, we tested 34 strains of Streptomonospora by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP) based on genus-specific primers for the PCR identification. This approach employs PCR with two pairs of primers located in the 16S rRNA sequence flanking two variable region, then build clustering tree according as SSCP data. Synchronously, we sequenced all the 16S rRNA partial sequences for these strains to verify them. The results showed that the PCR-SSCP analysis was an efficient, easy-to-handle and economic method for rapid selection of halophilic actinobacteria resources.

AIMTo study the effect of crocin on intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) in cultured bovine aortic smooth muscle cells (BASMCs).

METHODSCells were loaded with fluorescence probe Fluo-3/AM and [Ca2+]i was measured by laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM).

RESULTSIn the presence or absence of extracellular Ca2+, crocin (1 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-7), 1 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1)) concentration-dependently inhibited the [Ca2+]i elevation induced by 1 x 10(-2) mol x L(-1) H2O2 (for the former, the inhibition rates were 34.1%, 57.1% and 74.3%, while for the latter were 26.2%, 32.1%, 50.0%). In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, crocin (1 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-7), 1 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1)) could inhibit the [Ca2+]i elevation induced by 70 mmol x L(-1) CHCl3, the inhibition rates were 27.8%, 27.8% and 50.0% respectively.

CONCLUSIONCrocin could inhibit the extracellular Ca2+ influx and release of intracellular Ca2+ stores in endoplasmic reticulum.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Carotenoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Chloroform ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Intracellular Space ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical effect and safety of floating needle therapy and duloxetine in treating patients with persistent somatoform pain disorder (PSPD).

METHODSTotally 108 PSPD patients were randomly assigned to the floating needle treatment group, the duloxetine treatment group, and the placebo treatment group, 36 in each group. Patients in the floating needle treatment group received floating needle therapy and placebo. Those in the duloxetine treatment group received duloxetine and simulated floating needle therapy. Those in the placebo treatment group received the placebo and simulated floating needle therapy. All treatment lasted for six weeks. Efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated using Simple McGill pain scale (SF-MPQ) and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) before treatment and immediately after treatment, as well as at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment, respectively. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD, 17 items), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were assessed before treatment and at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment, respectively. Patients in the floating needle treatment group and the duloxetine treatment group with the total reducing score rate of SF-MPQ in Pain Rating index (PRI) ≥ 50% after 6 weeks' treatment were involved in the follow-up study.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the same group before treatment, SF-MPQ score, HAMD score and HAMA total scores all decreased in all the three groups at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides , each item of SF-MPQ significantly decreased immediately after treatment in the floating needle treatment group (P < 0.01). Compared with the placebo treatment group, SF-MPQ, HAMD, and HAMA total score in the floating needle treatment group significantly decreased after 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). SF-MPQ score, HAMD score and HAMA total score in the duloxetine treatment group also significantly decreased after 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) There were 3 patients (8.3%) who had adverse reactions in the floating needle treatment group, 17 (50.0%) in the duloxetine treatment group, and 7 (21.2%) in the placebo treatment group. Compared with the placebo treatment group, the incidence of adverse reaction increased in the duloxetine treatment group (χ² = 6.04, P < 0.05). Besides, it was higher in the duloxetine treatment group than in the floating needle treatment group (χ² = 14.9, P < 0.05). (3) There were 19 patients in the floating needle treatment group and 17 patients in the duloxetine treatment group involved in the follow-up study. Compared with 6 weeks after treatment, no significant difference was observed at 3 and 6 months after treatment in the score of SF-MPQ, HAMD, and HAMA in the floating needle treatment group and the duloxetine treatment group. No significant difference was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were 5 patients (29.4%) who had adverse reactions in the duloxetine treatment group, and no adverse reactions were observed in the floating needle treatment group. The adverse reaction rate was significantly different between the two groups (χ² = 4.26, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFloating needle therapy and duloxetine were effective in treatment of patients with PSPD. However, floating needle therapy could relieve pain more rapidly than duloxetine, with obviously less adverse reactions.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Analgesics ; therapeutic use ; Anxiety Disorders ; Duloxetine Hydrochloride ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Needles ; Pain ; Pain Management ; methods ; Pain Measurement ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Somatoform Disorders ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the acting mechanism of Cordyceps mycelia extract (CME) for antagonizing hepatic sinusoidal capillarization (HSC) in rats with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) induced liver cirrhosis.

METHODSRat liver cirrhosis model was established by peritoneal injection of DMN 10 mg/kg 3 times a week for 4 weeks. To rats in the CME-prevented group CME were administrated at a dose of 10 mL/kg, once a day, for 4 weeks. The observation time points were scheduled on the 3rd day (d3), and at the end of the 2nd (W2) and 4th week (W4) after modeling, and the following items were observed: hepatic ultrastructure was observed under electron microscope; expressions of CD44, von Willebrand factor (vWF) and type IV collagen (Col lV) in the liver sinusoidal walls by immunohistochemistry; matrix metalloproteinase-2 and-9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) activity under zymogram method; and serum hyaluronic acid (HA) content by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSObservation at d3 showed MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity significantly increased, Col IV deposition and CD44 positive staining decreased, vWF positive staining increased in the liver sinusoidal walls, the fenestrae in the sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) decreased, and serum HA content increased (P<0.05); at W4, SECs defenestration and sub-SECs basal membrane formation were shown. In the CME-prevented group MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity significantly decreased (P<0.05); defenestration and basal membrane formation alleviated in the early stage (d3, W4); and at W2 and W4 decreases of HA content and vWF positive staining were shown, with increase of CD44 positive staining (P<0.05), more SECs fenestrae, and alleviated basal membrane formation.

CONCLUSIONSThe elevation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the early stage, which degrades the Col IV normally distributed under the sinusoidal endothelium, is an important factor for HSC formation. CME could inhibit the initiation of HSC by decreasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in the early stage, and prevent its formation by decreasing SECs injury and phenotypic changes.

Animals ; Capillaries ; pathology ; Cordyceps ; Dimethylnitrosamine ; adverse effects ; Hepatic Veins ; cytology ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver ; blood supply ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; pathology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mycelium ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; prevention & control ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

With an objective to provide an experimental basis for scientific officinal of Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus, this research uses UPLC-TQ/MS method to analyze 7 different kinds of lignan in 70 batches of Schisandra sphenantherae Fructus samples from 9 regions. The results showed that in the area south of Qinling mountains, Schisandrae sphenantherae Fructus from Zhashui county and Shanyang county of Shangluo mainly contained schisantherin A and deoxyschizandrin. However, Schisandrae sphenantherae Fructus from Mei county of Baoji, Shiquan county and Ningshan county of Ankang, and Lueyang county of Hanzhong, mainly contained anwuligan. Samples from Ningshan county also consists relatively high level of deoxyschizandrin. In the central area of Qinling mountains and the Daba mountains, Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus from Nanzheng county of Hanzhong mainly contained schisanhenol and deoxyschizandrin. In conclusion, the kinds and level of lignan differ significantly in Schisandrae sphenantherae Fructus produced in different regions. In practical application, Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus produced in different regions should be distinguished and differently applied based on their main effective components corresponding to different diseases, which can lead to the best clinical use.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Schisandra ; chemistry

Adult ; Carcinoma ; virology ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; virology ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; isolation & purification ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; virology

Three cyclotides were isolated from the whole plant of Viola yedoensis in this study. The two, vary peptide E and cycloviolacin Y5, were previously reported, and a novel cycloviolacin VY1 was characterized according to the interpretation of MS/MS fragmentation of peptides which were produced from the reduced and alkylated parent peptide with the digestion of Endo Lys-C, trypsin and chymotrypsin, separately. The stability of remarkable resistance to proteolytic degradation by trypsin and chymotrypsin, and that of thermal denaturation was confirmed again. Besides, the IC50 value of cycloviolacin VY1 against influenza A H1N1 virus was (2.27 +/- 0.20) microg x mL(-1). It is the first cyclotide reported with anti-influenza A H1N1 virus activity in vitro assay.
Antiviral Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cyclotides ; pharmacology ; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype ; drug effects ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Viola ; chemistry

Adolescent ; Blood Cell Count ; Child ; Copper ; blood ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Iron ; blood ; Magnesium ; blood ; Male ; Students ; Trace Elements ; blood ; Zinc ; blood

A new type of floating osmotic pump of dipyridamole was designed in this paper. Apparatus three (Chinese Pharmacopeia 2005, appendix XD) was employed for in vitro dissolution test in order to evaluate the release and floating behavior in a same experiment. The system was optimized using central composite design-response surface methodology; where similarity factor (f2) between the dissolution profile of prepared formulation and the target dissolution profile was taken as dependent factor, usage amount of polyoxyethylene (X1, mg), NaCl (X2, mg) and pore former (PEG4000, X3, %) were taken as independent factors. The optimization model was f2 = -29.3 + 2.35X3 - 0.123X1(2) - 0.046X2(2) + 0.145X1X2 (R = 0.996). It was found that the dissolution profile could match the target dissolution profile under the condition of weight gain 8%-9%, X1 (20-34), X2 (30-57), X3 = 50. It is also found that the minimum usage percentage of pore former is 35.1%. The prediction results of the optimization model were good in the experiments.
Administration, Oral ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Dipyridamole ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Osmosis ; Osmotic Pressure ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Sodium Chloride ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Surface Properties