Qigui Tongfeng tablet (QLTFT) is a traditional Chinese medicine with good effect for treating gout. Here, network pharmacology method and molecular similarity analysis were utilized to study the effective substance basis and molecular mechanism of the QLTFT on the gout. The similarity to the medicinal compounds is reflected in the Tanimoto coefficient that gives the structural similarity of two compounds. Operationally, similar modifiers were described as pairs of concepts with a similarity score of 0. 500. The results of the molecular similarity analysis suggested that the flavonoids in QLTFT could be new leads for gout. Furthermore, complex biological systems may be represented and analyzed as computable networks. Two important properties of a network were degree and betweenness. Nodes with high degree or high betweenness may play important roles in the overall composition of a network. And the results of network analysis showed that dongbeinine, verticinone-N-oxide, verticine N-oxide, peimine, peiminine, isobaimonidine, dongbeirine, peimisine and simi-arenol which with high degree acted on xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase, matrix metalloproteinase-9, an arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein, tyrosine-protein kinase and etc. Inhibition of these targets can prevent the formation of uric acid, reduce inflammation by uric acid and regulate the body's immune response. Thus, these compounds may be the main effective substance basis. The research results not only reveals its molecular mechanism, but also provide a theoretical basis for the quality control of drugs and clinical application.
Gout ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Pharmacology ; methods ; Tablets ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

The effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination within different concentration on SPL proliferate were observed by MTT method. The ratio of CD80/86, CD3CD25 and CD3CD69 was used to evaluate cell activation effects of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination by FCM. Guizhi Fuling capsule with concentration of 400 mg · L(-1)can promote spleen lymphocyte proliferation, as well as the active ingredient combination, which showed the obvious dose-effect relationship. Compared with control group, the difference has statistical significance (P≤0.01). The result of FCM showed that Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination can promote CD80 and CD86 expression on spleen lymphocyte, and also can increase CD25 and CD69 ratio between spleen CD3+ cells. Compared with control group, the difference has statistical significance (P≤0.01). Thus, Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active ingredient combination may have immune-modulate effects, and the mechanism may have a close relationship with the lymphocyte activation.
Animals ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; Lymphocyte Activation ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; T-Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; immunology

BACKGROUND: Huperzine A is a reversible cholinesterase inhibitor extracted initially by China from huperzia serrata,a Chinese herb. Its mechanism in improving choline function and ameliorating cognitive state of patients with dementia is to increase acetylcholine (Ach) concentration in neural synapse through impeding the hydrolysis of acetylcholinesterase.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of huperzine A on the improvement of cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).DESIGN: A randomized controlled study based on patients.SETTING: Second internal department of neurology in a general hospital of military area command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 69 AD patients hospitalized in the Second Department of Neurology,General Hospital of Jinan Military Area Command of Chinese PLA between March 2000 and December 2003 were allocated into huperzine A group( n = 38,male,aged between 68 and84 years old,average age of 76 years old) and control group( n = 31,male,aged between 68 and 80years old,average age of 74 years old) according to the wills of the patients.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive expression percentage of Fas,Apo2.7 and Bcl-2 on platelet membrane and the integral of mini-mental state examination(MMSE),Hasegawa' s dementia scale(HDS) and activities of daily living (ADL) of two groups after therapy.RESULTS: The positive expression of Fas,Apo2.7 or Bcl-2 on peripheral platelet membrane after therapy in huperzine A group were (2.23 ± 0.49)%,(2.37 ±0. 36)%,or(2.01 ±0. 32)% respectively,which was significantly lower than(3.12 ± 0. 74)%,(2. 83 ± 0.67)% or (2. 59 ± 0. 54)% of control group ( P ＜ 0.01). The prognostic integral of MMSE,HDS or ADL of huperzine A group was 20.45 ±4. 14,21.39 ±4.89,or 36. 15 ±5.11,which was significantly higher or lower than that of the control group(15.76 ± 3.23,17.32 ±2.09,4.26 ±7.21)(P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: HuperzineA actually can effectively improve the memory and cognitive function of AD,and effectively improve ADL as well.

Objective To explore the distribution rule of metastatic lymph node in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods 315 histopathologically proved NPC patients were studied retrospectively.All patients had had their nasopharynx scanned by MRI with plain and contrast enhanced sequences.The distribution of lymph node was divided into six cervical levels plus retro- pharyngeal nodes(RN) according to RTOG guidelines proposed in 2003.Results 254 out of 315 patients (80.6%) had lymph node involvement,with 81 in the right neck alone,72 left neck alone,and 101 both necks;73 in RN alone,21 neck node alone,and 160 both necks and RN node.Skip metastasis was found in only 4 patients (1.6%).There was significant difference in BN metastasis between the primary tumor be- ing located merely on the superior/posterior wall and lateral wall (78% vs 49%,P＜0.01).The incidence of lymph node metastasis in T1,T2,T3 and T4 patients was 73.5%,91.2%,71.9%,73.5% (P＞0.05), respectively,without significant difference between early or advanced T stage in node distribution (P＞0.05).Conclusions The incidence of lymph node metastasis is high in nasopharyngeal carcinoma,with retropharyngeal node being the most commonly involved,but the incidence of skip metastasis is very low. There is no significant difference between T stage and the incidence of lymph node metastasis.So is the dis- tribution of metastatic node.

Objective To evaluate the effects of probioties on inflammation,intestinal flora and mucosal tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-?)expression in experimental colitis rats.Methods Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group(NC),model control group(UC),and pro- biotics treatment group(PC).The experimental colitis were induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonie acid (TNBS)/ethanol enema.Rats in PC group were fed with Bifico[live probiotics of combined bifidobacte- rium(Bif),lactobacillus (Lac) and enterococcus]by 2.2?10~9 colony-forming unit (CFU)/d for 4 weeks.Inflammatory scores and mucosal morphological changes under light microscopy were studied. Plasma endotoxin levels,expressions of TNF-?and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in mueosa were measured. Enteric microorganisms in cecum were fostered with standard methods.Results Inflammatory scores in PC group decreased compared with those in UC group(7.94?0.85 vs 10.25?1.36,P＜0.05),but still higher than those in NC group(7.94?0.85 vs 4.35?0.88,P＜0.01).There was a significant alteration in the enteric microbial flora,Bif and Lac were decreased significantly in UC group,Bifico supplement ameliorated this imbalance.Plasma endotoxin and mucosal TNF-?levels in PC were lower than those in UC group[endotoxin:(93.33?21.22)pg/ml vs (121.25?39.07)pg/ml;TNF-?:67.51?14.63 vs 85.99?18.17,P＜0.05],but higher than those in NC group[endotoxin:(93.33?21.22) pg/ml vs(35.20?15.12)pg/ml;TNF+?:67.51?14.63 vs 43.28 4?19.98,P＜0.01].There was no statistically significant difference in mucosal IL-6 levels between PC group and UC group,though its level in PC group was lower than that in UC group(155.22?34.01 vs 184.09?29.11,P＞0.05),but higher than that in NC group(155.22?34.01 vs 108.73?37.35,P＜0.01).Conclusions Probiotics can attenuate inflammation of experimental colitis of rats through reinstituting gut flora bal- anee.Improving gut flora imbalance,reducing endotoxin and pro-inflammatory cytokines may be the effects of probiotics.

Objective To investigate the protein and mRNA expressions of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on colons of rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)- induced colitis,and to evaluate the effects of probiotics.Methods Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC group),model control group(UC group) and probiotics-treated group(PC group).The experimental colitis was induced by TNBS/ethanol enema.Rats in PC group were fed with Bifico [live probiotics of combined hifidobacterium(Bif),lactobaeillus(Lac) and enteroeoccus] by 2.2?10~9 CFU/d for 4 weeks.Inflammatory scores were studied.Expressions of protein and mRNA of TLR2 and TLR4 were measured by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR),respectively.Results Inflammatory scores in NC group,UC group and PC group were 4.35?0.88,10.25?1.36 and 7.94?0.85,respectively.The inflammatory scores in PC group were decreased compared with that in UC group (P

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the orthopedic effect of presurgical nasoalveolar molding (PNAM) devices on the palatal deformities in unilateral complete cleft lip and palate (UCCLP) patients.

METHODSThree groups with 19 patients each were studied. All samples in groups A and B were non-syndromic UCCLP children. Group A was treated with PNAM prior to operation. Group B was untreated prior to operation. Samples in group C were normally developed nose and lip palate infants aged three months. The orthotopic palate photos before and after PNAM treatment for group A, as well as pre-operative photos of groups B and group C, were taken and measured. All statistics were analyzed using SPSS 21.0.

RESULTSPNAM treatment significantly increased the AW, AC, and PA of UCCLP patients (P < 0.05), whereas CPW, CWA, CWAS, CWAH, PMD, and CA significantly decreased (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed with the cases in group C (P < 0.05). The AW, CPW, CA, and PA of the patients in group B significantly increased compared with the cases in group A before PNAM treatment (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that TW had no statistically significant difference among the three groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPNAM treatment is a non-surgical early treatment for the effective improvement of palatal primary deformities in UCCLP patients.

It is to observe the therapeutic action of Guizhi Fuling capsule and the combination of active ingredients on model rats with uterine leiomyoma. The hysteromyoma rats models was established in rats by loading eatrogen, to observe the effect on pathological condition of uterus, uterus wet weight, the content of estradiol and progesterone. Guizhi Fuling capsule and the combination of active ingredients remarkably decreased uterus weight, restrained the excess proliferation of the smooth muscle of uterus, decreased the estraiol and progesterone in blood serum. Guizhi Fuling capsule and the combination of active ingredients can restrain the formation of hysteromyoma in a dose-dependent manner. Perhaps the combination of active ingredients is the material foundation of antihysteromyoma.
Animals ; Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Estradiol ; blood ; Female ; Leiomyoma ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Progesterone ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Uterine Neoplasms ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology

A simple, sensitive, selective, and reproducible liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed for the simultaneous determination of repaglinide and metformin in human plasma using d5-repaglinide and d6-metformin as internal standards (ISs). After a simple protein precipitation using acetonitrile as the precipitation solvent, both analytes and ISs were separated on a Venusil ASB C 18 (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) via gradient elution using acetonitrile--10 mmol x L(-1) ammonium acetate as the mobile phase. A chromatographic total run time of 7.5 min was achieved. Mass spectrometric detection was conducted with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization under positive-ion and multiple-reaction monitoring modes. The method was linear over the 0.2 to 60.0 ng x mL(-1) concentration range for repaglinide and over the 4 to 1 000 ng x mL(-1) range for metformin. For both analytes, the intra- and inter-accuracies and precisions were within the +/- 15% acceptable limit across all concentrations. The validated method was successfully applied to a clinical bioequivalence study.

Aim To evaluate the anti-tumor activity of the extract from the root of Actinidia chinensis planch in vitro and in vivo. Methods Active components from the root of Actinidia chinensis planch were isolated by traditional phytochemical techniques. The in vitro anti-tumor activity was determined by sulforhodamine B assay and the in vivo anti-tumor activity was evaluated using experimental mouse tumor models and human tumor xenografts in nude mice. Results Powdered air-dried roots of Actinidia chinensis planch were percolated with methanol at room temperature thrice. The filtrate was concentrated to dryness in vacuo and then was further extracted with ethyl acetate, n-butanol , and chloroform. The fraction extracted by chloroform displayed the most potent activity against several tumor cell lines including hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells, non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells, lymphoma Ramos cells, and breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Further more, the anti-tumor efficacy of the chloroform fraction was confirmed in Bel-7402 xenografts in nude mice with the percentage inhibition of 38.0 %. Conclusion The extract of the root of Actinidia chinensis planch has anti-tumor activity, and the active components are mainly in the fraction extracted by chloroform.