Professor LU Zhi-zheng, one of the first traditional Chinese medicine masters, is good at using tenuifoliain clinical practice, which often brings unexpected surprises. Lu said, tenuifolia is a mild herbal medicine with the nature of upward dispersion and outward penetration but not dryness. Tenuifolia has the following functions: making people conscious, relieving sore throat, diverging incubated diseases, regulating functional activities of qi, sending up Yang, dispelling wind evil and eliminating dampness, and activating collaterals to relieve pain. When well used, it will not only enhance the effect of monarch drug, but also restrict the impetuosity nature in a prescription, achieving better efficacy.
Adult ; Brassicaceae ; chemistry ; Dizziness ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; drug therapy ; Stomach Diseases ; drug therapy

Electrocardiography ; Humans ; Long QT Syndrome

The dry seeds of Cassia obtusifolia were carried by the "ShenZhou 8" satellite and sowed after landing. Based on our pri- or study on SP1, the characteristics of plants growth, physiological index and content of effective components were examined. The results showed that the QC10, QC29 strains matured 5 d earlier compared with control. The plant height, across diameter and ground diameter of QC10, QC29, QC46 strains was superior to the control at whole growth period. The branch number increased ranging from 4 to 11 and the number of pods reached 321, 313,281, respectively, which was dramatically higher than the control (246). The yield of QC10, QC29, QC46 strains increased noticeably from 31.4 to 63.2 g. The 1000-seed-weight of QC10, QC29, QC46 strains was 25.86, 25.88, 24.06 g, while the control was 23.69 g. Compared to the control, the mass fraction of chlorophyll was enhanced 1.098, 1.016, 0.297 mg. There was no significant difference in aurantio-obtusin and chrysophanol content of seeds. Through two years research, three high-yield mutant strains were obtained. This study indicates that spaceflight-induced mutants could provide new germplasm for C. obtusifolia breeding and offers the theoretical basis for further utilization of spaceflight-induced mutation to breed high-quality C. obtusifolia strains.
Cassia ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; Mutation ; Space Flight

The methyl group plays an important role in the rational drug design. Introducing methyl into small molecules has become an important strategy of lead compound optimization. The application of methyl in drug design is reviewed in this paper. Methyl can modulate the physicochemical, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic properties by ortho effect, inductive effect, and conformational effect. It also improves the metabolic stability as a soft metabolic point. In addition, introducing methyl into drug molecules can also be applied as a strategy in new uses of old drugs and generate me-too drugs.
Drug Design ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Lipid Metabolism ; Methylation ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Solubility ; Stereoisomerism ; Structure-Activity Relationship

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutic effect of Pushen capsule (PSC) in treating primary hyperlipidemia.

METHODSTwo hundred and forty patients with primary hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into two groups, the 120 patients in the treated group treated with PSC (4 capsules, tid) and the 120 patients in the control group treated with Zhibituo tablet (3 tablets, tid), and they were administered at the same time with Zhibituo placebo. The therapeutic course for both groups was 4 weeks. The therapeutic effect and the effects on blood lipids and viscosity were observed.

RESULTSThe effective rate in the treated group was 76.3%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (48.7%, P < 0.01). PSC showed a significant lowering effect on TC, TG and LDL-C and raising effect on HDL-C, and the effect in lowering TG was significantly better than that of Zhibituo (P < 0.01). PSC also showed a certain effect in decreasing whole blood viscosity of both high-sheared and low-sheared viscosity.

CONCLUSIONPushen capsule has promising blood lipid regulating effect in patients with hyperlipidemia, and some effects in lowering the blood viscosity.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Viscosity ; Capsules ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Prospective Studies ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of proline-rich tyrosine kinase-2 (Pyk2) in human primary colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and it's prognostic significance.

METHODSThe expression of Pyk2 was retrospectively examined with immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 108 tissues of primary CRC. The correlation of Pyk2 expression to prognosis and relevant clinical factors were analyzed.

RESULTSThe rate of Pyk2 low-expression in CRC was 56.5% (61/108). The expression of Pyk2 correlated significantly to the histological grade (P < 0.05) and the TNM stage (P < 0.05), while no correlation between Pyk2 expression and age, tumor size (P > 0.05). Patients with Pyk2 over-expression had significantly higher 5-year survival rate (66.0%) than those with Pyk2 low-expression (31.4%). Pyk2 expression, together with carcinoma histologic grade and TNM stage were prognostic factors to CRC on the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONSPyk2 expression can be a prognostic factor to the CRC patients together with other predictors.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Female ; Focal Adhesion Kinase 2 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis

Objective To establish a method of detecting hepatitis B virus x antigen (HBxAg) and antibody to HBxAg (anti-HBx) and to demonstrate its clinical significance of HBxAg and anti-HBx in sera from patients of chronic hepatitis B (CHB),liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Full length HBx gene was cloned into pET30a(+),a prokaryotic expression vector,named pET30a-X.It was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3),followed the fusion protein of HBx-His was induced by IPTG.The purified fusion protein was used to immunize rabbit as an antigen to generate polyclonal antibody to HBx protein.The method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was established by using purified fusion protein and generated antibody,which was used to detect HBxAg and anti-HBx in sera from patients of CHB,LC,HCC and normal healthy people.Results The positive rates of HBxAg/anti-HBx were 8.7%/10.4% for CHB,17.9%/40.6% for LC,and 9.8%/34.4% for HCC, respectively.In statistics,the positive rates of anti-HBx in LC and HCC were higher than that in CHB (P

OBJECTIVETo analyze the stress distribution of bone around the dental implants with lateral immediate loading of different angles by three dimensional finite element.

METHODSAn adult edentulous mandible was adopted for CT scanning. The CT image was imported to universal surgical integration system to establish a mandible three dimensional mesh model. The real shape of standard thread implant was simulated and the finite element model of mandible with dental implants for immediate loading was established. The models were immediately loaded with 150 N through the angle of 0 degrees, 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees. The ANSYS 10.0 was used to analyze the Von Mises stress on the bone around dental implants.

RESULTSThe accurate finite element model of mandible with dental implants for immediate loading was successfully established. The three dimensional finite element analytical results showed: Under axial load, the Von Mises stress of bone contact surface concentrated on the cortical bone of the implant cervix. The strain distribution was even, and centralized at the cortical bone of the implant cervix, cancellous bone of implant bottom and thread contact area. Under different lateral angle load, the Von Mises stress of bone contact surface also concentrated on the cortical bone of the implant cervix, but the maximum value was 4 times of the vertical loading, the strain distributed unevenly, mainly concentrated on the cortical bone of the implant cervix. With the load angle increased, the stress and the strain value also increased.

CONCLUSIONWhen an axial force was immediately loaded, the stress value and the strain concentration value of bone interface around the dental implants are not apparently concentrated, the stress is distributed well. While a lateral force is loaded, the stress values and the strain concentration values of bone interface around the dental implants apparently increase and the strain are distributed unevenly.

Dental Implants ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Female ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Mandible ; Stress, Mechanical

BACKGROUNDNeuropathic pain results from a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system at either the peripheral or central level. The transmission of nociception within the central nervous system is subject to modulation by release and reuptake of neurotransmitters, which maintain a dynamic balance through the assembly and disassembly of the SNARE complex as well as a series of neurotransmitter transporters (inhibitory GABA transporters GAT and excitatory glutamate transporters GT). Neuronal hyper-excitability or defected inhibition involved in neuropathic pain is one of the outcomes caused by imbalanced neurotransmission. SNAP-25, which is one of the SNARE complexes, can modulate the release of neurotransmitters. Glia glutamate transporter (GLT) is one of the two glutamate transporters which account for most synaptic glutamate uptake in the CNS. The role of SNAP-25 and GLT as well as GAT is not clearly understood.

METHODSWe used the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model for research, and degraded SNAP-25 by a single intrathecal administration of BoNT/A. The mechanical (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were tested. The level of SNAP-25, GLT, and GAT-1 were assayed using RT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTSSNAP-25 was suppressed by a single intrathecal administration of 0.01U BoNT/A and the reduction of SNAP- 25 was correlated with the relief of nociceptive responses in CCI rats. MWT and TWL returned to normal from the 5th to 14th day (P < 0.05) after the administration. On the 14th day after surgery, compared to the sham group, the upregulation of SNAP-25 in CCI rats was reversed after BoNT/A treatment (P < 0.05). The decreased GLT was reversed after BoNT/A treatment but increased GAT-1 was not influenced by BoNT/A treatment.

CONCLUSIONSSNAP-25 and GLT play important roles in the development of neuropathic pain, and the mechanism may involve the imbalance of neurotransmission after peripheral nerve injury. Intrathecal administration of BoNT/A reversed the upregulation of SNAP-25 and downregulation of GLT after CCI, but had no significant effect on the expression of GAT-1.

Amino Acid Transport System X-AG ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; GABA Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins ; Male ; Neuralgia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neuroglia ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Synaptic Transmission ; genetics ; physiology ; Synaptosomal-Associated Protein 25 ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the treatment effects of operation and nerve growth factor on adult multisegmental cervical spinal cord injury without fracture dislocation.Methods Sixty-eight patients with multiple segmental cervical spinal cord injury without fracture dislocation,admitted to our hospital from January 2004 to May 2011,were chosen in our study; according to the will of the patients,18 patients received conservative treatment (group A),25 patients were treated by posterior single open-door laminoplasty (group B) and the other 25 patients were treated with posterior single open-door laminoplasty combined with nerve growth factor (group C,once daily for 4 weeks); their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Follow up was performed at 3,6 and 12 months after the treatments;Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale was employed to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results Three,6,12 months after the treatments,the JOA scale scores were statistically different among the three groups (P＜0.05); the scores in group B and C were significantly higher than those in group A at all time points (P＜0.05); 6 and 12 months after the treatmemts,the JOA scale scores in group C were significantly higher than those in group B (P＜0.05).Conclusion To patients with multisegmental cervical spinal cord injury without fracture dislocation,conservative treatment can make the spinal cord function partially restored,but the effect is limited; exogenous nerve growth factor has good repairing effect on spinal cord injury.