To optimize the Scutellaria baicalensis extraction process, the filter paper method and the bacteriostatic ratio method were adopted to determine the in vitro bacteriostatic efficacy of water extracts and 60% alcohol extracts from S. baicalensis. The quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) was used to determined the contents of four active components, baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein and wogonin. In addition, with the bacteriostatic ratio and the overall desirability of the contents of four active components as indexes, the orthogonal experiment was adopted to detect the effect of water addition, extraction frequency and extraction time. The optimal extraction process was to add 12 times of water for the first time, 10 times of water for the second time, extract for 2 time, 2 h for each time. This optimization process is stable and feasible, with a higher bacteriostatic ratio in extracts.
Alcohols ; chemistry ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Chemical Fractionation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; chemistry ; Water ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the basic concept of functions of acupoints.

METHODSThe principles of Chinese medicine therapy and acupuncture therapy are analyzed and compared and it is pointed out that there is an essential difference between the functions of traditional Chinese medicine and acupoints. Chinese medicine correct the deviation using their deviation property, but acupoints correct the deviation using their bi-directional regulative actions.

RESULTSAcupuncture and moxibustion therapy is different from Chinese medicine in treating syndromes of cold, heat, deficiency and excess. That the descriptive way of traditional Chinese medicine functions is applied to those of acupoints is somewhat one-sideness.

CONCLUSIONAcupoints have their own characteristics and principles of application, and acupoints have the effects of close therapy, distal therapy and special effects, and action law of special acupoints. Therefore, induction for functions of acupoints should supplement and perfect these functions.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Moxibustion

Objective To explore the changes of nitric oxide(NO) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in the serun and intestine mucosal and the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC) with tanshinon in rats,Methods 30 mg of trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in 0.85ml of 50% ethanol was administrated intrarectally in Sprague-Dawley female rats to induce experimental colitis.After 7 days,the rats were divided into normal control, 0.9% saline and treatment group tanshinon 2ml?kg~(-1)?d~(-1) were intravenously.The therapeutic effect was evaluated by measuring the ponderal index,the surface area of the ulcers,macroscopical and histological score,activity of NO and SOD were measured in colonic tissue and serum all rats.Results Compared with the saline group,the ponderal index,the surface area of the ulcers,macroscopical and histological score,activity of NO level in the serum and intes- tine mucosal was decreased and the SOD increased of significantly in the treatment group(P

Two clinical phenotypes for citrin deficiency (CD) have been reported. One is adult-onset citrullinemia type II (CTLN2) and another is neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD). A child with CD and who had failure to thrive (FTT) and dyslipidemia as main clinical manifestations is reported here. Both the weight-and length-for-age at 18 months dropped below the 3rd percentile in the corresponding WHO anthropometry percentile charts, while blood biochemical analysis revealed dramatically increased triglyceride and total cholesterol, together with reduced HDL-cholesterol. Inquiries revealed his aversion to rice and fondness for fish since the age of one year, a peculiar habit which could not be corrected. Since the age of two years, the peculiar diet became more obvious, and slightly increased citrulline and threonine levels were detected on blood amino acid analysis. At the age of two years and five months he was suspected to have CD. Since then, he has been fed in accordance with his own food preferences, and FTT improved gradually, with weight-for-age, in particular, recovering beyond the 3rd percentile at three years of age, and dyslipidemia was also ameliorated gradually. SLC25A13 gene analysis revealed a homozygote of 851del4, and CD was thus confirmed. Diet survey at four years and seven months revealed a fondness for high-protein and low-carbohydrate foods, such as seafood, meat, eggs and milk. This child presented with FTT and dyslipidemia as main clinical manifestations and this was a novel CD phenotype different from NICCD and CTLN2.
Body Weight ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; deficiency ; Cholestasis, Intrahepatic ; etiology ; Citrulline ; blood ; Dyslipidemias ; etiology ; Failure to Thrive ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Organic Anion Transporters ; deficiency ; Phenotype

BACKGROUNDIn patients suffering from acute pancreatitis, the pathogenesis is not completely understood, and several recent studies in vitro suggested that heat shock proteins might play an important role in cell signaling. To investigate the possible role of extracellular heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in pancreatitis, toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4)-deficient and wild-type mice were administered with exogenous Hsp70 during the course of cerulein-induced pancreatitis (CIP).

METHODSAcute pancreatitis was induced by 5 intraperitoneal injections of cerulein at hourly intervals, and then treated with recombinant Hsp70 through the caudal vein 4 hours after the start of cerulein injections. Subsequently serum amylase and serum cytokines levels were detected. Histologic alteration of the pancreas was evaluated. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in both pancreas and lungs were analyzed. The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) activation in pancreatic tissue was measured using a sensitive RelA enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSTreatment with recombinant Hsp70 to wild-type mice in CIP resulted in significant aggravation of inflammation in pancreas, elevated levels of serum cytokines, up-regulation of pulmonary MPO activity and increase of lung tissues TNF-alpha concentrations. In contrast, treatment with Hsp70 to TLR4-deficient mice had little effect on serum cytokines levels, pancreatic inflammation, pulmonary MPO activity and TNF-alpha concentrations.

CONCLUSIONSThe results suggest that extracellular Hsp70 might induce systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)-like response in vivo and TLR4 might be involved in the Hsp70-mediated activation of inflammatory reaction in the progression of CIP without infection.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Ceruletide ; toxicity ; Female ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Pancreatitis ; etiology ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ; etiology ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; physiology

BACKGROUNDMicroscope-integrated near-infrared indocyanine green video angiography (ICG-VA) has been used in neurosurgery for a decade. This study aimed to assess the value of intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) video angiography with Flow 800 software in cerebrovascular surgery and to discover its hemodynamic features and changes of cerebrovascular diseases during surgery.

METHODSA total of 87 patients who received ICG-VA during various surgical procedures were enrolled in this study. Among them, 45 cases were cerebral aneurysms, 25 were cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and 17 were moyamoya disease (MMD). A surgical microscope integrating an infrared fluorescence module was used to confirm the residual aneurysms and blocking of perforating arteries in aneurysms. Feeder arteries, draining veins, and normal cortical vessels were identified by the time delay color mode of Flow 800 software. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded. All data were analyzed by SPSS version 18.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). T-test was used to analyze the hemodynamic features of AVMs and MMDs, the influence on peripheral cortex after resection in AVMs, and superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass in MMDs.

RESULTSThe visual delay map obtained by Flow 800 software had more advantages than the traditional playback mode in identifying the feeder arteries, draining veins, and their relations to normal cortex vessels. The maximum fluorescence intensity (MFI) and the slope of ICG fluorescence curve of feeder arteries and draining veins were higher than normal peripheral vessels (MFI: 584.24±85.86 vs. 382.94 ± 91.50, slope: 144.95 ± 38.08 vs. 69.20 ± 13.08, P < 0.05). The arteriovenous transit time in AVM was significantly shorter than in normal cortical vessels ((0.60 ± 0.27) vs. (2.08 ± 1.42) seconds, P < 0.05). After resection of AVM, the slope of artery in the cortex increased, which reflected the increased cerebral flow. In patients with MMD, after STA-MCA bypass, cortex perfusion of corresponding branches region increased and local cycle time became shorter.

CONCLUSIONIntraoperative ICG video angiography combined with hemodynamic parameter analysis obtained by Flow 800 software appears to be useful for intraoperative monitoring of regional cerebral blood flow in cerebrovascular disease.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; physiology ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; surgery ; Female ; Fluorescein Angiography ; methods ; Humans ; Indocyanine Green ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Software ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression differences of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and caspase-3 among colorectal carcinoma, adenoma and normal mucosa, and to identify the relationship between AIF and caspase-3 expression in colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence.

METHODSFormalin-fixed paraffin embedded colorectal tissues from 174 cases, including 84 adenomas, 72 carcinomas, and 18 normal mucosa, were examined for expression of AIF and caspase-3 by streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe positive rates of AIF and caspase-3 in colorectal adenoma were higher than those in normal mucosa (P <0.05). The positive rate of AIF in adenoma showed no significant difference compared to colorectal carcinoma (P >0.05). However, caspase-3 expression in adenomas was significantly higher than that in carcinoma (P <0.05). The positive rate of AIF in tubular adenoma was significantly higher than that in villous adenoma (P <0.05), while the positive expression rate of caspase-3 in the two types of adenoma showed no significant difference (P >0.05). AIF expression had no prominent correlation with the caspase-3 expression (P >0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe dysregulation of caspase-independent pathway of apoptosis may be an early event in the development of colorectal carcinogenesis, while the dysregulation of the caspase-dependent pathway of apoptosis may be one of contributing factors of colorectal carcinogenesis. The caspase-independent pathway of apoptosis and the caspase-dependent pathway of apoptosis are two relatively independent pathways in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Adenoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis Inducing Factor ; metabolism ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Dangua Recipe (DGR) on glycolipid metabolism, serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) positive expression and its mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta of diabetic rats with atherosclerosis, thus revealing its partial mechanisms for intervening chronic diabetic complications.

METHODSRecruited 40 Goto-Kakisaki (GK) Wistar rats were fed with high fat forage containing metabolic inhibition Propylthiouracil, and peritoneally injected with endothelial NOS inhibitor N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to establish a high fat diabetes model with atherosclerosis. The modeled GK rats were stratified by body weight, and then, by blood glucose level from high to low, randomly divided into the DGR group (at the daily dose of 8 mL/kg), the metformin group (MET, at the daily dose of 150 mg/kg), the simvastatin group (SIM, at the daily dose of 2 mg/kg), and the model group (MOD, fed with pure water, at the daily dose of 8 mL/kg) according to the random number table, 10 in each group. Another 10 Wistar rats of the same ages and comparable body weight level were recruited as the normal control group. All the interventions lasted for 24 weeks by gastrogavage. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weight were monitored. The HbA1c, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, serum ROS were determined. The aortic NF-kappaB level was analyzed with immunohistochemical assay. The expression of NF-kappaB (P65) mRNA in the aorta was detected with Real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe body weight in the normal control group was eventually heavier than others (P < 0.01). There was no difference among the four groups of GK modeled rats (P > 0.05). The FBG in the four GK modeled groups were higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the blood glucose level at the first visit and at the baseline among the GK modeled groups (P > 0.05). The last FBG level was obviously lower in the MET and DGR groups than in the MOD group (P < 0.01) and the SIM group (P < 0.05). Twenty-four weeks after intervention, the level of FBG, HbA1c, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and NF-kappaB positive expression rate of the thoracic aorta of the four groups of GK modeled rats, and NF-kappaB mRNA expression in the thoracic aorta in the MOD group, the MET group, and the DGR group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The TG level, serum ROS in the MET, DGR, and SIM groups, and the NF-kappaB mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta in the SIM group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The levels of FBG, TC, LDL-C, serum ROS, NF-kappaB mRNA expression level in the thoracic aorta in three drug intervention groups, and NF-kappaB positive expression rate in the DGR and MET groups, and the levels of HbA1c, TG in the DGR group were significantly lower than those in the MOD group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The level of FBG in the MET and DGR groups were lower than that in the SIM group (P < 0.05). The level of NF-kappaB mRNA expression in the thoracic aorta of the SIM and DGR groups, and the levels of TC and LDL-C in the DGR group were significantly lower than those in the MET group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONDGR played a role in preventing and treating chronic diabetic complications by comprehensively regulating blood glucose and serum lipids, as well as down-regulating oxidative stress.

Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic ; metabolism ; Atherosclerosis ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; blood

OBJECTIVETo create the clinical degree of the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) involvement in pancreas uncinate process carcinoma (PUPC) and its clinical significance to be discussed.

METHODSAccording to the contiguous relationship between the SMV and the PUPC, the clinical degree of SMV involvement in PUPC are as followings four grades, 1 grade, the grade of clear boundary. 2 grade, the grade of fuzzy boundary. 3 grade, the grade of dissolved boundary. 4 grade, the grade of SMV infringed. The coherence between the type under the CT scan (Tx) and the type under the inoperative judgement (Sx) were analyzed with Kappa-test.

RESULTSThere is a significant difference between the grade of SMV involvement and the surgery. The resection rate is 100% in 1st grade, 97.4% in 2nd grade, 65.8% in 3rd grade and 21.7% in 4th grade. There is coherent in the degree judgement between the CT scan and the inoperative inspection (U = 15.96, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere is clinical significance to establish the degree of SMV involvement in PUPC. It is helpful for clinician to accurately know its anatomic characteristic and decide more reasonable surgical strategy.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Veins ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

In this study, the thermoresponsive micelles were synthesized with random copolymerization method and the photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) was loaded on micelles through the physical adsorption. The light energy was converted into heat energy to increase the temperature after irradiation with near-infrared light. When the phase transition temperature was reached, the micelle was disassembled and the targeted therapy was achieved. The nanoparticles were characterized with a transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer and other characterization were used to investigate. The critical micelle concentration (CMC), upper critical solution temperature, the photothermal properties of the carrier and the release of drug triggered by light were investigated after the doxorubicin (DOX) loaded. The carrier was evaluated for toxicity, cellular uptake, the effect of photothermal, the combination of photothermal and chemotherapy; the p(AAm-co-AN)-g-PEG (PAAP) was spherical in shape with a particle size of about 45 nm and a phase transition temperature was about 43℃. The critical micelle concentration was 24 μg·mL^-1. The particle size increased to 88 nm after loaded with ICG and DOX which the photothermal effect was obvious. The cumulative release of the drug under the irradiation of near-infrared light (808 nm, 2 W·cm^-2, 2 min·h^-1) was increased to 59.4% (pH 5.0) after 5 h. The results of the cell experiment indicated that ICG-PAAP was almost non-toxic and uptaken by the lysosomal pathway. The cell killing effect was stronger with combination of chemotherapy (DOX as 20 μg·mL^-1) with more than 70% of the cells killed. The results showed that the prepared micelle with low toxicity was thermoresponsive and could be used in combined therapy of tumor under the irradiation of near-infrared light.