Objective Using solid dispersion technique to prepare Silymarin Dropping Pill to accelerate dissolution and to improve bioavailability. A central composite design-response surface method was employed to select the optimum formulations. Methods Independent variables were Poloxamer 188 content and silymarin content, while dependent variables were disintegrating time and percent of silymarin dissoluted at a definite time. Linear, two and three order quadratic models were used to estimate the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Response surfaces were delineated according to best-fit mathematic models and optimum formulations were selected there from. Prediction was carried out through comparing the observed and predicted values. Results Three order quadratic equation was the best-fitted mathematic models to describe the relationship between dependent and independent variables, with a regression coefficient of 0.998. Bias between observed and predicted values of disintegrating time and dissolution percentage of optimum formulation dropping pill were negligible, indicating the high predictability of the fit models. Percent dissolution of Silymarin Dropping Pill at 60 min was 19 times as that of conventional tablets. Conclusion Dissolution speed of silymarin can be effectively improved through incorporating into dropping pills. It shows that the optimum mathematic model is highly predictive. The central composite design-response surface method can be fairly used in formulation screening.

Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Humans ; Interdisciplinary Communication ; Mental Disorders ; Nervous System Diseases ; Research Design ; trends

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of Shugan Jieyu Capsules (SJC) on type III B prostatitis complicated by sexual dysfunction.

METHODSA total of 98 patients with type III B prostatitis complicated by sexual dysfunction were equally randomized to a control and a trial group, the former treated with the combination of biofeedback/electrical stimulation and the α-blocker Tamsulosin Hydrochloride, and the latter with oral SJC in addition, both for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, the severity of the symptoms was determined with NIH-CPSI, the patients'sexual function evaluated with CIPE-5 and IIEF-5, and their anxiety, depression and other psychological problems assessed with Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( HAMD). The results were subjected to statistical analysis and compared between the two groups.

RESULTSStatistically significant differences were found between the control and trial groups in the NIH-CPSI score (26.31 ± 7.91 vs 18.84 ± 6.63, P < 0.01), CIPE-5 premature ejaculation score (10. 41 ± 3.03 vs 14.37 ± 2.35, P < 0.05), IIEF-5 score (10.29 ± 3.97 vs 14.69 ± 4.19, P < 0.05), HAMA score (24.31 ± 1.78 vs 13.41 ± 4.21, P < 0.01), and HAMD score (25.24 ± 2.83 vs 14.49 ± 4.44, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSJC can effectively relieve anxiety, depression and other psychological problems in type III B prostatitis patients with sexual dysfunction and improve their clinical symptoms as well.

Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; Anxiety ; drug therapy ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Capsules ; Depression ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Premature Ejaculation ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Prostatitis ; complications ; drug therapy ; Sulfonamides ; therapeutic use

Objective To investigate epidemiological pattern of dementia and major subtypes,we conducted a prevalence survey in Beijing,China. Methods A door to door three phase procedure was used to ascertain dementia A Chinese version of Mini Mental State Examination (CMMSE) was administered to all participates in 1997 Then,those who failed the screening tests and those of the normal,but having a suspected history of cognitive impairment were interviewed by neurologists or psychiatrists for a diagnostic assessment of dementia,Alzheimer′s dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) using the DSM IV,NINCDS ADRDA,and NINCDS AIREN criteria Validity of the diagnostic approach was confirmed by a follow up study in 1998 Participants a total of 5 913 residents aged 55 years and over from 12 urban and 17 rural communities was drawn through a stratified multiple stage cluster sampling 5 743 (96 1%) were interviewed. Results A total of 262 cases of mild to severe dementia were identified The crude and age standardized prevalence in individuals aged 55 years and over were 4 6% and 4 2% for dementia (all causes),2 2% and 2 0% for AD,and 1 6% and 1 5% for VaD,respectively The prevalence of AD increased doubling every 5 years with age,but the prevalence of VaD increased low and slow The age standardized prevalence of AD was 1 7% in men lower than 2 1% in women,but the prevalence of VaD was 1 7% in men higher than 1 3% in women for individuals aged 55 years and over The difference in age standardized prevalence of AD between urban and rural communities was not significant that was 1 8% versus 2 2% in individuals aged 55 years and over; but the corresponding figures of VaD in rural (2 2%) was significantly higher than that in urban (1 0%) Either for AD or for VaD,there were no significant relationships between age standardized prevalence rates and educational levels Conclusion Our overall prevalence of dementia and its subtypes is considerably higher than previously reported estimates from China and similar to those reported in whites The epidemiological and clinical patterns for AD differed from VaD,but it was similar to those reported in whites It suggests that there are no substantial differences across cultures for AD

Aged ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Male

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of ultrasonic elastography and fine flow imaging in differential diagnosis of cervical lymph nodes.Methods Totally 87 lymph nodes were examined with ultrasonic elastography,fine flow and conventional ultrasonography.The results were confirmed with postoperative pathology or fine-needle biopsy as well as follow-up.Using consistency check of Kappa and ROC curve to analyse the accuracy of three types of ultrasonic examination.Results Taking the results of postoperative pathology or fine-needle biopsy as well as follow-up as golden standards,the Kappa value of conventional ultrasonography was poor (Kappa =0.153,P =0.078),fine flow was moderate (Kappa =0.526,P ＜0.01) and ultrasonic elastography was better (Kappa =0.741,P ＜0.01).The area under ROC of ultrasonic elastography,fine flow and conventional ultrasonography was 0.899 (P ＜0.01),0.787 (P ＜0.01) and 0.568 (P =0.241),respectively.Conclusions Ultrasonic elastography is more valuable to differentiate malignant from benign lymph nodes.

UNLABELLEDOBJECTIVE; To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jiangtang Xiaozhi Capsule (JTXZC) in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) of qi-yin deficiency phlegm-stasis inter-obstruction syndrome (QYDPSIOS), and to observe its effect on inflammatory factors and fibrinolytic factors.

METHODSBy adopting a randomization grouping, parallel control, and prospective study, 73 T2DM patients of QYDPSIOS were assigned to two groups by random digit table, the Pioglitazone Tablet group (36 cases, as the control) and the JTXZC group (37 cases). All patients maintained their basic therapies and lifestyle as previous after recruitment. Patients in the JTXZC group took JTXZC, 4 pills each time, three times per day, while those in control group took Pioglitazone Tablet, 15 mg each time, once daily. The therapeutic course for all was 8 weeks. The body weight (BW), the height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and scoring of Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms were observed. Levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2 h PBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAL-1) were detected. The safety indices such as liver and renal functions and adverse reactions were also observed.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, BW, BMI, HbA1c, and PBG were obviously lower after 8-week treatment than before treatment in the JTXZC group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in post-treatment BW, BMI, HbA1c, or 2 h PBG between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment, levels of TNF-alpha and PAI-1 were lowered after 8 weeks of treatment in both groups (P < 0.01). The level of NF-kappaB was obviously lowered after 8 weeks of treatment in the control groups (P < 0.05), but it also decreased in the JTXZC group with no statistical difference. The scorings of CM symptoms were somewhat improved after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01). Besides, better effects were obtained in the JTXZC group (P < 0.05). No severe adverse event occurred in either group during the whole therapeutic course.

CONCLUSIONSJTXZC showed similar therapeutic effect to pioglitazone. Both of them could effectively improve patients' clinical symptoms, the inflammation and fibrinolytic activities in different pathways, with no severe adverse reaction.

Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Qi ; Thiazolidinediones ; therapeutic use ; Yin Deficiency ; drug therapy

Objective To investigate etiology and clinical features of acute pancreatitis (AP) in young patients. Methods In total, 423 patients with AP admitted to Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei province during January 2006 to December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed, 55 cases aged 34 years or less as young group and another 55 cases aged more than 34 years as middle- and elderly-age group. Their etiology, clinical features and illness scores based on some standard criteria were assessed. Results Proportion of varied etiologies of AP in young group was different from that in middle- and elderly-age one (x2 = 17. 107, P = 0. 009) , mainly as biliary and idiopathic pancreatitis in young group and as biliary and alcoholic pancreatitis in middle- and elderly-age one. Incidence of diet-related and idiopathic pancreatitis were higher in young group than that in middle- and elderly-age one ( x2 =4. 853, P = 0. 028 and x2=4. 274, P = 0. 039 ). Scores of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II ( APACHE II ) , Ranson criteria and the bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis ( BISAP) were all lower in young group than those in middle- and elderly-age one (t = 5. 381 , P = 0. 000; t = 4. 388 , P = 0. 000 and t=3. 083, P = 0. 003 ) . There was no statistically significant difference in scores of computed tomography severity index ( CTSI) between young group and middle- and elderly-age one (t = ±0. 750, P > 0. 05 ) . Recurrence rate of AP was lower in young group than that in middle- and elderly-age one ( x2 =4. 251, P = 0. 039). Cholecystitis was more complicated in young group, pregnancy was more complicated in young group (x2 =4. 151 , P =0. 042) , and elevated blood glucose was more complicated in middle- and elderly-age one (x2 = 13. 285 , P = 0. 000 ) . Conclusions Etiology of AP varies in young patients with more dietary factors, occurrence of systemic complications and risks for death are lower in young group than those in middle- and elderly-age one, and there was no statistically significant difference in local complications and severity of illness between the two groups.

Four specific salt-tolerant fungi for dissolving phosphate rock (FM) w ere isolated from the coastal saline soils. It was found that the biomass and a b ility to release phosphate from the materials decreased with increasing of the N aCl content. During pH7.0～8.5, the biomass and ability of to release phospho rus from the materials of FM1 decreased sharply with pH rising, but the FM2 and FM4 decreased not considerably, optimal pH for FM3 was at pH8.5. At pH9.0, the bi oma ss and ability of to release phosphorus from the materials decreased quickly. F M2 was stable at alkaline and high salt content condition.

Objective To investigate the effects of exogenous hydrogen sulfide on brain edema and injury and their mechanisms. Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, an ischemia-reperfusion group, a 30 ppm hydrogen sulfide group, and a 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide group (n =15 in each group; 1 ppm =1 mg/L). A model of focal cerebral ischemia for 2 h and reperfusion for 24 h was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. The neurological scores were observed after 24 h cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. The cerebral infarction volume, the degree of brain edema, and the changes of blood-brain barrier permeability were measured. Western blotting was used to detect the expressions of occludin and zonula occludens-1 protein (ZO-1) in ischemic penumbra. Results Compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group, the neurological function scores in the 30 ppm and 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide group significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner (al P <0.05) and the neurological deficits and infarct volume reduced (al P < 0.05), and the
brain edema aleviated (al P < 0.05). The content of Evans blue in the ischemic brain tissue in the ischemia-reperfusion group increased significantly compare with the sham operation group (0.74 ±0.14 μg/100 mg vs. 0.19 ±0.06 μg/100 mg; P <0.05). The content of Evans blue in the brain tissue in the 30 ppm hydrogen sulfide group (0.55 ±0.10 μg/100 mg ) and the 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide group (0.35 ±0.08 μg/100 mg ) decreased significantly compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group (al P < 0.05), among them the 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide group was significantly lower than the 30 ppm hydrogen sulfide group (P <0.05). Western blot analysis showed that expression levels of occludin in penumbra (0.621% ±0.101% vs.0.787% ±0.087% vs.0.453% ± 0.127%; P <0.05) and ZO-1 (0.602% ±0.118% vs.0.778% ±0.805% vs.0.426% ±0.146; P <0.05) in the 30 ppm and 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide groups increased significantly compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group, among them, the expression levels of occludin and ZO-1 in the 60 ppm hydrogen sulfide group were significantly higher than those in the 30 ppm hydrogen sulfide group (al P < 0.05). Conclusions Inhalation of exogenous hydrogen sulfide can significantly attenuate brain edema after ischemia-reperfusion in a dose dependent manner, reduce infarct volume, and improve neurological function.Their mechanisms may be associated with inhibiting the downregulated expressions of occludin and ZO-1 and maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.