Objective To investigate the effects of Jiawei Ditan Decoction on neurological function,pentraxin-3(PTX-3),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in patients with post-ischemic stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).Methods A total of 97 patients with PSCI who were admitted to Xuzhou Central Hospital from March 2022 to March 2024 were enrolled and randomly assigned to control group(n=48)or decoction group(n=49)using the envelope drawing method.The control group received conventional treatment,while the decoction group was additionally treated with Jiawei Ditan Decoction.Clinical efficacy,Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,cognitive and functional assessments,laboratory markers,and oxidative stress levels were compared between the two groups.Results The total effective rate in the decoction group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).At 3 and 6 months after treatment,TCM syndrome scores in the decoction group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The scores of the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA),mini-mental state examination(MMSE),and Barthel index(BI)in the decoction group were higher than those in the control group at 3 months after treatment,while the National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score in the decoction group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).At 1 month after treatment,PTX-3 and hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)levels in the decoction group were lower than those in the control group,while VEGF,superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),and nitric oxide(NO)levels in the decoction group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion Jiawei Ditan Decoction exhibits significant effects on improving neurological function and modulating PTX-3 and VEGF levels in patients with PSCI.

Restless legs syndrome is one of the common complications of maintenance hemodialysis. At present, there is no exact efficacy of Western medicine treatment. Deficiency of spleen and kidney, and deficiency of qi and blood are the TCM pathogenesis for this syndrome. LI Dong-yuan's theory of Yin Fire based on deficiency of spleen and stomach, down in the kidney, and clear Yang not rising. The creation of Shengyang Sanhuo Decoction can enrich Yang Dao and scatter Yin Fire. Yang three needles can warm yang, tonify qi and invigorate the kidney, and has a yang from yin therapeutic effect. Syndrome differentiation of medicine and acupuncture is consistent with the pathogenesis of restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients. It can provide new ideas and new targets for optimization of TCM treatment, and provide low cost, simple and effective treatment mode for primary hospitals.

Objective To study the relationship between the changes of ten elemental contents in serum and schizophrenia.Methods Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn) in serum in the of schizophrenic patients and normal subjects are measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer, compared the content of elements between the schizophrenia and normal.Results There were significant differences ( P<0.05) in other elements between two groups except lead.The contents of Ca,Fe,Mg,Zn,As,Se,Cu in the patients with schizophrenia were significantly lower than those in control, while Al, Mn were significantly higher than those in control.Most of elements in serum between case and control groups were correlated (P<0.05).Some of element ratios which have physiological significance were significant statistically (P<0.05), such as: Ca/Mg, Ca/Fe and so on.Conclusion These findings suggest that the patients with schizophrenia might have an abnormal elemental metabolism.Given the relationship among the elements, the element ratios are more valuable in reflecting the relationship between schizophrenia and elements.

OBJECTIVEThis study attempts to test the total amount of 41 inorganic elements in traditional Chinese medicine materials (TCMM), to analyze to surpass the set standard of 5 toxic heavy metal elements and to explore possible method of modification.

METHODBy using microwave as digestion tool, ICP-MS and ICP-AES as detective instrument, 41 elements in 466 samples are tested. While the amount of elements Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P, S, Sr are determined by ICP-AES, the amount of the rest 32 elements are determined by ICP-MS. SPSS 16.0 is used as the statistical tool for data analysis.

RESULTTesting of reference material Astragalus showed that the measurements of each element are within the reference range, and except for element I, RSD of determination for each element is less than 10%, thus the accuracy and precision of the study method is confirmed. Using above mentioned instruments and methods, general information of elements in 466 TCMM are obtained.

CONCLUSIONThe concentrations of each elements in TCMM varied a lot and are different among each TCMM. The over standard rate of 5 heavy metal elements are lower than previous results, however, the over standard rate is still descending in the order of Cd > Cu > Pb > As > Hg. The content of heavy metal elements in TCMM varies among different areas, especially, over standard of heavy metals are not detected in locality as Gansu, Qinghai, Shanxi, Xinjiang and Hainan provinces.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

[Objective] To examine the sensitivity of P. falciparum to the components of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and piperaquine (PQ) in Dihydroartemisinin Compounds. [Methods] WHO (World Health Organization) standard micro test and in-vitro test were used. [Results] Survey in the year of 2001 for 61 cases and in 2004 for 28 cases showed that the DHA-resistant rate of P. falciparum in all cases was zero with inhibitory concentration of 50% (IC50) being 6.84 nmol/L and 5.67 nmol/L, and the mean concentration for complete inhibition of schizont formation was 35 nmol/L and 39 nmol/L, respectively. Survey in the year of 2001 for 75 cases and in 2004 for 29 cases showed that PQ-resistant rate of P. falciparum was 22.67% and 17.24% with IC50 being 274 nmol/L and 317 nmol/L, and the mean concentration for complete inhibition of schizont formation was 1 220 nmol/L and 1 269 nmol/L, respectively. [Conclusion] No DHA -resistance exists and PQ-resistance decreases for the treatment of P. falciparum in Dongfang city of Hainan province.