Since Curcumae Radix decoction pieces have multiple sources, it is difficult to distinguish depending on traditional cha-racters, and the mixed use of multi-source Curcumae Radix will affect its clinical efficacy. Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose was used in this study to quickly identify and analyze the odor components of 40 batches of Curcumae Radix samples from Sichuan, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. Based on the odor fingerprints established for Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of multiple sources, the odor components was identified and analyzed, and the chromatographic peaks were processed and analyzed to establish a rapid identification method. Principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor analysis(DFA), and soft independent modeling cluster analysis(SIMCA) were constructed for verification. At the same time, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) combined with variable importance in projection(VIP) was employed to screen out the odor components with P<0.05 and VIP>1, and 13 odor components such as β-caryophyllene and limonene were hypothesized as the odor differential markers of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of diffe-rent sources. The results showed that Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose can well analyze the odor characteristics and rapidly and accurately discriminate Curcumae Radix decoction pieces of different sources. It can be applied to the quality control(e.g., online detection) in the production of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces. This study provides a new method and idea for the rapid identification and quality control of Curcumae Radix decoction pieces.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Electronic Nose ; China ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Limonene/analysis* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

In this study, CM-5 spectrophotometer and Heracles NEO ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose were used to analyze the changes in color and odor of vinegar-processed Cyperi Rhizoma(VPCR) pieces. Various analysis methods such as DFA and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were combined to identify different processing degrees and quantify the end point of processing. The results showed that with the increase in vinegar processing, the brightness parameter L~* of VPCR pieces decreased gradua-lly, while the red-green value a~* and yellow-blue value b~* initially increased and reached their maximum at 8 min of processing, followed by a gradual decrease. A discriminant model based on the color parameters L~*, a~*, and b~* was established(with a discrimination accuracy of 98.5%), which effectively differentiated different degrees of VPCR pieces. Using the electronic nose, 26 odor components were identified from VPCR samples at different degrees of vinegar processing. DFA and PLS-DA models were established for different degrees of VPCR pieces. The results showed that the 8-min processed samples were significantly distinct from other samples. Based on variable importance in projection(VIP) value greater than 1, 10 odor components, including 3-methylfuran, 2-methylbuty-raldehyde, 2-methylpropionic acid, furfural, and α-pinene, were selected as odor markers for differentiating the degrees of vinegar processing in VPCR. By combining the changes in color and the characteristic odor components, the optimal processing time for VPCR was determined to be 8 min. This study provided a scientific basis for the standardization of vinegar processing techniques for VPCR and the improvement of its quality standards and also offered new methods and ideas for the rapid identification and quality control of the end point of processing for other traditional Chinese medicine.
Acetic Acid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Quality Control ; Electronics

Breast Neoplasms/surgery* ; China ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a 48-week course of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) plus Chinese medicine (CM) therapy, namely Tiaogan Jianpi Hexue () and Tiaogan Jiedu Huashi () fomulae, in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive Chinese patients. METHODS: A total of 605 HBeAg-positive Chinese CHB patients were screened and 590 eligible participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups in 1:1 ratio including experimental group (EG, received ADV plus CM) and control group (CG, received ADV plus CM-placebo) for 48 weeks. The major study outcomes were the rates of HBeAg and HBV-DNA loss on week 12, 24, 36, 48, respectively. Secondary endpoints including liver functions (enzymes and bilirubin readings) were evaluated every 4 weeks at the beginning of week 24, 36, and 48. Routine blood, urine, and stool analyses in addition to electrocardiogram and abdominal B scan were monitored as safety evaluations. Adverse events (AEs) were documented. RESULTS: The combination therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg loss at 48 weeks, without additional AEs. The full analysis population was 560 and 280 in each group. In the EG, population achieved HBeAg loss on week 12, 24, 36, and 48 were 25 (8.90%), 34 (12.14%), 52 (18.57%), and 83 (29.64%), respectively; the equivalent numbers in the CG were 20 (7.14%), 41 (14.64%), 54 (19.29%), and 50 (17.86%), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between these group values on week 48 (P<0.01). No additional AEs were found in EG. Subgroup analysis suggested different outcomes among treatment patterns. CONCLUSION Combination of CM and ADV therapy demonstrated superior HBeAg clearance compared with ADV monotherapy. The finding indicates that this combination therapy may provide an improved therapeutic effect and safety profile (ChiCTR-TRC-11001263).
Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Organophosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThe domestic prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China is 7.18% in 2006, imposing great societal healthcare burdens. Nucleot(s)ide analogues (NUCs) anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapies are widely applied despite the relatively low rate of seroconversion and high risk of drug-resistant mutation. More effective treatments for CHB deserve further explorations. Combined therapy of NUCs plus Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is widely accepted in China, which is recognized as a prospective alternative approach. The study was primarily designed to confirm the hypothesis that Tiaogan-Yipi Granule (, TGYP) or Tiaogan-Jianpi-Jiedu Granule (, TGJPJD) plus entecavir tablet (ETV) was superior over ETV monotherapy in enhancing HBeAg loss rate.

METHODSThe study was a nationwide, large-scale, multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a designed duration of 108 weeks. A total of 16 hospitals and 596 eligible Chinese HBeAg positive CHB patients were enrolled from November 2012 to September 2013 and randomly allocated into 2 groups in 1:1 ratio via central randomization system: experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). Subjects in EG received CM formulae (TGYP or TGJPJD, 50 g per dose, twice daily) plus ETV tablet (or ETV placebo) 0.5 mg per day in the first 24 weeks (stage 1), and CHM granule plus ETV tablet (0.5 mg per day) from week 25 to 108 (stage 2). Subjects in CG received CHM Granule placebo plus ETV tablet (0.5 mg per day) for 108 weeks throughout the trial. The assessments of primary outcomes (HBV serum markers and HBV-DNA) were conducted by a third-party College of American Pathologists (CAP) qualified laboratory. Adverse effects were observed in the hospitals of recruitment.

DISCUSSIONThe study was designed to compare the curative effect of CM plus ETV and ETV monotherapy in respect of HBeAg loss, which is recognized by the European Association for the Study of the Liver as "a valuable endpoint". We believe this trial could provide a reliable status for patients' "journey" towards durable responses after treatment discontinuation. The trial was registered before recruitment on Chinese Clinical trial registry (No. ChiCTR-TRC-12002784, Version 1.0, 2015/12/23).

BACKGROUNDHemorrhagic shock is usually associated with complicated immune and inflammatory responses, which are sometimes crucial for the prognosis. As regulators of the immune and inflammatory system; proliferation, migration, distribution and activation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are intimately linked to the inflammation cascade.

METHODSIn a model of severe hemorrhagic shock, thirty-five rats were randomly divided into control, sham, normal saline resuscitation (NS), hypertonic saline resuscitation (HTS), and hydroxyethyl starch resuscitation (HES), with seven in each group. MDSCs were analyzed by flow cytometric staining of CD11b/c(+)Gra(+) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), spleen cell suspensions, and bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNC). Simultaneously, the expressions of arginase-1 (ARG-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in MDSCs were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

RESULTSIn the early stage after hemorrhagic shock, fluid resuscitation and emergency treatment, the MDSCs in the PBMC of NS, HTS and HES groups markedly increased, and MDSCs in BMNC of these groups decreased accordingly, significantly different to the control group. In hemorrhagic shock rats infused with HTS at the early resuscitation stage, MDSCs in PBMC increased about 2 and 4 folds, and MDSCs in BMNC decreased about 1.3 and 1.6 folds, as compared to the sham group respectively, with statistically significant difference. Furthermore, compared to the NS and HES groups, the MDSCs in PBMC of HTS group increased 1.6 and 1.8 folds with statistically significant differences; the MDSCs decrease in BMNC was not significant. However, there was no statistically significant difference in MDSCs of spleen among the five groups. In addition, compared to the control, sham, NS and HES groups, the ARG-1 and iNOS mRNA of MDSCs in PBMC, spleen and BMNC in the HTS group had the highest level of expression, but no statistically significant differences were noted.

CONCLUSIONSIn this model of rat with severe and controlled hemorrhagic shock, small volume resuscitation with HTS contributes to dramatically early migration and redistribution of MDSCs from bone marrow to peripheral circulation, compared to resuscitation with NS or HES.

Animals ; Arginase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluid Therapy ; methods ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saline Solution, Hypertonic ; therapeutic use ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; immunology ; metabolism ; therapy

Chlamydia trachomatis ; genetics ; Chlamydiaceae Infections ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Genes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Genes, Viral ; genetics ; Gonorrhea ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Herpes Simplex ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Herpesvirus 2, Human ; genetics ; Humans ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; genetics ; Ureaplasma Infections ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of baseline plasma D-dimer levels and clinicopathological features and tumor VEGF expression in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients, and to evaluate the value of D-dimer in predicting survival time.

METHODSA retrospective review of the clinicopathological data of 290 NSCLC patients confirmed pathologically in Tianjin Cancer Hospital from July 2007 to April 2009 was performed. The correlations between plasma baseline D-dimer levels and clinicopathological characteristics and progonosis were analyzed.

RESULTSFor 290 NSCLC patients with low ( ≤ 0.3 µg/ml) and high (>0.3 µg/ml) D-dimer levels, the median survival times were 54.0 months and 46.2 months, respectively (P < 0.05), and for the patients with stages I, II, IIIA, IIIB and IV NSCLC, the median survival times were 58.1, 40.6, 26.7 and 23.5 months, respectively (P < 0.05). In the operable patients (stages I, II and IIIa) with low and high D-dimer levels, the median progression-free survivals (PFS) were 35.0 and 11.0 months, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the median PFSs were 57.2 months and 19.6 months, respectively, in these operable patients without and with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHigh levels of baseline plasma D-dimer may indicate advanced disease stage, larger tumor size, lymph node metastasis and stronger tumor angiongenesis to some extent, and may be useful in prediction of survival time in NSCLC patients of different stages.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Paclitaxel ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use ; Tumor Burden ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Background Hemorrhagic shock is usually associated with complicated immune and inflammatory responses,which are sometimes crucial for the prognosis.As regulators of the immune and inflammatory system; proliferation,migration,distribution and activation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are intimately linked to the inflammation cascade.Methods In a model of severe hemorrhagic shock,thirty-five rats were randomly divided into control,sham,normal saline resuscitation (NS),hypertonic saline resuscitation (HTS),and hydroxyethyl starch resuscitation (HES),with seven in each group.M DSCs were analyzed by flow cytometric staining of CD11b/c+Gra+ in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC),spleen cell suspensions,and bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNC).Simultaneously,the expressions of arginase-1 (ARG-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in MDSCs were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).Results In the early stage after hemorrhagic shock,fluid resuscitation and emergency treatment,the MDSCs in the PBMC of NS,HTS and HES groups markedly increased,and MDSCs in BMNC of these groups decreased accordingly,significantly different to the control group.In hemorrhagic shock rats infused with HTS at the early resuscitation stage,MDSCs in PBMC increased about 2 and 4 folds,and MDSCs in BMNC decreased about 1.3 and 1.6 folds,as compared to the sham group respectively,with statistically significant difference.Furthermore,compared to the NS and HES groups,the MDSCs in PBMC of HTS group increased 1.6 and 1.8 folds with statistically significant differences; the MDSCs decrease in BMNC was not significant.However,there was no statistically significant difference in MDSCs of spleen among the five groups.In addition,compared to the control,sham,NS and HES groups,the ARG-1 and iNOS mRNA of MDSCs in PBMC,spleen and BMNC in the HTS group had the highest level of expression,but no statistically significant differences were noted.Conclusions In this model of rat with severe and controlled hemorrhagic shock,small volume resuscitation with HTS contributes to dramatically early migration and redistribution of MDSCs from bone marrow to peripheral circulation,compared to resuscitation with NS or HES.

BACKGROUNDHemorrhagic shock induces immune dysfunction. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), T-helper (Th) cells, and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) can execute many crucial actions in immune and inflammatory responses. This study was conducted to investigate the early pathophysiological changes of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) Treg and Th1/Th2, Tc1/Tc2 profiles in the peripheral blood of rats with controlled hemorrhagic shock and no fluid resuscitation.

METHODSA rat model of controlled hemorrhagic shock with no fluid resuscitation was established. Peripheral blood samples were taken before and four hours after hemorrhagic shock with no fluid resuscitation. Three color flow cytometry was used to detect Tregs, Th1, Th2, Tc1 and Tc2 cells in the samples.

RESULTSIn the peripheral blood of rats, the percentage of Tregs four hours after hemorrhagic shock was significantly lower than before hemorrhagic shock (P = 0.001). The ratios of Th1/Th2 and Tc1/Tc2 were changed from (23.08 ± 8.98)% to (23.91 ± 15.36)%, and from (40.40 ± 21.56)% to (65.48 ± 23.88)%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSAt an early stage, the advent of hemorrhagic shock is related to an early decrease of Tregs, and a mild shift in the Th1/Th2, Tc1/Tc2 balance toward Th1 and Tc1 dominance. These changes are part of a hyper-inflammatory state of the host, and will deteriorate the maintenance of immune balance. Further influences and detailed mechanisms need to be investigated.

Animals ; CD4 Antigens ; metabolism ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Resuscitation ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; immunology ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; metabolism ; Th1 Cells ; metabolism ; Th2 Cells ; metabolism