Objective:To observe the effects of modified Xuanfuhua Decoction on pain behaviour and spinal cord neuroinflammation mediated by phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 (p38MAPK) signaling pathway in rats with sciatic nerve injury; To analyse the mechanism of its effects.Methods:Totally 108 SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model group, pregabalin group, decoction low-, medium- and high-dosage groups, with 18 rats in each group. The CCI model was established by ligation of sciatic nerve in other groups except sham-operation group. On the postoperative day, the decoction low-, medium-, high-dosage groups were gavaged with 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g/kg of modified Xuanfuhua Decoction concentrate, respectively. The pregabalin group was gavaged with 15 mg/kg of pregabalin. The sham-operation group and the model group were gavaged with equal amounts of saline once/d for 15 days. Pain behavioural assays were performed before, on the 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th day of administration respectively. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-10 were detected by ELISA method. The expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. The phosphorylated p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) were measured in the spinal cord by Western blot.Results:Compared with the model group, the scores of spontaneous pain in decoction high-dosage group decreased ( P<0.05), the thermal foot shrinkage latency (TWL) was prolonged ( P<0.05), and the mechanical foot shrinkage reflex threshold (MWT) increased ( P<0.05); the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in spinal cord tissue of decoction low-, medium- and high-dosage groups decreased ( P<0.05), the level of IL-10 increased ( P<0.05), the average gray values of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in spinal cord decreased ( P<0.05), and the expression of P-P38MAPK protein decreased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Modified Xuanfuhua Decoction can effectively improve neurogenic pain in CCI rats, and the mechanism may be related to inhibition of p38MAPK-TLR4 signaling pathway activation-mediated spinal cord neuroinflammation.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and compliance of early-onset gout patients by case-control analysis.Methods:A total of 111 early-onset patients (onset age ≤35 years old) were included as Group A, and 111 non-early-onset patients (onset age >35 years old) with matched disease durationwere included as Group B. The differences ofclinical characteristics, causes of acute gout attack, dairy diet habits, compliance, and misunderstanding of the disease were compared.Results:Compared with the non-early-onsetgoutpatients, the early-onset patients had a higher proportion of obesity (63 cases vs 28 cases), family history (36 cases vs 20 cases) and tophus (39 cases vs 23 cases) and higher level of VAS scores (8.5±1.3 vs 7.6±1.7; χ2=22.988, P<0.01; χ2=5.749, P=0.016; χ2=5.729, P=0.017; t=4.639, P<0.01), lowerproportionof the first metatarsophalangeal joint involvement as the initial joint involvement (45.9%, 51 cases vs 59.4%, 66 cases; χ2=4.066, P=0.044), higher proportion of the ankle involvement as the initial joint involvement (34.2%, 38 cases vs 21.6%, 24 cases; χ2=4.386, P=0.036), higher proportion of alcohol drinkers and high fructose drinkers, which was more likely to relate to alcohol intake, strenuous exercise and high fructose intakeas trigger of the flare ( χ2=6.513, P=0.011; χ2=7.126, P=0.008; χ2=1.978, P=0.160), while the proportion of regular exercisers and on diet in the family was lower ( χ2=22.887, P<0.01; t=-4.917, P<0.01). The proportion of poor diet and medication compliance in Group A was higher than that in Group B(57.7%, 64 cases vs 38.7%, 43 cases; χ2=5.207, P=0.022; χ2=5.867, P=0.015). As for the reason for poor treatment compliance, early-onset gout patients were more worry about the side-effects of drugs than non-early onset patients ( χ2=4.190, P=0.041). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the main misunderstanding of gout. Conclusion:Although early onset gout patients are young, their condition is more serious, and compliance is poorer, this group of patients should be highly valued in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of aerial parts of Ammopiptanthus mongolicus.

METHODIsolation and purification were carried out on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and HPLC column chromatography. The structures of the compounds were identified by physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis.

RESULTNine compounds were isolated and identified as (+)-maackiain (1), brevifolin (2), 7-hydroxy-4'-methoxy isoflavanone (3), daidzein 4',7-diglucoside (4), genistein 4', 7-di-O-beta-D-glucoside (5), isolupalbigenin (6), ononin (7), beta-sitosterol (8), beta-daucosterol (9).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 2, 4 - 6 were obtained from the genus Ammopiptanthus for the first time.

Chromatography, Agarose ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Isoflavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Pterocarpans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Silica Gel ; Sitosterols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Taxoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification