基于生物活性与效应基准的中药质量 评价技术发展现状与展望

中药质量的评控问题是制约中药现代化发展的瓶颈,因此有必要在现有检测方法的基础上结合生物评价,继而更为全面地保证中药质量。生物评价是完善中药质量标准、保证临床功效和安全性评价的重要方法,已成为中药质量标准化发展趋势之一。在此处主要论述了近年来基于生物活性与效应基准的中药质量评价技术和已取得的部分研究进展,同时对目前中药质量生物评价研究与应用中存在的主要问题进行探讨,进一步对其未来应用做出展望,从而更好的对中药质量进行控制。     

Does it matter who’s at risk?: Testing message framing and narrative as moderators of the effects of self-referencing in obesity prevention messages targeting Hispanic adults living in the U.S.

Abstract

This study tested whether the effect of self-referencing in a health-marketing message was amplified or attenuated when combined with message framing and narrative. Hispanic adults (N?=?146) were randomly assigned to read and respond to an obesity prevention message. Self-referencing messages generated greater cognitive elaboration but only when placed in a narrative. Conversely, self-referencing messages highlighting health risks of obesity produced higher levels of involvement and intention to increase physical activity and healthy eating. Health marketing professionals can use these findings to enhance the effectiveness of obesity prevention messages that target Hispanic adults.     

Coumarin-containing hybrids and their antibacterial activities

Infections caused by Gram-positive and -negative bacteria are one of the foremost causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Antibiotics are the mainstay of therapy for bacterial infections, but the emergence and wide spread of drug-resistant pathogens have already become a huge issue for public healthcare systems. The coumarin moiety, which is ubiquitous in nature, could bind to the B subunit of DNA gyrase in bacteria and inhibit DNA supercoiling by blocking the ATPase activity; hence, coumarin derivatives possess potential antibacterial activity. Several coumarin-containing hybrids such as coumermycin A1, clorobiocin, and novobiocin have already been used in clinical practice for the treatment of various bacterial infections; thus, it is conceivable that hybridization of the coumarin moiety with other antibacterial pharmacophores may provide opportunities for the development of novel antibiotics. This review outlines the advances in coumarin-containing hybrids with antibacterial potential in the recent 5 years and the structure–activity relationships are also discussed.     

The emerging role of ultrasound in detecting interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential role of US in the detection of ILD in a cohort of patients with RA.MethodsPatients with diagnosis of RA were consecutively enrolled. All patients underwent pulmonary examination, laboratory data, DLCO measure, chest HRCT and radiographs, and US examination. A healthy group was included as control group. US was performed according the 14-intercostal space scanning protocol using the following semiquantitative scale [0 = normal (≤ 5 B-lines); 1 = slight (≥ 6 and ≤ 15 B-lines); 2 = moderate, (≤ 16 and ≥ 30 B-lines); 3 = severe (≥ 30 B-lines)].ResultsA total of 74 RA patients and 74 healthy controls were included. Thirty of 74 patients (40.5%) showed US signs of ILD with respect to the healthy controls (3 subjects, 4.1%) (P < 0.001); whereas HRCT showed ILD in 27 (36.4%) of 74 patients. Among the 30 patients that showed US findings of ILD, 17 (56.6%) were asymptomatic from respiratory view-point. The sensitivity and specificity of US were 92% and 89% respectively. A positive correlation between US and HRCT findings were found (P < 0.001) whereas no correlation was found with chest radiographs and DLCO findings. Positive association between US findings and DAS28-ESR, anti-CCP and RF (P < 0.01 for each respectively) was found. Feasibility, represented by the mean time spent to perform the pulmonary US assessment was 7.8 minutes (± SD 1.2, range 6 to 10 minutes).ConclusionsOur results support the potential of US in detect accurately ILD in patients with RA and provide a rationale to consider it as a friendly screening tool to be implemented in early phases of the disease.     

Electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area evokes sleep‐like state transitions under urethane anaesthesia in the rat medial prefrontal cortex via dopamine D1‐like receptors

The role of dopamine in regulating sleep‐state transitions during, both natural sleep and under anaesthesia, is still unclear. Recording in vivo in the rat mPFC under urethane anaesthesia, we observed predominantly slow wave activity (SWA) of <1 Hz in the local field potential interrupted by occasional spontaneous transitions to a low‐amplitude‐fast (LAF) pattern of activity. During periods of SWA, transitions to LAF activity could be rapidly and consistently evoked by electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Spontaneous LAF activity, and that evoked by stimulation of the VTA, consisted of fast oscillations similar to those seen in the rapid eye movement (REM)‐like sleep state. Spontaneous and VTA stimulation‐evoked LAF activity occurred simultaneously along the dorsoventral extent of all mPFC subregions. Evoked LAF activity depended on VTA stimulation current and could be elicited using either regular (25–50 Hz) or burst stimulation patterns and was reproducible upon repeated stimulation. Simultaneous extracellular single‐unit recordings showed that during SWA, presumed pyramidal cells fired phasically and almost exclusively on the Up state, while during both spontaneous and VTA‐evoked LAF activity, they fired tonically. The transition to LAF activity evoked by VTA stimulation depended on dopamine D₁‐like receptor activation as it was almost completely blocked by systemic administration of the D₁‐like receptor antagonist SCH23390. Overall, our data demonstrate that activation of dopamine D₁‐like receptors in the mPFC is important for regulating sleep‐like state transitions.