中药饮片商品的现状与教材内容的合理设置

在中药饮片商品现状调查的前提下，分析总结了中药饮片商品品种混乱的类型，认为医与药、教与用结合不够，学科间欠沟通是中药饮片商品品种混乱的原因之一；提出了对中药学、中药鉴定学、中药商品学中中药饮片教学内容合理设置的建议。     

Antidepressant-like effects of psoralen isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia in the mouse forced swimming test

The forced swimming test (FST) is suggested to produce abnormalities in the serotonergic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis systems. Therefore, compounds that attenuate these neurobiological alterations may have potential as antidepressants. The behavioral and biochemical effects of psoralen, a major furocoumarin isolated from Psoralea corylifolia, were investigated in the FST model of depression in male mice. Psoralen significantly reduced immobility and increased swimming without altering climbing in the mouse FST. Psoralen remarkably reversed FST-induced alterations in serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels in frontal cortex and hippocampus in mice. Furthermore, psoralen attenuated FST-induced elevations in serum corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and corticosterone concentrations to normalize the HPA axis activity. These results suggested that psoralen possessed potent antidepressant-like properties which were at least in part mediated by improving the abnormalities in the serotonergic and the HPA axis systems.     

Real-time PCR array to study effects of chemicals on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal axis of the Japanese medaka

This paper describes the development and validation of a PCR array for studying chemical-induced effects on gene expression of selected endocrine pathways along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis of the small, oviparous fish, the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). The Japanese medaka HPG-PCR array combines the quantitative performance of SYBR Green-based real-time PCR with the multiple gene profiling capabilities of a microarray to examine expression profiles of 36 genes associated with endocrine pathways in brain, liver and gonad. The performance of the Japanese medaka HPG-PCR array was evaluated by examining effects of two model compounds, the synthetic estrogen, 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) and the anabolic androgen, 17beta-trenbolone (TRB) on the HPG axis of the Japanese medaka. Four-month-old medaka was exposed to three concentrations of EE2 (5, 50, 500 ng/L) or TRB (50, 500, 5000 ng/L) for 7d in a static renewal exposure system. A pathway-based approach was implemented to analyze and visualize concentration-dependent mRNA expression in the HPG axis of Japanese medaka. The compensatory response to EE2 exposure included the down-regulation of male brain GnRH RI and testicular CYP17. The down-regulation of AR-alpha expression in brain of EE2-exposed males was associated with suppression of male sexual behavior. Compensatory responses to TRB in the female HPG axis included up-regulation of brain GnRH RII and ovary steroidogenic CYP19A. Overall, the results suggested that the Japanese medaka HPG-PCR array has potential not only as a screening tool of potential endocrine-disrupting chemicals but also in elucidating mechanisms of action.     

Thermochemical studies on the quantity-antibacterial effect relationship of four organic acids from Radix Isatidis on Escherichia coli growth

In this report, we have investigated the inhibitory action of four organic acids from Radix Isatidis on Escherichia coli growth was investigated at 37 degrees C by using a microcalorimeter. The four organic acids were: syringic acid, 2-amino-benzoic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid. In accordance with thermokinetic model, the pertaining relationships of the drugs, such as growth inhibitory ratio vs. concentration, maximal power-output vs. growth rate constant, growth rate constant vs. concentration, were obtained. Half-inhibitory concentration of the drugs, IC(50), was obtained by quantitative analysis. From the view of thermodynamics and molecular structure, the relationship between quantity and effect of the four organic acids has been discussed. The functional groups on phenyl ring had important influence on the antibacterial activities. Our work suggests that microcalorimetry is a fast, simple and more sensitive method that can be easily performed and applied to study the anti-bacterial activities of organic acids from Radix Isatidis on microorganism compared to other biological methods.     

气机逆乱是脓毒症MODS的根本病机

脓毒症是机体对于感染导致失调的宿主反应所引发的危及生命的器官功能障碍或衰竭。多器官功能障碍综合征(MODS)是脓毒症的严重并发症,也是脓毒症高死亡率的主要原因。本文从中医气机升降出入角度讨论MODS发生,认为脓毒症时外邪引起的脏腑气机升降出入失常,即气机逆乱是MODS发生的根本病机,且其具有始于肺、困于中焦,后期气血皆乱的特点。临床应重视调理气机,升降相宜,初期重在治肺,宜调气降气,尤重视恢复中焦气机,后期调气不忘治血。     

Homocysteine levels and cognitive function scores measured with MMSE and BCAT of middle-aged and elderly subjects in Tianjin City

Objective

China is proceeding into the aging society. There are near 6 million elderly suffering senile dementia, while cognitive impairment is an important clinical feature in dementia. The factors involved in cognitive dysfunction in the middle-aged and the elderly persons were investigated.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Community dwellers and nursing home residents in Tianjin, China.

Subjects

Total of 662 subjects(284 men and 378 women) aged 55–93.

Methods

A designed questionnaire was used to collect their demographic data, information of disease and medication, and life style. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Basic Cognitive Aptitude Tests (BCAT) software were applied to evaluate their cognitive function. Serum total homocysteine (tHcy) level was quantified by enzyme conversion method. A multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was applied to find the influencing factors of cognitive function.

Results

The average serum tHcy concentrations was 15.95±7.29 μmol/L, while the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHE) was 45.4%. The average serum tHcy level and prevalence of HHE were higher in men than those in women after ruling out the age differences. The mean MMSE and BCAT scores were 26.74±2.71 and 50.26±18.84 respectively. The BCAT score was negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with education. Multiple linear stepwise regression equations showed that the P value was less than 0.001, the BCAT regression equation showed that the R2=0.453. Serum tHcy concentration was negatively correlated with total scores of BCAT, digit copy, Chinese character comparison, mental arithmetic, Chinese character rotation and recall answer of mental arithmetic test. Total scores of BCAT were negatively correlated with education, inhabitancy, serum tHcy concentration and age. In addition, Chinese character rotation was correlated with tea consumption. Remembrance and recognition of dual words and nonsense figures was correlated with income level.

Conclusions

Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with cognitive impairment in the middle-aged and the elderly persons in Tianjin. The BCAT scores could well represent the detailed cognitive function in elderly and negatively correlate with age, but positively correlated with education level. Serum tHcy concentration was negatively correlated with total BCAT scores..     

Design of Biodegradable Hydrogel for the Local and Sustained Delivery of Angiogenic Plasmid DNA

Purpose To attain the effective local and sustained delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding for a growth factor. Methods We hypothesized that controlling the degradation rate of biomaterials encapsulating pDNA via concurrent physical dissociation of the cross-linked structure and hydrolytic chain breakage of polymers would allow one to significantly broaden the range of pDNA release rate. This hypothesis was examined using ionically cross-linked polysaccharide hydrogels which were previously designed to rapidly degrade via engineering of ionic cross-linking junction and partial oxidation of polysaccharide chains. Results The hydrogel degradation rates were varied over the broad range, and pDNA release correlated with the gel degradation rate. Degradable hydrogels were used for the local and sustained delivery of a pDNA encoding for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the ischemic hindlimbs of mice, and local pDNA release significantly improved the recovery of blood perfusion as compared with a bolus injection of VEGFencoding pDNA. Conclusion This strategy to control the hydrogel degradation rate may be useful in regulating the delivery of a broad array of macromolecular drugs, and subsequently improve their therapeutic efficacy.     

Ether-soluble resin glycosides from the roots of Ipomoea batatas

Two new resin glycosides, batataosides I (1) and II (2), and five known compounds, friedelin (3), scopoletin (4), octadecyl caffeate (5), beta-sistosterol (6) and daucosterol (7), were isolated from the roots of Ipomoea batatas. Their structures have been determined based on the chemical and spectral data. Batataosides I and II have novel structures because the core simonic acid B was esterised with cinnamic acid for the first time, and three different substituent esterification groups in one resin glycoside is scarce. The absolute configuration of the aglycone was elucidated to be S by Mosher's method.     

昆虫在医药保健品中的开发现状与前景

世界上的昆虫约有100多万种,有500余种可以食用。据专家们预测,到21世纪,昆虫将成为仅次于微生物和细胞生物的第三大类蛋白质来源,因为昆虫种类多,数量大,分布广,繁殖快,高蛋白,低脂肪,低胆固醇,营养结构合理,肉质纤维少。又易于吸收,并优于植物蛋白,为世界各国所关注。1 已投放市场的昆虫医药、滋补保健品 药品方面近年已完成药理、毒理和临床疗效研究,通过国家药政管理部门严格审查并获得药品生产批准文号,投入批量生产的昆虫类医药新产品主要有:①金水宝胶囊;②宁心宝胶囊;③百龄胶囊。以上3种药品均是利用冬虫夏草头孢霉种发酵生产的。其中“百龄胶囊”1993年获得我国建国以来唯一的中药国家级新药称号;④蚂蚁乙肝宁片剂,是利用拟黑多刺     

染料木素对大鼠成骨细胞增殖与分化的影响

目的:探讨染料木素体外对大鼠成骨细胞增殖与分化的影响。方法:用改良的组织块法分离培养新生大鼠颅骨成骨细胞,染料木素以不同浓度加入细胞培养体系,作用不同时间后,用MTT法检测成骨细胞的增殖情况;用对硝基苯二钠基质动力学法测定细胞内碱性磷酸酶的活性,用改良的Lowry法测蛋白含量。结果:染料木素在1×10~(-5)～1×10~(-9)mol/L浓度范围内作用24h、48h均能促进成骨细胞增殖,在1×10~(-7)～1×10~(-5)mol/L范围内作用72 h可提高成骨细胞内碱性磷酸酶的活性。结论:染料木素体外能促进成骨细胞的增殖与分化。