当归芍药散治疗血脂异常痰瘀互结证的临床观察

目的:观察当归芍药散治疗血脂异常痰瘀互结证的临床疗效.方法:观察300例患者经口服当归芍药散汤剂血脂各项指标和中医症状积分的变化.结果:治疗后总胆固醇、甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白和中医症状积分有明显降低(P<0.05),高密度脂蛋白有明显升高(P<0.05).总有效率92.7%.临床未发现任何不良反应.结论:当归芍药散祛痰除湿,和血化瘀,有明显的调血脂和改善临床证候的作用.     

朱砂对大鼠的肝肾毒性研究

目的:研究朱砂的肝、肾毒性特点,提出朱砂安全用药剂量和用药时间建议,为朱砂的临床安全用药提供科学依据.方法:小鼠单次灌胃给药,测定最大耐受量.采用SD大鼠随机分为对照组和朱砂0.025,0.05,0.1,0.4,0.8 g·kg-1·d~(-1)(相当于《中国药典》剂量高限的1/2,1,2,8,16倍)剂量组.各剂量组均每日灌胃给药1次,连续3个月,于给药后1,2,3个月和停药1个月,测定尿液定性、血常规以及血清生化指标,并观察肝、肾、心、脑等主要脏器的组织形态学变化,确定无明显不良作用水平(NOAEL).结果:朱砂在HgS为98%、可溶性汞为21.5μg·g~(-1)情况下,给小鼠单次灌胃给药最大耐受量达到24g·kg~(-1)(等于摄入可溶性汞516μg·kg~(-1)),相当于人日用量约3 000倍,未见明显毒性反应.朱砂超过一定剂量用药达到1个月以上,肾脏和肝脏均可见与朱砂毒性有关的病理改变,其中,肾脏对朱砂更为敏感.大鼠灌胃朱砂1个月和3个月的无明显毒性剂量分别为0.1,0.05 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)(累积摄入可溶性汞64.5,96μg·kg~(-1)).按照安全系数为60计算出人服用朱砂的日允许摄入量(acceptable daily intake,ADI)约为0.000 9～0.001 7 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1),相当于60 kg人日用剂量为0.05～0.1 g.结论:反复使用朱砂时,建议在可溶性汞含量≤21 μg·g~(-1)的条件下,朱砂的用药剂量不宜超过0.05～0.1 g,用药时间不宜超过2周.     

蒿芩清胆汤对流感病毒性湿热证NF-кB表达的影响

目的:应用蒿芩清胆汤对流感病毒性肺炎湿热症模型进行治疗,并探索其中可能存在信号通路,为评价其作用打下实验基础。方法:将小鼠随机分为正常组、病毒组(单纯病毒感染)、模型组(高脂饮食+湿热环境+病毒感染)、阳性药物组(模型组+病毒唑)、蒿芩清胆汤组(模型组+蒿芩清胆汤)。造模成功后取小鼠肺组织,用免疫组织化学法检测肺组织切片NF-κB阳性光密度值;提取小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞用RT-PCR的方法检测其NF-κBmRNA的表达,测定各组小鼠肺指数并计算肺指数抑制率,再进行比较。结果与模型组相比,蒿芩清胆汤组的小鼠肺病变程度明显好转,肺组织NF-κB的阳性表达及腹腔巨噬细胞NF-κBmRNA的表达均明显降低,差异具有显著性(P<0.05)。结论:蒿芩清胆汤对流感病毒性肺炎湿热症疗效显著,而它是通过下调NF-κB的表达来干预肺泡内炎症反应,减少肺组织损伤从而达到治疗的目的。     

消化性溃疡与幽门螺杆菌感染关系的中西医结合研究

经过纤维胃镜检查的３６１０例病人中有７７８例为消化性溃疡病人。对其中４０１例消化性溃疡病人胃窦部粘膜作了幽门螺杆菌（ＨＰ）检测、ＨＰ阳性者为３５６例，阳性率为８６．６％。与同期检测胃炎组阳性率５５．１％相比明显为高，差异显著。ＨＰ被认为是慢性胃窦炎的主要病因，也是消化性溃疡的重要致病因素。根除ＨＰ可提高ＤＵ治愈率，降低ＤＵ复发。ＨＰ阳性率在中医证型中表现为非脾虚组明显高于脾虚组，其中以脾胃湿热组最高。     

Organ Accumulation in Mice After Inhalation of Single or Mixed Essential Oil Compounds

Essential oils are composed of multiple components. It is thought that the effect of essential oils is due to specific component ratios, which may differ from the original ratio when the essential oil is absorbed. However, very little detailed research exists in this area. We studied the distribution of essential oil components after inhalation of single and mixed components in mice. This research was done using four main components of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B. L. Burtt. and R. M. Sm.: α‐pinene, p‐cymene, 1,8‐cineole, and limonene. After inhalation of single or mixed components for 90 min, component levels in the brain and liver of mice were measured. The results indicated that the amount of α‐pinene in the brain and liver was twofold greater after mixed‐component inhalation than that after single‐component inhalation. In a comparison of the components of the mixed inhalation, the ratio of α‐pinene increased to about three times that of 1,8‐cineole. It is thought that the absorption via the nasal mucus greatly influences this phenomenon. The results of this investigation of the bodily distribution of essential oil volatile components may provide clues for elucidating their action. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A genome-wide view of Caenorhabditis elegans base-substitution mutation processes

Knowledge of mutation processes is central to understanding virtually all evolutionary phenomena and the underlying nature of genetic disorders and cancers. However, the limitations of standard molecular mutation detection methods have historically precluded a genome-wide understanding of mutation rates and spectra in the nuclear genomes of multicellular organisms. We applied two high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies to identify and characterize hundreds of spontaneously arising base-substitution mutations in 10 Caenorhabditis elegans mutation-accumulation (MA)-line nuclear genomes. C. elegans mutation rate estimates were similar to previous calculations based on smaller numbers of mutations. Mutations were distributed uniformly within and among chromosomes and were not associated with recombination rate variation in the MA lines, suggesting that intragenomic variation in genetic hitchhiking and/or background selection are primarily responsible for the chromosomal distribution patterns of polymorphic nucleotides in C. elegans natural populations. A strong mutational bias from G/C to A/T nucleotides was detected in the MA lines, implicating oxidative DNA damage as a major endogenous mutagenic force in C. elegans. The observed mutational bias also suggests that the C. elegans nuclear genome cannot be at equilibrium because of mutation alone. Transversions dominate the spectrum of spontaneous mutations observed here, whereas transitions dominate patterns of allegedly neutral polymorphism in natural populations of C. elegans and many other animal species; this observation challenges the assumption that natural patterns of molecular variation in noncoding regions of the nuclear genome accurately reflect underlying mutation processes.     

The impact of Salmonella Enteritidis on lipid accumulation in chicken hepatocytes

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is a public health concern and infected chickens serve as a reservoir that potentially transmits to humans through food. Although SE seldom causes systemic disease in chickens, virulent SE strains can colonize in intestines and lead a persistent infection of the liver. The liver is the primary organ for lipid metabolism in chickens and the site for production and assembly of main components in yolk. We performed a time-course experiment using LMH-2A cells that were infected with SE and co-incubated with β-oestradiol to evaluate if SE infection affected lipid metabolism and subsequently changed lipoprotein formation for egg yolk. The results indicated that lipid accumulation significantly increased in infected LMH-2A cells while the viability of these cells was only slightly decreased. The mRNA expressions of lipid transportation and most lipogenetic genes including sterol regulatory element binding protein 1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty-acid synthase, long-chain-fatty-acid-CoA ligase 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) II were significantly up-regulated while the expression of lipogenetic-related stearoyl-CoA denaturase 1 was down-regulated. Moreover, decline in lipid transportation of hepatocytes was evidenced by the down-regulation of oestrogen receptor α which promotes VLDLy formation, an increase of intra-cellular accumulation of Apoprotein B (ApoB) protein, and a decrease of cellular excretion of VLDL protein. Conclusively, SE infection could elevate lipid synthesis and reduce lipid transportation in the chicken hepatocytes. These changes may lead excessive lipid accumulation in liver and slower lipoprotein deposition in yolk.     

1,3-dichloro-2-propanol induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through cAMP/protein kinase A and AMP-activated protein kinase pathways via Gi/o-coupled receptors

1,3-dichloro-2-propanol (1,3-DCP) is a food born hepatoxic chloropropanol contaminant that has been detected in a wide range of foods. In the present study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of 1,3-DCP on lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. The data showed 1,3-DCP significantly increased intracellular content of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) at 0.5–2 μg/mL. Further results showed that 1,3-DCP greatly decreased cyclic AMP (cAMP) level. In addition, 1,3-DCP inhibited PKA and AMPK signaling pathway, but had no influence on intracellular calcium and regulated proteins. Moreover, Gi/o protein inhibitor PTX significantly inhibited 1,3-DCP induced decrease of cAMP, p-PKA and p-AMPK expression. Furthermore, 1,3-DCP significantly decreased GPR41 and GPR43 expression, but had no effect on GPR109B.Thus, we concluded that 1,3-DCP induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells through cAMP/PKA and AMPK signaling pathways via Gi/o-coupled receptor.     

Long‐term effects of health investments and parental favoritism: the case of breastfeeding

This paper re‐examines the effects of breastfeeding on long‐term educational outcomes using longitudinal data on siblings. While family‐fixed effects allow controls for all shared family factors, these estimators are sensitive to compensating or reinforcing behaviors by parents. These biases may be particularly important for estimating the effects of parental investment such as breast feeding, where sibling discordance may be difficult to treat as a random outcome and may result in persistence in differential investments between siblings. This paper uses a unique question asked to adolescent siblings about parental favoritism to adjust for potential reinforcing behavior by parents. Standard fixed effects estimates suggest important long‐term educational effects of breastfeeding; however, these effects are uniformly eliminated after focusing on families who treat siblings equally. These findings shed light on the mechanisms linking associations between breastfeeding and longer term outcomes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

平胃散对湿阻中焦模型醛固酮和神经降压素的影响

目的揭示湿阻中焦证的本质并阐明平胃散的作用机理。方法通过放免法测定各组大鼠血浆醛固酮(ALD)、神经降压素(NT)浓度的变化。结果与模型组及空白组比较,自然恢复组及平胃散组ALD均明显降低(P<0.05),平胃散组NT减少(P<0.05)。结论醛固酮(ALD)、神经降压素(NT)是湿阻中焦证的病机变化之一;而其中调控NT水平可能也是平胃散的直接作用机制之一。