Botany,phytochemistry, pharmacology,and potential application of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.et Zucc.: A review

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. (Polygonum cuspidatum), also known as Reynoutria japonica Houtt and Huzhang in China, is a traditional and popular Chinese medicinal herb. Polygonum cuspidatum with a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects has been used for treatment of inflammation, favus, jaundice, scald, and hyperlipemia, etc.

Aim of the review

The present paper reviews the traditional applications as well as advances in botany, phytochemistry, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and toxicology of this plant. Finally, the tendency and perspective for future investigation of this plant are discussed, too.

Materials and methods

A systematic review of literature about Polygonum cuspidatum is carried out using resources including classic books about Chinese herbal medicine, and scientific databases including Pubmed, SciFinder, Scopus, the Web of Science and others.

Results

Polygonum cuspidatum is widely distributed in the world and has been used as a traditional medicine for a long history in China. Over 67 compounds including quinones, stilbenes, flavonoids, counmarins and ligans have been isolated and identified from this plant. The root of this plant is used as the effective agent in pre-clinical and clinical practice for regulating lipids, anti-endotoxic shock, anti-infection and anti-inflammation, anti-cancer and other diseases in China and Japan.

Conclusion

As an important traditional Chinese medicine, Polygonum cuspidatum has been used for treatment of hyperlipemia, inflammation, infection and cancer, etc. Because there is no enough systemic data about the chemical constituents and their pharmacological effects or toxicities, it is important to investigate the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of this plant based on modern realization of diseases’ pathophysiology. Drug target-guided and bioactivity-guided isolation and purification of the chemical constituents from this plant and subsequent evaluation of their pharmacologic effects will promote the development of new drug and make sure which chemical constituent or multiple ingredients contributes its pharmacological effects. Additionally, chemicals and their pharmacological effects of the other parts such as the aerial part of this plant should be exploited in order to avoid resource waste and find new chemical constituents.     

纳米铁粉对小鼠血糖和血脂的影响

[目的]探讨纳米铁粉对小鼠血糖、血脂的影响。[方法]分别以5g/kg剂量微米粒径铁粉(Micro-Fe)或纳米粒径铁粉(Nano-Fe)给小鼠1次经口灌胃,14d后处死;测定肝、肾脏器系数、血糖(Glu)、总胆固醇(TC)、甘油三酯(TG)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C)的变化。[结果]Micro-Fe和Nano-Fe染毒小鼠肝脏系数明显高于对照组相(P﹤0.05)。与对照组相比,Nano-Fe染毒小鼠血清Glu明显降低(P﹤0.05);Micro-Fe组血清TG比control组有明显升高(P﹤0.05),Nano-Fe组血清TG比control组有升高趋势,但差异无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。Control、Micro-Fe和Nano-Fe染毒组3组小鼠血清TC、LDL-C和HDL-C水平间差异无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。[结论]大剂量Nano-Fe经口染毒可使血清Glu降低,对TC、TG、HDL-C和LDL-C无明显影响。     

大学生预防艾滋病知识与能力评价指标体系的开发研究

目的 开发大学生艾滋病预防知识与能力评价指标。方法 采用改良的Delphi法,选择艾滋病预防控制、健康教育、大学生教育与管理领域的专家40人进行咨询。结果 专家平均年龄48.5±10.33岁,全部具有副高或副处以上职称、职务,大部分工作20年以上;咨询意见回收率分别达到95.0%、82.5%和72.5%,专家权威系数达到0.8264,采用专家选择率、均数、满分率、变异系数作为标准进行指标筛选后,确定一级指标7项,二级指标92项。一级指标协调系数在0.16～0.4之间,权重系数在0.2909～0.3151之间。结论 专家积极可靠,指标筛选过程比较规范,指标比较全面、可靠,可用于实践进一步检验与完善。     

县级疾控机构综合效益评价指标的筛选及其应用研究

目的构建反映"预防为主"功能的县级疾控机构综合效益评价的指标体系。方法运用Delphi法、变异系数法和聚类分析法等3种方法从初选的43个指标中筛选出反映县级疾控机构综合效益的评价指标,采用筛选后的指标,运用加权TOPSIS法对杭州地区13家县级疾控机构2004年各自的综合效益进行模拟评价,并与杭州市疾控中心对上述单位进行评价的实际结果相比较,论证其一致性。结果根据Delphi法、变异系数法和聚类分析法筛选出17个评价指标,用其对13家县级疾控机构进行模拟评价的结果与杭州市疾控中心自身评价的实际结果之间存在正相关性(rs=0.825,P<0.05)。结论本研究建立的整套评价指标能够较好地体现"预防为主"的功能,具有良好的政策导向作用,筛选后的17个指标有一定的代表性,能够比较全面地对县级疾控机构的综合效益进行评价,且容易操作,具有一定的实际应用价值。     

肺结核健康相关生存质量测定量表的研制概况及策略

通过综合查阅国内外结核生存质量相关研究的文献,探讨国内外肺结核生存质量研究的概况,为进一步研制肺结核病健康相关生存质量测定量表提供依据。国内外有关结核病生存质量研究的报告主要集中在研究结核对患者生存质量的影响或采用SF-36等普适性量表进行测定,国内外均缺乏成熟的结核生存质量特异性测定量表。为配合现代结核病控制策略,帮助掌握肺结核病人详细的生存质量资料,需要按照国际上科学、规范和标准化的方法,开展考虑到生存质量测定量表等价性等问题的、便于比较和运用的结核病健康相关生存质量测定量表的研制。     

中国居民四项健康指标地区差异分析

目的了解中国居民健康状况四项指标的地区分布差异。方法以2008年国家卫生服务调查的94个县（市、区）数据为基础,分别采用卡方检验、差异指数和地理分布图分析两周患病率、严重伤害发生率、慢性病患病率、循环系统慢性病患病率的地区差异。结果中国居民健康四项指标的城乡和地域区划差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．01）,城市居民除严重伤害发生率外,其余三项指标均高于农村居民,华北、东北和华东患病水平相对较高;城市居民两周患病率（ID=0．13）均衡性较差,农村居民循环系统慢性病患病率（ID=0．11）较不均衡,西北地区的各指标,D较小且分布均匀;地图显示西南地区各项指标的分布很不均匀。结论中国居民健康状况四项：增标存在地区差异,有助于了解各地区卫生服务需要实际情况,为卫生相关部门制定政策提供依据。     

脐血铅与初乳铅含量与新生儿神经行为发育关系

目的探讨在宫内低水平铅暴露状态下,新生儿脐血铅含量及初乳铅铅含量与神经行为发育的关系。方法随机选取南京市妇幼保健院医院产科2010-01/04出生的足月新生儿170例。以脐血铅和初乳铅铅含量作为新生儿铅暴露的指标,新生儿神经行为（NBNA）发育评分作为效应指标。结果高暴露组在新生儿主动肌张力、原始反射和神经行为发育总评分上低于低暴露组,差异有统计学意义（t=4.625,P〈0.05）,在新生儿行为能力、被动肌张力、一般估价上差异无统计学意义。结论初乳铅脐血铅水平和与婴儿的早期发育有关,铅可通过乳汁和脐血造成新生儿的铅接触,对新生儿婴儿早期神经行为发育产生不良影响。     

浮脉的特征、形成机制及主病研究

从脉象特征、影响因素、形成机制、所主病证4个方面对浮脉进行了阐述。其特征是脉位在上,用力则减;影响因素包括体型、季节、温度;浮脉的形成机制与疾病表里、正气强弱、邪气多少、气机郁滞、阴阳格拒、真气外泄等有关;浮脉主表此为常规,但也有里证表现浮脉者,并列举热证、肺病、头痛、营卫不和、虚阳浮越等5种里证表现为浮脉。     

医院药费监控策略与指标

本文介绍了医院内药费控制的指标及措施：根据现代医疗卫生工作效能的概念，讨论控制医院内药费开支的必要性与重要性，说明临床用药要兼顾疗效与经济学两方面因素，并运用药物经济学的原理与方法评价临床用药，以最低药费获得最佳疗效。     

Changes in statistical methods affected the validity of official suicide rates

Objective

This study investigates whether changes in registration and coding practices influenced official suicide rates in Norway from 1988 to 2002.

Study Design and Setting

A Poisson regression model was used to evaluate rates of suicide and potentially competing underlying causes of death. Setting in Norway 1988-2002.

Results

From 1988 to 1994, suicide mortality decreased significantly, by 23.7%. Simultaneously, rates of causes of death potentially masking suicide decreased or remained fairly stable. From 1994 to 2002, however, there were no significant changes in suicide rates but accidental poisoning, which may mask suicide, increased significantly by 32.4%. Also, “ill-defined causes” of death increased by 16.7%, indicating poorer data quality.

Conclusion

This study suggests that the decreasing suicide rate in 1988-94 reflects a real change. However, the general quality of mortality statistics has deteriorated since the late 1990s, making it difficult to assess developments since 1994. Such variations in the reliability of official suicide statistics complicate international comparisons. However, shifts in the death rate because of “ill-defined” causes could serve as a warning that data quality is not consistent over time.