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Background and Objective: Recently, a large number of trials on proton pump inhibitor-amoxicillin-containing high-dose dual therapy (HDDT) versus bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BQT) for Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) eradication have been published with controversial and inconsistent conclusions. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the effects of HDDT for H. pylori eradication compared to BQT., Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted., Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library database were searched to collect all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of HDDT versus BQT to H. pylori eradication from inception to September 2022. Meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model. Quality of evidence was appraised using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to determine the reliability and conclusiveness., Results: A total of 14 RCTs with 5121 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that there was no statistical significance in the eradication rate between HDDT and BQT (intention-to-treat analysis: 86.7% versus 85.1%, RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.98-1.04; per-protocol analysis: 89.9% versus 89.4%, RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.98-1.03; moderate-quality evidence). The incidence of total adverse effects in HDDT group was significantly lower than in BQT group (5.9% versus 34.1%, RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.34-0.50; low-quality evidence). No statistical significance was observed in compliance between HDDT and BQT (RR = 1.01, 95% CI, 1.00-1.03, p  = 0.07; low-quality evidence). The TSA result for H. pylori eradication rate indicated that the effect was conclusive., Conclusions: Evidence from our updated meta-analysis suggests that HDDT is as effective as BQT in eradicating H. pylori , with fewer adverse effects and similar compliance., Registration: Open Science Framework registries (No: osf.io/th4vd)., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2023.)

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that macular ganglion cell layer (GCL) measurements detect early glaucoma with higher accuracy than ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness measurements., Design: Cross-sectional study., Participants: The first cohort included 58 glaucomatous eyes with visual field mean deviation (MD) ≥ -6 dB and 125 normal eyes. The second cohort included 72 glaucomatous and 73 normal/glaucoma suspect (GS) eyes with scans able to create GCL/GCIPL deviation maps., Methods: In the first cohort, 8 × 8 GCL and GCIPL grids were exported and 5 superior and inferior sectors were defined. Global and sectoral GCL and GCIPL measures were used to predict glaucoma. In the second cohort, proportions of scan areas with abnormal (< 5% and < 1% cutoffs) and supernormal (> 95% and > 99% cutoffs) thicknesses on deviation maps were calculated. The extents of GCL and GCIPL abnormal areas were used to predict glaucoma., Main Outcome Measures: Extents of abnormal GCL/GCIPL regions and areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) for prediction of glaucoma were compared between GCL or GCIPL measures., Results: The average ± standard deviation MDs were -3.7 ± 1.6 dB and -2.7 ± 1.8 dB in glaucomatous eyes in the first and second cohorts, respectively. Global GCIPL thickness measures (central 18° × 18° macular region) performed better than GCL for early detection of glaucoma (AUROC, 0.928 vs. 0.884, respectively; P = 0.004). Superior and inferior sector 3 thickness measures provided the best discrimination with both GCL and GCIPL (inferior GCL AUROC, 0.860 vs. GCIPL AUROC, 0.916 [P = 0.001]; superior GCL AUROC, 0.916 vs. GCIPL AUROC, 0.900 [P = 0.24]). The extents of abnormal GCL regions at a 1% cutoff in the central elliptical area were 17.5 ± 22.2% and 6.4 ± 10.8% in glaucomatous and normal/GS eyes, respectively, versus 17.0 ± 22.2% and 5.7 ± 10.5%, respectively, for GCIPL (P = 0.06 for GCL and 0.002 for GCIPL). The extents of GCL and GCIPL supernormal regions were mostly similar in glaucomatous and normal eyes. The best performance for prediction of glaucoma in the second cohort was detected at a P value of < 1% within the entire scan for both GCL and GCIPL (AUC, 0.681 vs. 0.668, respectively; P = 0.29)., Conclusions: Macular GCL and GCIPL thicknesses are equivalent for identifying early glaucoma with current OCT technology. This is likely explained by limitations of inner macular layer segmentation and concurrent changes within the inner plexiform layer in early glaucoma., (Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Adipose tissue loss seen with cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) may functionally drive cachexia development. Using single-cell transcriptomics, we unveil a large-scale comprehensive cellular census of the stromal vascular fraction of white adipose tissues from patients with or without CAC. We report depot- and disease-specific clusters and developmental trajectories of adipose progenitors and immune cells. In adipose tissues with CAC, clear pro-inflammatory transitions were discovered in adipose progenitors, macrophages and CD8 + T cells, with dramatically remodeled cell interactome among these cells, implicating a synergistic effect in promoting tissue inflammation. Remarkably, activated CD8 + T cells contributed specifically to increased IFNG expression in adipose tissues from cachexia patients, and displayed a significant pro-catabolic effect on adipocytes in vitro; whereas macrophage depletion resulted in significantly rescued adipose catabolism and alleviated cachexia in a CAC animal model. Taken together, these results unveil causative mechanisms underlying the chronical inflammation and adipose wasting in CAC., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: To improve Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication rate, enhanced patient instructions (EPI) such as telephone-based re-education, short-message service, and Wechat have been proposed with conflicting results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of EPI on H. pylori eradication., Methods: The PROSPERO registered number of this study is CRD42021278536. PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL database were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to September 2021. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was conducted to determine the robustness of the H. pylori eradication rate., Results: Nine RCTs were included. Compared with patients receiving only regular instructions, patients received EPI showed significantly higher H. pylori eradication rate (n = 8 RCTs, ITT analysis: RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.35; PP analysis: RR = 1.12, 95% CI:1.02-1.23) and better patient compliance (n = 8 RCTs, RR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.09-1.39), as well as higher patient satisfaction (n = 3 RCTs, RR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.14-1.76). However, there were no significant difference between groups in the incidence of total adverse events (n = 6 RCTs, RR = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.40-1.08) and symptom relief rates (n = 2 RCTs, RR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.89-1.54). The TSA result indicated that the effect was robust., Conclusions: Evidence from our meta-analysis shows that EPI intervention may be a promising strategy to improve H. pylori eradication rate, patient compliance, and patient satisfaction., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The oxadiazole core is considered a privileged moiety in many medicinal chemistry applications. The oxadiazole class includes 1,2,3-oxadiazole, 1,2,4-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and 1,2,5-oxadiazole. Compounds bearing an oxadiazole ring show a wide range of biological activities, such as anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, and insecticidal properties. Among oxadiazoles, the 1,3,4-oxadiazole has been the most widely explored moiety in medicinal chemistry research. This review is primarily focused on the anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities of compounds containing 1,2,4-oxadiazole, 1,3,4-oxadiazole and 1,2,5-oxadiazole reported in the last five years., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Obesity, a metabolic disease caused by multiple factors, has become a global health problem. In addition to nutrient intake and sedentary lifestyle, environmental pollutants exposure has been shown to be involved in obesity epidemics. Antibiotics, a new type of environmental pollutant, have been widely used in animal husbandry, aquaculture and microorganism. However, the effects of antibiotics exposure on fat metabolism and metabolic diseases are largely unknown. Methods: We screened major types of antibiotics to examine their effects on the differentiation capacity and thermogenic functionality of brown and beige adipocytes, and found that azithromycin, one major kind of macrolide antibiotics suppressed brown and beige adipocyte functionality. We thus examined azithromycin accretion in adipose tissues of obese patients that correlates with BMI by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and systematically explore the influences of azithromycin on adiposity and metabolic performance in mice under high diet. Results: Azithromycin (macrolides) inhibits the mitochondrial and thermogenic gene programs of brown and beige adipocytes, thus disrupting their mitochondrial function and thermogenic response. Consistently, azithromycin treatment are more prone to diet-induced obesity in mice, and this was associated with impaired energy expenditure. Importantly, azithromycin is more accumulated in adipose tissue of obese patients and correlates with BMI and body weight. Mechanistically, we found that azithromycin inhibits mitochondria respiratory complex I protein levels and increases reactive oxidative species (ROS) levels, which causes damage of mitochondrial function in brown and beige adipocytes. The deleterious effects of azithromycin can be ameliorated by antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Conclusions: Taken together, this work highlights the possible role of azithromycin in obesity epidemic and presents strategies for safe applications of antibiotics in the future., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Background: RNA modification is a regulation at the post-transcriptional level. RNA methylation modification accounts for more than 60% of all RNA modifications, and m[superscript 6]A(6-methyladenine) is the most common type of RNA methylation modification on mRNA of higher organisms. The modification level of transcription m[superscript 6]A is dynamically regulated by methyltransferase (reader), binding protein (writer) and demethylase (eraser). Furthermore, m[superscript 6]A methylation has been found to have an impact on tumor initiation and progression through various mechanisms., Methods: 13 genes related m[superscript 6]A from all the gene expressions in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were screened. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis were applied to explore the functions of genes identified in study. We clustered the related regulators of m[superscript 6]A into three subgroups with "ConsensusClusterPlus". 13 genes were used for univariate Cox analysis to find genes associated with prognosis, and the risk model was constructed based on lasso regression. According to the median risk score of each patient, the patients were divided into high and low risk groups for survival analysis. The ROC curve evaluates the model. Then the risk group and clinical characteristics were analyzed., Results: The three subgroups had different clinical characteristics. Our tumor clusters were related to grade, survival status. Moreover, we observed a significantly longer overall survival (OS) in the cluster 1 than the cluster 2 and cluster 3. Three m[superscript 6]A-related genes related to prognosis were used to construct a prognostic risk model. We found age are independent prognostic marker. What's more, risk score can also be an independent prognostic factor., Conclusion: Revealing the regulation and functional mechanism of cross-talk among m[superscript 6]A writers, erasers, and readers, and determine its role in bladder cancer may help in developing novel and efficient strategies for the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of bladder cancer., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The contents of numerous membrane lipids change upon ageing. However, it is unknown whether and how any of these changes are causally linked to lifespan regulation. Acyl chains contribute to the functional specificity of membrane lipids. In this study, working with C. elegans, we identified an acyl chain-specific sphingolipid, C22 glucosylceramide, as a longevity metabolite. Germline deficiency, a conserved lifespan-extending paradigm, induces somatic expression of the fatty acid elongase ELO-3, and behenic acid (22:0) generated by ELO-3 is incorporated into glucosylceramide for lifespan regulation. Mechanistically, C22 glucosylceramide is required for the membrane localization of clathrin, a protein that regulates membrane budding. The reduction in C22 glucosylceramide impairs the clathrin-dependent autophagic lysosome reformation, which subsequently leads to TOR activation and longevity suppression. These findings reveal a mechanistic link between membrane lipids and ageing and suggest a model of lifespan regulation by fatty acid-mediated membrane configuration., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is among the most remarkable public health concerns globally. Accumulating research evidence documents that alteration of gut microbiota has an indispensable role in the onset and progression of obesity and T2DM. A reduced microbial diversity is linked to insulin resistance and energy metabolism, especially for the rise of the Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio. Changes in metabolites followed by the gut dysbacteriosis are linked to the presence of T2DM. Moreover, endotoxin leakage and gut permeability caused by gut dysbacteriosis is more of a trigger for the onset and progression of T2DM. Research documents that natural products are remarkable arsenals of bioactive agents for the discovery of anti-T2DM drugs. Many studies have elucidated that the possible mechanisms of the anti-T2DM effects of natural products are remarkably linked to its regulation on the composition of gut microflora and the successive changes in metabolites directly or indirectly. This review presents a brief overview of the gut microbiota in T2DM and several relevant mechanisms, including short-chain fatty acids, biosynthesis and metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, bile acid signaling, endotoxin leakage, and gut permeability, and describes how dietary natural products can improve T2DM via the gut microbiota., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies on negative air ion (NAI), an important index for evaluating atmospheric quality, has been focused on field observation, and less on NAI under controlled condition. In this study, the NAI concentrations of different individual abundance of Liquidambar formosana and Taxus wallichiana were continuously monitored under the same climatic conditions in Hushan Experimental Base of Qianjiangyuan Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Zhejiang Province from September to October 2018. Changes of NAI concentration were monitored under different levels of air temperature and relative humidity to explore the effects of forest vegetation and meteorological factors on NAI. The results showed that both species significantly increased the NAI concentration. Plant abundance was positively correlated with the NAI concentration, and the relationship between them fitted the quadratic function with the plant abundance ranging from 0 to 50. The fitting equations for L. formosana and T. wallichiana were as follows: y=-0.0484x 2 +4.7005x+345.7 (R 2 =0.62), y=-0.0207x 2 +1.9189x+365.91 (R 2 =0.34). There was a significant positive correlation between NAI concentration and air temperature in the range of 5-30 ℃ with a fitting equation of y=0.4139x 2 -9.2229x+89.919 (R 2 =0.92). The NAI concentration and the relative humidity of air in the range of 56%-87% were positively correlated with a fitting equation of y=3.6508e 0.0526x(R 2 =0.94).

Increases in drought frequency and intensity under climate change will have great impacts on the carbon cycle of forest ecosystems. Understanding the responses of soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity to drought is necessary, when we assess whether soil is a carbon sink or source. The effects of litterfall input on soil respiration, temperature sensitivity and its lagging effect were studied in moso bamboo forests under simulated drought by ceiling method in the field with three litterfall treatments, i.e., ambient litterfall (unchanged, LU), litter addition (LA) and litter removal (LR). The results showed that LU decreased annual soil respiration rate in drought treatment (2.34 Μmol·m -2 ·s -1 ), compared with that in the control (3.15 Μmol·m -2 ·s -1 ) with ambient natural rainfall. LR showed stronger effect on soil respiration than LA. Compared with LU, LR decreased soil respiration rate by 21.0% in ambient condition and by 20.9% in drought treatment, while LA led to 5.3% increase only in drought treatment. Such a result indicated that the effects of LA and LR on soil respiration rate were stronger than LU in the drought condition. Drought decreased the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration by 8.4%, while LA and LR reduced that by 15.4% and 7.6%, respectively. The cumulative CO 2 emissions during the whole 18 months were 7.35 and 5.40 kg CO 2 ·m -2 in the control and drought treatment. Compared with LU, LA increased the cumulative CO 2 emissions by 1.8% and 10.7%, and LR decreased that by 19.9% and 18.0% in the control and drought treatments. Our results indicated that the relationship between the litterfall amount (addition or removal) and soil respiration rate was nonlinear. The significant lagging effect may be caused by the decrease in root growth and microbial activity due to decreased soil water availability in drought treatment. Litterfall played a more important role in soil CO 2 emission under drought, and thus litterfall was a crucial factor in soil carbon emission in the context of climate change.

Objective: This article investigated the changes of some biochemical markers and cardiac function in chronic heart failure (CHF), and provided the basis for the diagnosis of CHF., Methods: New Zealand rabbit CHF model was established using adriamycin (ADR). Twenty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into model group ( n =15) and control group ( n =5), injected with ADR and saline solution via the ear vein respectively, 2 times a week, lasting for 8 weeks. After that, myocardial enzymes, carotid artery pressure, echocardiogram (ECG) and phonocardiogram (PCG) of all New Zealand rabbits were detected and recorded., Results: Compared with control group, all parameters of the model group were changed significantly ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: CHF leads to myocardial damage in New Zealand rabbits, decreased systolic and diastolic function, cardiac reserve index can be used to assess cardiac function.

To explore the photosynthetic capacity and the leaf photosynthetic apparatus for plants with different life forms, CO 2 response curves of 7 woody species and 4 herbaceous species were fitted by the modified rectangular hyperbolic model and the FvCB model, and the photosynthetic parameters, including maximum net photosynthetic rate (P n max ), maximal Rubisco carboxylation rate (V c max ), maximal electron transport rate (J max ), day respiration (R d ), and mesophyll resistance to CO 2 transport (r m ), were compared among different woody species, among different herbaceous species, and between woody and herbaceous life-forms, respectively. The results showed P n max of seven woody species descended in the order of Sapium sebiferum and Boehmeria nivea ＞ Machilus pingii and Pittosporum tobira ＞ Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Castanopsis sclerophylla, and Quercus nuttallii. V c max of S. sebiferum, B. nivea, M. pingii, and P. tobira was significantly higher than that of C. glauca and C. sclerophylla. J max of woody species was in descending order as S. sebiferum ＞ B. nivea and P. tobira ＞ Q. nuttallii, C. sclerophylla, and C. glauca. r m of M. pingii and C. sclerophylla was higher than that of S. sebiferum, P. tobira and B. nivea. P n max of Phytolacca acinosa was significantly higher than that of Ageratum conyzoides and Achyranthes aspera. There was no significant difference in V c max among 4 herbaceous species. J max of P. acinosa was higher than that of A. conyzoides. r m of S. nigrum and A. aspera was higher than that of A. conyzoides. R d of P. acinosa was higher than that of A. conyzoides and A. aspera. The photosynthetic parameters (P n max , V c max , J max and r m ) of woody species were significantly higher than those of herbaceous species, but no significant difference was found in R d between woody and herbaceous species. In conclusion, the difference in photosynthetic capacity among different species and between the two plant life-forms resulted from the difference in Rubisco carboxylation capacity, electron transport capacity, and mesophyll resistance among these species.

The maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield under illumination (F m ') is one of the most important parameters in plant eco-physiological research, and usually was estimated with rectangular flush scheme (RF). However, the estimation accuracy of RF for F m ' was affected by the rapid turnover of photosystem 2 (PS2). In order to eliminate the effect of the rapid turnover of photosystem 2 (PS2), the multiphase flush scheme (MPF) based on the linear relationship between the flush (Q') and chlorophyll fluorescence (F') is proposed to estimate F m ' at infinite irradiance. Leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of three woody species (Castanopsis sclerophylla, Cyclobalanopsis glauca, and Sapium sebiferum) were respectively measured with RF and MPF, F m ' and the derived parameters [the quantum efficiency of PS2 (Φ PSII ), the electron flux through PS2 (J), the maximum electron transfer rate (J max ), mesophyll conductance (g m ) and chloroplast CO 2 concentration (C c )] were compared between the two different schemes, and the effects of RF and MPF on these parameters were analyzed. The results showed that no significant difference was found in the parameters for the three species between RF and MPF at the light intensity lower than 200 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . F m ' estimated with MPF for the three species were 3.5%-5.2%, 11.7%-18.0%, and 3.2%-7.1% higher than those with RF, respectively, at the light intensity higher than 200 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . The derived parameters (Φ PSII , J and J max ) estimated with MPF for the three species were higher than those with RF, while the derived parameters(g m and C c ) estimated with MPF were lower at the light intensity higher than 200 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . In conclusion, estimates of parameters (F m ', Φ PSII , and J) were not significantly affected by the two different schemes at the light intensity lower than 200 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . The estimates of parameters (F m ', Φ PSII , J, J max , g m , and C c ) were significantly affected by the two different schemes at the light intensity higher than 200 μmol·m -2 ·s -1 . Compared with MPF, parameters of F m ', Φ PSII , J and J max estimated with RF were underestimated, while parameters of g m and C c were overestimated.

Objective: To investigate the effect of Hugan Qingzhi tablets on lipid metabolism and inflammation in rats fed on high-fat diet and explore the underlying mechanisms., Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, namely HFD group (with high-fat diet and distilled water), control group (with normal diet and distilled water), fenofibrate group (with high-fat diet and treatment with 0.1 g

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of echinococcosis in Yushu Prefecture of Qinghai Province in 2012., Methods: Two to three towns were selected in each of Chengduo, Nangqian, Qu malai, Yushu, Zaduo and Zhiduo Counties from June to August in 2012. Ultrasound examination was conducted for residents aged over 1 year, and ELISA was performed to detect serum antibody against Echinococcus. Visceral dissection was performed to detect hydatid infection in rodents and livestock. ELISA was used to detect Echinococcus antigen in collected dog feces., Results: A total of 7 025 residents received ultrasound examination, of whom 319 showed hydatid cysts with a morbidity rate of 4.54%. ELISA showed a serum antibody positive rate of 16.38% （457/2 790）. The mobidity of hydatid disease was highest in Chengduo County （7.41%, 181/2 444）, and the rate of serum antibody was highest in Yushu County （23.18%, 127/548）. The morbidity and serum antibody in males were 3.91% （118/3 018） and 13.93% （172/1 235） respectively, and those in females were 5.02% （201/4 007） and 18.33% （285/1 555）. In terms of age distribution, the morbidity was relatively higher in residents of 60- （8.39%, 38/453） and 40- years （6.61%, 67/1 014）; and the rate of serum antibody was highest in residents over 70 years （33.93%, 19/56）. In terms of occupation, the morbidity was relatively higher in herdsmen （5.28%, 252/4 777）, Herdsmen-peasants （6.52%, 24/368）, and religious workers（3.37%, 11/326）, while the rate of serum antibody was relatively higher in children（24%, 6/25）, religious workers （18.79%, 31/165） and herdsmen（18.34%, 328/1 788）. In terms of education level, the morbidity and the rate of serum antibody were both highest in the uneducated（5.04%, 41/4 779; 18.34%, 359/1 958, respectively）. In terms of residential pattern, the morbidity and the rate of serum antibody were both highest in those who were settled in winter and nomadic in summer （8.25%, 227/2 753; 19.48%, 158/811, respectively）. There were significant differences in the morbidity and the rate of serum antibody in aspects of residential region, sex, age, occupation, education level and residential pattern (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In 872 rodents detected, the Echinococcus hydatid rate was 0.46% （4/872）, while in 809 cattle and sheep detected, the Echinococcus hydatid rate was 10.14% （82/809）. The fecal antigen positive rate in 838 samples of dog feces was 10.74%（90/838）., Conclusion: It shows a high morbidity of hydatid diesease and serum antibody positive rate in residents, a high Echinococcus hydatid rate in cattle and sheep, and a high fecal antigen positive rate in dogs in Yushu Prefecture.

Ellagitannins is a kind of phenolic compounds with many biological activities. Recent studies have found that the effective ingredients of these compounds have close relationship with their colon-derived bacteria metabolites, that is urolithins. The objective of this study was to review the structure characteristics, types and distribution of urolithins, improvement in diseases related to prostate, breast and colon, as well as anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and other biological activities. The present review will lay the foundation for development and utilization of urolithins., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Variations of PM 2.5 concentrations and effects of pollution control measures during two red alert periods in 2015 in Beijing were analyzed based on atmospheric pollutant monitoring data. The results showed that during the first red alert, the highest hourly-averaged PM 2.5 concentration occurred at 19:00 on 9th December with a value of 282 μg·m -3 and the highest hourly PM 2.5 concentration appeared at Yongledian station which is near the southeast border of Beijing, with the peak concentration of 496 μg·m -3 . During the second red alert, the highest hourly-averaged concentration of PM 2.5 occurred at 20:00 on 22th with a value of 421 μg·m -3 . The highest hourly PM 2.5 concentration was monitored at Liulihe station which is near the southwest border of Beijing, with the peak concentration of 831 μg·m -3 . During the duration period of both red alerts, the concentrations at the southern stations were higher than those at downtown stations and the PM 2.5 concentrations at northern stations were found to be the smallest. The difference between these two red alerts was that during the second red alert, the PM 2.5 concentrations in southern Beijing were significantly higher than those in the northern area, while the magnitude of this south-to-north gradient was much smaller during the first one. During the second red alert, up to 93% of Beijing area showed an average PM 2.5 concentration of above 150 μg·m -3 , which was much larger than that in the first one. The meteorological conditions during the two red alerts were both not conducive to the spread of pollutants. Formation of secondary pollutants and regional pollutant transport existed as well. Though the stagnant weather conditions were in favor of the development of severe pollution, large regional-wide pollutant emission was the main reason for these two heavy air pollutions in Beijing. PM 2.5 concentrations were decreased by 20%-25% after the implementation of emergency response measures, which showed the significance of emission reduction in air pollution control.

The sliding zone soil of Motuo and GelinLandslides were tested with X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and infrared absorption spectra. Its compositins of main minerals and clay minerals, even the chemical compositions were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that the composition of the main minerals was controlled by alluvial fan composition, and the contents of clay minerals accounted for 9% and 10% respectively, with a large number of illitecontained in the sliding zone soilofMotuoLandslide, which reflects that the landslide had a high slip rate. There were no exotic corbonates minerals or secondary clay minerals contained corrosive substance with poor mechanical properties filled into theslidingplane because of the closed system, based on the infrared absorption spectrum with no peaks arising from CO2-3, HCO1-3 or C—H, as a positive affect result of the stability of these lamdsiles.The samples of sliding zone soil contain a certain amount of halloysite, reflecting that the landslides in the area of Motuo developed in a very humid and warm environment. With Na2O and CaO preserved in the closed system, a large number of illite/montmorillonite mixed layer formed in the sliding zone soilofGelinlandslide due to the strong water-rock interaction in thesliding plane with the decomposition of illite. The frictional strength of sliding zone was largely reduced due to the clay mineral assemblages, leading to the activity risk of landslide increasing.

This study aims to explore the aphicidal activity and underlying mechanism of Illicium verum Hook. f. that is used as both food and medicine. The contact toxicity of the extracts from I. verum fruit with methyl alcohol (MA), ethyl acetate (EA), and petroleum ether (PE) against Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) of M. persicae after contact treatment were tested. The results showed that MA, EA, and PE extracts of 1.000 mg/l caused, respectively, M. persicae mortalities of 68.93%, 89.95% and 74.46%, and the LC50 of MA, EA, and PE extracts were 0.31, 0.14 and 0.27 mg/l at 72 h after treatment, respectively; the activities of AChE and GSTs in M. persicae were obviously inhibited by the three extracts, as compared with the control, with strong dose and time-dependent effects, the inhibition rates on the whole reached more than 50.00% at the concentration of 1.000 mg/l at 72 h after treatment. The inhibition of the extracts on AChE and GSTs activities (EA extract > PE extract > MA extract) were correlated with theirs contact toxic effects, so it is inferred that the decline of the metabolic enzymes activities may be one of important reasons of M. persicae death. The study results suggested that I. verum extracts have potential as a eco-friendly biopesticide in integrated pest management against M. persicae., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.)

Warm‑supplementing kidney yang (WSKY) is an herbal prescription that has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of psychiatric conditions. A previous study by our group found that WSKY significantly improved cognitive function of schizophrenia patients. In the present study, the effects of WSKY on cognitive function and their underlying mechanisms were investigated. WSKY was administered to an MK‑801‑induced rat model of chronic schizophrenia for 14 days. Memory performance was assessed using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. The expression of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), activation of cAMP response element binding protein (pCREB/CREB) and activation of extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (pERK/ERK) in the hippocampus was detected using western blot analysis. In the acquisition phase of the MWM test, the escape latency was significantly increased in the MK‑801‑treated group compared with the normal control group (P<0.01). Treatment with WSKY for 14 days at doses of 100 or 250 mg/kg rescued this cognitive impairment (P<0.05). In the probe test, 250 mg/kg WSKY treatment increased the time spent in the target quadrant (P<0.05) and number of platform crossings (P<0.01). Western blot analysis demonstrated that the levels of BDNF expression in the hippocampus of rats without behavioral tests were elevated following 14 days of WSKY treatment, and the effect of WSKY treatment on hippocampal BDNF expression was presented in an inverted U‑shaped dose‑response pattern. The pERK1/2 in the hippocampus was significantly enhanced following 100 mg/kg (P<0.01) and 250 mg/kg (P<0.01) WSKY treatment, while only 250 mg/kg WSKY increased the phosphorylation of CREB (P<0.01). The results of the present study indicated that WSKY enhances cognitive performance via the upregulation of BDNF/ERK/CREB signaling, and that WSKY has potential therapeutic implications for cognitive impairment of schizophrenia.

Quartz in the veins at the Shenxigou section of Wenchuan earthquake fault zone was investigated by micro-Raman spectroscopic measurement, and the distribution of compressive stress in the fault zone was estimated by the frequency shifts of the 464 cm-1 vibrational mode of quartz grains in the veins. It was showed that the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins near the fault plane shifts by 3. 29 cm-1 , and the corresponding compressive stress is 368. 63 MPa, which is significantly lower than the stress accumulation on both sides due to multi-stage events. Stress accumulation increased with moving away from the fault plane in the footwall with the offset of the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins increasing, which can reach 494. 77 MPa at a distance of 21 m with a high offset of 4. 40 cm-1 of the 464 cm-1 peak. The compressive stress gets the maximum value of 519.87 MPa at a distance of 10 m from the fault plane in the hanging wall with the offset of the 464 cm-1 peak arising from the quartz grains in the veins being 4. 62 cm-1, followed by a sudden drop in stress accumulation, and it drops to 359. 59 MPa at a distance of 17 m. Because of moving away from the foult plane at the edge of the foult zone, the stress drops to 359. 59 MPa with a small value of 464 cm-1 peak offset 3. 21 cm-1 at a distance of 27 m from the fault plane in the hanging wall due to the little effect by the fault activity. Therefore, the stress of Wenchuan earthquake fault zone is partially released, but the rest of the stress distribution is uneven, and there is also a high stress accumulation in somewhere in the fault zone, which reflects that the mechanical properties of the rocks in the fault zone have a characteristic of unevenness in space.

To determine the mechanism of soil stabilizing through Bambusa oldhami root system, the vertical distribution of B. oldhami root system in soil was investigated, and the tensile strength of individual root and soil shear strength were measured in B. oldhami forest. The dry mass, length, surface area and volume of the B. oldhami root system decreased with the increasing soil depth, with more than 90% of the root system occurring in the 0-40 cm soil layer. The root class with D 1 mm occupied the highest percentage of the total in terms of root length, accounting for 79.6%, but the lowest percentage of the total in terms of root volume, accounting for 8.2%. The root class with D >2 mm was the opposite, and the root class with D= 1-2 mm stayed in between. The maximum tensile resistance of B. oldhami root, either with 12% moisture content or a saturated moisture content, increased with the increasing root diameter, while the tensile strength decreased with the increasing root diameter in accordance with power function. Tensile strength of the root, with either of the two moisture contents, was significantly different among the diameter classes, with the highest tensile strength occurring in the root with D < or = 1 mm and the lowest in the root with D > or = 2 mm. The tensile strength of root with 12% moisture content was significantly higher than that with the saturated moisture content, and less effect of moisture content on root tensile strength would occur in thicker roots. The shear strengths of B. oldhami forest soil and of bare soil both increased with the increasing soil depth. The shear strength of B. oldhami forest soil had a linear positive correlation with the root content in soil, and was significantly higher than that of bare soil. The shear strength increment in B. oldhami forest was positively correlated with the root content in soil according to an exponential function, but not related significantly with soil depth.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Capillaria hepatica in rodents from Anning Prefecture, Yunnan, and observe the susceptibility of C. hepatica to SD rats and KM mice., Methods: Rodents were trapped in a cultivated filed of Wenquan Town, Annning from March 2010 to March 2012. The species of rodents were identified. The liver was examined and a microscopic examination of tissue was performed by the tissue press technique for the presence of the typical bipolar eggs, adults or larval stages. The prevalence of C. hepatica in rodents was calculated. C. hepatica eggs were collected and cultured in vitro. Each SD rat or KM mouse was orally infected with approximately 1 000 C. hepatica eggs. The control groups with 4 SD rats or 4 KM mice received only normal saline. The experimental animals were euthanized at the 30th and 80th day post infection. Collected liver samples were processed for gross pathological and histological section examination., Results: A total of 115 rodents were captured and examined. C. hepatica eggs were found in 26 (22.6%) rodents. There was no significant difference in the prevalence between female (22.5%, 18/80) and males (22.9%, 26/115) (P > 0.05). The highest prevalence was found in Rattus norvegicus (10/11). Pathologi cal findings showed numerous white-yellow small nodules ranged from 0.1-0.2 cm in diameter. Under light microscope, C. hepatica eggs were ovoid [(50-65) microm x (25-30) microm]. At the 30th day post-infection, there were several adult worms and their eggs delimited by a fibrous capsule, and septal fibrosis formations occurred in the liver of SD rat. No worm or eggs were found in the mouse liver, but the liver presented inflammatory cell infiltration. At the 80th day post-infection, live worms disappeared from the focal lesions in the liver of SD rat, being replaced by partially calcified worm debris. Mature worms and eggs were seen in the KM mouse liver, however, septal fibrosis was absent., Conclusion: This study has documented a high prevalence of C. hepaticum in R. norvegicus from Anning Prefecture. SD rat and KM mouse are the susceptible hosts of C. hepatica.

Objective: To investigate the effect and indication of one stage posterior debridement and bone grafting fusion and internal fixation for thoracic tuberculosis., Methods: From January 2005 to May 2011,12 patients with thoracic tuberculosis were treated with one stage posterior debridement and pedicle screw fixation combined with regular anti-tuberculosis treatment before and after operation. There were 7 males and 5 females,with an average age of 45 years and average course of 15 months. Information of operative time, blood loss, bony fusion, local kyphosis and neurologic functional were evaluated., Results: All infective focus were thoroughly removed and bone graft obtained fusion. The mean of operative time and blood loss were 170 min (120-210 min) and 510 ml (200-1 000 ml),respectively. Cobb angle from (28.7 +/- 9.2) degrees preoperatively decreased to (8.2 +/- 3.5) degrees postoperatively(P<0.05). No kyphosis correction loss,tubercular recurrence or failure of internal fixation was found. According to Frankel grade to evaluate neurological function, all patients arrived to grade E., Conclusion: One stage posterior debridement and bone grafting fusion and internal fixation is an effective method in treating thoracic tuberculosis. It has advantages such as thorough debridement, short operative time, less blood loss, more kyphosis correction and higher bony fusion rate.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone for adolescent or children. The poor prognosis of patients, due to its remote metastasis, has led to the exploration of more effective and less toxic treatments. Immunotherapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing tumors. Herein, we describe experiments conducted with a fusion gene, immunocasp-6, which was generated by fusing a HER2-specific single-chain Ab, a single-chain Pseudomonas exotoxin A and an active caspase-6 which can directly cleave lamin A leading to nucleus damage inducing programmed cell death. We demonstrated that immunocasp-6 can specifically and efficiently recognize and induce apoptosis in HER2-overexpressing osteosarcoma cells in vitro. The immunocasp-6 was transferred into BALB/c athymic mice bearing human osteosarcoma by i.m. injection of liposome-encapsulated pCMV-immunocap-6. Expression of immunocasp-6 not only strongly inhibited tumor growth and significantly prolonged animal survival, but also greatly prevented tumor metastasis. Our data showed that the immuno-casp-6 can specifically recognize HER2-overexpressing osteosarcoma cells, can also promptly attack their nucleus and induce apoptotic death, suggesting the potential of this strategy for the treatment of human HER2-overexpressing tumors.

Objective: To develop a method of quality control for Hugan qingzhi tablets., Methods: Fructus Crataegi, Rhizoma Alismatis and Radix Notoginseng were identified by TLC. HPLC was used for the determination of ursolic acid in Hugan qingzhi tablets., Results: The chromatographic spots were identified without the interference of negative control. Ursolic acid had a good linearity over the concentration range of 40-200 microg/mL (r = 1.000). The average recoveries was 99.05% with relatively standard deviations of 1.3%., Conclusion: This method is reliable, accurate and specific and can be used for the quality control of Hugan qingzhi tablets.

The principle of the detector is based on the effect of microbial toxicity of water sample on the electricity generation in microbial fuel cell (MFC). The performance of the MFC-type biotoxicity detector was evaluated with the synthetic water containing heavy metals of Cd2+ and Cu2+. The experimental results demonstrated that: (1) relative to the conventional methods, the MFC-type detector is easy to operate, and suitable for on-line measurements with high sensitivity; (2) it only requires 4 h to complete measurements, and can get ready for next measurement within 4 h; (3) there is a significant linear correlation between the concentration of toxic metal(s) and inhibition ratios in Coulombic yields of MFC. As the IC20 (concentration causing 20% inhibition) of Cd2+, Cu2+ and mixed metals (Cd2+ and Cu2+) were 0.6, 0.8 and 0.25 mg/L, the regression coefficients were shown to be 0.9960, 0.9744 and 0.9907.

Objective: To investigate the pro-apoptotic effect of Her-2 targeted recombinant caspase-6 fusion protein on osteosarcoma SOSP-9607 cells., Methods: Recombinant immunocasp-6 was generated by sequential fusion of the genes of a signal peptide, a single-chain Her-2 antibody (e23sFv), a PEA translocation domain (PEA aa253-364) and an active caspase-6. The immunocasp-6 gene was cloned into pCMV plasmid to construct a kind of eukaryotic expression vector, i.e. pCMV-e23sfv-PE II-caspase-6 (abbr. pCMV-6) and transfected into SOSP-9607 cells. Murine xenograft models were randomly divided into two groups that received i.m. injections of liposome encapsulated pCMV-6 or pCMV alone. The tumor volume and weight of the nude mice and the tumor weight of the cured mice were observed and statistically analyzed. The morphological changes of the tumors were examined with HE staining, apoptotic morphology of the tumor was observed by TUNEL staining and the gene expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining., Results: The tumor growth of the mice in the treatment group was significantly slower than that of the control group (P = 0.001). The weight of the nude mice in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P = 0.0002). The tumor weight of the mice in the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = 0.0006). HE and TUNEL staining of the tumor of nude mice in the treatment groups showed typical characteristics of apoptosis, while normal structure was found in the control group. Furthermore, caspase-6 was not found in the tumor and muscle tissues in the control group, but only in the treatment group by immunohistochemistry., Conclusion: Immunocasp-6 can selectively recognize and bind to and kill HER-2 positive osteosarcoma cells, therefore, to offer some foundation for the clinical treatment of osteosarcoma.

Objective: To study the life span of Trichinella spiralis male adult and its effect on female fertility., Methods: 22 Kunming mice were divided into three groups. Group A was orally inoculated by encysted larvae, dissected at day 5, 10, 20, and 30 post infection, adult worms were then collected and counted. Group B was fed with 5-day adults (70 females + 30 males/mouse). Group C was fed with 5-day females (70/mouse) only. Groups B and C were sacrificed 30 days post inoculation, larvae were collected to calculate reproductive capacity index (RCI). Male worms of day 5, 10, 20 and 30 were fixed in glutaraldehyde for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)., Results: 20 days after infection, there were more males than females in the intestines of group A mice (female: male = 1:1.3), but much more males than females on the 30th day after infection (female: male =1:8.5). Mice of groups B and C were infected by 5-day adults successfully with a RCI of 154.90 +/- 2.62 and 13.77 +/- 1.67 respectively (t=111.26, P<0.01). SEM revealed the copulatory bell of 5-day male adult, alae erected, and genital pore uncovered; while alae of 20-day male collapsed, genital pore was covered. Under TEM, there were large number of mature sperms within spermaductus of 5-day and 10-day males, but only a few immature sperms in the testis of 20-day and 30-day males., Conclusion: Male adults can survive longer than one month in host. 5-day female and male adults and 5-day females can infect mice orally, with a significantly higher fertility in the former.

Objective: To investigate the impact of experimental varicocele (EV) on the ipsilateral testis in rats., Methods: EV was induced by partial ligation of the left renal vein in male SD rats, the control rats subjected to sham operation, and the testes of the EV models and controls were extirpated 6, 12, and 18 weeks later. Johnson's score, ultrastructure of seminiferous tubules, intratesticular testosterone concentration (ITC) and germ cell apoptotic index (AI) of each left testis were evaluated., Results: Johnson's scores were (6.92 +/- 0.52), (4.83 +/- 0.41) and (2.95 +/- 0.26), ITCswere (6.32 +/- 0.85), (5.17 +/- 0.76) and (4.11 +/- 0.69) and AIs were (5.32 +/- 1.23), (15.21 +/- 0.97) and (21.13 +/- 1.12) respectively in the 6 w , 12 w and 18 w EV groups, significantly lower than in the corresponding control groups, (9.56 +/- 0.35, 9.63 +/- 0.31, 9.39 +/- 0.46), (9.64 +/- 1.23, 9.38 +/- 0.69, 9.73 +/- 0.49) and (3.21 +/- 1.15, 3.43 +/- 1.21, 3.61 +/- 1. 15) (P < 0.05), the former two showing a gradual decline while the latter a significant elevation with the increasing duration of varicocele. The damage to the ultrastructure of seminiferous tubules was aggravated with the prolonging of varicocele., Conclusion: EV can cause a progressive decline of ITC, dyszoospermia and increased AI of germ cells.

Objective: To optimize the extraction process of Tuirezhitongsan and extract the pharmacodynamically active fractions., Methods: Orthogonal test methods and supercritical-CO(2) fluid extraction (SFE-CO(2)) were used for the extraction, and the the pharmacodynamically active fractions were screened with analgesic experiments., Results: The optimal extraction of the active fractions was achieved with the extraction pressure at 25 MPa, extraction temperature at 45 degrees celsius, resolution pressure at 6.7 MPa, and resolution temperature at 50 degrees celsius., Conclusion: SFE- CO(2) is rapid, efficient, and energy-saving in the extraction of the active fractions in Tuirezhotongsan, and provides a mew method for extraction of traditional Chinese medicine.

69 crabs were collected from Daxing, Gekui and Niukong townships of Lvchun county, Yunnan Province in 2006 and excysted metacercariae were only obtained from crabs of Niukong. The infection rate was 27.6% (8/29) with an average metacercaria number of 2.25 each crab. No encysted metacercariae were found. The excysted metacercariae were morphologically identified as Paragonimus proliferus.

Objective: To identify the species of Paragonimus proliferus with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) based on the surface structure of excysted metacercariae, adult worms and eggs., Methods: Crabs were collected from the endemic area of P. proliferus and excysted metacercariae were separated. Adult worms at different ages and eggs were obtained from the experimentally infected rats. After being fixed by 2.5% glutardialdehyde and 1% osmic acid, alcohol dehydration, gilded by ion spatter, the specimens were observed under SEM by STEREOSCAN-100., Results: The cuticular spines of excysted metacercariae distributed in single pattern, bayonet-shaped or scale-shaped. There were 6 dome-shape papillae around the rim of the ventral sucker symmetrically arranged. The cuticular spines of different age adult worms distributed in group pattern, relatively denser and more regularly arranged in the anterior part than the posterior part of the worm body. The shape and arrangement of the cuticular spines on adult worms at different ages were basically uniform. The surface of eggshell including the operculum was generally smooth. The shell rim joining the operculum was thick and prominent. A knot-like prominence was observed at the aboperculum end., Conclusion: The cuticular spines of both excysted metacercariae and adult worms of P. proliferus show its own characteristics, but the size and shape of the cuticular spines among individuals or different parts of the same specimen show certain differences.

Objective: To explore the prevalence of vision, mental, audibility, language, psychiatry, extremity, and influence factors in the 0 - 7 year olds., Methods: A total number of 77,727 0 - 7 year old children living in Shenzhen city were tested with tree phase screening under the Chinese standard of evaluation in disabilities., Results: The prevalence of all disabilities was 5.59 per thousand (adjusted rate was 8.49 per thousand with a false negative of 3.1 per thousand ). The prevalence of mental disease was the highest (1.88 per thousand, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ), the prevalence of language disability was 1.88 per thousand (including retarded language development, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ). The prevalence rates of psychiatry, extremity and audibility disability were 1.59 per thousand, 1.56 per thousand, 1.11 per thousand respectively with of vision the lowest (0.37 per thousand ). The prevalence of all disabilities, audibility, language and mental was on the increase with age. The difference was statistically significant. Among all different age groups regarding psychiatric disease, the highest fell in the 2 - 4 year olds. The prevalence of extremity was not statistically different among age groups. The suspected agents of disease which occurred before or during pregnancy took up 45.7%., Conclusion: The prevalence of six kinds disabilities in Shenzhen was about 10 per thousand lower than that of the samples of the nation in 1989, but two times higher than that of similar studies in Japan. The prevalence rates of language and psychiatric disease were higher than that of the nation in 1989. The causation should be further studied.

Objective: To determine the optimal extracting technique for the volatile oil from the Chinese herbs for manufacturing Xiaoerjianpixiaoshi oral solution., Methods: Two steam distillation processes were carried out to extract the volatile oil from three Chinese herbs. UV-spectrophotometry method was used to determine the oil content in the distillate, and the mathematical model was established according to volatile oil distillation process by exponential curve regression analysis., Result: Direct extraction of the oil by means of steam distillation process was more workable, and the decrement of oil content conformed well with the exponential model. Collection of 2 volumes of the distillate resulted in the yield of volatile oil of 61.64%., Conclusion: The optimal extraction of the volatile oil can be resulted from immersion of the drugs in 8 volumes of water for 0.5 h and collection of 2 volumes of the distillate.

Background: To explore the pathological features and pathogenesis of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to provide evidence for the clinical treatment and prevention of SARS., Methods: Pathological features of 2 cases of full autopsy and 4 cases of needle biopsy tissue samples from the patients who died from SARS were studied by light and electron microscopy. The distribution and quantity of lymphocyte subpopulations in the lungs and immune organs from SARS patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The location and semi-quantitative analysis of SARS coronavirus in the tissue specimens were studied by electron microscopy, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry., Results: In total of 6 cases, diffuse alveolar damage and alveolar cell proliferation were common. The major pathological changes of 2 autopsy cases of SARS in lung tissues were acute pulmonary interstitial and alveolar exudative inflammation, and 2 autopsy and one biopsy lung tissues showed alveolar hyaline membrane formation. Terminal bronchiolar and alveolar desquamation of lung tissues in one autopsy and 2 biopsy cases were noted. Among 6 cases, 2 biopsy cases presented early pulmonary fibrosis and alveolar organization. Meanwhile, the immune organs, including lymph nodes and spleens from 2 autopsy cases of SARS whose disease courses were less than 12 days showed extensive hemorrhagic necrosis, reactive macrophage/histocyte proliferation, with relative depression of mononuclear and granulocytic clones in the bone marrows. However, spleen and bone marrow biopsy tissue samples from 4 dead SARS cases whose clinical course lasted from 21 to 40 days presented repairing changes. SARS coronaviruses were mainly identified in type I and II alveolar epithelia, macrophages, and endothelia; meanwhile, some renal tubular epithelial cells, cardiomyocytes, mucosal and crypt epithelial cells of gastrointestinal tracts, parenchymal cells in adrenal glands, lymphocytes, testicular epithelial cells and Leydig's cells were also detected by electron microscopy combined with in situ hybridization. The semi-quantitative analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations revealed that the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes were about 80% of the total infiltrative inflammatory cells in the pulmonary interstitium, with a few CD4+ lymphocytes CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ or CD20+ lymphocyte subpopulations were obviously decreased and there was imbalance in number and proportion, while CD57+, CD68+, S-100+ and HLA-DR+ cells were relatively increased in lymph nodes and spleens., Conclusions: Histologically, the pulmonary changes could be divided into acute inflammatory exudative, terminal bronchiolar and alveolar desquamative and proliferative repair stages or types during the pathological process of SARS. SARS coronavirus was found in multi-target cells in vivo, which means that SARS coronavirus might cause multi-organ damages which were predominant in lungs. There were varying degrees of decrease and imbalance in number and proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations in the immune organs of the patients with SARS. However, these changes may be reversible. It was found that cellular immune responses were predominant in the lungs of SARS cases, which might play an important role in getting rid of coronaviruses in infected cells and inducing immune mediated injury.

Objective: To evaluate the possibility of using the technique of CO2 supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) combined with molecular distillation (MD) to extract, separate and purify the volatile components of Ligusticum wallichii Franch, a Chinese herbal medicine., Methods: SFE was employed to extract the volatile components of Ligusticum wallichii Franch, followed by MD of the product. Analysis of the chemical constituents of the extract both before and after MD was performed with gas chromatography (GC) in conjunction with mass spectrography (MS)., Results: There were 45 kinds of chemical constituents in the extract of Ligusticum wallichii Franch yielded from SFE, among which 39 were left after distillation by MD. Changes also took place in the content of the constituents in the extract after distillation., Conclusions: SFE combined with MD, a technique better than simple SFE, can be used to extract, separate and purify the volatile components of Chinese herbs.

Objective: To establish a method for determining the content of L-sesamin and L-asarinin indifferent parts of Zanthoxylum(Roxb.)DC., Method: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was utilized for this purpose with the column of HYPERSIL BDS C18 and the mobile phase containing acetonitrile and water (50:50), the detection wavelength being 287 nm., Results: The average recovery rates for L-sesamin and L-asarinin were 100.13% and 1.61% and their relative standard deviation (RSD) were 101.24% and 1.46% respectively., Conclusion: The method can be used for the quality control of Zanthoxylum(Roxb.)DC, and the roots of this herb contains more L-sesamin and L-asarinin than its other parts do.