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A sensitive, rapid, precise and specific analytical method of hydrophilic interaction ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-UHPLC–QTRAP®/MS2) combined with a high-efficiency and easy sample preparation technology of ultrasound-assisted ionic liquid dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (UA-IL-DLLME) was developed to investigate neurotransmitters (NTs) in mild cognitive impairment, mild dementia and moderate dementia patients’ urine samples. Firstly, the UA-IL-DLLME parameters were optimized using Plackett–Burman screening and rotatable central composite design, and the main optimal conditions were obtained: ultrasound power of 307 W, ultrasound time of 4.3 min and agitation time of 4.8 min. Secondly, HILIC-UHPLC–QTRAP®/MS2 method was developed to simultaneously determine 15 underivatized NTs in urine samples. The analysis results of clinical samples showed that some NTs such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), acetylcholine (Ach) and glutamic acid (Glu) presented significant differences in different dementia stages. Finally, multivariate analysis based on the combination of principal component analysis and supervised counter propagation artificial neural network was developed for comprehensive analysis of the obtained clinical data sets. As a result, GABA and Glu were simultaneously presented meaningful contribution for classification of samples, and might be considered as potential differential compounds to the urine samples from cluster patients with different dementia stages. In summary, the presented strategy of preparation, analysis and statistics might be used to investigate NTs in different clinical biological fluids.

Rubiae Radix et Rhizoma (called "Qiancao", QC), the root and rhizome of Rubia cordifolia L., has been widely used in clinical practice for its excellent performance in removing blood stasis and haemostasis. However, after carbonization processing, significant changes occurred in chemical components of the charcoal of Rubiae Radix et Rhizoma (called "Qiancaotan", QCT), which enhanced the performance in haemostasis and weakened the performance in removing blood stasis in clinic. In order to study the material basis of function variation during processing, a rapid, reliable, accurate and validated UPLC-MS/MS approach was established to determine twelve quinones in QC and QCT simultaneously. Meanwhile, the antithrombotic effect of target components on zebrafish thrombus model induced by phenylhydrazine (PHZ) was investigated. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on an ACQUITY UPLC C18column with acetonitrile-water containing 0.2 % (v/v) formic acid as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.30 mL/min. Quantitation was performed using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in positive and negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI). Furthermore, the activity evaluation studies showed that the reduction of removing blood stasis effect of QCT was due to the decrease of dehydro-α-lapachone, lapachol, rubioncolin C and mollugin. This study demonstrated that the method has been successfully applied to determine the content of twelve quinones responsible for the function variation of QCT, and provided a new insight into the material basis and the effect of eliminating stasis before and after processing of QC.

Background Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion represents an endpoint of treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. Methods We have studied whether levels of serum hepatitis B virus ribonucleic acid (HBV RNA) during pegylated interferon alfa-2a treatment might be helpful for predicting HBeAg seroconversion. 61 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with pegylated interferon alfa-2a alone or in combination with adefovir (10 mg/day) for 48 weeks were included in this retrospective analysis. Response was defined as HBeAg seroconversion at 24 weeks posttreatment. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to identify baseline and on-treatment HBV RNA levels associated with response. Results Twenty-two of 61 (36.1%) patients achieved a response. Baseline HBV RNA levels were lower in responders than in nonresponders (4.55 ± 1.19 and 5.90 ± 1.13 copies/mL, respectively, P = 0.001). Baseline HBV RNA cut off level (200,000 copies/mL) provided a positive predictive value (PPV) of 56.0% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 77.8%. HBV RNA level (3000 copies/mL) at week 12 provide a PPV of 75.0% and a NPV of 82.8%. Moreover, HBeAg seroconversion rates at 24 weeks posttreatment were significantly higher in patients with HBV RNA ≤ 200,000 copies/mL at baseline and HBV RNA ≤ 3000 copies/mL at week 12 (92.9%) versus others (12.5%) (All P

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD), as a category of connective tissue diseases, has about 5∼9% of fever of unknown origin (FUO) cases. Diagnosis of AOSD was challenging because of its nonspecific characteristics. The present study analyzed clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in a series of patients with AOSD from eastern China. Medical records of 61 patients admitted with FUO and with a discharge diagnosis of AOSD were retrospectively evaluated and analyzed with special focus on clinical manifestations and laboratory findings. Compared with previous reports, most features of our patients had a similar incidence rate. Rash (79%), arthralgia (80%), and sore throat (84%) were the most frequent clinical manifestations in our series. Leukocytosis (80%), elevated ESR (98%) and CRP (100%), negative ANA (90%) and RF (93%), and high ferritin level (94%) were the most sensitive laboratory findings in our patients. AOSD was not a rare reason of FUO in eastern China. Fever, arthralgia, rash, sore throat, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, elevated ESR and CRP, negative ANA and RF, and high ferritin level were the most common clinical features in our series. The lack of highly specific characteristic makes the diagnosis of AOSD difficult compared with other diseases in FUO.

To study the components of Typha angustifolia change before and after carbonized and the correlation with its effective.The chemical constitutions between the pollen and its carbonized product were compared by UPLC-MASS and their thrombin activity was tested.The change of components was significant especially the flavonoids. The content of flavonoid glycoside was reduced obviously and the thrombin activity showed the main difference was quercetin and isorhamnetin.The flavonoids in pollen typha may be the main factors in their thrombin activity.

To establish an LC-MS/MS method for determination of isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside and investigate its application on pharmacokinetic study in rats.Eight rats were given 5 mg·kg(-1) isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside after intravenous administration. A highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidosidein rat plasma using rutin as internal standard. The analytes and rutin (internal standard) were extracted with methanol followed by a rapid isocratic elution with 10 mmol·L(-1) ammonium acetate buffer/methanol (20 : 80, V/V) on a C18 column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, I.D., 5 μm) and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry in the multi-eaction-monitoring mode.The assays were linear over the concentration range of 0.01-10 μg·mL(-1) for isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidosidein rat plasma. The lower limit of quantifications for isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidoside was 0.01 μg·mL(-1).The validated method is successfully applied to determine the plasma concentrations of isorhamnetin-3-O-neohesperidosidein in rats.

To study the chemical constituents of vinegar Schisandra chinensis.Column chromatography was used in the isolation procedure. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated by spectral data.Five compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as kadsuranin (I), beta-sitosterol (II), schizandrin (III), 5,5'-[oxybis (methylene)] bis-2-furancarboxaldehyde (IV) and (NH)-form-2-Hydroxyquinoline4-carboxylic acid (V).Compound 5 is isolated from this genus for the first time.

A highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of typhaneoside in rat plasma using rutin as internal standard. The analyte and rutin (internal standard) were extracted with methanol followed by a rapid isocratic elution with 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer/methanol (v:v, 20:80) on an C(18) column (150 mm × 2.1 mm I.D.) and subsequent analysis by mass spectrometry in the multi-reaction-monitoring mode. The precursor to product ion transitions of m/z 769.3 → 314.1 and m/z 609.2 → 300.1 were used to measure the analyte and the internal standard. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.01-10 μg/mL for typhaneoside in rat plasma. The lower limit of quantification was 0.01 μg/mL and the extraction recovery was larger than 90.2% for typhaneoside. The inter- and intra-day precision of the method at three concentrations was less than 6.8%. The method was firstly applied to pharmacokinetic study of typhaneoside in rats.

To investigate the chemical constituents of the rhizome of Curcuma phaeocaulis Val.The constituents were isolated by column chromatography and their structures elucidated by chemical properties and spectroscopic analysis.Five compunds have been isolated and identified as isocurcumenol, curcumenol, alpha-spinasterol, curcumin, and beta-sitosterin-3-O-glucoside.alpha-Spinasterol and alpha-stediol were isolated from Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. for the first time.