IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIAL MUTATIONAL SITES IN HUMAN MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN THE CHINESE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

A simple method for the identification of mutational sites in human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was described. It was based on the human Cambridge sequence as a relative standard sequence and a single base pair substitution in mtDNA as a unique mutational form. The partial mutational sites can be determined using this method which was characterized by combining the restriction mapping with the analysis for the table of human mtDNA potential mutational sites with rapidity and simplicity. In the meanwhile, six mtDNA mutational sites found in Chinese population were identified by means of this method.     

SARS-CoV protease inhibitors design using virtual screening method from natural products libraries

Two natural products databases, the marine natural products database (MNPD) and the traditional Chinese medicines database (TCMD), were used to find novel structures of potent SARS-CoV protease inhibitors through virtual screening. Before the procedure, the databases were filtered by Lipinski's ROF and Xu's extension rules. The results were analyzed by statistic methods to eliminate the bias in target-based database screening toward higher molecular weight compounds for enhancing the hit rate. Eighteen lead compounds were recommended by the screening procedure. They were useful for experimental scientists in prioritizing drug candidates and studying the interaction mechanism. The binding mechanism was also analyzed between the best screening compound and the SARS protein.     

碘酸钾存在下极谱催化波法测定陈皮甙

基于陈皮甙在ＫＩＯ３存在下产生的极谱催化波，拟定了测定陈皮甙的新方法。在 ０．５５ ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＨＡｃ－０．０１ｍｏｌ／Ｌ　ＮａＡｃ（ｐＨ ４．００±０．０５）－１．０×１０～（－３）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ ＫＩＯ３缓冲溶液中，陈皮甙催化波的峰电位为－１．３５ Ｖ（ｖｓ，ＳＣＥ），它的一阶导数峰峰电流与陈皮甙浓度在２．６ × １０～（－７）～２．６ × １０～（－６）ｍｏｌ／Ｌ范围内呈线性关系（ｒ＝０．９９７０，ｎ＝６）。本方法比现有的电化学方法灵敏度高一个数量级。可用于直接测定中草药贯众水提液中陈皮甙含量。     

A study for quality evaluation of Taxilli Herba from different hosts based on fingerprint-activity relationship modeling and multivariate statistical analysis

In this study, a fingerprint-activity relationship modeling between chemical fingerprints and antirheumatic activity was established, and multivariate statistical analysis was used to evaluate the quality of Taxilli Herba (TH) from different hosts. Characteristic fingerprints of 20 batches of TH samples were generated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-Triple TOF-MS/MS), and the similarity analysis was calculated based on thirteen common characteristic peaks by hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). Subsequently, nine efficacy markers were discovered by combining fingerprints and antirheumatic activity through grey correlation analysis (GCA) and bivariate correlation analysis (BCA). Meanwhile, the content of 5 constituents in 9 markers was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole-linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). The comprehensive quality of TH was assessed using multivariate statistical analysis, including principal components analysis (PCA) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). The results showed that a high dose of TH extract could markedly ameliorate arthritis damage compared to other doses, with flavonoids playing an important role in the antirheumatic activity. The comprehensive quality of samples from Morus alba L. (SS) was superior to those from Liquidambar formosana Hance (FXS). The present study will demonstrate the markers associated with efficacy, and provide an applicable strategy for more comprehensive quality control and evaluation of TH.     

Computer Handling of Chemical and Biological Data of Traditional Chinese Medicines

ＣｏｍｐｕｔｅｒＨａｎｄｌｉｎｇｏｆＣｈｅｍｉｃａｌａｎｄＢｉｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌＤａｔａｏｆＴｒａｄｉｔｉｏｎａｌＣｈｉｎｅｓｅＭｅｄｉｃｉｎｅｓＣＨＥＣｈｕｎ－ｔａｏａ＊＊，ＰａｕｌＲ．ＣａｒｌｉｅｒａａｎｄＯｐｈｅｌｉａＣ．Ｗ．Ｌｅｅｂ（ａＤｅｐａ...     

Traditional Chinese Medicine Rhodiola Sachalinensis Borissova from Baekdu Mountain (RsBBM) for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Therapeutic Effect and Underlying Molecular Mechanisms

The lack of effective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapies is a persistent challenge worldwide, prompting researchers to urgently evaluate traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) as potential clinical RA treatments. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effects and potential molecular mechanisms of the active components isolated from TCM Rhodiola sachalinensis Borissova from Baekdu Mountain (RsB^BM) using an experimental adjuvant arthritis model induced by injection of rats with Freund’s complete adjuvant. After induction of the adjuvant arthritis rat model, the extract-treated and untreated groups of arthritic rats were evaluated for RsB^BM therapeutic effects based on comparisons of ankle circumferences and ELISA-determined blood serum inflammatory factor levels (TNF-α, IL-1β, and PGE2). In addition, the joint health of rats was evaluated via microscopic examination of hematoxylin-eosin-stained synovial tissues. Furthermore, to explore whether NF-κB and RANK/RANKL/OPG signaling pathways participated in observed therapeutic effects from a molecular mechanistic viewpoint, mRNA and protein levels related to the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), osteoprotegerin (OPG), and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) were analyzed via quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Treatment of arthritic rats with the extract of RsB^BM was shown to reduce ankle swelling, reduce blood serum levels of inflammatory factors, and alleviate arthritis-associated synovial inflammation and joint damage. Moreover, an RsB^BM 50% ethanol extract treatment inhibited bone destruction by up-regulating OPG-related mRNA and protein expression and down-regulating RANKL-related mRNA and protein expression, while also reducing inflammation by the down-regulating of the NF-κB pathway activity. The results clearly demonstrated that the extract of RsB^BM alleviated adjuvant arthritis-associated joint damage by altering activities of inflammation-associated NF-κB and the RANK/RANKL/OPG signaling pathways. Due to its beneficial effects for alleviating adjuvant arthritis, this RsB^BM 50% ethanol extract should be further evaluated as a promising new therapeutic TCM treatment for RA.     

我国中药出口贸易发展现状分析及对策研究

对中药出口贸易的发展现状进行了分析,从机遇与挑战方面阐述了其发展趋势,对中药实现现代化,推动国际化,知识产权保护以及如何消除贸易壁垒等方面提出了对策及建议。由于国家政府各项政策的倾斜,将进一步加快我国中药产业的发展,从现代化走向国际化。     

氢化物发生-银盐分光光度法测定中草药中砷的含量

采用氢化物发生-银盐分光光度法对中草药中溶解态砷的含量进行了测定。结果表明,砷标准曲线的回归方程为C=1．4474 A-0．0087,r=0．99,在0～0．4μg/mL的范围内,线性关系良好。对5种样品进行了回收实验,回收率为92．4％-102．6％,相对标准偏差为1．26％-2．43％。该法简单、快速、灵敏、准确。