[Establishment of a Rat Model of Hypotension Induced by Reserpine]

Objective To determine the optimal dosage and intervention duration of reserpine to establish a rat model of hypotension.Methods According to the body weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP),60 male Wistar rats were assigned to six groups (n=10),including a control group and five observation groups with different doses.The control group was administrated with 10 ml/kg 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose solution,and the observation groups with 0.016,0.032,0.064,0.128,and 0.160 mg/kg reserpine suspensions,respectively.All the groups were administrated by gavage twice a day,and the body weights of rats were monitored daily.SBP and heart rate (HR) were measured before modeling and 1-6 weeks after administration.After 6 weeks of administration,the blood samples of inner canthus were collected.The levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH),creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB),alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase (AST),serum creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured by an autoanalyzer.Three rats in each group were randomly selected for observation of the changes in SBP after drug withdrawal and the rest rats were sacrificed for measurement of the levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain.Results Compared with the control group,different doses of reserpine lowered the SBP of rats (F=28.492,P<0.001).The decline in SBP increased in a concentration-dependent manner.SBP reached the lowest value after 1 week,rose slightly later,and was stable after 3 weeks of administration.There was no significant difference in SBP between 0.016 mg/kg reserpine group and the control group after the 5th week (P>0.05).The SBP levels of rats in 0.032,0.064,0.128,and 0.160 mg/kg reserpine groups showed no significant difference between each other (P=0.204) and were lower than that in the control group (all P<0.001).One week after drug withdrawal,the SBP of rats in the observation groups rose to the baseline level and remained stable.HR showed similar changes among groups,first increasing and then decreasing.There was no significant difference in HR among different groups at the same time point (F=0.922,P=0.475).Compared with the control group,reserpine of different doses reduced the norepinephrine content in the hippocampus (all P<0.001),and 0.128 mg/kg (P=0.045) and 0.160 mg/kg (P=0.042) reserpine lowered the dopamine level in the striatum,which showed no significant differences between different reserpine groups(P=0.343,P=0.301).The levels of LDH,CK-MB,and BUN in the serum increased with the increase in reserpine concentration,and the levels of LDH (P=0.001),CK-MB (P=0.020),AST (P=0.007),and BUN (P=0.001) in the 0.160 mg/kg reserpine group were significantly different from those in the control group.Conclusions The rat model of hypotension can be induced by gavage with reserpine.The gavage with reserpine at a dose of 0.032 mg/kg,twice a day for three consecutive weeks is the optimal scheme for the modeling.After the model establishment,continuous administration is essential to maintain the hypotension.

[Antiarrhythmic active components in traditional Chinese medicine acting on potassium channels]

Arrhythmia is an external manifestation of cardiac electrophysiological disorder. It exists in healthy people and patients with various heart diseases, which is often associated with other cardiovascular diseases. The contraction and diastole of myocardium are inseparable from the movement of ions. There are many ion channels in the membrane and organelle membrane of myocardium. The dynamic balance of myocardial ions is vital in maintaining myocardial electrical homeostasis. Potassium ion channels that have a complex variety and a wide distribution are involved in the whole process of resting potential and action potential of cardiomyocytes. Potassium ion channels play a vital role in maintaining normal electrophysiological activity of myocardium and is one of the pathogenesis of arrhythmia. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has unique advantages in treating arrhythmia for its complex active components and diverse targets. A large number of TCM preparations have definite effect on treating arrhythmia-related diseases, whose antiarrhythmic mechanism may be related to the effect on potassium channel. This article mainly reviewed the relevant studies on the active components in TCM acting on different potassium channels to provide references for clinical drug use and development.

[Advances in N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Signaling Pathway and Mechanism of the Pathway-mediated Apoptosis]

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR),an important ionic glutamate receptor and a ligand and voltage-gated ion channel characterized by complex composition and functions and wide distribution,plays a key role in the pathological and physiological process of diseases or stress states.NMDAR can mediate apoptosis through different pathways such as mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum damage,production of reactive oxygen species and peroxynitrite,and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and calpain.This paper reviews the structure,distribution,and biological characteristics of NMDAR and the mechanisms of NMDAR-mediated apoptosis.

Protocol to study the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine on patients with coronary heart disease showing phlegm-heat-stasis symptom pattern

OBJECTIVE

To describe a protocol to assess the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) on patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) showing symptoms of phlegm-heat-stasis symptom pattern.

METHODS

This is a single-blind randomized controlled trial that will be conducted in the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM and 60 patients with CHD showing phlegm-heat-stasis symptom pattern will be included. Patients will be randomly divided into either a treatment group (Qingre Huatan formulae + Western Medicine) or to a control group (conventional Western Medicine only) for 7-14 d. Primary patient outcomes will be vascular endothelial function and quality of life. Measurement data will be expressed as mean ± standard deviation using t-test analysis or repeated-measure variance analysis. Enumeration data will be expressed by cases and percentages, using χ2 analysis, and rank sum test will be used for ranked data.

RESULTS

This study further verified the effectiveness and safety of Qingre Huatan formulae for the phlegm-heat-stasis syndrome pattern of CHD on the basis of previous studies on the characteristics of syndromes and medication rules.

DISCUSSION

Phlegm-heat-stasis symptom pattern has become a common manifestation in CHD. Standardized Western medications together with TCM have been extensively used in China and have developed into a comprehensive treatment model. Our trial will help formulate recommendations for symptom maintenance and provide clinical evidence for the application of TCM for patients with CHD showing phlegm-heat-stasis symptom pattern.

Efficacy and Safety of Sinomenine Preparation for Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVES

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of sinomenine preparation (SP) for treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODS

Clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SP for treating AS were systematically identified in six electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Databases from the inception up to 31 October 2019. Cochrane's risk of bias tool was used to assess the methodological quality and Review Manager 5.3 software was used to analyze data.

RESULTS

A total of 12 RCTs involving 835 patients were finally included. According to interventions, RCTs were divided into two types. The intervention in 10 RCTs was SP combined with conventional pharmacotherapy (CPT) versus CPT and that in 2 RCTs was SP alone versus CPT. The results of the meta-analysis showed that, compared with CPT alone, SP combined with oral CPT has better improvement in BASDAI (WMD = -1.84, 95% CI [-3.31, -0.37], P=0.01), morning stiffness time (WMD = -13.46, 95% CI [-16.12, -10.79], P < 0.00001), the Schober test (WMD = 1.26, 95% CI [0.72, 1.80], P < 0.00001), the occipital wall test (WMD = -0.55, 95% CI [-0.96, -0.14], P=0.009), the finger-to-ground distance (WMD = -3.28, 95% CI [-5.64, -0.93], P=0.006), 15 m walking time (WMD = -8.81, 95% CI [-13.42, -4.20], P=0.0002), the C-reactive protein (CRP) (WMD = -1.84, 95% CI [-3.24, -0.45], P=0.01), and the total effective rate (RR = 1.10, 95% CI [1.01, 1.20], P=0.03). Besides, it also showed that oral SP alone may be more effective in improving morning stiffness time (WMD = -31.89, 95% CI [-34.91, -28.87], P < 0.00001) compared with CPT alone. However, this study cannot provide evidence that loading the injectable SP based on CPT can significantly increase the efficacy due to the insufficient number of studies included. In terms of adverse events, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental group and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that oral SP may be effective and safe in the treatment of AS. Due to the low methodological quality of the included RCTs and the limitations of the meta-analysis, it is still necessary to carry out more multicenter, large-sample, and high-quality RCTs to further verify the conclusions. The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018099170), and the review was constructed following the PRISMA guidelines (Annex 1).

Intervention Mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection, a Periplaneta Americana Extract, on Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review of Basic Researches

BACKGROUND

At present, the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease in the world are facing severe challenges. Xinmailong injection, which is derived from the animal medicine Periplaneta Americana, has certain advantages in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular disease. This study systematically evaluated the basic research reports of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease and made its pharmacological mechanisms more clear.

METHODS

Basic research reports on the intervention mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library (No. 2, 2019), CNKI, Wan Fang, and VIP databases were searched. The search time limit was from the establishment of the database to February 2019. The literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then the data were extracted and a descriptive analysis of the pharmacological mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease was performed.

RESULTS

Finally, twenty-two basic research reports were included. The intervention mechanisms of Xinmailong Injection on cardiovascular disease mainly includes the following: inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction; regulating autophagy; promoting Ca2+ influx by activating excitability of excitation-contraction coupling (ECC); inhibiting overexpressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) to regulate the dynamic balance of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs); inhibiting the phosphorylation of extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), protein kinase B (AKT), and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) proteins and overexpression of the downstream transcription factor GATA4 in the nucleus; regulating vascular endothelial factors and so on.

CONCLUSIONS

Xinmailong Injection can protect cardiomyocytes and maintain the normal function of the heart in various ways, thus effectively preventing the development of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, Xinmailong Injection has great potential for clinical application, and more basic researches need to be carried out to explore the medicinal value of Xinmailong Injection.

Study on syndrome differentiation and treatment in the management of chronic stable coronary artery disease to improve quality of life

BACKGROUND

Chronic stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) is a general term for all kinds of coronary artery disease (CAD), which includes patients with chronic stable angina, old myocardial infarctions, and also stable condition after revascularization (i.e., percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft). According to 2012 AHA/ACC guidelines, the objective of the treatment for SCAD is to maintain or recover patients' exercise tolerance, quality of life, and avoid complication like heart failure, so as to decrease mortality, eliminate symptoms, and avoid adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has 2000 years of history in managing CAD and has its advantages in improving quality of life. Using scientific method to evaluate, demonstrate, and conclude the clinical curative effect of TCM is an extremely important task for both TCM and integrative Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of CAD.

METHODS

This research is to collect real effective cases from authoritative TCM cardiologists' clinic, so as to build a TCM diagnosis and treatment information database that involve 2000 patients from 32 different top-3 hospitals of china. The primary outcome includes EuroQol-5 Dimensions and Four diagnostic method of TCM, and secondary outcome includes angina score and some laboratory indexes like electrocardiograms, dynamic electrocardiogram, ultrasonic cardiogram, and treadmill exercise testing. This research uses SPSS17.0. to do the statistical analysis application. Enumeration data use χ test and measurement data which fit normality test use t test. The analysis of drugs usage in different diseases, different syndromes and different life quality effect will use principal component analysis, factorial analysis, clustering analysis. and point mutual information method, and so on.

RESULTS

This research, based on past syndromes research and real clinical effective chronic SCAD cases, aim to build a TCM diagnosis and treatment information database.

Energy enhancement of the target surface electron by using a 200 TW sub-picosecond laser

One order of magnitude energy enhancement of the target surface electron beams with central energy at 11.5 MeV is achieved by using a 200 TW, 500 fs laser at an incident angle of 72° with a prepulse intensity ratio of 5×10^-6. The experimental results demonstrate the scalability of the acceleration process to high electron energy with a longer (sub-picosecond) laser pulse duration and a higher laser energy (120 J). The total charge of the beam is 400±20  pC(E>2.7  MeV). Such a high orientation and mono-energetic electron jet would be a good method to solve the problem of the large beam divergence in fast ignition schemes and to increase the laser energy deposition on the target core.

[Significance of serum calprotectin in assessing inflammatory bowel disease activity]

Objective: To investigate the application value of serum calprotectin in assessing the activity of IBD Methods: Eighty-five Crohn's disease(CD) and eighty-five Ulcerative colitis(UC) patients at Suzhou Municipal Hospital(North Branch) from August 2015 to January 2017 were enrolled in this study, and eighty-five healthy subjects were selected as controls. Serum level of calprotectin was determined by ELISA. Correlation of serum calprotectin with clinical features of IBD was analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy for CD and UC were assessed by ROC curve. Results: The level of serum calprotectin was significantly higher in IBD patients than in healthy subjects. Positive correlations were found between serum calprotectin level and CRP, ESR, fecal calprotectin level of IBD(ρ＝0.341, P<0.001；ρ＝0.438, P<0.001；ρ＝0.542, P<0.001，respectively). Besides, positive correlations were found between serum calprotectin level with disease activity index(CDAI or Mayo score) of IBD(ρ＝0.309, P＝0.004；ρ＝0.227, P＝0.036，respectively)．Nevertheless, no correlation was found between serum calprotectin level with location of IBD and disease subtypes(P>0.05)．The area under curve(AUC) of serum calprotectin for diagnosis of CD and UC were 0.946 and 0.906, respectively. Conclusions: Serum level of calprotectin is associated with the activity of IBD. As a result，serum level of calprotectin may has the potential to be served as a clinical index of IBD activity.

[Rheumatoid arthritis involving tibialis posterior tendon: study on the early diagnostic value of power Doppler ultrasonography and comparison with surgery]

Objective: To explore the value of power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS) in the early diagnosis of tibialis posterior tendon injury induced by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: From January 2014 to December 2015, a total of 48 cases (60 feet) of RA tendinopathy group were selected as the research subjects from Guanghua Hospital; 12 cases(20 feet) of non-RA tendinopathy group and 10 cases (20 feet) of healthy volunteers were selected as control group.The blood flow signals of pannus were observed by PDUS to determine whether the tendon was injured or the degree of the injury. The following indexes were compared and analyzed by Chi-square testing: (1)positive rate of blood flow signal; (2)grade of blood flow signal; (3)spatial distribution of blood flow signal: diffusibility or local. Results: Of 70 cases(100 feet) in the study, the positive blood flow signals were only in the RA(88.3%) and non-RA group(40.0%) .Grade Ⅲ in RA was 20.0%, while this was not observed in non-RA . Grade Ⅱ in RA and non-RA was 36.7% and 10.0% , respectively. There were significant differences in the positive rate and grades between RA and non-RA group (P<0.01). The spatial distribution of blood flow signal in RA was significantly different from that in non-RA. In RA, they can be detected in the whole tendon.However, they were mainly distributed around the scaphoid in non-RA. In this study, three patients with grade Ⅲwere treated with surgery. The intraoperative findings were consistent with the preoperative ultrasound results. Conclusions: PDUS can be used to detect the neovascular formation of tendon synovitis. It can detect the early tendon injury before the appearance of foot deformity induced by RA, which can guide clinical early intervention treatment and prevent the occurrence of deformity and other serious consequences.

[Assessment on Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire in the Principle of Chinese Civilization and Traditional Medicine Characteristics]

Objective To assess Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire in the principle of Chinese civilization and Traditional Medicine characteristics (C-MLHF). Methods A survey was con- ducted in 124 heart failure ( HF) patients using C-MLHF and Minnesota living with heart failure question- naire (MLHF). Reliability, validity, feasibility, and the correlation of New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification was compared between the two questionnaires. Results The recovery of C-MLHF was 95. 2% (118/124) ,the effective rate was 97. 5% (115/118), Cronbach's α was 0. 896, and the validity ranged 0. 505 -0. 875. The correlation with MLHF was 0. 946 (P <0. 01) , the correlation with NYHA classi- fication was 0. 524 (P <0. 05). The recovery of MLHF was 95. 2% (118/124) , the effective rate was 88. 1%(104/118) , Cronbach's a was 0. 889, and the validity ranged 0. 487 -0. 787. The correlation with NYHA classification was 0. 468 (P <0. 05). Conclusions The C-MLHF had better feasibility, reliability, validity, and relativity between feasibility/reliability and NYHA classification, as compared with MLHF. In conclusion C-MLHF was more suitable for assessing quality of life for Chinese HF patients.

[Effect of complementary treatment of Chinese drugs on myocardial perfusion patients with acute myocardial infarction after coronary intervention: a systematic review]

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the safety and efficacy of routine Western medicine (WM) plus Chinese drugs for no-flow or slow flow after coronary revascularization.

METHODS

CNKI, VIP, CBM, Wanfang Data, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBase, and other relevant databases were electronically searched. Literatures were also manually retrieved from related journals. Randomized control trials of treating no-flow or slow flow patients after coronary revascularization by routine WM treatment plus Chinese drugs were retrieved. The quality of retrieved literature was assessed by methods from Cochrane Handbook. Valid data were extracted and analyzed by meta-analysis using RevMan5. 1.0 Software. Results Totally 5 trials including 526 patients with poor general quality were included.

RESULTS

of meta-analyses showed that compared with the routine WM treatment group, additional use of Chinese drugs could improve thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) [RR =0. 16, 95% Cl (0.07, 0.34), P < 0.01]; reduce elevated ST segment significantly [RR = 0.59, 95% CI (0.44, 0.79), P = 0. 00031]; in- crease regional myocardial blood flow (P < 0.01) and myocardial perfusion scores (P = 0.0109, P = 0.0115); and improve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) under dobutamine stress state (P = 0.041). Only one trial covered a 6-month follow-up study. There was no statistical difference in the mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, or revascularization between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in adverse event or safety indicators between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the WM treatment, complementary Chinese drugs could reduce occurrence of no-flow or slow flow after coronary revascularization, and further improve clinical efficacy. But larger and higher quality clinical trials are necessary for further evidence.

[Application and evaluation of Chinese medicine in treatment of chronic heart failure]

Chinese medicine (CM) has been widely used in treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) and a large number of researches has been done on its clinical application. Through the analysis and assessment of these literatures, CM syndromes and corresponding treatment regimens for heart failure (CF) could be better understood and used in clinics. This will provide guidelines for the treatment of HF and further elevate higher standards of research.

Altered expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme and apoptosis-related gene transcripts in human hepatocytes treated with trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common organic solvent that has been widely used in industrial applications. Hundred cases of allergic reactions occurred after the workers were occupationally exposed to TCE in China in the past decade, but the underlying effector mechanisms of TCE remain unclear. The purpose of the present study is to examine the alteration of hepatic metabolic enzyme gene and apoptosis-related gene messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in L02 human hepatocytes (L02 cells) after treatment with TCE. L02 cells were cultured either with various doses of TCE (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mmol/L) for 24 h or with a single dose of TCE (1.0 mmol/L) for different time intervals, whereas samples treated with dimethyl sulfoxide served as control. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to detect the mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes ( CYP1A2, CYP3A4 and CYP2E1) and apoptosis-related genes ( BAX and BAD). It was found that the transcript levels of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes and apoptosis genes including BAX and BAD were significantly increased after TCE treatment at various doses for 24 h when compared with controls. Additionally, when the cells were treated with a single dose of TCE (1.0 mmol/L) for different periods of time (3, 6, 12 and 24 h), the mRNA expression of these genes also increased significantly compared with control ( p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The conclusion of the study is that TCE could induce alteration of mRNA expression of hepatic metabolic enzyme genes and apoptosis genes, which might be implicated in the effector mechanisms of TCE cytotoxicity in vivo.

[Preliminary study on the combination of the analytical hierarchy process and Delphi methods in Chinese medicine clinical research]

The combination of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi method can overcome the strong subjectivity and poor authority in the simple use of AHP, get rid of the shackles of established thinking and take fully advantages of the experiences of experts' knowledge. By a set of quantitative calculation method, we can determine the relative importance of each factor or the relative weight of the order value, thus providing the support for clinical decision making. In this article, on the basis of the combination of AHP and Delphi method, the authors explore the Chinese medicine etiology of coronary heart disease.

Application of a transmission crystal x-ray spectrometer to moderate-intensity laser driven sources

In the pursuit of novel, laser-produced x-ray sources for medical imaging applications, appropriate instrumental diagnostics need to be developed concurrently. A type of transmission crystal spectroscopy has previously been demonstrated as a survey tool for sources produced by high-power and high-energy lasers. The present work demonstrates the extension of this method into the study of medium-intensity laser driven hard x-ray sources with a design that preserves resolving power while maintaining high sensitivity. Specifically, spectroscopic measurements of characteristic Kα and Kβ emissions were studied from Mo targets irradiated by a 100 fs, 200 mJ, Ti: sapphire laser with intensity of 10(17) W/cm(2) to 10(18) W∕cm(2) per shot. Using a transmission curved crystal spectrometer and off-Rowland circle imaging, resolving powers (E/ΔE) of around 300 for Mo Kα(2) at 17.37 keV were obtained with an end-to-end spectrometer efficiency of (1.13 ± 0.10) × 10(-5). This sensitivity is sufficient for registering x-ray lines with high signal to background from targets following irradiation by a single laser pulse, demonstrating the utility of this method in the study of the development of medium-intensity laser driven x-ray sources.

Spectrally peaked electron beams produced via surface guiding and acceleration in femtosecond laser-solid interactions

Highly collimated MeV electron beam guiding has been observed along the target surface following the interaction of bulk target irradiation by femtosecond laser pulses at relativistic intensities. The beam quality is shown to depend critically on the laser contrast: With a ns prepulse, the generated electron beam is well concentrated and intense, while a high laser contrast produces divergent electron beams. In the case of large preplasma scale lengths, tunable guiding and acceleration of the target surface electrons is achieved by changing the laser incident angle. By expanding the preplasma scale length to several hundred micrometers, we obtained MeV spectrum-peaked electron beams with a 100 pC per laser pulse and divergence angles of only 3°. This technique suggests a stable method of injection of elections into a variety of accelerator designs.

Contemporary treatment of Western and Chinese medicine for cardiac syndrome X

Clinical reports on cardiac syndrome X (CSX) have been increasing in recent years. In general, CSX does not increase the cardiovascular mortality, but it can affect the patient's quality of life (QOL) and increase the incidence rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Although a variety of drugs and therapies have been utilized in the clinical treatment, the management of CSX still represents a major challenge due to its unclear pathogenesis. It is necessary to explore more effective treatment programs. Many attempts have been made on trials of the Chinese medicine (CM) treatment for CSX and proved that CM has a certain advantage in efficacy to improve clinical symptoms and QOL. CM may provide a new approach for the effective treatment of CSX.

Intense high-contrast femtosecond K-shell x-ray source from laser-driven Ar clusters

Bright Ar quasimonochromatic K-shell x ray with very little background has been generated using an Ar clustering gas jet target irradiated with a 30 fs ultrahigh-contrast laser, with a measured flux of 2.2×10(11)   photons/J into 4π. This intense x-ray source critically depends on the laser contrast and intensity. The optimization of source output with interaction length is addressed. Simulations point to a nonlinear resonant mechanism of electron heating during the early stage of laser interaction, resulting in enhanced x-ray emission. The x-ray pulse duration is expected to be only 10 fs, opening the possibility for single-shot ultrafast keV x-ray imaging applications.

[Current status of study on impacts of Chinese herbal drugs and their preparations on pharmacokinetics]

Since Chinese herbal drugs and their preparations were usually applied in combining with digoxin in modern clinical practice, high attention was accordingly widely paid to their impacts on the pharmacokinetics of digoxin. The researches in the recent years dealing with this topic were reviewed in the paper, involving the Chinese herbs, including Radix Ginseng, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Venenum Bufonis, Folium Seu Cortex Nerii Indici, St John's wort, Fructus Crataegi, and Semen Ginkgo, as well as the Chinese herbal preparations including Shengmai Injection, Milkvetch Injection, Liushen Pill, Kyushin, and Di'ao Xinxuekang, etc.

Summary of 32 patients with cardiac syndrome X treated by TCM therapy of regulating qi relieving chest stuffiness and promoting blood circulation

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical effect of Liqi Kuanxiong Huoxue method LKH, traditional Chinese medicine, TCM therapeutic method for regulating qi, relieving chest stuffiness and promoting blood circulation) in treating patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX).

METHODS

The prospective, non-randomized controlled study was conducted on 51 selected patients with CSX, who were non-randomly assigned to 2 groups, the treated group treated with LKH in addition to the conventional treatment (32 patients), and the control group treated with conventional treatment (19 patients) like nitrate, diltiazem hydrochloride, etc. The treatment course was 14 days. The changes of such symptoms as angina pectoris, TCM syndrome and indexes of treadmill exercise test before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTS

After treatment, such symptoms as chest pain and stuffy feeling and palpitation in the treated group were improved more than those in the control group (P<0.05); the total effective rate on angina pectoris and TCM syndrome in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). The treadmill exercise test showed that the maximal metabolic equivalent (Max MET), the time of angina onset and ST segment depression by 0.1 mV were obviously improved after treatment in both groups, but the improvement in the treated group was better than that in the control group respectively (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The LKH method could reduce the frequency of angina attacks and improve the clinical condition of patients with CSX.

[Analysis of detecting methods of digoxin blood drug level]

Digoxin plays a part in healing of congestive heart failure in clinic. Its therapeutic dose is very approximate to toxic dose and even they overlap each other sometimes. There are many influencing factors on blood drug level of digoxin. Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics varies with different individuality. It is indispensable to detecting blood drug level in order to treat disease and prevent intoxication. Integrating with the detecting-methods of blood drug level of digoxin home and broad, characteristic of many methods are summarized from sensitivity, linearity range, cross-reaction and precision. These methods include radio immunoassay, enzyme immunoassay, chemiluminescence immunoassay, fluorescence immunoassay and HPLC-MS-MS. These methods are popular for their specialized ascendancy. The cost of radio immunoassay is low. Enzyme immunoassay has good specificity. Sensitivity and stability of chemiluminescence immunoassay is very excellent. Fluorescence polarization immunoassay is sensitive and convenient. HPLC-MS-MS has high resolution and good specificity. One of the development tendencies is to combine two or more methods in detecting the blood drug level of digoxin which contribute to these methods integrated use.

[Comparative analysis on results of treadmill test in patients of coronary heart disease caused angina pectoris with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome with or without accompanied phlegm and blood stasis syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the objective special features and role of various indexes of treadmill exercise test (TET) in patients of coronary heart disease (CHD) caused angina pectoris with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome (QYD) with or without accompanied phlegm and blood stasis syndrome (PBS), to provide references for preventing and treating CHD in clinical practice.

METHODS

One hundred and one patients, whose diagnosis measured to the diagnostic standard and the inclusion criteria of angina pectoris and CHD, were classified according to their TCM syndrome type to two groups, the QYD without PBS group (49 cases) and the QYD with PBS group (52 cases). TET was conducted on all the patients. The relative parameters were measured and compared.

RESULTS

As compared with the QYD without PBS group, in the QYD with PBS group, (1) the TET positive rate was higher; (2) total exercise time was lesser; (3) the maximal metabolic equivalent (Max MET) was lower; (4) the average depression of ST segment at the exercise endpoint of test (mV) was higher; (5) the time of ST segment depressed for 0.1mV (min) was longer; (6) the metabolic equivalent during ST-segment depressed by 0.1mV was shorter; and (7) the change of QRS wave time-limit before and immediately after TET was more evident. Moreover, in the testing time more patients revealed angina episode after exercise, and less patients had their heart rate reached the requirement in the QYD with PBS group than those in the QYD without PBS group. Comparison between the two groups in all the above-mentioned indices showed significant difference respectively (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Patients with CHD caused angina pectoris of QYD with PBS are worse in the tolerance for exercise and severer in pathological change of coronary artery than those in those without PBS, they belong to the severe phase of TCM syndrome.