1,721,255 research outputs found
Regulatory Effect of Fu-Ling on Th1 and Th2-type Cytokine Induced Immune Response
No full text[[abstract]]We examined possible effect of Fu-Ling a widely used Chinese herbal medicine on Th1-type and Th2-type cytokine production by murine spleen cells. Mice were injected with a 50% ethanol extract of Fu-Ling for three consecutive days. The serum was collected and spleen cells were isolated and cultured in the presence of concanavalin A. The serum levels of interleukine-2 (Th1-type cytokine) and interleukine-4, interleukine-10 (Th2-type cytokine) were elevated significantly (P<0.05) after treatment. The production of IL-2, interferon-γ. IFN-γ and IL-4, IL-10 by spleen cells, as measured by ELISA and RT-PCR, was significantly augmented by the Fu-Ling ethanol extract. Fu-Ling extract significantly (P<0.01) augmented secretion of immunoglobulin G1, immunoglobulin G2b and immunoglobulin G2a by in vitro spleen cells. Fu-Ling may regulate antibody production by the induction of Th1-type (IL-2, IFN-γ) and Th2-type (IL-4, IL-10) cytokine production.
[[alternative]]Fu-Ling, a Chinese Herbal Drug, Modulates the Secretion of
No full text[[abstract]]茯苓為中醫方劑中使用很廣的藥材，近年來，茯苓被認為具有抗腫瘤、調
節老鼠及人類 Ｂ 淋巴球分泌免疫球蛋白的功能。本實驗則在探討茯苓之
50﹪熱乙醇萃取液對人體單核球分泌第一介白質(IL-1)、第六介白質(IL-
6)、alpha-腐瘤素(TNF-alpha)、beta-轉型生長素(TGF-beta)等四種胞泌
素之調節作用。IL-1、IL-6、TNF-alpha為多功能的胞泌素，在調節免疫反
應、促進血球新生及增強發炎反應方面扮演重要地位。反之TGF-beta為某
些免疫作用之抑制因子，如抑制巨噬細胞之活化、降低發炎誘導物的分泌
，為某些免疫反應的負面訊息。實驗結果顯示，離體下培養之單核球以茯
苓萃取物處理 24 小時後，顯著地促進單核球分泌IL-1(p<0.05)，處理3
小時後顯著地促進單核球分泌 IL-6、TNF-alpha(P<0.05)；反之，處理3
小時後，對 TGF-beta 的分泌即具有顯著性之抑制效果 (p<0.05 )。由於
茯苓促進誘導免疫反應之胞泌素(IL-1、IL-6、TNF-alpha) 的分泌，但是
降低抑制免疫反應之胞泌素(TGF-beta)的分泌，故茯苓在人體內可能有增
強人體之免疫功能。實驗進一步將茯苓萃取物以逆相色層分析管柱，依極
性大小分成六個部分，此六部分分別與單核球共同培養，結果顯示 V、VI
部分顯著促進 TNF-alpha 及抑制 TGF-beta 分泌、II∼VI 部分顯著促進
IL-6分泌，而每個部分皆促進IL-1分泌，顯示對不同胞泌素而言，調節其
分泌之活性成份可能不相同。將V、VI部分以TLC及HPLC分析，發現其內成
份之極性和茯苓主成分之一—麥角固醇極相近，這種 ergosterol-like
compound在人體免疫系統中可能扮演極重要之調節作用。實驗進一步發現
茯苓可拮抗免疫抑制劑Dexamethasone抑制單核球分泌 TNF-alpha 之作用
，因此茯苓於人體內或許可以減輕類固醇在免疫反應方面引起之副作用。
Fu-Ling, a widely used Chinese herbal drug, showed anti-tumor
and immunoregulatory activities in recent research reports. In
the present study, the possible effects of Fu-Ling on the IL-1
beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and TGF-beta secretion by human peripheral
monocytes were investigated. IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha were
the mutifunctional cytokines which regulated the immune response,
stimulated hematopoiesis and augmented inflammatory response. TGF
-beta, by contrast, suppressed certain immune functions including
macrophage activation, cytokine-secretion and inflammatory
response in general. Data obtaining from this study suggested
that 50% hot ethanol extract of Fu-Ling significantly enhanced IL
-1beta secretion ( P<0.05 ) by monocytes within 24 hrs under in
vitro condition. Under the same experimental condition, IL-6 and
TNF-alpha secretion were significantly enhanced within 3 hrs ( P
<0.05 ), but TGF-beta secretion was significantly suppressed
within 3 hrs. The results implied that Fu-Ling might boost rather
than suppress the immune functions. The active ingredients in Fu-
Ling extract were partially purified using a reverse-phase
chromatography on the basis of their diversity in the
hydrophobicity. The ingredient(s) that enhanced TNF-alpha and
suppressed TGF-beta secretion was localized at peak V and peak VI
( relatively high-hydrophobicity ). The ingredient(s) that
enhanced IL-6 secretion was eluted in peak II to VI and the
ingredient(s) that enhanced IL-1 secretion was separated in all
six peaks. The ingredients in peak V and VI were futher analyzed
by TLC and HPLC.The results suggested that the major
ingredient(s) in peak V and VI might be an ergosterol-like
compound. Finally, the experimental data suggested that the Fu-
Ling extract might antagonize the immunosuppressive effect of
Dexamethasone.
Fu-Ling, a widely used Chinese herbal drug, showed anti-tumor
Effect of Gui-zhi-fu-ling-wan on Hot Flashes in Young Patients: A Retrospective Case Series
No full textAbstractHot flashes are one of the main problems in postmenopausal patients. Hormone replacement therapy is the standard treatment for this vasomotor symptom, but long-term estrogen treatment can produce serious adverse effects such as higher risks of cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. For this reason, hormone replacement therapy may not be advisable for young patients. Gui-zhi-fu-ling-wan is an herbal decoction for hot flashes used in traditional Chinese medicine. We have extensive experience treating hot flashes in young women; this preliminary case series evaluates the effectiveness of Gui-zhi-fu-ling-wan for alleviating hot flashes in young patients. In this retrospective case series, we reviewed the medical records of outpatients who visited the Department of Cardiovascular and Neurologic Disease, Kyung Hee Oriental Medical Center for hot flashes from October 1, 2003 to October 1, 2008. Of the 60 cases, 37 met the inclusion criteria. Mean improvement in symptoms, as assessed using the visual analog scale, was 40.4±28.5%; 51.3% of patients experienced a 50% improvement. According to the secondary analysis, the results of differential diagnosis of cold and hot syndrome and blood stasis syndrome did not affect scores. Only 2.7% of the patients reported adverse events. Our findings suggest that Gui-zhi-fu-ling-wan improves hot flashes in young patients in a relatively safe manner. However, rigorous clinical studies are needed to confirm these results
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
The compound Chinese medicine "Kang Fu Ling" protects against high power microwave-induced myocardial injury.
No full textThe prevention and treatment of Microwave-caused cardiovascular injury remains elusive. This study investigated the cardiovascular protective effects of compound Chinese medicine "Kang Fu Ling" (KFL) against high power microwave (HPM)-induced myocardial injury and the role of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening in KFL protection.Male Wistar rats (100) were divided into 5 equal groups: no treatment, radiation only, or radiation followed by treatment with KFL at 0.75, 1.5, or 3 g/kg/day. Electrocardiography was used to Electrophysiological examination. Histological and ultrastructural changes in heart tissue and isolated mitochondria were observed by light microscope and electron microscopy. mPTP opening and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence analysis. Connexin-43 (Cx-43) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) was detected by western blotting.At 7 days after radiation, rats without KFL treatment showed a significantly lower heart rate (P<0.01) than untreated controls and a J point shift. Myocyte swelling and rearrangement were evident. Mitochondria exhibited rupture, and decreased fluorescence intensity, suggesting opening of mPTP and a consequent reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential. After treatment with 1.5 g/kg/day KFL for 7 d, the heart rate increased significantly (P<0.01), and the J point shift was reduced flavorfully (P<0.05) compared to untreated, irradiated rats; myocytes and mitochondria were of normal morphology. The fluorescence intensities of dye-treated mitochondria were also increased, suggesting inhibition of mPTP opening and preservation of the mitochondrial membrane potential. The microwave-induced decrease of Cx-43 and VDAC protein expression was significantly reversed.Microwave radiation can cause electrophysiological, histological and ultrastructural changes in the heart. KFL at 1.5 g/kg/day had the greatest protective effect on these cardiovascular events. mPTP plays an important role in the protective effects of KFL against microwave-radiation-induced myocardial injury
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