Clinical Observation on Treatment of Senile Rheumatoid Arthritis by Tripterygium Polyglycosides Combined with Small Dose of Methotrexate

Objective: To observe the effect and adverse reaction of tripterygium polyglycosides (TP) combined with small dose of methotrexate (MTX) in treating senile rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Sixty old patients with RA were equally divided into two groups, the treated group was treated with oral intake of TP (10 mg three times per day) plus MTX (7.5 mg, once per week), and the control group was treated with MTX (15 mg per week) respectively for 3 months. The changes from before to after treatment in resting pain, morning rigidity, bilateral grip strength, local tenderness index, arthroncus index, patient's evaluation, doctor's evaluation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reaction protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor(RF) titre were observed and the clinical therapeutic effect assessed. Results: The total effective rate in the treated group was 86.67% and that in the control group 83.33% , showing insignificant difference between them (P>0.05). But the improvement in local tenderness index, arthroncus index, morning rigidity and ESR in the treated group was significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The occurrence rate of adverse reaction in the treated group was 26. 67% , which was lower than that in the control group (43.33%), showing significant difference (P<0.01). Conclusion: TP combined with small dose of MTX is a favorable therapeutic method for treating senile RA.

Use of liquid crystal to study the interactions of alkyl polyglycosides with gelatin and bovine serum albumin

In this study, liquid crystal（LC） was used to study the interactions of alkyl polyglycosides（APG） with gelatin and bovine serum albumin（BSA） at the LC-aqueous interface. The LC easily undergo an orientational transition from a homeotropic to a planar state after proteins were in contact to the LCaqueous interface decorated with APG, thus inducing an optical change from dark to bright. The optical image analysis reveals that the rearrangement rate of APG monolayer is tightly dependent on the concentration and chemical structure of the protein of interest. For example, the rearrangement rate of APG monolayer increases with an increasing gelatin concentration. We also find that the chemical structure of the proteins has a significant impact on the difference in the growth behavior of bright domains in LC.

Curative efficacy of vitamin D3 in combination with tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and its influences on indices of bone restoration

Objective: To investigate the curative efficacy of vitamin D3 in combination with tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its influences on indices of bone restoration. Methods: A total of 320 patients with RA were collected as observation objects to be randomly divided into the control group and the observation group with 160 cases in each group. The control group was given treatment of tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside, while the observation group was given treatment of vitamin D3 in combination with tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside. All patients received a course treatment with 3 months. The curative efficacy, improvement of joint symptoms, changes of laboratory tests, indices of bone restoration and adverse reactions were compared. Results: After 3 months, assessment of curative efficacy showed that the observation group had a total curative efficiency ratio of 90.6%, which was significantly higher than that of 81.2% in the control group. Among the indices which reflect the improvement of joint symptoms, the joint pain index, joint tenderness index and joint swollenness index were statistically reduced in the observation group than those in the control group. And after treatment, in comparison with the control group, indices of laboratory tests of rheumatoid factor (RF), antistreptolyisn O antibody (ASO), c-reactive protein (CRP) were statistically lower respectively in the observation group. As to indices of bone restoration after treatment, the observation group had statistically lower serum level of receptor activator of nf-kb ligand (RNKL) and higher level of osteoprotegerin (OPG) than those in the control group. During the treatment, incidences of adverse reactions in the control group and the observation group were statistically same. Conclusion: Vitamin D3 in combination with tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside has well curative efficacy in patients with RA, which can significantly improve joint symptoms, indices of laboratory tests and bone restoration.

Effect of an eco-friendly o/w emulsion stabilized with amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption-desorption on natural soil minerals

The effects of amphiphilic O/W emulsions,stabilized by the alkyl polyglycoside(APG)or cholesterol-grafted sodium alginate(CSAD)/APG systems,on lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption/desorption mechanisms on natural soil minerals(i.e.,illite and kaolinite)were investigated.Sorption and desorption of lambda-cyhalothrin onto soil minerals was studied via batch equilibration to give insight into the adsorption equilibrium,kinetics,and thermodynamics of lambda-cyhalothrin adsorption onto minerals.The results indicate the following:(i)The adsorption processes for the APG system and CSAD/APG system include:rapid adsorption,slow adsorption,and adsorption equilibrium.The adsorption kinetics of pesticide on illite and kaolinite are in accordance with the Ho and McKay model,and the adsorption isotherm conforms to the Freundlich model.In addition,the adsorption processes of pesticide for the two systems on minerals were spontaneous and feasible(ΔG^0<0),endothermic(ΔH^0>0),and mainly involved chemical bonding(ΔH^0>60).(ii)The equilibrium adsorption percentages of the pesticide on illite for the APG system and CSAD/APG system were 42.4%and 64.8%,and the corresponding equilibrium adsorption percentages on kaolinite were 40.8%and 61.8%,respectively.Moreover,the pesticide adsorption rate K_(2-CSAD/APG)was faster than K_(2-APG),and its adsorption capacity K_(f-CSAD/APG )was greater than K_(f-APG).Meanwhile,the pesticide desorption K_(fd)in the CSAD/APG system was smaller than that in the APG system.As a result,this eco-friendly O/W emulsion based on amphiphilic sodium alginate derivatives might provide a green pesticide formulation,since it could reduce the amount of lambda-cyhalothrin entering aquatic systems to threaten non-target fish and invertebrate species.

Tripterygium Polyglycosid Attenuates the Established Airway Inflammation in Asthmatic Mice

Objective： To investigate the effect of Tripterygium polyglycosid on establishing airway eosinophil infiltration and related airway hyperresponsiveness of asthmatic mice. Methods： A mature murine asthmatic model was made with ovabulmin sensitized and challenged C57BL/6 mice. Forty mice were divided into four groups with 10 mice in each group： mice sensitized and challenged with saline （WS group）, mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin （WO group）, mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin and treated with Tripterygium polyglycosid （TP group） and Dexamethasone （DXM group）. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with 20 I^g chicken ovabulmin emulsified in injected alum on days 0 and 14, then were challenged with an aerosol generated from 1% ovabulmin on days 24, 25 and 26. Tripterygium poiyglycosid was injected intraperitoneally at 50 mg/kg on days 25, 26 and 27 after ovabulmin challenge. Dexamethasone was administrated to mice at 2 mg/kg on day 21, 23 before ovabulmin challenge. The airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus production, eosinophils in parabronchial area and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the level of interleukin-5, granulo-macrophage clone stimulating factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured as indexes of inflammation. Results： Tripterygium polyglycosid treatment after ovabulmin challenge completely inhibited eosinophil infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid [（0.63 ± 0.34） × 10^4 vs. （75.0± 14.8） × 10^4, P〈0.05] and the peribrochial area （12.60 ± 3.48 mm^2 vs. 379.0 ± 119.3 mm^2, P〈0.05）, mucus overproduction in airway （2.8± 1.7 vs. 7.1± 5.6, P〈0.05）, and increased interleukin-5 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （28.8±2.8 pg/mL vs. 7.5± 3.5 pg/mL, P〈0.05）. Meanwhile, Tripterygium polyglycosid treatment after ovabulmin challenge also partially inhibited airway hyperresponsiveness. The level of granulo-macrophage clone stimulating factor in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid didn＇t change with drugs intervention. Conclusions： The administration of Tripterygium polyglycosid could inhibit the established airway inflammation and reduce the airway hyperresponsiveness of allergic asthmatic mice. It provides a possible altemative therapeutic for asthma.

Effects of oral administration of type Ⅱ collagen on adjuvant arthr itis in rats and its mechanisms

To investigate the effects of oral administration of type Ⅱ collagen (CⅡ) on a djuvant arthritis (AA) in rats and its mechanisms, and to compare the effects of CⅡ with those of the Chinese traditional medicine Tripterygium Polyglycoside a dministered similarly Methods Arthritis was induced in rats by immunization using Freund's complete adjuvant ( FCA) After feeding rats either soluble CⅡ or Tripterygium Polyglycoside, chan ges in degree of articular swelling and articular histological findings were obs erved in AA rats Some correlative immunological indexes were measured, includi ng delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, anti collagen and anti Mycoba cterium tuberculosis (MT) antibody in serum, and levels of IFN γ and TNF α i n articular steep in rats Results Oral administration of CⅡ was able to alleviate both distinctly articular and g eneral symptoms in AA rats, suppress synovium hyperplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration in arthrosis capsule The effects brought about by CⅡ were stron ger than those by Tripterygium Polyglycoside Oral administration of CⅡ inhibi ted antigen specific immune response, such as DTH and antibody reaction to CⅡ In addition, the expression of IFN γ and TNF α in joints were locally dow nregulated Conclusions The therapeutic effect of oral administration of CⅡ is obvious on adjuvant art hritis in rats Its remedial mechanisms are likely related to the downregulatio n of both IFN γ and TNF α, and the suppression of cell immunity