Biomed Chromatogr. 2009 May 14; Cui L, Wen J, Zhou T, Wang S, Fan GAn ion-pair reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method with UV-vis detection has been developed for the determination of total free iodine in rabbit plasma after vaginal administration of povidone-iodine (PVP-I). Sample preparation was done by protein precipitation with acetonitrile in 96-well format and aspirin was used as the internal standard. The 100 microL sodium thiosulfate solution (5 g L(-1)) was added to 100 microL plasma sample before protein precipitation, to convert the total free iodine in plasma to iodide (I(-)). Separation was performed on a C(18) column (200 x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm). The mobile phase consisting of a mixture of water phase (containing 10 mmol L(-1) 18-crown-6 ether, 5 mmol L(-1) octylamine and 5 mmol L(-1) sodium dihydrogen phosphate, pH adjusted to 6.0 with phosphoric acid) and acetonitrile in the ratio 70:30 (v/v) was delivered isocraticly at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1). The method was sensitive with a lower limit of quantification of 0.005 microg mL(-1), with good linearity (r(2) > 0.9990) over the linear range of 0.005-2 microg mL(-1). All the validation data, such as linearity, accuracy and precision, were within the required limits. The method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetic of PVP-I in rabbits after vaginal administration. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Mar 25; Zhang L, Hu JJ, Lin JW, Fang WS, Du GHAIM OF THE STUDY: This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of the ethanol and aqueous extracts of a Tibetan herb Pterocephalus hookeri (C.B. Clarke) Höeck to provide experimental evidence for its traditional use such as cold, flu and rheumatoid arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Investigations on the analgesic effects of P. hookeri (C.B. Clarke) Höeck were carried out, including hot-plate test and acetic acid-induced writhing. The anti-inflammatory activities were observed by utilizing the following models: carrageenin-induced edema of the hind paw of rats, cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation in rats, acetic acid-induced permeability, and xylene-induced ear edema in mice. The effects of the administration of indomethacin were also studied. RESULTS: It has been shown that the ethanol and aqueous extracts significantly increased the hot-plate pain threshold and reduced acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice. The ethanol and aqueous extracts remarkably inhibited the increase in vascular permeability induced by acetic acid and ear edema induced by xylene. The ethanol extract also significantly decreased the carrageenin-induced rat paw edema perimeter and inhibited the increase of granuloma weight. CONCLUSION: The results show that the ethanol and aqueous extracts have both central and peripheral analgesic activities and as anti-inflammatory effects, supporting the traditional application of this herb in treating various diseases associated with inflammation and pain.

Fitoterapia. 2009 May 7; Bao L, Yao X, Xu J, Guo X, Liu H, Kurihara HThe ethanol extract of Pithecellobium clypearia Benth (PCE) was characterized to be rich in polyphenols by HPLC analysis, and investigated for its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities. In our assay, PCE showed anti-inflammatory activity in both acute and auto-immune inflammation animal models. Administration of PCE can effectively inhibit the croton oil-induced ear edema and capillary permeability, the carrageenin-induced paw edema, and the liver injury caused by propionibacterium acnes plus lipopolysaccharide. PCE was also found to possess anti-allergic activity in inhibiting the DNFB-induced delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Meanwhile, seven main components (1-7) from PCE were studied for their effect on histamine release stimulated by compound 48/80 from rat peritoneal mast cells in vitro. Compound 2 ((-)-epigallocatechin-7-gallate), 3 ((-)-5, 7, 3', 4', 5'-pentahydroxyflavan), and 5 ((-)-tetra hydroxyflavan-7-gallate) showed significant inhibition effect on histamine release.

Phytomedicine. 2009 May 6; Sun M, Zhang JJ, Shan JZ, Zhang H, Jin CY, Xu S, Wang YLDanhong Injection (DHI), a Chinese Materia Medica standardized product extracted from Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and Flos Carthami tinctorii, has the actions of promoting blood circulation and resolving stasis to promote regeneration. The clinical therapeutic effects of DHI on traumatic intracranial hematoma (TICH) were observed. Eighty patients with TICH were randomly assigned to trial group and a control group (40 patients per group), and all were administered with routine medication. Additionally, DIH was administered intravenously to patients in the trial group. Pre and post-treatment GCS was observed in the two groups, along with GOS after therapy. The intracranial hematoma absorption, hemorheological changes, and changes in coagulation indexes pre- and post-treatment were evaluated. The results indicated that GCS and GOS after therapy for the trial group were superior to those for the control group (p