Insights into the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of apigenin in liver injuries and diseases.

Background: Liver diseases are a spectrum of diseases that include hepatic steatosis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatic cancer. These diseases not only severely decrease the quality of life for patients, but also cause financial burden. Although apigenin (APG) has recently become the primary treatment for liver injuries and diseases (LIADs), there has been no systematic review of its use.

Assessment of pulmonary toxicity of potential antioxidant drug PEGylated nanoceria after intratracheal instillation in rats.

Cerium oxide (CeO ) nanoparticles have unique redox properties and exert excellent antioxidant effects in the biological environment. In recent years, many researchers have focused on the CeO nanoparticles as an effective antioxidant drug in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, the toxicity of CeO nanoparticles in vivo remains controversial and still needs intensive research.

Cobalt, nickel and iron embedded chitosan microparticles as efficient and reusable catalysts for Heck cross-coupling reactions.

Cobalt, nickel and iron are efficient catalysts for numerous chemical and biological reactions, but they are hardly immobilized on solid matrixes due to their relatively weak chelation with the surface molecules. We have employed a co-electrospraying coupling with glutaraldehyde cross-linking technique to prepare cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe) catalyst embedded chitosan microparticles (M@MicroCS) (M = Co, Ni and Fe). The Co@MicroCS beads exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the Heck cross-coupling reactions of aromatic iodides with alkenes.

[Preparation and performance characterization of pseudo-ginseng entrapped in crosslinked chitosan/polyacrylic acid/poly(ethylene oxide) nanofibrous membrane].

Objective: To prepare the cross-linked chitosan/poly(acrylic acid)/poly (ethylene oxide) nanofibrous membrance loaded with pseudo-ginseng and to determine its characteristics.

Methods: Pseudo-ginseng entrapped in chitosan, poly (acrylic acid), poly (ethylene oxide) nanofibrous membrane loaded with pseudo-ginseng was prepared by electrospinning and thermal treatment method. The surface morphology of fiber membrane was observed by scanning electron microscopy and the chemical structures were characterized by infrared spectroscopy; the thermal decomposition temperature was analyzed by the thermogravimetric analysis.

[Adverse drug reactions induced by Mailuoning injection: literature review on 162 cases].

To understand the adverse drug reaction (ADR) induced by Mailuoning injection. 162 ADRs due to the drug were retrieved from national medical journals of 1988-2007 for statistics. It was shown that there was no relationship between ADR and dosage, but ADR appeared mostly in middle-aged and old groups, and more in male than in female.