[Effects of BiejiaYugan Granule on TGF-ß1/Smads pathway in rats with hepatic fibrosis caused by compound factors].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Biejia Yugan Granule on hepatic fibrosis caused by compound factors in rats and its effect on TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway. Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model control group, colchicine group, Biejia Yugan Granule low, medium and high dose (1.85, 3.70, 7.40 g/kg) groups (n= 8 in each group). The rat model of hepatic fibrosis was established by treating with 5% alcohol 15 ml/kg (ig) everyday and injecting with 40% carbon tetrachloride (sc) twice a week for 42 days. The effects of Biejia Yugan Granule on liver function, liver index and water content, serum hepatic fibrosis related indicators, key proteins and gene expression of TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway in rats were observed. Results: Biejia Yugan Granule at the doses of 1.85, 3.70 and 7.40 g/kg could decrease the serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP and HA, PCⅢ, C-Ⅳ, LN significantly, reduce the water content of liver tissue leads to the decrease of liver index, regulate the liver tissue TGF-ß1, Smad3 mRNA and Smad7 mRNA expressions. Conclusion: Biejia Yugan Granule has obvious effects of reducing enzyme and protecting liver and inhibiting hepatic fibrosis, and inhibiting TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway is one of its mechanisms of anti-hepatic fibrosis.

[Effects of Butylphthalide on airway mucus hypersecretion, IL-13 and TNF-α in asthmatic mice].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Butylphthalide (NBP) on airway mucus hypersecretion, interleukin-13 (IL-13) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in asthmatic mice. Methods: The mice were randomly divided into control group, asthma group, DEX group and high, medium and low doses of NBP (100, 50, 25 mg/kg) groups (n=12). Ovalbumin (OVA) injection was sensitized on the 1st, 8th, and 15th day of the experiment, and OVA was inhaled on the 22nd day to stimulate for 5 weeks to replicate the asthma model, and 20 mg/kg of NBP was given for intervention before the challenge. Finally, the asthma behavior, the secretion of goblet cells and Mucin 5ac (Muc5ac)were observed, and meanwhile the viscosity of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the levels of Muc5ac, IL-13 and TNF-α in BALF were measured by ELISA. Results: Compared with the control group, the degree of sneezing, nose scratching and asthma, the proliferation of airway epithelial goblet cells and secretion of Muc5ac in the asthma group were increased significantly (P＜0.01), meanwhile, the viscosity of BALF and the contents of Muc5ac, IL-13 and TNF-α were also increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the asthma group, the above behavioral scores of asthma were decreased significantly (P＜0.01) after the intervention of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg NBP, as well as the proliferation of airway epithelial goblet cells, secretion of Muc5ac, the viscosity of BALF and the contents of Muc5ac, IL-13 and TNF-α were significantly lower than those of the asthma group (P＜0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: NBP has the effect of anti-asthma by inhibiting mucus hypersecretion, and one of its mechanisms is to alleviate the abnormal expressions of IL-13 and TNF-α.

[Effects of Radix Angelicae Sinensis on airway mucus hypersecretion and the TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathway in Yin-deficiency asthmatic mice].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RADA) on airway mucus hypersecretion and the tumor necrosis factor-α/ nuclear factor- κB (TNF-α/NF-κB) signaling pathway in Yin-deficiency asthma mice. Methods: KM mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, ambroxol group and RADA low, medium and high dose (2, 4 and 8 g/kg) group(n=12). Ovalbumin and the thyroid gland were used to replicate the model of Yin-deficiency asthma. Asthma symptoms in mice , immune globulin E (IgE) , TNF-α , and the expressions of Mucin 5ac (Muc5ac) and NF- κB in lung tissue were observed under the intervention of RADA. Results: RADA at the doses of 2,4 and 8 g/kg could alleviate the asthma symptoms of Yin-deficiency asthma mice significantly, reduce the levels of IgE in serum and TNF-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and inhibite the overexpressions of Muc5ac and NF- κB in lung tissue. Conclusion: RADA has significant anti-asthmatic effect. One of its mechanisms is to inhibit TNF-α/NF- κB signaling pathway and to alleviate airway mucus hypersecretion.

[Effects of Biejia Yugan Granule on rat with ethanol-induced hepatic fibrosis].

Objective: To investigate the prevention and treatment effect of Biejia Yugan Granule (BYG) on ethanol-induced hepatic fibrosis (EHF) rats. Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, BYG group, colchicine group and BYG low and BYG high dose groups (n=8). The EHF rat model was established by intragastric edible ethanol with a gradually increased dose. Briefly, the rats of model group, colchicine group and BYG low and high dose groups were given gavage of 5 g/(kg·d) ethanol at week 1～4, 7 g/(kg·d) ethanol at week 5～8, 9 g/(kg·d) ethanol at week 9～12 and 9.5 g/(kg·d) ethanol at week 13～24. And the other two groups were treated with equal volume water. At the same time, the corresponding drugs were administrated daily: BYG group was treated with Biejia Yugan Granules 5.55 g/kg, colchicine group was treated with colchicine 0.1 mg/kg, BYG low-dose and high-group were treated with Biejia Yugan Granules 1.85 and 5.55 g/kg respectively. The blank control group and model control group were given the same amount of purified water. On the 169th day of the experiment, the effects of BYG on the macroscopic changes of rat liver organs, the water content of liver tissue and the pathological changes of fibrosis, the content of hydroxy proline (Hyp) in liver tissue and the expression levels of α-SMA and CREB were observed. Results: BYG at the doses of 1.85 and 5.55 g/kg could significantly improve the macroscopic changes of liver and pathological changes of liver tissue fibrosis in rats with EHF, reduce the contents of water and Hyp in liver tissue, and down-regulate the expressions of α-SMA and CREB. Conclusion: BYG has obvious effect on inhibiting EHF and one of its mechanisms is down-regulate the content of CREB.

[Preventive and therapeutic effects of Qiwei Yugan Granule on hepatic fibrosis in rats].

Objective: To investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of Qiwei Yugan Granule (QYG) on hepatic fibrosis in rats based on MMP-13/TIMP-1 imbalance. Methods: The rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, colchicine group (1.0×10-4 g/kg) and QYG treated groups (3.7, 7.4, 14.8 g/kg) (n=8). The rat model of hepatic fibrosis was established by injected with carbon tetrachloride subcutaneously for 4 weeks and treated with ethanol by gavage for 6 weeks. The effects of QYG on liver function, histopathology of liver, related indexes of serum liver fibrosis, and MMP-13, TIMP-1 in hepatic tissue were observed. Results: QYG at the doses of 14.8、7.4、3.7 g/kg could significantly decrease the serum levels of ALT, AST, HA, PCⅢ and C-Ⅳ, relieve the pathological changes of hepatic fibrosis, increase the activity of MMP-13, decrease the activity of TIMP-1 and alleviate the imbalance of MMP-13/TIMP-1. Among them, QYG had a certain trend of dose-effect relationship with TIMP-1 and MMP-13/TIMP-1 (P＜0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: QYG has the effect of preventing and treating liver fibrosis and one of mechanisms is to promote MMP-13/TIMP-1 to restore balance.

High Nighttime Temperature Induces Antioxidant Molecule Perturbations in Heat-Sensitive and Heat-Tolerant Coisogenic Rice ( Oryza sativa) Strains.

Global warming-associated increases in temperature, particularly at nighttime, are detrimental to rice yield and quality. Metabolomic profiling was used to examine and compare the short-term extreme high nighttime temperature-induced molecular perturbations in rice ( Oryza sativa) coisogenic strains with contrasting heat-tolerances at the first stage of seed ripening. Compared to the heat-sensitive strain, antioxidant molecules were higher in abundance in the heat-tolerant strain, whereas the abundances of molecules involved in photosynthesis, nucleotide catabolism, and the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) cycle varied only slightly. Thus, we proposed that the high abundance of antioxidant molecules in the heat-tolerant strain alleviated cellular oxidative stress, which protected photosynthesis, nucleotide catabolism, and the SAM cycle, leading to good grain filling.