[Comparison of the four pairs of "phleps" in ancient Greek medicine and the eleven "mai" in Mawangdui silk manuscripts].

Using the philological method, the comparison was conducted between the internal canals of human body, meaning the four pairs of "phleps" in the ancient Greek medicine, and the eleven "mai" (meridians, vessels, channels) of Mawangdui silk manuscripts. It is believed that they refer to the initial understanding on the connecting passages of the human body in Western medicine and Chinese medicine respectively. Although they have their own unique characteristics, there are many similarities in running courses, related indications, diagnosis and treatment, as well as theoretic foundation. Both of them represent the duality of tangible blood vessels and intangible pathways, reflecting the common cognitive mode of human body and diseases in early human medicine, with the similar characteristics, e.g.analogy, examining the exterior to deduce the conditions in the interior, holistic connection and natural balance. The four pairs of "phleps" of ancient Greek medicine, with the preliminary features of meridians, were substituted by the blood circulation theory afterwards; whereas, the eleven "mai" of Mawangdui silk manuscripts were developed into a twelve-meridian system. These different evolution paths and outcomes may be associated with the distinct medical philosophies and cultural backgrounds between ancient Greek medicine and Chinese medicine. This summary provides a new approach and new perspectives for the study on the regularity of the early human medical origin, especially the origin of meridians.

Cholesterol-lowering effects and potential mechanisms of different polar extracts from Cyclocarya paliurus leave in hyperlipidemic mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cyclocarya paliurus Batal., native only to China, is widely consumed as a Chinese traditional folk medicine for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. The aim of the study is to investigate the cholesterol-lowering effect and potential mechanisms of different polar extracts from Cyclocarya paliurus leaves in mice fed with high-fat-diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cyclocarya paliurus leaves extracts were orally administered to diet-induced hyperlipidemic mice for 4 weeks. Simvastatin was used as a positive control. Body weight, food intake, histopathology of liver and adipose tissues, hepatic and renal function indices, lipid profiles in the serum and liver were evaluated. Total bile acid concentrations of the liver and feces were also measured. Furthermore, the activities and mRNA expression of cholesterol metabolism-related enzymes including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) in the livers of the mice were analyzed. LC-MS detection was performed to identify the components in the active fraction of Cyclocarya paliurus extracts. RESULTS: Different Cyclocarya paliurus polar extracts, especially ChE reduced the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and hepatic TC and TG, enhanced the level of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), restored hepatic and renal function indices and histomorphology. HMG-CoA reductase activity and mRNA expression were decreased, while CYP7A1 activity and mRNA expression as well as the level of fecal and hepatic bile acid were increased by ChE. LC-MS analysis of ChE revealed the presence of six main triterpenoids, which might be responsible for its antihyperlipidemic bioactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Evidently ChE possesses the best antihyperlipidemic activity, and the cholesterol-lowering effect is at least partly attributed to its role in promoting the conversion of cholesterol into bile acids by upgrading the activity and mRNA expression of CYP7A1 and inhibiting those of HMG-CoA reductase to lower the cholesterol biosynthesis.

Cyclocarya paliurus prevents high fat diet induced hyperlipidemia and obesity in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Cyclocarya paliurus (CP; qing qian liu), which is used as an herbal tea in China, has been confirmed to have therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia and obesity, and therefore it is widely consumed to prevent metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia and diabetes. In this study, we investigated the preventive effects of CP on obesity and hyperlipidemia, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved in intestinal secretion of apolipoprotein (apo) B48. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and with or without various concentrations of an ethanol extract of CP (CPE; 2, 4, or 8 g·(kg body mass)(-1)) administered by gavage for 8 weeks. From the results we see that CPE dose-dependently blocked increases in body mass, and decreased food utilization as well as visceral fat mass. Decreased serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and elevated levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as lowered levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the liver were also noticed in CPE-treated rats. Magnetic resonance images indicated that the abnormal fat storage induced by the HFD was obviously suppressed by CPE. In addition, ELISA analysis showed reduced fasting serum apoB48 in the CPE treatment groups. Based on the above results, CPE shows a promising preventive effect on obesity and hyperlipidemia, partially through suppressing intestinal apoB48 overproduction.

Antihyperlipidemic effect of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja extract and inhibition of apolipoprotein B48 overproduction in hyperlipidemic mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cyclocarya paliurus (CP) Batal., the sole species in its genus, is a native plant to China. As a traditional Chinese folk medicine, the tree leaves have been widely used for the treatment of metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aimed to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic effect of CP ethanol extract, as well as its inhibitory activity on apolipoproteinB48 (apoB48), in normal and hyperlipidemic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antihyperlipidemic effect of CP was evaluated in hyperlipidemic mice induced by high-fat diet for 4 weeks. CP ethanol extract (0.37, 0.75 and 1.5g/kg/day) was orally administrated once daily. Lipids and antioxidant profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), together with the indices of hepatic and renal functions were examined. RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to analysis the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), total- and triglyceride-rich apoB48 (TRL-apoB48), as well as the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activatein kinase (MAPK). RESULTS: CP as well as simvastatin remarkably lowered the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA, and at the same time, elevated the HDL-C, SOD and GSH-Px in high-fat diet mice. It also decreased the serum concentration of total- and TRL-apoB48 in the fasting state. CP inhibited TNF-α expression and phosphorylation level of MAPK. Furthermore, the HE staining of liver and kidney, together with hepatic and renal function analysis showed hepato- and renoprotective activities of CP. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that CP possesses beneficial potentials for use in treating hyperlipidemia and the underlying lipid-lowering mechanism might associate with a down-regulation of the intestinal-associated lipoprotein apoB48, which may provide evidence about its practical application for treating hyperlipidemia and its complications.

[Celastrol down-regulates expression of P-Akt and cyclin D1 in HL-60 cells and induces apoptosis].

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Celastrol on induction of HL-60 cell apoptosis and its possible mechanism. The proliferative activity of HL-60 cells treated with 0.25 - 8.0 µmol/L of Celastrol for 24 - 72 hours was assayed by MTT method, the effects of Celastrol on apoptosis and cell cycle of HL-60 were detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double labeling, the expression of pAkt and cyclin D1 at protein and gene level in HL-60 cells treated with Celastrol were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR. The results showed that the Celastrol could obviously inhibit the proliferation of HL-60 cells in concentration-and time-dependent manners, the IC50 value of Celastrol for 24 hours was 6.21 ± 0.242 µmol/L. The Celastrol concentration-dependently induced the apoptosis of HL-60 cells, accompanying with morphological changes of apoptotic cells, which may be related with arrest of cells in G0/G1 phase. The Celastrol suppressed the expression of pAkt and Cyclin D1 in HL-60 cells to a varying degree which showed obvious concentration-and time-dependent manners. It is concluded that the Celastrol inhibits the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of HL-60 cells. Its mechanism may be related with down-regulation of p-Act and cyclin D1 expressions.