[Effects of Xiangqin Jiere Granules on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice].

This paper aims to study the effect of Xiangqin Jiere Granules(XQ) on lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation in different obesity model mice. The monosodium glutamate(MSG) obese mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of MSG in newborn mice, and the high fat diet(HFD) obese mouse model was established by feeding adult mice with HFD. The normal mice were assigned into the control group; the MSG obese mice were assigned into MSG model group, XQ4.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granu-les, 4.5 g·kg~(-1)), XQ22.5 group(Xiangqin Jiere Granules, 22.5 g·kg~(-1)); the HFD obese mice were assigned into HFD model group, XQ4.5 group, and XQ22.5 group. The mice were intragastrically administrated with saline or XQ for 5 weeks. After that, the body weight, visceral fat mass, liver and thymus weight, and the organ indexes in each group were measured. The levels of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c) in serum and liver tissue were detected by the kits. The mRNA expression levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1), fatty acid synthetase(FAS), diacylgycerol acyltransferase 1(DGAT1) and hepatic lipase(HTGL) involved in lipid metabolism in mouse liver tissue were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR). The protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in serum were detected by ELISA, and the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were detected by qPCR. Compared with the control group, MSG and HFD mice showed increased body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index and visceral fat mass as well as elevated levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in serum. The model mice had up-regulated gene levels of ACC1, FAS and DGAT1 while down-regulated gene level of HTGL in the liver. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 increased in the model mice. Compared with the model mice, XQ treatment decreased the body weight, abdominal circumference, Lee index, and visceral fat mass, lowered the levels of TG, TC, and LDL-c in se-rum, down-regulated the gene levels of ACC1, FAS, and DGAT1 in liver tissue, up-regulated the gene level of HTGL, and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6. To sum up, XQ has good therapeutic effect on different obesity model mice. It can improve lipid metabolism and reduce fat accumulation in obese mice by regulating the enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, and alleviate obesity-related chronic low-grade inflammation.

Hypouricemic effect of the methanol extract from Prunus mume fruit in mice.

CONTEXT: The fruit of the Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc (Rosaceae) is used as a health food or medicinal material in traditional herb medicine for a long time in Eastern Asian countries. OBJECTIVE: Our present study investigated the hypouricemic effect of the methanol extract from P. mume fruit (MPMF) in mice with potassium oxonate-induced hyperuremia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Effect of MPMF (35, 70 and 140 mg/kg, p.o.) administrated for 7 days on the serum, liver, urinary uric acid levels and liver xanthine oxidase (XO) activity were assessed in mice. RESULTS: Hyperuricemic mice induced by potassium oxonate demonstrated an elevation in serum and liver uric acid levels (11.0 mg/dL and 0.52 mg/g tissue) and a reduction in urinary uric acid levels (49.9 mg/dL). Oral administration of 140 mg/kg MPMF for 7 days reversed the abnormalities in serum, liver and urinary uric acid levels (7.1 mg/dL, 0.37 mg/g tissue and 69.7 mg/dL, respectively). In addition, 70 and 140 mg/kg MPMF (3.1 and 2.9 nmol/min per mg protein) inhibited liver XO activity compared with hyperuricemic mice (3.9 nmol/min per mg protein). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the beneficial hypouricaemic effect of MPMF may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibiting XO activity in the liver. Our study suggests that P. mume and its extracts may have a considerable potential for development as an anti-gout agent for clinical application.

Antidepressant-like behavioral, neurochemical and neuroendocrine effects of naringenin in the mouse repeated tail suspension test.

Our previous study demonstrated that the citrus bioflavonoid naringenin ameliorated behavioral alterations via the central serotonergic and noradrenergic systems in the tail suspension test (TST) induced mice. To better understand its pharmacological activity, mice were submitted to three 6min-TSTs one week apart (Day 1: test, Day 7: retest 1, Day 14: retest 2) followed by hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR), monoamine neurotransmitters and serum corticosterone measurement. The results suggested that repeated TST detected the gradual increase in the efficacy of naringenin over time, additionally 1-day (20 mg/kg), 7-day (10, 20 mg/kg) and 14-day (5, 10, 20 mg/kg) naringenin treatment markedly decreased the immobility time. Moreover, administration of naringenin for 14 days (20 mg/kg) increased hippocampal serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and GR levels, and reduced serum corticosterone levels in mice exposed to the repeated TST. Overall, the present study indicated that the re-exposure would facilitate the detection of the anti-immobility effects of antidepressant drugs in the mouse TST, and clearly demonstrated that the antidepressant-like effect of naringenin may be mediated by an interaction with neuroendocrine and neurochemical systems.

[CO2 flux characteristics and their influence on the carbon budget of a larch plantation in Maoershan region of Northeast China].

From January to December 2008, the CO2 flux in a larch plantation (Larix gmeilinii) in Maoershan region of Shangzhi County, Heilongliang Province was measured by eddy covanance method, and the diurnal changes of leaf photosynthetic rate were measured in growth season (from May to October). There existed differences in the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of the plantation in different time periods under the effects of environmental factors. In the afternoon (12:00-24:00), the NEE changed more slowly with the variation of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) than in the morning (0:00-12:00); and in the morning, tbe light use efficiency was 0.6284 mol x mol(-1), 14% more than that in afternoon. The NEE increased with increasing temperature, and the increment in the morning was 50% higher than that in the afternoon (air temperature > 15 degrees C). These differences in responding to environmental changes led to 88% NEE implemented in the morning, and only 12% NEE implemented in the afternoon. The annual gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) in the morning took a percentage of 60%, and that in afternoon took 40%. These findings were supported by the observation at leaf level, i.e., on average of whole growth season, the leaf photosynthetic capacity in the morning was over 2-fold higher than that in afternoon. Generally, the annual NEE, ecosystem respiration (Re), and GEP of the plantation in 2008 were 263-264 g C x m(-2), 718-725 g C x m(-2), and 981-989 g C x m(-2), respectively.