Two pairs of epimers and three undescribed diterpenoids from Pseudocaryopteris paniculata.

A phytochemical investigation on the petroleum ether partition of the whole plant of Pseudocaryopteris paniculata, yield seven new compounds: one phytanes diterpenoid (2Z,6E,10E) 14-keto-2,6,10-trimethyl pentadeca-2,6,10-trien-1-carboxylic acid (1), five clerodane diterpenoids: paniculatins A-E (2, 3a/3b, 4a/4b), one abietane diterpenoid: ent-uncinatone (5), together with 12 known compounds. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance （NMR_, Infrared Radiation (IR), and mass spectroscopic data. Compound 2, 5, and 11 showed weak selective cytotoxic activity of 11 human cancer cell lines.

Cytotoxic Diterpenoids from Caryopteris aureoglandulosa.

Seven new (1-7) and 11 known diterpenoids were isolated and identified from Caryopteris aureoglandulosa. These diterpenoids were structurally determined by HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic analyses, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and ECD data. Structurally, aureoglandulosin A (1) is a highly oxygenated abietane diterpenoid with an unprecedented 7/6/6/5-ring system. Aureoglandulosins B (2) and C (3) represent naturally occurring new diterpenoids with an unusual 6/6/6/5-ring system. Additionally, the configurations of two known abietane diterpenoids 11 and 12 were determined by X-ray crystallographic data analysis for the first time. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for compounds 1-3 is proposed. The cytotoxicity of all isolates was evaluated, and compounds 1 and 11 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against some cell lines with IC50 values in the range 1.6-8.2 µM.

The impact of social capital on physical activity and nutrition in China: the mediating effect of health literacy.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity and good nutrition are important behavioral factors in promoting health and preventing disease. It is important to understand the factors affecting physical activity and nutrition. The purpose of this study was to explore whether social capital has an effect on physical activity and nutrition, and whether health literacy plays a mediating role between social capital and physical activity as well as nutrition. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in a certain district of Shanghai in March and April 2017. Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, social capital, health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle profile-II. Health-promoting lifestyle profile-II measures the behaviours or habits of physical activity and healthy nutrition. An explore factor analysis of the principal components with varimax rotation was carried out on the social capital scale. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the sociodemographic of participants. Mediation analysis was performed using the bootstrapping tests to examine whether health literacy mediate the relationship between social capital and physical activity as well as nutrition. RESULTS: The explore factor analysis results showed that social capital has five dimensions, namely social participation, social support, social network, control over life and feelings about the community. There is a positive correlation between social capital, health literacy, physical activity and nutrition. The correlation coefficient varied from 0.135 to 0.594. Mediation analysis demonstrated health literacy played a partial mediating effect between social capital and physical activity as well as nutrition. In the relationship between physical activity and social capital, the indirect effect of health literacy accounted for 8.20 to 12.65% of the total effect. In the relationship between nutrition and social capital, the mediation effect of health literacy accounted for 4.93 to 12.71% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Social capital can promote physical activity and nutrition by disseminating health information. Enhancing the social capital of residents will help increase physical activity and develop healthy eating habits. Attention should also be paid to the improvement of residents' health literacy.

[Study on commodity specification and grade standard and quality evaluation of Galla Chinensis].

This paper is aimed to study the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis,for standardizing market order and guide the market circulation,and provide a basis for standardization of Galla Chinensis. With 33 samples of Galla Chinensis from market as the object of the research,the herbal textual research and market research were carried out. Then the grading indicator were selected by the descriptive statistics,principal component analysis and cluster analysis,combining with production practice,the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis were set out. The data of moisture,ash,gallic acid as the internal index were used to analyze the relationship between the quality difference between grades and the appearance characters and the intrinsic composition. Herbal textual research and market research found that the high quality of Galla Chinensis characterized with large,complete,wall thick,grayish brown characteristics,and Galla Chinensis could be divided into gallnuts and horned gall. Through principal component analysis and cluster analysis,combining actual production and herbal record,screening,the length,diameter,single weight,the number of 500 g were determined as 4 grading indicators,the commodity specification was divided into two: gallnuts and horned gall,the grades was divided into two: selected goods and mixed goods. The result of correlation analysis showed there was no significant correlation between the internal index and the appearance characters of Galla Chinensis. The result of multiple comparison showed that the ash content of the selected goods was smaller than that of the mixed goods,but it did not reach significant. The content of gallic acid of the selected goods and the mixed goods of gallnuts were higher than selected goods of horned gall,and higher than mixed goods of horned galls. Using the length,diameter,single weight,the number of 500 g as the appearance characters index. Combining with the herbal textual research and market research,we have divided two specifications and two grades for the commodity specification and grade standard of Galla Chinensis,which can provide a basis for industry standards and national standards.

Four new sesquiterpenoids with anti-inflammatory activity from the stems of Jasminum officinale.

Four new sesquiterpenoids，including three nor-cinalbicane type sesquiterpenoids, named Jasminol A, G, H (1-3) and one eremophilene-type sesquiterpenoid, named Jasminol B (4) together with nine known compounds (5-13) were isolated from the stems of Jasminum officinale L. The structures of new compound were elucidated on the base of IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D NMR, 2D NMR and DEPT analysis, and the absolute configurations were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, the anti-inflammatory activity of isolated compounds was evaluated using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced murine macrophage RAW264.7, and compounds 1-4 exhibited a moderate inhibition of LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 20.56 ±â€¯1.31, 30.12 ±â€¯0.89, 30.35 ±â€¯2.72 and 31.60 ±â€¯1.69 µM, respectively, and CC50 values >200 uM.

Surgical treatment for severe cubital tunnel syndrome with absent sensory nerve conduction.

For severe cubital tunnel syndrome, patients with absent sensory nerve action potential tend to have more severe nerve damage than those without. Thus, it is speculated that such patients generally have a poor prognosis. How absent sensory nerve action potential affects surgical outcomes remains uncertain owing to a scarcity of reports and conflicting results. This retrospective study recruited one hundred and fourteen cases (88 patients with absent sensory nerve action potential and 26 patients with present sensory nerve action potential) undergoing either subcutaneous transposition or in situ decompression. The minimum follow-up was set at 2 years. Primary outcome measures of overall hand function included their McGowan grade, modified Bishop score, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (DASH) score. For patients with absent sensory nerve action potential, 71 cases (80.7%) achieved at least one McGowan grade improvement, 76 hands (86.4%) got good or excellent results according to the Bishop score, and the average DASH score improved 49.5 points preoperatively to 13.1 points postoperatively. When compared with the present sensory nerve action potential group, they showed higher postoperative McGowan grades and DASH scores, but there was no statistical difference between the modified Bishop scores of the two groups. Following in situ decompression or subcutaneous transposition, great improvement in hand function was achieved for severe cubital tunnel syndrome patients with absent sensory nerve action potential. The functional outcomes after surgery for severe cubital tunnel syndrome are worse in patients with absent sensory nerve action potential than those without. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, China (approval No. 2017142).

The associations of comorbidities and consumption of fruit and vegetable with quality of life among stomach cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Stomach cancer survivors (SCS) often carry the dual burden of the cancer itself and other comorbidities; meanwhile, they are highly motivated to seek health advice about lifestyles to improve their health and quality of life (QOL). The associations of the comorbidity and the consumption of vegetable and fruit with QOL remain even less clear among the SCS. This study aimed to investigate the associations of comorbidities and consumption of fruit and vegetable with QOL among SCS. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 969 SCS between April and July 2015 in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire, which included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities and fruit and vegetable consumption, and a simplified Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment quality of life version 3 (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire. In order to mitigate the bias caused by confounding factors, multiple linear regression models were employed to calculate the adjusted means of QOL scores. RESULTS: The proportion of participants without any comorbidity was only 23.3%, and the most common comorbidity among SCS was digestive diseases (49.8%). Participants with comorbidity generally reported lower scores for global health and functioning subscales and higher scores for symptom in EORTC QLQ-C30 compared to participants without comorbidity, indicating poorer QOL. Higher scores in most functioning subscales and lower scores in some symptoms subscales were found in participants (38.7%) who ate more than 250 g vegetables every day, compared to participants with less vegetable consumption, and in participants (58.1%) who ate fruit every day, compared to participants who didn't eat fruit every day indicating better QOL. CONCLUSIONS: The comorbidities are common health problems among SCS and have significantly negative influence on QOL, and participants with comorbidities generally reported lower QOL scores. The enough vegetables and fruit consumption are positively associated with QOL of SCS. These findings suggested that a multidisciplinary team approach and a variety of delivery systems are needed to address the medical, psychosocial, and lifestyle components for enriching patient-centered care among SCS.

[Effect of propofol and operative trauma on neurodevelopment and cognitive function of developing brain in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of propofol and operative trauma on the neurodevelopment and cognitive function of the developing brain and its mechanism. METHODS: A total of 104 postnatal day 13 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group (treated by 7.5 mL/kg saline and sham surgery), propofol group (treated by 75 mg/kg propofol), surgery group (with abdominal surgery under local anesthesia) and propofol+surgery group (with abdominal surgery under local anesthesia plus 75 mg/kg propofol anesthesia). Thirteen rats from each group were randomly selected for detecting the content of TNF-α in the hippocampus and the expression levels of caspase-3 and c-fos in the brain. Morris Water Maze test was used to detect the cognitive ability of the other rats at 60 days old, after which TNF-α content in the hippocampus and caspase-3 and c-fos expressions in the brain were detected. RESULTS: In 13 day-old rats, TNF-α level and caspase-3 and c-fos expressions differed significantly between the surgery group and the other 3 groups (P<0.05) and were similar among the control group, propofol group and propofol+surgery group (P>0.05). In 60-day-old rats, Morris water maze test results, TNF-α level or expressions of caspase-3 and c-fos showed no significant differences among the 4 groups. CONCLUSION: Abdominal surgery can induce inflammation in the hippocampus and neuroapoptosis in neonatal rats rather than adult rats. Single-dose propofol anesthesia does not significantly affect neurodevelopment of young rats, and can relieve central inflammatory reaction induced by surgical trauma.

Effects of the long-term consumption of hydrogen-rich water on the antioxidant activity and the gut flora in female juvenile soccer players from Suzhou, China.

Expending a considerable amount of physical energy inevitably leads to fatigue during both training and competition in football. An increasing number of experimental findings have confirmed the relationship between the generation and clearance of free radicals, fatigue, and exercise injury. Recently, hydrogen was identified as a new selective antioxidant with potential beneficial applications in sports. The present study evaluated the effect of 2-month consumption of hydrogen-rich water on the gut flora in juvenile female soccer players from Suzhou. As demonstrated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and 16S rDNA sequence analysis of stool samples, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months significantly reduced serum malondialdehyde, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-α levels; then significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity levels and haemoglobin levels of whole blood. Furthermore, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water improved the diversity and abundance of the gut flora in athletes. All examined indices, including the shannon, sobs, ace, and chao indices, were higher in the control group than those proposed to result from hydrogen-rich water consumption prior to the trial, but these indices were all reversed and were higher than those in the controls after the 2-month intervention. Nevertheless, there were some differences in the gut flora components of these two groups before the trial, whereas there were no significant changes in the gut flora composition during the trial period. Thus, the consumption of hydrogen-rich water for two months might play a role modulating in the gut flora of athletes based on its selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Suzhou Sports School (approved number: SSS-EC150903).

Estrogen receptor ß selective agonist ameliorates liver cirrhosis in rats by inhibiting the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the roles of estrogen receptor (ER) subtypes and corresponding agonists/antagonists on the development of cirrhosis and activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). METHODS: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 )-induced cirrhotic ovariectomized rats were administered non-selective ER agonist (ß-estradiol, E2), ER selective agonists (ERα agonist, propylpyrazoletriol; ERß agonist, diarylpropionitrile [DPN]; and G-protein-coupled ER [GPER] agonist, G1), or E2 + ER selective antagonists (ERα antagonist, MPP; ERß antagonist, PHTPP; and GPER antagonist, G15) for 12 weeks. The expression of the three ER subtypes in livers and HSCs and the effects of the drugs on hepatic fibrosis, isolated HSCs, and uteri were evaluated. RESULTS: Selective ER agonists/antagonists had various effects on CCl4 -induced cirrhosis. The cirrhotic rats in the CCl4  + E2, CCl4  + DPN, CCl4  + E2 + MPP, and CCl4  + E2 + G15 groups presented reduced fibrosis scores, compared with those in the CCl4 group. The cirrhotic rats in the E2 + PHTPP group presented increased fibrosis scores that similar to those in the CCl4 group. The ovariectomized rats had enlarged uteri with increased uterus indexes after E2 administration; however, the proliferative effects of E2 were partially blocked by MPP or G15, but not PHTPP. In the in vitro study, DPN attenuated the transformation of quiescent HSCs to activated phenotype, suppressed collagen I, and α-smooth muscle actin expression. DPN also suppressed platelet-derived growth factor-induced proliferation in cultured HSCs, which was reversed by PHTPP. CONCLUSIONS: The antifibrogenic effects of estrogen were mediated by ERß but not ERα or GPER. The ERß selective agonist exerted a fibrosuppressive effect by inhibiting the activation and proliferation of HSCs, but did not induce uterine hyperplasia.

A new highly oxygenated pregnane and two new 5-hydroxymethylfurfural derivatives from the water decoction of Poria cocos.

A new highly oxygenated pregnane steroid, pregn-7-ene-2ß,3α,15α,20-tetrol (1) and two new 5-hydroxymethylfurfural derivatives, (5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl 2-hydroxypropanoate (2) and (5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetate (3), together with four known compounds, were isolated from the water decoction of Poria cocos. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activity and a known compound (3S,6S)-3-[(1R)-1-hydroxyethyl]-6-(phenylmethyl)-2,5-piperazinedione (5) showed weak inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, respectively.

Flavonoids, alkaloids from the seeds of Crotalaria pallida and their cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activities.

Three flavonoids, cropalliflavones A-C, including two homoisoflavonoids with rare skeletons; three previously undescribed alkaloids, usaramine-N-oxide and cropallins A-B; and sixteen known compounds, were isolated from the seeds of Crotalaria pallida Ait. The absolute configurations of cropalliflavone A and usaramine-N-oxide were established by an ECD calculation and X-ray crystallography, respectively. Additionally, cropalliflavone B showed anti-proliferative activity against the MCF-7 cell line with an IC50 value of 6.77 µM, and cropalliflavone C showed anti-inflammatory activity, with an IC50 value of 16.07 µM.

Nepetaefolins A-J, Cytotoxic Chinane and Abietane Diterpenoids from Caryopteris nepetaefolia.

Nepetaefolins A-J (1-10) and seven known compounds were isolated from the whole plant of Caryopteris nepetaefolia. The absolute configurations of 1-3 were determined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic data. Compounds 6 and 7, with IC50 values of 6.3-9.0 µM, showed higher cytotoxicity than paclitaxel in one non-small-cell lung cancer, patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model when tested using PDX models and the adenosine triphosphate-tumor chemosensitivity assay (ATP-TCA).

Role of estrogen receptor ß selective agonist in ameliorating portal hypertension in rats with CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis.

AIM: To investigate the role of diarylpropionitrile (DPN), a selective agonist of estrogen receptor ß (ERß), in liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension (PHT) and isolated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). METHODS: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX), and liver cirrhosis with PHT was induced by CCl4 injection. DPN and PHTPP, the selective ERß agonist and antagonist, were used as drug interventions. Liver fibrosis was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome staining and by analyzing smooth muscle actin expression. Hemodynamic parameters were determined in vivo using colored microspheres technique. Protein expression and phosphorylation were determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. Messenger RNA levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Collagen gel contraction assay was performed using gel lattices containing HSCs treated with DPN, PHTPP, or Y-27632 prior to ET-1 addition. RESULTS: Treatment with DPN in vivo greatly lowered portal pressure and improved hemodynamic parameters without affecting mean arterial pressure, which was associated with the attenuation of liver fibrosis and intrahepatic vascular resistance (IHVR). In CCl4-treated rat livers, DPN significantly decreased the expression of RhoA and ROCK II, and even suppressed ROCK II activity. Moreover, DPN remarkedly increased the levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phosphorylated eNOS, and promoted the activities of protein kinase G (PKG), which is an NO effector in the liver. Furthermore, DPN reduced the contractility of activated HSCs in the 3-dimensional stress-relaxed collagen lattices, and decreased the ROCK II activity in activated HSCs. Finally, in vivo/in vitro experiments demonstrated that MLC activity was inhibited by DPN. CONCLUSION: For OVX rats with liver cirrhosis, DPN suppressed liver RhoA/ROCK signal, facilitated NO/PKG pathways, and decreased IHVR, giving rise to reduced portal pressure. Therefore, DPN represents a relevant treatment choice against PHT in cirrhotic patients, especially postmenopausal women.

Nitric oxide production inhibition and mechanism of phenanthrene analogs in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

Natural phenanthrene derivatives are considered to be important resource for the anti-inflammatory therapeutics, but their structure-activity relationship and mechanisms are still unknown. In this study we evaluated 20 synthesized phenanthrene analogs in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Compounds 10, 11 and 17 were found to inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO) with IC50 values of 37.26µM, 5.05µM and 20.31µM, respectively. Compound 11 decreased LPS-induced expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), inhibited phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and serine/threonine kinase Akt. It also suppressed the phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory kappa B-α (IκBα). Data obtained suggest that compound 11 exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting p38 MAPK and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways, which warrants further investigation as a new anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical tool.

Transfer of the radial branch of the superficial radial nerve to the sensory branch of the ulnar nerve for sensory restoration after C7-T1 brachial plexus injury.

Previously, we have reconstructed the motor function of patients with C7-T1 brachial plexus palsies through combined nerve and tendon transfers. However, these patients lose not only the motor function of the hand but also the sensation on the ulnar side of the hand. Without sensory recovery, the injured hand may be further damaged, particularly by burns in this contact zone. Therefore, we described a technique to restore the sensation at the ulnar aspect of the hand by performing a transfer of the radial branch of the superficial radial nerve to the sensory branch of the ulnar nerve.

Anticancer effects of bishydroxycoumarin are mediated through apoptosis induction, cell migration inhibition and cell cycle arrest in human glioma cells.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of bishydroxycoumarin (BHC) against human glioma cells and to study their mode of action. METHODS: Three cells were used in the experiments. MTT and LDH assays were used to assess the cytotoxic effects of BHC while an in vitro wound healing assay was used to study the effect of BHC on cell migration. Fluorescence microscopy and annexin V-FITC assay were used to study the cellular morphology and apoptotic effects while flow cytometry in combination with propidium iodide (PI) were used to study cell cycle arrest induced by BHC. RESULTS: BHC induced substantial and dose-dependent cytotoxic effects against all three cell lines with U87MG cell line being most susceptible. BHC also inhibited cell migration and induced characteristic morphological changes including chromatin condensation, nuclear shrinkage which increased with increasing dose of BHC. The apoptotic cell population (both early and late apoptotic cells) increased with increasing dose of BHC which also induced substantial G0/G1 cell cycle growth arrest in U87MG cells. CONCLUSION: This study provides help to elucidate the translational potential of the in vitro results to be used for further in vivo studies on human glioma using animal or human subjects. The mechanistic pathway studied in this report could be helpful in explaining the mode of action of these classes of natural products.

Clinical outcome following transfer of the supinator motor branch to the posterior interosseous nerve in patients with C7-T1 brachial plexus palsy.

BACKGROUND: In cases of C7-T1 brachial plexus palsy, a reliable method for the reconstruction of the finger and thumb extension was not established until the transfer of the supinator motor branch to the posterior interosseous nerve was proposed. The long-term outcome of this new technique requires evaluation due to the limited number of cases and the shorter follow-up period of the previous study. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the long-term effect of the transfer of the supinator motor branch to the posterior interosseous nerve and to determine the recovery time course for this new technique. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted in 10 patients with lower brachial plexus injuries who underwent transfer of the supinator motor branch. Patients were followed up postoperatively for a minimum of 24 months, with all patients scheduled to receive a physical examination and electrophysiological testing every 3 months for the first 2 years. RESULTS: Nine patients (90%) recovered to the Medical Research Council (MRC) grade 3 or better for the extensor digitorum communis. The electrophysiologically documented recovery began at an average of 5.7 months after surgery, with the average time required for the first finger extension being 9.1 months (range 5-18 months), and the average time required for achieving MRC grade 3 being 14.3 months (range 9-24 months). Moreover, no complications or loss of supination was observed in any patient. CONCLUSION: The supinator motor branch transfer is a safe procedure that yields recovery of finger extension in C7-T1 brachial plexus palsies with encouraging long-term outcomes.

A qualitative study of smoking behavior among the floating population in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: China has become the world's largest producer and consumer of tobacco and lung cancer is China's leading cause of cancer deaths. The large majority of Chinese smokers are men. Tobacco consumption is of particular concern among China's internal floating (or migrant) population, which has become a permanent feature of Chinese society, because this population is very large (over 100 million persons) and it has a high prevalence of smoking. Considering additionally that like the general population of China, the smoking prevalence rate of women from this group is quite low, we therefore aimed to explore smoking-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among male smokers in the floating population to help inform the development of effective smoking cessation interventions in this important target group in China. METHODS: We interviewed 39 floating population male smokers in six focus groups and performed a qualitative content analysis of the interviews. RESULTS: Most participants knew that smoking is risky to health but they knew little about why. Habit and social participation were key drivers of smoking. Smoking was regarded as a core component of their identity by the urban residents. Some participants had tried to stop smoking but none reported having ever been educated about smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation interventions for China's male floating population would need to incorporate comprehensive education and information about why smoking is dangerous and the benefits of stopping.

Estrogen improves the hyperdynamic circulation and hyporeactivity of mesenteric arteries by alleviating oxidative stress in partial portal vein ligated rats.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of estrogen (E2) on systemic and splanchnic hyperdynamic circulation in portal hypertensive rats. METHODS: Fifty castrated female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: sham operation (SO), partial portal vein ligation (PPVL) + placebo (PLAC), PPVL + E2, PPVL + ICI and PPVL + E2 + ICI. Hemodynamic measurements were performed using ultrasonography. Mesenteric arteriole contractility in response to norepinephrine was determined using a vessel perfusion system. Oxidative stress in the mesenteric artery was investigated by in situ detection of the superoxide anion (O2•(-)) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations. RESULTS: Treatment with E2 resulted in a significant decrease of portal pressure (P < 0.01) and portal venous inflow (P < 0.05), and higher systemic vascular resistance (P < 0.05) and splanchnic arteriolar resistance (P < 0.01) in PPVL + E2 rats compared to PPVL + PLAC rats. In the mesenteric arterioles of PPVL + E2 rats, the dose-response curve was shifted left, and the EC50 was decreased (P < 0.01). E2 reduced O2•(-) production and H2O2 concentration in the mesenteric artery. However, ICI182, 780 reversed the beneficial effects of E2, therefore, the systemic and splanchnic hyperdynamic circulation were more deteriorated in ICI182, 780-treated rats. CONCLUSION: Treatment with estrogen improved the systemic and splanchnic hyperdynamic circulation in PPVL rats, in part due to the alleviation of oxidative stress.