[Cytotoxicity of Malondialdehyde and Cytoprotective Effects of Taurine via Oxidative Stress and PGC-1α Signal Pathway in C2C12 Cells].

One of the end-products of ROS-induced peroxidation, malondialdehyde (MDA), induces the cross-links in proteins, which leads to perturbation of the physiological functions of cells and contributes to abnormal biological regulation and various disorders. Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, Tau) aids in adjusting normal physiological functions to confer stress resistance. The protective effects of Tau against MDA stress in vitro or in vivo were reported previously. In this study, we had investigated the protective effects of taurine on viability, oxidative stress levels and mitochondrial biogenesis in mouse muscle C2C12 cells undergoing MDA induced stress. We show that the treatment with 100 µM MDA leads to increase in cell oxidative stress levels, inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis and the reduction of the cell survival rates. The pretreatment with 0.1 µM taurine reduced MDA-induced death rate via inhibition of oxidative stress, restoration of mitochondrial functions of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ATP production. In MDA stress, the pre-treatment with 0.1 µM taurine leads to upregulation of the factors of mitochondrial biogenesis. These observations suggest that the cytoprotective effects of taurine may be due to an induction of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Boswellic acid attenuates asthma phenotype by downregulation of GATA3 via nhibition of PSTAT6.

To study the role of boswellic acid in reducing asthma phenotype severity and the relationship between the expression of pSTAT6 and GATA3, thirty-six mice were randomly divided into normal control group, asthma group, and boswellic acid group (treatment group). The asthma model was established through an intraperitoneal injection of sensitization liquid (0.15 mL aluminum hydroxide gel at 88.67 mg/mL and 0.05 mg ovalbumin). pSTAT6 and GATA3 expression levels in peripheral blood were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. pSTAT6 and GATA3 gene expressions in the asthmatic group were significantly higher than in the normal control group; they were markedly lower in the treatment group than the asthma group, and there was no significant difference when compared with the normal control group. The pSTAT6 expressions in the asthma, control and treatment groups were 2.256 ± 0.125, 0.524 ± 0.210, and 0.897 ± 0.134 at gray level, respectively. The GATA3 expressions in the asthma, control, and treatment groups were 3.521 ± 0.631, 0.435 ± 0.136, and 0.743 ± 0.149 at gray level, respectively. pSTAT6 and GATA3 expression levels were similar in the treatment and control groups. GATA3 expression had a positive correlation with pSTAT6 expression. Boswellic acid may improve asthma symptoms by inhibiting pSTAT6 expression, which consequently reduces GATA3 expression.

[Clinical and experimental studies of jianyi oral liquid in improving learning and memory of the aged].

The effect of Jianyi oral liquid (JYOL) in improving learning and memory of the aged was investigated in this study. The results showed that the learning and memory of the aged subjects and mice was improved after taking JYOL, the level of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in plasma of aged subjects and brain of aged mice and the content of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in red blood cells of both aged person and mice were significantly higher than those of premedication or control respectively. It was considered that the mechanism of the effect of JYOL in improving learning and memory might related to enhance the brain activity and the capability of clearing free radicals by increasing monoamines, cAMP and SOD of the aged body.