Hypnotic effects of a novel anti-insomnia formula on Drosophila insomnia model / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the biological effects of the six-herb mixture Anti-Insomia Formula (AIF) extract using caffeine-induced insomnia Drosophila model and short-sleep mutants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Caffeineinduced insomnia wild-type Drosophila and short-sleep mutant flies minisleep (mns) and Hyperkinetic(Y) (Hk(Y)) were used to assess the hypnotic effects of the AIF in vivo. The night time activity, the amount of night time sleep and the number of sleep bouts were determined using Drosophila activity monitoring system. Sleep was defined as any period of uninterrupted behavioral immobility (0 count per minute) lasting > 5 min. Night time sleep was calculated by summing up the sleep time in the dark period. Number of sleep bouts was calculated by counting the number of sleep episodes in the dark period.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AIF at the dosage of 50 mg/mL, effectively attenuated caffeine-induced wakefulness (P<0.01) in wild-type Canton-S flies as indicated by the reduction of the sleep bouts, night time activities and increase of the amount of night time sleep. AIF also significantly reduced sleeping time of short-sleep Hk(Y) mutant flies (P<0.01). However, AIF did not produce similar effect in mns mutants.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AIF might be able to rescue the abnormal condition caused by mutated modulatory subunit of the tetrameric potassium channel, but not rescuing the abnormal nerve firing caused by Shaker gene mutation. This study provides the scientific evidence to support the use of AIF in Chinese medicine for promoting sleep quality in insomnia.</p>

Bone protection effects of a novel Chinese herbal formula, taikong yangxin prescription, in hindlimb unloaded rats against bone deterioration / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of a Chinese herbal formula, taikong yangxin prescription (TKYXP) against bone deterioration in a hindlimb unloaded (tail-suspension) rat model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: tail-suspension group fed with 2.5 g•kg(-1)•day(-1) of TKYXP extract (high dose), tail-suspension group fed with 1.25 g•kg(-1)•day(-1) (low dose), tail-suspended group treated with water placebo (placebo control group) and non tail-suspended group. The effects of TKYXP on bone were assessed using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), microcomputerized tomography (micro-CT) and three-point bending biomechanical test on the femur in vivo.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>TKYXP had a significant protective effect against bone loss induced by tail-suspension on day 28, as shown in the reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) loss, preservation of bone micro-architecture and biomechanical strength. The administration ofhigh dose TKYXP could significantly reduce the total BMD loss by 4.8% and 8.0% at the femur and tibia regions, respectively, compared with the placebo control group (P<0.01) on day 28. Its bone protective effect on the femur was further substantiated by the increases of the trabecular BMD (by 6.6%), bone volume fraction (by 20.9%), trabecular number (by 9.5%) and thickness (by 11.9%) as compared with the placebo control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TKYXP may protect the bone under weightless influence from gradual structural deterioration in the tail-suspension model.</p>