Quality standard of uygur medicine Medicago sativa seeds / 中国中药杂志

In this paper, microscopic identification method was adopted to observe the microscopic characters of ten batches of Medicago sativa seeds. And M. sativa seeds were identificated by TLC method in contrast to trigonelline and stachydrine hydrochloride. The impurities, moisture, ash, sour insoluble ash were detected based on Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2010 version (Vol I ). An HPLC method was also established for determination of trigonelline in the M. sativa seeds. The contents of impurities, moisture, ash, sour insoluble ash should not exceed 5%, 10%, 6%, and 2%, respectively. The content of trigonelline should be not less than 0.795 6 mg x g(-1). The experimental methods were accurate and reliable, and can be used as the quality control of the seeds of M. sativa.

Raman spectroscopic study on effect of danshen injection on human erythrocyte membranes and its mechanism / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Danshen, as a traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, is widely applied in improving human erythrocyte deformability in clinics. But its direct effect on erythrocyte membranes is still unclear.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>In this essay, the confocal Raman technique was adopted to measure the changes in Raman spectra of human erythrocytes before and after the administration of Danshen injection.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The results showed slight changes in group conformations corresponding to erythrocyte membranes after the administration of danshen injection. Specifically, 1064, 1126 cm(-1) spectral lines attributed to phospholipid molecule acyl C-C skeleton anti-conformation were obviously weakened, whereas 1091 cm(-1) spectral line attributed to phospholipid molecule acyl C-C skeleton guache conformation notably intensified. Besides, the longitudinal order-parameter in chains (Strans) of phospholipids was reduced significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Danshen injection can transfer erythrocyte membrane phospholipid molecule acyl C-C skeleton anti-conformation to guache conformation, indicating the increase in liquidity of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids and erythrocytes. Danshen injection's effect in improving erythrocyte membrane structure and function may be the intrinsic mechanism for its pharmacological effect as a traditional Chinese medicine.</p>

Effect of atorvastatin on expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and transforming growth factor-β1 in the spinal cord of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To study the effect of atorvastatin on the expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the spinal cord of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).Methods Eighty healthy female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:normal control group (n=20),EAE model group (n=20),low-dose treatment group (n=20) and high-dose treatment group (n=20).Each group was equally divided into 2 sub-groups:14-d group and 21-d group according to the day that they were sacrificed.EAE rat models were established by immunizing the rats with fresh guinea-pig spinal cord homogenate plus complete Freund's Adjuvat (CFA).Rats of the treatment groups were fed with atorvastatin at dasage of 2 mg/(kg·d)and 10 mg/ (kg·d),respectively; and rats of the normal control group and EAE model group were fed with physiological saline.The severity of EAE was scored according to the signs and symptoms,and NIHSS was performed.Pathological changes were observed with the aid of HE staining.The levels of ICAM-1 and TGF-β1 were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The rats in the high-dose treatment group had significantly lower incidence of disease,decreased CNS inflammation focus,lower level of ICAM-1 and higher level of TGF-β1 as compared with rats of the EAE model group and low-dose treatment group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Atorvastatin could ameliorate EAE of rats in a dose-dependent manner,whose effect might be related to the decreased expression of ICAM-1 and increased expression of TGF-β1.

Inhibition of retinoblastoma binding protein 2 promotes osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal cells / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of retinoblastoma binding protein 2 (RBP-2), a histone H3K4 demethylase, on osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal cell (hASC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the GenBank sequence information of RBP-2, four different small interfering RNAs (siRNA) targeting RBP-2 gene were designed and the corresponding short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) were cloned into pLL 3.7 lentivirus RNA interference vector. The lentivirus with RBP-2-siRNA was packaged in 293T cells. The effective sequence was examined and selected by Western blotting and real-time PCR. The lentiviruses with efficient knockdown effects were used to infect hASC. On the 14th day after osteogenic differentiation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities of hASC were quantitatively tested and at the same time, ALP staining and alizarin red staining were performed to assess the difference of osteogenic differentiation between the knockdown group and the control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The recombinant lentivirus siRNA targeting RBP-2 was successfully constructed and the expression of RBP-2 mRNA and protein were dramatically suppressed by infection with RBP-2-siRNA lentivirus. On the 14th day after osteogenic induction, ALP activity of hASC in the knockdown group [(299.2 ± 22.7), (224.3 ± 17.7) U/g] was much stronger than that in the control group [(129.9 ± 12.9) U/g, P < 0.05] and the same result was achieved for the ALP staining and alizarin red staining.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The constructed RBP-2-siRNA lentivirus could markedly decrease the expression of RBP-2 and promote osteogenic differentiation of hASC. It indicated that RBP-2 can repress the osteogenic differentiation of hASC.</p>