Oviductus Ranae protein hydrolyzate prevents menopausal osteoporosis by regulating TGFß/BMP2 signaling.

PURPOSE: It is known that menopausal osteoporosis (MOP) is the most typical form of osteoporosis, which is characterized by low bone mass and microstructure damage of the bone tissue, leading to increased bone fragility and risk of fracture. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Oviductus Ranae protein hydrolyzate (ORPH) on the MOP in vivo. METHODS: Osteoporosis model was induced by ovariectomy, treated with ORPH 150 or 75 mg kg-1. Body weight and bone mineral density (BMD) of rats were measured at the beginning and the end of the experiment, and femoral maximum load was determined immediately after killing. The expression levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Smad4, tartrate acid phosphatase (TRAP), BMP2, Runx2, CPB, ColI and osteocalcin were examined by RT-PCR or western-blotting. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the femurs. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ALP and BMP2. All data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0. RESULTS: The results revealed that ORPH had no effect on the weight of normal and osteoporotic rats. ORPH could significantly improve the femur BMD and increase the maximum load of the osteoporotic rats. ORPH could significantly upregulate the expression level of bone formation makers, ALP, osteocalcin, ColI, and Runx2, and downregulate the expression level of bone resorption marker, TRAP. In the ORPH group, the expression levels of BMP2, Smad4, and CPB of key proteins in the TGFß/BMP2 signaling pathway were significantly upregulated. In addition, immunohistochemistry showed that ALP and BMP2 expression in femurs of the ORPH group was stranger. H&E staining showed that ORPH (150 mg kg-1) significantly increased the thickness of trabeculae and decreased fracture risk. CONCLUSION: Collectively, ORPH plays a role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, which may be a potential anti-osteoporosis drug.

[Pharmacovigilance in materia medica works of Qing Dynasty].

Taking the Zeyao Materia Medica,Benjing Fengyuan,De Pei Materia Medica,Shiyi Materia Medica,Harmful Benefits of Materia Medica as representative works in Qing Dynasty,this paper extracts text information from four aspects: drug identification,drug use,drug prevention and detoxification,constructs a drug pharmacovigilance information table of Qing Dynasty herbal works,and summarizes the drug pharmacovigilance of Qing Dynasty. Thought,in the Qing Dynasty,there were many recordings of drug pharmacovigilance. In the aspect of drug awareness,the main representative was Shi Yi Materia Medica which added many new drugs and introduced more new uses of drugs. In addition,in the aspect of drug use and prevention,the main representatives were Zeyao Materia Medica,Benjing Fengyuan,De Pei Materia Medica,and Harmful Benefits of Materia Medica. In the aspect of taboo of disease and syndrome,attention should be paid to the integration of medicine so as to make drugs closely related to clinical use. Although there is no special introduction on detoxification,it has been introduced in various medicines in the De Pei Materia Medica,Shiyi Materia Medica,which has a relatively systematic and complete drug warning ideology system of " drug identification-use-drug prevention-detoxification".This study found that the traditional pharmacovigilance thought of Qing Dynasty had the characteristics of attaching importance to the clinical application of toxic traditional Chinese medicine and the combination of medicine,which had certain guiding significance for modern clinical medication. This paper aims to explore the traditional drug pharmacovigilance knowledge in representative works of the Qing Dynasty,analyze the characteristics of the drug pharmacovigilance thought in the Qing Dynasty,and lay a foundation for clarifying the traditional drug pharmacovigilance system.

[The species and ecological distribution of medical mollusca in Weifang, Shandong Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the species and distribution of mollusca with medical importance in Weifang, Shandong Province. METHODS: Species identification and quantitative statistics analysis was studied based on field-collected snails from the districts of Weifang, Shouguang, Anqiu and Changyi, Shandong Province. RESULTS: A total of 1,791 medical mollusca specimens were collected, belonging to two Classes, 9 families and 14 species. Some important species were discovered including Parafossarulus striatulus (383), Alocinma longicornis (34), Galba pervia (63), Radix swinhoei (137), R. auricularia (95), Physa acuta (677) and Hippeutis cantori (22). The dominant species were P. acuta and P. striatulus. CONCLUSION: There remains a higher diversity of medical mollusca in Weifang, Shandong Province.

[Determination of trace elements in mylabris before and after being processed].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the processing principle of Mylabris by comparing the differences between the contents of 11 trace elements in Mylabris before and after being processed. METHODS: Used Flame AAS, Graphite Furnace AAS and Hydride generation AAS to determine the content of Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Mg, Ca, K, Pb, Cd, As and Hg elements in Mylabris samples. RESULTS: The sequence of 11 trace elements contents in the Mylabris samples from high to low was: K > Mg > Fe > Ca > Zn > Mn > Cu > Pb > As > Hg > Cd. In Mylabris after being processed, the contents of Pb, As, Hg, Cd and Fe elements decreased, Cu, Mg and Ca increased; In the head, legs and wings of Mylabris, the contents of Hg and Pb elements were higher than those of the other parts. The content of As in the inner wings was the highest. CONCLUSION: The traditional processing method, stir-frying with rice and removing head, legs and wings is scientific.

Chinese Materia Medica in Treating Depression: The Role of Intestinal Microenvironment.

Depression is a highly heterogeneous mental illness. Drug treatment is currently the main therapeutic strategy used in the clinic, but its efficacy is limited by the modulation of a single target, slow onset, and side effects. The gut-brain axis is of increasing interest because intestinal microenvironment disorders increase susceptibility to depression. In turn, depression affects intestinal microenvironment homeostasis by altering intestinal tissue structure, flora abundance and metabolism, hormone secretion, neurotransmitter transmission, and immune balance. Depression falls into the category of "stagnation syndrome" according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which further specifies that "the heart governs the spirit and is exterior-interior with the small intestine". However, the exact mechanisms of the means by which the disordered intestinal microenvironment affects depression are still unclear. Here, we present an overview of how the Chinese materia medica (CMM) protects against depression by repairing intestinal microenvironment homeostasis. We review the past five years of research progress in classical antidepressant TCM formulae and single CMMs on regulating the intestinal microenvironment for the treatment of depression. We then analyze and clarify the multitarget functions of CMM in repairing intestinal homeostasis and aim to provide a new theoretical basis for CMM clinical application in the treatment of depression.

[Effects of pilose antler and antler glue on osteoporosis of ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of pilose antler and antler glue on osteoporosis of ovariectomized rats. METHODS: 60 6-month-old female rats were divided randomly into sham-operated group, model group, the positive group, pilose antler high-dose group, pilose antler low-dose group and antler glue group. We extracted bilateral ovaries to establish osteoporosis model and treated at two weeks postoperationally for consecutively 13 weeks, then observed the effects of pilose antler and antler glue on rat bone mineral density, bone mineral content, serum biochemical indicators, bone tissue morphology and other indicators. RESULTS: After 13 weeks, the high-dose group and antler glue group could significantly improve the BMD and bone mineral content of the ovariectomized rats, reduce BGP and ALP content, and remarkably increase the width of trabecula bone and bone trabecula area percentage, increase osteoblasts significantly, and decrease osteoclast cells significantly. Pilose antler low-dose also had the phenomenon above, but the result was not so good as high-dose group. CONCLUSION: Pilose antler and antler glue can antagonize osteoporosis of the ovariectomized rats.