A Network Pharmacology-Based Study on Antidepressant Effect of Salicornia europaea L. Extract with Experimental Support in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Model Mice / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the pharmacodynamic material basis, mechanism of actions and targeted diseases of Salicornia europaea L. (SE) based on the network pharmacology method, and to verify the antidepressant-like effect of the SE extract by pharmacological experiments.@*METHODS@#Retrieval tools including Chinese medicine (CM), PubMed, PharmMapper, MAS 3.0 and Cytoscape were used to search the components of SE, predict its targets and related therapeutic diseases, and construct the "Component-Target-Pathway" network of SE for central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Further, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) function annotation of depression-related targets were analyzed to predict the antidepressant mechanism of SE. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model was used to construct a mouse model with depression-like symptoms. And the animals were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=10) including the normal group (nonstressed mice administered with distilled water), the CUMS group (CUMS mice administered with distilled water), the venlafaxine group (CUMS mice administered with venlafaxine 9.38 mg/kg), SE high-, medium-, and low-dose groups (CUMS mice administered with SE 1.8, 1.35 and 0.9 g/kg, respectively). Then some relevant indicators were determined for experimental verification by the forced swim test (FST), the tail suspension test (TST) and open-field test (OFT). Dopamine (DA) concentration in hippocampus and cerebral cortex, IL-2 and corticosterone (CORT) levels in blood, and nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), kelch-like epichlorohydrin related protein 1 (Keap1), NAD(P) H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 (NQO1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels in mice were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot respectively to explore the possible mechanisms.@*RESULTS@#The "target-disease" network diagram predicted by network pharmacology, showed that the potential target of SE involves a variety of CNS diseases, among which depression accounts for the majority. The experimental results showed that SE (1.8, 1.35 g/kg) significantly decreased the immobility period, compared with the CUMS group in FST and TST in mice after 3-week treatment, while SE exhibited no significant effect on exploratory behavior in OFT in mice. Compared with CUMS group, the SE group (0.9 g/kg) showed significant differences (P<0.05) in DA levels in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. In addition, compared with CUMS control group, SE (1.8 g/kg) group showed a significant effect on decreasing the activities of CORT (P<0.05), and serum IL-2 level with no statistical significance. Finally, Western blot results showed that compared with the model group, Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1 and HO-1 protein expressions in SE group (1.8 g/kg) were up-regulated (all P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The SE extract may have an antidepressant effect, which appeared to regulate Nrf2-ARE pathway and increased levels of DA and CORT in the hippocampus and cortex.

Effect of Dendrobium officinale superfine powder on stomach Yin deficiency model mice induced by "spicy overeating" / 中国中药杂志

Dendrobium officinale is a traditional Chinese medicine for nourishing Yin and benefiting stomach. Its superfine powder has many advantages, such as good dissolution, high utilization rate, strong integrity and easy to use. However, the researches on effect of D. officinale superfine powder on stomach Yin deficiency model are still not sufficient. In this experiment, we explored the effect of D. officinale superfine powder in mice model with stomach Yin deficiency caused by "spicy overeating", and provided certain reference value for its application in gastrointestinal diseases. Male ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Yiweitang group, omeprazole group, and D. officinale superfine powder high, medium and low dose groups. The mixture of wine and pepper liquid was given by gavage administration for 30 d, and the corresponding drug was given for 60 d while the model was conti-nued. The body weight, food intake, water intake, fecal moisture content and particle number, foot temperature of mice were measured. The levels of serum gastrin(Gas), motilin(MTL) and somatostatin(SS) were measured by ELISA. Gastric histomorpho-logy was observed by HE staining. The expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) and cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2) were determined by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax) in gastric tissues were detected by Western blot. The results showed that D. officinale superfine powder could increase the food intake, water intake, fecal moisture content and particle number, reduce the foot temperature, improve the pathological changes of gastric mucosa, reduce the expression of NF-κB, COX-2 protein in gastric tissues, and increase the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. D. officinale superfine powder can "nourish Yin and benefit the stomach", improve the syndrome of stomach Yin deficiency, such as "hunger but not want to eat, dry mouth but not want to drink, hand and feet hot, constipation", and reduce the damage of gastric mucosa. The mechanism may be related to regulating the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, inhibiting the inflammation of gastric tissues and promoting the apoptosis of abnormal cells in gastric tissues.

[Screening of endophytic fungi against southern blight disease pathogen-Sclerotium delphinii in Dendrobium catenatum].

In order to screen the endophytic fungi that can enhance the host(Dendrobium catenatum) resistance to Sclerotium delphinii, the antagonism between each of the 43 endophytic fungi and the pathogen S. delphinii were tested. The results showed that 6 endophytic fungi(DCR2, DCR5, DCR21, DCR22, DCR42, DCR43) have strong activities against the pathogen, the inhibition rates were 49.2%, 49.2%, 47.2%, 56.2%, 53.2%, 48.0%, respectively. Then D. catenatum plantlets were inoculated with both S. delphinii and each of these six endophytic fungi. As a result, the incidence rates of leaves and stems of the D. catenatum plantlets inoculated with DCR2 and the pathogen were both significantly lower than those with other treatments, and the plantlet death rate was 0. It showed that DCR2 Trichoderma polysporum could effectively inhibit the southern blight disease of D. catenatum. Through the endophytic fungal re-isolation test, it was found that DCR2 can colonize in the roots, stems, and leaves of D. catenatum. The research will provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of the southern blight disease of D. catenatum. It is also significant for reducing pesticide use, ensuring food safety, and promoting the sustainable development of D. catenatum industry. Furthermore, it will provide a basis for the disease control in other crops.

Consumption of Interesterified Medium- and Long-Chain Triacylglycerols Improves Lipid Metabolism and Reduces Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Rats.

Medium- and long-chain triacylglycerols (MLCTs) were synthesized from rapeseed oil (RO), one kind of commonly used edible long-chain triacylglycerols (TGs), and then delivered to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats. Compared with RO, MLCT consumption exhibited more potent effects on reducing body and tissue weight gains, plasma TG, and total cholesterol (TC) levels and on improving hepatic TG, TC, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and lipoprteinlipase contents. Meanwhile, lower amounts of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and endotoxin in plasma, lower levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α, and higher levels of interleukin-10 in both livers and white adipose tissues were detected in MLCT-fed rats. MLCT intake also remarkably suppressed the size of adipocytes and the number of macrophages. In conclusion, our study suggested that the interesterified MLCT was more efficacious in improving the lipid metabolism and inflammation in HFD-induced obese rats than RO.

Changes in cell membrane properties and phospholipid fatty acids of bacillus subtilis induced by polyphenolic extract of Sanguisorba officinalis L.

Sanguisorba officinalis L. (family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae) is a plant found throughout Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Eastern Asia. This study demonstrated the antibacterial activity of a purified polyphenolic extract (PPE) from S. officinalis L. against Bacillus subtilis using growth inhibitory and apoptosis assays, and investigated the antibacterial mechanism responsible for changes in cell membrane properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested that PPE altered the cell wall and membrane properties of B. subtilis. Further determination of cell membrane integrity and permeability revealed that B. subtilis membrane integrity was more severely damaged by PPE at the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) than at the minimum bactericidal concentrati on (MBC). Instead, PPE at the MBC reduced cell membrane fluidity by significantly decreasing the proportion of anteiso- and iso-branched phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) from 64.17 ± 0.28% and 27.23 ± 0.03% in the control to 5.57 ± 1.06% and 6.00 ± 1.40%, respectively (P < 0.001). Scanning electron microscopy revealed different effects of PPE on cell morphology, demonstrating that, at the MIC and MBC, PPE exerted antibacterial activity by disrupting the cell membrane and reducing cell membrane fluidity, respectively. Consequently, this study elucidated changes in the bacterial membrane due to exposure to PPE and its potential use as an antimicrobial agent. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The abuse of synthetic chemical preservatives raises food safety concerns; however, plant-derived polyphenolic compounds may be a safe and effective alternative. This study demonstrated the strong antibacterial activity of a purified polyphenolic extract (PPE) of Sanguisorba officinalis L. and revealed its antibacterial mechanism against Bacillus subtilis, suggesting that it may provide a useful antimicrobial agent in food industry applications.

Quantitative determination of nine furanocoumarins for quality evaluation of Angelica dahurica from different habitats / 中国中药杂志

A UPLC method has been developed for simultaneous determination of nine furanocoumarins of Angelica dahurics,and was used for quality evaluation of A. dahurica from different habitats. ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 chromatographic column was employed,the separation was performed with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water,and the detection wavelength was set at254 nm. This method was used to simultaneously determine the content of xanthotoxol,oxypeucedaninhydrate,byak-angelicin,psoralen,xanthotoxin,bergapten,oxypeucedanin,imperatorin and isoimperatorin in A. dahurica from different habitats. Then,the further quality assessment of the drug was carried out by similarity evaluation,cluster analysis( CA),principal component analysis( PCA),and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis( OPLS-DA). The content order of measured furanocoumarins from high to low was: oxypeucedanin>imperatorin>isoimperatorin>oxypeucedaninhydrate>bergapten>byak-angelicin>xanthotoxin>xanthotoxol>psoralen,with the mean content 2. 844,1. 277,0. 649 2,0. 216 2,0. 129 8,0. 062 68,0. 052 68,0. 019 30,0. 018 19 mg·g-1,respectively. There were difference between the batches of the drug,and the quality was influenced by smouldering sulphur based on the results of chemical pattern recognition and content determination. Finally,six active ingredients were recognized as the quality makers using OPLS-DA method. The validated UPLC fingerprint combined with chemical pattern recognition method can be used in the quality control and evaluation of A. dahurica.

System design and experimental research of lower esophageal sphincter stimulator for treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Electrical stimulation therapy (EST) of lower esophageal sphincters (LES) is a new technique for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In this paper, an implantable LES stimulator with wireless power transmission is proposed for the treatment of GERD. The LES stimulator is composed of an implantable pulse generator (IPG), an external controller, and a wireless power transmission module. The IPG, whose area is 31×21 mm2, is designed to generate voltage-regulated constant-current stimulation pulses. The external controller allows for wireless programming of the IPG via a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module. The wireless power transmission module provides power for the IPG. According to the measurement of output stimulus waveforms, the proposed LES stimulator is capable of delivering electrical stimulations with a current ranging between 0 and 8 mA. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the proposed LES stimulator, experiments were performed on 12 male New Zealand white rabbits. Esophageal manometry was performed before and after the procedure and the LES pressure (LESP) has been recorded. The mean LESP is increased significantly in the stimulation group than the sham group (stimulation group: 9.25±1.24 mmHg vs 13.99 ±1.28 mmHg, p<;0.05; sham group: 9.00±1.22 mmHg vs 9.23±1.27 mmHg, p=0.267). The results show that the electrical stimulation delivered by the LES stimulator can safely and effectively increase resting LES pressure in acute animal models, suggesting that the implantable LES stimulator is a perspective approach for treating GERD in clinics.

A preliminary fMRI study of acupuncture with healthy volunteers / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe the cortical functioning of healthy volunteers during acupuncture as a way of exploring acupuncture's neural mechanisms.Methods Twenty healthy volunteers received acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints while their cortical activity was examined using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI).Brain activation,especially of the regions related to motor function,were observed and analyzed.Results Acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints was observed to significantly activate the left middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus,with many activated regions in the left insula and a few in the left cerebellum,the left precentral gyrus,the left postcentral gyrus,the left inferior parietal lobule,the left medial frontal gyrus,the left precuneus,the left anterior cingulate gyrus and the left claustrum.The right side of the brain was excited mainly in the right middle frontal gyrus and the right medial frontal gyrus.The right inferior parietal lobule and the right precentral gyrus were also activated to some extent.There was slight activation of the right middle temporal gyrus,the right superior temporal gyrus,the right insula,the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus.The negatively activated regions were mainly located on both sides of the limbic lobe,including the hippocampus,the parahippocampal gyrus and the cingulate gyrus.The left superior temporal gyrus,the left middle temporal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus also had small negative activation zones.Conclusions In brain regions associated with motor function,in addition to partial activation of the contralateral primary sensorimotor area,acupuncture at these two points clearly generates bilateral activation of secondary motor areas with some activation in the ipsilateral cerebellum.This may serve as a neuropathological basis for acupuncture treatment of motor dysfunction.BOLD-fMRI imaging displays the neural effects of acupuncture in an intuitive way.It can be a useful technique for further study of the neural effects of acupuncture on pathological conditions.

Effects of 10 Kinds of Nephrotoxic TCM on Kidney Organic Anion Transporter in Mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of 10 kinds of nephrotoxic TCM on three main subtypes(Oat1,Oat2 and Oat3) of kidney organic anion transporter(Oats)in mice. METHODS:A total of 1 840 SPF NIH mice were randomly divided into nor-mal control group(isovolumic pure water),probenecid group(30 kg/mg),sodium carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC)group,Pulsa-tillae radix,Corydalis rhizoma,Aconiti kusnezoffii radix,Aconiti radix,Angelicae pubescentis radix,Gleditsiae spina,Polygo-num cuspidatum,Kansui radix,Platycladi cacumen,Aucklandiae radix high and low dose groups. Mice were treated twice a day for 5 d,ig. After 1 h of the last dosing,they were iv given PAH in tail(30 mg/kg). The PAH pharmacokinetic parameters of the kidney homogenate were determined and the PAH intake in kidney tissue at the time point of 1,5,10,15 and 20 min was detect-ed. The PAH in blood was analyzed by DAS 2.0 software. The grouping and dosing were the same as before,after 1 h of the last dosing,kidney slices were made and put into PAH-buffer. The PAH intake of kidney slices was determined. RESULTS:Compared with normal control group,the t1/2β in C. rhizoma high dose group,A. kusnezoffii high and low dose groups,A. pubescentis high dose group,P. cuspidatum high and low dose groups and P. cacumen group were increased;Vd were all decreased in 10 kinds of TCM high and low dose groups;except for A. pubescentis low dose group,G. spian low dose group and K. radix low dose group, the CL was decreased and AUC0-20 min was increased in all other groups,with significant difference (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Com-pared with normal control group,the content of PAH in kidney tissue in P. radix high dose group,C. rhizoma high dose group,A. kusnezoffii high dose group,A. radix high and low dose groups,A. pubescentis high and low dose groups,G. spina high and low dose groups,P. cuspidatum high and low dose groups,K. radix high and low dose groups,P. cacumen high and low dose groups and A. radix high and low dose groups were increased,with significant difference (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with normal control group,the intake of PAH in kidney slices in C. rhizoma high dose group,A. kusnezoffii high and low dose groups,G. spi-na high and low dose groups,K. radix high dose group,P. ca-cumen high and low dose groups and A. radix high dose group were decreased,with significant difference (P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:The 10 kinds of nephrotoxic TCM probably induced kidney injury through inhibiting the Oat1,Oat2 and Oat3 of Oats.

Effects of various compounds on efficacy of artemisinin in a yeast model / 中国中药杂志

Artemisinin is a key anti-malarial drug and few clinically meaningful resistant cases about its application have so far been reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially recommended the use of ACT (Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy) as the first line antimalarial application to increase its inhibitory efficacy and prevent the likely resistance development. Based on our current understanding of artemisinin, a set of compounds were selected to study their interaction with artemisinin by using the yeast (S. cerevisiae) model, in the hope that knowledge gained might provide some references for clinical investigations. In this research, yeast strain (BY4742) was cultured in the nonfermentable YPGE solid medium with 4 μmol · L(-1) artemisinin and one of the selected compounds for 48 hours, and the combined drug efficiency was evaluated by the inhibition of yeast growth. The compounds belong to the categories of oxygenants, antioxidants, metal ions, ion chelators and uncouplers. Among them, 0.2 mmol L(-1) FeCl3, 60 μmol · L(-1) BPS, 1 mmol · L(-1) CuCl2, 0.75 mmol · L(-1) VE and 1 mmol · L(-1) VC antagonized the action of artemisinin, while 40 μmol · L(-1) DNP, 0.1 μmol · L(-1) CCCP and 0.25 mmol · L(-1) H2O2 had synergistic effects. These results suggested that redox-active and mitochondria-dysfunctional compounds could affect artemisinin's potency, supporting our prior proposed mitochondrial model for artemisinin's action. This research in addition provided a convenient method to screen likely artemisinin-interacting compounds.

Contrast study of acupuncture anesthesia and local anesthesia: their effects on the blood pressure and the heart rate in chronic rhinitis patients accompanied inferior turbinate hypertrophy in low temperature radiofrequency ablation / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effects of acupuncture anesthesia (AA) and local anesthesia (LA) on the blood pressure (BP) and the heart rate (HR) in chronic rhinitis patients accompanied inferior turbinate hypertrophy in low temperature radiofrequency ablation (RFA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 61 chronic rhinitis patients accompanied inferior turbinate hypertrophy were randomly assigned to the AA group (31 cases) and the control group (30 cases). All patients received RFA respectively under AA and RA. Their heart rate (HR), systolic pressure (SP), diastolic pressure (DP), and mean pressure (MP) were recorded and compared at 10 minutes after their entry into the operating room, immediately before surgery, intraoperation, and 5 min after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When compared with the control group at the same time points, the SP, DP, MP, and HR all decreased at intraoperation and 5 min after operation in the AA group. There was statistical difference in the SP on the right side at the 2nd melting point and the HR on the left side at the 2nd melting point between the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the same group at 10 min after entry into the operating room, the SP on the right side at the 1st melting point, the SP, DP, and MP on the right side at the 2nd melting point, the SP, DP, and MP on the left side at the 1st melting point, and the SP on the left side at the 2nd melting point all obviously increased with statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). When compared with the same group at 10 min after entry into the operating room and immediately before surgery, there was no statistical difference in the SP, DP, MP, or HR of the AA group at intraoperation and 5 min after operation (P > 0.05). When compared with the same group at 10 min after entry into the operating room and immediately before surgery, there was no statistical difference in HR of the control group at intraoperation and 5 min after operation (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients undergoing AA had less fluctuation of the BP and the HR, indicating AA had better analgesic effects.</p>

Randomized controlled study on electroacupuncture compound anesthesia in radiofrequency ablation for hypertrophic inferior turbinate / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the feasibility of electroacupuncture compound anesthesia in radiofrequency ablation for hypertrophic inferior turbinate.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The patients confirmed to the enrolled criteria were randomly divided into an observation group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 30). The observation group was treated with electroacupuncture at Sibai (ST 2), Xiaguan (ST 7), Hegu (LI 4) and Zhigou (TE 6) on the left side and routine local anesthesia on the right side. The control group was treated with routine local anesthesia on the both side. The feelings of pain, circulatory index and operation effect were observed and compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>During radiofrequency ablation, the pain grade of two measurements on the left side and the 2nd measurement on the right in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). In the observation group, the pain grades on the left side were lower than that on the right side (P<0.05), and the systolic blood pressure and the heart rate were lower than that in the control group when undergoing the 2nd radiofrequency ablation on the right side and on the left side, respectively (both P<0.05). There was no significant difference in operation effect between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture compound anesthesia can meet the analgesia requirement of radiofrequency ablation for treatment of hypertrophic inferior turbinate, and would be helpful to prevent cyclic fluctuation during the operation at the same time.</p>

[Effects of auditory integrative training on autistic children].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the short-term treatment effect of the auditory integrative training on autistic children and provide them with clinical support for rehabilitative treatment. METHODS: A total of 81 cases of autistic children were selected through the standard of DSM-4 and clinical case study was used. They were divided randomly into experimental group and control one, and respectively received auditory integrative training and no training based on the multiple therapies. The patients were investigated using clinical manifestation and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and intelligence quotient (IQ) before and after six months of treatment. The effect was evaluated through the changes of clinical manifestations and scores of ABC and IQ. The changes of scores of IQ were determined with Gesell and WPPSI or WISC-R. RESULTS: Compared with 40 patients of the control group after the six months of the auditory integrative training, 41 of the experimental group had greatly improved in many aspects, such as the disorders of their language, social interactions and typical behavior symptoms while they had not changed in their abnormal behaviors. The scores of IQ or DQ had increased and scores of ABC had dropped. The differences between the two groups were greatly significant in statistics (P < 0.01). The decreasing level of both ABC scores and the increasing level of the IQ scores were negatively correlated with age, and the decreasing level of ABC scores was in line regression(positive correlation) with base IQ. CONCLUSION: The treatment of auditory integrative training (AIT) could greatly improve on language disorders, the difficulties of social interactions, typical behavior symptoms and developmental levels,therefore it is positive to the autistic children in its short-term treatment effect.

An invitro biomechanical study of treatment for lumbar spondylolithesis using nail-grooved tail steel plate and intervertebral implant (Wendeng Fusion Cage, WDFC) / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the biomechanics of treatment for lumbar spondlolisthesis using nail-grooved tail steel plate and WDFC (Wendeng Fusion Cage) implant.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>There were nine permanent waist-sacrum wet bone (L3-S3) in 1 to 2 clay-cold hours including 6 men and 3 women. They were seldom separated into 3 groups, which were fixed by nail-grooved fail plus WDFC. The model was separate into two kinds for single and across. With electrometry, deal experiment date with Graftool software. Each piece should be tested twice respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The single and across segment non-destructive compression experiment. No-mid-compression from 0 to 750 N,the related coefficient and curves had no obvious change on inclined rate. In the single segment curvedly serial experiment, the stress at all point measured by two sides steel plate-was mostly linear growth. In the across segment curvedly serial experiment, the inclined rate become big and appear anisomerous.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It's proved by biomechanics that the steel plates with single furrow and cylinder wing plus WDFC has a good stability to cure lumbar vertebra slips.</p>

Effects of Fructus lycii and Radix astragali on the function of sertoli cells in rat testes / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of the Chinese herbal medicines Fructus Lycii and Radix Astragali on the function of the Sertoli cells in the rat testis and their mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sertoli cells from the testes of the SD rats aged 18 - 22 days were isolated and cultured. The effects of Fructus Lycii, Radix Astragali and the combined administration of the two on the proliferation of Sertoli cells in vitro were detected by MTT assay, and their effects on the level of INHbetaB mRNA transcription in Sertoli cells in vitro were investigated in both normal environment and peroxide-damaging environment by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proliferation of Sertoli cells was promoted by either Fructus Lycii or Radix Astragali at high concentration (P < 0.05), and significantly promoted by the combined administration at high concentration (P <0.01). Sertoli cell INHbetaB transcription was significantly up-regulated by Fructus Lycii, Radix Astragali and their combined administration in vitro (P < 0.01). When the level of INHbetaB mRNA in Sertoli cells significantly dropped (P < 0.01) in the presence of injury induced by peroxide (H2O2), it could be elevated by Radix Astragali (P < 0.05) and significantly up-regulated by Fructus Lycii or the combined administration in vitro (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Fructus Lycii, Radix Astragali and the combined administration of the two could promote and protect INHbetaB mRNA in Sertoli cells in vitro.</p>

Determination of beta-endorphin in hypothalamus of rat with primary trigeminal neuralgia / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the level and the role of beta-endorphin in hypothalamus of rat with trigeminal neuralgia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The animal model of primary trigeminal neuralgia in rat was established, the contents of beta-endorphin were measured by radioimmunoassay techniques.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The beta-endorphin of hypothalamus in experimental group was significantly lower than other groups (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Beta-endorphin may play important roles in primary trigeminal neuralgia.</p>