[Acacetin protects rats from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway].

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of acacetin in protecting rats from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) signaling pathway. Wistar rats were randomized into sham, model, low-and high-dose acacetin, and nimodipine groups, with 10 rats in each group. The rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) was established with the improved suture method in other groups except the sham group. The neurological deficit score and cerebral infarction volume of each group were evaluated 24 h after modeling. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), malondialdehyde(MDA), supe-roxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione(GSH). Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of B-cell lymphonoma-2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway-related proteins(TLR4, p-NF-κB/NF-κB, NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1, pro-IL-1ß, and cleaved IL-1ß) in the rat brain tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to reveal the histopathological changes in the ischemic area. Compared with the sham group, the modeling of MCAO increased the neurological deficit score and cerebral infarction volume, elevated the IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA levels and lowered the SOD and GSH levels in the brain tissue(P<0.05). Compared with the MCAO model group, low-and high-dose acacetin and nimodipine decreased the neurological deficit score and cerebral infarction volume, lowered the IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA levels and elevated the SOD and GSH levels in the brain tissue(P<0.05). Compared with the sham group, the model group showed up-regulated protein levels of Bax, TLR4, p-NF-κB/NF-κB, NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1, pro-IL-1ß, and cleaved IL-1ß and down-regulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the brain tissue(P<0.05). Compared with the MCAO model group, the acacetin and nimodipine groups showed down-regulated protein levels of Bax, TLR4, p-NF-κB/NF-κB, NLRP3, pro-caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1, pro-IL-1ß, and cleaved IL-1ß and up-regulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the brain tissue(P<0.05). In conclusion, acacetin regulates the TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway to inhibit neuroinflammatory response and oxidative stress, thus exerting the protective effect on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Host-Guest Assembly-Crosslinked Nanoemulsions with Dual-Antimicrobial Mechanism for Treating Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Biofilms.

Plant essential oils have good antimicrobial properties, but their poor stability and compatibility in aqueous solutions greatly limit their practical application. To address this issue, a dynamically crosslinked nanoemulsion based on host-guest assembly was developed in this study. First, a ß-cyclodextrin-functionalized quaternary ammonium surfactant (ß-CD-QA) and adamantane-terminated polyethylene glycol (APA) crosslinker were first synthesized. Then, the oil-in-water host-guest crosslinked nanoemulsions (HGCTNs) were formed by incorporating tea tree essential oils (TTO) as a natural antimicrobial agent. The results showed that HGCTNs significantly improved the stability of the essential oil nanoemulsions and extended their shelf life. Furthermore, HGCTNs demonstrated effective antimicrobial properties against both Gram-negative/positive bacterioplankton and bacterial biofilms. The results of antibacterial experiments showed that the dynamically crosslinked HGCTNs exhibit superior antibacterial efficacy, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 v/v % (0.13 µL/mL TTO) and could eradicate the biofilms. The electrical conductivity of the bacterial solution gradually increased within 5 h of treatment with the nanoemulsions, indicating that the HGCTNs have a slow-release effect of TTO and sustainable antibacterial ability. The antimicrobial mechanism can be attributed to the synergistic antibacterial action of the ß-CD-QA surfactant containing a quaternary ammonium moiety and TTO, which are stabilized by nanoemulsions.

Clinical Outcomes of Cardiac Shockwave Therapy in Severe Coronary Artery Disease Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Cardiac shockwave therapy (CSWT) is a noninvasive treatment for patients with refractory angina or myocardial ischemia. This study aims to evaluate the potential beneficial effect and safety of CSWT in patients with severe coronary artery disease (CAD) who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).This was a single-arm prospective cohort study. A total of 30 patients with severe CAD who were not suitable for coronary revascularization and who had undergone CABG were enrolled. All patients received CSWT for nine sessions. Evaluation was performed before and after CSWT, including the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classification, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) score, nitroglycerin dosage, echocardiography, myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI), and safety parameters. All patients were followed up at both 1 month and 9 months after CSWT.After treatment, CSWT significantly improved CCS classification (P < 0.05), NYHA classification (P < 0.05), nitroglycerin dosage (P < 0.001), and 6MWT (P < 0.05) at 1 month and 9 months after CSWT. SAQ score (P < 0.05) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; P = 0.037) by echocardiography significantly improved at 1 month after CSWT. Significant decreases in summed stress score (SSS), summed difference score (SDS), ischemic area stress, and ischemic area difference by MPI were observed at 1 month and 9 months after CSWT (P < 0.01). There were no changes in safety parameters before and after CSWT.CSWT may have a beneficial effect on improving myocardial perfusion, clinical symptoms, exertional capacity, and quality of life and is a safe alternative treatment for patients with severe CAD who have undergone CABG.

Research on safety early warning of uranium tailings dam based on abnormal radioactive indexes of water leachate.

The radioactive index value of the leachate of the uranium tailings dam is affected by the internal damage of the dam. Therefore, a way of using the deviation of the radioactive index concentration in the leachate to warn the instability of the dam is innovatively proposed in this paper. Firstly, the SSA-BP algorithm is used to predict and analyze the five groups of parameters U, Ra, ∑ α, ∑ ß and Rn. Then, the deviation between the actual value and the predicted value is computed. Finally, an early warning is given based on the entropy weight extension decision-making model. The model is verified by the leachate environment monitoring data of a uranium tailings dam in southern China from 2016 to 2020, which shows that the model can effectively caution of the instability of the uranium tailings dam and provides a reference for the subsequent decommissioning management.

Analysis of equivalent thickness of geological media for lab-scale study of radon exhalation.

Geological media are omnipresent in nature. Lab-scale tests are frequently employed in radon exhalation measurements for these media. Thus, it is critical to find the thickness of the medium at an experimental scale that is equivalent to the medium thickness in a real geological system. Based on the diffusion-advection transport of radon, theoretical models of the surface radon exhalation rate for homogeneous semi-infinite and finite-thickness systems were derived (denoted as Jse and Jfi, respectively). Analysis of the equivalency of Jse and Jfi was subsequently carried out by introducing several dimensionless parameters, including the ratio of the exhalation rates for the semi-infinite and finite-thickness models, ε, and the number of diffusion lengths required to achieve a desired ε value, n. The results showed that when radon transport in geological media is dominantly driven by diffusion effect, if n > 3.6626, then ε > 95%; if n > 5.9790, then ε > 99.5%. When radon migration is dominantly driven by advection effect, if n > 2.5002, then ε > 95%; if n > 4.0152, then ε > 99.5%. Therefore, if the thickness of the geological media (x0) is greater than a certain n times the radon diffusion length of the media (L), the media can be modeled as semi-infinite. To validate the model, a pure radon diffusion experiment (no advection) was developed using uranium mill tailings, laterite, and radium-bearing rocklike material with different thicknesses (x0). The theoretical model was demonstrated to be reliable and valid. This study provides a basis for determining the appropriate thickness of geological media in lab-scale radon exhalation measurement experiments with open bottom.

Effect of Preeclampsia on Ultrastructure of Thyroid Gland, Hepatic Type 1 Iodothyronine Deiodinase, and Thyroid Hormone Levels in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Although hypothyroidism during pregnancy may develop grave outcomes for both mothers and offspring, management of which is still a challenge due to the insufficient understanding of this disease. The close correlation between hypothyroidism and preeclampsia is well documented, suggesting that preeclampsia is a potential risk factor for the development of maternal hypothyroidism. However, the exact role of preeclampsia in gestational hypothyroidism is still obscure. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explored the possible mechanisms of the effect of preeclampsia on thyroid function of maternal rats. METHODS: Thirty pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal pregnancy control (NOP), preeclampsia (PE), and preeclampsia supplemented with amlodipine besylate (PEAml). NG-Nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester was used to induce preeclamptic symptoms. On gestational day 21, rats were sacrificed, and then, the ultrastructure of the thyroid gland, type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio1) expression, and serum-free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyroid stimulation hormones (TSH) were assessed. RESULTS: Compared to NOP rats, results of PE rats showed that thyroid follicular cells' ultrastructure was damaged; both hepatic Dio1 mRNA and protein levels were decreased. Interestingly, these changes were ameliorated in PEAml rats. Additionally, FT4, FT3, and TSH levels have no significant differences among groups. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that preeclampsia could disrupt synthesis, secretion, and metabolism function of thyroid hormones by damaging thyroid follicular cells and interfering Dio1 expression.

Experimental study on permeability characteristics and radon exhalation law of overburden soil in uranium tailings pond.

The permeability characteristics of overburden soil have a significant effect on radon exhalation in uranium tailings pond. To understand this change, the effects of dry density, particle size range, and moisture content on the gas permeability and radon exhalation were studied by correlation analysis method. According to the mechanism of radon generation, the permeability characteristics of overburden, and the weather conditions, a theoretical model of radon exhalation was constructed and an experimental setup was designed. A series of tests on different properties of overburden soil were conducted by uranium tailings permeameter, and the radon exhalation rate of corresponding overburden surface was measured by local static method. Results show that the permeability of overburden decreased, which led to the decrease of radon exhalation: (1) At the same moisture content, with the increase of dry density, both the gas permeability and radon exhalation rate decrease. (2) At the same moisture content, with the increase of the particle size range, both the gas permeability and radon exhalation rate increase. (3) At the same dry density, with the increase of moisture content, the gas permeability decreases, while the radon exhalation rate increases slightly at first and then decreases.

MicroRNA-21 mediates the protective effects of salidroside against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced myocardial oxidative stress and inflammatory response.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is the oxidative stress and inflammatory response that occurs when a tissue is reperfused following a prolonged period of ischemic injury. Growing evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRs) are essential in the development of myocardial I/R injury. Salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, Rhodiola rosea, possesses multiple pharmacological functions and protects against myocardial I/R injury in vitro and in vivo. However, the role of miRs in the cardioprotective effects of salidroside against myocardial I/R injury has not been studied, to the best of our knowledge. In the present study, the role of miR21 in the underlying mechanism of salidroside-induced protection against oxidative stress and inflammatory injuries in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated H9c2 cardiomyocytes was determined. The cell viability was assessed with an MTT assay. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, caspase-3 activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined by commercial kits. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was monitored by DCFH-DA. The miR-21 level was quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR. The interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were measured by RT-qPCR and ELISA. The results showed that salidroside pretreatment significantly increased cell viability and decreased the release of LDH, accompanied by an increase in miR-21 expression in H/R-treated H9c2 cells and a miR-21 inhibitor reversed these effects. In addition, the miR-21 inhibitor also abrogated the inhibition of salidroside on H/R-induced increases in apoptosis and caspase-3 activity in H9c2 cells. Salidroside mitigated H/R-induced oxidative stress as illustrated by the downregulation of ROS generation and MDA level and increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, SOD and GSH-Px, all of which were abrogated in cells transfected with the miR-21 inhibitor. Salidroside induced a decrease in the expression and levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α, which were prevented by the miR-21 inhibitor. Together, these results provide evidence of the beneficial effects of salidroside against myocardial I/R injury by reducing myocardial oxidative stress and inflammation which are enhanced by increasing miR-21 expression.

Anti-invasion and anti-metastasis effects of Valjatrate E via reduction of matrix metalloproteinases expression and suppression of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Valjatrate E is an iridoid compound extracted from Valeriana jatamansi Jones herb and is the active ingredient in antitumor activity. Here, we reported its action on tumor invasion and metastasis in the human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2, aiming at a better understanding of the potential mechanism of action of Valjatrate E. HepG2 cells were treated with Valjatrate E at different concentrations. Wound healing assay and transwell chamber assay were used to determine the effects of Valjatrate E on the migration and invasiveness of HepG2 cells, respectively. Moreover, homogeneity and heterotypic adhesion experiments evaluated the adhesion property of HepG2 cells. The molecular mechanisms by which Valjatrate E inhibited the invasion and migration of HepG2 cells were investigated by gelatin zymography experiment and western blot. Treatment with Valjatrate E inhibited the migration and invasion of HepG2 cells. It achieved this by reducing the expression of matrix metalloprotease 2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9), by inhibition of heterogeneous adhesion ability, by blocking mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling via inhibiting the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (p-ERK). Taken together, these findings provide new evidence that mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling pathway plays an important role in promoting invasion and metastasis in HepG2 cells through p-ERK, and MAPK/ERK signaling pathway may be a therapeutic target for tumor.

Norditerpenoid alkaloids from Delphinium anthriscifolium.

Two new norditerpenoid alkaloids with lycoctonine skeleton, anthriscifolcones A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the whole plant of Delphinium anthriscifolium var. Majus by extensive column chromatography. Their structures were established by IR, MS, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and 2D NMR methods (including HSQC, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HMBC, and NOESY experiments).

Evaluation of safety of iridoids rich fraction from Valeriana jatamansi Jones: Acute and sub-chronic toxicity study in mice and rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Valeriana jatamansi Jones named Zhizhuxiang in China is one of the most popular traditional medicine for varied ailments related to malaise, abdominal distention, insomnia, and rheumatism. AIM OF THE STUDY: Evaluate the safety of iridoids rich fraction from V. jatamansi Jones (IRFV) and to provide data for clinical application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The acute and sub-chronic toxicity of IRFV were investigated by employing established methods. The acute toxicity study was conducted through oral administration of a single dose (3,200 mg/kg body weight) of IRFV to adult mice. The vehicle used for dilution of the IRFV was a mixture of 0.5% CMC-Na and 99.5% water. The weight, diet, toxic reaction, and death after 14 days were observed. In the sub-chronic toxicity study, low doses (240 mg/kg bw), middle doses (960 mg/kg bw), and high doses (1,200 mg/kg bw) of IRFV were administered daily to adult rats for 6 days a week (except Sunday) for 3 months. The general behavior of the rats was observed and recorded daily. The weight and food consumption of rats were tested weekly. The effect on organs, the hematological and blood biochemical parameters, and the histopathology were assessed after 1.5 months (five males and five females) and after 3 months (10 males and 10 females).The remaining 10 rats (five males and five females) in each group were fed for 2 weeks to observe reversible and delayed toxicity after the medicine was administered. RESULTS: In the acute toxicity study, no significant difference was found in the body weight of the mice in the control group and those in the drug group (p>0.05). The maximum tolerated dose of IRFV on mice was 3,200 mg/kg, which is 2666 times of the clinical adult daily dose. In the sub-chronic toxicity study on rats, the daily single oral doses of the IRFV did not result in death nor affected the general behavior, including appearance, activities, discharge, and waste at all tested doses. Moreover, no significant difference was found (p>0.05) between the body weights of the rats from the drug groups and those from the control group. Food consumption was significantly affected (p<0.05) only in the first 3 weeks. No statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in the hematological and blood biochemical parameters, and no abnormality of other organs were noted in both gross and histopathological examinations, except several animal transients (p<0.05) or spontaneous lesions (abnormality). CONCLUSION: IRFV is extremely safe in the usual clinical dose, and may not have any single dose toxicity. The lethal dose with 50% mortality rate (LD50) on mice is over 2,000 mg/kg bw. The no-observed adverse effects level is 1,200 mg/kg/day for rats. No direct correlation was found between the hematology, blood biochemical indexes, and organ coefficient of tested rats and the toxicity of IRFV.

Induction of apoptosis by high-dose gold nanoparticles in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy in most parts of the world, but is a common cancer in southern Asia. Local recurrent disease and distant metastasis of NPC are still the unsolved problems. Recently, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been developed as potential in vivo diagnostic and therapeutic agents. However, their role on nasopharyngeal cancer remains unknown. The object of this study is to investigate if AuNPs can be used as a new therapeutic agent for NPC by evaluating their anti-tumor effect in vitro. METHODS: The AuNPs were prepared by the reduction of chloroauric acid to neutral gold. Their size distribution and microstructures were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To evaluate their cytotoxic effect, NPC cell line TW01 and Human Nasal Epithelial Cells (HNEpC) were cultured in various concentrations of AuNPs for 3 days. Cell viability was evaluated by Trypan Blue viability assay while morphologic findings were observed via light microscopy. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUPT nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to detect apoptosis. RESULTS: AuNPs prepared in this study had an average diameter of 20.5nm and they were observed under light microscopy as dark material aggregated in the cells after treatment. Contrary to the HNEpC, the AuNPs reduced cell viability of NPC cell in a concentration-dependant manner by Trypan Blue assay, especially at high concentration. Besides, cell apoptosis was demonstrated by positive TUNEL assay. CONCLUSIONS: The AuNP possesses specific imaging properties and is cytotoxic to NPC cells at high concentrations.

Arylnaphthalene lignan glycosides and other constituents from Phyllanthus reticulatus.

Two new arylnaphthalene lignan glycosides, named reticulatusides A (1) and B (2), together with eight known compounds were isolated from the 95% EtOH extract of the whole plant of Phyllanthus reticulatus. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

[Study on chemical constituents of the ethyl acetate extract from Blumea aromatica].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of the ethyl acetate extract from Blumea aromatica. METHODS: Column chromatographic techniques were used for the isolation and purification. Spectroscopic techniques were used for the identification of structures. RESULTS: Seven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of 80% alcohol extract of the whole plant, and their structures were identified as xanthoxylin(1), dibutyl phthalate(2), luteolin-3',4',7-trimethyl ether(3), rubiadin(4), eriodictyol(5), kaempherol(6), luteolin 7,3'-dimethyl ether(7). CONCLUSION: All the compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time. Among them, compounds 2,4 and 7 are isolated from this genus for the first time.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) attitudes and competencies of nursing students and faculty: results of integrating CAM into the nursing curriculum.

As part of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) R25 Education Grant Program, a faculty development program for integrating CAM into the nursing curriculum was instituted in 2003-2006. The Integrating CAM program was composed of a number of elements; the primary strategy included a series of 4-week didactic and experiential summer CAM "Camps," attended by 27 faculty members. Camps were designed to influence faculty integration of CAM material into course offerings. The Integrating CAM program was evaluated via a series of faculty and student surveys regarding CAM competencies, attitudes, and perceptions. For more than half of the faculty (out of the 43 who responded), the program yielded a moderate-to-strong influence on incorporation of CAM material into course content and moderate-to-great increases in both enthusiasm for CAM and perceived CAM knowledge gains. Students at all levels (undergraduate, master's, and doctoral; n = 184) reported that their courses contained CAM content; for 70% of students, their CAM knowledge increased; for 50% of students, level of CAM interest increased. Self-reported student CAM competencies were significantly greater in 2006-2007 (n = 191) than those in 2003-2004 (n = 143). Results support the strategy of broadly infusing the nursing curriculum with CAM content via faculty development.

Percutaneous corticosteroid injection for vocal fold polyp.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of percutaneous corticosteroid injection in patients with vocal fold polyp and to describe its advantages and limitations in this group of patients. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Tertiary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients with vocal fold polyp treated between March 1 and December 31, 2007. INTERVENTIONS: Percutaneous corticosteroid injection performed with the patient under topical anesthesia. Stroboscopic examination was carried out to evaluate the postoperative response. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Grade of the Severity of Dysphonia, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenicity, and Strain (GRBAS) scale and the Voice Handicap Index were used for subjective assessments. Phonatory results including maximum phonation time, mean flow rate, jitter, shimmer, and noise to harmonic ratio were also collected for objective evaluations. RESULTS: The surgery was completed smoothly in 22 of the 24 patients, typically within 20 minutes. No complications were noted. The overall response rate by stroboscopy was 91% (20 of 22 patients) and complete remission rate was 59% (13 of 22). A significant improvement was noted between preoperative and postoperative results on the GRBAS scale (P < .001, P < .001, P = .003, P = .001, and P = .002, respectively, for the 5 measures). Mean Voice Handicap Index (P = .001), maximum phonation time (P = .02), jitter (P = .006), shimmer (P = .001), and noise to harmonic ratio (P = .01) also improved significantly after percutaneous corticosteroid injection. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous corticosteroid injection can be used to manage vocal fold polyps with low invasiveness and minimal morbidity. It offers a simple and cost-effective alternative to traditional direct microlaryngoscopic procedures.

Antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of Antrodia camphorata extract.

Antrodia camphorata (A. camphorata) is well-known in Taiwan as a traditional Chinese medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of A. camphorata extracts to protect against oxidative stress in vitro and against carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatic injury in vivo. An extract of A. camphorata inhibited nonenzymatic iron-induced lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenates with an IC(50) value about 3.1 mg/mL. It also scavenged the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The dose of the A. camphorata extract resulting in a decrease of 0.20 in the absorbance of DPPH was about 31 +/- 0.7 microg/mL. Furthermore, an A. camphorata extract dose-dependently (250-1250 mg/kg) ameliorated the increase in plasma aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) and alanine aminotransferase (GPT) levels caused by chronic repeated CCl(4) intoxication in mice. Moreover, A. camphorata extract significantly improved the CCl(4)-induced increase in hepatic glutathione peroxidase, reductase, and CCl(4)-induced decrease in superoxide dismutase activities. It also restored the decrement in the glutathione content and catalase activity of hepatic tissues in CCl(4)-intoxicated mice. Furthermore, it also dose-dependently inhibited the formation of lipid peroxidative products during CCl(4) treatment. Histopathological changes of hepatic lesions induced by CCl(4) were significantly ameliorated by treatment with an A. camphorata extract in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that A. camphorata extract exerts effective protection against chronic chemical-induced hepatic injury in vivo, by mediating antioxidative and free radical scavenging activities.