ABSTRACT
Puerarin is a major active ingredient extracted from the root of P. lobata, a traditional Chinese herb, and possesses anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the low oral bioavailability of puerarin limits its further application. Therefore, we synthesized tetraacetyl puerarin (4AC) through acetylation to improve its liposolubility and bioavailability. In the present investigations, we tested the anti-oxidative and TNF-α suppressive activity of 4AC in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages and bovine type II collagen-induced arthritic (CIA) rats. The results showed that 4AC retained the bioactivity of puerarin. And 4AC significantly increased the activity of SOD and reduced the level of MDA both in vitro and in vivo. It also improved the level of GSH-PX and the total antioxidant capacity in vivo. Furthermore, it dramatically decreased TNF-α level in the cultured supernatant of RAW264.7 cells treated with LPS and in the serum of CIA rats. These initial results indicated that 4AC had a potential therapeutic effect on CIA rats through an anti-oxidative and TNF-α suppressive activity. In addition, the molecular mechanism of anti-oxidation of 4AC was explored by testing the MAPKs/NF-κB signaling pathway. The results showed that 4AC significantly inhibited NF-κB expression and down-regulated the levels of p-ERK and p-JNK in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. These results indicated that 4AC had bioactive anti-oxidative effects and suggest the potential value of 4AC for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Arthritis/chemically induced , Arthritis/metabolism , Collagen Type II/adverse effects , Isoflavones/pharmacology , Macrophages/drug effects , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use , Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/therapeutic use , Arthritis/drug therapy , Cattle , Cell Line , Cell Survival/drug effects , Chemical Phenomena , Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects , Isoflavones/chemistry , Isoflavones/therapeutic use , JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Macrophages/cytology , Mice , Models, Molecular , Molecular Conformation , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Phosphorylation/drug effects , Rats , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitorsABSTRACT
This study examines utilisation of the Dutch health care system by Chinese people in the Netherlands as well as their attitudes to the system, paying special attention to mental health. Information was gathered by semistructured interviews (n = 102). The main issues investigated are access, help-seeking behaviour, and quality of care. Results showed that most respondents used Dutch health care as their primary method of managing health problems. Inadequate knowledge about the system and lack of Dutch language proficiency impede access to care, in particular registration with a General Practitioner (GP). Users complained that the care given differed from what they expected. Results also showed that the major problems are to be found in the group coming from the Chinese-speaking region. Western concepts of mental health appear to be widely accepted by Chinese in the Netherlands. However, almost half of our respondents believed that traditional Chinese medicine or other methods can also help with mental health problems. The provision of relevant information in Chinese appears to be important for improving access. Better interpretation and translation services, especially for first-generation migrants from the Chinese-speaking region, are also required.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the release mechanism of Huperzine-A swelling sustained-release tablets (HA-ST) and the factors influencing the release rate. METHOD: The HA-ST were prepared by using Polyoxyethylene (PEO) as the matrix material, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the expandable reagent and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as the filling reagent. The effect of the amount of PEO, PVA and MCC on the drug release from the tablets was evaluated using the release index n value of the Ritger-Peppas equation. RESULT: The addition of PEO and PVA speeded up the rate of drug release from the tablets, while MCC did not affect the release rate. The release profiles of HA-ST conformed to the Higuchi model and the release mechanism was non-Fick release that coupled diffusion and erosion. CONCLUSION: The release of HA-ST is influenced by the amount of PEO and PVA but not the MCC. The release process can be depicted by the Ritger-Peppas equation and release mechanism was is non-Fick release.