Exploring the anti-ferroptosis mechanism of Kai-Xin-San against Alzheimer's disease through integrating network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation strategy in vivo and in vitro.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kai Xin San (KXS), first proposed by Sun Simiao during the Tang Dynasty, has been utilized to treat dementia by tonifying qi and dispersing phlegm. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which KXS exerts its therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease (AD) by targeting ferroptosis, using a combination of network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The active target sites and the further potential mechanisms of KXS in protecting against AD were investigated through molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and network pharmacology, and combined with the validation of animal experiments. RESULTS: Computational and experimental findings provide the first indication that KXS significantly improves learning and memory defects and inhibits neuronal ferroptosis by repairing mitochondria damage and upregulating the protein expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) in vivo APP/PS1 mice AD model. According to bioinformatics analysis, the mechanism by which KXS inhibits ferroptosis may involve SIRT1. KXS notably upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of SIRT1 in both vivo APP/PS1 mice and in vitro APP-overexpressed HT22 cells. Additionally, KXS inhibited ferroptosis induced by APP-overexpression in HT22 cells through activating the SIRT1-FSP1 signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings suggest that KXS may inhibit neuronal ferroptosis through activating the SIRT1/FSP1 signaling pathway. This study reveals the scientific basis and underlying modern theory of replenishing qi and eliminating phlegm, which involves the inhibition of ferroptosis. Moreover, it highlights the potential application of SIRT1 or FSP1 activators in the treatment of AD and other ferroptosis-related diseases.

Evaluation of raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex using the quality marker analysis strategy by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS and multivariate statistical analysis.

Introduction: Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex is a necessary part of healthcare for its significant clinical efficacy. Raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex is both documented in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015). After processing, the therapeutic effects are believed to differ according to traditional Chinese medicine theories. However, the chemical mechanism responsible for this processing, according to traditional Chinese medicine theories, is still not clear. Methods: In this study, the therapeutic effects of various ions were examined based on traditional Chinese medicine theories by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) coupled with multivariate statistical analysis, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), to comprehensively compare the differences between raw and processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex for the first time. Results: A total of 48 compounds were screened, out and 10 of them simultaneously transformed with significant variation in processed products compared with raw materials. It was illustrated that the contents of berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, menisperine, phellodendrine, tetrahydrojatrorrhizine, and tetrahydropalmatine decreased, while the compounds of berberrubine and fernloylquinic acid methyl ester newly appeared in processed herbs. This is likely to be related to the conversion of ingredients during processing. Discussion: Altogether, the fact that quality markers have been successfully identified to differentiate processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex from raw materials suggests that this approach could be used for the investigation of chemical transformation mechanisms involved in the processing of herbal medicine.

OsTKPR1 proteins with a single amino acid substitution fail the synthesis of a specific sporopollenin precursor and cause abnormal exine and pollen development in rice.

Fatty acid derivatives are key components of rice pollen exine. The synthesis of aliphatic sporopollenin precursors are initiated in the plastids of the tapetal cells, followed by multiple-step reactions conducted in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the relative contribution of different precursors to the precise structure of sporopollenin remains largely elusive, let alone the underlying mechanism. Here, we report that two complete male sterile mutants ostkpr1-3 (Tetraketide α-pyrone reductase 1-3, with OsTKPR1P124S substitution) and ostkpr1-4 (with truncated OsTKPR1stop) are defective in pollen exine, Ubisch body and anther cuticle development where ostkpr1-4 display severer phenotypes. Remarkably, OsTKPR1 could produce reduced hydroxylated tetraketide α-pyrone and reduced tetraketide α-pyrone, whereas OsTKPR1P124S fails to produce the latter. Pairwise interaction assays show that mutated OsTKPR1P124S is able to integrate into a recently characterized metabolon, thus its altered catalytic activity is not due to dis-integrity of the metabolon. In short, we find that reduced tetraketide α-pyrone is a key sporopollenin precursor required for normal exine formation, and the conserved 124th proline of OsTKPR1 is essential for the reduction activity. Therefore, this study provided new insights into the sporopollenin precursor constitution critical for exine formation.

A review on natural products with cage-like structure.

Natural products with diverse structures and significant biological activities are essential sources of drug lead compounds, and play an important role in the research and development of innovative drugs. Cage-like compounds have various structures and are widely distributed in nature, especially caged xanthones isolated from Garcinia genus, paeoniflorin and its derivatives isolated from Paeonia lactiflora Pall, tetrodotoxin (TTX) and its derivatives, and so on. In recent years, the development and utilization of cage-like compounds have been a research hotspot in chemistry, biology and other fields due to their special structures and remarkable biological activities. In this review, we mainly summarized the cage-like compounds with various structures found and isolated from natural drugs since 1956, summarized its broad biological activities, and introduced the progress in the biosynthesis of some compounds, so as to provide a reference for the discovery of more novel compounds, and the development and application of innovative drugs.

Fingerprint combining with quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker for quality control of Chenxiang Huaqi tablets.

BACKGROUND: Chenxiang Huaqi tablets (CXHQTs) are a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) commonly used to treat stomach-related diseases. Currently, the ministerial standards do not provide detailed guidance and regulations on the content determination of CXHQTs, and the reported studies only use individual active components as indicators for determining effective ingredients. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to propose a methodology for quality control of CXHQTs based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting combined with the quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) method. METHODS: HPLC method was used to determine seven active ingredients and performed fingerprint analysis of CXHQTs. To further process chemometric assessment, technical analysis-model including similarity analysis (SA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal components analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) was set up to differentiate and classify the 20 batches of samples. RESULTS: After comparing the results of QAMS method with the external standard method (ESM), we found there is no significant difference. Besides, the fingerprint of CXHQT was also established. CONCLUSION: HPLC fingerprint combined with the QAMS could be an efficient and selective analysis technique to achieve a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of executing quality processes.

Naringin promotes osteogenesis and ameliorates osteoporosis development by targeting JAK2/STAT3 signalling.

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone metabolism disorder, which increases the risk of fractures, and in severe cases it may cause disability or even death. An important factor contributing to osteoporosis is the imbalance between bone formation and resorption. Naringin was reported to promote osteoblast differentiation, thus enhancing bone formation and alleviating osteoporosis development. However, the signalling pathways related to the regulatory mechanism of naringin in osteoporosis development are not clear. Proliferation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) treated with naringin in vitro was detected by CCK-8. An osteogenesis differentiation medium supplemented with naringin was applied to explore the effects of naringin on BMSC osteogenic differentiation, as detected by Alizarin red staining. Ovariectomy (OVX)-induced postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rats were orally administered with naringin. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and micro-CT were applied to measure bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), trabecula thickness (Tb.Th), trabecula number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) and bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV). H&E staining was performed to show pathological changes of the femur in PMOP rats after naringin treatment. Bone metabolism indicators were assessed by ELISA. We found that naringin suppressed the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Naringin promoted BMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, naringin alleviates bone loss and improves abnormal bone metabolism of PMOP rats. Collectively, naringin promotes BMSC osteogenic differentiation to ameliorate osteoporosis development by targeting JAK2/STAT3 signalling.

UHPLC-MS-based metabolomics and chemoinformatics study reveals the neuroprotective effect and chemical characteristic in Parkinson's disease mice after oral administration of Wen-Shen-Yang-Gan decoction.

Parkinson's disease (PD), the typical neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). However, no therapeutic agent used currently could slow down neuronal cell loss so as to decelerate or halt the progression of PD. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been utilized to treat the dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Wen-Shen-Yang-Gan decoction (WSYGD) has a good effect on the clinical treatment of PD with constipation. However, it is not clear which ingredients and what mechanism are responsible for the therapeutic effect. In this study, the pharmacodynamic study of WSYGD in PD mice was applied. Concurrently, a novel method for the identification of metabolic profiles of WSYGD has been developed. Finally, we found that WSYGD could protect the PD mice induced by rotenone. The underlying mechanism of the protective effect may be related to the reduction of the DA neurons apoptosis via reducing inflammatory reaction. By virtue of UPLC-MS and chemoinformatics method, 35 prototype compounds and 27 metabolites were filtered out and tentatively characterized. In conclusion, this study provides an insight into the metabolism of WSYGD in vivo to enable understanding of the metabolic process and therapeutic mechanism of PD.

Syntaxin of plants31 (SYP31) and SYP32 is essential for Golgi morphology maintenance and pollen development.

Pollen development is a key process for the sexual reproduction of angiosperms. The Golgi plays a critical role in pollen development via the synthesis and transport of cell wall materials. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the maintenance of Golgi integrity in plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, syntaxin of plants (SYP) 3 family proteins SYP31 and SYP32 are the only two Golgi-localized Qa-soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) with unknown endogenous functions. Here, we demonstrate the roles of SYP31 and SYP32 in modulating Golgi morphology and pollen development. Two independent lines of syp31/+ syp32/+ double mutants were male gametophytic lethal; the zero transmission rate of syp31 syp32 mutations was restored to largely normal levels by pSYP32:SYP32 but not pSYP32:SYP31 transgenes, indicating their functional differences in pollen development. The initial arrest of syp31 syp32 pollen occurred during the transition from the microspore to the bicellular stage, where cell plate formation in pollen mitosis I (PMI) and deposition of intine were abnormal. In syp31 syp32 pollen, the number and length of Golgi cisterna were significantly reduced, accompanied by many surrounding vesicles, which could be largely attributed to defects in anterograde and retrograde trafficking routes. SYP31 and SYP32 directly interacted with COG3, a subunit of the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex and were responsible for its Golgi localization, providing an underlying mechanism for SYP31/32 function in intra-Golgi trafficking. We propose that SYP31 and SYP32 play partially redundant roles in pollen development by modulating protein trafficking and Golgi structure.

Polyphenols from Penthorum chinense Pursh. Attenuates high glucose-induced vascular inflammation through directly interacting with Keap1 protein.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Penthorum chinense Pursh is used for promoting diuresis and alleviating "heat"-associated disorders, which were considered to be related to diabetic in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). AIMS OF THIS STUDY: Here, we aimed to evaluate the ability and underlying mechanism of the ethyl acetate fraction of Penthorum chinense Pursh stems (PSE) to inhibit vascular inflammation in high glucose (HG)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC cells). MATERIALS AND METHODS: HUVEC cells were pre-treated with PSE following HG treatment. The cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were analyzed. Inflammatory, and antioxidant,-related proteins were analyzed using western blotting. Molecular docking and drug affinity targeting experiments (DARTS) were utilized to analyze and verify the binding of the Keap1 protein and polyphenols of PSE. RESULTS: HG can significantly increase the activity of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), destroy the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and promote the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while PSE treatment reversed these changes. Mechanistically, PSE inhibited NF-κB and inflammatory cytokines activation induced by HG through activating the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant proteins Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD (P)H Quinone Dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), Glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), Glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier (GCLM). Further study indicated that PSE activated Nrf2 antioxidant pathway mainly by the binding of primary polyphenols from PSE and the Keap1 protein. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the present data highlight the health benefits of polyphenols from Penthorum chinense Pursh. regarding diabetes, proving it to be an important source of health care products. Besides, binding of the Keap1 protein may be an effective strategy to activate Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and prevent diabetes.

Analysis on the current quality standards of Chinese materia Medica used in COVID-19 prevention and treatment.

PURPOSE: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has fully engaged and played an essential role in the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study compares relevant standards on high-frequent Chinese Materia Medicia (CMM) used in this pandemic aiming at reaching a global consensus and ensuring the use of Chinese medicines safely. METHODS: 141 representative Chinese formulas and Chinese Patent Medicines from the National Protocol and the most of Provincial Protocols for controlling COVID-19 in China have been collected to statistical analyze the composition and characteristics of CMM. Among them, the domestic and international standards of 47 varieties with the frequency usage over 10 times were selected to compare their quality requirements in the mainstream pharmacopoeias and international standards. RESULTS: The quality requirements of used CMM for fighting COVID-19 on the terms of overall quality control, marker compounds, and safety indicators showed different patterns in these mainstream pharmacopoeias and international standards. The uniformed and scientific quality standards of CMM were urgently needed to promote global acceptation and trade. CONCLUSIONS: These findings will provide evidence for building unified quality and safety standards that can adapt to the characteristics of CMM and promote international trade, and also will be stated that it is of the highest priority for ISO/TC 249 to formulate high-quality standards that consolidate international consensus to ensure quality and safety of the urgently needed CMM.

In Silico Investigation of the Anti-Tumor Mechanisms of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate.

The EGCG, an important component of polyphenol in green tea, is well known due to its numerous health benefits. We employed the reverse docking method for the identification of the putative targets of EGCG in the anti-tumor target protein database and these targets were further uploaded to public databases in order to understand the underlying pharmacological mechanisms and search for novel EGCG-associated targets. Similarly, the pharmacological linkage between tumor-related proteins and EGCG was manually constructed in order to provide greater insight into the molecular mechanisms through a systematic integration with applicable bioinformatics. The results indicated that the anti-tumor mechanisms of EGCG may involve 12 signaling transduction pathways and 33 vital target proteins. Moreover, we also discovered four novel putative target proteins of EGCG, including IKBKB, KRAS, WEE1 and NTRK1, which are significantly related to tumorigenesis. In conclusion, this work may provide a useful perspective that will improve our understanding of the pharmacological mechanism of EGCG and identify novel potential therapeutic targets.

Regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics by the non-canonical roles of mitochondrial dynamics proteins in the heart.

Recent advancement in mitochondrial research has significantly extended our knowledge on the role and regulation of mitochondria in health and disease. One important breakthrough is the delineation of how mitochondrial morphological changes, termed mitochondrial dynamics, are coupled to the bioenergetics and signaling functions of mitochondria. In general, it is believed that fusion leads to an increased mitochondrial respiration efficiency and resistance to stress-induced dysfunction while fission does the contrary. This concept seems not applicable to adult cardiomyocytes. The mitochondria in adult cardiomyocytes exhibit fragmented morphology (tilted towards fission) and show less networking and movement as compared to other cell types. However, being the most energy-demanding cells, cardiomyocytes in the adult heart possess vast number of mitochondria, high level of energy flow, and abundant mitochondrial dynamics proteins. This apparent discrepancy could be explained by recently identified new functions of the mitochondrial dynamics proteins. These "non-canonical" roles of mitochondrial dynamics proteins range from controlling inter-organelle communication to regulating cell viability and survival under metabolic stresses. Here, we summarize the newly identified non-canonical roles of mitochondrial dynamics proteins. We focus on how these fission and fusion independent roles of dynamics proteins regulate mitochondrial bioenergetics. We also discuss potential molecular mechanisms, unique intracellular location, and the cardiovascular disease relevance of these non-canonical roles of the dynamics proteins. We propose that future studies are warranted to differentiate the canonical and non-canonical roles of dynamics proteins and to identify new approaches for the treatment of heart diseases. This article is part of a Special issue entitled Cardiac adaptations to obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance, edited by Professors Jan F.C. Glatz, Jason R.B. Dyck and Christine Des Rosiers.

Effect of Angelica sinensis radix on colonic morphology and mucus secretion of experimental XuexuBianmi model mice / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effects of Angelicaesinensis radix (Danggui) decoction on the therapeutic action and the colonic morphology and mucus secretion in XuexuBianmi model mice.@*METHODS@#Sixty Kunming mice, maleandfemaleinhalf, were randomly divided into six groups according to gender and weight (=10):normal control group, XuexuBianmi model group, positive control group, and high-dose, middle-dose and low-dose Danggui groups. Except the normal control group, the mice in the rest groups were orally administrated with diphenoxylate (DPN) and subcutaneously injected with acetylphenyhydrazine (APH) and intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide (CPA) to copy XuexuBianmi model. Fromthe 14th day, the mice in Danggui groups were orally administered with different doses of Danggui decoction (16.67、8.33、4.17 g/kg), the mice in positive control group were orally administered with Changtongshu granule (5 g/kg), the mice in XuexuBianmi model group were administered with normal saline (NS) at the same volume (10 ml/kg), once a day for consecutive 28 days. The general status were observed, the first black defecation time (FBDT), the water content in stool and in colon in mice of all groups were tested. And the colon tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and AB-PAS to observe the changes of colonic morphology and the mucus secretion.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal control group, there appeared the XuexuBianmi syndromes in model group as follows, the defecation time (FBDT) was significantly prolonged, the water contentinstool and in colon were decreased (<0.01), the colonic mucosa and gland were atrophied, mucous membrane layer was thinned (<0.01), mucus secretion was decreased. Compared with the XuexuBianmimodel group, the Xuexu and Bianmi syndromes were improved, the FBDT was significantly shortened (<0.05, <0.01), the water content of colon was increased in the three groups of Danggui decoction (<0.05, <0.01). The water content of the stool was obviouslyincreased in groups of 16.67and 8.33kg.dDanggui decoction (<0.05). The atrophy of colon mucosa and gland was improved, the mucus secretion was increased, and the colon lubrication function was improved in the three groups in different doses of Danggui decoction.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Dangguican improve the mucosal atrophy, and increase the secretion of colonic mucus, then the stool is softened and promoted to discharge.

Comparative study on anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation of different Isatidis Radix strains growing in Gansu Province / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation effects of different ecotype from Isatidis Radix growing in Gansu province.@*METHODS@#Mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (=11)and used the auricular swelling and paw edema to observe the anti-inflammatory effects of Isatidis Radix; Mice were randomly divided into 7 groups (=11) and through the gasbag synovitis model to observe the anti-inflammatory effects of Isatidis Radix; Mice were randomly divided into 6 groups (=11), the immunosuppressed model were established by injection of cyclophosphamide (CTX) to study the effects of Isatidis Radix on index of thymus, blood routine and cytokines.@*RESULTS@#Gansu different ecotype from Isatidis Radix could reduce the swelling of the mice auricle, paw edema and total protein, leukotriene B(LTB)and malonaldehyde(MDA) in airbag synovitis exudates, and upgrade serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD); Degrade the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and upgrade the index of thymus, the number of red and white corpuscles, the level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4) (<0.05, 0.01) of mice immunosuppressed model; Above the research of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation, there were no significant differences between Isatidis Radix of Gansu different ecotype and tetraploid.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Different ecotype of Isatidis Radix has obvious functions in anti-inflammatory and immunomodulation, but there are no significant differences between Gansu different ecotype and tetraploid.

Effect of Yuyin Ruangan Granule on TGF-β1 expression in hepatic fibrosis rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To observe the preventive and therapeutic action of Yuyin Ruangan Granule (YRG, Traditional Chinese Medicine) in hepatic fibrosis rats model and its effect on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression.@*METHODS@#The Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 group (=10), and the model of hepatic fibrosis rats was established by subcutaneous injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), fed on high-fat diet and 20% ethanol for 6 weeks, to survey the effect and mechanism of YRG preventing hypatic fibrosis by detecting liver function (the activity of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), etc.) of liver fibrosis rats, liver fibrosis indicators (hyaluronic acid, Ⅲ procollagen, type IV collagen, laminin and hepatic pathology, etc.), and TGF-β1 expression in liver tissue after 6 weeks treated with YRG through intragastric administration (q. d.).@*RESULTS@#At the 7 week, fibrotic lesions appears distinctly in liver tissue of model group compared with control group (<0.01), YRG of 6.2~28.8 g/kg could significantly decrease hepatic index, ALT and AST activities, content of hyaluronic acid(HA), Ⅲ procollagen (PCⅢ), type Ⅳ collagen(C-Ⅳ), laminin (LN) in serum, relieve liver fibrosis pathological changes and inhibit TGF-β1 expression in fibrotic liver tissue (<0.05, <0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#YRG has significantly preventive effects on liver fibrosis rats model, and it may be one of its mechanisms to inhibit expression of TGF-β1.

ZiBuPiYin recipe improves cognitive decline by regulating gut microbiota in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Numerous researches supported that microbiota can influence behavior and modulate cognitive function through "microbiota-gut-brain" axis. Our previous study has demonstrated that ZiBuPiYin recipe (ZBPYR) possesses excellent pharmacological effects against diabetes-associated cognitive decline. To elucidate the role of ZBPYR in regulating the balance of gut microbiota to improve psychological-stress-induced diabetes-associated cognitive decline (PSDACD), we compared blood glucose, behavioral and cognitive functions and diversity of the bacterial community among experimental groups. The Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats with PSDACD exhibited behavioral and cognitive anomalies showing as increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and decreased learning and memory abilities. High-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed that Roseburia and Coprococcus were decreased in ZDF rats with PSDACD compared with control group. Notably, these changes were reversed by ZBPYR treatment. Our findings indicate that ZBPYR might prevent PSDACD by maintaining the compositions of gut microbiota, which could be developed as a new therapy for T2D with PSDACD.

Bletilla striata polysaccharide inhibits angiotensin II-induced ROS and inflammation via NOX4 and TLR2 pathways.

In the current study, we analyzed the functions and mechanisms of Bletilla striata polysaccharide b (BSPb) against Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in human mesangial cells (HMCs). It was found that BSPb could inhibit generation of Ang II-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies revealed that BSPb effectively blocked upregulation of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4). Moreover, knockdown of NOX4 significantly impaired the anti-oxidative function of BSPb. In addition, BSPb decreased overexpression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) induced by Ang II. Blocking TLR2 expression impaired the anti-inflammatory effects of BSPb. In conclusion, BSPb was found to possess anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory functions against Ang II-induced ROS generation and proinflammatory cytokines activation. The NOX4 and TLR2 pathways played important roles in the biological effects mediated by BSPb.

[Protective effect of curcumin derivative B06 on kidney of type 2 diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and mechanism of curcumin derivative B06 on kidney from rats with hyperlipidemia and type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Thirty five male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups(n = 7): the normal control group, high-fat group, high-fat + B06-treatd group, diabetic group, diabetic + B06-treated group. After fed with high-fat diet for 4 weeks, the later two groups were in- jected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally to induce type 2 diabetes mellitus. B06-treated groups were given B06 by gavage at a dosage of 0.2 mg/kg . d for 8 weeks. After the treatment, the serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were detected biochemically, the morphology of kidney was observed with light and transmission electron microscopy, the expression of collagen fibers was observed with Masson staining, the protein expression of collogen IV and fibronectin in kidney were determined by Immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: It was showed that the levels of the serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen elevated significantly in diabetic group. In high-fat and diabetic groups, increased glomerular mesangial matrix and collagen fiber and thicken glomerular basal membrane were observed under light microscopy, swelling and fusion of foot process were found under electron microscope; increased green matrix within glomeruli was observed under Masson staining. collogen IV and fibronectin protein expression were significantly enhanced in high-fat group and diabetic group. After B06's intervention, the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were decreased in diabetic groups, the morphological change of kidney was obviously relieved, Collogen IV and fibronectin protein expression reduced. CONCLUSION: Curcumin derivative B06 exerts a protective effect on kidney in type 2 diabetic rats, reduced expressions of collogen IV and fibronectin, inhibition of the accumulation of extracellular matrix and glomerular mesangial proliferation, and then prevention of renal fibrosis may be the mechanism.

Preliminary comparative study of swertiamarin and swertisin on three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials / 中国中药杂志

Lomatogonium rotatum (L.) Fries, Gentianopsis barbata (Froel) Ma, and Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten, the three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials belonging to the family Gentianaceae, bad been widely used for the treatment of liver diseases. To analyze comparatively the content of swertiamarin and swertisin among these three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials. HPLC method was applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis of swertiamarin and swertisin. The Phenomenex C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm) was used, chromatographic methanol and water as mobile phase, the flow rate was 1.5 mL x min(-1) with UV detected at 237 nm, column oven temperature was 25 degrees C. Results showed that the contents of swertiamarin and swertisin were closely related the different species and producing areas. The content range of swertiamarin in L. rotatum from different habitats was 1.73% - 2.72%, 0.43% - 0.96% for the swertisin content; the content of swertiamarin in G. barbata from Alxa Left Banner was 0.38%, and the content of swertiamarin and swertisin in G. barbata from the others habitats and G. Acuta from different habitats were all detected qualitatively. The contents of swertiamarin and swertisin among these medicinal plants showed a significant difference due to the different species and producing areas. As a consequence, these medicinal plants should not be put together for clinical applications.

Effects of Rhubarbs from different regions on blood lipid and antioxidation of hyperlipidemia rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To comparatively study the effects of Rhubarbs from different regions on blood lipid and antioxi dation of hyperlipidemia rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male rats were randomly divided into 9 groups ( n = 8) and fed with high-fat diet to replicate the hyperlipidemia model. Meanwhile, Rheum tanguticum was administrated intragastrically at two doses (3.0 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg), once a day for continuous 28 days. The effects of Rheum tanguticum planted in Gannan (RT-GN), Rheum tanguticum planted in Xinin (RT-XN) and Rheum plmatum planted in Lixian (RP-LX) were evaluated through detecting the parameters of blood lipids, blood viscosity and antioxidant system.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>T-GN, RT-XN and RP-LX in the range of 1.0-3.0 g/kg could decrease the blood levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and malonaldehyde (MDA) in blood. Besides, they could reduce blood viscosity, increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) level and upregulate the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Interestingly, their effects on blood viscosity was obviously in a dose dependent manner. In addition, the effects of RT-GN on LDL, MDA and blood viscosity were not significantly different from those of RT-XN and better than those of RP-LX.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The RT has better hypolipidemic effects than the RP, but RT-GN and RT-XN are not different from the above effects.</p>