[Therapeutic effects of Bianyanning decoction on acute pharyngitis in rats and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Bianyanning on acute pharyngitis in rats, and to provide evidence and experimental data for its clinical application. METHODS: The acute pharyngitis of rats was induced by spraying ammonia directly to their throat. The model rats were randomly divided into model control group, the high-, medium- and low-dose group of Bianyanning, while normal rats were used as control group, 10 in each group. After the corresponding drug treatment, the symptoms and manifestations of each group were observed and recorded; 24 hours after last gavaging, blood samples of each group were collected from the abdominal aorta. The serum contents of interleukin 1-beta (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were detected by ELISA. HE method was used to observe the characteristic of the lung tissues and the transmission electron microscopy method was used to observe the trachea cilia. RESULTS: After the treatment, compared with the model control group, the high-, medium- and low-dose group of Bianyanning, the symptoms of acute pharyngitis such as inflamed and congestive throat were relieved obviously. The morphological changes of lung and bronchus tissues were apparently improved. The contents of IL-1ß and TNF-α in serum were decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Compound Bianyanning can promote the recovering process of acute pharyngitis, improve the morphology of lungs and bronchus, which may be related to inhibiting the releasing of the IL-1ß and TNF-α in serum.

Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract attenuates abnormal Tau phosphorylation.

Large-scale epidemiological studies have found that hyperhomocysteinemia is a powerful, independent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Trillium tschonoskii maxim is a traditional Chinese medicine that is used to promote memory. However, scientific understanding of its mechanism of action is limited. This report studied the potential neuroprotective effects of Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract against homocysteine-induced cognitive deficits. Rats were intravenously injected with homocysteine (400 µg/kg) for 14 days to induce a model of Alzheimer's disease. These rats were then intragastrically treated with Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract (0.125 or 0.25 g/kg) for 7 consecutive days. Open field test and Morris water maze test were conducted to measure spontaneous activity and learning and memory abilities. Western blot assay was used to detect the levels of Tau protein and other factors involved in Tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine Tau protein in the hippocampus. Golgi staining was applied to measure hippocampal dendritic spines. Our results demonstrated that homocysteine produced learning and memory deficits and increased levels of Tau phosphorylation, and diminished the activity of catalytic protein phosphatase 2A. The total number of hippocampal dendritic spines was also decreased. Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract treatment reversed the homocysteine-induced changes. The above results suggest that Trillium tschonoskii maxim extract can lessen homocysteine-induced abnormal Tau phosphorylation and improve cognitive deterioration such as that present in Alzheimer's disease.