Neuroprotective Effect of Fructus broussonetiae on APP/PS1 Mice via Upregulation of AKT/ß-Catenin Signaling.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of Chinese herbal medicine Fructus broussonetiae (FB) in both mouse and cell models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: APP/PS1 mice treated with FB for 2 months and vehicle-treated controls were run through the Morris water maze and object recognition test to evaluate learning and memory capacity. RNA-Seq, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining were also conducted to evaluate the effects of FB treatment on various signaling pathways altered in APP/PS1 mice. To further explore the mechanisms underlying FB's protective effect, PC-12 cells were treated with Aß25-35 in order to establish an in vitro model of AD. RESULTS: FB-treated mice showed improved learning and memory capacity on both the Morris water maze and object recognition tests. RNA-seq of hippocampal tissue from APP/PS1 mice showed that FB had effects on multiple signaling pathways, specifically decreasing cell apoptotic signaling and increasing AKT and ß-catenin signaling. Similarly, FB up-regulated both AKT and ß-catenin signaling in PC-12 cells pre-treated with Aß25-35, in which AKT positively regulated ß-catenin signaling. Further study showed that AKT promoted ß-catenin signaling via enhancing ß-catenin (Ser552) phosphorylation. Moreover, AKT and ß-catenin signaling inhibition both resulted in the attenuated survival of FB-treated cells, indicating the AKT/ß-catenin signaling is a crucial mediator in FB promoted cell survival. CONCLUSIONS: FB exerted neuroprotective effects on hippocampal cells of APP/PS1 mice, as well as improved cell viability in an in vitro model of AD. The protective actions of FB occurred via the upregulation of AKT/ß-catenin signaling.

Use of Chinese herbal medicine therapies in comprehensive hospitals in central China: A parallel survey in cancer patients and clinicians.

Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), as the largest application category of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is widely accepted among cancer patients in China. Herbal slice (HS) and Chinese patent drug (CPD) are commonly used CHM in China. This study aimed to investigate the utilization of CHM among clinicians and cancer patients in central China. Five hundred and twenty-five patients and 165 clinicians in 35 comprehensive hospitals in central China were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire that was designed to evaluate the use of CHM. The results showed that 90.74% clinicians and 72.24% cancer patients used CHM during cancer treatment. The educational backgrounds of the clinicians and the age, education level, annual income, and cancer stage of the cancer patients were related to use of CHM. More than 90% clinicians and cancer patients had used CPD. Comparatively, the percentage of HS use was 10% lower than that of CPD use among clinicians and cancer patients. More clinicians preferred to use CHM after surgery than cancer patients did (20.41% vs. 5.37%). Enhancing physical fitness and improving performance status were regarded as the most potential effect of CHM on cancer treatment (85.71% among clinicians and 94.07% among cancer patients), in comparison with directly killing tumor cells (24.49% among clinicians and 31.36% among patients). As for refusal reasons, imprecise efficacy was the unanimous (100%) reason for clinicians' rejection of CHM, and 95.58% patients objected to using CHM also for this reason. Furthermore, the side effects of CHM were more concerned by clinicians than by patients (33.33% vs. 15.81%). In conclusion, our survey revealed that CHM was popularly accepted by clinicians and cancer patients in central China. The reasons of use and rejection of CHM were different between clinicians and cancer patients.

[The effect of baicalein on bleomycin-induced fibrosis in lungs of rats].

AIM: To explore the effect of baicalein (Bai-Chinese Traditional Medicine) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced fibrosis in lungs of rats and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Sixty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: BLM plus Bai group, BLM plus normal saline (NS) group, NS plus Bai group, and NS plus NS group. The rats were received single intratracheal instillation of BLM (5 mg kg(-1) bw) or equal volume of NS as control, and received intraperitoneal injection o f Bai (12.5 mg x kg(-1) bw) or the same volume of NS asvehicle for 28 d. The hydroxyproline content, the collagen area, the mRNA expression of Col I (alpha), and the myofibroblasts in lung were examined. RESULTS: The content of hydroxyproline, the percentage of collagen area, the mRNA expression of Col I (alpha), and the amount of myofibroblast were increased in lungs of rats on day 28 after intratracheal instillation of BLM, compared with that in lungs of the control rats, respectively( All P < 0.01). The above abnormal changes were ameliorated by Bai (12.5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ip, x 28 d (All P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Bai has anti-action on BLM-induced fibrosis in lung, and that the above action of Bai is related to the blockage of synthesis of type I collagen and the decrease of myofibroblast in lung.

[Effect of Chinese herbal medicine 1023 Recipe in blocking cancer transformation of experimental precancerous lesion and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Chinese herbal medicine 1023 Recipe in blocking cancer transformation of experimental oral precancerous lesion and its mechanism. METHODS: We treated the experimental oral precancerous lesion in hamster's cheek pouch using 1023 Recipe (consisting of Radix Astragali, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum, Rhizoma Chuanxiong and selenium-rich green tea) for 6 weeks, and observed its effect in blocking cancer transformation, detected 2 kinds of agglutinin receptors (receptors of wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin) in the mucosa of the hamster's cheek pouch. RESULTS: The rate of cancer transformation in 1023 Recipe treated group was lower than that in the control group without treatment (P<0.05). Agglutinin receptors in the two groups were different significantly. CONCLUSION: 1023 Recipe is effective in treating hyperplasia, and can prevent its cancer transformation. The mechanism may be that 1023 Recipe can induce precancerous lesions to differentiate into normal tissues.

[Anti-oxygenation effect of procyanidins in plant medicine].

This article summarized the chemical construction and plant resources, biochemical and pharmacologicaly activity and the anti-oxygenation effect of procyanidins.