Effects of aqueous extracts of Ecliptae herba, Polygoni multiflori radix praeparata and Rehmanniae radix praeparata on melanogenesis and the migration of human melanocytes.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Polygoni multiflori radix praeparata (PMRP), Ecliptae herba (EH) and Rehmanniae radix praeparata (RRP) are the most frequently-used herbs by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for the treatment of vitiligo. Their abilities to stimulate melanogenesis, melanocyte migration and MITF (microphthalmia associated transcription factor) protein expression were evaluated in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of aqueous extracts of PMRP, EH and RRP on human melanocytes in vitro were examined by MTT assay, tyrosinase activity, melanin synthesis, migration assay and Western blot. RESULTS: Treatment with EH (at 100µg/ml and 400µg/ml) significantly increased intracellular tyrosinase activity in accordance with the elevation of melanin content at the same concentrations. Treatment with RRP (at 100µg/ml and 400µg/ml) promoted melanin production but had no stimulatory effect on tyrosinase activity. Treatment with PMRP and EH (at 100µg/ml) promoted the migration of human melanocytes in a type IV collagen-coated transwell migration assay. Western blot analysis showed MITF protein expression was elevated by PMRP, EH and RRP (at 100µg/ml). CONCLUSION: An aqueous extract of EH has a synergistic effect on melanocytes by up-regulating tyrosinase activity, enhancing melanin synthesis and promoting melanocyte migration as well as elevating MITF protein expression. RRP exhibits a significant stimulating effect on melanogenesis and MITF protein expression. These results suggest that EH and RRP contain substances with direct enhancing effects on melanogenesis and migration, possibly via their effects on MITF protein expression.

[Influence of apolipoprotein E gene polymorphism on the lipid regulation by xuezhikang capsule].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene polymorphism on the lipid metabolism regulatory effect of Xuezhikang Capsule (XZKC). METHODS: ApoE polymorphism of 74 patients with hyperlipidemia was detected by gene sequencing method, and their plasma levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C) were determined before and after they received a 6-week treatment of XZKC, for analyzing the relationship between ApoE gene polymorphism and the changes of various blood lipids associated indices. RESULTS: The effect of XZKC on reducing TG in the epsilon2 allele (E2/E2 and E2/E3 genotypes) was higher than that in the E3/E3 genotypes and epsilon4 allele (E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes), while on increasing HDL-C, it showed more effect in the epsilon4 allele (E3/E4 and E4/E4 genotypes) than that in the epsilon2 allele (E2/E2 and E2/E3 genotypes) and E3/E3 genotypes. CONCLUSION: Patients' ApoE gene polymorphism could influence the lipid regulatory effect of XZKC, embodying mainly by raising HDL-C and reducing TG in patients with different ApoE genotypes to different extents.

[Regulatory effect of Ningxin Hongqi Capsule on local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors in rats during peri-menopausal period].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the regulatory effect and mechanism of Ningxin Hongqi Capsule on local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors in peri-menopausal rats. METHODS: SD female rats aged 4 months were allocated in a normal control group (A) and those aged 14 months with vagino-cytologic figure of oestrus elongation were allocated in a senile female rat model group (B). Rats in Group B were subdivided into 5 groups randomly as the B1, B2 and B3 subgroups treated respectively with high, moderate and low dose Ningxin Hongqi Capsule, the B4 subgroup treated with estradiol and the B5 subgroup untreated for control. Rats' ovaries were obtained at the end of the experiment for observing the conditions of ovarian growing follicles and corpus luteum by HE staining, determining expressions of ovarian estradiol receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), inhibin alpha (INHalpha), activin (ACT) alpha-beta, follistatin (FS), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). RESULTS: As compared with Group B5, the ovary index, number of growing follicle were higher and levels of FSH and LH were lower in Group B2 and B3, expression of ER was higher in Group B1 and B4, IGF-1 and INHalpha was higher in Group B2 and B3, and ACTalpha-beta and FS were lower (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Nirigxin Hongqi Capsule could adjust and balance the local ovarian autocrine and paracrine factors to improve the ovarian function.

[Study on the relationship between polymorphism of ApoE gene and TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the polymorphism of ApoE gene and TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia. METHODS: ApoE genotype of 102 patients with hyperlipemia was detected by gene PCR sequencing. RESULTS: A total of five genotypes were detectable, they were E2/2, E3/3, E4/4, E2/3 and E3/4. The frequency of E3/4 + E4/4 and epsilon4 allelotype detected in the patients of Gan-Shen Yin deficiency syndrome type were significantly higher than those in patients of Pi-Shen Yang-deficiency type or of phlegm stagnation type (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and which in patients of Qi-stagnation caused blood stasis type were significantly higher than those in patients of phlegm stagnation type ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of ApoE gene is related in a certain degree to TCM syndrome type of primary hyperlipemia.