Withanolides and aromatic glycosides isolated from Nicandra physaloides and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Two new withanolides (1-2) together with five known ones (3-7), and three known aromatic glycosides (8-10) were isolated from the dried stems and leaves of Nicandra physaloides, an edible and medicinal plant. Their structures were identified by extensive spectroscopic analyses or comparison with literature data. The absolute configuration of 2 was assigned via X-ray crystallography. Compound 1 with a spiroketal moiety is relatively unusual in withanolides. Aromatic glycosides (8-10) showed potent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, with IC50 values from 4.69 to 16.12 µM.

Experimental study on topical treatment of diabetic skin ulcers with yi medicine "yi bu a jie" extract / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the role and mechanism of the Yi medicine, Yi Bu A Jie () extract, in topical treatment of diabetic skin ulcers, with a view to finding a breakthrough natural drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetic skin ulcers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A model of diabetic skin ulcers in Kunming mice was developed. Yi Bu A Jie was extracted in a Soxhlet extractor. Two different concentrations of the extract (0.005 mg/mL and 0.01 mg/mL) were applied to the wound of diabetic skin ulcers once every 3 days, and local skin appearance and histopathological changes were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The shortest healing time was 25.25±2.06 day with a low concentration (P=0.0037 compared with the high concentration group, 33.14±2.21 day; P=0.0082 compared with control group, 28.21±2.14 days). The longest healing time was in the high concentration group (P=0.0025 compared with the control group). In both groups, a large number of inflammatory neutrophil cells were exuded during the experimental period. In the low concentration group, capillary-rich granulation tissue and actively growing fibroblasts appeared in the wound, while there was much necrotic tissue in the high concentration group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Yi Bu A Jie extract has an inhibitory effect on diabetic skin ulcers in mice, and the low concentration is more suitable.</p>

Clinical study on effect of Astragalus Injection and its immuno-regulation action in treating chronic aplastic anemia.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Astragalus Injection (, AI) and its immuno-regulatory action in treating chronic aplastic anemia (CAA). METHODS: Sixty patients with CAA were randomly assigned to two groups equally, both were treated with Stanozolol three times a day, 2 mg each time through oral intake, but AI was given additionally to the patients in the treated group once a day via intravenous dripping. All were treated for 15 days as one therapeutic course and the whole medication lasted for more than 4 months totally, with follow-up adopted. The clinical efficacy was estimated and the changes of T-lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood as well as the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) were observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the treated group was 83.3% (25/30), which was higher than that in the control group 66.7% (20/30), showing significant difference between them (P<0.05). Levels of hemoglobin, WBC, reticular cell and platelet were elevated in both groups after treatment, but the improvement was significantly better in the treated group than that in the control group with respect to the former three indexes (P<0.05). The level of CD4(+) increased and that of CD8(+) decreased significantly after treatment in the treated group (P<0.05), which showed significant difference as compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). Levels of serum TNF-alpha and IL-2 lowered after treatment in both groups, but significance only showed in the treated group (P<0.05). The degree of proliferation in bone marrow got raised significantly and the percentage of non-hemopoietic cells reduced significantly in the treated group after treatment, also showing significant difference to those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: AI could promote the recovery of hemopoietic function, which might be through improving T-lymphocyte subsets and reducing the release of negative regulatory factors such as TNF-alpha and IL-2 to alleviate the inhibition on hemopoietic function.