Efficacy of the herbal pair, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae and Eucommiae Cortex, in preventing glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in the zebrafish model / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#In traditional Chinese medicine, the herbal pair, Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB) and Eucommiae Cortex (EC), is widely used to treat osteoporosis. Herein, we determined whether this herbal pair can be used to ameliorate glucocorticoid (GC)-induced osteoporosis (GIOP) and find its optimal dosage in zebrafish.@*METHODS@#The characteristics of the aqueous extract of RAB and EC were separately characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography. Osteoporosis was induced in 5-day post-fertilization zebrafish larvae by exposing them to 10 μmol/L dexamethasone (Dex) for 96 h. Seven combinations of different ratios of RAB and EC were co-administered. Treatment efficacy was determined by calculating zebrafish vertebral area and sum brightness, via alizarin red staining, and by detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to test the optimal dosage ratio.@*RESULTS@#According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2015), β-ecdysone (β-Ecd) is a major bioactive marker in RAB extract, while pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG) is the major marker in EC extract. Both of β-Ecd and PDG content values aligned with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standards. Treatment with 10 μmol/L Dex reduced zebrafish vertebral area, sum brightness, and ALP activity, but RAB and EC attenuated these effects. Combining 50 µg/mL RAB and 50 µg/mL EC was optimal for preventing GIOP in zebrafish. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the mRNA expression of osteogenesis-related genes. A treatment of 10 μmol/L Dex decreased runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1), bone γ-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein (BGLAP), and β-catenin levels. This effect was counteracted by RAB and EC co-treatment (P < 0.05). Additionally, the effect of using the two herbal extracts together was better than single-herb treatments separately. These results demonstrated that RAB and EC preserve osteoblast function in the presence of GC. The best mass ratio was 1:1.@*CONCLUSION@#RAB and EC herbal pair could ameliorate GC-induced effects in zebrafish, with 1:1 as the optimal dosage ratio.

Effects of inotodiol extracts from inonotus obliquus on proliferation cycle and apoptotic gene of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the proliferation inhibition, apoptosis, and cell proliferation cycle of human lung carcinoma cell line A549 treated with Inotodiol extracts from Inonotus obliquus and explore the possibility of Inotodiol extracts from Inonotus obliquus as a new tumor chemopreventive drug.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human lung cancer cell line A549 was treated with different concentrations of Inotodiol, the effects of Inotodiol on cell apoptosis, the expression of Ki-67, Bcl-2, Bax, and p53 and cell cycle were detected by TUNEL assay, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry assay respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Inotodiol extracts had antiproliferation effect on human lung carcinoma cell line A549. The expression of Ki-67 decreased with the increase of Inotodiol concentration and exposure time (P<0.05), in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. The typical characteristics of the apoptosis of A549 cells treated with Inotodiol were observed, and the apoptotic rate of A549 cell at 48 h was the highest by TUNEL assay. Inotodiol arrested A549 cells in the S phase, and apoptotic peak was observed by flow cytometry. Immunocytochemistry indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased, while the expression of p53 and Bax proteins increased in A549 cells treated with Inotodiol, compared with the control cells (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Inotodiol can inhibit proliferation and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells, and its molecular mechanism may be associated with the up-regulating expression of p53 and bax proteins and down-regulating expression of Bcl-2 protein, which arrested A549 cells in S phase.</p>

Neocaesalpin L1, a new diterpenoid compound from Caesalpinia minax / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents of Caesalpinia minax.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical constituent was isolated by various chromatographic metheds and its structure was elucidated by the analysis of spectral data and physiochemical properties.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>One diterpenoid compound was isolated from the 95% ethanolic extract of C. minax, and identified as 12alpha -methoxyl-14beta-hydroxy-lalpha, 6alpha, 7beta-triacetoxycass-13 (15)-en-16, 12-olide.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Neocaesalpin L1 was a new compound and named as neocaesalpin L1.</p>

Phenolic acid derivatives from the rhizome of Fagopyrum cymosum / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents of Fagopyrum cymosum.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical constituents were isolated by various chromatographic methods and their structures were elucidated by the analysis of spectral data and physiochemical properties.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Four phenolic acid derivatives were isolated from F. cymosum. The chemical structures were elucidated as trans-p-hydroxy cinnamic methyl ester (I), 3, 4-dihydroxy benzamide (II), protocatechuic acid (III), protocatechuic acid methyl ester (IV).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds I, II, IV were obtained from the genus Fagopyrum for the first time.</p>