Protective Effect of Tetrandrine on Sodium Taurocholate-Induced Severe Acute Pancreatitis.

Tet is a type of alkaloid extracted from Stephania tetrandra, and it has recently been demonstrated that Tet can protect against inflammation and free radical injury and inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators. The present study was designed to observe the protective effect of Tet on sodium taurocholate-induced severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The rat model of SAP was induced by retrograde bile duct injection of sodium taurocholate and then treated with Verapamil and Tet. The results showed that Tet can reduce NF-κB activation in pancreas issue, inhibit the SAP cascade, and improve SAP through inducing pancreas acinar cell apoptosis and stabilizing intracellular calcium in the pancreas, thus mitigating the damage to the pancreas. Our study revealed that Tet may reduce systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndromes (MODS) to protect against damage, and these roles may be mediated through the NF-κB pathway to improve the proinflammatory/anti-inflammatory imbalance.

Immunologic mechanism of Patchouli alcohol anti-H1N1 influenza virus may through regulation of the RLH signal pathway in vitro.

Patchouli alcohol (PA) is a kind of methanol extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Pogostemonis Herba. Our research aimed to observe the anti-influenza virus role of PA in vitro. 16HBE (human respiratory epithelial cell) was infected by H1N1 (A/FM1/1/47) to set the cell model. Then the 16HBE was co-cultivated with three kinds of immune cells: dendritic cells, macrophages, and monocytes, PA (the concentration is 10 µg/mL) was added as a treatment intervention for 24 h. The immune cells and the supernate were collected for RT-PCR and ELISA detection related to RLH (RIG-1-like helicases) pathway. Results showed that the IL-4 and IFN-γ in supernate were increased after H1N1 infection, and the PA treatment suppressed the expression of cytokines and the mRNA of RLH pathway. PA anti-influenza virus may through regulate the RLH singal pathway.

Improvement of lipid profile and reduction of body weight by shan he jian fei granules in high fat diet-induced obese rats.

BACKGROUND: The goal was to study lipid profiles (TG, TC, LDL, HDL), effects on serum leptin, and fat tissue adiponectin, and resistin as well as body weight effects of Shan He Jian Fei Granules (SHJFG) in rats on a high fat diet. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal control group fed with normal fat diet, rats on high fat diet receiving low dosage, middle dosage, high dosage of Shan He Jian Fei Granules (SHJFG) as well as a high fat diet group receiving placebo. Rats were treated for 8 weeks. Body weight and naso-anal length of each rat were recorded and Lee's index was calculated. Serum TG, TC, LDL, HDL and leptin concentrations were analyzed. The gene expressions of adiponectin and resistin in adipose tissues were tested by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared to the high-fat diet group, body weights, Lee's indexes, weight of fat tissues and serum TG, TC, LDL and leptin of SHJFG groups significantly decreased (p < 0.05), whereas mRNA expressions of adiponectin and resistin of SHJFG groups significantly increased (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SHJFG could significantly lower body weight and serum TG, TC, and LDL of obese rats. The effects of SHJFG in lowering leptin synthesis and raising mRNA expression of adiponectin and resistin in fat tissues may act as part of the mechanisms in lowering body weight of obese rats. Further studies are needed to demonstrate whether SHJFG may also reduce overall cardiovascular morbidity and mortality like other lipid lowering drugs.