[Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke) collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences].

Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke), collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, was examined with the field method. It was found some issues existed both in the recording and description of Wan's gynecology and obstetrics (Wan Shi Nv Ke) collected by the library of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in the electronic catalogue of ancient books and in the General catalogue of ancient books of traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Guo Zhong Yi Gu Ji Zong Mu), in terms of the same version with different registration, wrong publication time, some contents missed in publication, and the version actually not collected.

Punicalagin suppresses osteosarcoma growth and metastasis by regulating NF-κB signaling.

Osteosarcoma is the most prevailing malignant bone tumor among adolescents. Punicalagin, a polyphenolic compound extracted from pomegranate, possesses many functions such as anti-oxidation, anti-bacterial, anti-virus, and immunosuppression, which can counter the aggressiveness of a variety of cancers such cervical, ovarian and prostate. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of punicalagin on the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells and its potential regulatory mechanisms. Osteosarcoma cell lines (HOS cells, U2OS cells and MG63 cells) were treated with different doses of punicalagin, and the effects on osteosarcoma cell activity were examined in vitro using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and apoptosis assays. The mobility, migration and invasion abilities of osteosarcoma cells were detected by wound healing and Transwell assays. NF-κB activity was explored by the NF-κB p65 luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was used to investigate the expressions of downstream proteins. We found that punicalagin inhibited the viability of osteosarcoma cells in vitro in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners and promoted apoptosis. In addition, punicalagin could significantly impede the mobility, migration and invasion abilities of osteosarcoma cells. In terms of mechanism, punicalagin down-regulated the expressions of p65, survivin, XIAP, CIAP2 and other proteins, and suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells by repressing NF-κB signaling pathway. In conclusion, it is concluded that punicalagin restrains the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma by obstructing the NF-κB signal transduction pathway.

Pathophysiological characteristics and gene transcriptional profiling of bone microstructure in a low calcium diet fed laying hens.

Calcium depletion is a valuable non-invasive tool for studying skeletal system disorders. A low calcium diet (LCD) was used to examine the pathophysiological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of osteoporotic damage in caged laying hens. Sixty 64-wk-old laying hens were randomly housed in single-bird cages, and the cages were divided into 2 treatments: fed a regular calcium diet (RCD, 3.69%) or a LCD (1.56%) for 8 wk. The diet-induced changes of serum bone remodeling indicators, bone strength, microstructure of the distal femur, and the gene expression profiling of keel bone were measured. Compared to RCD hens, LCD hens had higher activity of serum alkaline phosphatase and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase but lower serum calcium concentrations with reduced tibial and femoral mass, width, and strength (P < 0.05). In addition, LCD hens had greater densities of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, connective tissue cells, and osteoid in the trabecular bone (P < 0.05). The transcriptome analysis revealed that 563 unigenes were differentially expressed in keel bone between LCD and RCD hens. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses revealed that these differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with the osteoporosis-related signaling pathways involved in the biological functions of the bone cellular and extracellular structural modulations. The real-time PCR analysis further confirmed that the LCD enhanced the mRNA expression of collagen type 1 alpha 2, integrin-binding sialoprotein and periostin, but inhibited sclerostin expression. These findings indicate that LCD hens have a higher bone turnover and micro-architectural damage compared to RCD hens. The results further evidence dietary supplement of calcium is a critical nutrient strategy for improving hen skeletal health.

Comparative Study of Three Traditional Mongolian Medicines on Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Nephropathy in Rats.

3 kinds of prescription of Traditional Mongolian (Chinese) Medicine (TMM) have been used in treating diabetic nephropathy (DN). We aimed to investigate: first, which prescription was more effective; second, whether it was more effective when combined with the 3 prescriptions. The DN model was prepared by a single dose of Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg, i.p.) in rats and treated 3 times every day with P-1 (Sugmul-10), P-2 (Narenmandul-11), P-3 (Xieriga-4) respectively, and combined group was treated with P-1 in the morning, P-2 and P-3 in the evening. The results showed combining with 3 prescriptions in one day was much more effective than each single prescription. The mechanism of renal protection maybe related to MMP-2 and TGF-ß1, the conclusion could be useful and beneficial for clinical medicine.

First Report of Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne arenaria on Atractylodis macrocephalae in China.

Atractylodis macrocephalae is an important Chinese herbal medicine plant and its rhizome is of high medicinal value. In recent years, a severe decline in yield has been observed in Bozhou City (China's largest A. macrocephalae producing area), Anhui Province, China. A survey for plant-parasitic nematodes was conducted in this area from June to September 2011. Stunted plants displayed chlorotic or necrotic lower leaves near the ground part by the growth reduction; examination of the roots of stunted plants revealed the presence of galls typical of infestation by root knot nematode. Root nodules were found on the tap and lateral roots caused the fleshy tap root deformity. The incidence of diseased plants was estimated to be 45%, and yield loss was quantified as 43.5%. Nematodes were extracted from the root samples as previously described (4) and identified by morphology, enzyme analysis, and molecular characterization. Morphology of the female perineal patterns and measurements of the second-stage juveniles (J2s) matched those of the original description of Meloidogyne arenaria. Enzyme analysis of the esterase (Est) phenotype was also typical of the AII phenotype in M. arenaria (2). DNA was extracted according to a modified protocol (1), and the rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS1_5.8S_ITS2) region was amplified with universal primers V5367 (5'-TTGATTACGTCCCTGCCCTTT-3') and 26S (5'-TTTCACTCGCCGTTACTAAGG-3'). PCR yielded a fragment of 764 bp and the purified product was sequenced by Sanger's dideoxy chain termination method (ABI3730). Sequences were identical to that of M. arenaria in GenBank (Accession No. AF387092) (3). Amplification of the D2/D3 fragments of the 28S RNA with universal primers D2A (5'-ACAAGTACCGTGAGGGAAAGTTG-3') and D3B (5'-TCGGAAGGAACCAGCTACTA-3') yielded a PCR fragment of 758 bp. These sequences were also identical to that of M. arenaria in GenBank (Accession No. AF435803). For further confirmation, amplification of the IGS region with universal primers 5S (5'-TTAACTTGCCAGATCGGACG-3') and 18S (5'-TCTAATGAGGGAACCAGCTACTA-3') yielded a PCR fragment of 713 bp. These sequences were 99.64% homologous to that of M. arenaria (GenBank Accession No. MAU42342). To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. arenaria species on A. macrocephalae in China. The fleshy tap root of A. macrocephalae is the main edible part of the plant, and the damage caused by root knot nematode will potentially reduce the yield and quality of this herb. References: (1) J. L. Cenis et al. Phytopathology 83:76, 1993. (2) P. R. Esbenshade and A. C. Triantaphyllou. J. Nematol. 17:6, 1985. (3) T. C. Vrain et al. Appl Nematol. 15:563, 1992. (4) L. F. Wang et al. Forest Res. 14:484, 2001.

Beta-cypermethrin impairs reproductive function in male mice by inducing oxidative stress.

Cypermethrin (CYP), an insecticide, has deleterious effects on male reproductive function. The objective was to identify whether the effects of beta-CYP on male reproductive organs were associated with oxidative stress. Three doses of beta-CYP (1, 10, and 20mg/kg) were administered to male mice for 35 d, with or without vitamin E (20mg/kg). The moderate (10mg/kg) and high (20mg/kg) doses of beta-CYP not only decreased body weight and the weight of the testes, epididymides, seminal vesicles, and prostate (P<0.05) but also reduced serum testosterone concentration and the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (P<0.05), in addition to damaging the seminiferous tubules and sperm development. Furthermore, moderate and high doses of beta-CYP administration decreased sperm number, sperm motility, and intact acrosome rate (P<0.05). Based on ultrastructural analyses, high doses of beta-CYP produced swelling and degeneration of mitochondria and the smooth endoplasmic reticulum of Leydig cells and caused the formation of concentric circles. These toxic effects of beta-CYP may be mediated by increasing oxidative stress, as the moderate and high doses of this compound increased malondialdehyde and nitric oxide in testes (P<0.05); reduced the activity of catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (P<0.05); and activated ERK1/2 (P<0.05). Vitamin E reversed the effects of beta-CYP on testosterone production and testis damage (P<0.05 vs. the high-dose group). Therefore, we inferred that beta-CYP damaged the structure of testes and decreased sperm output by inducing oxidative stress.