Inhibitory effects of oxymatrine on hepatic stellate cells activation through TGF-ß/miR-195/Smad signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Oxymatrine (OM), a quinolizidine alkaloid extracted from a herb Sophorae Flavescentis Radix, has been used to treat liver fibrotic diseases. However, the mechanism of its anti-fibrosis effects is still unclear. TGF-ß/Smad signaling and miR-195 have been proved to paly an important role in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation and liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated whether OM could inhibit HSCs activation through TGF-ß1/miR-195/Smads signaling or not. METHODS: First, the effects of OM on HSC-T6 in different concentrations and time points were tested by MTT assay. We choose three appropriate concentrations of OM as treatment concentrations in following experiment. By Quantitative Real-time PCR and Western Blot, then we investigated the effect of OM on miR-195, Smad7 and α-SMA's expressions to prove the correlation between OM and the TGF-ß1/miR-195/Smads signaling. Last, miR-195 mimic and INF-γ were used to investigate the relation between miR-195 and OM in HSC activation. RESULTS: Our results showed that the proliferation of HSC was significantly inhibited when OM concentration was higher than 200 µg/mL after 24 h, 100 µg/mL after 48 h and 10 µg/mL after 72 h. The IC50 of OM after 24, 48 and 72 h were 539, 454, 387 µg/mL respectively. OM could down-regulate miR-195 and α-SMA (P < 0.01), while up-regulate Smad7 (P < 0.05). In HSC-T6 cells transfected with miR-195 mimic and pretreated with OM, miR-195 and α-SMA were up-regulated (P < 0.05), and Smad7 was down-regulated (P < 0.05) . CONCLUSIONS: Given these results, OM could inhibit TGF-ß1 induced activation of HSC-T6 proliferation in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner to some extent. We proved that OM inhibited HSC activation through down-regulating the expression of miR-195 and up-regulating Smad7.

[Effect of acupuncture intervention on 14-3-3 expression in cerebral cortex of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture therapy on 14-3-3, Bcl-2 and Bax expression levels in the cerebral cortex in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD). METHODS: Timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rat dams were delivered either vaginally (normal group), or by C-section (sham-operation group) or by C-section with 5 min of global anoxia (anoxia group), with 8 rats in each group. The rat pups of the anoxia group were randomly divided into model group and acupuncture group (n =8). Acupuncture stimulation of "Naosanzhen" "Niesanzhen" and "Zhisanzhen" acupoints was given begin- ning from the 14th day after birth, once daily for 7 consecutive days. All rat pups were killed by decapitation on day 21 after birth, and then 14-3-3, Bcl-2 and Bax immunoactivity (expression) in the cerebral cortex were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In comparison with the normal group, the expression level of cerebral cortical 14-3-3 was significantly decreased, and that of Bax remarkably increased in the model group (P<0. 01, P<0. 05). Compared to the model group, cortical 14-3-3 and Bcl-2 expression levels were markedly up-regulated in the acupuncture group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared to the normal group, cortical 14-3-3 expression level was obviously lower, but Bax expression level significantly higher in the sham-operation group (P<0. 05, P<0. 01). No significant differences were found between the model and normal groups in the expression levels of Bcl-2, and between the acupuncture and model groups in the expression levels of Bax (P>0. 05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention can increase the expression of 14-3-3 and Bcl-2 in the cerebral cortex in HIBD rats.

[Brief analysis on slow needle insertion].

The sources of clinical efficacy of slow needle insertion is discussed. From the basic factors of slow needle insertion, the requirements of this manipulation, main points of 4 steps (to straight the needle, to press softly, to twirl the needle and to hold without brute force), keys of operation and its significance are analyzed. Slow needle insertion is not only beneficial to the management and regulation of Shen (spirit) and induction of qi in the process of the spirit unity of doctor and patient, but also accumulates the needling sensation among three levels of the superficial, middled and deep layers of an acupoint, which could promote the curative effect.

Clinical observation on the treatment of male neoplastic anemia with Yixuesheng capsule combined with recombination human erythropoietin.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and mechanism of Yixuesheng capsule (, YXS) combined with recombination human erythropoietin (RHE) in treating male neoplastic anemia (NA). METHODS: Sixty-five patients were randomized into two groups, the 33 patients in the treated group treated with a combined therapy of YXS and RHE, and the 32 in the control group treated with RHE alone, all for 12 weeks. Related clinical indexes, including hemoglobin (Hgb), red blood cell (RBC), hematocrit (HMC), testosterone (T), estradiol (E(2)) and prolactin (PRL), were measured before and after treatment.) RESULTS: After treatment, Hgb in the treated group and the control group was 108+/-5 g/L and 104+/-8 g/L respectively, showing marked improvement as compared with that before treatment (P<0.01), and the improvement in the former was more significant than that in the latter (P<0.05). Further, the level of T was also increased in the treated group after treatment (P<0.05), and showed a significant difference from that of the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: YXS capsule combined with RHE shows a better therapeutic effect in treating NA than that of RHE alone, and the effect might be through stimulation by YXS of erythropoiesis which could promote the secretion of testosterone.