Shenfu injection: a review of pharmacological effects on cardiovascular diseases.

Shenfu injection (SFI), composed of ginseng and aconite, is a Chinese patent developed from the classic traditional prescription Shenfu Decoction created more than 700 years ago. SFI has been widely used in China for over 30 years for treating cardiovascular diseases. The main components in it include ginsenosides and aconitum alkaloids. In recent years, the role of SFI in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases has attracted much attention. The pharmacological effects and therapeutic applications of SFI in cardiovascular diseases are summarized here, highlighting pharmacological features and potential mechanisms developments, confirming that SFI can play a role in multiple ways and is a promising drug for treating cardiovascular diseases.

[Intervention of curcumin and its analogue J7 on oxidative stress injury in testis of type 2 diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the intervention of curcumin and its analogue J7 on oxidative stress injury in testis of type 2 diabetic rats. METHODS: Sixty male SD rats, 10 rats were chosen as normal control group (NC), the other 50 rats were assigned to experiment group. Experiment diabetic rats were induced by high-fat food and intraperitoneal injection of steptozotocin (STZ). After the model was established successfully, diabetic rats were divided into four groups randomly: diabetes mellitus group (DM, n=12), curcumin treatment group (CUR, n=10), high dose treatment group of J7 (J+, n=10), low dose treatment group of J7 (J-, n=10). The CUR group were intragastrically administered with curcumin 20 mg/kg daily, in addition, the J+ group and the J- group were intragastrically administered with J7 20 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg daily respectively. After 8 weeks, the fast blood glucose was detected biochemically. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected by hydroxylamine method and thiobarbituric acid method respectively. The protein expressions of the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (tNrf2), phosphorylation of Nrf2 (pNrf2), catalase (CAT), NAD(P)H quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were measured by Western blot. The mRNA expressions of CAT, NQO1, hemeoxygenase-1 (HO1) were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Morphological structure of testis was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The expressions of Nrf2 and CAT were also detected by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: The levels of fast blood glucose and MDA in DM group were increased significantly(P＜0.05), while the body weight, the activity of SOD, the protein expressions of pNrf2/tNrf2, CAT, NQO1 and the mRNA expressions of CAT, NQO1, HO1 were decreased (P＜0.05). Under light microscope, the DM group showed disrupted histological appearance. Immunohistochemistry showed that the protein expressions of Nrf2 around the nucleus and CAT were decreased. With the treatment of curcumin and J7, the MDA levels in the three treatment groups were decreased (P＜0.05). The activity of SOD, the protein expressions of pNrf2/tNrf2, CAT, NQO1 and the mRNA expressions of NQO1, HO1 were increased (P＜0.05). the levels of fast blood glucose were decreased in the J+ and J- group (P＜0.05), and the mRNA expression of CAT was increased in the J+ group (P＜0.05). The ratio of pNrf2/tNrf2 in the J+ group was significantly higher than that in CUR and J- group (P＜0.05). The protein level of CAT in the J+ group was also significantly higher than that in J- group (P＜0.05). There were no significant differences in other indexes among the three treatment groups. Under light microscope, the morphology was obviously improved in the three treatment groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that the protein expressions of Nrf2 around the nucleus and CAT were increased in the three treatment groups. It was suggested that high dose J7 had better antioxidant stress ability in testis of diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: Curcumin and J7 could inhibit the oxidative stress damage of testicular tissue in diabetic rats, which might be related with the activation of the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway.

Atorvastatin post-conditioning attenuates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury via inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress-related apoptosis.

The present study examined whether atorvastatin, when used for pharmacological postconditioning, attenuated myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in a manner similar to ischemic postconditioning (I-PostC), that is, by inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related apoptosis. In the present study, markers for myocardial injury, infarct area, and hemodynamics, and indicators of ER stress and apoptosis were compared in ischemic and atorvastatin-induced postconditioning as a means of evaluating the protective effect of atorvastatin postconditioning in I/R injury and whether, as in I-PostC, inhibition of ER stress is involved. Both ischemic and atorvastatin-mediated postconditioning significantly decreased indications of cardiac damage and reduced serum concentrations of markers for myocardial injury, reduced the infarct area seen at the end of reperfusion, and improved left ventricular systolic function. We found that high-dose atorvastatin- and I-PostC significantly downregulated expression of glucose-regulating protein 78 and calreticulin (CRT; ER stress markers), expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase 12 (markers for ER stress-related apoptosis), and Bax (downstream molecule of CHOP), in the myocardial area at risk. Atorvastatin and I-PostC have similar cardioprotective effects in I/R injury and inhibit the ER stress-related apoptotic pathway.

[Study on therapeutical effect of Canghuopingwei granules on chronic gastritis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutical effect of Canghuopingwei Granules on chronic gastritis in rats. METHODS: Rat models of chronic gastritis and bile reflux gastritis were used. After rat models were established, the rats were divided into 6 groups and were treated with different drugs. The tissue samples were obtained after one week. The volume of gastric juice, acidity of gastric juice and pepsase activity were determined, and changes of the gastric mucosa were studied by microscopy. RESULTS: The acidity of gastric juice was reversed with Canghuopingwei granules treatment. Gastric pathologic examination suggested that Canghuopingwei granules could markedly attenuate the pathological changes of gastric mucosa in rats. CONCLUSION: Canghuopingwei granules has remarkably therapeutical effect on chronic gastritis and bile reflux gastritis in rats.