Tanshinol protects hippocampus and attenuates vascular dementia development.

Tanshinol (3-(3',4'-dihydroxyphenyl)-(2R)-lactic acid, TSL) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Here, we assessed whether TSL protected hippocampus and attenuated vascular dementia (VD) development in rats. The behavioral analysis showed that TSL could decrease the distance and latency time, and increase the swim speed in water maze in rats subjected to VD. TSL remarkably increased acetylcholine level and decreased acetylcholinesterase activity in rats subjected to VD. Likewise, TSL remarkably decreased malondialdehyde and increased superoxide dismutase levels in rats subjected to VD. Furthermore, treatment with TSL reduced the level of dead neurons in dentate gyrus. In addition, TSL upregulated growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and downregulated phosphorylated Akt (p-AKt) and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase (p-GSK3ß) expression in hippocampus in rats subjected to VD. These results suggest that TSL may be a potential compound in VD model.

[Investigation on inhibition of HIV III B virus with extractions of Juglans regia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of anti-HIV III B virus with extractions from Juglans regia, so as to searching for the new and efficacious leading compound of AIDS therapy. METHOD: Phytochemical and chromatographical techniques were used to isolate compounds from J. regia; MT4 cells and HIV III B virus were used to study the effect of anti-HIV activity in vitro. BIACORE 3000 molecule coupled equipment were used for the target research also. RESULT: Two extractions (B&E) were isolated from J. regia which possess the effect of anti-HIV activity. Targets study found that extraction B could affected on HIV-1 gp-41 fusing protein and extraction E could affected on HIV-1 integrase respectively. CONCLUSION: J. regia is a traditional Chinese medicine with active anti-HIV activity and worth to be studied further.

[Comparative evaluation of Hebei HIV-1 p24 kit for the detection of human immunodeficiency virus].

OBJECTIVE: To probe into the feasibility of screening anti-HIV compounds by using HIV-1 p24 detection kit made by Hebei Medical University. METHODS: The sensitivity, reproducibility and efficacy of the Hebei p24 kit were evaluated compared with the commercially available Vironostika HIV-1 Antigen Microelisa System (Biomerieux). RESULTS: Hebei p24 kit had high sensitivity and good reproducibility. In vitro screening demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference (P greater than 0.05) between these two kits in assessing anti-HIV compounds. CONCLUSION: Hebei p24 kit could be used as an easily affordable alternative method for detection of HIV-1 in screening anti-HIV compounds.

[Recent progress on anti-HIV research of traditional Chinese medicine and components].

This paper summarized the recent 6 years' progress of anti-HIV compounds and traditional Chinese medicines by searching international network and reviewing the domestic and foreign literature. Traditional Chinese medicinal appeared to be a rich source of potentially useful materials for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Some of them are much more potent in anti-HIV activity. And some components extracted from the herbs are even more tonic than the crude herb medicines. It has been proved that some active components such as alkaloids, proteins, flavonoids, quercetin, terpene, lignanoid are able to work on anti-HIV. People should pay more attention to the study of traditional Chinese medicine and the leading compounds on anti-HIV/AIDS in the clinic and in the laboratory. So searching for high efficacy and low toxicity anti-HIV drug from traditional Chinese medicine is an important and prospective research direction in the future.