Effects of moxibustion with wheat-grain size cone at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on vascular injury and oxidative stress in high-fat diet rats through mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway. / 基于mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGF信号通路探讨麦粒灸"足三里"å¯¹é«˜è„‚é¥®é£Ÿå¤§é¼ è¡€ç®¡æŸä¼¤å’Œæ°§åŒ–åº”æ¿€çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect mechanism of moxibustion with wheat-grain size cone at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on vascular injury and oxidative stress in hyperlipidemia through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway. METHODS: Forty healthy male SD rats with SPF grade were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a moxibustion group, and an inhibitor group, with 10 rats in each one. The hyperlipidemia model was established by feeding a high-fat diet for 8 weeks in rats of the model group, the moxibustion group and the inhibitor group. The moxibustion with wheat-grain size cone was delivered at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36) of each rat in the moxibustion group and the inhibitor group, with 3 cones on each acupoint in each intervention, once daily for 4 weeks. In the inhibitor group, before each intervention with moxibustion, rapamycin solution was injected intraperitoneally, 2.0 mg/kg. After modeling and intervention, using ELISA, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum of rats were determined. After intervention, with HE staining and oil red O staining adopted, the abdominal aortic morphology and peripheral lipid deposition were observed. Separately, using WST-1, TBA and micro-plate method, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum were detected. The protein expression of mTOR, HIF-1α and VEGF in abdominal aorta were measured by Western blot method. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal group, the levels of TC, TG and LDL-C increased (P<0.01) and HDL-C decreased (P<0.01) in the serum of the rats in the model group, the moxibustion group and the inhibitor group after model establishment. When compared with the normal group after intervention, in the model group, the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA increased (P<0.01), HDL-C level, SOD activity and NO level were reduced (P<0.01); the cell structure of the abdominal arota was abnormal, the peripheral lipids deposited seriously; and the protein expression of mTOR, HIF-1α and VEGF of abdominal aorta was elevated (P<0.01, P<0.05). In comparison with the model group, the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA were reduced (P<0.01), HDL-C levels, SOD activities and NO levels elevated (P<0.01, P<0.05), as well as the protein expression of mTOR, HIF-1α and VEGF of abdominal aorta (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the moxibustion group and the inhibitor group; besides, the vascular structure was ameliorated and the lipid deposition reduced in the moxibustion group, while, the vascular structure was still abnormal and the lipid deposition declined in the inhibitor group. When compared with the inhibitor group, the serum SOD activity and NO level increased (P<0.05) and MDA decreased (P<0.05); and the protein expression of mTOR, HIF-1α and VEGF of abdominal aorta was elevated (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the moxibustion group. CONCLUSIONS: The vascular injury due to hyperlipidemia is repaired by moxibustion with wheat-grain size cone at "Zusanli" (ST 36) through ameliorating oxidative stress, which is associated potentially with the modulation of mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.

Anticancer activity and quantitative analysis of flavone of Cirsium japonicum DC.

Cirsium japonicum DC, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used as an antihemorrhagic and diuretic agent. The objective of this study was to perform quantitative analysis of flavone by reversed-phase HPLC and examine the anticancer activity of C. japonicum DC in the S180 and H22 mice. Cirsium japonicum DC was separated and purified with several chromatography techniques and two flavone compounds, pectolinarin and 5,7-dihydroxy-6,4'-dimethoxyflavone, were isolated. The content of these two compounds in the methanol, ethanol, and aqueous extractions respectively was determined by HPLC as follows: pectolinarin 1.87%, 1.65%, 1.27%; 5,7-dihydroxy-6,4'-dimethoxyflavone: 0.515%, 0.42%, 0.221%. Furthermore, the effect of the two flavones on the anticancer activity in S180 and H22 mice was studied. Our research shows that these two flavones greatly inhibit cancer cell growth. The rate of inhibiting S180 mice was 55.77% at 50 mg kg( - 1), and the rate of life lengthening was 99.13% at 50 mg kg( - 1) in H22 mice.

[Study on molluscicidal effect of the extracts from sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the molluscicidal activity and the fish acute toxicity of the molluscicides extracted from Ginkgo biloba sarcotesta by benzinum (EGSB) (with major component of ginkgolic acid), arecoline (ARE) and their combination. METHODS: Oncomelania hupensis snails were immersed in different concentrations of dry powder sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba (DPGB), extract of Ginkgo biloba sarcotesta by water (EGSW) and EGSB by WHO recommended method for molluscicide screening to observe the molluscicidal activity, and also the inhibiting effect on the snails' climbing-up as well as acute toxicity to Brachydanio rerio. Niclosamide was used as control. RESULTS: The three extractions from Ginkgo biloba all showed molluscicidal activity, with EGSB as the best. Its 24 h LC50 and LC90 were 0.65 mg/L and 5.50 mg/L, and the 48 h LC50 and LC90 were 0.07 mg/L and 0.85 mg/L, respectively. The combination of EGSB and ARE showed better effect than EGSB alone. Its 24 h LC50 and LC90 were 0.26 mg/L and 0.56 mg/L respectively, a sharp decrease by 60% and 90% compared to EGSB (P<0.05). Under the concentration of 2.50 mg/L of EGSB, the rate of snails' climbing-up was 10%, while under the concentration of 0.16 mg/L of the EGSB+ARE combination, the rate was 8%. The inhibition on the snails' climbing-up of the combination was stronger than EGSB. The fish survived for 24 h and 10th respectively at the concentration of 1 x LC90 and 2 x LC90 of EGSB. Under the concentration of 2 x LC90 of the combination, only 50% of the fish died and no fish died at the concentration of 1 x LC90. The toxicity of the combination was lower than EGSB alone. CONCLUSION: EGSB shows an adequate molluscicidal activity and it is worth of further investigation.