Induction of NADPH-diaphorase activity in the forebrain in a model of intracerebral hemorrhage and its inhibition by the traditional Chinese medicine complex Nao Yi An.

Induction of NADPH-diaphorase (NDP) activity in the rat cerebral cortex was studied after autologous blood injection into the internal capsule as experimental model of intracerebral hemorrhage. The potential inhibitory effect on NDP induction by Nao Yi An (NYA), a complex derived from materials of animal and plant origin used in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage in traditional Chinese medicine, was also investigated. In animals without therapeutic treatment 2 and 4 days after injection of autologous blood, NDP activity was highly induced in pyramidal neurons in the neocortex, piriform, and entorhinal cortices, in astrocytes and in phagocytes in the hematoma and the area surrounding it, as well as in the subcortical white matter, and in endothelial cells in both the cortex and subcortical white matter bilaterally. Oral administration of NYA failed to inhibit NDP induction in endothelial cells but demonstrated a strong inhibitory effect on NDP activity induced in pyramidal neurons and astrocytes. NDP induction in phagocytes was also inhibited by the administration of NYA. Altogether the present results suggest that intracerebral hemorrhage in the internal capsule may induce nitric oxide synthase activity in different cell populations in the cortex and that administration of NYA can selectively inhibit such induction and, thus, potentially play a neuroprotective role.

[Analysis of nucleotide level of human erythrocytes in patients with liver-fire exuberance syndrome].

Level of erythrocytes in 30 patients with Liver-Fire Exuberance Syndrome (LFES) was observed, and that of 30 healthy persons was determined in the meantime as control by high-performance liquid chromatography. It was found that the adenosine triphosphate in erythrocytes of LFES patients was lower and level of adenosine monophosphate was higher than that of healthy persons. While, the levels of adenylate pool and energy load ratio were lower than that of control. These results showed the metabolism was exuberant, the energy consumption increased and the energy storage reduced in patients of LFES.

[Experimental study on the treatment of hypertension with combined traditional Chinese and Western medicine].

In order to study the connection of diastolic activity of smooth muscles of blood vessels with development of hypertension, plasma cAMP, cGMP, TXB2, 6-K-PGF1 alpha, ANP, SP were determined with radioimmunoassay, of 173 hypertension patients with Liver Yang exuberance (LYE) 91 cases, and Yin deficiency and Yang exuberance (YDYE) 82 cases. In addition, 228 health subjects served as control. The results showed that the levels of cAMP, cGMP and TXB2 in both LYE and YDYE groups were higher than those in the control group, but the levels of ANP, SP and cAMP/cGMP ratio in LYE and YDYE groups were lower than those in the control. As to the level of 6-K-PGF1 alpha, no significant variance was found between these groups. After TCM-WM treatment, the levels of cAMP, cGMP and TXB2 in LYE and YDYE groups got down, as compared with those in the control, adversely the levels of ANP, SP and 6-K-PGF1 alpha in LYE and YDYE groups turned up significantly. However the cAMP/cGMP ratio had no remarkable change between these groups. The linear regression analyses between the diastolic pressure and ANP or SP both proved negative correlation (r = -0.36, P less than 0.05; r = -0.35, P less than 0.05). The findings indicated that the TCM-WM treatment was the most effective among the therapies employed in the study, and that this therapy affected the diastolic activity of smooth muscles by modulating the above factors existing in the nervous and endocrine systems of the patients with hypertension.

Effects of K salt or a potassium blocker on gossypol-related hypokalemia.

Gossypol was found to be an effective male contraceptive. The most serious side effect of gossypol contraception was the presumed lowering of serum potassium levels. The purpose of this present randomized and controlled study was to evaluate the merit of ingesting K salt or a potassium blocker while using gossypol. Results indicated that supplementation of K salt does not cause a reversal of the effect of gossypol on serum potassium levels and the blocker triamterene does not prevent loss of serum potassium.