The Invasive Species Reynoutria japonica Houtt. as a Promising Natural Agent for Cardiovascular and Digestive System Illness.

Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix, the dry roots and stems of Reynoutria japonica Houtt (called Huzhang, HZ in Chinese), is a traditional and popular chinese medicinal herb for thousands of years. As a widely used ethnomedicine in Asia including China, Japan, and Korea, HZ can invigorate the blood, cool heat, and resolve toxicity, which is commonly used in the treatment of favus, jaundice, scald, and constipation. However, HZ is now considered an invasive plant in the United States and many European countries. Therefore, in order to take advantage of HZ and solve the problem of biological invasion, scholars around the world have carried out abundant research studies on HZ. Until now, about 110 compounds have been isolated and identified from HZ, in which anthraquinones, stilbenes, and flavonoids would be the main bioactive ingredients for its pharmacological properties, such as microcirculation improvement, myocardial protective effects, endocrine regulation, anti-atherosclerotic activity, anti-oxidant activity, anti-tumor activity, anti-viral activity, and treatment of skin inflammation, burns, and scalds. HZ has a variety of active ingredients and broad pharmacological activities. It is widely used in health products, cosmetics, and even animal husbandry feed and has no obvious toxicity. Efforts should be made to develop more products such as effective drugs, health care products, cosmetics, and agricultural and animal husbandry products to benefit mankind.

Therapeutic effects of salidroside vs pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate against severe acute pancreatitis in rat.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of salidroside (Sal) and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) against severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in a rat model. METHODS: Rat models of SAP were established by retrograde infusion of sodium taurocholate solution. SAP rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: SAP 3 h group, SAP 24 h group, low-dose Sal treatment group (Sal L+S), middle-dose Sal treatment group (Sal M+S), high-dose Sal treatment group (Sal H+S) and PDTC treatment group (PDTC+S). The serum amylase, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were determined by optical turbidimetry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3II (LC3 II ), lysosome associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) inhibitor α of nuclear transcription factor-kB (IkBα), nuclear transcription factor-kB 65 (p65) in the pancreas tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, while the pIkBα and p-p65 levels were detected by Western blot. Pathological changes of the pancreas and all the other indexes were observed at 3 and 24 h after operation. RESULTS: The serum IL-10 level, IkBα and LAMP2 levels in Sal M+S, Sal H+S and PDTC+S groups were higher than those in SAP 24 h group, while all the other indexes in these three groups were all lower significantly than those in SAP 24 h group. There was no significant difference in all indexes between Sal H+S and PDTC+S groups. CONCLUSION: High-dose Sal has an effectively therapeutic effect on SAP in rats, which was similar to PDTC.

Mulberry leaf (Morus alba L.): A review of its potential influences in mechanisms of action on metabolic diseases.

The leaves of Morus alba L. (called Sangye in Chinese, ML), which belong to the genus Morus., are highly valuable edible plants in nutrients and nutraceuticals. In Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea, ML are widely used as functional foods including beverages, noodles and herbal tea because of its biological and nutritional value. Meanwhile, ML-derived products in the form of powders, extracts and capsules are widely consumed as dietary supplements for controlling blood glucose and sugar. Clinical studies showed that ML play an important role in the treatment of metabolic diseases including the diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, atherosclerosis and hypertension. People broadly use ML due to their nutritiousness, deliciousness, safety, and abundant active benefits. However, the systematic pharmacological mechanisms of ML on metabolic diseases have not been fully revealed. Therefore, in order to fully utilize and scale relevant products about ML, this review summarizes the up-to-date information about the ML and its constituents effecting on metabolic disease.

The mechanism of TiaoGanYiPi formula for treating chronic hepatitis B by network pharmacology and molecular docking verification.

The Chinese herbal formula TiaoGanYiPi (TGYP) showed effective against chronic hepatitis B (CHB) caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Hence, we aimed to clarify the mechanisms and potential targets between TGYP and CHB. The active compounds and related putative targets of TGYP, and disease targets of CHB were obtained from the public databases. The key targets between TGYP and CHB were identified through the network construction and module analysis. The expression of the key targets was detected in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset and normal hepatocyte cell line LO2. We first obtained 11 key targets which were predominantly enriched in the Cancer, Cell cycle and HBV-related pathways. And the expression of the key targets was related to HBV infection and liver inflammation verified in GSE83148 database. Furthermore, the results of real-time quantitative PCR and CCK-8 assay indicated that TGYP could regulate the expression of key targets including CCNA2, ABL1, CDK4, CDKN1A, IGFR and MAP2K1, and promote proliferation of LO2 cells. In coclusion, we identified the active compounds and key targets btween TGYP and CHB, and found that the TGYP might exhibite curative effect on CHB via promoting hepatocyte proliferation and inhibiting the liver inflammatory processes.

[Antagonistic effect of the Fengzhecao extract against human red blood cell hemolysis induced by wasp venom].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the antagonistic effect of Fengzhecao extract against human red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis induced by wasp venom. METHODS: Water extract method was used to extract dried Fengzhecao and vacuum-dried to obtain Fengzhecao extract. It was diluted into 1 g/L for next use. Wasp venom was collected from the wasp workers. A, B, O, AB type healthy blood donors' suspended RBC solution was obtain to make washed RBC solutions and adjust the RBCs count (4.0-80.0)×109/L (the number of RBC counted on the hemocytometer is 1-20 cells/small checker). According to treatment factors, they were divided into the normal saline controlled group (NS group; 200 µL RBC solution+20 µL normal saline), Fengzhecao extract group (FZC group; 200 µL RBC solution+10 µL Fengzhecao extract+10 µL normal saline), wasp venom group (FD group; 200 µL RBC solution+10 µL wasp venom+10 µL normal saline), and Fengzhecao extract+wasp venom group (FCD group; 200 µL RBC solution+10 µL Fengzhecao extract+10 µL wasp venom), with 10 blood samples per group of every blood type. The solutions were put into the glass test tube respectively, and then into 37 centigrade water bath thermostat. After 10 minutes, the blood cell counting plate was directly observed under the microscope and the RBCs was counted. Differences in RBC count was compared between the same treatment factors of different blood types and between different treatment factor groups of the same blood type. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in RBC count between blood types under the same treatment factors. The RBC count (×109/L) of the type A, B, O, AB in the NS group were 5.567±1.368, 5.146±1.690, 4.577±0.774, 5.197±1.587 (F = 0.852, P = 0.475), the FZC group were 5.751±1.489, 5.268±1.418, 4.727±1.174, 5.298±1.229 (F = 0.987, P = 0.410), the FD group were 0.546±0.450, 0.804±0.428, 0.679±0.283, 0.846±0.453 (F = 1.089, P = 0.366), and the FCD group were 5.532±1.330, 5.051±1.596, 4.589±0.879, 5.140±1.492 (F = 0.820, P = 0.492), respectively. Comparison of RBC count between groups with different treatment factors of the same blood type was done. There was no significant difference between the FZC group and the NS group, indicating that the extract of Fengzhecao extract had no effect on hemolysis of RBC; in the FD group, it was significantly lower than the NS group (all P < 0.05), indicating that wasp venom had a significant hemolytic effect on RBC; but there was no statistically significant difference in RBC count between the FCD group and the NS group, indicating that the Fengzhecao extract antagonizes the hemolytic effect of wasp venom without affecting the RBC count; however, the RBC count in the FCD group was significantly higher than that in the FD group (all P < 0.05), further indicating that the Fengzhecao extract antagonizes the hemolytic effect of wasp venom. CONCLUSIONS: Wasp venom has a significant hemolytic effect which can be effectively antagonized by Fengzhecao extract and has nothing to do with the human ABO blood type.

Chrysin Alleviates Chronic Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension by Reducing Intracellular Calcium Concentration in Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells.

Chrysin (CH), the main ingredient of many medicinal plants, has been reported to be a very potent flavonoid possessing a large number of pharmacological activities. Recent studies have shown that CH significantly improves hemodynamic parameters such as right ventricular pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vascular remodeling in a rat model of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (CHPH). These improvements are through the inhibition of NOX4 expression, reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde production, pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation, and collagen accumulation. In this study, we investigated another mechanism by which CH alleviates CHPH by regulating intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca]i) in PASMCs, as well as the underlying signaling pathway. The results show that (1) in CHPH model rats, CH substantially attenuated elevated right ventricular pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vascular remodeling; (2) in cultured rat distal PASMCs, CH inhibited the hypoxia-triggered promotion of cell proliferation, store-operated Ca entry and [Ca]i; and (3) CH significantly suppressed the hypoxia-upregulated HIF-1α, BMP4, TRPC1, and TRPC6 expression in distal pulmonary arteries (PAs) and cultured rat distal PASMCs. These results indicate that CH likely exerts its CHPH protective activity by regulating [Ca]i, which may result from the downregulation of HIF-1α, BMP4, TRPC1, and TRPC in PASMCs.

[Artesunate inhibits proliferation of glioblastoma cells by arresting cell cycle].

Glioblastoma is a common brain tumor and the overall survival rate of the patients is very low, so it is an effective way to develop the potential chemotherapy or adjuvant chemotherapy drugs in glioblastoma treatment. As a well-known antimalarial drug, artesunate(ARTs) has clear side effects, and recently it has been reported to have antitumor effects, but rarely reported in glioblastoma. Different concentrations of ARTs were used to treat the glioblastoma cells, and then the inhibitory effect of ARTs on glioblastoma proliferation was detected by MTT assay; Ki67 immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the proliferation of cells; Soft agar experiment was used to explain the clonal formation abilities in vitro; Flow Cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle; and Western blot assay was used to determine the expression of key cell cycle protein. MTT assay results indicated that ARTs-treated glioblastoma cell A172, U251, U87 were significantly inhibited in a time-and-dose dependent manner as compared to the control group(DMSO treatment group). Soft agar experiment showed that ARTs could significantly reduce the clonal formation ability of glioblastoma. Furthermore, Flow cytometry analysis showed that ARTs could obviously increase the cell proportion in G0/G1 phase and reduce the cell proportion in S phase. Western blot results showed that the expressions of cell cycle-related proteins CDK2, CDK4, cyclin D1 and cyclin B1 were all obviously down-regulated. Above all, ARTs may inhibit the proliferation of glioblastoma cells by arresting cell cycle in G0/G1 phase through down-regulating the expression of CDK2, CDK4, cyclin D1, cyclin B1. These results may not only provide a novel method for rediscovering and reusing ARTs but also provide a new potential drug for treating glioblastoma.

Alumina-encapsulated vaccine formulation with improved thermostability and immunogenicity.

Developing vaccine formulations with excellent thermostability and immunogenicity remains a great challenge. By in situ encapsulating a live-attenuated strain of human enterovirus 71 (EV71) in alumina, we obtained a robust vaccine formulation named EV71@NanoAlum, which features significantly enhanced thermostability and immunogenicity. This attempt follows a material-based tactic for vaccine improvement.

The transportation and accumulation of arsenic, cadmium, and phosphorus in 12 wheat cultivars and their relationships with each other.

Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the difference in arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and phosphorus (P) uptake, accumulation, and translocation among 12 wheat cultivars and their relationships with each other in soil "naturally" contaminated with both As and Cd. As, Cd, and P concentrations in wheat grain, straw, and root differed significantly (p<0.05) among the 12 wheat cultivars. The grain As concentration was not correlated with straw and root As, or the total As content in plants, but was significantly (p<0.05) correlated with As translocation factors (TFs), i.e., TFs(Grain/Root) and TFs(Grain/Straw). The grain Cd concentration was positively correlated with the total Cd content and TFs(Grain/Straw). The grain P concentration was positively correlated with straw and root P. Both As and Cd concentrations in wheat grains were correlated with P in wheat straw and grain. Compared with As, Cd was more easily transported to the wheat grain, and the rachis played a key role in ensuring this difference. A significant positive correlation was observed between root As and Cd, but no significant relationship was detected between grain As and Cd concentrations. The lack of a relationship between grain As and Cd suggests the possibility of selecting cultivars in which little As and Cd accumulation occurs in the wheat grain.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in early stages of Eimeria tenella by suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray.

Avian coccidiosis, a major parasitic disease of poultry, is caused by Eimeria spp. infection. It inflicts severe economic losses on the poultry industry worldwide. To further understand the molecular basis of sporulation and invasion of Eimeria spp., suppression subtractive hybridization and microarray approaches were combined to identify novel and important genes involved in the development and invasion of the early stages of Eimeria tenella . Three subtractive cDNA libraries were constructed for 3 stages of E. tenella including unsporulated oocysts, sporulated oocysts, and sporozoites. A subset of clones was selected from the 3 subtractive libraries to construct cDNA microarrays. Microarray analysis was used to assay expression changes of these clones. A total of 657 valid expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was obtained, including 119 unique sequences, 31 from sporulated oocysts and 88 from sporozoites. Homology searches of the public sequence databases showed that, among the 119 ESTs, 32 genes encoded proteins homologous with previously reported proteins including microneme proteins and surface antigen proteins of E. tenella , small heat shock proteins, rhoptry proteins of Toxoplasma gondii , and calcium-dependent protein kinase of Plasmodium spp. Thus, the remaining 87 ESTs have not previously been reported. Further characterization of these differentially expressed genes will be useful in understanding those responsible for sporulation, invasion, growth, and development of E. tenella .

Environmental manipulation differentially alters c-Fos expression in amygdaloid nuclei following aversive conditioning.

This study analyzes the impact of environmental complexity in adult rats on their emotional behavior and c-Fos expression (a transcription factor protein implicated in neuronal plasticity) in various subdivisions of amygdala, as well as selected parts of the thalamus and hypothalamus. The animals were housed for 60 days in either enriched or impoverished conditions and then one group of rats was tested in an open field test, and a second group of rats was treated to footshock-motivated aversive training. Two and 24 h later, the animals from the second group, along with the appropriate controls, were sacrificed and their brains were used for the immunocytochemical analysis of c-Fos levels. We found that this long-term environmental manipulation exerts significant effects on animals' emotionality and this behavioral difference is accompanied by the differential c-Fos activation (at 2 h after the aversive training) in the amygdala, a brain structure believed to subserve emotional reactions. On the other hand, no difference was found in c-Fos expression between both groups of animals in the thalamus and hypothalamus. At 24 h after the training, c-Fos levels were down to the values observed in naive rats that did not differentiate between enriched versus impoverished breeding conditions. These results may help to explain differential emotional aspects of behavior that arise following differential housing conditions of adult animals.