Wound healing effects of porcine placental extracts on rats with thermal injury.

BACKGROUND: Placental extracts have been used as Chinese folk medicines to accelerate wound healing. However, the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing has not been identified. It is known that fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and transforming growth factors (TGF) are two key factors involved in wound healing. OBJECTIVES: To determine the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing. METHODS: The protein levels of both growth factors in rat skins with thermal injury were therefore studied to explore the molecular mechanism of placental extracts on wound healing. As cell proliferation is essential for wound healing, effects of placental extracts on fibroblast proliferation were also determined. RESULTS: As compared with the controls, the S phase of fibroblasts was significantly increased by 1.5-, 1.7- and 4.7-fold for 1, 10 and 30 mg mL(-1) of placental extracts, respectively. The increase of the S phase was not due to the minute amount of sex hormones in the placental extracts as the addition of equivalent amounts of hormones showed no increase of the S phase. In addition, a 2.5-fold increase of TGF-beta1 in wound skin biopsy was noticed with 30 mg mL(-1) of porcine placental extracts. The FGF levels in the wound skin receiving 30 mg mL(-1) of porcine placental extracts were also significantly increased compared with the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These ex vivo data support the observation that the application of 30 mg mL(-1) of placental extracts reduced the wound healing time by about 50%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to explore the molecular mechanisms of porcine placental extracts on wound healing. These results may provide the insight into the potential use of porcine placental extracts as an alternative medicine for accelerating wound healing.

Role of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the change of feeding behavior induced by repeated treatment of amphetamine.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), an orexigenic peptide, is involved in the control of food intake. Repeated administration of amphetamine (AMPH), an anorectic agent, results in an anorectic effect on day 1 and a tolerant anorectic effect on the followings. In an attempt to know the role of hypothalamic NPY in these effects of AMPH, contents of hypothalamic NPY were determined by radioimmunoassay at first. In AMPH-treated groups, the contents of hypothalamic NPY decreased rapidly on day 1 but restored gradually to the normal level on the following days as observed in repeated AMPH. An involvement of hypothalamic NPY in the feeding change of repeated AMPH can thus be considered. Moreover, daily injection of NPY antisense oligonucleotide into brain (10 microg/10 microl/day, i.c.v.) to inhibit the gene expression of hypothalamic NPY were performed at 1 hour before daily 2 mg/kg AMPH. The reversion of food intake from the anorectic level to the normal level (tolerant anorexia) was abolished by this antisense pretreatment. It is suggested that hypothalamic NPY may play a role in the change of feeding behavior induced by repeated AMPH administration.

Evaluation of four prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine: syh-mo-yiin, guizhi-fuling-wan, shieh-qing-wan and syh-nih-sann on experimental acute liver damage in rats.

Syh-Mo-Yiin (SMY), Guizhi-Fuling-Wan (GFW), Shieh-Qing-Wan (SQW) and Syh-Nih-Sann (SNS) are four prescriptions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used in the remedy of liver trouble in various types. The hepatoprotective effects of water extracts of these four recipes against D-galactosamine (D-GalN) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute hepatic damage were determined in rats. The results indicated that the serum glutamate-oxalate-transaminase (sGOT) and the serum glutamate-pyruvate-transaminase (sGPT) levels provoked by D-GalN and CCl4 decreased after treatment with these prescriptions of TCM. Histological changes around portal area (D-GalN-induced hepatotoxicity) and central vein (CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity) were simultaneously improved by the treatment with TCM mentioned above.

Ameliorative effect of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions on alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate and carbon-tetrachloride induced toxicity in rats.

Syh-Mo-Yin (SMY), Guizhi-Fuling-Wan (GFW), Shieh-Qing-Wan (SQW) and Syh-Nih-San (SNS) are prescriptions of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for liver disease. The effects of these four prescriptions against experimental liver injury induced by alpha-Naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were studied. Rats treated with ANIT (100 mg/kg) exhibited elevations of serum total bilirubin (TBI), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate-oxalatetransaminase (sGOT) and glutamate-pyruvate-transminase (sGPT) as well as cholestasis and parenchymanecrosis. In rats receiving SMY, SQW and SNS treatment after ANIT challenged, the biochemical and morphological parameters of liver injury were significantly reduce. Elevated lipid peroxidation (LPO) level in liver tissue, associated with an increase in serum GOT and GPT level, was observed in CCl4-treated rats. Treatment with these four prescriptions on CCl4-induced liver injury rats showed a remarkable hepatoprotective effect. A significant decrease in peroxidative level suggested that these prescriptions have anti free radical properties.

Cystic lymphangioma of the transverse colon: report of a case and review of the literature.

A 32-year-old Chinese man with cystic lymphangioma of the transverse colon is described. He presented with a 1-year history of altered bowel habits. Double-contrast barium enema study demonstrated a submucosal lesion in the midportion of the transverse colon with intact mucosa. Computed tomography (CT) showed a round 3.0-cm submucosal cystic mass lesion. Colonoscopy revealed a smooth, soft polypoid mass on a broad base. He underwent segmental resection of the colon. Histologically, the lesion was characterized by cystic lymphangioma originating from the submucosa. The clinical features, radiology, appropriate treatment, and possible pathogenesis of colonic lymphangioma are discussed.