Intra-articular injection of microRNA-140 (miRNA-140) alleviates osteoarthritis (OA) progression by modulating extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Disruptions of extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis are key events in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). MicroRNA-140 (miRNA-140) is expressed specifically in cartilage and regulates ECM-degrading enzymes. Our objective in this study was to determine if intra-articular injection of miRNA-140 can attenuate OA progression in rats. DESIGN: miRNA-140 levels in human normal and OA cartilage derived chondrocytes and synovial fluid were assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). After primary human chondrocytes were transfected with miRNA-140 mimic or inhibitor, PCR and western blotting were performed to quantify Collagen II, MMP-13, and ADAMTS-5 expression. An OA model was induced surgically in rats, and subsequently treated with one single intra-articular injection of miRNA-140 agomir. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery, OA progression were evaluated macroscopically, histologically, and immunohistochemically in these rats. RESULTS: miRNA-140 levels were significantly reduced in human OA cartilage derived chondrocytes and synovial fluid compared with normal chondrocytes and synovial fluid. Overexpressing miRNA-140 in primary human chondrocytes promoted Collagen II expression and inhibited MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 expression. miRNA-140 levels in rat cartilage were significantly higher in the miRNA-140 agomir group than in the control group. Moreover, behavioural scores, chondrocyte numbers, cartilage thickness and Collagen II expression levels in cartilage were significantly higher, while pathological scores and MMP-13 and ADAMTS-5 expression levels were significantly lower in the miRNA-140 agomir group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: Intra-articular injection of miRNA-140 can alleviate OA progression by modulating ECM homeostasis in rats, and may have potential as a new therapy for OA.

[Studies on antiviral flavonoids in yinqiaosan powder].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents in Yinqiaosan Powder that have antiviral action on influenza. METHOD: Isolation of the constituents by different kinds of column chromatography and elucidation of their structures by chemical and spectral methods. RESULTS: Seven flavonoids were obtained, and six of them were identified as linarin, acacetin, hesperidin, isoquiritigenin, isoquiritin and hyperoside respectively. CONCLUSION: Linarin and acacetin were isolated from Yinqiaosan Powder for the first time.

[Analysis of tannins in Fructus Chebulae and its confusion varieties by HPCE].

AIM: To analyze the hydrolyzable tannins-chebulinic acid (I) and chebulagic acid(II) in Fructus Chebulae and its confusion varieties by using high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) method. METHODS: Using a capillary (375 microns OD x 50 microns ID; 81.5 cm x 61.5 cm) and a power supply set at 24 kV, with phosphate-borate buffer containing 20 mmol.L-1 Na2HPO4-60 mmol.L-1 boric acid and a UV detector at 280 nm, sample solution was loaded in decompression mode at the positive end of the capillary, the loading time was 5 s. RESULTS: The linear ranges of I and II were 0.0842-0.842 and 0.842 and 0.0940-0.940 mg.mL-1 respectively, the correlation coefficient were 0.9966 and 0.9957, the average recoveries were 95.6% (RSD = 4.0%, n = 5) and 95.0% (RSD = 4.4%, n = 5), the RSDs (n = 5) of measurement precision test were 2.2% and 1.7%, the RSDs (n = 6) of reproduction test were 5.4% and 4.0% respectively. The contents of I and II were obviously interrelated with the variety and characteristics of Fructus Chebulae, the contents of I and II in the confusion varieties of Fructus Chebulae were very low. CONCLUSION: It is suitable to use I and II as the criterion in quality evaluation of Fructus Chebulae, and the HPCE method is effective for quality evaluation of the crude Fructus Chebulae.

[Changes of the sex hormones in female type II diabetics, coronary heart disease, essential hypertension and its relations with kidney deficiency, cardiovascular complications and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine or qigong treatment].

In this study 31 normal child-bearing women, 62 postmenopausal women, 93 cases of female type II diabetes (18 child-bearing and 75 postmenopausal cases), 53 cases of coronary heart disease (11 child-bearing and 42 postmenopausal cases) and 38 cases of essential hypertension (8 child-bearing and 30 postmenopausal cases) were investigated. The average score of Kidney deficiency was 22.9-8. 5 before treatment with the combination of TCM and WM. With the treatment of TCM in diabetes and coronary heart disease and of Qigong in essential hypertension, the score decreased to 11.5-4. 4 (P less than 0.001). Serum/saliva estradiol (E2), the ratio of E2 to testosterone (T, E2/T) and progesterone (P) decreased before treatment of TCM or Qigong. After treatment E2 and P value increased; the ovarian endocrine function was improved; the special symptoms of the diseases relieved, fasting blood glucose levels in diabetics, the frequency and severity of angina pectoris in coronary heart disease and the blood pressure in essential hypertension significantly decreased respectively (P less than 0.01). The study suggested that there are certain relations between ovarian endocrine disfunction and Kidney deficiency. The more severe the "Kidney deficiency" was, the more significant the changes of sex hormone were.

[Studies on chemical constituents of Astragalus complanatus R. BR].

Sha-Yuan-Zi is the seeds of Astragalus complanatus R. Br.. Eight compounds were isolated from its 80% ethanolic extract. Their structures have been identified by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Two of them are new and named neocomplanoside (VII) and myricomplanoside-(VIII) respectively. All the compounds were obtained from Sha-Yuan-Zi for the first time.