Zhi-Long-Huo-Xue-Tong-Yu modulates mitochondrial fission through the ROCK1 pathway in mitochondrial dysfunction caused by streptozotocin-induced diabetic kidney injury.

Zhi-Long-Huo-Xue-Tong-Yu (ZLHXTY) is a defined mixture of 5 herbs developed by Professor S.J. Yang according to the Buyang Huanwu decoction method, which has been recorded in the Yilingaicuo. This study investigated the renoprotective effects of ZLHXTY on mitochondrial dysfunction induced by diabetic kidney injury in a diabetic rat model. Diabetes was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin. Rats were daily fed either ZLHXTY or vehicle beginning in the 1st week after injection. Levels of mitofusin 2 (mfn2), dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), caspase-9, and rho-associated, coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) were detected using Western blotting. Levels of intracellular calcium and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were examined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An electron microscopic examination of kidney tissue was performed. The levels of mfn2 and ATP in the diabetes and ZLHXTY groups decreased from the 4th week after modeling. The expression levels of Drp1, ROCK1, and caspase-9 increased in the diabetes group but decreased in the ZLHXTY group from the 4th week after modeling. Compared with the diabetes group, ZLHXTY treatment decreased the mesangial expansion index and proteinuria levels, and improved the pathological changes typical of diabetic kidney injury. Furthermore, ZLHXTY treatment inhibited the activation of ROCK1 and expression of Drp1 and caspase-9, but did not affect the expression of mfn2. This study indicates that ZLHXTY treatment could protect kidney tissue from diabetic injury through the ROCK1 pathway response to mitochondrial dysfunction induced by diabetes.

[Tongue tip microcirculation in patients with different symptoms].

Observations of tongue tip microcirculation were made on 104 patients with different symptom-complex [5 groups: Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, Qi.blood deficiency, Qi stagnation-blood stasis, damp-heat] in view of TCM, and on 100 healthy persons. 10 indicators including the transverse diameter of the fungiform papillae, morphology of microvascular clumps in the tongue papillae, congestion of the top of microvascular loop, loop dilation, blood color, hemodynamics in microvascular loop, exudation, hemorrhage and loop morphology were observed. The results were: patients of each group were found to have to different degree microcirculation dysfunction; every group differed with Qi stagnation-blood stasis group of being most different. The numbers of abnormal indicators: Qi stagnation-blood stasis group had all 10; Yang deficiency group 9; Yin deficiency and Qi-blood deficiency group 8, 8 respectively; damp-heat group 7. This study discussed the relationship between tongue tip microcirculation of each group and the changes of tongue picture and typing of differentiation of symptoms and signs in view of TCM.

[Differential diagnosis in the preliminary evaluation of esterase responses of tongue coating cells].

The tongue coating cells were stained by Alpha-naphthol acetate esterase and naphthol AS-D chloroacetate esterase in 100 patients with different symptom-complex [five groups: dampheat, damp-heat due to blood stasis, Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency and Qi-blood deficiency] in view of TCM, and in 116 healthy persons. The responses of the epithelial cells of the tongue and the leukocytes to the two esterase stainings were observed. The results were: the number of nonspecific esterase was much higher in the patients, especially in the patients with Yin or Qi-blood deficiency, than that in the healthy persons (P less than 0.001); responses to ASDCE suggested that the leukocytes of the patients were different from those of the healthy persons in classification, more granulocytes in the healthy persons, and increased proportion of monocytes and lymphocytes in the patients, the most increased proportion of monocytes in the patients with Qi-blood deficiency and the most increased proportion of lymphocytes in the patients with Yang deficiency. The mechanisms of the different responses to the two esterase stainings in the patients and healthy persons, and the relationship between these mechanisms and the symptom-complexes by TCM were discussed.