Xiangshao Granules reduce the aggressive behavior and hippocampal injury of premenstrual irritability in rats by regulating JIK/JNK/p38 signal pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: As a typical prescription for soothing the liver, Xiangshao granule has a good effect on the symptoms of irritability and anxiety. Clinical evidence suggests that it has significant efficacy in the treatment of Premenstrual dysphoria disorder (PMDD). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: PMDD is a common disease in women of childbearing age, seriously affecting their family, society, and daily work life. The registered herbal medicine, Xiangshao granules, is used for relieving PMDD dysphoria and irritability symptoms with excellent efficacy in China. This study was focused on the deep intervention mechanism of Xiangshao granules in treating PMDD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The vaginal smear and open field test were used to screen rats in nonreception phase of estrus cycle with similar macroscopic behaviors and regular estrus cycle. The rat model of PMDD irritability was established through social isolation and residential invasion, with which, the irritability symptoms of PMDD patients with menstrual cycle dependence was also well simulated. Elevated plus Maze Test and Social interaction activities were used to measure the anxiety-like behavior of rats. TUNEL Staining and Hematoxylin-Eosin staining were used to measure apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. RT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to measure the expression of GR, JIK, p-JIK, p38, P-P38, JNK, caspase 3, and caspase 12. RESULTS: In this study, Xiangshao granules showed consistent therapeutic effects similar with those in clinic, significantly reducing aggressive and anxiety-like behaviors with improved social skills in PMDD rats. In mechanism, Xiangshao granules lowered the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons and weakened the morphological damage of the hippocampal brain evidenced by the decreased mRNA and protein expression of glucocorticoid receptor, caspase-3, and caspase-12. In addition, administration of Xiangshao granules led to the decreased expression of JIK in the PMDD irritability rat model which agreed well with the previous studies. The JNK/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway is abnormally activated in the hippocampal brain region of PMDD rats, while treated with Xiangshao granules could increase JIK expression and inhibit the abnormal activation of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, effectively reducing the stress damage in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS: Xiangshao Granules Reduce the Aggressive Behavior and Hippocampal Injury of Premenstrual Irritability in Rats by Regulating JIK/JNK/p38 Signal Pathway.

Diterpenoids from the Whole Plants of Ajuga nipponensis and Their Inhibition of RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis.

Two new diterpenoids, ajudecunoid A (1) and ajudecunoid B (14), along with thirteen known diterpenoids, were isolated from the whole plants of Ajuga nipponensis Makino. Their structures were elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, MS, and NMR). The absolute configurations of ajudecunoid A (1) and ajudecunoid B (14) were defined through analysis of X-ray crystallography. Fifteen compounds were evaluated for inhibition of the formation of osteoclasts in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) cells. Two neo-clerodane diterpenoids ajuganipponin B (5) and (12S)-6α,19-diacetoxy-18-chloro-4α-hydroxy-12-tigloyloxy-neo-clerod-13-en-15,16-olide (12) showed significant inhibition of osteoclastogenesis with IC50 values of 0.88 and 0.79 µM, respectively. Here we firstly reported diterpenoids with anti-osteoclastogenesis activity from A. nipponensis.

Heavy metal pollution and potential health risks of commercially available Chinese herbal medicines.

A survey was conducted to investigate the pollution and health risks of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn) in 60 Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) collected from a market in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China. Furthermore, eight CHMs (Cyathulae radix, Drynariae rhizoma, Peucedani radix, Homalomenae rhizoma, Dryopteris setosa, Polygonati rhizoma, Lilii bulbus, and Linderae radix) containing high Cd concentrations were selected to further analyse their Cd chemical forms. Additionally, the dissolution rates of six heavy metals in decoction liquid were also analysed for four CHMs (Typhonii rhizoma, Linderae radix, Homalomenae rhizoma, and Cyathulae radix), and the health risks of heavy metals in CHMs were evaluated. The results showed that the Cd, Hg and Cu concentrations in the 60 CHMs exceeded the limiting values of the "Green Trade Standards of Importing & Exporting Medicinal Plants & Preparations" (WM2-2001), with exceedance ratios of 38.8%, 8.3% and 1.7%, respectively. The majority of Cd was integrated with pectates and protein in CHMs, and the other five Cd chemical forms followed the order of water-soluble > insoluble heavy metal phosphates > oxalate > residual > inorganic form, indicating that Cd had relatively low bioactivity and toxicity. The average dissolution rates of Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg, As and Pb in the four CHMs were 47.4%, 33.8%, 20.5%, 6.1%, 5.4% and 4.8%, respectively. The calculation results of hazard quotients (HQs) for Cd and Hg showed that the CHMs did not pose a threat to human health.

The Clinical Characteristics of Neonatal Sepsis Infection in Southwest China.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the pathogens responsible for neonatal sepsis in a high-volume women and children's hospital in Southwest China. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 133 neonates who were admitted to the West China Women and Children's Hospital between 2008 and 2012 for sepsis. The clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded, and the antibiotic sensitivities of the isolated bacteria were determined. RESULTS: All of the included patients had clinical symptoms of sepsis, and subsequent blood cultures confirmed the infection. Almost 80% of patients were infected with coagulase-negative staphylococci (52.8%), Escherichia coli (23.6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.0%) or Staphylococcus aureus (7.5%). Neonates who were infected with gram-negative bacteria, particularly K. pneumoniae, had lower birth weights and were admitted to hospital within 24 hours of birth. Additionally, 87.5% of the isolated K. pneumoniae strains were resistant to third generation cephalosporins. CONCLUSION: Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most common pathogens found in neonatal sepsis. Moreover, neonatal sepsis caused by gram-negative bacteria was more often observed in newborns of low birth weight. The isolated strains of gram-negative bacteria were highly resistant to cephalosporins. This observation highlights the issue of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in the clinical setting, which poses an added risk to infants presenting with sepsis.

Association of blood lead with calcium, iron, zinc and hemoglobin in children aged 0-7 years: a large population-based study.

Lead exposure in children has received increasing attention from scientists and public health institutions worldwide. Deficiencies of nutritional essential metals can increase the hazard from lead exposure by enhancing absorption and toxicity of dietary lead. Lead, as a ubiquitous toxicity metal, may interact metabolically with nutritional essential metals. A large population-based study was conducted to investigate blood lead, calcium, iron, zinc and hemoglobin levels in healthy children aged 0-7 years. Based on the records, 158 (3.57 %) of 4,429 children had a blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 10 µg/dl, and 1,324 (30.30 %) children had a BLL ≥ 7 µg/dl. BLLs in children aged less than 3 years was lower than those in older children. BLLs had a negative correlation with blood calcium and iron level (r = -0.357 and r = -0.070, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analysis also showed that BLLs had a negative correlation with blood calcium and iron. BLLs can be influenced by the status of some essential trace metals in children. Supplement of nutritional elements may help reduce lead absorption. Children with elevated BLLs (≥ 10 µg/dl) were controlled well in recent years in Chengdu. But the burden of reducing BLLs remains extremely arduous, which requires the joint efforts of both government agencies and the public.

Blood lead levels during different trimesters of pregnancy and the possible influencing factors in Chengdu, China.

Lead is a toxic element. It can damage multiple human organs and systems. In present study, we detected the blood lead levels (BLLs) during the whole pregnancy period and 6-12th weeks after delivery and analyzed their influencing factors by healthy pregnant women. We recruited 128 healthy pregnant women absent of pregnancy or obstetric complications or abnormal pregnancy outcomes as the gravida group. The control group consisted of 120 healthy non-pregnant women. The lead concentrations of all the three pregnancy trimesters and postpartum were: 5.95 ± 2.27, 5.51 ± 1.93, 5.57 ± 1.85, and 6.88 ± 1.90 µg/dl; and the mean lead concentration of control group was 6.87 ± 2.29 µg/dl. We found that the BLLs of the gravida group were lower than that of control group during all three trimesters and occupations, supplement nutrition elements, and time of house painted could affect blood lead levels of pregnant women. Lead-related occupations, using cosmetics, and living in a house painted <1 year are risk factors of high BLLs among pregnant women, while calcium, iron, zinc, and milk supplements are protective factors. These may help people especially pregnant women to reduce lead exposure via supplement of calcium, iron, zinc, and milk or avoiding contacting above risk factors.