The mechanism of enriched environment repairing the learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress by regulating the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated and insulin-like growth factor-2 in hippocampus.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress can cause neurobiological and behavioral defects in offspring; environmental factors play a crucial role in regulating the development of brain and behavioral; this study was designed to test and verify whether an enriched environment can repair learning and memory impairment in offspring rats induced by prenatal stress and to explore its mechanism involving the expression of insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) and activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc) in the hippocampus of the offspring. METHODS: Rats were selected to establish a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy. Offspring were weaned on 21st day and housed under either standard or an enriched environment. The learning and memory ability were tested using Morris water maze and Y-maze. The expression of IGF-2 and Arc mRNA and protein were respectively measured by using RT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: There was an elevation in the plasma corticosterone level of rat model of maternal chronic stress during pregnancy. Maternal stress's offspring exposed to an enriched environment could decrease their plasma corticosterone level and improve their weight. The offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy exhibited abnormalities in Morris water maze and Y-maze, which were improved in an enriched environment. The expression of IGF-2, Arc mRNA, and protein in offspring of maternal stress during pregnancy was boosted and some relationships existed between these parameters after being exposed enriched environment. CONCLUSIONS: The learning and memory impairment in offspring of prenatal stress can be rectified by the enriched environment, the mechanism of which is related to the decreasing plasma corticosterone and increasing hippocampal IGF-2 and Arc of offspring rats following maternal chronic stress during pregnancy.

[Simultaneous determination of six ingredients in Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid by UPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a UPLC method for the simultaneous determination of liquiritin, narirutin, hesperidin, ammonium glycyrrhetate, honokiol and magnolol in Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid. METHOD: A Zorbax Eclipse C18 column was used with the mobile phase of acetonitrile and 0. 05% phosphate acid by gradient elution at the detection wavelength of 220 nm. The flow rate was 0.42 mL x min(-1) and the column temperature was 30 degrees C. RESULT: The calibration curves were linear in the ranges of 0.001 7-0.034, 0.003 4-0.068, 0.006 4-0.128, 0.012 8-0.256, 0.003 2-0.064, 0.006 4-0.128 microg, respectively. The average recoveries were 103.3%, 98.39%, 98.29%, 102.1%, 98.45%, 102.2% with RSDs of 2.1%,1.0%, 0.50%, 2.3%, 0.9%, 2.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The UPLC method was simple, rapid and accurate, it could be used for quality control of Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid.

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats: Involving the mitigation of ferroptosis and inflammation.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been found to attenuate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, its effects and mechanism of action have not yet been clarified. It has been reported that cerebral I/R injury is closely associated not only with ferroptosis but also with inflammation. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate whether high-frequency rTMS attenuates middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)-induced cerebral I/R injury and further to elucidate the mediatory role of ferroptosis and inflammation. METHODS: The protective effects of rTMS on experimental cerebral I/R injury were investigated using transient MCAO model rats. Neurological scores and pathological changes of cerebral ischemic cortex were assessed to evaluate the effects of rTMS on cerebral I/R injury. The involvement of ferroptosis and that of inflammation were examined to investigate the mechanism underlying the effects of rTMS. RESULTS: High-frequency rTMS remarkably rescued the MCAO-induced neurological deficits and morphological damage. rTMS treatment also increased the mRNA and protein expression of glutathione-dependent peroxidase 4, decreased the mRNA and protein levels of acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 and transferrin receptor in the cortex. Moreover, rTMS administration reduced the cerebrospinal fluid IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α concentrations. CONCLUSION: These findings implicated that high-frequency rTMS alleviates MCAO-induced cerebral I/R injury, and the underlying mechanism could involve the inhibition of ferroptosis and inflammation. Our study identifies rTMS as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of cerebral I/R injury. Moreover, the mechanistic insights into ferroptosis and inflammation advance our understanding of it as a potential therapeutic target for diseases beyond cerebral ischemia stroke.

[In vitro balanced sustained-release of Panax notoginseng saponins controlled with various matrix materials].

To explore the influence of matrix materials in complicate ingredients on traditional Chinese medicine and investigate the excipients selection model based on balanced release characteristics of multicomponents, the influence of HPMC (K4M, K15M, K100M) and Carbomer (934P, 971P, 974P) was illustrated by testing in vitro release of ginsenoside-Rg1, ginsenoside-Rb1 and notoginsenoside-R1 in Panax notoginseng saponins (model drug, PNS). According to in vitro release results of PNS matrix tablets in water and artificial intestinal juice, the release curves were analyzed with Peppas equation and simulating factor (f). Significant differences in k value and n value among ginsenoside-Rg1, ginsenoside-Rb1 and notoginsenoside-R1 existed in various formulations. The release behaviors from various excipients could be described with Non-Fickian transport or super Case II transport pattern. The f2 values for ginsenoside-Rg1, ginsenoside-Rb1 and notoginsenoside-R1 in 971P matrix tablet containing 30% Carbomer 971P were 74.91, 53.45, 57.89 in water and 79.35, 55.51, 51.89 in artificial intestinal juice, respectively. The release profiles fit for the regulation of FDA. The result revealed that the balanced release rates of Rg1, Rb1 and R1 in 971P matrix tablet were obtained.