[Estrogenic Activities of Alcohol Extract from Phellinus lonicerinus].

Objective: To investigate the estrogenic activities of alcohol extract from Phellinus lonicerinus( AEPL). Methods: Estrogen and anti-estrogen effects were evaluated by cell proliferation experiment in vitro. Through elevating young rat uterine weight, castrated female rats, and adult female rats uterus index serum estradiol( E2) and progesterone( P) were analyzed by enzyme immune methods, and uterine estrogen receptor α( ERα) and estrogen receptor ß( ERß) protein expressions were measeured by immunohistochemisty, and investigated the histopathological of uterus, ovary, and breast of adult female rats. Results: Compared with the control group, AEPL promoted estrogen-sensitive MCF-7 proliferation significantly( P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01) in the doses of 5 ~ 50 µg / m L in vitro experiment; compared with the E2 control group, it also presented anti-estrogenic effect in E2-induced MCF-7 cells at the doses of 10 ~ 100 µg / m L( P < 0. 05 or P < 0. 01). In the animal experiments, AEPL remarkably increased serum E2 content and promoted growth of uterus in primary female mice at the dose of 300 mg / kg; and raised the serum E2 and P content, alleviated uterine atrophy caused by estrogen deficiency in castrated rats at the dose of 240 mg / kg. In adult female rats, AEPL markedly increased the serum P content at the dose of 120 mg / kg, and also markedly increased the serum E2 content at the dose of 120,240 mg / kg, and regulated the protein expressions of ERαand ERß. AEPL has no effects on histopathological changes of uterus, ovary and mammary gland in rats. Conclusion: AEPL shows estrogenic effects with fewer adverse reaction, which possesses the replacement of estrogen application prospects.

[Effects of Ethanol Extracts of Phellinus lonicerinus on Hepatic Stellate Cells of Fibrosis Liver in Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of ethanol extracts of Phellinus lonicerinus on hepatic stellate cells of fibrosis liver in rats. METHODS: The model rats of hepatic fibrosis were established by intraperitoneally injection of CCl4 olive oil solution at the dose of 2 mL/kg. And then the model rats were administered orally ethanol extract of Phellinus lonicerinus with 1 g/(kg · d) and 0.5 g/( kg · d) for consecutive eight weeks. Serum transforming growth factor-ß1, (TGF-ß1), liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase( T-SOD) activity and the content of malondialdehyde ( MDA) were determined. The α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metalloproteinases-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were determined by immunohistochemical. RESULTS: Compared to the model group, the ethanol extracts of Phellinus lonicerinus decreased the content of serum TGF-ß1 and MDA in liver tissue, as well as increased the activity of T-SOD and the level of T-AOC. Immunohistochemical showed that the ethanol extracts of Phellinus lonicerinus downregulated the expression of α-SMA in liver tissue and the expression of TIMP-1, as well as upregulated the expression of MMP-1. CONCLUSION: The ethanol extracts of Phellinus lonicerinus has good antioxidative activity with application prospects in prevention of hepatic fibrosis. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of hepatic stellate cells induced by oxidative stress,reducing the TGF-ß1, and cytokines activating the hepatic stellate cells,and upregulating the expression of MMP-1 promoting the collagen degradation.