[Effect of soil moisture on efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice and flavonoid content of Sedum sarmentosum].

The growth environment of medicinal plants plays an important role in the formation of their medicinal quality. However, there is a lack of combined analysis studying the close relationship between the growth environment, chemical components, and related biological activities of medicinal plants. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of different soil moisture treatments on the efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice and the flavonoid content of Sedum sarmentosum, and explored their correlation. The flavonoid content in the decoction of S. sarmentosum growing under field conditions with soil moisture levels of 35%-40%(T1), 55%-60%(T2), 75%-80%(T3), and 95%-100%(T4) was compared. The effects of these treatments on liver function parameters, liver inflammation, and oxidative damage in mice with dampness-heat jaundice were evaluated, and the correlation between pharmacological indicators and flavonoid content was analyzed. The results showed that the total flavonoid and total phenolic acid content in the decoction of S. sarmentosum were highest in the T1 treatment, followed by the T3 treatment. The content of quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin was highest in the T2, T1, and T3 treatments, respectively. Among the different moisture treatments, the T3 group of S. sarmentosum effectively reduced the levels of serum ALT, AKP, TBIL, DBIL, TBA, as well as hepatic TNF-α and IL-6 in mice with jaundice, followed by T2 treatment, especially in reducing AST level. The T4 treatment had the poorest effect. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between AST, ALT, AKP levels in mice and the total content of quercetin and the three flavonoids. MDA showed a significant negative correlation with the total flavonoid content and kaempferol. TNF-α exhibited a significant negative correlation with the content of isorhamnetin. In conclusion, S. sarmentosum growing under field conditions with a soil moisture level of 75%-80% exhibited the best efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice. This study provides insights for optimizing the cultivation mode of medicinal plants guided by pharmacological experiments.

The heparan sulfate mimetic Muparfostat aggravates steatohepatitis in obese mice due to its binding affinity to lipoprotein lipase.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Heparanase is the only confirmed endoglycosidase that cleaves heparan sulfate (HS), a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan with various essential roles in multiple pathological processes. Thus, the development of heparanase inhibitors has become an attractive strategy for drug discovery, especially in tumour therapy, in which HS mimetics are the most promising compounds. The various biological effects of heparanase also suggest a role for HS mimetics in many non-cancer indications, such as type 1 diabetes. However, the potential benefits of HS mimetics in obesity-related type 2 diabetes have not been elucidated. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this study, we investigated muparfostat (PI-88), a developed HS mimetic currently enrolled in Phase III clinical trials, in obese mouse models and in vitro cultured murine hepatocytes. KEY RESULTS: Daily administration of muparfostat for 4 weeks caused hyperlipidaemia and aggravated hepatic steatosis in obese mice models, but not in lean animals. In cultured hepatocytes, muparfostat did not alter lipid accumulation. Acute tests suggested that muparfostat binds to lipoprotein lipase in competition with HS on vascular endothelial cell surfaces, thereby reducing the degradation of circulating triglycerides by lipoprotein lipase and subsequent uptake of fatty acids into vascular endothelial cells and causing hyperlipidaemia. This hyperlipidaemia aggravates hepatic steatosis and causes liver injury in muparfostat-treated obese mice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The binding activity of HS mimetics to lipoprotein lipase should be investigated as an additional pharmacological effect during heparanase inhibitor drug discovery. This study also provides novel evidence for an increased risk of drug-induced liver injury in obese individuals.

Population dynamics of Phaius flavus in southeast China: Reproductive strategies and plants conservation.

Because of species diversity and troubling conservation status in the wild, Orchidaceae has been one of the taxa with most concern in population ecological research for a long time. Although Orchidaceae is a group with high adaptability, they have become endangered for complex and various reasons such as the germination? difficulty and habitat loss, which makes it difficult to develop an accurate protection strategy. Phaius flavus is a terrestrial orchid which used to be widely distributed in central and southern Asia; however, large populations are difficult to find in the wild. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide a new perspective for conserving endangered P. flavus by investigating the mechanisms of its population decline; we established time-specific life and fertility tables, age pyramids, survival curves, and mortality curves for this plant and then conducted Leslie matrix model. We found that both of the populations from Wuhu Mount (WM) and Luohan Mount (LM) showed declining trends and exhibited pot-shaped age pyramids, low net reproductive rates, and negative intrinsic growth rates. The population from the Beikengding Mount (BM) showed a stable status with a bell-shaped age pyramid. However, it has a significant risk of decline because of the low net reproductive rate and intrinsic growth rate. This study use time-specific life and fertility tables, age pyramids, survival curves, and mortality curves, showed that the population decline of P. flavus could be attributed to 1) the shortage of seedlings caused by the low germination rate in the wild and 2) the loss of adult individuals caused by anthropogenic disturbances. To protect this species from extinction in these areas, we suggest that human activities in these habitats should be strictly forbidden and ex situ conservation of this plant in botanical gardens is also necessary.

Comparison of Great Curvature Plication with Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass (GCP-DJB) and Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) on Metabolic Indices and Gut Hormones in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rats.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compared the therapeutic effects of great curvature plication with duodenal-jejunal bypass (GCP-DJB) and the commonly used sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: The rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control group (n = 6), SG group (n = 6), and GCP-DJB group (n = 6). Body weight, daily food intake, fasting blood glucose level, fasting insulin level, insulin resistance index, and fasting serum concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), and bile acid were measured. In addition, postoperative changes in body weight and daily food intake at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks were also recorded. At week 12, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin release test were performed to determine glucose tolerance. The insulin resistance index (IRI) was also measured. The postprandial secretion curves and area under the curve (AUC) of GLP-1, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), PYY, and bile acid were also calculated. RESULTS: Before surgery, no significant differences in body weight, daily food intake, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, insulin resistance index, fasting GLP-1, PYY, and bile acid were found among the three groups (P > 0.05). At postoperative week 12, body weight and food intake in the SG and GCP-DJB groups were lower than those in the Control group (P < 0.05), and body weight in the GCP-DJB group was lowest (P < 0.05). Glucose tolerance, postprandial serum insulin (INS), GLP-1, PYY, and bile acid were significantly higher in the SG and GCP-DJB groups than in the Control group (P < 0.05). The parameters related to glucose metabolism in the GCP-DJB group were higher than those in the SG group with the exception of serum insulin (P < 0.05). In addition, IRI and GIP secretion were significantly lower in the SG and GCP-DJB groups than in the Control group (P < 0.05) and were lowest in the GCP-DJB group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both GCP-DJB and SG are surgical options for the treatment of T2DM. The underlying mechanism of these treatments may be related to the decrease in body weight, food intake, GIP, IRI, and the increase in INS, GLP-1, PYY, and bile acid. According to the various metabolic indicators related to the hypoglycemic effects in T2DM, GCP-DJB was superior to SG.

[The effects of different hydration strategies before endovascular treatments to the renal function of the arteriosclerosis obliterans patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacies of different hydration strategies in protecting the renal function of the arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) patients undergoing endovascular treatments. METHODS: 40 patients who underwent endovascular treatments for arteriosclerosis obliterans of lower extremities in the Vascular Surgery Department of PLA Hospital from January 2009 to October 2009 were divided into normal (serum creatinine < or = 110 micromol/L) and abnormal (serum creatine > 110 micromol/L) groups according to their baseline serum concentration of creatinine before treatments. Each group was treated by different hydration strategies 12 h before procedures. Changes of serum creatinine and creatinine clearance were measured 6, 24, 48 h after procedures to evaluate the changes of renal function and the effects of different hydration strategies. RESULTS: No contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) was observed among the 40 patients. There are significant differences between normal saline hydration group and control group in the changes of serum creatinine and creatinine clearance 24 h and 48 h after exposure to contrast medium for the normal renal function patients (P < 0.05). For the patients pre-existing renal dysfunction, no significant difference was found between Sodium Bicarbonate + Saline group and Saline group in the changes of Scr and Ccr 6, 24, 48 h after exposure to contrast medium (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sodium chloride provides a good efficacy for preventing the adverse effect of contrast medium to the renal function of the ASO patients. For the patients pre-existing renal dysfunction, Combination hydration with sodium bicarbonate is not more effective than normal saline alone in preventing contrast-induced renal dysfunction.