Neuroprotective Effects of Lindleyin on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Cell Injury and MPTP-Induced Parkinson's Disease in C57BL/6 Mice.

Oxidative stress (OS) is a crucial factor influencing the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). Here we first reported that Lindleyin (Lin), one of the major components of rhubarb, possessed neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury and MPTP-induced PD of C57BL/6 mice. The results showed that Lin can decrease cell death and apoptotic rate induced by H2O2 through inhibiting mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and increasing the activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT as well as decreasing the level of MDA. In addition, in vivo studies showed that oral administration of Lin (5 or 20 mg/kg) showed significant change in motor function deficits, antioxidant enzyme activities, apoptotic pathway, and tyrosine hydroxylase expression. Our results reveal that Lin might be a promising anti-PD agent by reducing OS and apoptosis.

[Acute toxicity of three typical pollutants to aquatic organisms and their water quality criteria].

Two species of microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Scenedesmus obliqnus and a red worm Chironomidae larvae were selected as test organisms in determining the acute toxicity effects of Cr (VI), 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and nitrobenzene. The results were able to provide more information on water quality criteria and more data on their toxicity to indigenous aquatic organisms in China. The 96 h-EC50 values of Cr (VI), TCP and nitrobenzene on C. pyrenoidosa were 1.34 mg x L(-1, 4.55 mg x L(-1) and 86.58 mg x L(-1), respectively, while those of S. obliqnus were 19.52 mg x L(-1), 3.71 mg x L(-1) and 74.15 mg x L(-1), respectively. The mortality of C. larvae was 15% when the concentration of Cr(VI) was increased to 1,500 mg x L(-1). The 48 h-LC50 values of TCP and nitrobenzene on C. larvae were 9.29 mg x L(-1) and 98.34 mg x L(-1), respectively. These results indicated that Cr( VI) showed higher toxicity to C. pyrenoidosa, while only moderate toxicity to S. obliqnus; TCP had higher toxicity to C. pyrenoidosa and S. oblignus; while nitrobenzene was only moderately toxic to both species of microalgae. The toxicity among the three pollutants to C. larvae was in the order of TCP > nitrobenzene > Cr (VI).

[Toxic effects of high concentrations of ammonia on Euglena gracilis].

Ammonia is among the common contaminants in aquatic environments. The present study aimed at evaluation of the toxicity of ammonia at high concentration by detecting its effects on the growth, pigment contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and DNA damage (comet assay) of a unicellular microalga, Euglena gracilis. Ammonia restrained the growth of E. gracilis, while at higher concentrations, ammonia showed notable inhibition effect, the growth at 2 000 mg x L(-1) was restrained to 55.7% compared with that of the control; The contents of photosynthetic pigments and protein went up with increasing ammonia dosage and decreased when the ammonia concentration was above 1000 mg x L(-1); In addition, there was an obvious increase in SOD and POD activities, at higher concentration (2 000 mg x L(-1)), activities of SOD and POD increased by 30.7% and 49.4% compared with those of the control, indicating that ammonia could promote activities of antioxidant enzymes in E. gracilis; The degree of DNA damage observed in the comet assay increased with increasing ammonia concentration, which suggested that high dose of ammonia may have potential mutagenicity on E. gracilis.

[Apigenin affects semen parameters in male mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of apigenin on semen parameters in male mice. METHODS: Totally 100 healthy male mice of Kunming strain were randomly divided into 5 groups according to the body weight: negative control, solvent control, low-dose apigenin, median-dose apigenin and high-dose apigenin, the latter three groups given intragastric apigenin at a fixed time every day for 7 and 14 days. At 35 days after the first medication, all the mice were killed and detected for the sperm motion parameters by computer aided sperm analysis (CASA). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in sperm motion parameters, density and motility between the negative control and the three apigenin groups after 7-day medication. At 14 days, the high-dose apigenin group showed remarkable decreases in average path velocity (VAP), straight line velocity (VSL), straightness (STR), wobbliness (WOB), the percentage of grade b sperm and sperm motility, and a significant increase in beat cross frequency (BCF) as compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Apigenin affects sperm motility in male mice to a certain extent.

Spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid from semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via the serotonergic system.

Semen Zizhiphi Spinozae has been used extensively for the treatment of insomnia. This study investigated the effect and possible mechanism of action of spinosin (also known as 2''-beta-o-glucopyranosyl swertisin), a major constituent of semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, on sleep in mice. The present results showed that spinosin significantly and dose-dependently augmented pentobarbital (45 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced sleep, reflected by increased sleep time and reduced sleep latency assessed with the loss-of-righting reflex, and these effects were potentiated by the 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) precursor 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP, 2.5 mg/kg,i.p.). With a subhypnotic dose of pentobarbital (28 mg/kg, i.p.), spinosin significantly increased the rate of sleep onset and exhibited a synergistic effect with 5-HTP (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 300 mg/kg, s.c.), an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase, significantly decreased pentobarbital-induced sleep time, and spinosin significantly reversed this effect. The dopamine precursor L-3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) reduced pentobarbital-induced sleep, an effect not significantly affected by spinosin. These results suggest that spinosin potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via a serotonergic mechanism.

[Analysis on mutation of adrenoleukodystrophy gene in exon 1 and exon 5].

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the molecular mechanism of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy(ALD) in Chinese. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction in exon 1, exon 5 and their flanking sequences and direct DNA sequencing of ALD gene were performed in four patients, their mothers and twenty normal individuals as controls. RESULTS: A splice mutation was identified in the interface of exon 5 and intron 5 (1875 G-->A). This splice mutation in 5' end of intron 5 might lead to abnormal splice in exon 5 and exon 6 and bring about unstable and abnormal ALD protein; the lignoceryl CoA ligase could not transport very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) into peroxisome and could not function normally; consequently, defective beta-oxidation of VLCFA in peroxisome could result in an accumulation of VLCFAS in the central nervous system, adrenal gland and blood. CONCLUSION: The splice mutation in 5' end of intron 5 leading to abnormal splice in exon 5 and exon 6 appears to be one of the causes of X-linked recessive adrenoleukodystrophy.