The immune-regulating effect of Xiao'er Qixingcha in constipated mice induced by high-heat and high-protein diet.

BACKGROUND: Xiao'er Qixingcha (EXQ) has been extensively applied to relieve dyspepsia and constipation in children for hundreds of years in China. However, the therapeutic mechanism underlying its efficacy remained to be defined. The present study aimed to clarify the possible laxative and immune-regulating effects of EXQ on two models of experimental constipation in mice, which mimicked the pediatric constipation caused by high-heat and high-protein diet (HHPD). METHODS: The two models of constipated mice were induced by HHPD or HHPD + atropine respectively. To investigate the laxative and immune-regulating activities of EXQ, animals were treated with three doses of EXQ (0.75, 1.5 and 3 g/kg) for 7 consecutive days. The fecal output parameters (number and weight), weight of intestinal content and, the thymus and spleen indexes were measured. The levels of sIgA, IL-10, TNF-α and LPS in colon and serum were determined by ELISA. Furthermore, the pathological changes of colon tissue were examined after routine H&E staining. RESULTS: Both HHPD and HHPD + atropine treatments obviously inhibited the fecal output and reduced the colonic sIgA, prominently increased the levels of IL-10 and TNF-α in colonic tissue and elevated the contents of LPS in serum and colonic tissues. In contrast, oral administration of EXQ significantly improved the feces characters and dose-dependently decreased the intestinal changes in both models. In HHPD model test, EXQ efficaciously boosted the sIgA level in a dose-dependent manner, significantly elicited decreases in TNF-α and IL-10 levels, and evidently decreased the spleen and thymus indexes. In HHPD + atropine model test, EXQ treatment reversed the pathological changes by not only dramatically decreasing the spleen index and the levels of LPS and IL-10, but also markedly elevating the thymus index. Furthermore, microscopic observation revealed that EXQ treatment maintained the integrity of colonic mucosa, and protected the colonic tissues from inflammation in the both models. CONCLUSIONS: EXQ exhibited prominent laxative activity and effectively protected the colonic mucosal barrier in two models of constipated mice, of which the mechanism might be closely associated with its propulsive and immune-regulating properties. The current results not only validated the rationale for the clinical application of EXQ in pediatric constipation related symptoms, but also threw new light on the immune-inflammatory responses accompanied with chronic constipation pathology.

Competitive and sequence reactions of typical hydrocarbon molecules in diesel fraction hydrocracking - a theoretical study by DFT calculations.

The molecular structures of hydrocarbon molecules determine the competitive and sequence reactions in the diesel hydrocracking process. In this study, the hydrocracking reactions of typical hydrocarbons with various saturation degrees and molecular weights in diesel fractions synergistically catalyzed by the Ni-Mo-S nanocluster and Al-Si FAU zeolite are investigated. The results show that the two major rate-controlling steps in saturated hydrocarbon hydrocracking are dehydrogenation on the Ni-Mo-S active sites and the cracking of the C-C bonds on the FAU zeolite acid center. Moreover, the major rate-controlling step in cracking the cycloalkyl aromatic hydrocarbons is the protonation of the aromatic ring. Moreover, the aromatic hydrocarbons presented an apparent advantage in competitive adsorption on the Ni-Mo-S active sites, whereas hydrocarbons with higher molecular weights demonstrated a moderate adsorption advantage on both Ni-Mo-S active sites and FAU zeolite acid centers.

Kegan Liyan oral liquid ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury through inhibition of TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway and MMP-9 expression.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kegan Liyan oral liquid (KGLY), a Chinese prescription modified from classic formulas Yin-Qiao-San (from TCM classic Wenbing Tiaobian) and Shen-Jie-San (first mentioned in Shanghan Wenyi Tiaobian), has been reported to exert heat-clearing and detoxifying effects and used extensively for the treatment of severe pulmonary diseases in clinics including influenza, cough and pneumonia. AIM OF THIS STUDY: The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of KGLY on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and to illuminate the underlying mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were orally administrated with KGLY (50, 100 and 150mg/kg) before intratracheal instillation of LPS. 24h post LPS challenge, lung tissues and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected for lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio, histopathological examinations and biochemical analyses. The cell counts, protein concentration, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6), necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) in BALF, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected. Meanwhile, the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), as well as matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9) were determined by western blot assay. RESULTS: KGLY significantly prolonged mice survival time and ameliorated LPS-induced edema, thickening of alveolar septa and inflammatory cell infiltration in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, KGLY markedly attenuated LPS-induced acute pulmonary inflammation via decreasing the expressions of cytokines and chemokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and MIP-2), enhanced the activities of anti-oxidative indicators (SOD and GSH), suppressed the levels of MPO and MDA, and down-regulated the expressions of TLR4, NF-κB and MMP9. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the relieving effect of KGLY against LPS-induced ALI might be partially due to suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory response, inhibition of TLR4-mediated NF-κB activation, and down-regulation of MMP9 expression, indicating it may be a potential therapeutic agent for ALI.

Oral administration of patchouli alcohol isolated from Pogostemonis Herba augments protection against influenza viral infection in mice.

Seasonal influenza A infection results in considerable morbidity and mortality. The limited efficacy of available therapeutic strategies stresses the need for development and study of new molecules against influenza virus (IFV). Patchouli alcohol (PA), the major chemical constituent of Pogostemonis Herba, was previously found to strongly inhibit influenza H1N1 replication in vitro. In the present study, the in vivo anti-IFV effect of PA was investigated. In a mouse model infected with lethal levels of FM1, oral administration of PA (20 mg/kg to 80 mg/kg) for 7 d post IFV infection significantly increased the survival rate and survival time. For IFV infection at nonlethal levels, the quantity of IFV in the lungs 5 d after infection was significantly reduced after PA (20 mg/kg to 80 mg/kg) administration. Anti-IFV IgA, IgM, and IgG titers in serum on day 6 were significantly higher in the PA-treated group than the IFV-control group. Anti-IFV immune response augmentation was further confirmed by the elevated production of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell levels in blood. Furthermore, the levels of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IFN-gamma in serum of mice, were regulated. Lung inflammation was reduced significantly after PA administration, and the effect may be mediated, at least in part, by regulating the lung levels of inflammatory cytokines. Thus, oral administration of PA appears to be able to augment protection against IFV infection in mice via enhancement of host immune responses, and attenuation of systemic and pulmonary inflammatory responses.