The Anti-Proliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Rutaecarpine on Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line CE81T/VGH In Vitro and In Vivo.

The overall five-year survival rate for patients with esophageal cancer is low (15 to 25%) because of the poor prognosis at earlier stages. Rutaecarpine (RTP) is a bioalkaloid found in the traditional Chinese herb Evodia rutaecarpa and has been shown to exhibit anti-proliferative effect on tumor cells. However, the mechanisms by which RTP confer these effects and its importance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treatment remain unclear. Thus, in the present study, we first incubated human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line, CE81T/VGH, with RTP to evaluate RTP's effects on tumor cell growth and apoptosis. We also performed a xenograft study to confirm the in vitro findings. Furthermore, we determined the expression of p53, Bax, bcl-2, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PCNA in CE81T/VGH cells or the tumor tissues to investigate the possible mechanisms. All the effects of TRP were compared with that of cisplatin. The results showed that RTP significantly inhibits CE81T/VGH cell growth, promotes arrest of cells in the G2/M phase, and induces apoptosis. Consistently, the in vivo study showed that tumor size, tumor weight, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein expression in tumor tissue are significantly reduced in the high-dose RTP treatment group. Furthermore, the in vitro and in vivo studies showed that RTP increases the expression of p53 and Bax proteins, while inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2 in cancer cells. In addition, RTP significantly increases the expression of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in tumor tissues in mice. These results suggest that RTP may trigger the apoptosis and inhibit growth in CE81T/VGH cells by the mechanisms associated with the regulation of the expression of p53, Bax, Bcl-2, as well as caspase-9 and caspase-3.

Effects of Physical Properties and Processing Methods on Astragaloside IV and Flavonoids Content in Astragali radix.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the physical properties (diameter size, powder particle size, composition of bark- and wood-tissue, and turnover rate) and processing methods on the content of active ingredients in Astragali radix (AR), a popular Chinese herbal medicine. The astragaloside IV and flavonoid contents increased with decreasing diameter size. Bark-tissue had significantly higher astragaloside IV and formononetin content than that in the wood-tissue. As a higher proportion of bark-tissue is associated with decreasing diameter, a strong correlation was also shown between bark- to wood-tissue ratio and active ingredients' content. Furthermore, an increase in astragaloside IV content was observed in thin powder as compared to coarse powder ground from the whole root. However, this association between active ingredients' content and powder particle size was abolished when isolating bark- and wood-tissue individually. Moreover, AR stir-frying with refined honey, a typical processing method of AR, increased formononetin content. The turnover rate of active constituents upon decoction ranged from 61.9-81.4%. Assessing the active constituent contents using its physical properties and processing methods allows for a more comprehensive understanding of optimizing and strengthening the therapeutic potentials of AR used in food and herbal supplements.

Development of Indirect Competitive ELISA for Lithospermic Acid B of Salvia miltiorrhiza with Its Specific Antibodies Generated via Artificial Oil Bodies.

Lithospermic acid B (LSB), the major water-soluble ingredient of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), has been shown to be an active ingredient responsible for the therapeutic effects of this traditional Chinese herb used to treat cardiac disorders. This study aimed to develop an indirect competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of LSB. Firstly, LSB was chemically conjugated to a modified oil-body protein, lysine-enriched caleosin, recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli. Antibodies against LSB (Ab-LSB) were successfully generated by immunizing hens with artificial oil bodies constituted with the LSB-conjugated caleosin. Western blotting showed that Ab-LSB specifically recognized LSB, but not the carrier protein, lysine-enriched caleosin. To detect LSB via indirect competitive ELISA, LSB was conjugated with bovine serum albumin (LSB-BSA) and coated on a microplate. The binding between Ab-LSB and LSB-BSA on the microplate was competed dose-dependently in the presence of free LSB with a concentration ranging from 5 to 5 × 104 ng/mL. The IC50 value was approximately determined to be 120 ng/mL for LSB regardless of its complex with a metal ion of Na+, K+ or Mg2+.

Echinacoside Isolated from Cistanche tubulosa Putatively Stimulates Growth Hormone Secretion via Activation of the Ghrelin Receptor.

Cistanche species, the ginseng of the desert, has been recorded to possess many biological activities in traditional Chinese pharmacopoeia and has been used as an anti-aging medicine. Three phenylethanoid glycosides-echinacoside, tubuloside A, and acteoside-were detected in the water extract of Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) R. Wight and the major constituent, echinacoside, was further purified. Echinacoside of a concentration higher than 10-6 M displayed significant activity to stimulate growth hormone secretion of rat pituitary cells. Similar to growth hormone-releasing hormone-6, a synthetic analog of ghrelin, the stimulation of growth hormone secretion by echinacoside was inhibited by [D-Arg¹, D-Phe5, D-Trp7,9, Leu11]-substance P, an inverse agonist of the ghrelin receptor. Molecular modeling showed that all the three phenylethanoid glycosides adequately interacted with the binding pocket of the ghrelin receptor, and echinacoside displayed a slightly better interaction with the receptor than tubuloside A and acteoside. The results suggest that phenylethanoid glycosides, particularly echinacoside, are active constituents putatively responsible for the anti-aging effects of C. tubulosa and may be considered to develop as non-peptidyl analogues of ghrelin.

Optimization of gain in traveling-wave optical parametric amplifiers by tuning the offset between pump- and signal-waist locations.

We present experimental demonstration and modeling of the optimization of a phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifier by tuning the relative position between the pump and signal beam waists along the propagation direction. At the optimum position, the pump beam focuses after the signal beam, and this departure from colocated waists increases with increasing pump power. Such optimization leads to more than 3 dB improvement in the measured deamplification response of the amplifier.

Fundamental eigenmode of traveling-wave phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifier: experimental generation and verification.

We investigate experimentally the eigenmodes of a Gaussian-beam-pumped traveling-wave phase-sensitive optical parametric amplifier (PSA). By varying the waist of an input LG(00) signal mode, we show that PSA performance improves with increasing spatial overlap between the input and the theoretically predicted fundamental eigenmode. For optimum waist, we report amplification and deamplification markedly higher than those observed for the traditional case of signal waist=√2× (pump waist). Lastly, we demonstrate the generation and verification of the PSA fundamental eigenmode.

Goji Ferment Ameliorated Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in vitro and in vivo.

This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of lyophilized powder of goji ferment (LPGF) against acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatic damage in Hep3B cells and in mice. Eleven strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were selected and their hepatoprotection against APAP-induced cellular damage in Hep3B cell line was evaluated. Four strains of LAB, including BCRC11652 (Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides), BCRC14619 (Lactobacillus gasseri), KODA-1 (Pediococcus acidilactici), and KODA-2 (Limosilactobacillus fermentum), have hepatoprotective potential against APAP in vitro. Goji significantly stimulated the growth of individual and combined strains of LAB and the optimal fermented condition was the treatment of goji at 10% (w/w) for 24 h. The prepared lyophilized powder of goji ferment (LPGF) containing fifteen combinations of LAB strains was used to explore their hepatoprotection in vitro. LPGF containing all combinations of LAB strains, except for KODA-2, significantly restored APAP-reduced cell viability and improved APAP-increased cellular levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). In mice model, LPGF containing BCRC11652, BCRC14619, and KODA-2 was chosen to evaluate its hepatoprotection against APAP-induced liver injury. LPGF at diverse doses have a tendency but no significant improvement on APAP-reduced body weight gain and liver weight. LPGF significantly decreased APAP-increased serum ALT and AST levels in a dose-dependent manner. At the end of experiment, LPGF significantly and dose-dependently reversed APAP-reduced activities of GSH and antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in hepatic tissue. Overall, LPGF was demonstrated to exhibit hepatoprotection against APAP-induced liver injury in vitro and in vivo.

CFD Study of the Effect of the Angle Pattern on Iliac Vein Compression Syndrome.

Iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS, or May-Thurner syndrome) occurs due to the compression of the left common iliac vein between the lumbar spine and right common iliac artery. Because most patients with compression are asymptomatic, the syndrome is difficult to diagnose based on the degree of anatomical compression. In this study, we investigated how the tilt angle of the left common iliac vein affects the flow patterns in the compressed blood vessel using three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations to determine the flow fields generated after compression sites. A patient-specific iliac venous CFD model was created to verify the boundary conditions and hemodynamic parameter set in this study. Thirty-one patient-specific CFD models with various iliac venous angles were developed using computed tomography (CT) angiograms. The angles between the right or left common iliac vein and inferior vena cava at the confluence level of the common iliac vein were defined as α1 and α2. Flow fields and vortex locations after compression were calculated and compared according to the tilt angle of the veins. Our results showed that α2 affected the incidence of flow field disturbance. At α2 angles greater than 60 degrees, the incidence rate of blood flow disturbance was 90%. In addition, when α2 and α1 + α2 angles were used as indicators, significant differences in tilt angle were found between veins with laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow (p < 0.05). Using this mathematical simulation, we concluded that the tilt angle of the left common iliac vein can be used as an auxiliary indicator to determine IVCS and its severity, and as a reference for clinical decision making.

Organochlorine pesticide residue in Chinese herbal medicine.

Over ten-year routine inspection results on organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residue were summarized, OCPs residues, including BHC isomers (α, ß, γ, and δ-BHC), DDT analogs (p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDT), and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) and its metabolites (pentachloroaniline and methyl pentachlorophenyl sulfide (MPCPS)), in 1,665 samples for 37 types of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) using the QuEChERS method coupled with the GC-ECD. Based on the maximal residue levels for OCPs set by Asian pharmacopeias, PCNB contamination in Ginseng radix as well as the total DDT and PCNB contamination in Panacis quinquefolii radix are of concern. OCP residues in different parts of Panax ginseng were also compared. The total BHC residue in leaf and fibrous root, as well as the total DDT and PCNB residue in all parts, exceeded MRL of 0.1 mg/kg. Overall, this study provided meaningful results about OCP residue in CHM for pharmaceutical industries and consumers.

Photoreceptor and vision protective effects of astragaloside IV in mice model with light-evoked retinal damage.

Cone cell-enriched macular degeneration is a major cause of functional vision deterioration. Astragaloside IV (Asg IV), an active triterpenoid saponin component with properties of anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic damage, which benefit retinal tissue and capillaries. But, the nutraceutical therapeutic effects on functional vision have not been fully evaluated. In this study, mice were administrated to high-intensity light exposure after either receiving a vehicle or Asg IV (0.05, 0.5, and 50 mg/kg, BID). During this time, their spatial-visual performance, visual acuity (VA), and visual contrast sensitivity function (VCSF) were measured using the behavioral optomotor reflex method. Morphological changes in the retina were determined by histological examination. High energy light-evoked visual damage was confirmed by the loss in structural tissue integrity in the retina accompanied by a decline in both VA and VCSF, whereas the retina tissue exhibited loss of cone cell density and severe cone-specific opsin misplacement. In contrast, prophylactic oral Asg IV (0.5, and 50 mg/kg, BID)-treated exerted protective and improvement effects against light-evoked deterioration of functional vision. Asg IV treatment significantly improved the thresholds of VA and VCSF. In particular, Asg IV (50 mg/kg, BID) modulated and increased the survival of the photoreceptors, especially the cone cells, which targeted and enhanced the high spatial frequency-characterized VCSF. In contrast, the cellular protective effect of Asg IV (50 mg/kg, BID) on photoreceptors was significantly reversed by synchronous injection of a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist (mifepristone). This study demonstrated the major neuroretina-protective effect and functional vision-improving effect of Asg IV in vivo.

The Functional Vision Restorative Effect of Crocin via the BDNF-TrkB Pathway: An In Vivo Study.

Abnormal dislocation of cone opsin protein affects the sensitivity function of photoreceptors and results in depressed central vision. Nutraceutical therapy is needed to restore the residual function of photoreceptors. Crocin is a natural substance for retinal health. However, its effect on the restoration of functional vision and its underlying mechanisms have not been fully studied. This study analyzed the restorative effect of crocin on residual functional vision in vivo in a mouse model. High-energy light-evoked photoreceptor dysfunction was confirmed by M opsin dislocation in the retina accompanied by a loss of functional vision. Crocin treatment significantly increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein in retinas, thus contributing to the re-localization of the M opsin protein, restoration of the visual acuity (VA), and high spatial frequency-characterized visual contrast sensitivity function (VCSF). In contrast, such effects were significantly reversed after the washout period. Additionally, the restorative effect of crocin on functional vision and M opsin re-localization can be reversed and blocked by synchronous injection of a tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) receptor antagonist (ANA-12). This study demonstrated the major functional vision-rescuing or restoring effect of crocin in vivo by modulating M opsin location plasticity and increasing the capacity of the residual photoreceptor function through the BDNF-TrkB receptor pathway.

Proteomics analysis of protein biomarkers in Astragalus membranaceus- and Astragaloside IV-treated brain tissues in ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a major Chinese herb used in the treatment of stroke. Astragaloside IV (AS)is a component of AM. This study investigated the effects of AM on the protein expression through proteomics analysis in ischemia-reperfusion injured Sprague Dawley rats. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE: An animal model of ischemia-reperfusion injury by occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery for 90 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h. The rats were intraperitoneally injected with AM or AS three times at 30 min, 1 day, and 2 days prior to the occlusion of the cerebral blood flow. RESULTS: Aldolase C was overexpressed in the cortex, and Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and Triose-phosphate isomerase were overexpressed in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with AM or AS can induce the overexpression of Aldolase C in the cerebral cortex and that of Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and Triose-phosphate isomerase in the hippocampus, suggesting that both AM and AS may act as neuroprotectors through regulating the expression of Aldolase C, Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase and Triose-phosphate isomerase. However, the underlying neuroprotective mechanisms need more studies.

Investigation of toxic heavy metals content and estimation of potential health risks in Chinese herbal medicine.

The content of toxic heavy metals (THMs), including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg), was determined in a total of 10,245 samples for 279 types of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) using a validated inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method. The exceeding rate (ER) for the four THMs were calculated based on diverse permissible limits (PLs) established by different organizations and national pharmacopeias. Cluster analysis was used to classify the degree risk of THMs contamination according to the calculated ER. Results revealed that Cibotii rhizome, Selaginellae herba, Morindae officinalis radix, Asprellae ilicis radix, and Toxicodendri resina exhibited high-degree risk of Pb contamination. Eckloniae/Laminariae thallus, Spirodelae herba, and Naturalis indigo possessed high-degree risk of As contamination. Tetrapanacis medulla, Centipedae herba, Cyathulae radix, Linderae radix, Meretricis/Cyclinae concha, and Tabanus displayed high-degree risk of Cd contamination. Toxicodendri resina has high-degree risk of Hg contamination. In addition, six types of CHM, including Asprellae ilicis radix, Toxicodendri resina, Eckloniae/Laminariae thallus, Fossilia Ossis Mastodi, Haematitum, and Hedyotidis diffusae herba, may have non-carcinogenic health risk after consumption of raw materials because the calculated hazard quotient and hazard index were over 1.0. In summary, these data provide useful information about THMs contamination in CHM.

Differential effect of high dietary fat intakes on haemorheological parameters in rats.

High dietary intake of fats has been thought to be one of the major risk factors for the development of CVD. Less is known about the possible influence of fats from various sources on haemorheological abnormalities, which are considered an important factor in the pathogenesis of these diseases. The goal of the present study was to investigate effects of high-fat diets enriched in unsaturated fatty acids (USFA), SFA or trans-fatty acids (TFA), respectively, on haemorheological parameters in rats. Wistar female rats were divided into four groups and fed diets based on the AIN-93M formulation containing approximately 10 % energy from soyabean oil (control group) or 40 % energy from soyabean oil (USFA), palm oil (SFA) and vegetable shortening (TFA) for 8 weeks. The results showed that rats fed high-fat diets exhibited significant increases in serum TAG levels (P < 0.01), plasma viscosity (P < 0.01), whole blood viscosity (P < 0.01) and internal viscosity (P < 0.01) compared to the controls. The TFA group showed a significant decrease in erythrocyte deformability (P < 0.01) and increase in internal viscosity (P < 0.01) compared with the other groups. In addition, a significant increase in blood levels of free radicals (P < 0.01) was found in the TFA group, suggesting that the attack of oxygen-free radicals could be responsible for the impaired erythrocyte deformability. These impairments could be partly responsible for the development of various circulatory disorders. The present haemorheological study provides additional insights into the potential adverse effects of trans-fat and high-fat diets on haemorheological parameters.

Quercetin enhances the antitumor activity of trichostatin A through up-regulation of p300 protein expression in p53 null cancer cells.

In the present study, we investigated the p53-independent mechanism by which quercetin (Q) increased apoptosis in human lung cancer H1299 cells exposed to trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor. We also investigated the role of Q in increasing the acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and the possible mechanism. Q at 5 µM significantly increased apoptosis by 88% in H1299 cells induced by TSA at 72 h. Q also significantly increased TSA-induced death receptor 5 (DR5) mRNA and protein expression as well as caspase-10/3 activities in H1299 cells. Transfection of DR5 siRNA into H1299 cells significantly diminished the enhancing effects of Q on TSA-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TSA in combination with Q rather than TSA alone significantly increased p300 expression. Transfection of p300 siRNA in H1299 cells significantly diminished the increase of histone H3/H4 acetylation, DR5 protein expression, caspase-10/3 activity and apoptosis induced by Q. In addition, similar effects of Q were observed when Q was combined with vorinostat, another FDA-approved histone deacetylase inhibitor. These data suggest that the up-regulation of p300 expression, which in turn increases histone acetylation and DR5 expression, plays an important role in the enhancing effect of Q on TSA/vorinostat- induced apoptosis in H1299 cells.

Dihydromyricetin-rich herbal mixture extracts as a potential prescription for treatment of metabolic syndrome in rats fed a high-fat diet and subacute toxicity assessment in rats.

Dihydromyricetin (DHM)-rich herbal mixture extracts, also called APF complex, comprised of Ampelopsis grossedentata, Pericarpium citri reticulatae, and Fructus crataegi. The content of DHM in APF complex was 362.7 ±â€¯12.5 mg/g. The aims of this study were to investigate the therapeutic effects of APF complex on metabolic syndrome in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and evaluate the subacute toxicity of APF complex in rats. HFD significantly increased body weight gain, fat tissue (epididymal fat, mesenteric fat, and perirenal fat) deposition, body fat index, and hepatic triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) accumulation as well as caused abnormal blood biochemical parameters, including TC, TG, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), free fatty acid (FFA), and glucose. APF complex has a tendency but not significance to limit HFD-induced body weight gain. APF complex also significantly improved HFD-induced body fat accumulation, as evidenced by decreasing fat tissue deposition and body fat index. In addition, APF complex significantly ameliorated HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, as evidenced by reducing levels of blood TG and TC as well as blood glucose and FFA, respectively. Furthermore, APF complex significantly decreased HFD-induced hepatic TG and TC accumulation. In subacute toxicity assessment, APF complex exhibited no toxicological signs, as evidenced by without affecting mortality, food and water consumption, body weight changes, absolute organ weights, hematological system, blood lipids and nutritional status, and electrolyte balance as well as non-toxic to liver and renal function. Overall, APF complex was considered as a non-toxic herbal prescription and could act as adjuvant therapy for metabolic syndrome.

Effect of Paeonia lactiflora, a traditional Chinese herb, on migraines based on clinical application and animal behavior analyses.

BACKGROUND: Paeonia lactiflora (PL) was widely used for pain relief, but its effects on migraine headaches remain unclear. PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PL on migraine headaches. METHODS: First, we found that PL was frequently used in Taiwan for headache treatment based on data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Migraine was induced through the intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of nitroglycerin (NTG, 10 mg/kg) in rats. Pretreatment with PL was administered orally 30 min prior to the NTG i.p. Migraine headache behavior was observed by video-recordings. Finally, the rats were sacrificed and brain was removed for immunohistochemistry staining analysis. RESULTS: The frequency and total time spent rearing up and sniffing in exploratory behavior, and walking in locomotor behavior, were reduced in the NTG group compared with the control group (all p <  0.001). This reduction could be ameliorated by pretreatment with PL 1.0 g/kg (all p <  0.05). Total time spent in the light chamber was lower in the NTG group compared with the control group (p <  0.05); this could be ameliorated by pretreatment with 1.0 g/kg PL (p <  0.05). The rats in the NTG group spent longer time on the smooth surface than those in the control group (p <  0.001); this could be shortened by pretreatment with 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg PL (both p <  0.01). The traveling distance of rats in the NTG group was shorter than in the control group (p <  0.001); rats given 1.0 g/kg PL had a longer traveling distance than those in the NTG group (p <  0.01). Both c-fos and CGRP immunoreactive cells increased in the TNC in the NTG group compared with that of the control group (both p <  0.001); this increased could be reduced by pretreatment with PL 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg (both p <  0.05). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with PL ameliorated migraine headache behaviors in the NTG-induced migraine rat model, suggesting pretreatment with PL is beneficial for migraine headache treatment. This effect of PL is related to the decrease of c-fos and CGRP in the TNC. However, still there are too many methodological limitations which need to be overcome in further experiments to support the data.

Investigation of aflatoxins contamination in herbal materia medica in a Taiwan pharmaceutical factory.

During the years 2005-2016, a total of 1067 samples for 24 types of herbal materia medica were investigated for the presence of aflatoxins (AFs) using immunoaffinity column cleanup and HPLC-coupled to a fluorescence detector after post-column derivatization. AFs were detected in 373 (35%) out of the total samples. Among them, Platycladi Semen (65% for total AFs and 79% for AFB1), Corydalis Rhizoma (53% for total AFs and 32% for AFB1), Corni Fructus (3% for total AFs), Coicis Semen (3% for total AFs and AFB1), Nelumbinis Semen (6% for total AFs and 9% for AFB1), Arecae Semen (18% for AFB1), Polygalae Radix (5% for total AFs and AFB1), and Cassiae Semen (25% for total AFs and 38% for AFB1) exceeded the official limits of 5 and 10 µg/kg, for AFB1 and total AFs (the sum of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, and AFG2), respectively, set by the Taiwan government. We concluded that Platycladi Semen, Corydalis Rhizoma, and Cassiae Semen are the most commonly contaminated by AFs.

Long-Term Intake of Uncaria rhynchophylla Reduces S100B and RAGE Protein Levels in Kainic Acid-Induced Epileptic Seizures Rats.

Epileptic seizures are crucial clinical manifestations of recurrent neuronal discharges in the brain. An imbalance between the excitatory and inhibitory neuronal discharges causes brain damage and cell loss. Herbal medicines offer alternative treatment options for epilepsy because of their low cost and few side effects. We established a rat epilepsy model by injecting kainic acid (KA, 12 mg/kg, i.p.) and subsequently investigated the effect of Uncaria rhynchophylla (UR) and its underlying mechanisms. Electroencephalogram and epileptic behaviors revealed that the KA injection induced epileptic seizures. Following KA injection, S100B levels increased in the hippocampus. This phenomenon was attenuated by the oral administration of UR and valproic acid (VA, 250 mg/kg). Both drugs significantly reversed receptor potentiation for advanced glycation end product proteins. Rats with KA-induced epilepsy exhibited no increase in the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 3, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and chemokine receptor type 2, which play a role in inflammation. Our results provide novel and detailed mechanisms, explaining the role of UR in KA-induced epileptic seizures in hippocampal CA1 neurons.

Effects of herbal mixture extracts on obesity in rats fed a high-fat diet.

The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of three herbal mixture extracts on obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in rats. The prescriptions-Pericarpium citri reticulatae and Fructus crataegi-were used as matrix components and mixed with Ampelopsis grossedentata, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) to form T1, T2, and T3 complexes, respectively. Results revealed that HFD feeding significantly increased body weight gain, fat deposition, plasma lipid profiles, hepatic lipid accumulation, and hepatic vacuoles formation, but decreased plasma levels of adiponectin in rats. Only the T1 complex showed the tendency, although not significantly so, for decreased HFD-induced body weight gain. T1 and T3 complexes significantly reduced HFD-induced fat deposition, and plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Only the T1 complex significantly increased HFD-reduced adiponectin levels in plasma, but decreased HFD-increased triglyceride content in liver tissues. All complexes effectively inhibited HFD-induced vacuoles formation. The content of dihydromyricetin, salvianolic acid B, and EGCG in T1, T2, and T3 complexes was 18.25 ± 0.07%, 22.20 ± 0.10%, and 18.86 ± 0.04%, respectively. In summary, we demonstrated that herbal mixture extracts, especially T1 complex, exhibit antiobesity activity in HFD-fed rats.