ABSTRACT
Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese medicine also known as Gan Cao(GC),is frequently included in clinical prescriptions for the treatment of pneumonia.However,the pharmacological com-ponents of GC for pneumonia treatment are rarely explored.Gan An He Ji oral liquid(GAHJ)has a simple composition and contains GC liquid extracts and paregoric,and has been used clinically for many years.Therefore,GAHJ was selected as a compound preparation for the study of GC in the treatment of pneumonia.We conducted an in vivo study of patients with pneumonia undergoing GAHJ treatments for three days.Using the intelligent mass spectrometry data-processing technologies to analyze the meta-bolism of GC in vivo,we obtained 168 related components of GC in humans,consisting of 24 prototype components and 144 metabolites,with 135 compounds screened in plasma and 82 in urine.After analysis of the metabolic transformation relationship and relative exposure,six components(liquiritin,liquiritigenin,glycyrrhizin,glycyrrhetinic acid,daidzin,and formononetin)were selected as potential effective components.The experimental results based on two animal pneumonia models and the in-flammatory cell model showed that the mixture of these six components was effective in the treatment of pneumonia and lung injury and could effectively downregulate the level of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS).Interestingly,glycyrrhetinic acid exhibited the strongest inhibition on iNOS and the highest exposure in vivo.The following molecular dynamic simulations indicated a strong bond between glycyrrhetinic acid and iNOS.Thus,the current study provides a pharmaceutical basis for GC and reveals the possible corresponding mechanisms in pneumonia treatment.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the possibility of differentiation and spermiogenesis of spermatocytes under in vitro condition. Methods Testis biopsy was done in 11 cases with non-obstructive azoospermia.Cells were prepared from 9 samples with spermatocytes and cultured in medium containing follicle stimulating hormone 50 U/L and testosterone 1 μmol/L.Sperms and cells of other types were counted and the proportion of every cell type was calculated before and 24 hours after culture.Flow cytometry was conducted before and 24 hours after culture in 2 cases to analyze the ploidy of the cells. Results The proportion of sperm in 9 samples was ( 17.7 ± 8.9 ) ％ before culture and ( 25.6 ± 10.3 ) ％ after culture ( P =0.004).Sperm increased significantly after culture.Flow cytometry demonstrated that the diagram of 4 n,2 n and 1 n converted to 2 n and broader 1 n. Conclusion Meiosis of spermatocytes and the transformation of spermatid into sperm could arise in in vitro culture.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1?(HIF-1?) and heparanase(HPA),and their relationship during hypoxia in human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3.Methods SKOV3 cells were incubated in different groups,immucytochemistry was applied to qualitatively assay HPA protein,Western-blot was used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1? and HPA,and mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR.Results The positive expression of HPA localized in cytoplasma.Western-blot analysis revealed that the protein expression of HIF-1? was significantly increased(P