ABSTRACT
ObjectiveThe correlation of Pueraria lobata producing areas， climate factors， total flavonoids of P. lobata， polysaccharide content of P. lobata， and antioxidant activity of P.lobata for medicinal application was analyzed， and the relationship between climate factors and the formation of P. lobata quality was evaluated. MethodThe scavenging rates of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl（DPPH） and 2, 2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)（ABTS） radicals by total flavonoids and polysaccharides of P. lobata were detected， and the correlation between the contents of each component and the information of producing areas and climate factors was analyzed. ResultThe ABTS+ scavenging rate by total flavonoids of P.lobata was negatively correlated with altitude （P<0.05） and positively correlated with annual sunshine hours （P<0.05）. The altitude was positively correlated with the total flavonoid content， while the annual sunshine hours were negatively correlated with the total flavonoid content. There was a negative correlation between total flavonoid content and ABTS+ scavenging rate by total flavonoids. In other words， lower altitude and longer annual sunshine hours indicated lower total flavonoid content and higher ABTS+ scavenging rate by total flavonoids. The ABTS+ scavenging rate by polysaccharides of P. lobata was negatively correlated with the frost-free period （P<0.05） and the mean temperature in July （P<0.01）. There was a positive correlation between the polysaccharide content of P. lobata and the frost-free period. The mean temperature in July was positively correlated with the polysaccharide content of P. lobata （P<0.05）. The polysaccharide content of P. lobata was negatively correlated with the ABTS+ scavenging rate by polysaccharides of P. lobata. In other words， a shorter frost-free period in the producing area and lower mean temperature in July indicated lower polysaccharide content of P. lobata and higher ABTS+ scavenging rate by polysaccharides of P. lobata. The mean temperature in July was significantly correlated with the contents of total flavonoids and polysaccharides in P. lobata samples （P<0.05）. The lower mean temperature in July was often accompanied by lower total flavonoid content of P. lobata， lower polysaccharide content of Pueraria lobata， and stronger antioxidant activity of P. lobata samples. ConclusionThe ability of P. lobata to remove ABTS+ is stronger than that of DPPH+. There is a significant correlation between climate factors， content， and antioxidant capacity in each producing area. Further research on the internal law of the formation of medicinal active components of P. lobata induced by core climate factors will provide a scientific basis for revealing the formation mechanism of genuine P. lobata and the subsequent control of P. lobata quality according to the environment of producing areas.
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveThe relevant laws among the growth habits， habitat， medicinal site and sex， taste and efficacy of rattan derived traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） were explored to strengthen the demonstration of the quality theory and to provide theoretical basis for the clinical use and resource development of rattan. MethodThe characteristics， effects， parts， families and growth habits of some TCM from rattan were analyzed. By referring to Chinese Flora， Chinese Materia Medica， Chinese Materia Medica Dictionary and other literature， a total of 48 kinds of Rattan from Chinese medicines included in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia were screened out， and their property and meridian tropism， medicinal parts， habitat and classification of TCM were statistically analyzed. Excel 2013 and SPSS Statistics 26.0 were employed for statistical research. ResultThe results of the analysis of rattan derived Chinese medicine showed that in the families and genera， Tetrandaceae > Dioscorea > Leguminoa > Cucurbitaceae > Woodtonaceae， etc. In the nature， cold > warm > flat > cool > hot； Bitter > sweet > octane > acid. In the liver meridian， liver > lung > heart > spleen > stomach = bladder = kidney > large intestine. In medicinal parts， root and rhizome > vine stem > fruit seed > flower > vascular bundle = whole grass. In terms of habitat distribution， Guangdong > Guangxi > Yunnan > Fujian > Zhejiang， et al. In the classification of TCM， dispelling wind and dampness > clearing heat > improving water and dampness > promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. ConclusionRattan from TCM are mainly cold in nature， bitter in flavors， and entered liver meridian， and the root and stem of Rattan are mainly used in medicine， mostly distributed in the southeast coast of China. The main effects are to channel and activate collaterals， dispel wind and dehumidification， promote blood circulation and relieve pain， clear heat and detoxify. The morphology habit， growth environment and medicinal parts of Rattan from Chinese medicine were correlated with the property and efficacy. There was a certain correlation between the growth habits， habitat and medicinal site of rattan derived Chinese medicine and its sexual and taste effect， which provided reference for the development and utilization of rattan derived Chinese medicine resources.
ABSTRACT
Objective To verify the anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) on adjuvant-induced arthritis using a rat model.Methods A murine model of chronic ankle arthritis was established in 90 Wistar rats by injection of 0.1 ml of complete Freund adjuvant (CFA) into the pads of their left paws.They were then randomly divided into a BoNT group (n =30) which received an intra-articular injection of 0.1 ml (20 IU) of BoNT/A,an NS group (n=30) which received intra-articular injection of0.1 ml of normal saline solution and a sham group (n =30) which were punctured without any injection.In addition,30 normal rats formed a control group.Infrared thermal imaging was performed and an index of arthritis was evaluated every three days.The infrared thermal imaging revealed the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) through hematoxy-eosin (HE) staining.Results The arthritis index began to increase 3 days after the injection of CFA and it had increased significantly after 10 days,reaching a peak value of 18,24 days after the injection.The infrared thermal imaging showed that the temperature in the right paw increased greatly after the injection.Following the development of arthritis,the temperature declined gradually,arriving at a steady temperature of between 37.5 and 38.0 ℃ in both ankles 20 days after the injection.The average temperature in both paws of the BoNT group had decreased significantly more by 7 and 14 days after the injection than in the NS and sham groups.The expression of IL-1β in the synovium of the ankle joint also had decreased significantly more in the BoNT group after 7 and 14 days.HE scoring showed an obvious histopathologic change in the hypertrophic synovium,inflamnatory cell infiltration,cartilage destruction and exposure of subchondral bone after 7 and 14 days compared with right after the injection in all groups except the control group.Moreover,the average HE scores of the BoNT group rats after 7 and 14 days were significantly lower than those seen in the NS and sham groups at the same time points.Conclusion Intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin type A has an anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis induced by complete Freund adjuvant,at least in rats.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the analgesic effect of intra-articular botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA) injection in rats with adjuvant-arthritis pain,to quantify the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) associated with arthritis pain,and to investigate the retrograde axonal transport of BoNT-A into the DRG after peripheral injection.Methods Ninety Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups A,B,C,D and E,each of 18.A murine model of adjuvant-arthritis pain was established by injecting 50 μL of complete Freund's adjuvant into the left ankle in all the mice except those in group A.The control group A was treated with intra-articular injection of 50 μL of saline solution.Three weeks later,groups A and B were treated with a 20 μL intra-articular saline injection,while groups C,D and E received an intra-articular injection of BoNT-A at 1 U/20 μL,3 U/20 μL or 10 U/20 μL respectively.Pain threshold and muscle strength were graded before and 1,5,15 and 21 days after the modelling,as well as at 1,3,5 and 14 days after the BoNT-A treatments.Protein expression and the CGRP-positive cell number were observed,as well as any BoNT-A-cleaved synaptosomal-associated 25 kDa protein (cl-SNAP-25) in the DRG using Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Results Compared with group A,there was a significant decrease in the average mechanical withdrawal threshold and muscle strength and a significant increase in the protein expression and the CGRP-positive cell number in the other 4 groups.Compared with group B,the mechanical withdrawal threshold had increased significantly more in groups D and E at 5 days after the BoNT-A injection and in group C at 14 days after the treatment.Compared with group B,the protein expression and the number of CGRP-positive cells were significantly lower in groups D and E at 3 days after the BoNT-A injection.The decrease in group C was significant after 14 days.No significant differences were found between groups D and E in any measurement at any time point.There was no significant difference among groups B,C and D in terms of muscle strength.Five days after the BoNT-A injection,significantly decreased muscle strength was observed in group E.In addition,BoNT-A cleaved-SNAP-25 was detected in the DRG.Conclusion BoNT-A can reduce arthritis pain through inhibiting the expression of CGRP in the DRG.Its analgesic effect has a dose response.A peripheral injection of BoNT-A can arrive at the DRG through retrograde axonal transport.