ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effects of Astragalus polysaccharides on liver injury induced by cadmium chloride. Methods The cadmium chloride solution was administrated i.v. to develope rat model of liver injury. Rats were randomized divided into three groups;control group, model group, Astragalus polysaccharides intervention group. After the 5 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and the livers were weighted, alanine aminotrans ferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), the contents of cadmium(Cd) was checked by plasma mass spectrometerthe(ICP-MS), the contents of interleukin-2(IL-2) and transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) was measured by ELISA, the the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax was observed by immunohisto-chemistry staining method. Results The liver weight was increased in model group, the level of ALT, AST and LDH were also ascended in model group, the contents of Cd, TGF-β1 and the protein expression of Bax all increased in mode group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). The content of IL-2 and the protein expression of Bcl-2 were decreased in mode group (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). Compared with the model group, the liver index was decreased in Astragalus polysaccharides intervention group, the levels of ALT, AST and LDH were also reduced in Astragalus poly-saccharides intervention group, the contents of Cd, TGF-β1 and the protein expression of Bax were all dropped in Astragalus polysaccharides intervention group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The content of IL-2 and the protein expression of Bcl-2 increased in Astragalus polysaccharides intervention group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). Conclusions Astragalus polysaccharides may reduce the oxidative stress injury of rats liver cells indued by cadmium chloride, and its mechanism may be explained by regulation of Bcl- 2/Bax protein expression.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To observe the effects of Yougui pill (Traditional Chinese Medicine) on the related factors of Wnt signal pathway of rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and explore its protective mechanism.@*METHODS@#Sixty SPF SD rats were randomly divided into the sham-operative group, model group, glucosamine sulfate group, high-dose, middle-dose, low-dose of Yougui pill treated group (=10). KOA model was established by modified Hulth method for six weeks. The rats in the high, middle and low-dose of Yougui pill group were treated with Yougui pills at the doses of 20,10 and 5 g/kg respectively by gastrogavage once a day for 8 weeks, while equal volume of normal saline was given to those in the sham and model control group and an equal volume of glucosamine sulfate (1.7 g/kg·d) was given to those in glucosamine sulfate group for 8 weeks. The knee joint was removed after the last dose of drug. The pathological changes of cartilaginous tissues were observed under a microscope. The mRNA levels of Dickkopf homolog 1(DKK1), Wnt induced secreted protein 1(WISP1), Wnt1, low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5(LRP5) and beta -catenin in rats cartilaginous tissues were analyzed by using RT-PCR method, and the protein contents of DKK1, WISP1, Wnt1, LRP5 and beta-catenin in cartilaginous tissues were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham group, the articular cartilage was severely damaged, the Mankin score was increased significantly (<0. 05), the mRNA and protein expression levels of DKK1 in cartilaginous tissue were markedly decreased(<0.05), while those of WISP, Wnt1, LRP5 and beta-catenin were increased significantly in model group(<0.05). Compared with model group, the articular cartilage lesions was light (<0.05), the Mankin Score was decreased significantly(<0.05), and the mRNA and protein levels of DKK1 in cartilaginous tissue were increased(<0.05), while those of WISP, Wnt1, LRP5 and beta-catenin were decreased in Yougui pill high-dose group and glucosamine sulfate group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Yougui pill has protective effects on the KOA by inhibiting the expressions of WISP, Wnt1, LRP5, beta-catenin and increasing the expression of DKK1 cytokine in the Wnt signaling pathway.