Therapeutic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills on migraine / 中草药

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills in the treatment of migraine in various experimental models. Methods: The experimental model of nitroglycerin-induced migraine in rats was used to observe the preventive effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills. The analgesic effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills was observed by chemical stimulation, thermal stimulation in mice, mechanical stimulation and formalin stimulation in rats. The sedative effect of Toutongning Dropping Pills was observed by using the mice convulsion model induced by strychnine nitrate and the model of spontaneous activity in normal mice. The blood-activating effects of Toutongning Dropping Pills were observed in rats with hyperviscosity and mice with microcirculation disorder. Results: Five days after Toutongning Dropping Pills were given, compared with the model group, 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg drug dose group significantly reduced the number of climbing cage and scratching head in migraine rats, and shortened the fading time of pink ears. Toutongning Dropping Pills 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg dose group significantly reduced the number of writhing induced by acetic acid in mice; While it had no obvious effect on the thermal stimulation model. Toutongning Dropping Pills 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg dose group could significantly improve pain threshold of the mechanical stimulation of rats, and shorten the phase II time of formalin pain in rats; 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg drug dose group could significantly prolong the incubation period of convulsion and reduce the number of spontaneous activities in mice; 0.5 g/kg and 1 g/kg and 2 g /kg drug dose group significantly inhibited the increase of whole blood viscosity in rats; 1.5 g/kg and 3 g/kg drug dose group significantly improved the blood flow pattern in mice, reduced erythrocyte aggregation, and increased the number of capillary intersection points. Conclusion: Toutongning Dropping Pills have obvious analgesic, sedative, blood-activating functions, and have therapeutic effects on experimental migraine.

GC-MS analysis of volatile oil from traditional She medicine Clematis Florida var. plena flower / 中草药

Objective: Clematis florida var. plena is a traditional She medicine. In this paper, we aim to study the main chemical components of essential oil of C. florida var. plena flower. The study will provide reference for large-scale reasonable cultivation and quality standard establishment of C. florida var. plena. Methods: C. florida var. plena flower's essential oil was extracted with steam distillation and it was identified by GC-MS. Area normalization method was used to measure the percentage of each components. Results: In the experiment, 32 element were detected in essential oil of C. florida var. plena flower, among which 20 chemical components were identified. There are 13 chemical components over 1%, and the top five compounds are palmitic acid (26.94%), phytol (10.58%), linoleic acid (6.13%), pentadecane (4.54%) and n-tricosane (3.84%). Conclusion: GC-MS was first used to analyze the main chemical components of C. florida var. plena's flower essential oil. The study provides scientific basis for cultivation, production, development, utilization of C. florida var. plena.

Effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on bioavailability and brain distribution of curcumin by nasal delivery / 中国中药杂志

Curcumin( Cur) is a natural active substance extracted from the roots or tubers of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities on brain diseases. Due to the poor stability,low solubility,poor absorption and low bioavailability of curcumin,N-acetyl-L-cysteine( NAC) was used as an absorption enhancer and mixed with curcumin to improve the absorption of curcumin in the body. In this paper,curcumin was smashed by airflow pulverization,and Cur-NAC mixtures were prepared by being grinded with liquid. Then,the raw material and the product were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry( DSC),X-ray diffraction( XRD) for structural characterization. The dissolution was determined by high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC) analysis. The characteristic peaks of the samples prepared by grinding method were similar to those of the raw materials,while the melting temperature and the accumulated dissolution degree were not significantly changed. The crystal forms of the products were not changed,and no new crystal form was formed after grinding. After the administration of intranasal powder,blood samples were collected from the orbit,while the whole brain tissues were removed from the skull and dissected into 10 anatomical regions. The concentrations of curcumin in these samples were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The concentrations of curcumin in plasma and brain were compared at different time points. After intranasal administration of two drugs,it was found that the concentration of curcumin after sniffing up the mixtures in plasma was high,and the concentration of the drug in the olfactory bulb,hippocampus,and pons was increased significantly. Within 0. 083-0. 5 h,the olfactory bulb,piriform lobe and hippocampus remained high concentrations,the endodermis,striatum,hypothalamus and midbrain reached high concentrations within 1-3 h; and the cerebellum,pons and brain extension maintained relatively high concentrations within 3-7 h. The experiment showed that nasal administration of Cur-NAC mixtures can significantly improve the bioavailability of curcumin,and lead to significant differences in brain tissue distribution.

Study on quality standard of imitation ecological planting Anoectochilus roxburghii under forest covering / 中草药

Objective To study the quality standard of the imitation ecological planting Anoectochilus roxburghii under forest covering. Methods The identification of medicinal properties, microscopic characteristics, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and content determination of A. roxburghii cultivated under forest were carried out in this study, and the moisture content, ash and acid-insoluble ash were determined according to Chinese Pharmacopoeia of 2015 edition. Results A. roxburghii cultivated under forest exhibits specific properties in characteristics, microscopic features and TLC results. The average moisture content of A. roxburghii cultivated under forest from five planting bases was 8.69%, the average ash was 11.93%, and the average acid-insoluble ash was 3.27%. Content determination results of the average quality score of quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferide were at 0.021 0%,,0.024 7%, and 0.027 3%, respectively. Conclusion The above method is simple, specific and reproducible, which will provide the basis for the quality standard of the imitation ecological planting A. roxburghii under forest covering.

Study on essential oil separation from Forsythia suspensa oil-bearing water body based on vapor permeation membrane separation technology / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the feasibility of vapor permeation membrane technology in separating essential oil from oil-water extract by taking the Forsythia suspensa as an example. The polydimethylsiloxane/polyvinylidene fluoride (PDMS/PVDF) composite flat membrane and a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat membrane was collected as the membrane material respectively. Two kinds of membrane osmotic liquids were collected by self-made vapor permeation device. The yield of essential oil separated and enriched from two kinds of membrane materials was calculated, and the microscopic changes of membrane materials were analyzed and compared. Meanwhile, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to compare and analyze the differences in chemical compositions of essential oil between traditional steam distillation, PVDF membrane enriched method and PDMS/PVDF membrane enriched method. The results showed that the yield of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane was significantly higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane, and the GC-MS spectrum showed that the content of main compositions was higher than that of PDMS/PVDF membrane; The GC-MS spectra showed that the components of essential oil enriched by PVDF membrane were basically the same as those obtained by traditional steam distillation. The above results showed that vapor permeation membrane separation technology shall be feasible for the separation of Forsythia essential oil-bearing water body, and PVDF membrane was more suitable for separation and enrichment of Forsythia essential oil than PDMS/PVDF membrane.

Pharmacokinetics of α-asarone after intranasal and intravenous administration with PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles / 中国中药杂志

PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles were prepared by using organic solvent evaporation method, and their in vivo distribution and brain targeting after intranasal administration were studied as compared with intravenous administration. The results showed that brain targeting coefficient of PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles after intranasal and intravenous administration was 1.65 and 1.16 respectively. The absolute bioavailability, brain-targeting efficiency and the percentage of nasal-brain delivery of PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles were 74.2%, 142.24 and 29.83%, respectively after intranasal administration. The results of fluorescence labeling showed that the fluorescent intensity of coumarin-6 in the brain tissue was the highest after intranasal administration of PLA-α-asarone fluorescent nanoparticles, achieving the purpose of brain-targeted drug delivery. The fluorescent intensity of coumarin-6 in liver tissue after intravenous administration of PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles was much higher than that after intranasal administration, indicating that intranasal administration of PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles could decrease drug-induced hepatotoxicity. In addition, the fluorescent intensity of coumarin-6 in lung tissue was weaker after intranasal administration, which solved the shortcomings of intranasal administration of α-asarone dry powder prepared by airflow pulverization method. In vivo studies indicated that PLA-α-asarone nanoparticles after intranasal administration had a stronger brain targeting as compared with intravenous administration.

Adsorption characteristics of proteins on membrane surface and effect of protein solution environment on permeation behavior of berberine / 中国中药杂志

In order to explore the adsorption characteristics of proteins on the membrane surface and the effect of protein solution environment on the permeation behavior of berberine, berberine and proteins were used as the research object to prepare simulated solution. Low field NMR, static adsorption experiment and membrane separation experiment were used to study the interaction between the proteins and ceramic membrane or between the proteins and berberine. The static adsorption capacity of proteins, membrane relative flux, rejection rate of proteins, transmittance rate of berberine and the adsorption rate of proteins and berberine were used as the evaluation index. Meanwhile, the membrane resistance distribution, the particle size distribution and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) were determined to investigate the adsorption characteristics of proteins on ceramic membrane and the effect on membrane separation process of berberine. The results showed that the ceramic membrane could adsorb the proteins and the adsorption model was consistent with Langmuir adsorption model. In simulating the membrane separation process, proteins were the main factor to cause membrane fouling. However, when the concentration of proteins was 1 g•L⁻¹, the proteins had no significant effect on membrane separation process of berberine.

Determination of five kinds of heavy metals in Anoectochilus roxburghii by ICP-MS / 中草药

Objective: To establish the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method for content determination of five kinds of heavy metals (copper, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead) in Anoectochilus roxburghii. Methods: After the treatment of microwave digestion, ICP-MS method was used in the determination. Results: The standard liquid working curves of Cu, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb had good linearity, with the correlation coefficients of more than 0.998. The average recovery of Cu was 104.3% with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.0%, the average recovery of arsenic was 102.2% with RSD of 4.3%, the average recovery Cd was 100.5% with RSD of 0.4%, the average recovery rate of Hg was 101.0% with RSD of 3.6%, and the average recovery of Pb was 101.1% with RSD of 1.1%. Conclusion: The method is stable, reliable, fast, and accurate, and has high sensitivity and good reproducibility. It can be used for the simultaneous determination of Cu, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in A. roxburghii.

Determination of 666 and DDT pesticide residues in Anoectochili Roxburghii Gemma Terminalis by gas chromatography / 中草药

Objective: Determination of 666 (BHC) and DDT residues in Anoectochili Roxburghii Gemma Terminalis. Methods: Using gas chromatography (GC) for limited detecting the eight kinds of organochlorine pesticide residues, such as BHC (α-BHC, β-BHC, γ-BHC, and δ-BHC) and DDT (PP '-DDE, PP'-DDD, OP '-DDT, and PP'-DDT) in Anoectochili Roxburghii Gemma Terminalis. Results: Linear BHC and DDT standard curve were good, the correlation coefficient was 0.9988-0.9997, the average recovery rates were 95.4%-98.9%, 1%-2.98% RSD. The detection limitation was 0.0053-0.021 g/L. Result of Chinese herbal medici: β-BHC for G 0.0009mg/kg(Among them, α-BHC, γ-BHC, δ-BHC, PP'-DDE, OP'-DDT, PP'-DDD, PP'-DDT not detected) Conclusion: The method is accurate, reliable, scientific, and feasible, and has higher sensitivity and linear range, which can be used for quality control of pesticide residues in water.

Effect of p38MAPK inhibitor on the soft palate reconstruction of the rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia / 中国耳鼻咽喉头颈外科

OBJECTIVE To explore the role of P38MAPK inhibitor on the soft palate reconstruction of the rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia. METHODS The animals were divided into normal control group, hypoxia control group and SB203580+hypoxia group (every group 20 rats). After 5 weeks, the expressions of p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK protein on the soft palate of the rats were detected with immunohistochemical techniques and western blot. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group, the soft palate tissue thickness of the hypoxia group were increased most obviously; Levels of p38MAPK were increased in hypoxia control group; Compared with the hypoxia control group, the levels of p-p38MAPK group were decreased in SB203580+hypoxia group. CONCLUSION p38MAPK may play important roles in the soft palate reconstruction of the rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Role of NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK in lung injury in rats suffered chronic intermittent hypoxia / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the role of NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK in lung injury in rats suffered chronic intermittent hypoxia.
@*METHODS@#Experiment were divided into a control group and a hypoxia group (n=20). After 5 weeks of hypoxia treatment, the expression of NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK in lung tissues of rats were detected by optical microscope and immunohistochemical techniques and Western blot.
@*RESULTS@#Pathological examination showed pulmonary interval thickness was (0.45 ± 0.12) μm and (2.15 ± 0.49) μm in the control and hypoxia group, respectively (P<0. 05). Compared with the control group, the levels of both NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK were increased in the hypoxia group (P<0. 01), which were confirmed by Western blot.
@*CONCLUSION@#NF-κB p65 and p38 MAPK may play important roles in lung injury reconstruction in of the rats treated by chronic intermittent hypoxia.

Studies on preparation by SPG membrane emulsification method and in vitro characterization of tetradrine-tashionone II(A)-PLGA composite microspheres / 中国中药杂志

Tetradrine-tashionone II(A)-PLGA composite microspheres were prepared by the SPG membrane emulsification method, and the characterization of tetradrine-tashionone II(A) -PLGA composite microspheres were studied in this experiment. The results of IR, DSC and XRD showed that teradrine and tashionone II(A) in composite microspheres were highly dispersed in the PLGA with amorphous form. The results of tetradrine-tashionone II(A) -PLGA composite microspheres in vitro release experiment showed that the cumulative release amounts of tetradrine and tashionone II(A) were 6.44% and 3.60% in 24 h, and the cumulative release amounts of tetradrine and tashionone II(A) were 89.02% and 21.24% in 17 d. The process of drug in vitro release accorded with the model of Riger-Peppas. Tetradrine-tashionone II(A) -PLGA composite microspheres had slow-release effect, and it could significantly reduce the burst release, prolong the therapeutic time, decrease the dosage of drugs and provide a new idea and method to prepare traditional Chinese medicine compound.

Pharmacokinetic study on dry powder inhalation administration of α-asarone in rats / 中国中药杂志

To study the pharmacokinetic characteristics and absolute bioavailability of α-asarone through dry powder inhalation in rats, and compare with that through oral administration and intravenous injection. A HPLC method was established for the determination of α-asarone in rat plasma to detect the changes in plasma concentrations of α-asarone through dry powder inhalation (20 mg · kg(-1)), oral administration (80 mg · kg(-1)) and intravenous injection (20 mg · kg(-1)) in rats. DAS 2.0 software was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters. The absolute bioavailability of α-asarone was calculated according to AUC(0-t)) of administration routes and administration doses. According to the results, α-asarone showed good linear relations (r = 0. 999 4) at concentrations between 0.282-14.1 mg · L(-1), with the limit of detection (LOD) at 0.212 mg · L(-1). Through dry powder inhalation, oral administration and intravenous injection of α-asarone, the metabolic processes of α-asarone in rats conformed to one, two and three compartment models respectively, with the elimination half-life of (95.48 ± 48.28), (64.34 ± 27.59), (66.99 ± 29.76) min. According to the bioavailability formula, the absolute bioavailability of α-asarone through dry powder inhalation and oral administration were 78.32% and 33. 60%, respectively. This study showed that significant increase in elimination half-life and absolute bioavailability of α-asarone through dry powder inhalation, which lays a theoretical foundation for preparing α-asarone dry powder inhalers.

Spectrophotometric determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

A new, simple and sensitive method was developed for the determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace in this study. The alkaline resin-based spherical activated carbon was used to collect sample of silicon tetrahydride at workplace. Silicon tetrahydride was then desorbed from active carbon in 100°C hot water. After reacting with ammonium molybdate, oxalic acid and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene alpha-naphthol amino sulfonic acid under acid condition, silicon tetrahydride was transformed into silicon molybdenum blue. The absorbance of silicon molybdenum blue was quantitatively measured at the wavelength of 680 nm. The results showed that the average sampling efficiency and desorption efficiency were 97.53% and 94.94%, respectively by this method. Detection limits were 0.054 μg/mL for the spectrophotometric method and 0.14 mg/m(3) for the determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace (sampling volume was 7.5 L). The conversion rate of silicon tetrahydride gradually decreased when storage time of samples was extended. The descent rate of sample was less than 10% when the sample was sealed for 7 days in the room temperature. It was concluded that this spectrophotometric method can be successfully used to determine silicon tetrahydride in the worksites.

Spectrophotometric determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

A new, simple and sensitive method was developed for the determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace in this study. The alkaline resin-based spherical activated carbon was used to collect sample of silicon tetrahydride at workplace. Silicon tetrahydride was then desorbed from active carbon in 100°C hot water. After reacting with ammonium molybdate, oxalic acid and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene alpha-naphthol amino sulfonic acid under acid condition, silicon tetrahydride was transformed into silicon molybdenum blue. The absorbance of silicon molybdenum blue was quantitatively measured at the wavelength of 680 nm. The results showed that the average sampling efficiency and desorption efficiency were 97.53% and 94.94%, respectively by this method. Detection limits were 0.054 μg/mL for the spectrophotometric method and 0.14 mg/m(3) for the determination of silicon tetrahydride in the air of workplace (sampling volume was 7.5 L). The conversion rate of silicon tetrahydride gradually decreased when storage time of samples was extended. The descent rate of sample was less than 10% when the sample was sealed for 7 days in the room temperature. It was concluded that this spectrophotometric method can be successfully used to determine silicon tetrahydride in the worksites.

Pathological changes of upper and lower respiratory tissue in rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the pathological changes of chronic intermittent hypoxia on upper and lower respiratory tissue in experimental rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 40 female SD rats were divided into 2 groups. Twenty rats were fed in normal state (control group), and 20 rats were fed in hypoxia environment (hypoxia group). The pathological changes of upper and lower respiratory tissue were observed under optical microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Chronic intermittent hypoxia resulted in irreversible changes both at upper and lower respiratory tract in rats. The thickness of the lamina propria in soft palate was significantly increased in hypoxia group (125.85 ± 6.34) µm vs. (57.26 ± 4.67) µm (t=36.330, P<0.01). Lung pathological examination in hypoxia group showed pulmonary interval thickening (2.15 ± 0.49) µm vs. (0.45 ± 0.12) µm (t=14.132, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study confirmed that long-term hypoxia can lead to organization reconstruction in upper and lower respiratory tract in rats. In OSAHS patients, it is suggested that earlier intervention could alliviate the pathological changes in respiratory system.</p>

Study of pretreatment on microfiltration of huanglian jiedu decoction with ceramic membranes based on solution environment regulation theory / 中国中药杂志

To optimize the pretreatment of Huanglian Jiedu decoction before ceramic membranes and verify the effect of different pretreatments in multiple model system existed in Chinese herb aqueous extract. The solution environment of Huanglian Jiedu decoction was adjusted by different pretreatments. The flux of microfiltration, transmittance of the ingredients and removal rate of common polymers were as indicators to study the effect of different solution environment It was found that flocculation had higher stable permeate flux, followed by vacuuming filtration and adjusting pH to 9. The removal rate of common polymers was comparatively high. The removal rate of protein was slightly lower than the simulated solution. The transmittance of index components were higher when adjust pH and flocculation. Membrane blocking resistance was the major factor in membrane fouling. Based on the above indicators, the effect of flocculation was comparatively significant, followed by adjusting pH to 9.

Studies on baicalin ethylcellulose microspheres for intranasal administration / 中国中药杂志

In this study, solvent evaporation method was used to preparing baicalin ethylcellulose microspheres for intranasal administration. The prepared microspheres were round with certain rough surface. The average drug loading and entrapment efficiency was (33. 31 ± 0. 045)% , (63. 34 ± 0. 11)% , respectively. As the characteristic crystalline peaks of baicalin were observed in the microspheres sample, the result of X-ray diffractometric analysis indicated that the baicalin was present in crystalline form after its entrapment in ethylcellulose matrix. By investigating the thermogram of microspheres sample, it was found that endothermic peak of baicalin was shifted from 211. 8 °C to 244. 2 °C and associated with the first broad endothermic peak of ethylcellulose. This could confirm that baicalin was loaded into ethylcellulose, nor simply physical mixture. The powder flowability test exhibited that the specific energy of microspheres was 3. 57 mJ . g-1 and the pressure drop was 2. 22 mBar when air kept the speed of 2 mm . s-1 through the powder bed with the force was 15 kPa. The consequence of the baicalin in vitro released from microspheres showed that the pure baicalin sample displayed faster (90%) release than microspheres sample (75%) in 7 h. Fitting model for release curve before 7 h, the results showed that the pure baicalin sample and the microsphere sample accorded with first order model (R2 = 0. 990 4) and Riger-Peppas model(R2 = 0. 961 2), respectively. Ex vivo rabbit nasal mucosa permeability experiment revealed that the value of cumulative release rate per unit area of the microsphere sample was 1. 56 times that of the pure baicalin sample. This provided the foundation for the in vivo pharmacokinetic study.

Size-dependent biological effects on vascular endothelial cells induced by different particulate matters / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The contribution of particles to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been enlightened by epidemiologic and experimental studies. However, adverse biological effects of the particles with different sizes on cardiovascular cells have not been well recognized. In this study, sub-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to increasing concentrations of pure quartz particles (DQ) of three sizes (DQPM1, <1 μm; DQPM3-5, 3-5 μm; DQPM5, 5 μm) and carbon black particles of two sizes (CB0.1, <0.1 μm; CB1, <1 μm) for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was estimated by measuring the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cell viability. Nitric oxide (NO) generation and cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) releases were analyzed by using NO assay and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. It was found that both particles induced adverse biological effects on HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The size of particle directly influenced the biological activity. For quartz, the smaller particles induced stronger cytotoxicity and higher levels of cytokine responses than those particles of big size. For carbon black particles, CB0.1 was more capable of inducing adverse responses on HUVECs than CB1 only at lower particle concentrations, in contrast to those at higher concentrations. Meanwhile, our data also revealed that quartz particles performed stronger cell damage and produced higher levels of TNF-α than carbon black particles, even if particles size was similar. In conclusion, particle size as well as particle composition should be both considered in assessing vascular endothelial cells injury and inflammation responses induced by particles.

Size-dependent biological effects on vascular endothelial cells induced by different particulate matters / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

The contribution of particles to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity has been enlightened by epidemiologic and experimental studies. However, adverse biological effects of the particles with different sizes on cardiovascular cells have not been well recognized. In this study, sub-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to increasing concentrations of pure quartz particles (DQ) of three sizes (DQPM1, <1 μm; DQPM3-5, 3-5 μm; DQPM5, 5 μm) and carbon black particles of two sizes (CB0.1, <0.1 μm; CB1, <1 μm) for 24 h. Cytotoxicity was estimated by measuring the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cell viability. Nitric oxide (NO) generation and cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) releases were analyzed by using NO assay and enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. It was found that both particles induced adverse biological effects on HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. The size of particle directly influenced the biological activity. For quartz, the smaller particles induced stronger cytotoxicity and higher levels of cytokine responses than those particles of big size. For carbon black particles, CB0.1 was more capable of inducing adverse responses on HUVECs than CB1 only at lower particle concentrations, in contrast to those at higher concentrations. Meanwhile, our data also revealed that quartz particles performed stronger cell damage and produced higher levels of TNF-α than carbon black particles, even if particles size was similar. In conclusion, particle size as well as particle composition should be both considered in assessing vascular endothelial cells injury and inflammation responses induced by particles.