Comparison of anxiety susceptibility between FH/Wjd rats and SD rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim With SD rats as control, to observe the anxiety susceptibility of FH/Wjd rats. Methods The anxiety behavior of 3-month-old SD rats and age-matched FH/Wjd rats were evaluated by elevated plus-maze test and open field test. The contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA) and its metabolite from the cortex were detected by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, and the metabolic ratios of DA and 5-HT were calculated. The activities of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and monoamine oxidase (MAO), the contents of corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay in cortex. The expression of COMT was detected by polymerase chain reaction. The expression of all genes hippocampus was detected by mRNA-seq. Results As compared with SD rats, in FH/Wjd rats, the closed arms' distance and the total distance were significandy higher in elevated plus-maze; the central distance was significantly shorter, and the total distance was significantly longer in open field. The contents of DA,5-HT and DOPAC in cortex were significantly lower, and there was no significant difference in HVA and 5-HIAA. The ratio of HVA/DA and 5-HIAA/5-HT, the activity of COMT and MAO, the level of CORT and ACTH, the mRNA expression of COMTwere all higher. The differential genes of FH/Wjd rats and SD rats were mainly enriched in the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway. Conclusions Compared with SD rats, FH/Wjd rats have lower DA and 5-HT contents, hypermetabolism, hyperactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, abnormal expression of COMT and gene encoding neuropsychiatric system. Therefore, FH/Wjd rats have obvious anxiety characteristics.

Research progress of effect of anxiolytic traditional Chinese medicines and formulas on neurotransmitters / 中国中药杂志

Anxiety disorders are a common mental illness that seriously endangered physical and mental health of human beings. The etiology of anxiety disorders is closely related to the abnormality of monoamines neurotransmitters, amino acids neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. The long-term use of anti-anxiety chemical drugs has some adverse effects, such as constipation, muscle relaxation, lethargy, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. However, traditional Chinese medicines have advantages of multi-component, multi-target coordination, with less adverse reactions. Therefore, it is a promising prospect to develop novel anti-anxiety drugs from traditional Chinese medicines and formulas. This article reviewed some traditional Chinese medicines and formulas that can relieve anxiety symptoms. These include traditional Chinese medicines(Panax ginseng, Lycium ruthenium, Morus alba, Bupleurum plus dragon bone oyster soup, Chailong Jieyu Pills, and Naogongtai Formulas) with the effect on monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; traditional Chinese medicines(Rehmannia glutinosa, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa, Jielv Anshen Decoction, Baixiangdan Capsules, Antianxietic Compound Prescription Capsules) with the effect on amino acid neurotransmitters, such as glutamic acid, γ-aminobutyrc acid; and traditional Chinese medicines(P. ginseng, Xiaoyao San, Shuyu Ningxin Decoction)with the effect on neuropeptide Y pathway, with the aim to provide theoretical basis for the further development of some novel and more effective anti-anxiety therapeutics from traditional Chinese medicine and formulas.

Therapeutic effects of total alkaloids of fructus hordei germinatus in hyperprolactinemis rats

Fructus Hordei Germinatus is widely used in treating hyperprolactinemia as a kind of Chinese traditional herb in China. However, its active composition of curing hyperprolactinemia remains unclear. This study investigates the activity of total alkaloids of F. H. Germinatus [AFH] in hyperprolactinemia rats. High-dose, middle-dose and low-dose AFH were administered into the stomach of hyperprolactinemia rats for 30 days. It revealed that high-dose AFH had obvious curative effect in treating hyperprolactinemia. It could regulate serum E2, P, PRL, FSH, LH levels to normal, decrease the pituitary prolactin positive cell number, mRNA expression level and inhibit the hyperplasia of mammary gland in hyperprolactinemia model rats effectively. The F. H. Germinatus contained total alkaloids 42. 74 +/- 0. 08mg hordenine equivalent [HE]/g the sample using acid dye colorimetry method. F. H. Germinatus should be developed as an anti-hyperprolactinemia product deeply

Expressions of type I and type III collagens and tenascin-C in rat bone mesenchymal stem cells co-cultured with ligament fibroblasts / 生物医学工程学杂志

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can be directed to differentiate into a variety of cell types depending on their micro-environment. In this study, rat BMSCs were co-cultured with rat ligament fibroblasts during different time courses. The mRNA expressions of type I, type III collagens and tenascin-C were measured by real time RT-PCR, and the corresponding protein levels of type I and type III collagens by radioimmunoassay. Results show that the mRNA expressions of type I and type III collagens in the BMSCs were 2 times up-regulated after a 6-day co-culture, and the relative mRNA expressions of type I and type III collagens were 3.9 +/- 0.2 and 1.9 +/- 0.2, while they were 1.9 +/- 0.3 and 0.8 +/- 0.1 in the control groups, respectively. The protein syntheses of these two collagens were also increased after a 12-day co-culture; the type I and type III collagens synthesis were 13.6 +/- 1.3 ng/microg and 5.9 +/- 0.5 ng/microg in co-culture groups and 12.4 +/- 0.8 ng/microg and 5.0 +/- 0.4 ng/microg in their control groups, respectively. Likewise, there was a 2 times enhancement in tenascin-C mRNA expression after the 12-day co-culture (0.07 +/- 0.02 by control group and 0.14 +/- 0.02 by co-culture group, P < 0. 05). These data suggest that the presence of the ligament fibroblast promotes the syntheses of type I and the III collagens and tenascin-C in the rat BMSC.

Research on preparation of silk fibroin and its biocompatibility with rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells / 生物医学工程学杂志

The newly developed approach of tissue engineering has been shown to be great potential on the ligament reconstruction, however, the criterion for the scaffolding material was strict. The scaffold material must have enough strength as well as elasticity, at the same time, it should be biocompatible. As a nature protein, silk is a promising tissue engineering scaffold material for its excellent mechanical property. However, because of the contamination of sericin, the chief problem of silk's medical use is degumming. We compared three degumming reagents to choose the one which has least effect on the mechanical property of silk, and then the best degumming condition was confirmed: 0.4%NazCO3, 90 degrees C, 1 h. Rat bone morrw mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) were seeded on the fibroin, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) and fluorescence microscope were used to detect the biocompatibility of it. And the results showed that fibroin had outstanding biocompatibility and cell affinity, which indicated the further use of fibroin in tissue engineering.