Research Advance of Chinese Medicine in Treating Atherosclerosis: Focus on Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 / 中国结合医学杂志

As a serious cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis (AS) causes chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the body and poses a threat to human health. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is a member of the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family, and its elevated levels have been shown to contribute to AS. Lp-PLA2 is closely related to a variety of lipoproteins, and its role in promoting inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in AS is mainly achieved by hydrolyzing oxidized phosphatidylcholine (oxPC) to produce lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC). Moreover, macrophage apoptosis within plaque is promoted by localized Lp-PLA2 which also promotes plaque instability. This paper reviews those researches of Chinese medicine in treating AS via reducing Lp-PLA2 levels to guide future experimental studies and clinical applications related to AS.

Effects of electroacupuncture on skeletal muscle and blood glucose in rats with diabetic amyotrophy / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on skeletal muscle and blood glucose in rats with diabetic amyotrophy.@*METHODS@#Among 40 SD rats, 10 rats were randomly selected into the control group and received no treatment. The remaining 30 rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg) to establish diabetes mellitus (DM) model, and then the rats were treated with vascular ligation at right posterior limb to establish amyotrophy model. The rats with diabetic amyotrophy were randomly divided into a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each group (10 rats were excluded due to unsuccessful model establishment and death). The rats in the EA group was treated with EA at right-side "Yishu (EX-B 3)" "Shenshu (BL 23)" "Zusanli (ST 36)" and "Sanyinjiao (SP 6)", disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/ 15 Hz, 20 minutes each time, once a day for 3 weeks. Before and after EA treatment, the blood sample was collected from inner canthus and the "glucose oxidase-peroxidase" method was used to detect fasting blood glucose level; ELISA method was used to detect insulin content. At the end of the treatment, HE staining method was used to observe the morphology of ischemic skeletal muscle in the right hindlimb; the real-time PCR method was used to detect the mRNA expression of muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx), muscle ring finger-1 (MuRF1) and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) in the ischemic skeletal muscle tissue of right hindlimb.@*RESULTS@#Before the treatment, the body mass in the model group and EA group was lower than that in the control group (<0.01); after the treatment, the body mass in the control group was increased, while the body mass in the model group and EA group was decreased (<0.01). Compared with the control group, the fasting blood glucose was significantly increased and insulin content was significantly decreased in the model group (<0.01); compared with the model group, the fasting blood glucose was significantly decreased and the insulin content was significantly increased in the EA group after treatment (<0.01). The muscle fibers of the model group were obviously broken, the number of the nuclei decreased, and the nuclei shrinked or even dissolved; the morphology of the muscle tissue of the EA group after intervention was improved compared with the model group. Compared with the control group, the cross-sectional area of ischemic skeletal muscle cells in the right hindlimb in the model group was decreased (<0.01); compared with the model group, the cross-sectional area of ischemic skeletal muscle cells in the right hindlimb was increased in EA group (<0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of MAFbx, MuRF1 and FOXO3a mRNA in the right hindlimb ischemic skeletal muscle in the model group were increased significantly (<0.01, <0.05); compared with the model group, the levels of MAFbx, MuRF1 and FOXO3a mRNA in the EA group were decreased significantly (<0.05, <0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#EA may play a role in the treatment of diabetic amyotrophy by inducing FOXO3a to reduce the transcription of MAFbx and MuRF1.

Progress in research on pericytes of microvessels in related diseases / 医学研究生学报

Pericytes are a type of cell similar to vascular smooth muscle cells, named after the localization of capillaries and microvascular basement membranes. Pericytes were originally shown to be involved in vasoconstriction, regulating blood flow to local microvasculature. In recent years, its functions of regulating angiogenesis and promoting vascular maturation have been successively recognized. Many microvascular lesions are accompanied by pericyte cell structural and functional abnormality. Therefore, the regulation of pericytes has received extensive attention, but many mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. The review summarizes the role of pericytes in microvascular diseases such as cranial neuropathy, cardiovascular disease, diabetic vascular changes and tumors.

Research Progress of Buyang Huanwu Tang and Its Components in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Alzheimer' s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with insidious onset and complex etiology and pathogenesis. The main pathological changes are the damage of cholinergic neurons and the loss of synapses. Because of advantages of multi-pathway and multi-target intervention, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) compound prescriptions have a significant effect in the prevention and treatment of AD. Buyang Huanwu Tang, which is the representative prescription for benefiting Qi and activating blood circulation, has been widely used in cerebrovascular diseases, with significant effects in protecting neurons, repairing blood-brain barrier, reducing permeability, resisting cerebral edema and vascular endothelial cell injury and promoting new angiogenesis and maturation. Due to its powerful therapeutic effect the brain, a large number of scholars have found that Buyang Huanwu Tang has a significant effect in improving cognitive impairment, and different components can improve the therapeutic effect of cognitive impairment through different mechanisms. However, different studies focus on a relatively single mechanism of action, which is not conducive to a comprehensive understanding of its mechanisms of action and intervention targets. This article summarizes relevant literatures in recent years for the effect of Buyang Huanwu Tang and its component in reducing beta amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression and beta amyloid protein deposition, inhibiting the central nervous system inflammatory signaling pathways in reducing inflammatory cytokines release factor expression protect neurons, repair, neuron apoptosis blood brain barrier, preventing harmful substances from the central nervous system, improving the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LRP)-1 content, lowering ages receptor (RAGE) beta amyloid protein expression, and increasing peripheral clearance of β amyloid protein, and elaborated the mechanisms in protecting neurons and alleviating learning and cognitive dysfunction, in order to provide strong literature support for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease with Buyang Huanwu Tang.

An investigation of oxidative stress based effect and mechanism of Shenfu Injection on atherosclerosis of ApoE-/-mice / 中成药

AIM To investigate the effect of Shenfu Injection on atherosclerosis (AS) models of high-fat apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice,and to explore its anti-atherosclerosis mechanism through the observation of oxidative stress (OS) variation.METHODS C57 mice were used as controls.ApoE-/-mice fed with 20-week high fat diet were randomly divided into model group,Shenfu group for subsequent 4-week continuous corresponding intervention,after which the mice had their blood lipid levels measured,their levels of MPO and NOX4 identified by ELISA,and their T-SOD activity determined by hydroxylamine method,their MDA level detected by TBA,their plaque formation observation achieved by HE staining of aortic gross and red O of all the aorta,and their Nrf2 mRNA expression detected by real time qPCR method.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group manifested with increased contents of TG,TC,LDL,decreased HLD;decreased activity of SOD,increased contents of MPO,NOX4 and MDA,and down-regulated expression of aortic Nrf2 and Keap1 mRNA.Compared with the model group,Shenfu Injection group was observed with no obvious blood lipid level change,but a reduction of plaque area,and an effective inhibition on OS as revealed by improved levels of Nrf2 and Keap1 mRNA.CONCLUSION Shenfu Injection can activate Nrf2 and interfer the relevant enzymes,thus prevents the atherosclerosis progression through OS reduction.

Effects of the proliferation state of the endothelial progenitor cells preconditioned with salvianolic acid B and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplanted in acute myocardial infarction rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the proliferation state of transplanted cells in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rats, and the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) preconditioned by salvianolic acid B in different ratios with the bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cultivation and purification of EPCs were performed by density-gradient centrifugation and plastic adherence method. Two types of cells were identified by immunocytochemical method (CD34, CD133, and CD44). The rat model of AMI was prepared by ligation of left anterior descending artery. The EPCs were pre-treated with the optimal concentration of salvianolic acid B (8 microg/ mL). They were mixed with BMSCs in different proportions (EPCs/BMSCs in the ratio of 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, and 8:1, respectively). BMSCs and EPCs were injected into the myocardial infarction area. The infarcted area was determined by the N-BT staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expression of Ki-67 was detected by immunohistochemical assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model group (19.60% +/- 3.23%), the myocardial infarction area of each implanted group obviously decreased (P < 0.05). Of them, the decrease was most obvious in the 4:1 group (11.37% +/- 2.18%) and the 8:1 group (9.23% +/- 2.35%, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group (cell/high magnification, 5.17 +/- 2.31), the Ki-67 positive cell number of each implanted groups significantly increased (P < 0.05). Of them, the Ki-67 positive cell number was obviously higher in the 8:1 group (15.00 +/- 3.16, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EPCs pretreated by salvianolic acid B combined with BMSCs could reduce the myocardial infarcted area, improve the proliferation of BMSCs in the peripheral infarction and local ischemia. Besides, along with the increase of the implant proportion of EPCs, the infarct area was gradually reduced, and the proliferative expression was gradually enhanced.</p>