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To investigate the effects of icariin, an effective extract from traditional Chinese medicine Epimedium pubescens with the function of tonifying kidney, in promoting osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cell line C3H10T1/2, and to explore the underlying mechanism.
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Icariin is one of the key active components of Epimedium species, which is most widely applied to supplement the kidney in traditional Chinese medicine. Scientific research has found that icariin possesses extensive therapeutic effects such as protecting neurons from injury, promoting growth of neuronal synapse, improving sexual dysfunction and bone morphogenesis, as well as anti-inflammation, anti-tumor and anti-depression functions. Considering that molecular mechanism is the fundamental basis for pharmaceutical efficacy of icariin, in this article, the authors retrospectively retrieved 122 scientific papers recorded in the PubMed database with "icariin" in the title from January 1, 1995 to January 5, 2011. It was found that icariin has been closely highlighted in the intervention of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signal pathways, inhibition of phosphodiesterase 5, and regulation of nuclear receptors. Besides, the authors also discussed the main orientation for molecular mechanism of icariin in future research.
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To study the immunoregulatory effect of an optimal Chinese herbal monomer compound, which consists of three monomers, namely, icariin, baicalin and Astragalus saponin I, in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis.
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To observe the effects of icariin, psoralen and oleanolic acid, the three active ingredients of Yinyanghuo (Herba Epimedii Brevicornus), Buguzhi (Fructus Psoraleae) and Nuzhenzi (Fructus Ligustri Lucidi), respectively, on gene expression profile of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) from rats with corticosterone-induced osteoporosis.
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The true meanings of the terms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) need to be analyzed on a logical basis. It is not suitable to use a new term to interpret an old term of TCM, or arbitrarily specify the special term of TCM corresponding to some substances of modern medicine. In philosophy of language, language has a logical structure, which reflects the structure of the world, that is to say, language is the picture of the world in a logical sense. Using this idea, the authors collected the ancient literature on "kidney essence", and extracted each necessary condition for "kidney essence". All necessary conditions formed a sufficient condition to define the term "kidney essence". It is expected that this example can show the effectiveness of philosophy of language in analysis of the terms of TCM.
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Objective: To study the optimal combined ratio of baicalin, icariin and Astragalus saponin I from a Chinese herbal compound Biminne. Methods: Firstly, a mouse model of allergic rhinitis was established by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminum hydroxide gel suspension, and the effective dose range of baicalin, icariin and Astragalus saponin I was detected by 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide inner salt method. Secondly, 10 groups of combinations of baicalin, icariin and Astragalus saponin I assembled by U*(10)(10(8)) form were employed to determine the optimal combination by means of analyzing of the inhibitory effect on the splenocyte proliferation. Finally, the effects of each effective ingredient and the optimal combination were compared by observing the splenocyte proliferation, the contents of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in supernatant of the splenocyte cultures and the ratio of IL-4 to IFN-gamma in order to verify the result. Results: Baicalin or icariin at concentrations ranging from 2 to 10 mumol/L, and Astragalus saponin I from 1 to 10 mumol/L effectively suppressed the splenocyte proliferation. When the proportion of baicalin, icariin and Astragalus saponin I was 1:2.14:2.65, the inhibitory effect was most remarkable. Further research confirmed the rationality of the optimal combination. Conclusion: An optimal combination of the major effective ingredients from Chinese herbal compound Biminne most effectively suppresses the proliferation of splenocytes from sensitized mice and regulates the cytokine secreting.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulating pattern of kidney-tonifying recipes and spleen-invigorating recipe on the expression of T lymphocyte apoptosis signaling-related genes in corticosterone-treated rats. METHODS: We analyzed the activation-induced T lymphocyte apoptpsis rate through TUNEL-labelled flow-cytometry assay, quantified the mRNA expression level of T cell apoptosis-regulating genes by using the fluoresecence real-time PCR, analyzed the activity of caspase-8 and caspase-3 by colorimetric assay. RESULTS: (1) T lymphocyte apoptosis rate of corticosterone-treated rats was higher than that of the normal control rats; T lymphocyte apoptosis rates of Youguiyin treated rats and Bushen Yishou Capsule treated rats were lower than that of the corticosterone-treated group; T lymphocyte apoptosis rate of Sijunzi Decoction treated rats displayed no significance compared with that of the corticosterone-treated group. (2) Pro-apoptotic genes such as Fas, FasL, TNFR1, and Bax displayed increased expression level in corticosterone-treated group compared with normal control group. Two kidney-tonifying recipes down-regruated the expression level of FasL and TNFR1, at the same time, both recipes up-regulated the expression level of Bcl-2. The spleen-invigorating recipe had up-regulating effect on the expression level of Bcl-2. And all these results had statistical significance. (3) The activities of caspase-8 and caspase-3 were increased in corticosterone-treated rats compared with normal control; both kidney-tonifying recipes had significant effect on decreasing the activities of these two apoptosis executioners. CONCLUSION: The excessive apoptosis of T cell in corticosterone-treated rats could be effectively modulated with two kidney-tonifying recipes. Down-regulating the expression of FasL and TNFR1 and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 as well as decreasing the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-3 may be the unique regulating pattern of tonifying-kidney method with respect to T cell apoptosis related genes in corticosterone-treated rats.
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Objective:To investigate the regulatory mechanism of LBP on T lymphocytes excessive apoptosis and the mRNA expression of apoptotic genes in aged rats Methods:T lymphocyte apoptosis and the expression of pre apoptotic and anti apoptotic genes (Fas, FasL, TNFR1, Bax, Bcl2 and TNFR2) from young rats and old rats treated with or without LBP were studied using flow cytometry and fluorescence real time quantitative RT PCR Results:LBP could effectively downregulate the percentage of T cell apoptosis in aged rats At the same time LBP also downregulated the transcription level of TNFR1 gene and upregulated the transcription level of Bcl 2 in T cells from old rats Conclusion:The T cell excessive apoptosis in old rats could be effectively downregulated with LBP, by the by of decreasing the expression of pro apoptotic gene and enhancing the expression of anti apoptotic gene
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Objective:To investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin on Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal(HPA) axis and immune function which inhibited by exogenous corticosterone.Methods:By means of radioimmunoassay and cytoimmunology techniques respectively, we observed the effects of two doses exogenous melatonin on the plasma concentrations of ACTH ,corticosteron0e as well as the variations of lymphocytes proliferating response, natural killer cytotoxicity(NKCC) and the level of IL-2 induced by ConA of rat model which Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and immune function were inhibited by exogenous corticosterone.Results:After 14 consecutive days melatonin injection(i.p.),there were an increasing trends of plasma concentration of ACTH, corticosterone which inhibited by exogenous corticosterone were observed in the melatonin 100 ?g/kg treated group, but no significance in statistics, otherwise, there were significant increasing of plasma concentration of ACTH, corticosterone were observed in the melatonin 200 ?g/kg treated group( P
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Objective:To uncover the molecules and signal transduction underlying apoptosis in lymphocytes in old rats.Methods:The rats were grouped into three of old rats control,young rats control,EF-treated group,and studied the gene expression in genome-wide scale with genechip.Results:Compared to young rats control,pro-apoptotic genes were up-regulated and anti-apoptotic genes were down-regulated in old rats.And pro-proliferation genes were down-regulated,the anti-proliferation genes were regulated reversely.Furthermore,a number of genes involved in signal transduction in immune activation and immune response showed lower expression level.But in EF-treated group,pro-apoptotic genes such as Caspase1、Caspase2、Caspase3、Caspase6、CalpainⅡ、Cathepsin S、Dnase ?、PKCdelta,and anti-proliferation genes including Rb were predominantly down-regulated.Anti-apoptotic genes such as Cathepsin B、Mtal、NF-kappa B、Notch,and pro-proliferation genes including c-Fos、c-Myc、c-Jun、PCNA、A-raf;CyclinG-associated kinase were regulated reversely.Especially many genes mediating apoptosis signal including CD2、CD3、CD5、TCR、IL-2、IL-2R(CD25)、CD28、CTLA4 were up-regulated.Conclusion:By a novel mean including up-regulation of anti-apoptotic and down-regulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression,up-regulation of pro-proliration and down-regulation of anti-proliferation gene expression,the normal lymphocyte function in old rats was reconstructed.Additionally EF can coordinate TCR/CD3、CD28、CTLA4、TGF?、IL-2R-mediated signal to reach its anti-apoptotic effects on lyphocytes in old rats. [
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Objective:To compare the regulatory effect of EF and two Kidney-tonifying recipes as well as Spleen-invigorating recipe on expression of T lymphocytes apoptosis related genes in Corticosterone-treated rats.Methods:To quantify and compare the T lymphocytes apoptosis percentage and the expression the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes related to T cell apoptosis in every experimental groups using TUNEL method and flow cytometry assay, as well as the fluorescence real time PCR technology.Results:The percentage of T cell apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis related genes were significantly regulated by EF and two Kidney-tonifying recipes, while the Spleen-invigorating recipe had no significant effect with respect to these parameters.Conclusion:EF can be used to represent the effect of Kidney-tonifying recipes in antagonizing the inhibiting effect of exo-corticosterone with respect to T lymphocytes.