Chemical constituents from leaves of Aglaia testicularis / 中国中药杂志

To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Aglaia testicularis. The methanol extract was isolated and purified by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Their chemical structures were elucidated by MS and spectral data (1H, 13C-NMR). Seven compounds were isolated from the leaves and identified as dasyclamide (1), aglamide A (2), aglamide B (3), aglamide C (4), aglamide D (5), aglaroxin A 1-O-acetate (6), and 3'-methoxyaglaroxin A 1-0-acetate (7). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Diet-induced hyperhomocysteinemia exacerbates vascular reverse remodeling of balloon-injured arteries in rat / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>While hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, the effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on the vascular adventitia and vessel remodeling has not been clearly demonstrated. We investigated the effect of the hyperhomocysteinemia on adventitial hyperplasia and vascular remodeling following balloon injury in rats and the underlying mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were fed with diet containing methionine for 4 weeks to increase plasma homocysteine before balloon injury. Vascular geometrical changes were assessed at different time points following balloon injury. The collagen deposition was determined by picrosirius red staining and immunohistochemical staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>When compared with normal diet group, moderate hyperhomocysteinemia in methionine diet group significantly exacerbated adventitial hyperplasia at day 7 and collagen deposition mainly in the adventitia at day 28 following balloon injury. The increased plasma homocysteine level significantly increased collagen deposition in the adventitia. There was a negative correlation (r = -0.698; P < 0.01) between the luminal area and the collagen content in the adventitia on day 28 following balloon injury. In cultured adventitial fibroblasts isolated from rat aorta, 100 micromol/L L-homocysteine (L-Hcy) significantly down-regulated matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity by 43% as determined by in vitro gelatin zymography (P < 0.05) and up-regulated the expression of collagen type I by 187% (P < 0.05) assessed by Western blotting.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Hyperhomocysteinemia exacerbated vascular constrictive remodeling by accelerated neointima formation and collagen accumulation in the adventitia. Increased collagen deposition may be the underlying mechanism.</p>

Berberine ameliorates renal injury in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by suppression of both oxidative stress and aldose reductase / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Berberine is one of the main constituents of Coptidis rhizoma (CR) and Cortex phellodendri. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of berberine on renal function and its possible mechanisms in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: normal, diabetic model, and berberine treatment groups. Rats in the diabetic model and berberine treatment groups were induced to diabetes by intraperitonal injection with streptozotocin (STZ). Glomerular area, glomerular volume, fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Cr) and urine protein for 24 hours (UP24h) were measured using commercially available kits. Meanwhile, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum, activity of aldose reductase (AR) and the expression of AR mRNA and protein in kidney were detected by different methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results showed that oral administration of berberine (200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) significantly ameliorated the ratio of kidney weight to body weight. Glomerular area, glomerular volume, FBG, BUN, Cr and UP24h were significantly decreased in the berberine treatment group compared with the diabetic model group (P < 0.05). Berberine treatment significantly increased serum SOD activity and decreased the content of MDA compared with diabetic model group (P < 0.05). AR activity as well as the expression of AR mRNA and protein in the kidney was markedly decreased in the berberine treatment group compared with diabetic model group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggested that berberine could ameliorate renal dysfunction in DN rats through controlling blood glucose, reduction of oxidative stress and inhibition of the activation of the polyol pathway.</p>

Establishment of sensitized animal models and their sensitization effects on engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to establish sensitized animal models, explore the changes of immune function in these sensitized recipients, and investigate effects of sensitization on the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Different doses of spleen cells (1x10(5), 1x10(6) and 1x10(6)x2 at intervals of 7 days) from C57BL/6 were infused into BALB/c, the immunity function of sensitized models was tested by complement-dependent cytotoxicity method, mixed lymphocyte reaction and ELISA. After irradiation with gamma-ray of 60Co in dose 8 Gy, sensitized mice were transplanted 1x10(7) C57BL/6 bone marrow cells via tail vein or intra-bone marrow, and survival rate was detected daily. The results showed that different levels of donor reactive antibody were induced in all sensitized models. Comparing with normal mice, profound proliferation of spleen cells were found in groups of injected 1x10(6) and 1x10(6), continuous injections at intervals of 7 days. Sensitized model received bone marrow cells of C57BL/6 via tail vein died on day 10 to 14 after transplantation, and sensitized model mice received bone marrow cells of 1x10(6)x2 at intervals of 7 days via intra-bone marrow also died within two weeks after transplantation. It is concluded that different sensitized mouse models are established by different doses of allogeneic spleen cells infusion, the changes of immune function in sensitized mice are correlative with sensitization. Donor HSCs are rejected in sensitized models, and the engraftment can not be improved by intra-bone marrow injection.

Protective effects of trichosanthin in Herpes simplex virus-1 encephalitis in mice / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Trichosanthin (TCS), a ribosome-inactivating protein extracted from the root tuber of Chinese medicinal herb Trichosanthes kirilowii maximowicz, has various pharmacological properties including abortifacient, anti-tumor and anti-virus. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of TCS on infectious brain injury induced by Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) in mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety mice were randomly assigned into three groups: Normal control group (n=30), Model group (n=30) and TCS-treated group (n=30). Viral encephalitis was induced by intracranial inoculation of HSV-1 in the latter two groups. The TCS-treated group was injected with TCS 30 minutes before HSV-1 inoculation. The water content of brain tissue was measured at 1, 12, 24 and 48 hrs, and at 4 and 7 days after HSV-1 inoculation. The viral titer of brain tissue and brain histopathological changes were detected at 7 days after HSV-1 inoculation. The neurological deficient scores were determined daily.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The water content of brain tissue in the TCS-treated group between 48 hrs and 7 days after HSV-1 inoculation was significantly lower than that in the Model group (P < 0.05), although it was significantly higher than that in the Normal control group (P < 0.05). The viral titer of brain tissue in the TCS-treated group was markedly lower than that in the Model group (1.16 +/- 0.45 vs 2.89 +/- 0.44; P < 0.05) 7 days after HSV-1 inoculation. The neurological deficient scores of the TCS-treated group after 24 hrs of HSV-1 inoculation were significantly lower than that in the Model group but were higher than those of the Normal control group. TCS treatment resulted in alleviated pathological changes of brain tissue compared with the Model group 7 days after HSV-1 inoculation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>TCS has protective effects against infectious brain injury induced by HSV-1 in mice.</p>

Study on the mechanism of discoloration and the efficacy of bleaching in non-infected traumatically discolored teeth / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism of discoloration and the efficacy of bleaching in non-infected traumatically discolored teeth.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vitro model of discolored teeth: sample of fresh erythrocytes was placed in the pulp cavity of 20 extracted teeth and centrifuged for 3 consecutive days. These discolored teeth were divided equally and randomly into two groups: group A (control group); group B (bleaching group), bleached with 10% carbamide peroxide gel for 4 weeks. And then all teeth were prepared for histological examination and subjected to a series of histochemical tests to analyze some of the biochemical changes following haemorrhage into the pulp chamber and post-bleaching.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Haemoglobin and haematin were detected in the dentinal tubules of discolored teeth from group A and no evidence of ferric or haemosiderin. Specimens from group B demonstrated a negative response to histochemical tests.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In the absence of bacterial invasive, haemoglobin and haematin could cause discoloration of non-infected traumatized teeth. Peroxide bleaching agent can effectively remove haemoglobin and haematin.</p>

Experimental study on promoting the engraftment of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell by all-trans retinoic acid / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) on the engraftment of unrelated umbilical cord blood stem/progenitor cell transplantation (UCBT) in murine model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>1 x 10(6) and 0.5 x 10(6) nucleated cells (NC) from C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) fetal and neonatal peripheral blood (FNPB) were separately transfused into lethally cyclophosphamide (380 mg/kg, ip) treated BALB/C (H-2(d)) recipients, 15 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) and 5 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) RA (15 mg and 5 mg RA) were administrated respectively 2 days before and after UCBT. Hematopoiesis and immune recovery, graft versus host disease (GVHD), engraftment and survival rates were then observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Hematopoiesis and immune recovery occurred faster in RA treated than in untreated mice (P < 0.05). Acute GVHD was absent. The levels of engraftment were higher in both 15 mg and 5 mg RA treated mice than those in untreated controls (P < 0.05). In 1 x 10(6) NC transfused mice, 15 mg and 5 mg RA could significantly increased the 30 and 60 days survival rates from 41.67% (without RA) to 72.23% and 70.83%, respectively (P < 0.05). In 0.5 x 10(6) cells transfused mice, 15 mg and 5 mg RA increased the survival rate from 14.29% (without RA) to 42.86% and 43.48%, respectively (P < 0.05), which were comparable to that of being transfused 1 x 10(6) cells without RA treatment (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RA enhances the engraftment of umbilical cord blood stem/progenitor cells in murine model for UCBT. This might provide an experimental evidence of RA in clinical UCBT.</p>

Establishment of a murine model for allogeneic umbilical cord blood transplantation / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was undertaken to establish a murine model for unrelated allogeneic umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). The characteristics and percentage of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells between near-term fetal and neonatal murine peripheral blood (FNPB) and bone marrow (BM) were evaluated by flow cytometry and semisolid methylcellulose culture. BABL/c (H-2(d)) recipient mice conditioned with high dose CTX were transplanted with FNPB form C57BL/6 (H-2(b)) mice and the survival rate, hematopoietic and immunological reconstruction, graft versus host disease (GVHD) and engraftment level were observed. The results showed that the numbers of day 14 CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM in FNPB (176.40 +/- 78.39)% and (141.40 +/- 56.57)%, respectively were much higher than those in BM (75.20 +/- 26.41)% and (68.80 +/- 23.95)%, respectively. Moreover the percentage of Sca-1(+) CD34(+) cell subsets in FNPB (3.63 +/- 1.13)% was also higher than that in BM (1.41 +/- 0.8 7)%. FNPB transplantation improved survival rate and reconstituted hematopoietic and immune function in recipients. There was no evidence of GVHD. Chimeric analysis showed that the proportion of donor cells in BM of recipients was 27.94% at 21 days after transplantation. It was concluded that FNPB contains more hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with high expansion ability and weak allogeneic immunity, which was similar to human UCB. The murine model for allogeneic UCBT (C57BL/6-->BALB/c) was established successfully.