Effect of Yuyin Ruangan Granule on TGF-β1 expression in hepatic fibrosis rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To observe the preventive and therapeutic action of Yuyin Ruangan Granule (YRG, Traditional Chinese Medicine) in hepatic fibrosis rats model and its effect on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression.@*METHODS@#The Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 group (=10), and the model of hepatic fibrosis rats was established by subcutaneous injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), fed on high-fat diet and 20% ethanol for 6 weeks, to survey the effect and mechanism of YRG preventing hypatic fibrosis by detecting liver function (the activity of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), etc.) of liver fibrosis rats, liver fibrosis indicators (hyaluronic acid, Ⅲ procollagen, type IV collagen, laminin and hepatic pathology, etc.), and TGF-β1 expression in liver tissue after 6 weeks treated with YRG through intragastric administration (q. d.).@*RESULTS@#At the 7 week, fibrotic lesions appears distinctly in liver tissue of model group compared with control group (<0.01), YRG of 6.2~28.8 g/kg could significantly decrease hepatic index, ALT and AST activities, content of hyaluronic acid(HA), Ⅲ procollagen (PCⅢ), type Ⅳ collagen(C-Ⅳ), laminin (LN) in serum, relieve liver fibrosis pathological changes and inhibit TGF-β1 expression in fibrotic liver tissue (<0.05, <0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#YRG has significantly preventive effects on liver fibrosis rats model, and it may be one of its mechanisms to inhibit expression of TGF-β1.

Effects of combined administration of Radix Angelicae Sinensis and hydrocortisone on the therapeutic action in the murine asthma model / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RASI) and hydrocortisone combination on the murine asthma model and the mechanism.@*METHODS@#BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, blood stasis model group, asthma model group, HSS group, RASI group and RASI+HSS group (=12). Ovalbumin (OVA) was used to replicate mice asthma model and hydrocortisone sodium succinate (HSS) to copy blood stasis model. Effects of RASI, HSS and their combination on hemorheology, anti-asthma (asthmatic behaviors, lung function, lung index and water content in lung tissue) were observed. and anti-asthma mechanisms The expression of relative cytokines, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was detected by ELISA and immunohistochemistry respectively.@*RESULTS@#Eight g/kg RASI, 0.05 g/kg HSS and their combination could significantly relieve asthma behavioral indicators, improve lung function, reduce lung index and water content in lung tissue, decrease the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and inhibit the high expression of HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB in lung tissue. The improvement of lung function and the decrease in level of relative cytokines (TNF-α、IL-1βIL-6) were better in RASI+HSS group than those in RASI group and HSS group, and the inhibition of protein expression of TLR4 and NF-κB was also too. Combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone could decrease serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) content and blood viscosity, which were increased induced by hydrocortisone.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone have obvious anti-asthma effects and one of the mechanisms is to inhibit protein synthetization of HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB.The combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone has stronger improvement of lung function than that of RASI and hydrocortisone alone, and it may be related to the inhibition of TLR4 and NF-κB synthetization. The combined administration of RASI can alleviate abnormal changes of hemorheology induced by hydrocortisone in treatment of asthma.

Separation and identification of endophytic fungi from desert plant Cynanchum komarovii / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The research aimed to investigate the entophytic fungal community of Cynanchum Komarrovii, including the biodiversity in different organs and the correlations with ecological environment. Endophytic fungi with patent bioactivity were also rapidly screened.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>PDA medium was used to isolate and purify the endophytic fungi from C. komarovii living in Shaanxi and Ningxia district, respectively. The strains were identified based on the morphological characteristics of the fungi and similarity of 5.8S gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence. Pyriculaia oryzae model was applied to preliminarily screen the active fungi.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Ninety-four strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and identified to 9 species, 13 genera, 9 families and 6 orders, among them, 47 strains were from the plants living in Ningxia. And then, 5 of them were isolated from roots, 14 from branches, and 28 from leaves. They were identified belonging to 8 species, 9 genera, 5 families and 4 orders. Additionally, 47 strains were from the plants living in Shaanxi. 16 were isolated from the roots, 18 from branches, 13 from leaves. They were identified belonging to 5 species, 8 genera, 6 families and 4 orders. By preliminary screening, 18 strains of endophytes completely inhibited the germination of conidium, which showed a potential bioactivity for these fungi. Both N4 and S17 strains had stronger growth inhibition effect.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Endophytic fungi from desert plant C. komarovii have the feature of diversity. Different geographical environment and type of organizations lead to the significant difference on the quantity and the species composition. Most of fungi in Ningxia C. komarovii distribute in leaves. However, most of those in Shaanxi C. komarovii distribute in stems and leaves. It also indicated that endophytes from C. komarovii had a strong antifungal activity.</p>