Two new prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus and their anti-respiratory burst activities / 中国中药杂志

Two prenylated 2-arylbenzofurans were isolated from roots of Artocarpus heterophyllus, with a combination of various chromatographic approaches, including ODS, MCI, Sephadex LH-20, and semipreparative high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). They were identified as 5-[6-hydroxy-4-methoxy-5,7-bis(3-methylbut-2-enyl)benzofuran-2-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(1) and 5-[2H,9H-2,2,9,9-tetramethyl-furo[2,3-f]pyrano[2,3-h][1]benzopyran-6-yl]-1,3-benzenediol(2) with spectroscopic methods, such as HR-ESI-MS, IR, 1D NMR, and 2D NMR, and named artoheterins B(1) and C(2), respectively. The anti-respiratory burst activities of the two compounds were evaluated with rat polymorphonuclear neutrophils(PMNs) stimulated by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA). The results showed that 1 and 2 exhibited significant inhibitory effect on respiratory burst of PMNs with IC_(50) values of 0.27 and 1.53 μmol·L~(-1), respectively.

Value of three-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging in evaluating left ventricular systolic function and its correlation with peripheral arterial elasticity in children with simple obesity: a prospective study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the application of three-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging in evaluating left ventricular systolic function and its correlation with peripheral arterial elasticity in children with simple obesity.@*METHODS@#Random sampling combined with convenience sampling was used to obtain research samples, and then the samples were divided into an obesity group (23 cases), an overweight group (21 cases), and a normal group (24 cases). Three-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging was used to measure the global longitudinal strain (GLS), global radial strain (GRS), and global circumferential strain (GCS) of the left ventricle. An automatic arteriosclerosis tester was used to measure ankle-brachial index (ABI) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). These parameters were compared among the three groups. The correlation of three-dimensional speckle-tracking parameters with ABI and baPWV was evaluated.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in GLS, GRS, and GCS between the obesity and normal groups (P>0.05). The overweight group had a significantly higher GLS than the normal group [(-24±7) vs (-19±12), P<0.05]. The obesity and overweight groups had a significantly lower ABI than the normal group [(1.00±0.09)/(1.09±0.13) vs (2.25±0.13), P<0.05). The obesity group had a significantly higher baPWV than the normal group [(978±109) vs (905±22), P<0.05]. In the children with obesity, GLS was positively correlated with baPWV (r=0.516, P<0.05) , but not correlated with ABI (P>0.05), and GCS and GRS had no significant correlation with ABI or baPWV (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There are varying degrees of changes in left ventricular systolic function and peripheral arterial elasticity in children with simple obesity, and there is a certain correlation between them.

Predicting Metabolic Syndrome Using Anthropometric Indices among Chinese Adolescents with Different Nutritional Status: A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#To evaluate the predictive performance of anthropometric indices for metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Chinese adolescents with different nutritional status.@*Methods@#We recruited 9,513 adolescents aged 10-18 years from seven provinces in China during September 2014. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured at recruitment, and blood samples were collected for determining fasting plasma glucose and lipid profile. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to assess the predictive performance of anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI) percentile, waist circumference percentile, waist-height ratio, and waist-hip ratio.@*Results@#Overall, the four anthropometric indices showed good accuracy for predicting MetS with areas under ROC curves (AUCs) ranging from 0.86 to 0.94; similar AUCs ranging from 0.73 to 0.99 were observed for participants with normal weight. The performance of all four indices was poor in overweight and obese participants, with AUCs ranging from 0.66 to 0.77 and from 0.60 to 0.67, respectively. Waist circumference showed relatively better performance in all the subgroup analyses.@*Conclusions@#We suggest using anthropometric indices with the cutoff values presented here for predicting MetS in the overall and normal-weight adolescent population, but not in the overweight and obese adolescent population where more specific screening tests are required.

Unique MicroRNAs Signature of Lymphocyte of Yang and Yin Syndromes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To identify the differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) profiles of yang and yin syndromes in patients with acute ischemic stroke, and to provide the molecular basis of the classification of these two syndrome types in acute ischemic stroke patients.@*METHODS@#A microarray assay was performed to assess the expression pattern of miRNAs in the lymphocyte of acute ischemic stroke patients. Target genes for the deregulated miRNAs were predicated using the online bioinformatic algorithms and functional annotation via Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis for miRNAs predicted targets was carried out. Based on the predicted target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs, the miRNA-gene-network and miRNA-pathway-network were constructed.@*RESULTS@#Yang score based on tongue texture, urine, dejecta, and appearance, etc. showed that clinical symptoms were distinct between yang and yin syndromes. There were significantly higher total leukocyte number and lower total protein level in patients with yang syndrome compared with those in patients with yin syndrome (P<0.05). Comprehensive miRNA analysis identified 36 unique down-regulated miRNAs in yang syndrome group, and 20 unique down-regulated and 2 unique up-regulated miRNAs in yin syndrome group. The key regulatory miRNAs, gene, and pathways in the yang syndrome were hsa-miR-93-5p and -320b, enabled homolog, the metabolic pathways and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways, respectively, while those in the yin syndrome were hsa-miR-424-5p and -106b-5p, CNOT4, hepatitis B and pathways in cancer, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#These results offered insight into the molecular basis underlying the different pathogenesis of yang or yin syndrome, providing clues for the individualized therapeutic strategies of acute ischemic stroke.

Quality evaluation of musk based on the biological potency of its anti-thrombin activty / 中国中药杂志

This study attempts to establish a method for the anti-thrombin activty bioassay of musk, explore the impact of species and producing areas on the anti-thrombin activty of musk, and provide scientific basis for its biological quality evaluation. Anti-thrombin activty of musk was analyzed by thrombin titration, and the influence factors such as musk solution concentration, fibrinogen concentration, thrombin concentration and titration interval were optimized to evaluate the effect of different species and producing areas on anti-thrombin activty of musk. As a result, there was a good linear relationship between musk solution concentration and thrombin consumption volume within the range of 0.01-0.02 g·mL⁻¹ (=0.991 4) under the experimental condition as follows: fibrinogen concentration was 0.5%, the thrombin concentration was 10 U·mL⁻¹； titration time interval was once every minute, and each titration volume was 2 μL. The average anti-thrombin activty potency of Moschus berezovskii from different producing areas was (105.0±10.4) U·g⁻¹, (102.4±5.5) U·g⁻¹ for M. sifanicus from different producing areas, (97.7±6.6) U·g⁻¹ for M. moschiferus from Anhui province, and (58.6±6.4) U·g⁻¹ for artificial musk. The results indicated that this anti-thrombin activty bioassay method could be applied to evaluate the anti-thrombin activty of musk quickly, conveniently, sensitively and exactly. It was also suggested that different species and producing areas had effects on the anti-thrombin activty of musk, so it is necessary to pay attention to species and producing areas in the process of musk domestication; meanwhile, the artificial musk and natural musk also showed great differences in anti-thrombin activty, suggesting that ratio in artificial musk prescription needs to be further optimized.

Effect of anti-androgen and progesterone on development of regrowth antlers in 6 year old sika deer / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the effects of anti-androgen drugs and melengestrol acetate (MGA) on development of regrowth antlers in 6 year old sika deer, twenty healthysika deerwith similar body weight and antler weightwere randomly divided into five groups by using single factor test design: flutamide (=4), bicalutamide (=4), progesterone acetate (CPA, =4), melengestrol acetate (MGA, =4), control(=4). All deer were fed with same diets and were housed outside together in an opened fence of 15 m×30 m with free access to water and feed. Treatment groups were injected subcutaneously sustained-release agents of the four drugs respectively when two-branched antlers were harvested. The control group had no special treatment. In the experiment period of 60 d, blood sampleswere collected for 4 times for each deer. The concentration of testosterone in plasma was tested and analyzed to compare the changes between different groups. Development of regrowth antlers was observed. At the end of the experiment, regrowth antlers were weighted and analyzed. The resultsshowed that the weights of regrowth antlers in treatment groups were significantly greater than those from control group and the weight gain (as compared with the control group) was 100.50%, 64.46%, 87.16% and 117.46% respectively in flutamide group, bicalutamide group, progesterone acetate group and melengestrol acetate group. For plasma testosterone concentration, it was not significantly different in the early stage (in the first 35 d), but at the end of the experimen, it was significantly higher than that of earlier stage (<0.01) in various groups. Testosterone concentration of flutamide treated group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (<0.01), while the level inbicalutamide and MGA treated groups was significantly higher than that in other groups (<0.01). The results showed that both anti-androgen drugs and MGA treatment promoted the development of regrowth antlers and increased the weight of regrowth antlers, where the effect was most significant by MGA treatment. From the morphological observation of the antlers, it was found that anti-androgen and MGA treatments prolonged the growth period of regrowth antlers through delaying the ossification of antlers. However, plasma testosterone concentration was not affected by the treatments.

Influence of Hyperbaric Oxygen on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate in Adult Patients with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury and Its Related Factors / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To investigate the influence of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on blood pressure and heart rate in adult patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) and its related factors. Methods From May 2015 to October 2017, 101 cases of adult cervical spinal cord injury in our department were select-ed as observation group, who were divided into four subgroups (AIS A~D) respectively, according to the ASIA score. Other 101 cases of sudden hearing loss without spinal cord injury were selected as control group, who were divided into four subgroups with gender and age matched with four subgroups of the observation group, re-spectively. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured before the compression, at the end of the compression, 30 minutes after oxygen taken in, before the decompression and at the end of the decompression; and were com-pared between groups. The fluctuations of blood pressure and heart rate were correlated and regression analyzed with age, course and AISA score respectively. Results In ASI A~C, the blood pressure fluctuated obviously during the course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the ob-servation group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in blood pressure between ASI D of the observa-tion group and their controls (P>0.05). Lower extremity motor score of ASIA was correlated with the fluctuation of blood pressure (P<0.05). Conclusion The blood pressure fluctuates in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (AIS A~C) during hyperbaric oxy-gen, which should be paid attention to. Lower extremity motor score of ASIA is an independent factor affecting blood pressure. The higher the lower extremity motor score, the smaller the blood pressure fluctuation.

Research progress on identification and quality control of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum / 中国中药杂志

Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has great potential for development. However, the identification and quality control system is not perfect, leading to the market chaos and chronic slow growth in deep processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. This paper gives an overview of present situation in identification and quality control system of the Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and analyzes present problems. Based on these results, the feasibility study scheme in identification and quality control system for Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum would be then put forward, providing ideas to establish its comprehensive evaluation system.

A pilot study on the correlation of tongue manifestation with the site of cerebral infarction in patients with stroke / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the correlation of tongue manifestation with the site of cerebral infarction in patients with acute cerebral infarction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2008 to February 2009, 200 cases of hospitalized patients with first unilateral cerebral infarction were chosen in the Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital. The correlation of different tongue color, fur texture, fur color with the site of cerebral infarction was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The site of cerebral infarction in patients were compared between different tongue color by Chisquare test (P=0.314), and further correspondence analysis demonstrated that there was correlation between red tongue and cortical-subcortical infarction group. The site of cerebral infarction in patients were compared between thick fur group and thin fur group, cortical-subcortical infarction occurred more frequently in the former (P=0.0008). The site of cerebral infarction in patients were compared between dry fur group, moist fur group and smooth fur group, correspondence analysis demonstrated there was correlation between dry fur and cortical-subcortical group. The site of cerebral infarction in the patients were compared between white fur group, white-yellow fur group and yellow fur group (P=0.010), and correspondence analysis demonstrated there was correlation between white fur and brainstem infarction; white-yellow fur has relationship with cortical infarction; subcortical infarction was weakly related with white-yellow fur; there was closer relationship between yellow fur and cortical-subcortical infarction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The change of tongue manifestation was associated with the site of cerebral infarction in patients, providing a new combining site for diagnosing cerebrovascular diseases by integrative medicine.</p>

Protection and bidirectional effect of rhubarb anthraquinone and tannins for rats' liver / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the bidirectional effect of rhubarb total anthraquinone (TA) and total tannins (TT) on rats' liver.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred rats were randomly divided into 10 groups, i.e., the blank group, the model group, the blank + high dose TA group, the blank +low dose TA group, the blank + high dose TT group, the blank + low dose TT group, the model + high dose TA group, the model + low dose TA group, the model +high dose TT group, and the model + low dose TT group, 10 in each group. The carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) was used to prepare the acute liver injury rat model. TA and TT of rhubarb (at 5.40 g crude drugs/kg and 14.69 g crude drugs/kg) were intragastrically administrated to rats in all groups except the blank group and the model group, once daily for 6 successive days.The general state of rats, biochemical indices such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), as well pathological results of rat liver tissues. Finally the protection laws of TA and TT for rats' liver were analyzed using factor analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank control group, all biochemical indices increased in the blank group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). HA also increased in the blank + high dose TA group; AST, ALT, and HA also increased in the blank +high dose TT group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, AST, ALT, ALP, HA, and TGF-beta1 significantly decreased in the model + low dose TA group, the model + high dose TA group, the model + low dose TT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Serum AST, ALT, and ALP also decreased in the model + high dose TT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Pathological results showed that mild swollen liver cells in the model + high dose TA group. Fatty degeneration and fragmental necrosis around the central veins occurred in the blank + high dose TA group. The pathological injury was inproved in the model +low dose TA group. Two common factors, liver fibrosis and liver cell injury, were extracted by using factor analysis. TA showed stronger improvement of the two common factors than TT.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Rhubarb TA and TT showed protective and harmful effects on rats' liver. At an equivalent dosage, TA had better liver protection than TT. High dose TT played a role in liver injury to some extent.</p>

Study on dosage-toxicity/efficacy relationship of prepared rhubarb on basis of symptom-based prescription theory / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb, in order to explore the bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity of prepared rhubarb and the objective authenticity for attenuating toxicity by processing.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Normal and pathological animals were adopted simultaneous to investigate the effect of total extracts from prepared rhubarb within a high dose range (2.0, 5.4, 14.7, 40.0 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) on normal state, biochemical index and histopathology of experimental animals. The factor analytic approach was used to analyze the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The factor analytic approach was used to extract two common factors from the nine biochemical indexes. The firs common factor was mainly dominated by HA, LN and TGF-β1, and could be explained as fibrotic factors. The second common factor was mainly dominated by ALT, AST and ALP, and could be explained as cellular factor. The results of the factor analysis suggested that prepared rhubarb showed significant bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity, which could protect liver in CC14 injured chronic hepatic injury, but had a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals. The pathological examination showed consistent results with the factor analysis. Under comparable dosages, prepared rhubarb showed a stronger liver protecting effect than crude rhubarb, with a lower toxicity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although prepared rhubarb has a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals, it has also a significant therapeutic effect to animals with liver injury. The results proved the symptom-based prescription theory and the scientificity of the symptom-based medication. The symptom-based prescription theory is important to correctly realize the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of traditional Chinese medicines and guide the symptom-based medication.</p>

Study on the correlation of tongue manifestation with fibrinogen and neutrophil in acute cerebral infarction patients / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation of tongue manifestation with the fibrinogen level and the neutrophil count in blood of acute cerebral infarction patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 200 patients with first unilateral cerebral infarction in Neurology Department of Xuanwu Hospital from March, 2008 to February, 2009 were recruited in this study. The correlation of the tongue fur color and texture with the blood fibrinogen level and the neutrophil count was analyzed in these patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of fibrinogen and neutrophil count in thick fur group were significantly higher than that in thin fur group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the level of fibrinogen and neutrophil count found between moist fur and dry fur. Statistical significance existed in the level of fibrinogen between the greasy tongue fur group and non-greasy tongue fur group (P<0.05). The level of fibrinogen and the neutrophil count were compared among different fur color groups, revealing that the level of fibrinogen in yellowish fur group was higher than that of white fur group and normal value with statistical significance (P<0.05) with neutrophil count in yellowish fur group being significantly higher than that in white fur group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggested that the change of tongue manifestation was associated with the level of fibrinogen and the neutrophil count in the blood of cerebral infarction patients.</p>

Effect of ferulic acid on learning and memory impairments of vascular dementia rats and its mechanism of action / 药学学报

This study is to investigate the effect of ferulic acid on learning and memory impairments of vascular dementia (VD) rats and its mechanism of action. VD rats model was replicated by permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2VO). The learning and memory capability of VD rats was evaluated by Morris water maze. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the content of glutamic acid (Glu) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampus of VD rats' brain were determined, separately. The results showed that ferulic acid could alleviate learning and memory deficits of VD rats significantly. Ferulic acid was found to inhibit the activity of AChE and increased the activity of SOD in rat hippocampus. In addition, ferulic acid could also decrease the content of Glu and MDA in rat hippocampus. These results suggested that ferulic acid could alleviate VD rats' learning and memory deficits, which might be due to antioxidation, the improvement of cholinergic system in brain, or the inhibitory of nerve injury by excitatory amino acids.

Tissue distribution of free anthraquinones in SD rats after orally administered extracts from raw and prepared rhubarbs / 药学学报

Rhubarb anthraquinone derivatives (AQs) have been documented to have both therapeutic and toxic effect on liver and kidney, leading to a complex puzzle to assess their benefits and risks. In this study, the tissue distributions of AQs in SD rats after orally administrated extracts of raw and prepared rhubarb were examined whether they undergo different uptake. The total rhubarb extract (14.49 g x kg(-1) of body weight per day od, counted on the quantity of crude material) was administrated orally for 12 weeks. The concentrations of the AQs in different tissues were quantified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The five major AQs, aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophynol and physcion, could all be detected in the liver, kidney and spleen, while only rhein, aloe-emodin and emodin reached the quantitative limit. The tissue concentrations of AQs in raw rhubarb group were higher than that in steamed rhubarb group with rhein > emodin > aloe-emodin in the same tissue. On the whole, the tissue distribution of rhein was higher than that of emodin and aloe-emodin in liver, spleen and kidney. AQs could not be detected in those tissues after drug withdraw for 4 weeks, which suggested scarcely any accumulative toxicity of rhubarb. The result indicated that raw rhubarb had more tissue toxicity than steamed rhubarb and rhein may be one of the major poisonous ingredients. The results were concordant with the traditional Chinese medicine theory of toxicity-attenuating effect of processing.

COLD and HOT nature of Coptis & Evodia and their prescriptions investigated with diet restriction/cold-water swimming mice models / 药学学报

To establish a new method to evaluate the COLD and HOT nature of Coptis & Evodia and their prescriptions Zuojinwan and Fanzuojinwan. Physical models of mice were established by diet restriction with cold-water swimming (weak model, WM) and fed with high protein animal feeds (strong model, SM). An instrument with cold and hot pads was used to investigate the variation of temperature tropism among SM and WM groups of mice affected by drugs. Meanwhile, the oxygen consumption and activity of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) were detected, in order to investigate the mechanism of energy metabolism which might be affected by these drugs. The results showed that the drug effects gradually changed in an order of "Coptis-->Zuojinwan--> Fanzuojinwan-->Evodia". In detail, Coptis increased the remaining rate (RR) of mice on hot pad, decreased oxygen consumption and ATPase activity (n=6, P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), while Evodia performed inversely; which indicated the COLD nature of Coptis and HOT nature of Evodia, and confirmed with their traditional definition in medicinal works. In conclusion, the methods applied in this work, can objectively and directly express the nature disparity between the two herbs and predict the tendency of changes of the nature of their combination, which brings a new approach in investigation of the nature theory of traditional Chinese medicine.

Differences in effects of Zuojin Pills and its similar formulas on Wei cold model in rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of Zuojin Pills and its similar formulas on the stomach cold syndrome in a Wei cold model in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The rat Wei cold model was established by intragastric administration of glacial NaOH, and the gastric mucosa injury indices, together with the levels of motilin and gastrin in the stomach, were determined. The preventive and curative effects of Zuojin Pills and its similar formulas on gastric mucosa injury were investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Zuojin Pills and its similar formulas could protect the gastric mucosa in the gastric cold model in rats at different levels. Fanzuojin Pills had the best effect in inhibiting gastric mucosa injury.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The different pharmacological effects of Zuojin Pills and its similar formulas in the rat gastric cold model were partially correlated with the degrees in cold and heat properties of the formulas.</p>

Effect of berberine on left ventricular remodeling in renovascular hypertensive rats / 药学学报

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects and the underline mechanisms of berberine on the cardiac function and left ventricular remodeling in rats with renovascular hypertension. The renovascular hypertensive model was established by the two-kidney, two-clip (2K2C) method in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Two weeks after surgery, all the operated SD rats were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) renovascular hypertensive model group; (2) berberine 5 mg x kg(-1) group; (3) berberine 10 mg x kg(-1) group; (4) captopril 45 mg x kg(-1) group; and the sham operated rats were used as control. Four weeks after the drugs were administered, the cardiac function was assessed. The ratios of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW), left ventricular weight to body weight (LVW/BW) and right ventricular weight to body weight (RVW/BW) were compared between groups. Coronal sections of the left ventricular tissue (LV) were prepared for paraffin sections, picrosirius red and HE staining was performed. The left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), the parameters of myocardial fibrosis indicated by interstitial collagen volume fraction (ICVF) and perivascular collagen area (PVCA) were assessed. Nitric oxide (NO), adenosine cyclophosphate (cAMP) and guanosine cyclophosphate (cGMP) concentrations of left ventricular tissue were measured. Berberine 5 mg x kg(-1) and 10 mg x kg(-1) increased the left ventricular +/- dp/dt(max) and HR. Berberine 10 mg x kg(-1) decreased HW/BW and LVW/BW. The image analysis showed that both 5 and 10 mg x kg(-1) of berberine decreased LVWT, ICVF and PVCA, while increased the NO and cAMP contents in left ventricular tissue. Berberine could improve cardiac contractility of 2K2C model rats, and inhibit left ventricular remodeling especially myocardial fibrosis in renovascular hypertension rats. And such effects may partially associate with the increased NO and cAMP content in left ventricular tissue.