Investigation of Relationship Between Spleen and Alzheimer' s Disease Based on Glucose, Lipid and Energy Metabolisms / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Alzheimer' s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, which is seriously affecting people' s lives. Until now, the pathogenesis of AD is still unknown which result in its worldwide difficulties in prevention and treatment. Some studies have shown that AD might be a metabolic disease associated with glucose, lipid and energy metabolisms. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the spleen is acquired foundation and the origination of Qi and blood. The function of spleen is not only closely related to the metabolism of substance and energy, but also related to the aging of human body. In this article, we summarized and analyzed the interrelationship of metabolism, AD and spleen, as well as the effect of spleen-invigorating prescription on AD. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the possible mechanism of TCM treating AD from the perspective of regulating metabolism, explore the potential value of spleen-strengthening TCM in the treatment or prevention of AD, and provide new ideas for exploring the drug development and TCM therapy of AD.

Effects and mechanism of Ligusticum chuanxiong volatile oil in combination with temozolomide in treatment of glioma by regulating P-gp protein / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the anti-tumor effect of Ligusticum chuanxiong volatile oil in combination with temozolomide (TMZ) in the treatment of glioma, and illuminate its possible mechanism. Methods: After C6 glioma animal model was successfully finished, changes of body weight, survival status, tumor volume, and the tumor inhibition rate of rats were detected in the TMZ group and the compatibility group of the volatile oil of L. chuanxiong and TMZ. The concentration of TMZ in the internal and external fluids of U87-MG cells was measured by HPLC after the administration of TMZ and the combination of volatile oil of L. chuanxiong and TMZ, and the differences of the content were analyzed statistically. Western blotting was used to study the effects of TMZ monotherapy, L. chuanxiong volatile oil and TMZ on the expression of P-gp protein of U87-MG cells.Results: Compared with TMZ group, the tumor volume of rats in the compatibility group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), which was positively correlated with the amount of volatile oil. At the same time, the weight gain of the rats in the compatibility group was increased and the survival status was better. Volatile oil of L. chuanxiong can promote the entry of TMZ into U87-MG cells, and with the increase concentration of volatile oil, the promoting effect was stronger. Volatile oil at 6.25 × 10-3 μL/mL can significantly increase the accumulation of TMZ in the internal fluid (P < 0.05). Western blotting analysis showed that P-gp expressions of cells treated with combination treatment with TMZ (20 μg/mL) and volatile oil [(3.125 × 10-3), (6.25 × 10-3) μL/mL] were markedly down-regulated (P < 0.01), when compared with TMZ group. Conclusion: The volatile oil of L. chuanxiong can promote TMZ entry into glioma cells and then enhance TMZ-induced anticancer efficiency in vivo by inhibiting P-gp expression.

Effect of Small Knife Needle on β-enorpin and Enkehalin Contents of Tansverse Process Syndrome of the Third Vertebra / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the analgesic mechanism of small knife needle for treating transverse process syndrome of the third vertebra (TPSTV) by observing peripheral and central changesof β-endorphin (β-EP) and enkephalin (ENK) contents.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 30 Japanese white big-ear rabbits of clean grade were divided into 5 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the small knife needle group, the electroacupunture (EA) group, and the small knife needle plus EA group, 6 in each group. The TPSTV model was established by inserting a piece of gelatin sponge into the left transverse process of 3rd lumbar vertebrae. Rabbits in the small knife needlegroup were intervened by small knife needle. Those in the EA group were intervened by EA at bilateralWeizhong (BL40). Those in the small knife needle plus EA group were intervened by small knife needleand EA at bilateral Weizhong (BL40). Contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma, muscle, spinal cord, and hypothalamus were determined after sample collection at day 28 after modeling.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control group, contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma and muscle increased significantly, and contents of β-EP and ENK in spinal cord and hypothalamus decreased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Contents of β-EP and ENK approximated normal levels in the three treatment groups after respective treatment. Compared with the model group, the content of β-EP in muscle decreased, and contents of β-EP and ENK in hypothalamus increased in the three treatment groups after respective treatment (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference among the three treatment groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Small knife needle treatment and EA had benign regulation on peripheral and central β-EP and ENK in TPSTV rabbits. Small knife needle treatment showed better effect than that of EA.</p>

Expression of MMR in endometrial adenocarcinoma in women under 50 years old / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2) in endometrial adenocarcinoma (EC) of patients under 50 years and to explore the relationship between MMR expression and clinicopathological features including body mass index (BMI), histological grade and pathological stage of EC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MMR gene expression was investigated by immunohistochemical S-P method in endometrial adenocarcinomas of patients under age of 50. The control groups included complexity atypical hyperplasia endometrium (CAHE), simple hyperplasia endometrium (SHE), normal endometrium (NE) of patients under age of 50 and EC of patients older than 65 years.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Twenty seven of 40 EC (67.5%) lost at least one MMR protein expression. Loss of at least one MMR protein expression was seen in 5/15 cases of CAHE, 1/13 SHE and 1/11 NE, respectively (P < 0.01). The rates of loss of expression of MLH1, MSH2, MSH and PMS2 proteins in EC were 52.5%, 12.5%, 35.0%, and 30.0%, respectively. The difference between MLH1 and MSH6 expression among the four groups were significant (P < 0.05), but the expression of MSH2 showed no significant difference among the groups (P = 0.295). The expression of MMR protein had no relationship with histological grade and pathological stage, although loss of MSH6 was more frequently seen in patients of higher BMI.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Abnormal expression of MMR proteins is correlated with the development of EC from complex atypical hyperplasia. With the exception of the correlation of MSH6 expression with higher BMI, the expression of MMR proteins in EC has no significant relationship with histological grade and pathological stage.</p>

Effect of Ginkgo biloba Pingchan Recipe on neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression in the brain of mouse models of Parkinson disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of the Chinese compound prescription Ginkgo biloba Pingchan Recipe (GBPR) on experimental Parkinson disease (PD) in mice and explore the possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male C57/BL6J mice were divided into normal control, PD model and treatment groups. PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection with 1-methl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin (MPTP) in the mice, and in the treatment group, GBPR was administered intragastrically after the injection. The mice were sacrificed 14 and 28 days later, and using in situ hybridization with Digoxin-labeled nNOS cDNA oligonucleotide probe, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA was detected in the striatum and substantia nigra in the brain of mice.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>nNOS mRNA expression was detected in the striatum and substantia nigra of the PD model mice, and GBPR treatment significantly reduced its expressions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GBPR has obvious inhibitory effect against the neurotoxicity of NO probably by producing an anti-oxiditive effect through decreasing nNOS synthesis in the brain.</p>

Study on Bartonella vinsonii berkhoffii isolated from blood of native dogs in China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To isolate and identify Bartonella strains from native dogs in Shandong province in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples were collected from 71 native dogs in Yanggu county of Shandong province in March 2005. All isolates were grown on brain heart infusion agar plates containing 5% defibrinated rabbit blood. The agar plates were incubated at 37 degrees C in a humidified with 5% CO2 environment for 4 weeks or longer. All Bartonella-like isolates were examined by routine Gram and Giménez staining and then followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-RFLP analysis for identification and differentiation of the isolates. Sequencing 16S rRNA, citrate synthase (gltA) gene and 16S-23S rRNA ITS were carried out and sequential similarities were calculated using the DNASTAR5 software package. The phylogenetic tree was inferred from each bootstrap sample, using the neighbor-joining methods as executed in the MEGA 3.1 software. The translation from DNA to protein were determined by DNASIS 2.5.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The two Bartonella-like organisms (strains Q52SHD and Q64SHD) were isolated from the blood of 71 dogs. Light microscopic examination of the Gram and Giménez-stained micro-organisms showed small, short and slightly curved pleomorphic gram-negative bacilli. Amplified products of the three pairs of Bartonella genus-specific primers carried the same size as the predicted of those Bartonella species. Data from PCR-RFLP analysis showed that the two strains that having the same profiles were all different from the B. henselae type strain-16S rRNA, gltA and 16S-23S rRNA ITS sequences from the two isolates were 100.0%, 99.7% and 97.2% homologous to B. vinsonii berkhoffii.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Based on these findings, the two isolates Q52SHD and Q64SHD were demonstrated as B. vinsonii berkhoffii. To our knowledge, this was the first report on the presence of Bartonella infection in native dogs from China, which constituted a large reservoir of Bartonella species in this country.</p>