Quality Evaluation of Tremella fuciformis Polysaccharides from Different Sources / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish a method for the determination of polysaccharide and monosaccharide composition of Tremella fuciformis, and to analyze the difference of polysaccharide content in T. fuciformis from different sources and cultivation methods, so as to provide reference for the quality determination.Method:High performance size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering and refractive index detection (HPSEC-MALLS-RID) was employed to determine the content and relative molecular weight distribution of T. fuciformis polysaccharides. The monosaccharide types and proportions of T. fuciformis polysaccharides were analyzed by 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) precolumn derivative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Result:The weight-average relative molecular weight (Mw) and the content of polysaccharides in T. fuciformis cultivated by cut-log from different sources were distributed in 2.618×106-3.503×106 Da and 307.12-609.06 g·kg-1, respectively. These two parameters of polysaccharides in T. fuciformis with substitute cultivation from different sources were 2.723×106-3.886×106 Da and 366.38-647.37 g·kg-1, respectively. The T. fuciformis polysaccharides mainly consisted of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose and fucose, their ratios in samples with cut-log and substitute cultivation were 4.4∶0.7∶1.0∶0.2∶1.4∶1.6 and 4.4∶0.8∶1.0∶0.1∶1.5∶1.5, respectively. The contents of the above six monosaccharides in 39 batches of T. fuciformis from different sources were mannose of 36.71-191.31 g·kg-1, glucose of 10.46-76.10 g·kg-1, galactose of 1.00-6.72 g·kg-1, xylose of 16.73-70.54 g·kg-1, glucuronic acid of 9.74-32.12 g·kg-1, fucose of 17.16-68.20 g·kg-1.Conclusion:The content of polysaccharides in T. fuciformis from different sources has a certain difference, the developed method can be used as a routine method for the quality evaluation of polysaccharides in T. fuciformis.

Comparison on content of ligustilides in different danggui samples / 中国中药杂志

Bioactivity of Danggui is linked to the content of ligustilide, but the relationship between ligustilide with herb shape, cultivating areas and plant species is still unknown. The relationship was investigated by quantifying on the amounts of Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide by HPLC-DAD-MS method, and then comparing the content of ligustilides (the sum of Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide) among forty-four various "Danggui" samples containing thirty Chinese Danggui (CDG), six Japanese Danggui (JDG), four Korea Danggui (KDG) and four European Danggui (EDG). Results showed that the content of ligustilides in CDG samples (Angelica sinensis) was in the range of 5.63-24.53 mg x g(-1) with the mean of 11.02 mg x g(-1) (n = 30). Ligustilides amounts were varied among samples cultivated in different areas in China, i. e. 13.90 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in Yannan, 12.51 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in Sichuan and 10.04 mg x g(-1) (n = 13) in Gansu. It was also found that ligustilides content was related to the shape, color and fragrance of herb, e. g. the relative larger amount of ligustilides was in the small main root, long rootlet and perfumed sample. Further, ligustilides contents were estimated to be 1.00 mg x g(-1) (n = 6) in JDG samples (A. acutiloba and A. acutiloba var. sugiyamae) and 2.78 mg x g(-1) (n = 2) in EDG samples (lovage root, Levisticum officinale). However, ligustilides could not be detected in the four KDG samples (A. gigas) and two EDG samples (angelica root, A. archangelica). It has been concluded that ligustilide is significant variant among plant species, which may result in the variety of bioactivity and therapeutic effect.

Association of Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 with Characteristics of Vulnerable Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques

PURPOSE: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is an inflammatory enzyme expressed in atherosclerotic plaques. We investigated the association of circulating Lp-PLA2 with characteristics of vulnerable coronary atherosclerotic plaques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recruited 113 patients with either unstable angina (UA, n=59) and stable angina (SA, n=54) by coronary angiography. Thirty-six healthy subjects served as controls. Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was used to evaluate the characteristics of coronary atherosclerotic plaque, and serum Lp-PLA2 concentration was measured as well. RESULTS: Lp-PLA2 concentration was significantly higher in both UA and SA patients [(396+/-36) microg/L and (321+/-39) microg/L, respectively] compared with the controls [(127+/-49) microg/L, p<0.01], and higher in UA than SA group. IVUS findings showed that remodeling index (RI) (0.91+/-0.15 vs. 0.85+/-0.11, p=0.005) and eccentricity index (EI) (0.73+/-0.16 vs. 0.65+/-0.22, p=0.039) were larger in UA than in SA group, and fibrous caps were thicker in SA than UA group [(0.91+/-0.23) mm vs. (0.63+/-0.21) mm, p=0.032]. Moreover, Lp-PLA2 correlated positively with EI (r=0.439, p<0.01) and RI (r=0.592, p<0.05) in UA group. There was an inverse relationship between Lp-PLA2 and fibrous cap thickness in both UA (r=-0.587, p<0.001) and SA (r=-0.318, p<0.05) groups. The independent risk factors in UA group were Lp-PLA2 (OR=1.055, 95% CI: 1.03-1.08, p=0.013), LDL-cholesterol (OR=0.032, 95% CI: 0.00-0.05, p=0.041) and fibrous cap thickness (OR=0.008, 95% CI: 0.00-0.45, p=0.019). Lp-PLA2 was strongly associated with both EI and fibrous cap thickness in both groups. CONCLUSION: Serum level of Lp-PLA2 is associated with both eccentricity index and fibrous cap thickness in both UA and SA groups. Elevated levels of circulating Lp-PLA2 might to be a strong risk factor and more serious for unstable angina than stable angina.

siRNA inhibits efgl7 expression in human endothelial cell line HUVEC / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of small interference RNA (siRNA) on epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 (egfl7) gene expression in human endothelial cell line HUVEC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>siRNA targeting egfl7 (siRNA1, siRNA2, siRNA3 and siRNA4) was constructed through online design of Amnion company and transfected into human endothelial cell line HUVEC with lipofectamine. The nontransfected cells and cells treated with control siRNA were taken as controls. At 24, 48 and 72 hours post various interventions, cell viability was determined by MTS method as well as LDH and ATP releasing tests. egfl7 expressions at protein and mRNA levels were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Cell survival rate, LDH and ATP release were significantly reduced in siRNA treated cells compared to control cells (P < 0.05). Similarly, egfl7 expression at protein and mRNA levels was also significantly reduced in siRNA treated cells (P < 0.01), especially in siRNA1 treated cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>siRNA inhibited egfl7 gene expression and cell survival in HUVEC.</p>

The effect of physical training on insulin resistance in patients with chronic heart failure / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To investigate insulin resistance and the effect of physical training on it in the pa- tients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods One hundred and twenty NYHAⅡ-ⅢCHF patients were ran- domly divided into a training group( n = 65 ) and a routine therapy group (n = 55 ). Another 35 healthy subjects were recruited as control group. All the patients were treated with routine anti-CHF drugs, and the training group patients had received physical training twice a day in addition. The HOMA-IR, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) , left ventricu- lar ejection fraction (LEVF), left ventricular fractional shortening( LVFS), 6-minute walking distance, heart rate and mean blood pressure were compared between the training and routine therapy groups before and after physical ex- ercise in both groups, and a comparison was made between the patients and the controls before the intervention with regard to HOMA-IR and ISI. Results Comparing with control group, ISI was reduced while the HOMA-IR in- creased (P