ABSTRACT
On account of the dense cuticles of the fresh stem and the light, hard and pliable texture of the dried stem, Dendrobii Caulis is difficult to dry or pulverize. So, it is very important to the ancient doctors that Dendrobii Caulis should be properly treated and applied to keep or evoke its medicinal effects. The current textual research results about the preliminary processing, processing and usage methods of Dendrobii Caulis showed that: (1) In history the clinical use of fresh or processed Dendrobii Caulis as teas and tinctures were very common. (2) Its roots and rhizomes would be removed before using. (3) Some ancillary approaches were applied to shorten drying times, such as rinsing with boiling mulberry-ash soup, washing or soaking with liquor, mixing with rice pulp and then basking, etc. (4) According to the ancients knowledge, the sufficient pulverization, by means of slicing, rasping, hitting or pestling techniques, was necessary for Dendrobii Caulis to take its effects. (5) The heat processing methods for Dendrobii Caulis included stir-baking, stir-frying, steaming, decocting and stewing techniques, usually with liquor as an auxiliary material. Among above mentioned, steaming by pretreating with liquor was most commonly used, and this scheme was colorfully drawn in Bu Yi Lei Gong Pao Zhi Bian Lan (Ming Dynasty, 1591 CE) ; moreover, decocting in advance or long-time simmering so as to prepare paste products were recommended in the Qing Dynasty. (6) Some different processing programs involving stir-baking with grit, air-tightly baking with ondol (Kangs), fumigating with sulfur, which appeared in modern times and brought attractive outward appearance of the drug, went against ancients original intentions of ensuring drug efficacy.
Subject(s)
Dendrobium , History, Ancient , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , History , Technology, Pharmaceutical , HistoryABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare iron bioavailability (Fe BV) from ten selected kinds of Chinese wheat flours in order to provide scientific basis for further human trials and enable plant breeding programs to screen biofortified wheat cultivars.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An in vitro digestion/Caco-2 cell model was used to assess Fe BV of ten flour samples from six leading Chinese wheat cultivars and the stability of Fe BV in one cultivar was studied across three growing environments.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant differences were observed in both Fe BV and Fe bioavailability per gram of food (Fe BVPG) among cultivars (P<0.01) grown at the same location with the same flour extraction rate. Zhongyou 9507 and Jingdong 8 had Fe BV 37%-54% and Fe BVPG 103%-154% higher than the reference control. In the Anyang environment, Zhongyou 9507 had a higher wheat flour-Fe level and Fe BVPG. Differences in Fe BV were detected in cultivars with different flour extraction rates.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Zhongyou 9507 and Jingdong 8 were identified as the most promising cultivars for further evaluation of efficacy by using human subjects. The growing environments had no effect on Fe BV, but did have a significant effect on Fe BVPG. Fe bioavailabilities in low-extraction (40%) flours were higher than those in high-extraction (78%) flours.</p>
Subject(s)
Humans , Biological Availability , Caco-2 Cells , China , Ferritins , Chemistry , Flour , Genetic Variation , Iron , Chemistry , Pharmacokinetics , Phosphorus , Chemistry , Phytic Acid , Chemistry , Triticum , Chemistry , GeneticsABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of Bisphenol A in adult rats and its possible mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BPA (in corn oil) was administered orally to 9-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats for 14 days (0, 1 and 5 g/kg bw), and incubated primary Sertoli cells from pubertal SD rats with 0, 10(-7), 10(-6), 10(-5), 10(-4) mol/L BPA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After oral administration, a significant decrease in right testis weight was observed in 5 g/kg dose group, but not in the 1 g/kg bw dose group. Germ cells were detached from basement membrane of seminiferous tubules and Sertoli cells in BPA-treated groups. Administration of BPA at 1 g/kg bw and 5 g/kg bw produced both nucleus pycnosis and vacuolized nucleus in germ cells and Sertoli cells. A marked loss in vimentin staining in Sertoli cells from testis of BPA-treated rats was detected. No change in levels of serum estradiol and testosterone was observed after two-week exposure to BPA. In Sertoli cell primary culture, BPA destroyed the cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctions, and elongated Sertoli cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These results suggest that BPA may injure reproductive function of male rats by destroying the cytoskeleton and changing the form of Sertoli cells.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Benzhydryl Compounds , Cells, Cultured , Cytoskeleton , Organ Size , Phenols , Toxicity , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Sertoli Cells , Cell Biology , Testis , Cell Biology , Vimentin , MetabolismABSTRACT
Objective To explore the mechanism of effect of estrogic bisphenol_A(BPA) on vimentin in Sertoli cells.Methods Immunohistochemical methods and situ hybridization technique were applied to analyze the effets of BPA on expressions of vimentin and protein kinase C(PKC) gene in primary cultured Sertoli cells.Results The results showed that BPA lengthened the Sertoli cells,the vimentin gene in Sertoli cells could be expressed completely in vitro,but BPA could prohibited translation of vimentin gene,however there was no direct relationship between BPA and vimentin protein degradation.PKC gene couldn't be expressed in Sertoli cells. Conclusion The results suggested that BPA prohibited translation of vimentin gene and therefore blocked the formation of cytoskeleton of Sertoli cells,and finally caused deformation of these cells,and that protein kinase C didn't disturb degradative metabolism of vimentin in Sertoli cells.