Effects of early life PM2.5 exposure on prefrontal cortex of offspring male rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effects of PM2.5 exposure at different stages of early life on the prefrontal cortex of offspring rats. Methods: Twelve pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control group (CG), Maternal pregnancy exposure group (MG), Early postnatal exposure group (EP) and Perinatal period exposure group (PP), 3 rats in each group. The pregnant and offspring rats were exposed to clean air or 8-fold concentrated PM2.5. MG was exposed from gestational day (GD) 1 to GD21. EP was exposed from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND21, and PP was exposed from GD1 to PND21. After exposure, the prefrontal cortex of 6 offspring rats in each group was analyzed. HE staining was used to observe the pathological damage in the prefrontal cortex. ELISA was employed to detect neuroinflammatory factors, and HPLC/MSC was applied to determine neurotransmitter content. Western blot and colorimetry were applied for detecting astrocyte markers and oxidative stress markers, respectively. Results: Compared with MG and CG, the pathological changes of prefrontal cortex in PP and EP were more obvious. Compared with MG and CG, the neuroinflammatory factors (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α) in PP and EP were increased significantly (P＜0.01), the level of MT were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), and the level of oxytocin (OT) showed a downward trend; the level of neurotransmitter ACh was also increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with MG and CG, the GFAP level of PP and EP showed an upward trend, the level of oxidative stress index SOD in PP and EP was decreased significantly (P＜0.01), and the level of ROS was increased significantly (P＜0.01). Compared with the offspring rats of CG and MG, the CAT level of PP was decreased significantly (P＜0.01, P＜0.05). Compared with the offspring rats of CG, the CAT level of EP was decreased significantly (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, MT, OT, ACh, GFAP, SOD, ROS and CAT levels between PP and EP, or MG and CG. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure in early life has adverse effects on the prefrontal cortex of offspring male rats, and early birth exposure may be more sensitive.

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Gentiopicroside in Adjuvant-induced Arthritis Rats / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To study the therapeutic and inflammatory effects of gentiopicroside(GPS) on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) rats. Method::The 36 male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups, namely the model group, GPS groups (low, medium and high dose), and the methotrexate (MTX) group, with six rats in each group. AA rats were induced through intradermal injection with 0.1 mL complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the right hind paw, except the normal group. After modeling, rats in each group were treated with drugs for 7 days, once a day. The doses were 30, 60, 120 mg·kg-1 in the GPS groups, and 0.2 mg·kg-1 in the MTX group. The normal group and the model group were intragastrically treated with the same volume of normal saline. During the experiment, the paw thickness and paw volume of rats were recorded everyday by the digital vernier calipers and the toe volume measuring instrument. On the seventh day, X-ray and histopathological examination of the ankle joints were performed by the small animal living imaging instrument and hematoxylin eosin stain. Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta at the end of the experiment to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits. The mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in synovial tissues were determined by Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR). Result::Compared with the normal group, the results of each index in the model group were significantly different (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the results of paw volume and paw thickness decreased significantly (P<0.01), TNF-α level decreased significantly (P<0.01), and IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA levels decreased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01) in drug treated groups. The results of X-ray and histopathological examinations indicated that GPS had a protective effect on the ankle joints of AA rats. Conclusion::GPS has the therapeutic effect on AA rats by inhibiting levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum and relevant mRNA levels in synovial tissues.

Effects of Kuntai capsule on GnRH-a-induced perimenopause symptoms:a prospective randomized controlled study / 中国实用妇科与产科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Kuntai capsule on the gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist(GnRH-a)-induced perimenopaus symptoms and the sex hormone levels.METHODS: A total of 99 patients with uterine fibroids,adenomyosis or moderate to severe endometriosis who needed the treatment of GnRH-a at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2015 to March 2016 were collected and randomly divided into research group(Kuntai capsule)and control group(Tibolone). GnRH-a was injected once every 28 days and first injection of GnRH-a was administered on the 2 nd to 4 th day of menstrual period or retraction bleeding after surgery.Kuntai capsule or Tibolone was orally taken beginning from the first GnRH-a injection,and the co-administration of Caltrate D-600 and alfacalcidol was given in both groups.The Kupperman scores,sex hormone levels including folliclestimulating hormone(FSH)and estrogen(E_2),and adverse events were recorded.RESULTS: Kuntai capsule kept the perimenopause symptoms at mild level with the slow increase of Kupperman scores,whose effect was significantly superior to Tibolone(P<0.05)after 8 weeks of treatment,especially in paresthesia,nervousness,and formication.The FSH and E_2 levels in both Kuntai and Tibolone groups were obviously decreased when compared with the pre-treatment(P<0.05),and these hormone levels in Kuntai group were comparable to those in Tibolone group.No adverse events occurred in either group. CONCLUSION: In the short-term treatment of GnRH-a,Kuntai capsule exhibits significant alleviating effects on perimenopause symptoms caused by GnRH-a with high safety and few adverse reactions.