ABSTRACT
Genus Veratrum plants contain a diversity of steroidal alkaloids, so far at least 184 steroidal alkaloids attributed to cevanine type(A-1～A-69), veratramine type(B-1～B-21), jervanine type(C-1～C-31), solanidine type(D-1～D-10) and verazine type(E-1～E-53), respectively, have been isolated and identified in the genus Veratrum. Their pharmacological activities mainly focused on decreasing blood pressure, anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombosis, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and antitumor effect. This paper classified and summarized the 184 kind of steroidal alkaloids from the Veratrum plants and their major pharmalogical activities in order to provide the scientific basis for the further development and utilization of active alkaloids.
Subject(s)
Alkaloids/pharmacology , Analgesics , Platelet Aggregation , Steroids/pharmacology , VeratrumABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the effects of Astragaloside IV (AST) on diastolic function of rat thoracic aorta rings which was injured by microvesicles derived from hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and the mechanism of AST.@*METHODS@#H/R-induced endothelial microvesicles (H/R-EMVs) were generated from cultured HUVECs under the condition of hypoxia for 12 hour/Reoxygenation for 4 hour, H/R-EMVs were stored in D-Hank's solution. Male Wistar rats were underwent thoracotomy, the thoracic aorta with intact endothelium were carefully removed and cut into 3~4 mm rings. The experiment was divided into six groups. H/R-EMVs group:thoracic aortic rings of rats were incubated in culture medium and treated with H/R-EMVs in a final concentration of 10g/ml; different doses of AST groups:thoracic aortic rings of rats were treated with 10, 20, 40, 60 mg/L AST co-incubated with 10g/ml H/R-EMVs respectively; control group were treated with the same volume of D-Hank's solution. Duration of incubation was 4 h, each group was tested in five replicate aortic rings. Effects of AST on endothelium-dependent relaxation were detected. The production of nitric oxide (NO) and the level of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), phosphorylated eNOS (p-eNOS, Ser-1177), serine/threonine kinase (Akt), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt, Ser-473), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) and phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2, Thr202/Tyr204) of rat thoracic aortic rings were detected.@*RESULTS@#Teng/ml H/R-EMVs could impaire the relaxation of rat thoracic aortic rings significantly (<0.01). Compared with H/R-EMVs group, relaxation of rat thoracic aortic rings was increased by 20, 40 and 60 mg/L AST in a concentration-dependent manner (<0.01), the level of NO production was also enhanced (<0.05, <0.01). The level of t-eNOS, t-Akt and ERK1/2 was not changed, but the level of p-eNOS, p-Akt and p-ERK1/2 increased by the treatment with AST (<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#AST could effectively ameliorate endotheliumdependent relaxation of rat thoracic aortic rings impaired by H/R-EMVs in a concentration-dependent manner, the mechanism might involve the increase in production of NO, and the protein level of p-eNOS, p-Akt and p-ERK1/2.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Male , Rats , Aorta, Thoracic , Cell-Derived Microparticles , Pathology , Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells , In Vitro Techniques , MAP Kinase Signaling System , Nitric Oxide , Metabolism , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III , Metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt , Metabolism , Rats, Wistar , Saponins , Pharmacology , Triterpenes , Pharmacology , VasodilationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:To compare therapeutic efficacies of Shengxuening tablet and Iron sucrose injection for anemia in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)patients,and their effects on oxidative stress and micro-inflammation state. METHODS:80 pa-tients who had received MHD over half year were assigned into shengxuening group and iron sucrose group with 40 cases in each group. Both groups received MHD 3 times a week,4 h/time,blood flow of 200~300 ml/min;erythropoietin(EPO)was used at a dose of 10 000 IU/time hypodermically in each group. Shengxuening group was additionally given Shengxuening tablet orally,0.5 g/time,tid. Iron sucrose group was given Iron sucrose injection 100 mg 2 h intravenously via dialyser after the beginning of hemo-dialysis,twice a week,received iron treatment every one week until complete the total dose of 1 000 mg,to maintain ferritin be-tween 100~300 μg/L. The levels of Hb,Hct,SF,TSAT,hs-CRP,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,SOD and GSH-Px were tested in 2 groups before and 12 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS:After 12 weeks of treatment,the levels of Hb,Hct,SF and TSAT in 2 groups were significantly increased,with statistical significance (P0.05). Compared with before treatment,the levels of hs-CRP,IL-6,TNF-α and MDA increased significantly in iron sucrose group,while SOD and GSH-Px levels declined significantly,with statistical significance (P<0.01). Above indicators of shengxuening group had no significant change,compared with before treatment;there was statistical significance between 2 groups after treatment(P<0.01). No obvious ADR was found in 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS:Therapeutic efficacy of shengxuening is simi-lar to that of iron sucrose in improving the anemia and iron deficiency status of MHD patients,but doesn't aggravate oxidative stress and micro-inflammation state. It is an safe and effective oral iron supplement drugs.