Enhanced effect of guizhi plus Gegen Decoction on learning and memory disorder in LPS induced neuroinflammatory mice / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the potential effect of Guizhi plus Gegen Decoction (GGD) in improving learning and memory of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced neuroinflammatory mice and its possible mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 63 male ICR mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control (n = 13), the model group (n = 13), the low dose GGD group (n = 10), the high dose GGD group (n = 14), and the positive control group (n = 13). Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (0.33 mg/kg) to induce Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. Mice in the high and the low dose GGD groups were administered with 12 g/kg or 6 g/kg by gastrogavage for 4 successive weeks. Mice in the control group were intraperitoneally injected with minocycline (50 mg/kg) for 3 days. By the end of treatment LPS were injected 4 h before behavior test each day, and then behavior test was conducted in mice of each group. Effect of GGD on learning and memory of AD mice was observed by using open field test, novel object recognition task, and Morris water maze.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Open field test showed there was no statistical difference in the movement time and the movement distance among all groups (P > 0.05), suggesting that LPS and GGD had no effect on locomotor activities of mice. In novel object recognition test, AD mice spent significantly shorter time to explore novel object after they were induced by LPS (P < 0.05), while for AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups, their capacities for exploration and memory were significantly improved (P < 0. 05, P < 0.01). Results of Morris water maze showed that AD mice exhibited increased escape latency (P < 0.05) and spent much less time in swimming across the original platform (both P < 0.05). However, AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups had obvious shortened latency and increased time percentage for swimming (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GGD possessed certain improvement in learning and memory disorder of LPS induced AD mice.</p>

Effect of qi-tonifying and stasis-eliminating therapy on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptors Flt-1, Flk-1 in the brain of intracerebral hemorrhagic rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects and mechanism of qi-tonifying and stasis-eliminating (QTSE) therapy on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors Flt-1 and Flk-1 in the brains of intracerebral hemorrhagic (model) rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal group (n=5), the sham-operative (SO) group (n=35), the model group (n=35), the QTSE group (n=35), the QT group (n=35) and the SE group (n=35). All the rats except those in the normal group and SO group were established into an intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH) model by intracerebral injection of collagenase type VII and the latter three were orally administered with Buyang Huanwu Decoction (a classical recipe for QTSE) or with some of its components for qi-tonification and for stasis-elimination, respectively. To the other three groups, normal saline solutions were given instead. Behavioral tests were carried out in the animals randomly chosen from each group on days 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 after modeling. The expressions of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 were determined by immunohistochemistry and the number of vascular segments with positive expression in the injured brain area of the rats was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From day 7 onwards, the asymmetric forelimb use rate in the QTSE group recovered more significantly than that in the other model groups. In the model group, the expressions of VEGF, Flk-1 and Flt-1 appeared on day 1 and reached a peak on day 21, then weakened gradually. In the QTSE group, as compared with the other model groups, a higher level of VEGF expression was shown from day 7 (P<0.01) and a higher level of Flt-1 expression was shown from the 7th day to the 21st day (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QTSE therapy can up-regulate the expressions of VEGF and its receptors (Flk-1 and Flt-1) and improve the recovery of kinetic function in the ICH rats, which may be correlated with its action in modulating vascular regeneration to promote the reconstruction of microvascular networks in the damaged areas.</p>