Effect of aqueous extract of Corni Fructus on Aβ_(25-35)-induced brain injury and neuroinflammation in mice with Alzheimer's disease / 中国中药杂志

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of Corni Fructus on β-amyloid protein 25-35(Aβ_(25-35))-induced brain injury and neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease(AD) mice to provide an experimental basis for the treatment of AD by aqueous extract of Corni Fructus. Sixty C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, a positive control group(huperizine A, 0.2 mg·kg~(-1)), a low-dose aqueous extract of Corni Fructus group(1.3 g·kg~(-1)), a medium-dose aqueous extract of Corni Fructus group(2.6 g·kg~(-1)), and a high-dose aqueous extract of Corni Fructus group(5.2 g·kg~(-1)). The AD model was induced by lateral ventricular injection of Aβ_(25-35) in mice except for those in the sham group, and AD model mice were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage for 24 days. The behavioral test was performed one week before animal dissection. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was performed to observe the morphology of neurons in the hippocampal region. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis level of primary hippocampal cells in mice. ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of β-amyloid protein 1-42(Aβ_(1-42)) and phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein Tau(p-Tau) in mouse brain tissues. Immunofluorescence and Western blot were used to detect the expression of related proteins in mouse brain tissues. MTT assay was used to detect the effect of compounds in aqueous extract of Corni Fructus on Aβ_(25-35)-induced N9 cell injury. Molecular docking was employed to analyze the interactions of caffeic acid, trans-p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, esculetin, and(+)-lyoniresinol with β-amyloid precursor protein(APP), interleukin-6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). Aqueous extract of Corni Fructus could improve the learning and memory abilities of Aβ_(25-35)-induced mice by increasing the duration of the autonomous activity, the rate of autonomous alternation, the preference coefficient, and the discrimination coefficient, and reduce Aβ_(25-35)-induced brain injury and neuroinflammation in mice by increasing the expression levels of interleukin-10(IL-10) and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) in brain tissues, decreasing the expression levels of Aβ_(1-42), p-Tau, IL-6, TNF-α, cysteine aspartate-specific protease 3(caspase-3), cysteine aspartate-specific protease 9(caspase-9), and Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and decreasing the number of activated glial cells in brain tissues. The results of cell experiments showed that esculetin and(+)-lyoniresinol could improve Aβ_(25-35)-induced N9 cell injury. Molecular docking results showed that caffeic acid, trans-p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, esculetin, and(+)-lyoniresinol had good binding affinity with APP and weak binding affinity with IL-6 and TNF-α. Aqueous extract of Corni Fructus could ameliorate cognitive dysfunction and brain damage in Aβ_(25-35)-induced mice by reducing the number of apoptotic cells and activated glial cells in the brain and decreasing the expression level of inflammatory factors. Caffeic acid, trans-p-hydroxy cinnamic acid, isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, esculetin, and(+)-lyoniresinol may be the material basis for the anti-AD effect of aqueous extract of Corni Fructus.

Cysteine addition on short-term cooled boar semen preservation and its relationship with swine field fertility / Adição de cisteína na preservação de sêmen suíno refrigerado e sua relação com a fertilidade suína

Artificial insemination is routinely used in the swine industry to reduce the costs of production through to increase the efficiency of the refrigerated boar semen process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of cysteine (CYS) added to the Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) extender semen during cooling for up to 72 hours. Ejaculated from three boars were collected with the gloved-hand technique and semen aliquots were diluted in BTS as follow: BTS only (BTS), BTS + 0.1mM cysteine (CYS0.1), BTS + 0.5mM cysteine (CYS0.5), BTS + 1.0mM cysteine (CYS1.0), BTS + 2.5mM cysteine (CYS2.5), BTS + 5.0mM cysteine (CYS5.0), BTS + 10.0mM cysteine (CYS10.0), and BTS + 20.0mM cysteine (CYS20.0). Evaluation of sperm integrity were analyzed using 0.5mg/ml propidium iodide (plasma membrane), 100µg/ml isothiocynate-conjugated Pisum sativun agglutinin (acrosomal membrane) and 153µM 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide (mitochondria potential) after semen dilution at specific times (0, 24, 48 and 72 hours). Additionally, we also evaluated the effects of 5.0 mM CYS addition in the BTS extender on the maintenance of sperm quality and their influence on fertility in the swine production. After artificial insemination, animals were evaluated based on the estrous return and the number of piglet's born. Cysteine at concentrations of 10.0 and 20.0mM resulted in more pronounced reductions even at the time zero. Semen viability decreased to levels below 10 percent at these high levels of CYS in the first 24 hour of storage at 17ºC. At the end of the storage time, less than 65 percent of sperm cells had intact plasma membrane in all groups. The sperm viability decreased significantly when the semen was added at high concentrations of CYS (time "0"; CYS10.0 and CYS20.0; p<0.05), when compared to the other CYS concentrations. The BTS (10.20±0.39) treated group showed a lower rate of estrus return when compared to other (BTSCYS; 86.05±039), and it showed also the highest total number of piglets borne per treatment (12.71±3.38 vs. 9.00±3.38, respectively). In conclusion, the addition of CYS in the BTS semen extender did not maintain spermatic viability of boar cooled spermatozoa and it results in a higher percentage of return to estrus and lower number of piglets borne.

A inseminação artificial é usada rotineiramente na indústria suinícula para reduzir os custos de produção além de obter maior eficiência reprodutiva durante o processo de resfriamento do sêmen. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da adição de diferentes concentrações de cisteína (CIS) ao diluidor de sêmen Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS) resfriado sobre a qualidade espermática por até 72 horas. Foram coletados ejaculados de três cachaços e as amostras de sêmen foram diluídas em BTS, conforme os seguintes tratamentos: BTS (grupo controle); CIS0,1 (BTS + 0,1mM de cisteína); CIS0,5 (BTS + 0,5mM de cisteína); CIS1,0 (BTS + 1,0mM de cisteína); CIS2,5 (BTS + 2,5mM de cisteína); CIS5,0 (BTS + 5,0mM de cisteína); CIS10,0 (BTS + 10,0mM de cisteína) e CIS20,0 (BTS + 20,0mM de cisteína). A avaliação da integridade espermática foi determinada através de sondas fluorescentes em uma combinação de 100µg/mL FICT-PSA (isotiocinato de lecitina), 0.5mg/ml PI (iodeto de propidio), e 153µM JC-1 (5,5',6,6'-tetracloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraetillbenzimidazolil iodeto de carbocianina). As avaliações dos tratamentos foram realizadas 0, 24, 48 e 72 horas após a diluição do sêmen. Adicionalmente, foi avaliado o efeito da adição de 5,0 mM de cisteína ao diluidor BTS na manutenção da qualidade espermática e no efeito na fertilidade em suínos. Após a inseminação artificial, as fêmeas foram avaliadas quanto a taxa de retorno e o tamanho da leitegada. Durante todos os períodos analizados, os grupos CIS10,0 e CIS20,0 apresentaram menor número de espermatozóides viáveis em relação aos demais grupos. A viabilidade espermática diminuiu a níveis abaixo de 10 por cento nos tratamentos CIS10,0 e CIS20,0 nas primeiras 24 horas de armazenamento a 17ºC. Ao final do período de armazenamento todos os grupos apresentavam média inferior a 65 por cento de espermatozóides com a membrana plasmática intacta. A viabilidade espermática diminuiu significativamente quando altas concentrações de CIS (hora "0"; CIS10,0 e CIS20,0; p<0.05) foram adicionadas ao sêmen comparadas com as demais concentrações. O grupo BTS (10,20±0,39) apresentou menor taxa de retorno ao estro comparado com BTSCIS (86,05±0,39), além de apresentar maior número de leitões nascidos (12,71±3,38 vs . 9,00±3,38, respectivamente). Portanto, podemos concluir que a adição de CIS ao diluidor BTS não mantém a qualidade espermática e resulta em maior taxa de retorno ao estro e menor número de leitões nascidos.

A Case of BOOP Developed during Bucillamine Treatment for Rheumatoid

We describe a patient with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) who developed bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia(BOOP) during the treatment of bucillamine. A 51 year-old man was admitted to the hospital for an abnormal shadow on his chest radiogragh. He had been diagnosed as having RA 3 years previously and had been receiving 200 mg of bucillamine for 21 months. Two months prior to admission, he presented with a cough and his chest X-ray showed opacities in both lower lungs. He was treated with antibiotics for 2 months after the development of cough and lesions on the chest X-ray, but the symptoms and lung lesions became more aggravated. On admission, an HRCT revealed airspace consolidations in the subpleural space of both basal lungs and a CT-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy showed Masson's body filling air space, interstitial infiltration of acute and chronic inflammatory cells and type II cell hyperplasia, consistent with BOOP. Bucillamine was stopped and 50 mg of prednisolone was administered. His symptoms and infiltrations on the chest X-ray resolved. We suggest that bucillamine should be considered as a drug possibly associated with BOOP.

A preliminary open trial on interferon stimulator (SNMC) derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra in the treatment of subacute hepatic failure.

The efficacy of the interferon stimulator named Stronger Neo Minophagen-C (SNMC) derived form the plant G. glabra was studied at a dose of 40 or 100 ml daily for 30 days followed by thrice weekly intravenously for 8 wk in 18 patients of subacute hepatic failure due to viral hepatitis. The survival rate amongst these patients was 72.2 per cent, as compared to the earlier reported rate of 31.1 per cent in 98 patients who received supportive therapy (P < 0.01). Death in four of the five patients was due to associated infections leading to hepatorenal failure and terminal coma. Further studies are necessary to standardize the dose and duration of therapy with SNMC in subacute hepatic failure.

Homocistinuria: algunos aspectos del tratamiento dietetico / Homocystinuria: some aspects of dietetic treatment

Se muestran los resultados de 3 años de tratamiento con dieta baja en metionina a un paciente enfermo de homocistinuria. Se utilizaron los alimentos habituales en nuestro medio, proscribiendo algunos y restringiendo otros según su contenido en este aminoácido. Los resultados clínicos, de laboratorio y antropométricos se consideran, en general, favorables y constituyen la primera experiencia de este tipo en nuestro país