Potentiating effect and mechanism of extract of Jingfang Granules on activation of macrophages / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to explore the potentiating effect and mechanism of the extract of Jingfang Granules(JFG) on the activation of macrophages. The RAW264.7 cells were treated with JFG extract and then stimulated by multiple agents. Subsequently, mRNA was extracted, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to measure the mRNA transcription of multiple cytokines in RAW264.7 cells. The levels of cytokines in the cell supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). In addition, the intracellular proteins were extracted and the activation of signaling pathways was determined by Western blot. The results showed that JFG extract alone could not promote or slightly promote the mRNA transcription of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MIP-1α, MCP-1, CCL5, IP-10, and IFN-β, and significantly enhance the mRNA transcription of these cytokines in RAW264.7 cells induced by R848 and CpG in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, JFG extract also potentiated the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IFN-β by RAW264.7 cells stimulated with R848 and CpG. As revealed by mechanism analysis, JFG extract enhanced the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2, IRF3, STAT1, and STAT3 in RAW264.7 cells induced by CpG. The findings of this study indicate that JFG extract can selectively potentiate the activation of macrophages induced by R848 and CpG, which may be attributed to the promotion of the activation of MAPKs, IRF3, and STAT1/3 signaling pathways.

Comparative Study on the Immune Enhancement and Anti-aging Activities between Cultivated and Wild Cordyceps sinensis / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To observe the immune enhancement and anti-aging activities of cultivated and wild Cordyceps sinensis. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into seven groups: high dose cultivated Cordyceps sinensis group, low dose cultivated Cordyceps sinensis group, high dose wild Cordyceps sinensis group, low dose wild Cordyceps sinensis group, control group, model group and positive drug group. Immunosuppression mouse model were induced by cyclophosphamide and the physical status, carbon clearance capacity, phagocytosis coefficient and lymphocyte transformation stimulation index, and ear swelling of mice were observed. The aging mice model was established by subcutaneously injecting D-galactose, and brain histology, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of mice were observed. RESULTS: Both cultivated and wild Cordyceps sinensis increased the body weight and immune organ index, and enhanced the immunity of the mice. Furthermore, both cultivated and wild Cordyceps sinensis ameliorated the pathological changes in brain histology, and enhanced the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ability of the mice. There was no obvious difference in the immune enhancement and anti-aging activities between cultivated and wild Cordyceps sinensis. CONCLUSION: Both cultivated and wild Cordyceps sinensis can improve immunity and retard the aging process. Cultivated Cordyceps sinensis can be used as the alternative choice of wild Cordyceps sinensis in clinic.

Advances in chemical compounds and pharmacological effects of Dendrobii Caulis / 中草药

Dendrobium represents one of the most important orchid genera with ornamental and medicinal values. The stems of Dendrobium species have been used as Dendrobii Caulis in traditional Chinese medicine for a thousand years, which manifest a diversity of medicinal effects including tonic, analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory. In recent decades, about 100 compounds have been found and identified from the medicinal parts of more than 40 Dendrobium species, which include polysaccharide, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, terpenoids, amino acids, trace elements, coumarin, tanning, sterols, etc. This review focus on main research conducted during the last decade on Dendrobii Caulis and their constituents, which have been studied on their pharmacological effects involving immunomodulatory activities, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, cardiovascular protective, enterogastric strengthening, anti-angiogenesis, allergic dermatitis symptoms improving, antifatigue, antiplatelet aggregation, etc. Simultaneously, the key research problems and the future development on Dendrobium are prospected.

Research progress in study on chemical constituents and antitumor effects in Hedysarum polybotrys / 中草药

Hedysari Radix (HR) mainly consists of chemical constituents such as sacchcrides, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, etc. HR has broad application prospects in antitumor effect. In recent years, the researches on the antitumor function of HR are frequently reported, and the main active ingredients in HR are polysaccharides, flavonoids, and saponins. The active ingredients of HR mainly inhibit the growth of tumor cells, induce the apoptosis of tumor cells, enhance the immune system, and cooperate with chemotherapy drug to exert the antitumor effect. This paper reviews the advances of the chemical constituents and antitumor effects of HR, providing theoretical basis for its further development and utilization.

Immunoenhancement effect of ICA on the mouse model of Cy-induced hypoimmunity / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective:Effect of ICA (Icariin) was observed on immunosuppression mice caused by Cyclophosphamide(Cy).Methods:A total of 60 mice,expect control group mice,were injected Cy intraperitoneally [300 mg/(kg·d)],then randomly divided into modelgroup(saline),positive (shenqi,1 ml/d)groups,ICA groups[150,80,40 mg/(kg·d)].Saline,shenqi and ICA were perfused respectively for 10 successive days;All mice were sacrificed after 12 h of last administration for performing following experiments.Measuring SI and TI and calculating amounts of lymphocyte from spleen and peripheral blood;Proliferative reaction of splenic lymphocyte stimulated by ConA and LPS were detected by MTT assays.Killing activity of NK and CTL cells for colon26 and level of TNF-α production were measured by LDH method.Ratios of CD3~+ T and NKT in splenic lymphocyte (SPL) were studied by FACS.Results:ICA can recovery TI and SI of mice to normal level and boost the population of splenic lymphocyte (SPL) (P<0.01).After treatment with ICA,activities of NK cell and CTL cell were significantly improved,and the level of TNF-α was significantly elevated.The ratios of NKT and CD3+T in the ICA-treated group were increased obviously (P<0.01).Conclusion:ICA can enhance immunological function and alleviate the side effect of chemotherapy effectively.

Immunoprotection of recombinant antigen LTB-UreB-HpaA in Helicobacter pylori infected mice and immunoenhancement of the inner adjuvant LTB / 中国人兽共患病学报

In order to increase antigenicity of H. pylori-specific antigens and decrease the cost of further industrial production, we used a special PCR with linking primers to construct a fusion gene containing H.pylori ureB and hpaA genes and E.coli ltB gene, and to costract its prokaryotic expression system pET42a-ltB-ureB-hpaA-E.coliBL21DE3. The sequencing result indicated the 100% nucleotide sequence homology of the constructed ltB-ureB-hpaA fusion gene compared to those of the original separated genes. Output of the target recombinant protein rLTB-UreB-HpaA was approximate 15% of the total bacterial proteins measured by SDS-PAGE. The rLTB-UreB-HpaA could induce the immunized rabbits to produce specific antibodies with immunodiffusion titer of 1∶8, and could combine to the commercial rabbit antibody against the whole cell of H.pylori as well as rabbit anti-UreB and anti-HpaA sera by using Western bolt assays. Using GM1-ELISA, the ability of rLTB-UreB-HpaA binding to bovine GM1 was confirmed.And rLTB-UreB-HpaA (200 μg per mouse) could prevent 100% of the immunized BaLb/C mice from H.pylori strain SS1 infection. The co-administration with 10 μg rLTB, the rUreB or rHpa could increase its protective rates in the immunized mice from 66.7% to 81.8% and 83.3%, respectively. All these data leads a conclusion that rLTB-UreB-HpaA is a great potential as a practical genetic engineering vaccine to prevent H.pylori infection.