Effect of Xiaoyaosan on sexual behavior and inflammatory factors of rat with depression / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective@#To study the effects of Xiaoyaosan on sexual behavior and inflammatory factors of rat with depression.@*Methods@#The establishing depressive rat models of chronic mild unpredictable stress were established. The rats were randomly divided into model group and Xiaoyaosan group, 15 in each group. The Xiaoyaosan group was given 4.612 5 g/(kg•d) Xiaoyaosan, the blank group and the model group were intragastrically administered with normal saline once daily. After 4 weeks of oral administration, mount frequency and perineal licking numbers to female rats in each experimental group were observed by sexual behavior experiment, and the spleen index and thymus index were calculated. The serum DA, IL-1β, IL-6 levels were tested by Elisa.@*Results@#Compared with the normal group, the mount frequency (4.42 ± 3.91 vs. 11.58 ± 6.54), perineal licking numbers (3.53 ± 3.29 vs. 16.36 ± 10.68) and serum DA levels (14.14 ± 0.71 pg/ml vs. 17.44 ± 4.06 pg/ml) in the model group significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the thymus index (0.012 4 ± 0.001 8 vs. 0.009 3 ± 0.001 7), serum IL-1β (39.45 ± 11.98 pg/ml vs. 28.62 ± 6.61 pg/ml), IL-6 levels (9.74 ± 1.49 pg/ml vs. 6.40 ± 0.66 pg/ml) significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the contents of serum DA in Xiaoyaosan group (15.90 ± 1.24 pg/ml vs. 14.14 ± 0.71 pg/ml) increased significantly (P<0.01), and the thymus index (0.009 9 ± 0.001 3 vs. 0.012 4 ± 0.001 8) and IL-6 levels (8.32 ± 0.39 pg/ml vs. 9.74 ± 1.49 pg/ml) decreased significantly (P<0.05).@*Conclusions@#The Xiaoyaosan had a therapeutic effect on immune dysfunction and increases the expression of serum dopamine in depressive rats, which may be one of the mechanisms of its anti-depression.

Changes of Notch Signaling Pathway in Hippocampus of Rats with Stagnation of Liver Qi and Spleen Deficiency Syndrome and Regulation of Xiaoyaosan / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Objective: To observe the changes of Notch signaling pathway related molecule expression in hippocampus of rats with stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency syndrome and to explore the regulatory effect of Xiaoyaosan. Methods: Male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal group, model group, model+xiayaosan group and model+fluoxetine group, each group had 12 rats. The stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency model was established by chronic immobilization stress for 21 days. Detection of Nissl bodies by Nissl staining, expression of NICD, Hes1, Hes5 and Jad1 were detected by Fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western-blot method. Results: Compared with the normal group, the number of Nissl bodies in the model group decreased significantly (P ＜ 0.01), which showed that Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine could reverse it (P ＜ 0.01). The expression of Notch signaling pathway-related protein in model group was significantly lower than that in normal group (P ＜ 0.01), which showed that Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine could reverse the expression of NICD, Hes5 and Jag1 protein (P ＜ 0.05, P ＜ 0.01). Compared with the normal group, the expression of each gene in the model group decreased (P ＜ 0.01), which showed that Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine could reverse the expression of NICD, Hes1 and Hes5 mRNA (P ＜ 0.05, P ＜ 0.01). Conclusion: The hippocampal neurons of rats with stagnation of liver qi and spleen deficiency syndrome were damaged and the Nissl bodies were reduced, the expression of each protein and gene in Notch signaling pathway decreased. Xiaoyaosan may play a therapeutic role by regulating the expression level of hippocampal related molecules to protect neurons.

Theoretical study on thirteen or fourteen incompatible medicaments and opposite drug properties of Tujia ethnic medical science / 中国中药杂志

Tujia ethnic medical science is an important sub-discipline of China's ethnic medicine system, which has rooted in major Tujia ethnic area such as Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Chongqing. It has its own theory, medication characteristic and experi-ence towards ethnic drugs. Particularly, in medication incompatibility, it has formed the principle of thirteen or fourteen incompatible medicament of traditional Tujia ethnic drugs, which play a certain role in guiding the usage and compatibility of tens of thousands of herbs. Focusing on the incompatibility that is abided by Tujia medical workers, the essay makes a textual study on the origin of herbs and conducts a preliminary study on the theoretical basis of thirteen or fourteen incompatible medicaments in terms of four properties of drugs and toxic and side-effect by reference to the records on nature and flavor and effectiveness, with a view of providing a preference to improve the incompatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicines and new ideas to further studies on the development and application of traditional ethnic drugs.

Effects of HSYA on expression of bFGF protein and MMP-9 in BGC-823 transplantation tumor of nude mice / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of hydroxy safflor yellow A (HSYA) on the expression of bFGF protein and MMP-9 mRNA or protein of transplantation tumor of gastric adenocarcinoma cell line BGC-823 in nude mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The BGC-823 cells were subcutaneously injected into the right anterior armpit of BALB/C nu/nu nude mice, and the animal model of transplantation tumor was established. The experimental groups were treated with HSYA at concentration of 0.056 and 0.028 g x L(-1) and cyclophosphamide at 2 g x L(-1), or with physiologic saline. The tumor inhibitory effect was observed, and the mRNA expression of MMP-9 of transplantation tumor was detected by real time-fluorescent quantitation PCR and the protein expression of MMP-9 and bFGF were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The IR in the group with HSYA at the concentration of 0.028 g x L(-1) is higher than in the group with normal sodium. After treatment with HSYA, the mRNA expression of MMP-9 has significant difference at the concentration of 0.028 g x L(-1) as compared with physiologic saline-treated group (P < 0.05), but the protein expression of MMP-9 and bFGF is obviously less than that in the physiologic saline-treated group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The possible mechanism of HSYA in given concentration to antagonize tumor angiogenesis may be related with inhibiting the protein expression of MMP-9 and bFGF or the mRNA expression of MMP-9 in tumor tissue to reduce the degradation of blood vessel basilar membrane, and to restrain the migration of blood vessel and decrease the tumor vascularization.</p>

Possible regulation channel of Xiaoyao San in treating rats of syndrome of liver invading the spleen by immunohistochemistry / 中华中医药杂志

Objective: Pervious RT-PCR results revealed the possibility of effective regulation channel of Xiaoyao San in treating rats of syndrome of liver invading the spleen. This experiment was designed to explore CIS rats’ immunohistochemistry findings in hippocampal subregion CA1 and amygdaloid subregion BLA after suppressing both amygdaloid AMPA receptors by microinjection of CNQX. To compare Xiaoyao San group with CNQX group, and to analysis of these findings may prove the possibility of effective regulation channel of Xiaoyao san treating this syndrome. Methods: 75 male SD rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups: normal group, CIS group, sham-operation group, CNQX group and Xiaoyao San group. The number of GluR2 positive cells in hippocampal subregion CA1 and amygdaloid subregion BLA in these 5 groups were examined by immunohistochemistry test. Results: Compared with control group, the number of GluR2 positive cells decreased in hippocampal subregion CA1. Statistical analysis showed that no difference existed in control, CNQX and Xiaoyao San groups in CA1 region. Except CNQX group, tendency of changes were contradictory in BLA and CA1 region. In addition, the least in BLA in CNQX group. This finding revealed that Xiaoyao San may act the same as CNQX, thus Xiaoyao San afforded effective protection against this depression syndrome through suppression of both amygdaloid excitability. Conclusion: The balance coordination between hippocampus and amygdala may be the key in transformation from adaption to damage in a state of stress, was one of the central mechanisms of liver governing smoothing qi flow (LGSQF) on regulating the stress. Xiaoyao San may effectively regulate the balance of the excitability of hippocampus and amygdala. This hypothesis may reveal the regulation channel on Xiaoyao San affording effective protection against liver invading the spleen syndrome.

Use of ephedra in treating arthromyodynia / 中华中医药杂志

Doctors in the past dynasties always used ephedra to treat disease of exogenous wind-cold,cough,asthma and edema,but ignored its application in treating arthromyodynia.It could be deduced from the record of the books of Chinese medicine and prescriptions that ephedra had the nature of pungent and warm,could dispel wind and remove wetness,warm channel and expel cold,remove obstruction in collaterals.All of those were correspondent with the pathogenesis of arthromyodynia.Thus,ephedra can be widely used in types of arthromyodynia.Proven case was also included in this article.