Apoptosis of hepatocellular induced by active ingredients of Zanthoxyli Radix by Raman spectroscopy / 中国中药杂志

The apoptosis of mono-hepatocellular induced by the active ingredients of the Zanthoxyli Radix was investigated using laser Raman spectroscopy. Hepatoma cells (BEL-7404) were treated with 10 mg•L⁻¹ nitidine chloride and 3 g•L⁻¹ the extracts of Zanthoxyli Radix, respectively, then were divided into two parts, one for fluorescence staining, the other for determination of Raman spectroscopy. The acquired spectra were then processed by background elimination, smoothing, and normalization. Fluorescence staining results showed that the nucleuses from untreated group were uniformly stained, while those from the group treated for 48 hours were densely stained and broken. The spectra results revealed that the intensity of peaks associated with nucleic acid and protein decreased after the cells were incubated with the extracts of Zanthoxyli Radix for 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours. The intensity of peaks at 785,1 002,1 175,1 660 cm⁻¹ was decreased with the time of the cells were incubated by the extracts of Zanthoxyli Radix. The results indicated that the extracts of Zanthoxyli Radix could induce the apoptosis of hepatoma cells and reduce the amount of nucleic acid and protein in the cells. There is a certain relevance between the drug treatment time and the efficacy. The above results suggest that Raman spectra can provide abundant information about the changes in biological macromolecules within the cells after incubated by the extracts of Zanthoxyli Radix and serve as an effective method for the real time measurement of apoptosis.

Effect of Jinhuang Fuzheng powder on cytokines of immunosuppressive mice with protein antibody micro-array / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Jinhuang Fuzheng powder on cytokines of immunosuppressive mice by using protein antibody micro-array.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The immunosuppressive mice model was established by subcutaneously injecting cyclophosphamide. Rats were orally administered with low, middle and high dose of Huangjin Fuzheng powder for 10 days, and fasted for 12 hours after the final administration. 1 mL blood was drawn from caudal veins and isolated hearts of rats of each group. A quantitative test was conducted for cytokines with cytokine antibody array.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the control group, IFN-gamma and RANTES of the CTX group decreased significantly (P<0.05). After the administration, IFN-gamma of low, middle and high-dose groups, and RANTES of the high-dose group increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-13 and MCP-1 of the CTX group increased remarkably (P<0.01, P<0.05). After the administration, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-13 and MCP-1 of low, middle and high-dose groups decreased to varying degrees. GM-CSF, IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, M-CSF, TNF-alpha, KC and VEGF of the 13 types of cytokines showed no significant change.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Jinhuang Fuzheng powder shows effect on 20 types of cytokines of immunosuppressive mice to varying degrees, which may be related to the regulatory immunosuppression of Th1/Th2 subgroup in mice.</p>

Effect of octacostyl alcohol preparation on blood free radical metabolism and cardiac endocrine function of rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effect of octacostyl alcohol preparation on the motor function, blood free radical metabolism and cardiac endocrine function of rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A rat model of exercise fatigue was used for this study. The rats were made to perform continuous exhaustive exercise, and the total exercise time of the rats till exhaustion was recorded followed by examination of the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonaldehyde (MDA), plasma endothelin (ET), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with rats without interventions for exercise fatigue, the rats receiving octacostyl alcohol preparation had significant prolonged exercise time till exhaustion (P<0.05), with also significantly enhanced serum SOD activity (P<0.05), significantly decreased MDA level and plasma ET (P<0.05) and increased CGRP and ANP levels (P<0.05). Octacostyl alcohol preparation produced more favorable effect on all the indices measured than pyruvic acid-creatine (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The octacostyl alcohol preparation can promote the motor function, increases blood antioxidase activity, suppressed lipid peroxidation in rats engaged in exhaustive exercise. The preparation also produces favorable effect on cardiac endocrine function for heart protection during exercise.</p>

Protective effect of Jinhuang-1 on acute respiratory distress syndrome rats induced by oleic acid / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effect of Jinhuang-1 (JH-1) on oleic acid-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in rats and provide a basis to clinical application.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Oleic acid was injected into the tail vein of rats and JH-1 were administered to rats. After four days, their blood were collected for the blood gas analysis. The superoxide dismutase (SOD), the malondialdehyde (MDA), nitic oxide (NO) content and the positive expression ratio of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were determined. The pathological changes of microstructure of lung were observed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The results demonstrated that JH-1 could significantly increase PO2, reduce PCO2 of oleic acid-induced ARDS rats, increase the superoxide dismutase, decrease the malondialdehyde, nitic oxide content and the positive expression ratio of TNF-alpha, and improve the histological destruction on lung.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>JH-1 plays a protective role for ARDS rats induced by oleic acid. The mechanism is probably related to attenuating lipid peroxidation and decreasing NO content and the expression of TNF-alpha in lung.</p>

Overview pharmacokinetic about traditional Chinese medicine in recent 10 years / 中国中药杂志

This article summarized the progresses of pharmacokinetic about traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in recent 10 years. Reports indicated that the studies of pharmacokinetic about TCM were in the stage of exploratory. Many factors restricted the progresses of pharmacokinetic such as complexity of medicine components, multi-target of drug effect and imperfect of evaluation methods. With the developing of modern analytical techniques and indication of TCM theories, we believe that the pharmacokinetic study will be constantly updated and improved.