Advance on the pharmacological research of dioscin / 中国药理学通报

Dioscin is the main ingredient of Dioscorea,a tradi-tional medical herb.Traditional theory of Chinese medicine be-lieves that Dioscorea has effects of clearing lung,digesting food, diuresis, improving blood circulation, relaxing muscles and stopping attack of malaria.Pharmacological studies have shown that dioscin has many pharmacological effects,particularly the anti-tumor effect.Many studies have also shown dioscin im-proves symptoms of atherosclerosis and protects blood vessel en-dothelium,reduces ischemia-reperfusion injury of heart,brain and kidney,lowers blood sugar,inhibits hepatic fibrosis,im-proves menopausal osteoporosis,relieves rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory disorders,and posses-ses anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity.This article focuses on the progress of the modern pharmacological study of dioscin,and reports its advances in recent years.

Effects of Color Retention Treatment on Preservation of Three Kinds of Medicinal Plant Specimens / 广州中医药大学学报

Objective To observe the effects of color retention treatment on the preservation of medicinal plant herbariums, film-cover specimens and resin specimens. Methods Seven kinds of medicinal plants with different characters after color retention treatment were made into herbariums, film-cover specimens and resin specimens, and then the preservation results for the above three kinds of medicinal plant specimens with or without color retention treatment were compared. Results Resin and film-cover specimens without color retention treatment had better preservation results than herbariums. All of the three kinds of specimens with color retention treatment had better preservation results for the original color and shape than the specimens without color retention treatment. Conclusion Color retention treatment for the medicinal plants results into higher preservation quality of the herbariums and longer preservation period.

Role of noncoding RNA in vascular injury, remodeling and aging / 中国药理学通报

Non-coding RNAs ( ncRNA ), including ribosomal RNA( rRNA), transfer RNA( tRNA), MicroRNA ( miRNA), long noncoding RNA(lncRNA) and small nucleolar RNA(snoR-NA), are a class of RNA that have multiple functions and are not translated to proteins. MicroRNA and lncRNA are involved in the injury, remodeling and aging of blood vessels, and it is necessary to understand the regulatory roles of MicroRNA and lncRNA in these processes. It is reported that MicroRNA and lncRNA are not only participated in the regulation of oxidative response, inflammation, cell proliferation and migration, and phenotype transition, they are also involved in the regulation of gene expression by conducting different mechanisms, including transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional modification and chromatin remodeling. These aspects of regulation by MicroRNA and lncRNA are related to cardiovascular diseases, such as ath-erosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, pul-monary hypertension and diabetes, and thus provide a new way for genetic diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

The research progress of senescence-associated secretory phenotype / 中国药理学通报

When senescence induction is based on DNA damage, senescent cells display a unique phenotype, which has been termed “senescence-associated secretory phenotype”( SASP ) . SASP, including proinflammatory cytokines, growth factors, chemokines, matrix remodeling enzymes and other cytokines, may be an important driver of chronic inflammation and therefore may be part of a vicious cycle of inflammation, DNA damage and senescence. Senescence-associated secretory products released by such cells can affect the neighboring cells and further exacer-bate their regenerative capacity. SASP is associated with many chronic age-related diseases.

Resveratrol regulates iNOS to inhibit atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To investigate the effect of resveratrol on the lipids ( CHOL, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C) , ni-tric oxide ( NO) , peroxynitrite anion ( ONOO-) and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS) in the artery of the mice with ovariotomy ( OVX) .METHODS:The lipid levels and NO level in the serum were measured .The chan-ges of atherosclerosis were evaluated with Oil Red O staining .The expression of iNOS was measured by DAB staining and Western blot .The ONOO-production was measured by DAB staining .RESULTS:Compared with sham group , the levels of the lipids and NO production in OVX +high fat (HF) group were increased (P<0.05).Compared with OVX+HF group, the levels of the lipids and NO production in resveratrol group were decreased (P<0.05).Fourteen weeks later, the atherosclerosis model was successfully established .Compared with OVX +HF group, the iNOS expression and the ONOO-production in resveratrol group were decreased ( P<0.05 ) , while those in sham group were increased ( P <0.05).CONCLUSION:Resveratrol prevents and treats atherosclerosis by inhibiting the iNOS expression in C 57BL/6J mice.

Role of tyrosine kinase of mast cell in allergy and its drug target / 中国药理学通报

The degranulation of mast cells represents a pivotal e-vent in the allergic disorders.The Src family kinases(SFKs)are as a starting signal in the activation of mast cell.Lyn,Fyn and Syk play important regulatory role in the degranulation of mast cells.Regulating SFKs can reduce the degranlation process and inhibit the allergic disorders.Therefore,SFKs inhibitors can be potential drugs in the allergy.It is necessary to study the targeted medicine of SFKs,which will be a new direction of drug develop-ment.

Ultrastructure of periosteal cells induced by bone morphogenetic protein 7 in vitro / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Study confirms that bone morphogenetic protein can induce osteogenesis;however the ultrastructure of periosteal cells induced by bone morphogenetic protein-7 remains poorly reported. OBJECTIVE:To study the bioactivity and ultrastructure of periosteal cells induced by bone morphogenetic protein-7 in vitro. METHODS:The primary periosteal cells isolated from adult tibial bone were in vitro cultured, and then divided into experimental group and control group. In the experimental group, cells were cultured with bone morphogenetic protein-7 and culture adjuvant;while cells in the control group were only cultured with the adjuvant. Three samples in each group were tested at 5, 10, 15 days, respectively. The general structure of cultured cells was observed using von Kossa staining, and the ultrastructure was observed under transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The periosteal cells in the two groups grew wel in vitro, showing uniform morphology. Early cells were spindle-shaped, with strong three-dimensional sense and ful transparency;mitotic cells were short columnar or cubic shaped, there were a lot of rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex in osteoblasts under electron microscope. Later stage of cells developed from long fusiform into wide shuttle and irregular shape, there were a large number of matrix vesicles within the cells under the electron microscope. The membrane coating, alkaline phosphatase and calcium-binding protein in the cytoplasm, as wel as calcium crystals were found. The osteogenesis basement and lateral sides appeared projections, which were connected with adjacent bone cells. Induction of bone morphogenetic protein-7 in vitro promotes the osteoblasts proliferation, division and bone formation speed. The results suggest that bone morphogenetic protein-7 can significantly enhance the proliferation ability of osteoblasts in vitro.

Role of macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis and its drug target / 中国药理学通报

Atherosclerosis is a complex metabolic cardiovascular disease. such inflammatory phenomena as the invasion of lipid into the arterial intima and accumulation, the increase of foam cells, the exacerbation of inflammatory lesions, plaque necrosis and disintegration, ulcer bleeding and thrombosis, fibrosis and calcification, etc, are basic pathological characteristics of ather-osclerosis. In this process, macrophages and T lymphocytes play an important role. In recent years,atherosclerosis pathology re-search mainly focuses on the role of macrophage polarization. Basically,macrophage can be divided into two subtypes: classi-cal activation macrophage M1 and alternative activation macro-phage M2. Therefore to paper reviews the meaning of M1 and M2 macrophage polarization during atherosclerosis, regulatory pathways and drug targets research status to provide new direc-tion for innovative drugs and disease treatment.

Testosterone induces cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in rats and upregulates the expression of ERK1/2 / 基础医学与临床

Objective To explore the role of ERK1/2 protein in development of myocardial hypertrophy.Methods Myocardial cells were isolated from ventricles of 1～3-day-old neonate rats and purifed by a culture method.Neonate rat cardiomyocyte hypertrophic responses were assayed by measuring protein content,protein synthesis rate and cell surface area.Expression of protein ERK1/2 were detected by Western blot.Results Cell protein content,~3H-leucine(~3 H-Leu)incorporation and cell surface area increased by treating of cardiomyocytes with T(10~(-10)～10~(-6) mol/L)for 24 h.The maxium effect was observed at the concentration of 10~(-8) mol/L.The increase of cell protein content induced by T was inhibited by pretreating with flutamide(10~(-5) mol/L)for 2 h,while there was no effect on cardiomyocytes pretreating with flutamide alone.The increase of ~3H-Leu incorporation induced by T was blocked by PD98059(50 μmol/L).Expression of ERK1/2 was upregulated significantly by treating with testoster one for 24 h at the level of 10~(-8) mol/L.The increased expression of ERK1/2 induced by T was reversed by pretreating with flutamide(10~(-5) mol/L)for 2 h.Conclusion T with physio-concentration may induce cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and this effect was possibly mediated through the activation of ERK1/2 signalling.During this procession,T upregulated the protein expression of ERK1/2 mediated by androgen receptor.

Study on effect of total saponins from Semen Nigellae on inflammatory mediators and ERK/MAPK pathway in stimulated macrophage / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the anti-inflammatory mechanism of total saponins from Semen Nigellae (TSSN).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>IFN-gamma plus LPS stimulated RAW 264. 7 macrophage has been used as inflammatory experimental model. Griess reaction for nitric oxide production, FRAP assay for total antioxidant capacity, RT-PCR for mRNA expression and Western blot for protein expression examination were performed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>TSSN inhibited NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The gene and protein expression of iNOS were also suppressed by the herb extract. TSSN treatment significantly attenuated mRNA of inflammatory mediators such as COX-2, IL-1beta, IL-6 while increased PPAR-gamma gene and protein expression. Furthermore, phosphorylation of ERK (p-ERK) was markedly inhibited by TSSN.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TSSN suppressed pro-inflammatory mediators such as COX-2, IL-1beta, IL-6 and increased anti-inflammatory mediator PPAR-gamma expression. Meanwhile, TSSN inhibited over production of NO and iNOS expression through ERK/MAPK pathway.</p>

Effect of caveolin -1 and ERK1/2 on 17β-estradiol -induced inhibition of VSMC proliferation / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To investigate the effect of caveolin - 1 and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 on 17β - estradiol ( E_2 ) induced inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cells ( VSMCs ). METHODS: The proliferation in cultured VSMCs was determined by using [~3H ] - thymidine incorporation. The expressions of caveolin - 1, MKP -1 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were measured by Western blotting. The expression of caveolin - 1 mRNA was measured by RT - PCR. RESULTS: Exposed to fetal calf serum ( FCS) for 24 h, the increase in proliferation of VSMCs was detected by [~3H] -thymidine incorporation. Pretreatment with various concentrations of E_2 for 24 h inhibited VSMC proliferation induced by FCS. The results of Western blotting and RT - PCR showed that pretreated with 17β - estradiol for 24 h reserved the decrease in caveolin - 1 induced by FCS. Western blotting results further proved that the expression of MKP - 1 was significantly increased and the expression of ERK1/2 phosphorylation was decreased after incubated with 17β - estradiol. CONCLUSION: 17β -estradiol increases caveolin - 1 and MKP - 1 expressions, and decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation, leading to the inhibition of VSMC proliferation.

Effect of caveolin-1 and ERK1/2 on 17?-estradiol-induced inhibition of VSMC proliferation / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To investigate the effect of caveolin-1 and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 on 17?-estradiol (E2) induced inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). METHODS:The proliferation in cultured VSMCs was determined by using [3H]-thymidine incorporation. The expressions of caveolin-1,MKP-1 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were measured by Western blotting. The expression of caveolin-1 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS:Exposed to fetal calf serum (FCS) for 24 h,the increase in proliferation of VSMCs was detected by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Pretreatment with various concentrations of E2 for 24 h inhibited VSMC proliferation induced by FCS. The results of Western blotting and RT-PCR showed that pretreated with 17?-estradiol for 24 h reserved the decrease in caveolin-1 induced by FCS. Western blotting results further proved that the expression of MKP-1 was significantly increased and the expression of ERK1/2 phosphorylation was decreased after incubated with 17?-estradiol. CONCLUSION:17?-estradiol increases caveolin-1 and MKP-1 expressions,and decreases ERK1/2 phosphorylation,leading to the inhibition of VSMC proliferation.