Investigation and clarification of traditional measuring units of Tibetan medicine / 中国中药杂志

Quantity is the key factor to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medicines. It is very important to study and determine the traditional measuring units and their quantity values of Tibetan medicine. Based on the literature records of Tibetan medicine and combined with modern experimental verification and investigation research, this study determined the reference, name, and conversion rate of traditional measuring units of Tibetan medicine. Meanwhile, through large sample sampling and repeated quantification of refe-rence of basic units, its weight and volume were clarified. The modern SI volume and weight unit values corresponding to the traditional volume and weight units of Tibetan medicine were deduced, and the correctness, reliability, and practicability of these determination results were demonstrated. This study also put forward some specific suggestions and reference values for formulating the standards of measuring units of weight and volume of Tibetan medicine. It is of great significance in guiding the processing, production, and clinical treatment of Tibetan medicine, and promoting the standardization and standardized development of Tibetan medicine.

Salvianolic acid A ameliorates AGEs-induced glomerular endothelial dysfunction and protects against diabetic nephropathy / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been one of the most common complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Glomerular hyperfiltrationis central in earlystage of DN and leads to the progression of renal architectonic and functional abnormalities. Salvi?anolic acid A (SalA) has been proved to protect diabetic complications such as hepatic fibrosis and neuropathy. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of SalAon glomerular endothelial dysfunctionand diabetic nephropathy. METHODS Primary glomerular endothelial cells were subjected to assess permeability under injury of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs-induced changes of RhoA/ROCK pathway and cytoskeleton rearrangement were assessed bywestern blotandimmunoflu?orescence. The beneficial effects of SalA on diabetic nephropathy were investigated in a rat model induced by high-fat and high-glucose diet combined with low dose of streptozocin (35 mg·kg- 1, ip). Renal function and architectonic changes were evaluated by biochemical assay and PAS staining. RESULTS SalA 3μMameliorated AGEs- induced glomerular endothelial permeability (P<0.05) and suppressed rearrangement of cytoskeleton through inhibiting AGE-RAGE-RhoA/ROCK pathway. SalA 1 mg · kg- 1 markedly reduced endothelium loss (P<0.01) and glomerular hyperfiltration (P<0.05) in diabetic kidney. Subsequently,SalA 1 mg·kg-1 suppressed glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion, eventually reduced 24 h-urinary albumin and ameliorated renal function by decreasing blood urine nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and serum n-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). AGEs-RAGE-Nox4-induced oxidative stress was suppressed by the treatment of SalA 1 mg·kg-1. CONCLUSION SalA ameliorated AGEs-induced glomerular endothelial hyperpermeability, and effec?tively protected against early-stage diabetic nephropathy by reducing hyperfiltration and alleviating renal structural deterioration through inhibiting AGEs and its downstream pathway. Thus, SalA might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Study on the Grading and Antioxidant Activity in vitro of Neutral Polysaccharides from White Ginsengand Red Ginseng / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the antioxidant activity in vitro of neutral polysaccharides and its graded component from 3samples of white ginseng and red ginseng. METHODS:The decoction method was used to extract the crude polysaccharides fromwhite ginseng,100 ℃ and 120 ℃ processed red ginseng;the crude polysaccharides were further separated through ion exchangecolumn to extract neutral polysaccharides;Sephadex G-75 gels filter column was used to grade the neutral polysaccharides accordingto the molecular weight,antioxidant activity in vitro of 9 samples in 3 neutral polysaccharides and were detected by DPPH andOH free radical scavenging test and reduction capacity test(FRAP value),and vitamin C was used as positive control. RESULTS:The 3 neutral polysaccharides all obtained component Ⅰ and component Ⅱ after grading. Neutral polysaccharides and its gradedcomponent showed certain antioxidant activity in vitro in a certain concentration range,and increased by concentration increasing.The activity of neutral polysaccharides and component Ⅱ from 120 ℃ processed red ginseng was the strongest,of which 50% inhibitoryconcentration(IC50)on DPPH free radical was 0.258 g/L and 0.253 g/L,on OH free radical was 7.157 g/L and 6.845g/L,FRAP values were 2.8 and 3.0 mmol/L(when concentration was 1.2 g/L),respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The antioxidant activityin vitro from 120 ℃ processed red ginseng is higher than that of 100 ℃ processed red ginseng and white ginseng,in whichcomponent Ⅱ makes important contribution to the antioxidant activity.

Fusion expression of human thymosin alpha 1 in Escherichia coli / 生物工程学报

Engineering E. coli strain, BL21 (DE3)/pGEX-4T-human Thymosin alpha 1, was constructed by oligonucleotide annealing and PCR amplifying the target gene, then ligating it with pGEX-4T-3 vector and transferring into BL21 host. The yield of fusion protein of GST-Thymosin alpha 1 expressed from BL21 (DE3)/pGEX-4T-thymosin alpha 1 is about 35%-40% of total protein after fermentation. Following the simple cut of thrombin or CNBr, about 0.2 g/L thymosin alpha 1 can be harvested. The product is checked by MS and activity test, which indicates that the recombinant product has full biological activity of native thymosin alpha 1.