Research progress of melanin concentrating hormone on depression / 中国药理学通报

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is an essential neuromodulator involved with multiple neurophysiological functions,such as feeding, mood and sleep-wake cycle. In recent years, the effects of melanin concentrating hormone on depression have attracted much attention, gradually becoming a highlight of developing advanced antidepressants. This article focuses on the research progress of MCHergic system and depression, looking forward to its future research direction.

Enrichment of flavonoid aglycones in licorice extract enhanced anti-inflammatory potential,but its hypnotic effect was not altered / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Licorice is used throughout the world as a traditional herbal remedy. Ac-cording to Chinese traditional medicine licorice alone can be used to treat inflammation.Although there have been some studies investigated the anti-inflammatory ingredients of licorice, but for the potency of flavonoid glycoside and their aglycones on inflammation are not evaluated.This study was designed to assess the contributions of licorice flavonoid glycosides and their aglycons to its anti-inflammatory and hypnotic effects. METHODS For the flavonoid aglycone's enrichment, the extract of licorice (EL) was fermented in submerged culture of the edible fungus Grifola frondosa HB0071 mycelia which can produce β-glucosidase and catalyze the flavonoid glycosides to aglycones.EL and fermented extract of licorice (FEL) were used in this study. The anti-inflammation test was carried out in arachidonic acid (AA)-induced ear edema model and the hypnotic test was performed by using electroencephalogram (EEG)analysis method in normal freely moving SD rats.The chemicals constituents were analyzed by HPLC.RESULTS During fermentation,the falvonoid glycosides of licorice were hydrolyzed by the time process.Along with fermentation time,the concentration of the major flavonoid glycosides,liquiritin and isoliquiritin were decreased obviously, and simultaneously their aglycons, liquiritigenin and isoliquiriti-genin were remarkably increased in FEL.Moreover,the content of another major constituent glycyrrhi-zic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid were not changed after the fermentation. In AA-induced mice ear ede-ma test,after topical application,FEL(effective dose range:5-20 μg·ear-1)showed more potent inhibito-ry activity than EL(effective dose range:25-100 μg·ear-1).On the other hand,oral administration of EL and FEL exhibited the same hypnotic potency and both enhanced the total sleep time including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep time. CONCLUSION These results suggested that the enrichment of flavonoid aglycons such as liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin enhanced the anti-inflam-matory potency of licorice extract,and this potentiation has nothing to do with glycyrrhizic acid or glycyr-rhetinic acid.In addition,enrichment of flavonoid aglycones did not alter the hypnotic effect of licorice.

New situation and new strategies——research and development and internationalization of new drugs and health products of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

The 2017 China (Lianyungang) International Medical Technology Conference was held in Lianyungang,Jiangsu Province during November 15-17,2017.During this conference,the Division for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products Pharmacology of Chinese Pharmacological Society (CNPHARS) and Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.jointly held the Forum on R&D and Interna-tionalization of New Drugs and Health Products of Traditional Chinese Medicine.The forum was co-chaired by Professor ZHANG Yong-xiang, President of CNPHARS, Chair of Division for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products Pharmacology of CNPHARS,and Chair of the Natural Product Section of Inter-national Union of Basic&Clinical Pharmacology(IUPHAR), Professor DU Guan-hua,former President of CNPHARS and Vice-Chair of Division for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products Pharmacology of CNPHARS,and Dr.XIAO Wei,Chairman of the Board of Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. And Vice-Chair of Division for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products Pharmacology of CNPHARS. More than 70 scholars attended the forum, including four foreign experts [Michael SPEDDING, Secretary-General of IUPHAR; Professor Valérie B. SCHINI-KERTH, Vice-Chair of the Natural Product Section of IUPHAR; Professor Cherry WAINWRGHT, Director of Centre for Natural Product Drugs of Robert Gordon University; Professor InKyeom KIM, Director of the Korean Society of Pharmacology], members of the Division for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Products Pharmacology of CNPHARS and leading researchers at Jiangsu Kanion Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.GU Jin-hui,Director of the Division of National Science and Technology Major Project for Drug Innovation,Department of Health Science,Technology and Education,National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China was also invited to attend the forum. Representatives discussed the R&D and internationalization of new drugs and health products of traditional Chinese medicine.The summary of views and advice of some experts was published here for the purpose of promoting domestic and overseas academic exchange, and playing an active role in improving the level of R&D and internationalization of new drugs and health products of traditional Chinese medicine in China.

Increased orexin expression promotes sleep/wake disturbances in the SOD1-G93A mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Sleep/wake disturbances in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are well-documented, however, no animal or mechanistic studies on these disturbances exist. Orexin is a crucial neurotransmitter in promoting wakefulness in sleep/wake regulation, and may play an important role in sleep disturbances in ALS. In this study, we used SOD1-G93A transgenic mice as an ALS mouse model to investigate the sleep/wake disturbances and their possible mechanisms in ALS.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Electroencephalogram/electromyogram recordings were performed in SOD1-G93A transgenic mice and their littermate control mice at the ages of 90 and 120 days, and the samples obtained from these groups were subjected to quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For the first time in SOD1-G93A transgenic mice, we observed significantly increased wakefulness, reduced sleep time, and up-regulated orexins (prepro-orexin, orexin A and B) at both 90 and 120 days. Correlation analysis confirmed moderate to high correlations between sleep/wake time (total sleep time, wakefulness time, rapid eye movement [REM] sleep time, non-REM sleep time, and deep sleep time) and increase in orexins (prepro-orexin, orexin A and B).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sleep/wake disturbances occur before disease onset in this ALS mouse model. Increased orexins may promote wakefulness and result in these disturbances before and after disease onset, thus making them potential therapeutic targets for amelioration of sleep disturbances in ALS. Further studies are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms in the future.</p>

Improved methods for monitoring sleep state and respiratory rhythm in freely moving rats / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To improve the method for monitoring sleep state and respiratory rhythm of SD rats, providing a solution for rats' chewing on the wires, signal loss and instability problems in the animal model of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We improved monitoring electrodes of both electrocorticogram (ECoG) and electromyogram (EMG), signal circuit and animal operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Operation time was shortened and wound exposure time was reduced, which made it easier for postoperative recovery. The ECoG and EMG signals were more stable with sharp image, and signal circuit lines had better conductivity and material durability, achieving continuous monitoring for a long time and high success rate. We could precisely distinguish the sleep wake state and the sleep apnea events in rats according to these signals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The improved method is more reliable and practical to test the small animal model of SAS, and is more easily to operate and the signals are more stable.</p>