Progress on Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism of Momordica charantia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Momordica charantia has been a traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and food since ancient times. The discussions on its nature， taste and efficacy in ancient books of TCM are almost the same. With a high nutritional value， M. charantia is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals， and has been widely used in the production of a wide range of dietary supplements and functional foods. At the same time， M. charantia is one of the most deeply studied natural medicines in traditional alternative medicine， with a wide range of pharmacological effects， especially in the treatment of metabolic diseases. Clinical trials have confirmed that M. charantia has a hypoglycemic effect， and could reduce blood lipids and weight loss， so as to improve metabolism in a comprehensive manner. According to the study on the mechanism of M. charantia in the treatment of diabetes， M. charantia could reduce blood sugar by improving islet β-cell function， improving insulin resistance， inhibiting intestinal glucose absorption and resisting inflammation and oxidative stress. However， at present， there is a lack of unified standards for the hypoglycemic effects and various mechanisms of action of M. charantia， and the safety has not been fully confirmed. Further studies shall be conducted to investigate the hypoglycemic effect and mechanisms of M. charantia， explore active components of M. charantia， define the pharmacodynamics material basis， extract monomer compounds with a clear structure and confirm its effectiveness and safety， which is helpful to develop and utilize the homologous value of medicine and food of M. charantia and further apply it in clinic. The application of the hypoglycemic effect of M. charantia in clinic has important economic benefits and a social significance.

The dynamic changes of heme oxygenase-1 mRNA and protein express at subfornical organ in rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>AIM</b>To observe the dynamic changes of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA and protein express in subfornical organ in rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) to confirm that SFO is one of the sites for blood-bearing signaling molecules entering into brain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>EAE was induced by CFA-GPSCH on Wistar rats, we observed the levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization technology on 1 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 21 d after EAE induction in SFO of rats. The relationship between HO-1 and symptoms of EAE was also investigated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression were very low in the brains of the control group, whereas they were enhanced gradually with pathological course in the brain and onsets of symptoms, signs of EAE. On 1 d after induction of EAE, positive cells of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression were observed at SFO, but the labeled cells were rarely seen in the other brain regions. On 7 d, the positive cells increased markedly. On 14 d the levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression in the brains reached the peak, the positive cells of HO-1 were mainly located at the choroid plexuses and SFO, as well as the regions around "sleeve-like" lesion foci, all of which were coincident with the locations of lesions of EAE. The changes of incidence, symptom, reduction of the body weight, and pathology lesions of EAE in rat brains were the most significant. On 21 d, the levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression reduced gradually, which was in parallel with remitted symptoms of EAE. When a specific inhibitor of HO-1, Snpp9, was applied, the symptoms and pathological lesions of EAE in brains were mitigated markedly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SFO may be one of the earliest sites for blood-bearing signaling molecules entering into brain. The dynamic changes of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression are in parallel with the changes of symptoms and pathological lesions of EAE in the brains. Application of some inhibitors of HO-1 may be one of potential therapeutic methods for prevention and treatment of EAE.</p>

Dynamic changes of heme oxygenase-1 protein and mRNA in the brains of rats with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis / 生理学报

In order to investigate the role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the molecular mechanism of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), which was induced by guinea pig spinal cord homogenate + complete freund adjuvant on Wistar rats, we observed the gene of HO-1 and its protein expression with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry 1, 7, 14, and 21 d after EAE induction in rats. The relationship between HO-1 and the symptoms of EAE was also observed. The results showed that the levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression were very low in the brains of the control group, whereas they were enhanced gradually with pathological course in the brain and onsets of symptoms, signs of EAE. On day 7, the level of HO-1 mRNA reached the peak, but the expression level of HO-1 protein in the brains reached the peak on day 14. The immunoreactive cells of HO-1 were mainly located at the choroid plexuses and subfornical organ (SFO), as well as in regions around the "sleeve-like" lesion foci, all of which were coincident with the locations of lesions of EAE. The levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression were lowered gradually on day 21, which were in parallel with the severities of symptoms and signs of EAE. After a specific inhibitor of HO-1, Snpp-9, was applied, both of the symptoms and pathological lesions of EAE in the rat brains were mitigated markedly. Therefore, these results may suggest that the dynamic changes of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression are in parallel with the changes of symptoms and pathological lesions of EAE in the brain. In conclusion, the levels of HO-1 mRNA and its protein expression in brains may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EAE, and application of inhibitors of HO-1 may be one of the potential therapeutic ways for the prevention and treatment of EAE.